AND SO THE BEATLES TRAVELLED TO NORTH AMERICA FOR THE THIRD TIME, AND THEIR SECOND FULL CONCERT TOUR, DEPARTING FROM LONDON AIRPORT WITH A LUSTY AU REVOIR  FROM ONE THOUSAND FANS AT NOON ON AUGUST 13, 1965, ARRIVING IN NEW YORK AT 2:30PM LOCAL TIME AND SETTING UP RESIDENCE AT THE WARWICK HOTEL IN MANHATTAN UNTIL THE MORNING OF THE 17TH.

THEIR FIRST ENGAGEMENT - AFTER THE OBLIGATORY PRESS CONFERENCE, THAT IS - WAS THE TAPING OF AN INSERT FOR THE ED SULLIVAN SHOW. THE BEATLES DIDN'T PERFORM ANY TV DUTIES DURING THEIR AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 1964 TOUR AND IT WAS NOW 18 MONTHS SINCE THOSE THREE FEBRUARY 1964 TOP-RATED SPOTS ON SULLIVAN'S SUNDAY NIGHT VARIETY SERIES.

DURING THIS MORNING THE BEATLES RETURNED TO THE SCENE OF THEIR TRIUMPHANT SULLIVAN DEBUT, CBS-TV'S STUDIO 50 ON BROADWAY, REHEARSING FROM 11:00AM TO 2:00PM, PLAYING A DRESS REHEARSAL BEFORE AN AUDIENCE OF 700 FROM 2:30PM AND THEN THE ACTUAL TAPING FROM 7:00PM, ALSO BEFORE AN AUDIENCE OF ROUGHLY 728. THIS SEGMENT WAS USED AS THE MAIN ATTRACTION IN THE ED SULLIVAN SHOW ON SEPTEMBER 12TH, FOR THE PROGRAM'S NEW FALL SEASON PREMIERE, BROADCAST AT THE USUAL 8:00 TO 9:00PM TIME SLOT. OTHER ACTS IN THIS EDITION WERE CILLA BLACK (TAPED ALONG WITH THE BEATLES THIS DAY), SOUPY SALES, ALLEN AND ROSSI, AND FANTASIO THE MAGICIAN. THE BEATLES PERFORMED SIX SONGS: 'I FEEL FINE', 'I'M DOWN', 'ACT NATURALLY', 'TICKET TO RIDE' (WITH A LONG INSTRUMENTAL INTRO, SO THAT PROFILE SHOTS OF EACH OF THE BEATLES COULD BE SHOWN ON SCREEN), 'YESTERDAY' (SUNG BY PAUL ACCOMPANIED ONLY BY A PRE-TAPED TRACK OF THREE VIOLINS; WHEN IT WAS OVER JOHN RETURNED TO THE STAGE AND COMMENTED "THANK YOU PAUL, THAT WAS JUST LIKE HIM") AND 'HELP!'. THERE WAS A CLEAR BREAK AFTER 'ACT NATURALLY', THE BEATLES RETURNING FOR THE FINAL THREE SONGS AMID A DIFFERENT STAGE-SETTING.

THE FOLLOWING DAY, AUGUST 15TH, THE BEATLES PERFORMED THEIR FIRST AND MOST MOMENTOUS CONCERT AT SHEA STADIUM. SEEN BY 55,600 FANS, IT CREATED A NEW WORLD RECORD FOR A POP CONCERT IN TERMS OF ATTENDANCE AND GROSS REVENUE.

FAB 4 COLLECTIBLES IS EXTREMELY PROUD TO OFFER WHAT WE BELIEVE IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT FINDS IN BEATLES' TICKET EPHEMERA. TWO COMPLETE FULL TICKETS (IN CONSECUTIVE SEATING) TO THE SATURDAY AUGUST 14, 1965 BEATLES' ED SULLIVAN SHOW 7:00PM PERFORMANCE TAPING. Tickets for either the dress rehearsal or performance HAVE BEEN AND WILL CONTINUE TO BE impossible to find. ACCORDING TO BEATLES' CONCERT TICKET EXPERT AND AUTHOR MITCH McGEARY, TO DATE only four other unused tickets are known to exist for the six ticketed Sullivan 1964 AND 1965 performances - one for the original February 9, 1964 performance and three for thIS August 1965 show. Remarkably, only a few stubs have turned up for all of the rehearsals and performances combined. IN SUMMATION, ALL OF THE BEATLES' ED SULLIVAN TICKETS ARE AMONG THE RAREST OF ALL BEATLES TICKETS IN EXISTENCE.

THE 4" X 1¾" BLUE TICKETS ARE IN OUTSTANDING CONDITION FOR THEIR AGE AND SIZE, GRADING A VERY GOOD++ TO EXCELLENT. THERE IS VERY MINIMAL HANDLING WEAR AND DO NOT HAVE ANY TEARS, FOLDS, CREASES OR WRITING. SPORADIC AGING SPOTS ARE EVIDENT (A TOUCH MORE ON SEAT 415), ALTHOUGH TAKE NOTE THAT THE MAGNIFIED SCANNED IMAGES DO MAKE THEM APPEAR MORE DRASTIC THAN THEY REALLY ARE IN PERSON.

MAKING THIS REMARKABLE ACQUISITION TRULY SPECIAL IS THE INCLUSION OF THE EXTREMELY RARE 8½" X 11" CBS TELEVISION LETTER explaining rules about the age limit requirements, THAT WAS ENCLOSED WITH THE TICKETS AND MAILED OUT TO THOSE VERY LUCKY RECIPIENTS. THE LETTER GRADES VG+, WITH SOME SMALL TEARS AND AGE STAINS, YET NOTHING THAT TAKES AWAY FROM THE OVERALL PRESENTATION. THE MAJORITY OF THESE SMALL TEARS ARE ON THE EDGES IN THE AREAS OF THE TWO HORIZONTAL ORIGINAL FOLDS IN THE LETTER, DONE AT THE TIME OF MAILING.

AS A BONUS, ALSO INCLUDED IS AN ORIGINAL 3¾" X 2½" OFFICIAL WABC RADIO "WELCOME TO AMERICA" BEATLES FAN CLUB CARD. ONE HARDLY SEES ONE OF THESE 'ALL AMERICANS OF WABC77' RADIO CARDS, ISSUED TO LISTENERS JUST PRIOR TO THE BEATLES' FIRST U.S. VISIT IN FEBRUARY 1964.  IT WAS FOUND AMONG THE TICKETS AND CBS LETTER.

ACCOMPANIED BY A LETTER OF AUTHENTICITY FROM THOMAS VANGHELE OF FAB 4 COLLECTIBLES.

FOR YOUR ENJOYMENT, YOU CAN WATCH THE AUGUST 14, 1965 BEATLES' PERFORMANCE HERE ON:
THE ED SULLIVAN SHOW.