Thursday, January 30, 2014

The Beatles are our bosses!

For the past 2 days I have been working hard on this story.   I find the girls that worked at Apple to be very interesting and I always wanted to learn more about them and how they got such a great job.  But with most things I find interesting, there is very little information about the Apple girls out there.  So when I found this story about them in Bravo magazine, I wanted to read it right away.   The only problem is that Bravo magazine is written completely in German and even though I have a very German last name and even went to Hamburg last summer, I do not know German.   

So I took to Google translator to figure out what they were saying.   Only I could not cut and paste because of the format of the DVD that Bravo article was one.  So I wrote out the whole article in a notebook by hand and then typed out all of the German into Google Translator and then from there I tried to make it sound like English.    I hope I am somewhat close to what these girls had to say.   It sure was a lot of work.   

I think the little story that interested me was the girl who got a dog from Paul.   Where did Paul get the Yorkshire Terrier?   Surely he didn't give her Eddie???

The black and white photos in this post came from the Bravo article and the color ones came from a post at Miss Tammy's Beatles photo blog many moons ago. 









Janet Lumley
Kitchen maid (16)
I have been cooking for the Beatles for half a year.   It is fantastic.   I cook just as carefully for the four of them as I do for my own family.  John is the pickiest, he is vegetarian. Paul is the hungriest and has even brought his plate back to tell us how good it tasted to him.

Betty Rodrigues
Kitchen Maid (18)
I applied to an ad that only gave a box number. Apple does that all the time when people are searching for work.  Of course, I found it super that I should be a cook for the Beatles.  At first I was very afraid that I would not meet their needs. Although the four are not big eaters.  But I work for the nicest bosses in the world.


Sally Burgess
Press Secretary (21)
John, Paul, George and Ringo only have young, funny and talented people around and it flatters me to be a part of it. Although we work hard, the atmosphere is casual and fun, better than any other company in the world. And every day something new happens.  You must learn to quickly adapt to any situation. Once however, it even became too much for me and I just crawled under my desk.

Debbie Wellum
Receptionist (20)
I have decided that I have the most exciting Apple job. I have to catch all the teenagers who want to speak to my bosses.  Recently, a group of Italian scouts were here, all of whom claimed to be cousins ​​of George Harrison.  But I didn’t fall for such a dirty trick.  I wouldn’t trade in my bosses for anyone else in the world, even if they had really had so many cousins!

Sally Reed
Secretary (20)
I've been a Beatle fan before I started here eight months ago. The four are no longer for me, but I've learned to respect them as businessmen and superiors. I work in the production department; the Beatles are always nice and easy going, even if everything else is wobbling around them. They have a professional attitude which is a very different attitude to these things than a normal human; sometimes I wish I could have some of that.

Dee Meehan
Assistant (25)
I have to listen to all the tapes that are sent to the Beatles from people who want to make a career out of music.   A tough job, but whoever has worked in the pop industry, knows what is going on, especially if you have the Beatles as bosses. Paul is the best; he always knows exactly what he wants. George and Ringo are always nice and polite, but sometimes John gets on my nerves. . But he has improved a lot recently.

Amanda Hull
Tea cook (39)
I am responsible  for tea and coffee,  which  is used a lot with us, because Apple is a hospitable house. In a little chamber, I have a two burner stove, on which is always a pot of water and a pot of coffee standing. The tea is always fresh, otherwise it will be bitter. With Paul, I make sure that he does not get too much sugar. This is not good for his future children.

Jean Griffin
Secretary (24)
I got my job through an agency. I could never write a letter of application, as all these young girls, especially Americans want my job.  They also come up to say Ringo and say,” I'm crazy about you” “I work for you.” “You need me --pay any salary” But I would not like to change places with anyone. I prefer to work for Ringo, he has the best manners


Linda Bristow
Assistant Publisher (22)
I work for Apple music publishing. Of course I'm a Beatles fan, but I do not fall into a swoon every time they come through the door. Just to be a fan is not enough for a job at Apple. There is plenty to do and you have to know something too. But as for us, we are paid well and have the best bosses in the world. My favorite boss is George. He is for me the most beautiful thing. But I cannot tell him - because he would be pissed.

Frankie Hart
Press Secretary (19)
Anyone who thinks that we spend the whole day painting our lips and putting mascara on our eyelashes because our bosses are not there would be completely wrong. After all, there are four of them, and one is always there to make sure no one is getting paid for nothing. But what girl would not like to work overtime, if, for example, Paul McCartney asked?

