As Well As Loving

From February 15th-20th, 1965, The Beatles were in EMI Studios recording eleven songs for potential use in their second movie.

On the 22nd, they flew to the Bahamas to begin filming, landing at Nassau Airport that evening where they mingled with American journalists, including familiar faces Larry Kane and Gene Loving of WGH-AM. Loving also spoke with Brian Epstein and a couple of fans.

February 24th was the first full day of shooting, as The Beatles were filmed riding bicycles along Interfield Road. Gene Loving chatted with John, Paul, and George between takes, and also recorded interviews with Brian Epstein, hairdresser Betty Glasow, director Richard Lester, and producer Walter Shenson.

Just Say That I Smiled

On the sixth day of 1965, Murray The "K" phoned London and spoke with Paul and Ringo, who were in the midst of their Christmas Show run. Paul commented on the latest iteration of the rumor that he would be marrying Jane Asher.

Murray didn't think to ask about Ringo's marital plans, but it turned out to be sooner than anyone imagined. Ringo and Maureen Cox were wed on February 11th. The next morning, the newlyweds faced the multitudes briefly; the event was covered in an earlier blog post, but here is an extra bit from a Reuters newsreel. The joining of the Starkeys led fans to speculate on George's matrimonial future.

Eppy New Year

OK, it wasn't exactly Brianmania, but The Beatles' manager did have a high profile in the winter of 1964-65. He even had his own fan club for a brief time! In addition to the publication and promotion of his biography, A Cellarful Of Noise, Brian Epstein began taping inserts for the NBC-TV series, Hullabaloo.

From a studio in London, Brian introduced and occasionally chatted with British acts; on the weekend of December 19th, 1964, he interviewed Dick Lester about plans for The Beatles' upcoming second film. This segment aired in the 5th episode of Hullabaloo, broadcast February 9th, 1965.

Here is a newsreel clip of Brian being interviewed at a New Year's Eve party, looking forward to 1965. And while we're on the subject, here is a vintage recording of Harry Shearer reading an excerpt from Brian's book, from the 1969 KRLA documentary series The Chronicles Of Pop. Picture Derek Smalls reading the passage for added hilarity.

Another Beatles Christmas Show

The Beatles had closed 1963 with a highly successful run at the Finsbury Park Astoria, headlining a Christmas show mixing music and sketches. They weren't exactly anxious to repeat the feat, but Brian Epstein insisted, so Another Beatles Christmas Show was booked for the Hammersmith Odeon in 1964. Also on the bill were the Yardbirds, whose guitarist, Eric Clapton, would eventually form a lifelong friendship with George.

Rehearsals took place in the third week of December, and the show opened Christmas Eve, lasting through January 16th, 1965. During the first week of shows, the Beatles were interviewed backstage by American DJ Paul Drew, and British DJ Chris Denning. The latter was there to gather material for a new Radio Luxembourg weekly series, The Beatles, which would debut on January 3rd. The Beatles' initial contribution consisted of a halfhearted chat conducted while stuffing their faces, and some amusing record requests and dedications.

A Model Patient

On December 1st, 1964, Ringo entered University College Hospital in London to undergo a tonsillectomy. Prior to checking in, he held a press conference, covered by ITV News and Reuters.

Anxious fans were kept apprised of Ringo's status via daily bulletins from Beatles Fan Club secretary Anne Collingham, and the CBC-TV news magazine This Hour Has Seven Days even devoted a full segment to the medical event.

A fully recuperated Ringo talked to ITV News again upon his discharge December 10th, taking a moment to deny rumors of George's secret wedding.

Poetry And Music

Dudley Moore and Peter Cook's sketch/variety TV series, Not Only... But Also... made its debut on BBC2 January 9th, 1965. John Lennon agreed to participate in the premiere episode, reading and adapting selections from his book In His Own Write.

His first contribution was a filmed piece to accompany Moore's reading of "Deaf Ted, Danoota (and me)". Lennon, Moore, and Norman Rossington shot the whimsical footage on Wimbledon Common in the morning of November 20th, 1964.

