Elvis person or Beatles person?

[DarrenGMiller]

My brother grew up listening to the Beatles while they were still together and I remember sitting in his room as a small child while he spun vinyl and the Beatles became something more than just music. I wore a "Reunite the Beatles" shirt while in elementary school and I cried when I found out that I was born on pretty much the same day the Beatles formally broke up. They were always, to me, more than their music. They were like a mythology.

Now my mother is an Elvis person. Her brother (my uncle) was actually an impersonator for some time in the 70's. My father is a Beatles person, as he always took my brother to concert and they saw Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr and George Harrison in concert several times. I took my brother to what would be his last Paul McCartney concert before he died and I inherited all of those storied Beatle records, some of them very rare imports and picture disks (my father had a friend who worked at Capitol Records) that I grew up listening to in my big brother's room. I also inherited a large number of their CD's, videos, cassettes, etc. He was a collector of all things Beatles.

During my childhood, there was the same thing with Yankees fans and Mets fans where I grew up. We were, as a family, Mets fans and still are.

" and in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make"
- Paul McCartney

To my brother:

"Golden slumbers fill your eyes. Smiles awake you when you rise."
- Paul McCartney

DM

 

[GlassJaw]

Neither choice defines who I am in any way, shape or form. What characteristics are inherent in being either an Elvis or a Beatle person?

Being a musician myself, I prefer the Beatles by far. Paul and John were the quintessential songwriters and their music still holds up today. I'd always considered Elvis to be a little hokey too.

 

[reveal]

If it weren't for Elvis, the Beatles would have never existed.

 

[mythusmage]

If it weren't for Elvis, the Beatles would have never existed.

If it weren't for the Beatles, Elvis would've died in obscurity.

 

[reveal]

If it weren't for the Beatles, Elvis would've died in obscurity.

Maybe, although I highly doubt it, considering his "comeback" special. Regardless, if it weren't for Elvis and his bringing rock n' roll to the masses, the Beatles, heck the entire British invasion, would have never had anything to play.

 

[billd91]

Maybe, although I highly doubt it, considering his "comeback" special. Regardless, if it weren't for Elvis and his bringing rock n' roll to the masses, the Beatles, heck the entire British invasion, would have never had anything to play.

Or if it weren't for Bill Haley and the Comets doing it a year before Elvis...

 

[loki44]

If it weren't for Elvis, the Beatles would have never existed.

If it weren't for Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Howlin' Wolf, Muddy Waters, Screamin' Jay Hawkins, Fats Domino, Bo Diddley, John Lee Hooker, et al., there would never have been an Elvis or the Beatles.

 

[reveal]

If it weren't for Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Howlin' Wolf, Muddy Waters, Screamin' Jay Hawkins, Fats Domino, Bo Diddley, John Lee Hooker, et al., there would never have been an Elvis or the Beatles.

You will get no argument from me on that.

 

[reveal]

Or if it weren't for Bill Haley and the Comets doing it a year before Elvis...

But not nearly at the same level. Yes, Rock around the clock was very popular but it took Elvis to truly showcase how powerful rock music could be in terms of drawing an audience.

 

[sniffles]

If it weren't for Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Howlin' Wolf, Muddy Waters, Screamin' Jay Hawkins, Fats Domino, Bo Diddley, John Lee Hooker, et al., there would never have been an Elvis or the Beatles.

Doesn't matter who came before - the thread is about who you prefer, Elvis or the Beatles!

I'm a Beatles person. Never really cared for Elvis, musically or otherwise. My mom told me I actually saw the Beatles' first American tv appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show, so I guess it must have started me as a fan then.