How the Beatles rocked the USSR
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- Опубликовано: 5 сен 2024
- Everyone knows how the Beatles made an impact on the West - but how did they influence the youth on the other side of the Iron Curtain in the Soviet Union and the rest of the Eastern Bloc?
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I was born in the USSR. And I discovered the Beatles when I was a schoolboy. As far as I remember, the first song that won me over was Come Together. And very soon I became a beatleman. But not a single Beatles song was broadcast on Soviet radio and television. Only about 10-12 songs have been officially released (I remember: Can't Buy Me Love, I Should Have Known Better, Come Together, Let It Be, I Me Mine, When I'm 64, Across the Universe, With a Little Help from My Friends, Birthday, Girl and a few more). That's why we listened to the Voice of America and the BBC on the radio, trying to catch the music of our favorite band. The Soviets started jamming "enemy" radio stations, but we listened, despite the noise and howling. By the way, someone said very well that the Beatles destroyed the Soviet Union. It's funny, but it's partly true. Because they were a breath of freedom for us.
Wow! Really interesting to here this from someone who was actually there.
I travelled across the Soviet Union in early 1977, hotels had Beatles cover bands playing and taxis played bootleg beatles cassette tapes. Albums were considered gold.
Complete bullshit! I was born in the USSR and I remember their songs being played at homes via cassette players. They were never banned there, they weren't promoted - those are different things. But those who loved their music and wanted to listen to it, they managed to get it anyhow.
And as for that stupid remark made by Artemy Trotsky - that The Beatles "destroyed" the USSR - only a negative person could say such a thing. The Beatles were not "destroyers", they made wonderful music and brought LOVE throughout the world, and the soviet people were recieving that love as well as the other people on the planet. Those who really destroyed the USSR were politicians, not the people of culture.
@@Zholobov1 Did I write that they were banned? Read carefully - I wrote that the radio stations were jammed. And their albums were rewritten on tape recorders several times. Sometimes the recordings were so bad that it was difficult to understand who was recorded there - the Beatles, the Rolling Stones or someone else.
@@alexandert3993 never had such a problem - what's the use of a bad recording when you could get a better one 😄
I heard the soviet youth were using discarded x-rays to record radio free Europe beatles songs. Pretty creative.
^^ you can see these at 3:40 !
@@AlbertGenower that's funny. I saw that but it didn't occur to me that was an actual x-ray. I just thought "what a weird looking record". 😂
“Bones records.”
Thanks Albert. I’ve struggled to capture many words of your soft, low, fairly monotone voice, particularly when the background track is more colourful and prominent.
(Coming from one who has learned to project to an audience, I hope this taken as constructive.)
Thanks for the feedback, still getting to grips with the whole narrating thing
Thank you for the video! I grew up in the USSR behind the tall walls of iron curtain. The Beatles were mostly prohibited until they went their own ways in 1970. After that time their songs started to appear on the official records. Of course, the Beatles were constantly criticized for their “love songs” and a “weak anti-capitalist agenda”.
The main influence on the Soviet youths was the idea of a possible alternative, maybe even a better one…
For that I am eternally grateful to the Beatles!
I’m glad you enjoyed! It’s always so interesting to hear from the people who actually experienced these things. I always thought it was funny that The Beatles were dangerous Western capitalists in the East but in the West thought of as subversive communist sympathisers (Lennon at least).
he’s done it again ! swag vid bert
thanks Caitlin Perry my number one fan
Really well done, thanks for the detailed references and analysis
Glad you enjoyed :)
This is actually amazing
Thanks so much :)
I wanted to listen to the whole of this video but I couldn't. Your background Yesterday music drowned out your voice and I ended up tuning into that lovely piece instead. The power of the Beatles!
Thanks for the feedback - I'm still trying to experiment with all the editing things, so I'll make sure to turn down the background music next time :)
Beatles' influence in USSR is felt even in children's cartoons ("Bremen town musicians p.2", "Just you wait"), they were sometimes referenced but you wouldn't guess if you didn't know their status in USSR culture. There were state-approved singers who covered Beatles' song (check out Valeriy Obodzinskiy's "Girl") and a turtleneck is still sometimes called "битловка", literally a "beatles' sweater".
Wow, that’s really interesting! Thanks for watching :)
great video once again mate!
your editing and flow is getting much better. loved the addition of bg music on this one (:
Thanks so much! I think I put the music a little too loud but I’m still experimenting. Glad to see people coming back to watch though!
That's what rock and roll is at the end of the day, rebellion
That’s true. Could do with some more of that nowadays.
So it makes senses why there are many beatles sculptures/monument in former soviet countries like Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Russia.
And also in Lithuania and Mongolia
Cuba as well
You forgot to mention billy Joel's concert in Russia where he sang back in ussr before everyone
That’s true, although he did come a long while after the stuff I tried to focus on here.
Bro you're gonna be famous off of these yt vids before the summer is over 😆
aha maybe one day ! Thanks Hailey :)
To borrow an old saying the song is nighter than the terror
Very true!
Loved the Radiohead video and yet again love this one :)
Thanks so much! I’m really enjoying making them and getting feedback like this motivates me so much to keep going :)
Great Video, new to the channel just earnt a subscriber
Thanks so much!
I could watch ur videos all day long🤩
thanks swarner!
Ohh Lennin! eras casi Lennon!
haha!!