It might sound almost unbelievable, but one of the most
common ways to meet the Beatles is to go to one of their parties. Well, I did.
(Think I’m a snob announcing it so casually? You should have heard me for about five
months afterward. “Would you mind
shaking my left hand? Ringo touched that
one.” Forgive me; I am gradually rejoining the mortals.)
They were having a big party in one of their Las Vegas hotel
rooms and I didn’t even know till it was nearly over. But I heard a girl talking about being
invited to it. Then a friend told her to
go up to the Beatle floor and see Derek Taylor, who was in the hall and would
let her in.
So I went up with two friends and asked for Derek. He wasn’t there, but one of the guards told
us a room number to call to get him. How
easy! I thought. Little did I know that nearly every girl in
the hotel was trying to call that number (most never reached it) and that you
had to know a password to get it. I
really made it into the party purely by luck, plus persistence. Somehow I got into the room without the
password – which turned out to be “Liverpool” – and, after a billion other
complications, got to the now-small party.
By then Paul and George were gone, but John and Ringo were worth all the
trouble. They were charming, wacky and
shook my hand. What more could a girl
want out of life?
All day and night
girls were paging Beatle employees to take them up. Sometimes it worked and sometimes it didn’t. Making contact with them will be even harder
if they don’t’ stay in a hotel. Still,
it’s best to know their names and to find out who they are before everyone else
does.
Here are a couple of
names to remember besides Brian Epstein, who will be along, but will probably
be unapproachable: Neil Aspinol and
Malcolm Evans. Malcolm is the least
well-known, so it might be best to concentrate on contacting him. You know, of course, that when you get to him
you should act as calm as you can.
Nothing will keep you away from the Beatles more successfully than screaming
or giggling.
Even if you manage to get on the same floor as the Beatles,
you’re unlikely to catch a glimpse of them unless you’re staying in the room
next door and bore a hole in the wall. You
might get up on the unguarded freight elevator, or if you’re really lucky, you
can do what a group of girls did in Las Vegas.
They grabbed the key to a room on the Beatle floor off the front desk
and went up to it. They had to leave
when one girl’s mother found out, but that really wasn’t so horrible, because
the guard in the hall saw to it that the girls (and every other unauthorized
person) didn’t go near the Beatle rooms anyway.
A lot of girls sent the boys notes, via the guards, but I don’t’
think it accomplished anything at all.
And one girl tried to get by as Patti Body. Naturally that didn’t work. So she dropped the improvised accent and
became Patti’s American cousin. Somehow
that worked and she was already at the party when I got there.
Since every situation has its own unforeseeable obstacles
and possible loopholes, I can only give you general information for your Beatle
chase. One important hint is to
eavesdrop. Hang around reporters and English-looking
people and even mobs. I’m sure you know
that hundreds of girls found out where the secret Bel Air house was last
year. The only way they could possibly learn
was though the grapevine.
And that’s the main thing you will have to rely on for
information. It should tell you, besides
a lot of rumors, where the Beatles really are or if they’re having a party or
if they’ve just gotten in or just left.
Older girls usually know more than younger ones and might be
telling the truth if they say they just got out from a Beatle party. When they do, don’t ask questions. It will only make them feel superior and
prompt them to carefully guard all their information on how to get in. Simply listen without much interest if you
can, and think hard about how what you’ve heard can help you.
Here’s another pointer – dress nicely. You don’t’ ‘have to wear a cocktail dress,
but nobody’s going to mistake a teen in bell bottoms for a Beatle guest. Don’t look too young, either. If you’re ten, better forget it. But if your twelve or so you might be able to
fake it, so that somehow, if the chance comes your way you can say, “oh, I’m
eighteen” and slip inconspicuously into the crowd of party goers.
Next week I’ll tell you a fool-proof method for
Beatle-meeting. Honest, it’s a can’t
miss.
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