Carol Padden
Press Secretary (23)
Of course, I'm a Beatles fan. Who isn’t? It's easy to work for such pleasant, young handsome men instead of old thick, bad-tempered men who are constantly, trying to flirt with you. Such a thing does not exist in the Beatles.   I have never heard any girls complain that one of the Beatles had flirted with her!

Terrie Clemmons
Accountant (28)
We are constantly in turmoil, but you always know that you will to be treated decently. We rarely see the Beatles here because; of course they have no clue about accounting. . But if any one of us has a longing for our bosses, she can just go and talk with them.  My funniest experience at Apple? Once Mick Jagger ran through the room and I did not recognize him!


Sally Stewart
Secretary (19)
My relatives have always regretted that the Maharishi and the marijuana occurred. You probably have the feeling that I'm working in a brothel for the Beatles. I can only say what has happened to us girls inside and the Beatles were always first class.  I wish every girl could have such considerate and kind bosses.

Carol Chapman
Secretary (23)
It's a wonderful feeling to know that a hundred thousand girls envy this job I arrive in the morning a half hour earlier, because I live opposite of Apple. And when I hear the Beatles on the radio, my heart beats faster because it is my bosses who are singing.  Who else can say that?

Barbara Bennet
Secretary (24)
My best experience with Apple was when Paul gave me a little Yorkshire terrier.  He had heard me gushing to a colleague about this breed, and a few days later he had one in tow. But once when I visited my friend Colin Peterson the terrier ran into the city by himself.  I never saw him again, although I'd put up a lot of ads.

Laurie McCaffrey
 Switchboard (25)
I get  an average of 2,000 calls a day. During the school holidays there are even a lot more.  Sometimes a child will call and say “This is Mrs. McCartney, Can I speak to my son please?”  I have been working six years for the Beatles and I still do not know what is going to happen next. . But honestly I want this job even though I don’t know!


17 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. Yes that is why I said that the black and white photos are from Bravo and the colored ones are from Miss Tammy's Beatles photo blog. Maybe you missed that.

      Delete
  2. How cool is that! Great work, thanks for sharing : )

    ReplyDelete
  3. Oh my gosh!!!!!! Sara, just.....wow! Wow!

    ReplyDelete
  4. What a delightful article! I've never seen one like this before. Sara, thank you for all your work to translate this and share it with us!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Finally there are names and functions and faces linked!

    ReplyDelete
  6. My favorites are this:

    1.) One of the girls does not like working for John because he pisses her off! (though she says he's gotten better! Ha!! the only negative thing said about any of 'em!)

    2.) One of them would rather work for Ringo because he has the best manners, another one's favorite boss is George, but she knows that if he knew that he'd be pissed!

    3.) Frankie Hart was Grateful Dead member Bob Weir's girlfriend. She went to Apple in the late 60s, and they resumed their relationship when she returned to California in the early 70s.

    4.) I love that (the John comment notwithstanding) all 4 Beatles are uniformly described as great people to work for......and that none of them ever tried to flirt with the girls!!!

    Brava, again, Sara! Super Sara! Super Sister Sara! Brava!!!

    ReplyDelete
  7. It wasn't Eddie - it was a Yorkie and her name was Tallulah

    ReplyDelete
  8. This is fab Sara! I remember a couple of those girls. I have an article from a Sunday newspaper magazine from those days, I will type it and send it to you. I think the photo is the same.

    ReplyDelete
  9. How neat that you were able to see a little bit into your aunt's life through this post! I love hearing from family members of those that are featured on this blog. I am sorry to hear that your aunt has passed away. She sure seems to have lived a great life.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Where is Mavis Smith ?

    ReplyDelete
  11. Mavis Smith isn't a name with which I'm familiar. My aunt, Laurie McCaffrey passed in 2008, otherwise I'd have asked her for you.

    What do you know of Mavis, for prosperity sake?

    ReplyDelete
  12. Mavis Smith was Derek Taylor's personal assistant.

    ReplyDelete
  13. I know it's from a fair while ago, but this is just fantastic, thank you so much for all the transcription and translation :)

    ReplyDelete
  14. Hello - This is a great site. I was in a band ( THE RUSTIKS ) and we were signed to NEMS in 64 - 66.

    ReplyDelete