Nine days later, John was in the BBC Television Centre to tape a lengthy segment for the show. The same trio in various combinations recited "About The Awful", "All Abord Speeching", "Good Dog Nigel", "Unhappy Frank", and "The Wrestling Dog". John also appeared during the show's closing theme song, "Good-bye-ee".

Not Tory?

The Beatles finished recording Beatles For Sale on October 26th, 1964, then headed back on the road.

October 29th found them at the ABC Cinema in Plymouth, where they mingled with the press, including BBC reporter Michael Rinehold. Two nights later, they were at the Gaumont in Ipswich, where they chatted with Anglia TV correspondent John McGregor.

The tour concluded November 10th in Bristol, and the rest of November was filled with promotional appearances for their new single and upcoming LP. TV appearances included Thank Your Lucky Stars, Top Of The Pops, and Ready, Steady, Go! They also taped sets for BBC Radio's Top Gear and Saturday Club.

Cake Canaveral

The UK tour rolled through Scotland from October 19th-21st, 1964, with shows in Edinburgh, Dundee, and Glasgow.

On the 20th, The Beatles filmed a very silly TV interview for Grampian Week, backstage at Caird Hall. Reporter June Shields did her best to keep them on track, as John ad-libbed a couple of "traditional Gaelic airs".

Don't Tell Harold!

The Beatles began October 1964 with a TV taping for the US pop program Shindig, slotted in among several recording session dates for the LP Beatles For Sale and a new single.

The touring machine cranked up again on October 9th with the start of their UK Autumn Tour. On general election day, October 15th, they pulled into Stockton-on-Tees for a concert. At their hotel, a crew from the local Tyne Tees TV series North-East Newsview filmed an interview with the band about the politics of the day, a topic in which they showed obvious disinterest.

Mr. Barry Epstein

Although he had officially resigned as Beatles press officer at the end of the North American tour, one of Derek Taylor's biggest projects was released in October 1964. Taylor had ghostwritten Brian Epstein's autobiography, A Cellarful Of Noise, and Brian made several promotional appearances that month to publicize the book.

On October 1st, as the book was released in the UK, Brian was interviewed on BBC-TV's Tonight by Cliff Michelmore. October 13th found Brian at EMI Studios, Abbey Road, reading extracts from the book for a potential spoken-word LP which never surfaced. Two brief clips from the session tapes were released in 1995 on Anthology 1.

Epstein traveled to the US later that week, and put in an appearance as "Mr. X" on the CBS-TV game show What's My Line? October 18th. Guest Paul Anka recognized Brian and sat out the round, but it didn't take long for the remaining panelists to uncover his identity.

When I Get Home

September 19th, 1964, was a day of rest for The Beatles. They spent the day as guests of American Flyers owner Reed Pigman, on his ranch in Alton, Missouri.

The next morning, they flew from Arkansas back to New York City for one final concert, a charity show at the Paramount Theater. During the flight, KYW-AM reporter Art Schreiber interviewed Paul, George, and Ringo.

On the morning of the 21st, it was time to assemble at Kennedy Airport for the long flight back home to London. ABC News cameras captured the scene as George and Ringo spoke with reporters while signing autographs and waving farewell to fans. Art Schreiber was also present, taping goodbye messages and interviewing Derek Taylor about his surprise resignation as Beatles press officer (following a squabble with Brian Epstein).

The road-weary Beatles arrived at London Airport that night, ready to enjoy a week of recuperation before heading back into EMI Studios to record Beatles For Sale. The month-long tour of North America was perhaps the most grueling they would ever undertake, and certainly the most financially rewarding to date. As Paul noted upon their return, American fans seemed to have a limitless appetite for Beatle music in the summer of '64.

The Ringo Kid

The final new city on The Beatles' exhausting summer 1964 tour was Dallas, Texas. Local radio station KLIF-AM built up anticipation in the preceding weeks with special promotions and jingles.

They arrived at Love Field just after midnight on September 18th and drove to the Cabaña Motor Hotel. That evening, they gathered backstage at the venue, Dallas's Memorial Auditorium, where WFAA-TV reporter Bert Shipp interviewed the cowboy-hat-sporting musicians.

Another press conference followed, leading up to the concert, the last regular performance on the tour. Note that this press conference recording contains an extra 3 minutes of material compared to its earlier posting on this blog.

