Howard Grafton
The Beatles on the Ed Sullivan
Show A piece of history.
The Ed Sullivan show featuring the Beatles still attracts a record-setting 75 million viewers, making it one of the seminal moments in television history. Sixty years later, people still remember exactly where they were the night The Beatles stepped onto Ed Sullivan's stage.
Facts and info about The Beatles at the Ed Sullivan show in color: These images taken by Howard Grafton are the only set of color photographs taken during the fourth and final appearance of The Beatles on the Ed Sullivan Show on August 14, 1965. The performance took place the day before The Beatles' Shea Stadium Concert, which kicked off their North American Tour. Every other photographer authorized on the set used black & white film.
There are only six pictures of the Beatles: Two shots are of the band's rehearsals, three pictures of the band's aired performance, and one captures Paul alone performing "Yesterday " solo for the very first time on television, without the three others. The Beatles performed six songs: I Feel Fine, I'm Down, Act Naturally, Ticket to Ride, Yesterday, and Help (John forgot some of the lyrics to "Help"). The broadcast received a 60% share of the nighttime audience.
Howard Grafton was a young photographer and the only one present on the set with a brand-new color camera he hadn't had a chance to use yet. Due to his young age compared to the more seasoned photographers present, Grafton had an 'in' with the Beatles, and the band granted him full access to the set. The publisher acquired the rights to these photographs from the estate of Mr. Grafton. The set of 6 is available in a limited edition of 25 sets printed on aluminum - each signed and numbered. This is the very first time that these pictures have been displayed in this form and medium and made available to the public.
The Beatles' fourth and final Ed Sullivan Show:
On 14 August 1965, they were driven to CBS-TV's Studio 50 in a convoy of limousines. Rehearsals took place from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., as The Beatles were unhappy with the initial sound balance and continued working until they were satisfied. A dress rehearsal took place from 2.30 p.m. in front of a studio audience of 700, and the show itself was recorded from 8.30 p.m.
The Beatles performed six songs: 'I Feel Fine,' 'I'm Down,' 'Act Naturally,' 'Ticket To Ride,' 'Yesterday' and 'Help!'.
After Act Naturally, there was a short break, after which The Beatles returned to perform the remaining three songs with a different stage set. Ticket To Ride included a lengthy introduction during which the cameras panned to each member of the group. Paul McCartney sang Yesterday with a pre-recorded string trio backing.
The audience was out there, loving it, but I was a bit scared, and I had to do my song yesterday on my own. I'd never done this; I'd always had the band with me, but suddenly they said, 'You were doing Yesterday,' so I said, 'OK.' So, I was standing there, and the floor manager, the guy on the curtain, approached me and said, 'You nervous?' I said, 'No.' He said, 'You should be; there's 73 million people watching.
' Paul McCartney
