Capitol plant produced joy
Editor: Thanks for the excellent article by Donnie Collins about the Capitol Records plant in South Scranton and its role in our country’s history, specifically, pressing very large numbers of Beatles albums in the 1960s (June 9).
When the Beatles made their first appearance on American TV on Feb. 9, 1964, our nation was still reeling from the effects of the assassination of President Kennedy a few months earlier. His tragic death had left a void in the American psyche that needed to be filled. Suddenly, there arrived four lads from Liverpool with a great sound and a look that was unique and original. Unlike teen idols manufactured by Hollywood, these guys wrote their own songs and played their own instruments. Americans were quickly attracted to the long-haired English youths who, like JFK, displayed much energy, enthusiasm and wit.
So, Beatlemania revved up to an unfathomable level beginning in early 1964. Capitol benefited greatly by having the recording contract. However, it should be understood that during the 1960s, Capitol had a grand total of three manufacturing plants in the USA: Scranton, Los Angeles and Jacksonville. The Scranton plant had originally been a button factory and then an independent record company until it was acquired by Capitol in the 1940s. It became the major source of albums sold by that company in the Eastern U.S.
In the years following their first visit to America, John, Paul George and Ringo evolved into brilliant studio musicians, and released at least a dozen albums that contained nearly 200 tunes. Millions of those Beatles albums were made in Scranton, filled with music that lifted our spirits and brought us much joy. Six decades later, that remains very true.
James Gillotti, Clarks Green