From N.O. to K.C.

After the chaos in Cleveland, The Beatles were looking forward to visiting New Orleans, home of Fats Domino and Lloyd Price. In their room at the Congress Inn on the afternoon of September 16th, Paul spoke with Art Schreiber, while John chatted with Larry Kane.

After a press conference, the band did indeed get to meet with Fats Domino, but the concert at City Park Stadium was a bit of a circus, with mounted policemen chasing and rounding up fans who swarmed onto the field as The Beatles continued to play.

September 17th had been scheduled for a much-needed break in the tour, but Kansas City Athletics owner Charlie Finley made Brian Epstein and the group an offer they couldn't refuse: a record $150,000 for a single concert at Kansas City Municipal Stadium.

Here's a lengthy and excellent TV interview from the tour, exact date unknown, with The Beatles' suave press officer, Derek Taylor.

Amateur Hour

With the North American tour just five days from completion, Beatlemania finally burst at the seams in Cleveland on September 15th, 1964.

The initial press conference at the Sheraton Hotel was routine enough, and it was followed up by a second media event, with the band meeting WHK radio contest winners. They were also interviewed by Don Webster, host of WEWS-TV's pop music series, Upbeat.

Elsewhere, Derek Taylor and Brian Epstein sat for WKYC-TV's interviewer and expounded on the group's unflagging success. Another TV crew spoke with fans outside the hotel, and with Liverpool Echo correspondent George Harrison (no relation).

The concert, at the Public Auditorium, went as scheduled until the third number, "All My Loving", when a number of fans broke through the police cordon and rushed the stage. Deputy Inspector Carl Bare immediately took matters into his own hands, commandeering the microphone mid-song to announce that the show was over. Four reluctant Beatles headed backstage and registered their disgust to KYW radio listeners, thanks to Art Schreiber who phoned in a live report from the dressing room.

Once calm had been restored, thanks to Derek Taylor's appeal to the audience to behave, the performance continued. But as a result of the "pandemonium", Mayor Ralph Locher banned rock groups from playing at the Public Auditorium.

How Does It Feel To Be Put On?

September 13th, 1964 found The Beatles crossing two more concerts off their list, at Baltimore's Civic Center.

Between the shows, they slogged through another press conference, and spoke individually to Ed Rudy (or rather, someone representing Ed's "Radio Pulsebeat" team, possibly Jay Levy), WWDC-AM's Carroll James, KYW-AM's Jim Stagg, and WFUN-AM's Larry Kane.

From Baltimore it was on to Pittsburgh for a show at the Civic Arena on the 14th, covered in an earlier blog post. Here's a longer version of the fan interviews, and an upgrade of the TV interview, from a WABC-TV documentary, Beatlemania.

A Hahd Day's Night

With assistance from George's sister Louise, WBZ-AM radio produced a documentary covering The Beatles' September 12th visit to Boston, from their 3:30am arrival at Hanscom Field in Bedford through their press conference at the Hotel Madison that afternoon to their concert at Boston Garden.

After the conference, WBZ's Gary LaPierre and Bob Kennedy spoke with three of the Beatles, while Larry Kane chatted with the fourth, John Lennon.

Conch Buy Me Love

After their Montréal concerts, The Beatles were due to fly south to Jacksonville, Florida for two days of rest before their September 11th performance at the Gator Bowl.

Hurricane Dora threw a wrench into those plans, forcing them to fly all the way to Key West, where they enjoyed a couple of relaxed days at the Key Wester Hotel. By the morning of the 11th, they were clear to fly to Jacksonville, where their rooms at the George Washington Hotel weren't quite ready. They had an impromptu lunch of chicken sandwiches while chatting with the press, including reporter Jean Morris (no relation to Boris).

The concert was memorable for the high winds, remnants of the hurricane, and for Derek Taylor's on-stage threat to cancel the show if a certain unauthorized film crew didn't leave immediately. Taylor spoke with Larry Kane on that night's flight to Boston about the showdown.

Elsewhere (on dates unknown), Kane chatted with fellow reporter Ivor Davis and had Ringo say hi to Greg.

