In 1962 The Beatles conquered Liverpool; in 1963 they stormed Britain, in 1964 America and then the world. The Beatles were the first supergroup. Never before had fans responded so spontaneously and so vociferously. Until the group gave up performing live in 1966 their concerts were one resounding scream; their lives ones of endless harassment.
This programme looks at Beatlemania through the eyes of the fans. It starts in Liverpool where the first scream was heard at the Cavern Club and finds some of the fans for whom The Beatles were ' the boys next door' and the Cavern Club compère, Bob Wooler. Other early followers of The Beatles include Kenny Everett , then a pirate radio DJ, and Chris Hutchins , then a music journalist. American fans were even more devoted and at a convention in Los Angeles Beatlemania still goes on. Film cameraman KEVIN ROWLEY Film sound MICHAEL TURNER Research CLAIRE GOODMAN
Film editor ANDREW WILLSMORE Producer SANDRA GREGORY