Wingin' it in England

A while back, a fan named Jim posted a photo and a little story about how he met Paul in England in 1973.   I contacted him and asked if  I could share the story and photo on this blog and Jim was kind enough to say that he did not mind.   And then I got busy posting things about Australia and A Hard Day's night that I never got around to posting it.  So I am focusing now on solo years and I don't want you all to miss out on Jim's amazing story!

I went to England in 1973 for one thing to MEET THE BEATLES. I went to Apple Studio's where 3 Beatles Paul, Ringo and George John was in NYC. taking care of some big business.   I was outside of Apple on Savile Row with some Beatles Peatles and guess who comes walking up the street with a beautiful woman named Linda and Sir Paul McCartney holding her hand. GOOSE BUMPS. I could not believe it. I took a double take. Paul and Linda were right there and someone took a picture of three or four fans and me right there on the left. Years later two gentleman named David Bacon and Norman Maslove wrote a book called The Beatles' England. The pic of Paul and Linda with us fans was published and put in the book. If you have it turn to page 26. By the way this is a great book for Beatles Tourist;s that want to see and learn all about the Beatles Land Marks throughout England. Buy one if you haven't already. Oh what great Beatles memories. I am in back of Paul on the left.

Erotic Litographs

From the looks of things, these fans were offended at all by John's artwork.

Jackie and George

These are photos that are currently available through Heritage auction.  Check them out! 

The Magic Christian

A dark autograph

Number forty nine

So how do you think the concert went?

John and Elton appear to be in a serious discussion at the party held  after the two of them performed together.   That is May Pang holding the glass. 

Either an autograph or a shopping list....

Greece

Walking around Greece--- I love these photos!

The Beatles Making a big splash in a swimming pool on a summer morning

Everybody to the diving boards!  Val takes the tyre in case anyone throws her in again.

All Afloat!   Val's still queen, while John Lennon, George Harrison and Paul are her footmen

The water's cool, clear and inviting--so why won't Davy and Ringo jump in?  Can't they swim or are they lazy?

One, two, three and in she goes!  Valerie gets a helping hand from Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr

Who's the strange face under the springboard?  Clancy T. Smith, ROXY's live-wire tea boy!

John, Ringo, Valerie, Paul and George take a breather on dry land.  This is one for the Valentine photo album.

I scanned these photos from a scrapbook that I bought full of Beatles clippings.   The person who made this particular scrapbook layered her clippings.   I think this was from Valentine magazine.   We know that the photos were taken in the winter and not in the summer (February or March of 1963  I believe).    Ringo can't swim and that is why he is not in the water.    Some of these are slightly different than other photos.   The captions are from the magazine article.

Paul and Linda with an ex-Beatle girl and and old friend

This photo appeared on facebook today.  It was taken on September 7, 1976 during the very first Buddy Holly week party luncheon.    Paul and Linda are chatting with Eric Clapton and Pattie Boyd.   I wonder if this is the first time Paul had seen Pattie since her split from George and I wonder if that was awkward.  

A Hard Day's Night Memories from first generation fans

As you all know by now, I really enjoy the stories from those of you who are first generation Beatle fans.   A few months ago I asked if any of you had any special memories about seeing the film "A Hard Day's Night" and here are some of the stories sent to me. 

 At the end of the summer of '64 our family was staying at a beach house in Old Lyme on the Connecticut shore.  During our vacation we went to the movie theater on Main Street, Old Saybrook to see "A Shot in the Dark" starring Peter Sellars.  The trailer that they showed that evening was for a soon to be released film called "A Hard Day's Night". I don't remember much about the first of the Pink Panther movies but seeing that bit of The Beatles on the big screen for the first time loomed very large indeed. The thrill of the 'C-LAa-N~ggggg' of the first chord and seeing them running forward was all I thought about for weeks. I do remember at the time being somewhat disappointed to discover that the movie would be in B&W but now in hind sight - it was perfect, as so much about the entire Beatles Experience was.        

On September 12, 1964 my friend Dotti, my cousin Laurel & I piled into my dad's station wagon. My dad drove and my mom and  younger sister came along. Although it was raining we begged and pleaded that we still would go to The Mansfield Drive-In , the first place that "A Hard Day's Night" was playing in the area.  It was the same night that the real live Beatles themselves were playing at The Boston Garden less than 90 miles away but for two 13 year olds & an 11 year old from Connecticut it may have well as been a million miles away. (The 3 of us would get our chance to see The Beatles in Boston in 1966.)     We watched most of the movie with our heads out of the car widows because we couldn't see through the rain on the wind shield. We started imitating the accents right away and my dad asked,  "What does that mean 'clean old man' ? Why do they keep saying that?"        In the days that followed we ran around fields and down fire escapes. Of course we listened to the music. We did everything we could to perpetuate the excitement & positive energy that The Beatles' movie had instilled in us.                                     

I think that I saw AHDN in the theaters about 8 times. Some years later when it was shown on TV I recorded the audio on my little reel to reel . No DVRs - not even any video recorders  were available then.--Heather



 I was 10 years old in 1964 and mad for the Beatles from day one. My aunt  Carole, who was 10 years older than me, took me to see AHDN for the  first time at the North Park Theater in San Diego. I was so excited. We  sat towards the back of the theater, which I recall was full. The girls way down front screamed throughout the film. But sitting with my aunt I guess I didn't feel it was  appropriate to join in on the screaming,  but recall wishing I was down front.

