Re: I Want To Hold Your Hand @ #1

Edvado wrote:

> All very interesting.  But does anyone have any insight into the
> original question?  I'll repost it below: 
> 
> 
>>Hello, I have found several references that claim that on 01/17/1964,
>>backstage at The Olympia Theater in Paris, The Beatles learned that "I
>>Want To Hold Your Hand" was #1 on the Billboard charts in America.
>>
>>Unfortunately, the song would not appear in that position until Feb
>>1st, which was two weeks later.
>>
>>Anyone got a plausible explanation?

The most plausible one I can think of (not based on any specific 
evidence since I don't have my books in front of me): Billboard tallied 
the sales info for the week of Jan. 12 - 18 and determined that "IWTHYH" 
had reached number one on the U.S. charts, thus the phone call from 
Billboard to (probably) Capitol, who likely alerted Parlophone and the 
Beatles, who were in Paris at the time. But because of the lag between 
reaching number one and its official published re****t in Billboard, the 
number-one spot didn't appear in print until Feb. 1.

"IWTHYH" first appeared in the Billboard charts on Jan. 18, 1964 at 
number 45. But that re****t was already at least a week old, if not two.

If you're interested in a photo of the Jan. 18 "Hot 100", here it is. 
Note The red star given to songs with notable upward mobility; "IWTHYH" 
has one, of course:

http://sakionline.net/uploads/billboard011864.jpg

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