Beatlemania Rages On! (1965)

photo copyright held by Sara Schmidt 

 

Beatlesmania Rages On!

Written By Eugene Gilbert

The San Bernadeno County Sun

December 25, 1965

    Hold your ears, Dad. Beatlemania once thought a passing fad, apparently, is here to stay, and hip teens now see the long hairs from London as pace setters and a whole new trend of music yet to be explored.

     Some of them assert that Elvis Presley is for old people. "The Beatles are kings," says Ricky Flake, 15, of Pomona, California. A whopping 75% or 821 of 1100 teenagers we interviewed agreed with him. The reason, as dad may suspect, very considerably.

     16-year-old Jay Gartman of Miami, Florida, likes them because "they've calmed down a good cultural music." Jay's classmate Alex Dawns, 16, thinks the Beatles are "neat dressers."

     17% of our teenagers pick Presley over the Beatles. Presley is the hip swinging, guitar-playing gyrator who rocketed to fame and millions in the 50s and at 30 is still going strong. Those who prefer Presley are usually the older teenagers, those young enough to have been at the hair-tearing hero worship stage a few years ago, and the Presley fans look with mock disapproval at the Beatles bandwagon.

     "I remember Presley when he started, and I always enjoyed him," said Gary Lautenberg, 19, of Flushing, New York. Vince Lowney, 16 of Geneva, New York, says "Presley, at least sings."  And Clinton Weimeister, 18, of Baltimore, says he prefers Presley because "he's American."

     There's some dissension in the Beatles ranks over who has had or will have the greatest influence on pop singing. A solid 48% or 528 of the 1100 say the Beatles' influence is the strongest, and another 21% or 229 teens pick Presley, perhaps giving him more credit for age.

     A quarter percent of those polled choose various other English singing groups, as well as Sonny and Cher, Bob Dylan, and Herman's Hermits.

     "Presley actually started modern pop singing and thus has had a greater effect," says Clayton White, 17, of Capertino, California. Some agree with Clayton, some don't, depending on when their conception of pop music begins. 

    For 12-year-old Kim Phillips of Lincoln, Nebraska, "The Beatles' idea of music is the best in a long time, and a far greater influence than Presley."  Linda Goldberg, 13, of Pennsauken, New Jersey, says "the Beatles are the greater influence in music because no one can top them. "

    In Miami, 14-year-old Norma Harina says, "The Beatles are new and something different. Presley is for old people."

     In 10 years, when Norma, Linda, Gary, and Vince are parents, maybe there will be a new trend towards chamber music. Meanwhile, relax, Dad, those long hairs and their offshoots are well entrenched.