Did you know that Beatlemania’s official birthplace was Dundee?
In the early 1960s, The Beatles’ rising popularity prompted a brand new behaviour never before seen in the UK.
‘Beatlemania’, as it was termed, saw the band’s young fans work themselves into a state of frenzied mass excitement — with high-pitched screaming its defining feature. The phenomenon followed The Beatles as their success spread across the Atlantic, and today it is still regarded as a benchmark for obsessive fandom.
But what is perhaps little known is that the phrase ‘Beatlemania’ was coined in Dundee by promoter Andi Lothian.
On Scotland’s Big Night Out he recalled bouncers struggling to keep control of excited crowds at a Beatles gig in the city. He explained, “The chap next to me said, ‘What’s happening Andi?’ And I said, ‘Don’t worry, it’s only Beatlamania!’”
Beatlemania started in Dundee
Maureen Reynolds started Jiving in Dundee in the early 50s and remembers the end of an era
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Scotland’s Big Night Out on ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ iPlayer
Iain Stirling explores the history of Saturday nights out across Scotland since the 1950s.
The Beatles’ early days
Preview - The Beatles: Made on Merseyside
How did The Beatles make the journey from Merseyside teenagers to international pop stars?
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