New Beatles book pegs Smiths Falls as birthplace of Beatlemania in North America
Piers Hemmingsen’s soon-to-be published book, The Beatles in Canada: The Origins of Beatlemania, includes an entire chapter on Smiths Falls’ RCA Victor plant and its role in introducing North America to the British boy band.
“For me, Smiths Falls is the birthplace of The Beatles music in North America. A lot of people just don’t know it,” Hemmingsen said. He welcomed former plant staff and musicians to the Kinsmen Pavilion Nov. 12 for a pre-launch of his 444-page book. Hemmingsen embarked on the research for the book in 2009 with the hope of filling in the gaps before the Ed Sullivan Show in 1964. “The object of the book was to tell the true story of how Canada got The Beatles on the map ahead of the US,” the author said.
In 1962 The Beatles were up and coming with a fellow by the name of Paul White working in Canada to bring their sound to North America. His vision of what The Beatles could be, meant the nation received timely copies of every single the group came out with including their first single to hit Canada’s streets, ‘Love Me Do’. It was early in 1963 when this single was being produced in Smiths Falls and staff worked through the bitter cold of January and February to pump out the vinyl and introduce Canadian teenagers to this new sound.
“It must have been very cold,” Hemmingsen said.
By: Stacey Roy
Source: Smith Falls Record News
