The Beatles December 1963: “For the First Time on the Air in the United States…”

By December 1963, Beatlemania had taken over Britain — and was about to cross the Atlantic. This episode follows the final month before The Beatles’ American breakthrough: from their Christmas shows in London and the release of I Want To Hold Your Hand in America, to DJ Carroll James getting teenager Marsha Albert to introduce the song on U.S. radio. Sources include The Beatles 1963 by Dafydd Rees, Shake It Up Baby! by Ken McNab, the Nothing Is Real podcast, and Mark Lewisohn. This video contains archival images, interviews, and recordings used under fair use for the purposes of commentary, research, and education. All rights to the original materials belong to their respective owners.