Many thousands of his "fans" have never seen him in the flesh but have only heard him broadcast or seen him on the films, where, incidentally, he is not particularly successful. Psychologists have written soberly about the hypnotic quality of his voice and the remarkable effect upon susceptible young women. Because he wears a polka-dotted bow tie hundreds of thousands of young people of both sexes wear a similar tie. The teen-age girls who constitute the main part of his audience also wear short white half-hose, and are therefore called "bobby-sox girls" or, more simply, "bobby-soxers."
By the time Frank was a sensation to the Bobby Soxers, he was 30 years old, I dont think that qualifies him as a "boy" anymore. I will agree, though, that he was definitely a teen idol
Re: Were the Beatles just a boy band in the beginning?
Originally Posted by Magic
I think the Beatles had a much wider fan base, but they were one of the first bands to ever market themselves to the teens. They came out with all kinds of merchandise that was for teenagers, which was marketed by a company called Selteab. (if I am not mistaken, this company was set up originally just for the Beatles). They marketed belts, badges, sweaters, hats, bobble heads, and all types of novelty items. These items were definitely aimed at the teen demographic.
You could call them a Proto-boy band, because of the presedence they set, otherwise.......they are just a Historical Rock Band.
I am a bit confused ... Are you saying that the Beatles were the "prototype" for boy bands,(I'm not good with jargon and assume that is what you mean by "Proto-boy band") because of their marketing of band related products?
If so, using this as a yardstick, does it make this group a boy band too?
Re: Were the Beatles just a boy band in the beginning?
^^^ TheBeatles are not even close to a prototype. They were not manufactured by anyone. They started out by themselves and all the marketing of products bearing their name came after they were famous, just like every other famous band. This is not the definition of a boy band.
__________________ Still crazy after all these years...
Re: Were the Beatles just a boy band in the beginning?
So you ladies don't believe that "Beatlemania" isn't a proto-type to all the hype for the boy/girl pop stars?
Rubbish! Beatlemania was about making these "boys" from Liverpool icons in the music industry. The term 'boy band' wasn't even thought of back in the 1960's, this term was coined in the 1990's, and the promoters of The Beatles did market their image to the largest selling demographic, which was the teenage market, and that is still the largest demographic music market. It is a fact, The Beatles were a teen act when they hit the music industry, and that makes them a proto-type for boy bands. You ladies are hung up on the current definition that states boy bands usually don't play instruments and are manufactured albiet The Monkees.
Originally Posted by Wikipedia
Although not a manufactured band, The Beatles set a precedent for boy bands to follow both in terms of marketing to young girls and certain aesthetic and musical conventions. The merchandising, whether it was films like A Hard Day's Night or novelty goods were possibly the first aimed at a certain demographic on a large scale for a group. This made them a proto-type for boy bands. Musical conventions that boy bands adopted from The Beatles were less their technical proficiency as musicians and more the catchy pop hooks, melodies and harmonies combined with their marketability.
Flower, marketing band T-shirts has nothing to do with boy/girl bands. T-Shirts are walking advertisements. Try again, sister
For every article you find online against the Beatles being a proto-boy band I will find an article in support of the Beatles setting the stage for boy bands
Re: Were the Beatles just a boy band in the beginning?
Originally Posted by annie
^^^ TheBeatles are not even close to a prototype. They were not manufactured by anyone. They started out by themselves and all the marketing of products bearing their name came after they were famous, just like every other famous band. This is not the definition of a boy band.
OK, annie, lets use Justin Bieber, whom is definitely a boy sensation to a teen market, as an example. He started on his own, playing on street corners, contests, and he got his music talent noticed on youtube. He plays instruments. He isn't a manufactured person, he is real. But he is marketed to teens.....hence he is a boy band, who uses catchy hooks and melodies in his pop music.
The marketing for the Beatles was instilled when The Beatles were introduced to the US market, and it targeted the largest US market, the young girls! The Beatles are most definitly a proto-boy band.
Just listen to the crowd on The Beatles first show in the US, what do you hear.......girls screaming! I rest my case.
Re: Were the Beatles just a boy band in the beginning?
I said no because I know if I was at any of those shows in Hamburg Germany I would've been screaming right along with the girls when they played those rock & roll covers
Re: Were the Beatles just a boy band in the beginning?
