The 6th is a date that crops up, and it is possible that some copies reached stores on that date, while the official release date was the 10th. There is much mystery surrounding the first version of Introducing The Beatles. For many years, the majority of Beatles books referenced it as coming out sometime in the summer of 1963. That was disproved. Vee-Jay's documentation give it a 10 January release date, so the 6th is just one of those confusing dates around release dates and when things reached the shops in among those early US months.

It was 50 years ago today, while staying at Georges V hotel in Paris, and appearing at the Olympia in support of Trini Lopez, that The Beatles learned I Want To Hold Your Hand  had reached #1 on the US Billboard chart. They were "the toppermost of the poppermost". They were lucky enough (despite Paul's constant claim about not doing America until they had a #1) to have a long-standing booking on Ed Sullivan within a month to consolidate their position and introduce themselves properly. Which, boy!, did they do!

On this day they reached the top of the hill, despite all the achievements and wonders that followed, this was the moment! There is a wonderful picture, that sadly I couldn't find via Google, of Brian sat in a chair, with the stunned Beatles all sitting around his feet. He had said they would be bigger than Elvis, but they all knew it was nothing without America, and now they had America!

The "British Invasion" had begun, a cultural earthquake that would change America forever.

Here are some Paris photos.

John Lennon , a few weeks later, after they had turned left at Greenland and were approaching New York, John would show a moment of nervousness and ask, paraphrase, "They have everything! Why do they need us?"

The world needed The Beatles, and is still in their debt.

Thank you, John. Thank you, Paul. Thank you, George. Thank you, Ringo.