British Invasion


  • A History of Hard and Heavy, Ep 1: The Jimi Hendrix Experience, Cream, Blue Cheer

    Welcome to Claude Lemaire’s new series, in which he explores the history of hard rock, heavy rock, and heavy metalโ€”including metal’s many subgenres.

    Read More


  • The Night Ed Sullivan Swore Off the Rolling Stones (But Couldn’t)

    In the autumn of 1964, America was a cauldron bubbling over with change. The civil rights movement was in full swing, the Vietnam War was escalating, and the Beatles had already ignited a British Invasion that left teenagers screaming and parents scratching their heads. But on October 25th, a new kind of British export hit…

    Read More


  • When Muhammad Ali and the Fab Four Collided

    In February 1964, two of the most iconic forces of the 20th century collided in an encounter so surreal it could have been scripted by Hollywood. The Beatles, fresh off their earth-shattering debut on The Ed Sullivan Show, met Cassius Clay (soon to be Muhammad Ali) in Miami Beach. It was a meeting that combined…

    Read More


  • Diving Into Disco โ€“ Rediscovering the Soul of a Generation

    Hi, my name is Claude and I’m a… disco addict. There I said it. Now that wasn’t so awful after all. Truth be told, I never shied away from admitting my lifelong disco dependency to strangers. I was always an unabashed member of the disco brigade, but from what I’ve gathered from friends and acquaintances,…

    Read More


  • The Beatles’ Historic 1964 U.S. Arrival

    In the frosty grip of February 1964, four lads from Liverpool landed on American shores, igniting a cultural wildfire that would forever alter the course of music history. Their arrival on Pan Am Yankee Clipper flight 101 at New Yorkโ€™s Kennedy Airport was met with unprecedented fervor, with 3,000 fans creating a chaotic welcome for…

    Read More