Look at the sources - Were the Beatles were the most popular group in Britain?

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Rebecca Gale

History Coursework

Source work Questions

1. Source A suggests that the Beatles were the most popular group in Britain. As it says in the source, “The nation held its breath because that evening the four Beatles, all the fab four, were appearing live on Juke Box Jury.” This suggests top us that everyone and everything in Britain had come to a standstill because the Beatles were on Juke Box Jury. The source also suggests that they were idolised and admired by most teenagers.

     The source is written first hand by Joanna Lumbly in her autobiography, so obviously she was there to experience it. However the source was written almost thirty years later so she may have forgotten details or even may have exaggerated the truth. One example where it seems she may have exaggerated the truth is when it says, “an extraordinary silence and emptiness had descended upon London, on Britain, on England.” This is doubtful, as she was only in a small part of London so first of all she wouldn’t nknow that even the whole of London had gone silent never mind the whole of England.

2. Source C suggests that the Beatles liked their fans, as their fans were well behaved, as the source says, “They’d only want your autograph; and you could chat.” The source also suggests that the fans acted normal around them as the Beatles understood them and didn’t run away or get scared of their fans like other stars around that time did.

    Source C was written by Sir Paul McCartney who was a member of the Beatles, so it was written first hand and from experience. However it was written twenty years after so he may have forgotten details of what the fans were actually like, he may have just remembered the good bits.

    Source A suggests that the Beatles fans were completely in ore of them and would do anything to see them. The source says that everyone was inside to see them perform live as there were no repeats then it’s obvious that all of their fans would be inside watching it. The source was written b y Joanna Lumbley thirty years later so some details may have been forgotten or exaggerated.

    Source C does support Source A as they both say that the Beatles fans were willing to do anything to see them and they both agree that the fans were well behaved fans that just idolised a band they just wanted to meet.

    Source B suggests that the crowd at the Mad Mod Ball were crazy a\bout the Stones. As the Source is written by a teenager it suggests that the crowd was probably full of teens and out of control. The source describes the crowd as a heaving, maniacal, screaming mob. This suggests t hat the Stones would have been overwhelmed by their fans reaction to them. Also it suggests that with the mob   surrounding the stage when the Stones would try and leave they would do anything to make sure that they didn’t. The Source is written by a teenage fan that was very close to the Stones at the Ball. However it was written thirty years later so she could have forgotten things and exaggerated them.

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    Source C does not support Source B as they disagree on the behaviour of the fans as Source C suggests the fans were well behaved and Source B suggests that the fans were badly behaved, and that they did not respect the bands unlike Source C.  

3. Source D is useful in helping us to understand because it suggests that the programme, Ready, Steady, Go, and influences younger teenagers to aim for their dreams. In Source D it did not tell us the time, the day and the channel the programme was on. This is because ...

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