Seeing The Bricks

From Chicago, The Beatles flew to Detroit for two shows on September 6th. That night, it was on to Toronto, where they landed at Malton Airport just after 12:30 am on the 7th, greeted by hundreds of fans.

Between shows that evening at Maple Leaf Gardens, a press conference was held, after which a local TV reporter interviewed the band onstage. He also chatted with some of the teenagers who came into contact with the Fabs at the venue.

The entire visit was covered by CBC-TV for a brand-new public affairs series, This Hour Has Seven Days. The segment, aired on the debut episode October 4th, included footage of the concert, press conference, and their departure from Toronto International Airport the next morning.

A Cheap Publicity Stunt

From Milwaukee, it was on to Chicago for a September 5th performance at the International Amphitheatre. Their arrival at Midway Airport was covered by WGN-TV, but wasn't without controversy.

Originally planned for O'Hare, the landing site was changed at the last moment by city officials in an effort to control crowd levels. Unfortunately, some in the media blamed The Beatles for the switcheroo, accusing them of not being fan-friendly. Once they had checked in to the Stockyards Inn, John and an exasperated Derek Taylor gave their side of the story to Larry Kane.

Soon after that, a press conference was held at the hotel in which John, already nursing a sore throat, snapped testily at several of the questions. The concert went off without a hitch, though, and afterwards they boarded a midnight flight bound for Detroit. As the plane waited to depart, freelance journalist Ivor Davis, covering the tour for London's Daily Express, was interviewed by WGN's reporter.

Hi, Doc!

"On September 4, 1964, The Beatles gave a concert in Milwaukee, Stop Number 12 on their first American tour which visited 25 cities, from San Francisco to New York. It was the only time the group appeared in Wisconsin.

Prior to the concert, Harrison, McCartney, and Starr gave a press conference hosted by Barry. Lennon, nursing a sore throat and saving himself for the show, wasn't present.

When a reporter asked whether they were aware of Milwaukee prior to the gig, Starr replied quickly in his Liverpool accent, "I've 'eard of the beer that made it famous!" In response to, "Have you gentlemen given any thought to what you will do after the bubble bursts?" Harrison riposted, "Ice hockey" and McCartney, "Ringo originally wanted to own a string of hair-dressing salons."

Another reporter queried, "Do you yearn for a good haircut?" Harrison said, "No, thank you," and Starr, "Do you?"

Showing the proclivity to question authority that was part of the band's persona, there is sharp criticism of the Milwaukee Police, then led by Harold Breier who became chief earlier that year on March 17.

The Beatles were unhappy because they said after landing at Mitchell Field, police forced them to leave the airport for their hotel through an out-of-the-way gate, bypassing the hundreds of fans who had assembled near the main exit:

Reporter: "We have been told by the police department here that the decision to land where you did was made by your manager in the air."

McCartney (big groan): "Naughty police."

Unidentified Beatles Staffer (possibly Derek Taylor, the group's long-time press contact): "Whenever possible and even when it's almost impossible, The Beatles would always rather land in front of the terminal and be met by the kids who have been decent enough to come there. We never ever make the decision ourselves in midair or on the ground to avoid the fans. Ever."

McCartney: "And actually we were told as soon as we got on the ground today. One of the men from the agency came on board and said the police had said this. So we sent him back again. Go and ask the police chief again if we can just at least drive past the fans, you know, in the car, which is the least we can do. And again they told us, no. And he's a dirty, lying policeman who told you that." "

Source: http://www.fab4milwaukee.com/

Here are brief TV clips of the airport arrival and Lennon-less press conference, and Larry Kane's Milwaukee interview with Paul, at the Coach House Motor Inn.

Indy Rockers

The Beatles landed at Weir Cook Airport in Indianapolis around 1am on September 3rd, flying in from Philadelphia, and checked in to the Speedway Motel. Once they arose that afternoon, KYW-AM's Art Schreiber was invited up to the rooms to chat with John and Ringo. Oddly, there are no Larry Kane interviews from this date, apart from a brief backstage chat with Bill English, singer for opening act Bill Black's Combo.

