First of all, let´s have a flash back to remember some things about that already remoted for us era.
In the States after President´s Kennedy assassination, ex VP Lyndon Johnson is on power.
Black people movements have already risen with their main leaders Martin Luther King and Malcolm X. MLK writes his famous “Ι have a dream” speech and delivers it at Lincoln Memorial in Washington DC. A year later he receives the Nobel Peace prize. Meanwhile X is assassinated in Manhattan, on February 21 of 1965.
KKK criminals terrorise the southern part of the nation, provoking massive assaults as 16th Street Baptist Church bombing at Birmingham, Alabama. One year later, Klan´s members kill three civil right activists, a story which inspired Alan Parker to make the notorious “Mississippi burning” film.
The greatest boxer ever is changing his name from Cassius Clay to Muhammad Ali.
The war on Vietnam continues while the peace movement is growing. Anti-war protests are by now frequent and massive.
Hundreds of thousands of Cuban refugees arrive in the States as President Castro allows the immigration.
Lyndon Johnson declares the war on poverty, lowering the US poverty rate from 17 to 11%. Johnson also signs the Civil Rights Act that outlaws discrimination based on race, religion, sex, national origin and colour. A few months later he is re-elected as the President of the United States. He will continue the great reforms with the signing of the Social Security Act (with which were established Medicare and Medicaid) and the Voting Rights Act (which vastly permitted to African Americans to vote).
United States of America must be proud of Lyndon Johnson.
On music, the Beatles release their first single “Love me do” and their first album “Please, please me”. A few months later their second LP “With the Beatles” becomes their consecutive no 1 album. The first days of 1964 the Liverpool´ s most known band releases in the States “Introducing the Beatles”, its first attempt to conquer the local market, dominated before their arrival by the Beach Boys, The Four Seasons, Peter Paul and Mary, Ray Charles, Sam Cooke, Nat King Cole, The Shirelles, Roy Orbison, Chuck Berry and other also or less known artists. Shortly after that, the Beatles covered the top five places on Billboard!!!!
Bob Dylan releases the Freewheeling, one of the most influential albums in musical history. The album contains the all time classic “Blowing in the wind”. Dylan´s discography is continued with “The times they are a changing”, “Another Side” and “Bring it all backhome”.
Τhe Rolling Stones release their first single “Come on” and their eponymous first album. One year later “Satisfaction” tops the US Billboard.
Other famous bands also release songs and albums which are milestones in musical history: Simon and Garfunkel “The sounds of silence”, The Kinks “You really got me”, The Animals “The house of the rising sun” and the fantastic “Don´t let me be misunderstood”, the Who “My generation” and many more.
Meanwhile, on Venice beach in Los Angeles …………………….
(to be continued)
