Jak začala Beatlemania v Americe

US nahrávací společnosti považovaly britské zpěváky a skupiny za lokální fenomén, který v USA nemůže uspět. Jako kuriositu CBS natočila reportage o britském šílenství fanynek Beatles a dne 22. 11. 1963 ji odvysílala v The CBS Evening News With Walter Cronkite.

Příští den 15letá školačka z 9. třídy, Marsha Albertová, napsala do radia WWDC: "Why can't we have music like that here in America?" A tím to začalo.

V úterý 17. prosince 1963: "Having received a copy of "I Want To Hold Your Hand" from England - Carroll James decides that its US premiere should be introduced by the young girl who had requested the record. He contacts Marsha Albert and invites her to the WWDC studios. She introduces the record with the words "Ladies and gentlemen for the first time on the air in the United States - here are the Beatles singing 'I Want To Hold Your Hand.'" (MP3)

The oft-used expression "the phones lit up" does not begin to describe the reaction that WWDC experiences. Listeners phone in repeatedly to request the song. Carroll James and the radio station react by placing their solitary copy of the record in heavy rotation. The frequent playing of the record elicits even more listener response.

Listeners start bombarding Washington record stores with requests for a record and artist that none of the stores have even heard of. The grassroots reaction has begun..."