Their airport arrival, the first of two concerts at the Indiana State Fair Coliseum, a between-shows press conference, and the following morning's departure were all filmed by local station WISH-TV for a documentary, Our Fair Beatles, which aired September 9th. Ex-Liverpudlian reporter Bill Aylward also interviewed the quartet following the conference.

You Can't Have That on Tape!

September 2nd, 1964 saw The Beatles visit Philadelphia for a concert at the Convention Hall. Prior to the show, the usual press conference was held (only silent footage apparently exists), and then the band had nearly three hours to kill backstage before performing.

DJ Charlie Murdock of Miami's WQAM interviewed all four Beatles, while Larry Kane from rival Miami station WFUN spent over 40 minutes talking first with Paul, John, and Ringo, then John and Ringo... and then John and Ringo some more. Presumably George was in a "Quiet Beatle" mode.

Ringo For Prez

From August 24th through 27th, 1964, the Democratic National Convention was held at the Atlantic City Convention Center. Lyndon Johnson was the party's nomination, but many fans who showed up at the Convention Center three nights later wore "Ringo for President" booster pins.

British news correspondent Peter Woods had been covering the event for ITV, staying at the Lafayette Motor Inn. When The Beatles checked in, naturally he filmed an interview with the band, on the afternoon of the 30th. WABC also filmed some interviews for a TV special, Beatlemania, probably between the press conference and concert. Meanwhile, another film crew interviewed a "fan" on the boardwalk.

The Beatles had two full days off in Atlantic City, August 31st and September 1st, most of which was spent in their hotel rooms playing cards and (naturally) Monopoly. During their stay, Larry Kane chatted with George Harrison, Derek Taylor, and Neil Aspinall.

And for good measure, here's another undated recording from the tour of Paul plugging Cilla Black's "It's For You".

Wade 'n' Kane

WFUN-AM newsman Larry Kane spent a lot of time with The Beatles during their August 28th-29th visit to New York. On the first evening, he spoke with Paul (and briefly with Ringo) at the Delmonico Hotel after the press conference. He followed the band to their concert at Forest Hills, and taped chats backstage with George and Ringo. He also interviewed Brian Epstein, with John butting in towards the end.

The following day, Kane talked at length with John, Paul, and George at the hotel. Also present was disc jockey "Long" John Wade of WDRC-AM in Hartford, Connecticut. Wade was able to snag a short promo from Paul, as well as a station ID.

W-A-Beatle-C, WINS, and WMCA

New York City was the site of The Beatles' initial American triumph in February, 1964. Their return in August was heralded by incessant promotions, contests, hype and jingles from local stations such as WABC-AM.

Upon arriving at the Delmonico Hotel in the wee hours of August 28th, the group was mobbed by fans, one of whom tore Ringo's St. Christopher medal from his neck. WABC broadcast pleas for its safe return all morning, and around 4pm, 16-year-old Angie McGowan was able to reunite the medal with its owner - an event aired live by "Cousin" Bruce Morrow and Scott Muni on WABC.

Morrow also spoke with George at some point that day, probably following the group's 5:30 press conference at the hotel's Crystal Ballroom. Outside, a CBS-TV reporter interviewed the hotel's manager about the chaos caused by a Beatle booking.

Of course, the group didn't forget their old pal Murray the "K", chatting with him on WINS-AM. Cross-town rival station WMCA, home of the "Good Guys", managed to grab a promo from Ringo, and covered that evening's concert at Forest Hills Tennis Stadium.

Hi There, Beatle People!

Around noon on August 27th, The Beatles boarded a flight from Denver to Cincinnati, Ohio. KRLA's Dave Hull and Jim Steck were forced to part company with the band at this stage, but not before recording a final message from Ringo.

Being part of the official tour party, Larry Kane had access to the group during flights, but usually left them alone once airborne. But on this occasion, his tape machine was put into service capturing Beatles platitudes to be played back in London at a Melody Maker awards luncheon (they had been voted Best International Group by the paper's readers).

That evening, another press conference took place at the Cincinnati Gardens prior to a concert there, promoted by local radio station WSAI and its "Good Guys" jockeys. Given the Good Guys' prominence on a huge banner behind the Beatles as they played, one wonders who was actually promoting whom at this point.