The Beatles were never manufactured and that is what all real boy bands have in common.
The Beatles were not even the first to market themselves in the music (or other) industries (marketing to teens began in 1920 according to the link I posted earlier in this thread) but I agree that they were the prototype for modern day marketing and merchandising to a certain degree.
Originally Posted by Magic
Flower, marketing band T-shirts has nothing to do with boy/girl bands. T-Shirts are walking advertisements. Try again, sister
I don't remember posting anything about t-shirts and I doubt if any band, including the Beatles has the variety and volume of merchandise that KISS does.
Earlier you mentioned marketing of items as a factor .. sorry, if I misunderstood your post. I took it to mean that you thought that marketing and merchandising was a factor in the Beatles being a template for boy bands.
Originally Posted by Magic
For every article you find online against the Beatles being a proto-boy band I will find an article in support of the Beatles setting the stage for boy bands
I didn't know that this was a political debate but the fact is that there were teen idols including Elvis Presley before the Beatles.
Re: Were the Beatles just a boy band in the beginning?
As I said I voted No for "Rock & Roll" reasons but at the same time I can understand that they were kind of marketed towards Teen Girls with some of the merchandise & some songs, even though they reached & appealed to both sexes. They were gracing the covers of 16 magazine which was really aimed at teenage girls featuring artists like the Monkees, Osmond Brothers, Leif Garrett, Shaun Cassidy, & the Bay City Rollers(I know Kiss made it to the cover & it was embarassing for me to buy it but I did). Elvis, Ricky Nelson, & Fabian were similar with how they were aimed at girls. I can understand why some could see them as an original boy band but what about the 80's with bands creating the hair metal ballads. Some were basically aimed at female fans but I never considered them boy bands because they did also have songs that appealed to guys
Re: Were the Beatles just a boy band in the beginning?
Every website seems to stretch the meaning of boy band to suit themselves. The common denominator throughout all the definitions of boy bands is that, despite the term "band", boy band members usually do not play musical instruments, either in recording sessions or on stage.
Many bands have been or are aimed at teens and are followed by screaming girls, but many of them play instruments and write songs. So screaming girls do not define a boy band nor does marketing.
Marketing a band is not the same as manufacturing a band to market. Music marketing, like all other marketing, is a profession by itself and a huge part of the music business, and if that is the criterion, then all male musicians should be called boy bands.
__________________ Still crazy after all these years...
Re: Were the Beatles just a boy band in the beginning?
Originally Posted by rtbuck
I said no because I know if I was at any of those shows in Hamburg Germany I would've been screaming right along with the girls when they played those rock & roll covers
Just DON'T wet your pants Bucky !
Tuff Leather Clad ? NO !
The Suits of Brian Epsteins influence mehh ,gotta say yeahhh a bit
By 1969 on their own ? NO !
No overall , they had their brief tease with teeny booper stuff ,but in the end no
__________________ David St. Hubbins: I believe virtually everything I read, and I think that is what makes me more of a selective human than someone who doesn't believe anything.
Last edited by Astrid Kirchherr65; 08-24-2010 at 06:06 PM.
Re: Were the Beatles just a boy band in the beginning?
Originally Posted by annie
Every website seems to stretch the meaning of boy band to suit themselves. The common denominator throughout all the definitions of boy bands is that, despite the term "band", boy band members usually do not play musical instruments, either in recording sessions or on stage.
Many bands have been or are aimed at teens and are followed by screaming girls, but many of them play instruments and write songs. So screaming girls do not define a boy band nor does marketing.
Marketing a band is not the same as manufacturing a band to market. Music marketing, like all other marketing, is a profession by itself and a huge part of the music business, and if that is the criterion, then all male musicians should be called boy bands.
apples and oranges! proto-boy band according to history. As stated earlier the definition for "boy band" was not created until the 1990's, and yes The Beatles have always been the influence........
Again, I rest my case.
Anyone else want to gang bang me???
I said proto, cant you read!!! proto means earliest form of...... Cant you just be happy the Beatles have another "first" to put on on their resume'.
Re: Were the Beatles just a boy band in the beginning? 
Re: Were the Beatles just a boy band in the beginning? 
Re: Were the Beatles just a boy band in the beginning? 
Just DON'T wet your pants Bucky !
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