What Do The Beatles Mean to T Max?

T Max

T Max is a much beloved figure in the New England Music scene. Not only is he a hard-working musician but he has been the publisher of the music magazine, The Noise, since 1981. He is one of the most vocal advocates for independent musicians and music most definitely resides in every cell in his body. His musical style is eclectic and most memorable, his sense of fashion is impeccable and his enthusiasm is beyond the moon. T Max has participated in several “All You Need is Love” benefits at the me&thee coffeehouse in Marblehead. And this year is no exception.

The “All You Need is Love” benefit is on Saturday, May 21 at the me&thee coffeehouse, 28 Mugford Street, Marblehead MA. Showtime is 7:30 p.m.


From T Max himself:
My mom was right on top of what was going on in the first month of 1964. She walked in the door with an acoustic guitar in one hand and a 12” record album in the other. The acoustic guitar was up for grabs between me and my two brothers – and I, the middle son, took possession of it. The album was Introducing . . . The Beatles — their first U.S. release. Despite the terrible photograph of the semi-mop top group, the music was much cooler than the other current top hits by The Singing Nun (“Dominique”), Allan Sherman (“Hello Muddah, Hello Faddad”) or Bobby Vinton (“There! I Said It Again”). I closely read the back sleeve and learned that The Beatles would soon be on the Ed Sullivan show. My youthful mind was impressed that Vee Jay records had the insight to promote a TV event on the record itself. In between the release of the album, January 10, and the Ed Sullivan Show, February 9, The Beatles magically grabbed the #1 spot on the Billboard single chart with “I Want To Hold Your Hand.” There was an urgency in this recording, real life in the vocals and playfulness in the harmonies.
On the following Sunday night my entire family gathered ’round the black and white TV to watch The Beatles premier appearance on Ed Sullivan’s popular variety show. Little did I know that 73 million other people were doing the same thing. Before the band even appeared, young girls were screaming at Ed Sullivan’s mere mention of The Beatles. I had never heard the extreme sound of over a hundred girls experiencing such arousal. By the time the band played, there was a heightened excitement in all of us glued to the TV. This was, without a doubt, the most electric moment in television history.
From that point on I was hooked on playing my guitar and singing. I also kept the memory of reading that back sleeve and knew the importance of the written word in publicizing a musical event. Could this memory have clicked 17 years later when my band in Boston was soliciting publicity from the Boston Phoenix and the Boston Globe? Could that deeply ingrained lesson have pushed me to start publishing a music magazine? A magazine that would help almost every band around Boston and solidify my own music career. I never stopped playing music professionally and I still publish New England’s longest-running music magazine — The Noise. I believe The Beatles deserve a lot of the credit for influencing most of my major life decisions. Thank you John, Paul, George and Ringo.

< What Do the Beatles Mean to You? (Part 1) | What Do The Beatles Mean to Patrick Coman? >

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