Say Goodbye To Hollywood

August 25th, 1964 was a bona fide day off for The Beatles. After sleeping in late and lazing by the pool, most of the tour party accepted the invitation to Burt Lancaster's home for dinner and a private showing of A Shot In The Dark.

John remained behind in Bel Air to relax with Derek Taylor, receive guests, and record lengthy interviews with Larry Kane and KRLA-AM's Jim Steck. At some point during the Los Angeles trip, Steck's co-worker Dave Hull also chatted with Paul and Ringo.

The next morning, all four returned to Los Angeles International Airport where KABC-TV filmed their departure. Hull and Steck "stowed away" on the flight to Denver, where Hull was able to gather more interview material.

Ultimately, the Hull/Steck recordings were compiled on Vee Jay's LP Hear The Beatles Tell All, released in early November with bizarre superfluous percussion overdubs. But prior to that, on October 10th, Jim Steck had appeared on American Bandstand and aired clean versions of some of the interviews.

Capitolization

After five straight days of travel and concerts, The Beatles' tour machine paused on August 24th and 25th so that the boys could enjoy a couple of days in the California sun at a rented Bel Air mansion (owned by British actor Reginald Owen).

Which isn't to say they had no obligations - in fact, on their first "day off", they attended a celebrity garden soiree in support of the Hemophilia Foundation of Southern California. KCBS-TV reporter Saul Halpert filmed an interview with Derek Taylor in Bel Air, and then captured the band's arrival at the Brentwood party. The charity event, at which The Beatles reluctantly shook hands with movie stars' children for an hour or so, was held at the home of the mother-in-law of Capitol Records' president Alan Livingston.

Capitol also dispatched producer Jack Wagner to Bel Air in hopes of recording some material for various promotional purposes. George and Ringo occupied themselves at the mansion's large swimming pool while John and Paul sat down inside with Wagner and a tape recorder. Previous blog posts have highlighted their Silver Platter Service/Teen Set interview, and Paul's contribution to Here's To Veterans.

Also taped that day was The Beatles Introduce New Songs, a promo single on which composers Lennon and McCartney introduced and back-announced new singles from Cilla Black and Peter and Gordon. Meanwhile, Capitol was assembling material for their own documentary double LP, The Beatles' Story, including fan interviews from Los Angeles and other cities.

Rock And Roll At The Hollywood Bowl

Of all the concerts on the summer 1964 tour, The Beatles were most anxious about their August 23rd performance at the Hollywood Bowl. Not only was it a prestigious venue in a major media market, but Capitol Records would be recording the event for posterity.

The Bowl had been personally booked by KRLA disc jockey Bob Eubanks, who obtained a $25,000 loan against his home to secure the date. His foresight paid off when all the tickets sold as early as April. Eubanks presided over the pre-show press conference at his nightclub, the Cinnamon Cinder, and then introduced the band onstage.

Another KRLA DJ, Dave Hull, spoke with Ringo after the press conference. Backstage at the Bowl, Larry Kane interviewed a pair of female fans; meanwhile in New York that night, Ed Sullivan introduced a rerun of The Beatles' February appearance.

Barry Goldfinger

August 22nd, 1964 saw the first Beatles concert in Canada, as they played one show at Vancouver's Empire Stadium that evening. Local station CKNW covered the group's visit extensively, beginning with the pre-show press conference and then broadcasting live from the concert.

Another radio station, CKWX, reported from the conference and the concert, including snatches of the opening acts. As the coverage illustrates, the crowd was completely out of control, and despite two interruptions (warnings from MC Red Robinson and press agent Derek Taylor), several fans were injured in the crush.

In the calm before the storm, Larry Kane interviewed Paul and George backstage prior to the show, and Paul taped a couple of promos for Peter and Gordon and Cilla Black's latest singles (both, not coincidentally, written by Lennon and McCartney).

So Haira

City #2 on the tour was Las Vegas, where The Beatles had to fight their way through fans as they checked in to the Sahara Hotel at 2:30 in the morning on August 20th, 1964.

After catching up on sleep, there was only time for some publicity photos with slot machines (brought up to their suite so they could avoid being mobbed in the casino) before driving to the Convention Center for shows at 4pm and 9pm. Backstage before the first house, Larry Kane interviewed Paul and Ringo about jelly babies, segregation, the Rolling Stones and James Bond.

