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Sixties Music History 1964

1964

In 1963 Britain had taken the Beatles into their hearts. They were regularly on radio, television, in the newspapers and especially featured in gossip magazines. By the end of 1964 Beatlemania had conquered Britain, America and possibly most of the countries in the world. They had started what was called the “British Invasion” of America.
Motown had their first number one in the U.K. With the Supremes “Baby Love”

January

1st Top of The Pops premiered on the BBC, transmitted from Manchester, England and was presented by Jimmy Savile. Some of the artists which appeared on the show that night were the Rolling Stones, the Hollies, Dusty Springfield and the Dave Clark Five.
Blues Harmonica player Cyril Davies died of leukaemia.
The Rolling Stones headlined their first tour which began at the Granada Theatre, Harrow on The Hill, Middlesex the tour also featured The Ronettes, Dave Berry and The Cruisers, Marty Wilde and The Swinging Blue Jeans.
Manfred Mann’s first hit 5-4-3-2-1 was used as the signature tune for the television show Ready Steady Go.
The Beatles were first shown on American television with a short clip on the Jack Parr Show.
The album “Stay With The Hollies” was released.
The Rolling Stones were the judges on the panel of the T.V. Show Juke Box Jury.
“Meet the Beatles” Album was released in the U.S. and shot to number one. At the same time they also had “I Want To Hold Your Hand” which moved to number one in the singles charts.

February

The Beatles arrived in the U.S. for the first time causing riotous scenes as they landed at New York's JFK airport.
On February 9th an estimated 73 million viewers watched the Beatles on the Ed Sullivan show. They appeared on his show again in the middle of February and also in May that year.
The Beatles performed their first U.S. live pop concert at the Coliseum in Washington, also on the bill were the Chiffons and Tommy Roe. They also played at New York’s Carnegie Hall and the Deauville Hotel Mau Mau Club in Miami.
Some of the artists touring on The Thank Your Lucky Stars show were Joe Brown & the Bruvvers, Heinz, Johnny Kidd & the Pirates, The Crystals and Manfred Mann.
Acker Bilk and The Paramount Jazz Band appeared at the Colston Hall Bristol.
The Searchers, Bobby Vee and Dusty Springfield started their U.K.tour at The Adelphi Cinema, Slough.

March

Matt Monro was voted into second place for the U. K. in the Eurovision song contest with “I Love the Little Things”.
Madame Tussaud's famous Wax Museum in London unveiled its four new statues of the Beatles.
The pirate Radio station Radio Caroline began broadcasting from a ship anchored outside British territorial waters.
Kathy Kirby, Freddie & the Dreamers and The Merseyeats appeared at the Gaumont, Bradford.
At The Coventry Theatre the first night of a UK tour kicked off featuring The Hollies, the Dave Clark Five, The Kinks and The Mojos.

April

The Beatles held the top five single record spots in the Billboard Top 40 list in America they were “Can’t Buy Me Love” - “Twist and Shout” - “She Loves You” - “I Want To Hold Your Hand” - “Please, Please Me”.
The Rolling Stones released their self named first album.
John Lennon’s first book was published In His Own Write.
Chubby Checker married Catharina Johanna Lodders of the Netherlands she was Miss World of 1962.
The New Music Express Poll-Winners All-Star Concert, staged at the Empire Pool, London (now the Wembley Arena) some of the artists who appeared included The Rolling Stones, The Searchers, Manfred Mann,The Hollies Cilla Black, Billy J. Kramer & The Dakotas, Gerry & The Pacemakers, The Fourmost, Freddie & the Dreamers and The Merseybeats.

May

Rudy Lewis the lead singer with the Drifters died in May at the age of twenty seven.
Bob Dylan arrived in Britain for his first major UK tour which included a show at London's Royal Festival Hall.
The Dave Clark Five made their first appearance on CBS-TV's Ed Sullivan Show
Chuck Berry appeared at London's Astoria Theatre, with The Animals, The Nashville Teens, and The Swinging Blue Jeans.
Gerry and the Pacemakers made their US television debut on CBS' Ed Sullivan Show.

June

The Rolling Stones began their first U.S. Tour in San Bernardino.
Bob Dylan completed his U.K. Tour.
The Big Star Show at the Rainbow Theatre, Blackpool featured Joe Brown, Johnny Kidd & the Pirates, The Tornados, and Mike Preston.

July

The Rolling Stones had their first number one hit in the UK with "It's All Over Now".
A “Hard Day’s Night” went to number one in the album charts and the film premiered in London. It was first first shown in the U.S.A. in August.
The Rolling Stones and Lulu & the Luvvers appeared at the Queens Hall, Leeds.
The Country & Western singer Jim Reeves died in an air crash in Tennessee.

August

The police in Scheveningen, Holland ended a Rolling Stones concert after 15 minutes when the crowd started to fight and get out of control.
Bob Dylan and Joan Baez shared the stage for the first time at the Newport Folk Festival.
The Beatles started their American/Canadian 26 venue tour on the 19th of August at the Cow Palace in San Francisco finishing at the Paramount Theatre in New York on the 20th of September. Also on the tour were Jackie de Shannon, The Righteous Brothers, Bill Black Combo and the Exciters.
August 23rd The High Numbers before they became The Who supported Dusty Springfield and Eden Kane at the Brighton Hippodrome.
The singer Johnny Burnette was drowned in a boating accident.

September

On September 16th “Shindig!” the ABC musical variety television show was first shown among the artist’s were Sam Cooke, The Righteous Brothers and The Everly Brothers.
The Kinks reached number one in the U.K. with the Ray Davies composition “You Really Got Me”.
The Yardbirds and the Moody Blues appeared at The Marquee Club, London.

October

The group the High Numbers were rejected by EMI Records and later change their name back to the Who.
The Kinks released their first album “The Kinks”.
The Rolling Stones appeared on the Ed Sullivan show in October.
Billy J. Kramer, Cliff Bennett & Rebel Rousers, The Kinks, The Ronettes and The Yardbirds, all appeared at the Granada Brixton.
The Beatles began their U.K. Tour with Mary Wells, Tommy Quickly, the Remo Four, Michael Haslam, the Rusticks, and Sounds Incorporated.
The Five Faces of Manfred Mann album was released.
The Animals started their first headlining U.K. tour at the ABC in Manchester with Gene Vincent, The Nashville Teens and Carl Perkins.
The 'Tami Show' took place at the Civic Auditorium, Santa Monica featuring Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, The Beach Boys, Jan & Dean, James Brown & the Flames, Chuck Berry, Billy J. Kramer & the Dakotas, Marvin Gaye, The Supremes, Gerry & the Pacemakers and The Rolling Stones.

November

The Dave Clark Five appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show.
The Beach Boys appeared on Ready Steady Go.
The Rolling Stones, The Yardbirds, The Pretty Things and the Birds appeared at the Face Club, Grantham.
Manx Radio was the first commercial radio station to broadcast in the British Isles.
The Brenda Lee tour arrived at the Odeon in Chelmsford the supporting acts included Johnny Kidd & The Pirates, Heinz , Marty Wilde and the John Barry Seven.
Motown had their first U.K. Number one single with “Baby Love” by the Supremes.

December

The Gerry and the Pacemakers film "Ferry Cross The Mersey" was shown at the New Victoria Cinema in London.
The Beatles released their “Beatles For Sale” album which went to number one in the charts. They appeared in a Christmas show at London's Hammersmith Odeon with Elkie Brooks, Freddie & the Dreamers, Sounds Incorporated and the Yardbirds.
11th December Sam Cooke was shot dead by Bertha Franklin a hotel manageress.