WABC/770 and Cousin Brucie revisit Beatlemania in special program

With an assist from "Cousin" Bruce Morrow, The Beatles will re-invade New York Wednesday, when WABC/770 AM time-travels back to 1964 and the band's second visit — a historic one for both DJ and station.

The station announced Tuesday that Morrow "will be re-creating The Beatles' British Invasion" as part of its yearlong centenary celebration. WABC, which simulcasts on WLIR/107.1 FM from Hampton Bays, was launched Oct. 1, 1921. Morrow was part of its glory years (1961-74) as rock and roll champion and, most notably, champion of The Beatles. In 2020, he rejoined the station where he hosts "Cousin Brucie's Saturday Night Rock & Roll Party'' (6-9 p.m.). 

In an interview Tuesday, Morrow, 86, said "I don't like the word 'recreate,' but I will get into the emotion of what happened and what it was like being involved with that particular part of our culture." Yes, there will be music — Morrow was the first to broadcast "I Want to Hold Your Hand" on the New York airwaves — but mostly memories. Morrow has a lot of those. 

The Beatles launched their U.S. invasion on Feb. 9, 1964, with a prime-time appearance on "The Ed Sullivan Show." But the impact of WABC — by then calling itself "W-A-Beatles-C'' — would not be more fully felt until the next U.S. stop in August. The Beatles had checked into Manhattan's Delmonico Hotel at 59th and Park Avenue, hoping to avoid the crush of press. But Morrow and fellow DJ Scott Muni had booked a suite directly above the band's floor, gaining them free (and largely unfettered) access to the rest of the hotel. 

After converting the suite to a broadcast studio, the show began — soon to become one of the most famous in radio history. Thousands of fans gathered on the street below were encouraged to sing the WABC jingle (they happily complied). Morrow and Muni also got a scoop: Ringo Starr's St. Christopher's medallion, which he wore on a chain around his neck, had gone missing. The station ran an on-air campaign for its successful recovery. A year later, before the band's Shea Stadium concert, WABC ran a listener contest to get someone to design a medal to give to The Beatles. Morrow himself would bestow the so-called "Order of All-American" on each band member, while conducting "exclusive" interviews.

WABC had a lot of local competition on the Beatles front — WMCA's "Good Guys" and WINS' Murray "the K" Kaufman (who anointed himself "the 5th Beatle'') — but Morrow seems to have had the most indelible ties. He now recalls "that day in Shea Stadium when John [Lennon] and Paul [McCartney] said to me, 'Bruce, is this going to be safe?' They were scared stiff, and I told them 'people are here to share the love,' although honestly I was more scared than they were because I knew darned well anything could happen. [But] when I told John, I had my right hand behind my back, and I crossed my fingers for luck."

Morrow's show back to those long-ago moments — when he will also replay the original vinyl of "Meet the Beatles" — airs at 2 p.m.