August 21st saw The Beatles fly north to Seattle for a concert at the Coliseum; coverage of that day's events can be found in an earlier blog post.

Cow Hills

The tour kicked off August 19th with a concert at the Cow Palace in Daly City, just south of San Francisco. KCRA-TV filmed some of the show for a half-hour special; earlier in the day, they had interviewed fans at the Hilton Hotel. Also on the scene at the hotel was Jim Stagg, DJ for Cleveland's KYW-AM.

Meanwhile, inside the hotel, Paul and George sat for a taped interview with Hillard "Hilly" Rose of KCBS-AM radio. In 2008, Rose recalled the circumstances:

"I can only tell you that they held a press conference the evening of their arrival, and the recording was done the following day in their hotel suite at the Hilton. Many hotels would not house them because of the unruly crowds, but the Hilton was so large with so many entrances it worked for both parties. The story behind the interview is that they were NOT giving interviews. I was working for KCBS and felt it was worth the try. I phoned their tour manager at the Hilton. I am sure it helped that I was with KCBS and they felt beholden to Ed Sullivan for their great welcome on his program.

At least the tour manager was willing to listen to my pitch, which was that with all the unruly crowds at the concerts it was beginning not to be safe. I wanted the Beatles to do an interview telling the youngsters the Beatles wanted them to calm down and make it safe for others. He told me to hang on, which I did for forty minutes. He came back on the line and said incredulously, "You're still there?" He thought surely I would have hung up by then, but I had made the contact and I wasn't going to let go.

He told me to hang on a couple of minutes and I heard him phoning the Fab Four in their suite. He had to cajole them saying, "Yes, this is really important. Yes, I want you to do this." When he came back on the line to me, I got a room number, a time, and a special knock to use on the door.

I showed up at the appointed time, which I remember was somewhere around 3 PM, and all four were in their underwear lounging around. John and Ringo didn't want to do the interview, but happily Paul and George did. John was so annoyed he went into the bathroom and flushed the toilet continuously attempting to foil the sound. I was using a recorder that was unidirectional and blocked out peripheral sound, so it foiled his efforts as you can tell by the quality of the recording.

When I went outside the Hilton the groupies saw me with a tape recorder and demanded to know if I had seen THEM. With the straightest face I could muster I said "Are you kidding? No way." Otherwise they would have torn my recorder to pieces, and maybe me, too.""

Source: http://www.bayarearadio.org/audio/kcbs/kcbs_hilly-rose-beatles.shtml

Idolatry

From Winnipeg, The Beatles and company flew south to Los Angeles, landing around 4pm on August 18th. They would play the Hollywood Bowl a week later, but this stop was merely to pass through customs, stretch their legs, and hold an impromptu press conference in the Pan Am lounge. KRLA's Beatle-boosting DJ Dave Hull also recorded quick chats with each of the lads before they replaned.

An hour later, they landed at their final destination of the day, San Francisco. Local TV channel KCRA sent a camera crew to cover the arrival, during which the band put in a brief and dangerous appearance in "Beatlesville", a small fenced-in area in the midst of thousands of manic fans.

The day's second press conference, just as disorganized as the first, took place at the San Francisco Hilton. Afterwards, John and Paul spoke with Miami reporter Larry Kane, who would be covering the entire tour for WFUN-AM. At the airport, Kane had also interviewed evangelist Edwin Teaman, who was protesting against The Beatles based on remarks Derek Taylor had made in a Saturday Evening Post profile.

Ringo's Inimitable Glasses

The Beatles wrapped up July, 1964 with a visit to Stockholm, Sweden, and began August with a couple of concerts in Bournemouth and Scarborough.

On August 10th, ITV sent a news crew to Ipswich, where fans were queued outside the Gaumont Cinema. Tickets went on sale that day for an October 30th concert, part of the group's extensive Autumn Tour of the UK.

But before that tour, The Beatles had a long trip to North America in store. The marathon jaunt began August 18th, as they flew from London Airport all the way west to Winnipeg, Manitoba. The brief stop was merely for refueling before continuing on to California, but thousands of fans showed up to welcome the group to Canada, and TV reporter Bob Burns covered the event for local Channel 7 news.

