Jan. 17, 1964 - Beatlemania struck Paris tonight as the shaggy-haired quartet from Liverpool brought the Mersey sound to France. The boys — John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr — appeared for the first time in Paris on the stage of the Olympia Theater. All 3,000 seats were occupied. Sharing top billing with the Beatles for an 18-day run are Trini Lopez and Sylvie Vartan. But the pro-Beatle faction in the audience showed signs of mounting impatience during the opening acts. When the British musicians finally appeared, only to be interrupted three times by a power failure, there were cries of “Sabotage!” The rock ’n’ roll performers took all this in their stride and practiced their French while technicians looked for the trouble backstage. After the Beatles finished their act, they received a standing ovation.
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