Mattel is commemorating The Beatles by releasing a limited edition MEGA set to honor the 60th anniversary of the iconic British band’s first appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show in the United States.
Mattel is paying tribute to The Beatles by creating a unique construction set that commemorates the 60th anniversary of the band’s inaugural appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show.
On February 9th, it will have been sixty years since the iconic band graced The Ed Sullivan Show stage for the first time. Their performance, broadcast on February 9th, 1964, captivated a staggering 73 million viewers, making it one of the most-watched moments in television history.
Now, enthusiasts of The Beatles have the opportunity to construct their very own symbol of “rock ‘n’ roll history” with this exclusive building set that commemorates the 60th anniversary of The Beatles’ inaugural performance in the United States on the renowned variety show.
The Beatles MEGA’s exclusive set, titled “Ladies and Gentlemen
The Beatles!” ($79.99), can be found at select Walmart stores, as well as online at Walmart.com and The Beatles’ official website.
This remarkable 681-piece set, created by MEGA, a Canadian toy company under the ownership of Mattel, faithfully recreates the iconic “arrows” stage that was specifically designed for the broadcast. It also includes four posable micro-figures of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr, each measuring 2 inches tall. These micro-figures come with interchangeable instruments, adding to the authenticity of the set.
The Beatles’ groundbreaking performance on The Ed Sullivan Show marked the beginning of the “British invasion” and ignited the phenomenon known as Beatlemania in the United States. The show received an astounding 50,000 ticket requests for its 728-seat studio, showcasing the immense popularity of the band. In comparison, Elvis Presley garnered over 7,000 ticket requests for his debut on The Ed Sullivan Show back in 1957.
The Beatles made three appearances on the show in 1964 and made several more appearances in the following four years. However, they ceased performing live on the show in 1966 and chose to present pre-recorded performances instead. The band’s last performance on The Ed Sullivan Show took place on March 1, 1970.
The Beatles’ fortunes took a turn after talent booker Jack Babb from the Ed Sullivan Show witnessed their performances in the UK. This happened the following year when Peter Prichard, a London talent agent and a friend of Beatles manager Brian Epstein, invited Babb to see the band live twice. Initially, Babb was not interested in booking the group for the show, as British musical acts had little success in the U.S. at that time.
However, everything changed when Ed Sullivan himself witnessed the Beatles’ popularity firsthand. On October 31, while at London’s Heathrow Airport, Sullivan saw a crowd of 1,500 fans eagerly awaiting the Beatles’ return from their tour of Sweden. This sight intrigued Sullivan, and he became interested in booking the band for his show. Prichard promptly informed Epstein about the opportunity.
Epstein wasted no time and flew to New York on November 5 to promote another act he managed, Billy J. Kramer and the Dakotas. Just six days later, Epstein and Sullivan met at the Hotel Delmonico and reached an agreement. The Beatles would perform three shows for the Ed Sullivan Show, two of them live and one taped. For these performances, the Beatles earned a total of $2,400, which would be equivalent to $17,396 in 2022.
Following their appearances on the Ed Sullivan Show
The Beatles started gaining attention in the mainstream American press and receiving radio play in November and December 1963. The demand from listeners grew rapidly, prompting Capitol Records to rush-release the band’s first single, “I Want to Hold Your Hand,” in late December, three weeks ahead of schedule. Capitol had originally planned to release the single on January 16, 1964, hoping that the Beatles’ upcoming appearances on the Sullivan Show in early February would boost sales. However, the song unexpectedly reached the top of the Billboard Hot 100 chart on January 25, 1964, just before the Beatles’ arrival in the U.S.
CBS continues to utilize the Ed Sullivan Theater as a venue for various television productions. In February 2014, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Beatles’ inaugural appearance, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr made a special return to the theater for a joint interview with David Letterman. Additionally, on February 9, CBS News organized a roundtable discussion at the theater to mark the 50th anniversary of the Beatles’ first Ed Sullivan performance. Moderated by Anthony Mason, the panel included notable figures such as Pattie Boyd, Neil Innes, Mick Jones, Tad Kubler, John Oates, Peter Asher, Nile Rodgers, and Julie Taymor.
In a similar vein, the music video for Outkast’s popular 2003 hit single “Hey Ya!” paid homage to the Beatles’ Ed Sullivan Show appearance. However, the video presented a reversed scenario, with OutKast portraying the fictional American band The Love Below performing in front of a British audience.
Furthermore, on May 15, 2019, the Korean pop band BTS paid tribute to the Beatles’ initial Ed Sullivan Show performance by filming two black-and-white musical segments in Beatles-style attire for The Late Show With Stephen Colbert. Colbert himself dressed up as Sullivan for the occasion. It is worth noting that The Late Show is filmed within the Ed Sullivan Theater.
Lastly, on November 11, 2023, the American indie rock band Boygenius delivered captivating performances of their songs “Not Strong Enough” and “Satanist” on Saturday Night Live. The set was meticulously designed to resemble the iconic Ed Sullivan Show, and the band members donned suits reminiscent of the Beatles’ attire. Additionally, their drum kit, inspired by the Beatles, featured a kick drum adorned with a logo mirroring the Beatles’ own.