BUT when I returned to see the film on my own, I did indeed sit up front, and screamed my little heart out as I got caught up in all the excitement with the other girls around me. The bonus back in the day...  here were always two movies shown at each scheduled showing. Also
showing at later screenings was a film showcasing many British bands.  I also always stayed through more than one showing, and would watch it all afternoon over and over! 

I remember my friends at school and I would reenact AHDN on the  playground! We had memorized all the lines!

Such joyous memories! --Karen


I have great memories of the movie, "A Hard Day's Night". I, along with my younger sister Chris and my friend Nina, were true Beatlemaniacs! We lived and breathed the Beatles "day and night"!  

I was a member of the Beatles Fan Club in England, and I received a copy of the movie script from it. By the time the movie came to the theaters, the 3 of us had memorized parts of the script, and after seeing the movie 3-4 times, we memorized all of it! The first couple of times we saw the movie, there was much screaming from all the girls in the audience, especially when the Beatles were performing their songs. But at least one of the times we could actually hear fairly well, but couldn't resist singing along with all the songs that we had memorized the first time we played the records.  

Another memory that has stayed with me regarding the move is this: I had a very large backyard and my music lover dad had installed outside speakers so he could listen to music outside in the evenings. We would put on our Beatles records, especially "Can't Buy Me Love", and have the songs blaring out into the yard and the 3 of us would act out that scene from the movie as accurately as 3 teenage girls could. Of course, we put on black turtleneck tops and black pants as our "costumes". Looking back, I can't believe we didn't have any complaints from the neighbors, but we did these things during the daytime, so the times were very respectful.  

Those wild, crazy days of Beatlemania have stayed with me all my life and provide some of the best memories of my life. When I hear their music, especially those early songs like "Can't Buy Me Love", "I Want to Hold Your Hand", "I Saw Her Standing There", and "Things We Said Today", my mind travels back in time and it's like I am there again, a young teenager in love with the Fab Four. --Janis

Exiting the car

Searching for Cyn

I think this is funny.   This is a photo from a 1965 magazine and they somehow got a hold of the photo of Paul and John playing at the Casbah.    They do not recognize Cynthia Lennon in the photo and just like I do all of the time on this blog, they are looking to find out who the fan in the photo happens to be.    I am sure that someone informed them that it was none other than John's wife!   I never understood why she is looking so lovingly at Paul and not at John.   But maybe the photographer asked her to look at Paul or maybe Paul was singing something and she thought it was amazing.   Who knows?

I don't wanna be a solider

John is looking at you!

Sorry we hurt your field, mister!

French Art

The Fab Four Wizards

Screaming at the movies

Can you imagine going to see a movie and girls scream through the entire film?    Can you imagine paying to see a film over and over and over again just so you could scream through the entire thing?   I can easily imagine screaming through a concert and not being able to hear the band perform.  However, when it comes to screaming through "A Hard Day's night," I don't really get it.    Sure I understand being so excited that you scream at the beginning and even at some other sections. But the Beatles could not see you or hear you at the movie theater, so to scream through the whole thing just makes for a hoarse throat.   However, while I say that in my rational part of my mind, I also know that there is just something about the Fab 4 that makes you want to scream.    It is something that can't be explained, although many psychologists tried in the 1960's.     The Beatles bring an excitement that no one else seems to bring.    It just seems like the only thing you can do is either cry or scream.    So all of you who screamed throughout the Beatles movies----you are forgiven.

These photos were taken by newspaper photographers of fans  inside of the movie theater watching "A Hard Day's Night" for the 1st time

Beatles First Flick a Squealing Success
By Jack Jelsel

That singing quartet of moptops, the Beatles, will be at the Convention Hall in person on September 2.  So the premiere of their first flick, "a Hard Day's Night" at area movie theaters yesterday was just a preview of coming attractions.

But what a preview!

Take the 69th Street Theater for instance (If it's still standing).

It drew some 1,600 fans of the British exports, including a 67 year old grandmother.  They lined the pavement in two directions form early in the morning until the doors opened at 11:50am.  the movie went on at 1:30pm.

During that 100 minutes a lot of money was made.  A concession in the lobby sold Beatle buttons, Beatle pins and Beatle portraits in color.  The largest color photos (24 x 28) were being snapped up at $1 per shot.

Purchasing such was Mrs. Selma Daniels,  67.  She brought her granddaughter, Nancy, 9, to the opening.

Does she dig the longhaired Liverpoolers?

"Yes.  They're clean cut kids," said Mrs. Daniels, above the din of another "We want the Beatles" chat by  the anxious audience.

"Of course I did feel a little funny standing in line for tickets," the grandmother admitted.  "I was afraid someone I knew would see me."

Patrolman Bill Gala was on the scene, just in case the pandemonium got beyond the squealing stage.  "No trouble," said Gala, "they're really good kids."

An usher at the theater, Jim, 16, held onto the balcony guard rail as the first wave of wailing kids scrambled for seats.

The masses were 99.44 percent female, though an occasional fan of the opposite sex raised his head.  John, 15, was one boy who braved the odds.

John, who sported a semi-Beatle haircut, explained over a bag of popcorn why he was there, "I like the way they sing."

Candy, 16, had another reason.  "I guess it's just because I'm  at the age when I need somebody to idolize," she giggled.  "I think they're cute.;"

Her date squirmed.  He wasn't a Beatlemaniac.

In for the long-haul

These fans were ready to spend hours waiting to see the premiere of a Hard Day's Night!  They have Beatles in magazines and maybe someone has a radio?   Good fun!