Harry and Billy Zombie

July, 1964 saw The Beatles carrying out sporadic media appearances: they taped sessions for BBC Radio's Top Gear on the 14th and From Us To You on the 17th. On the 19th, they appeared live on ITV's Blackpool Night Out, appearing in a sketch and performing five songs.

On the 23rd, they appeared at the London Palladium's Night Of A Hundred Stars, participating in an aerial ballet, and playing a standard set of rock numbers.

Two nights later, George Harrison put in a live appearance on the panel of BBC-TV's Juke Box Jury, reviewing records by The Naturals, The Fourmost, Sounds Incorporated, The Crystals, and The Zombies, among others. After the broadcast, another episode of Juke Box Jury was taped for airing the following week. This time, Ringo Starr was a panelist, rating discs from the Dave Clark Five, Chad & Jeremy, Cilla Black, Sammy Davis Jr., and more. Sadly, the surviving audio recording of Ringo's appearance is nearly indecipherable.

Everything Seems To Be Right

With the London and Liverpool premieres successfully completed, A Hard Day's Night opened in British cinemas throughout the last half of July, 1964.

With positive reviews rolling in and the Beatles due to begin a tour in mid-August, anticipation for the film was high in the USA. Tickets went on sale in New York City on July 22nd, and in Dallas on July 30th. United Artists' radio commercials targeted teenagers and adults alike, and the movie did strong business throughout August and September across North America, complemented by the band's 25-city tour.

Threetles '64

One day in early July, 1964 (most likely the 11th), John Lennon left his bandmates in the lurch, requiring Paul, George, and Ringo to fulfill several promotional commitments on their own.

At the London Hilton, they were interviewed by Dieter Bröer for German radio. Closer to home, the new BBC Radio series Top Gear was set to premiere July 16th, and the Fab Three recorded some promos for their appearance on the first episode.

More significant was a lengthy discussion of A Hard Day's Night, used to promote the film in America on a United Artists open-ended LP to be aired as a half-hour program on US radio. Paul explains that John is absent because he's "gone down to the shipyards to have an estimate for a haircut." By that evening, John had caught up with the group in time to tape a TV appearance on Thank Your Lucky Stars.

Making Scenes

The Beatles had less than a week to rest up from their month-long World Tour before heading back to work, beginning July 6th, 1964 with the London world premiere of their film, A Hard Day's Night.

The next day, they taped a TV performance of the movie's theme song for BBC's Top Of The Pops. Immediately afterward, they filmed an interview for Granada TV's Scene At 6.30, discussing Ringo's 24th birthday and the imminent Liverpool premiere. Around this date, the birthday boy also chatted via transatlantic phone lines with Murray the "K" in New York.

A Hard Day's Night's northern premiere at the Liverpool Odeon on July 10th turned out to be a triumphant homecoming for the Beatles, as 200,000 fans emerged to greet them at Speke Airport, the Town Hall, and outside the cinema. Once again, Scene At 6.30 was there to cover the mayhem and film an airport interview with the hometown heroes.

Goodbye From A Pal

Four weary Beatles gathered at Sydney's Mascot Airport on July 1st, 1964, exhausted from a month of touring the Far East and Australasia and facing a full day of flights back to England.

As they waited to board their flight, the individual Beatles spoke with the Australian press one final time, including DJ Bob Rogers, and two TV crews. Another local reporter interviewed all four Beatles as well as fans bidding them farewell.

Your Tie's In My Drink, Sir

The Beatles' New Zealand tour continued with stops in Auckland and Dunedin, wrapping up in Christchurch on June 27th, 1964. The following evening, the group flew via Auckland and Sydney to Brisbane, Australia. During the flight, Ringo/George and John/Paul were interviewed in pairs by a reporter named Ted.

On the morning of the 29th, a press conference took place at the ironically-named Lennons Hotel. Afterward, Tony Macarthur, a DJ from Brisbane Radio 4BK, interviewed Paul and George. If you have a spare $10,000 to spend, you can hear the rest of Tony Macarthur's interviews from that day.