Ipswich was the only "witch" that Halloween

On October 31, 1964 the Beatles showed up a little late for their performance at Ipswich.  This caused some people to believe that the Beatles weren't going to show up at all and it was just a terrible publicity stunt.  However, the Beatles DID show up inside of a police car along with Brian Epstein.  

A reception was held inside of the theater for them, which was full of television and newspaper reporters who drank wine and asked the Beatles a variety of the usual questions.  Then there was a press call and for 10 minutes the Beatles and around 6 people from the press squeezed into the small manager's office.   One of the press men, David, who was only 18 at the time said this about the experience, " I was a Beatles fan and I feel incredibly lucky to be able to say I met them --- well, sort of--because we were in the same room, but there wasn't much meaningful conversation.  They were affable, but you could tell that it was just another press meeting and another show.  They were polite, but bored.  They were tired. "

David continues to say, "I took a few photographs and then they went into the inner foyer area and they did an interview with Anglia Television.  I took a photo of them with some competition winners.   A few years ago a chap said to me, 'You took my pictures with the Beatles when I was a competition winner.'  He won a toy guitar signed by The Beatles and a I said, 'Wow, that must have been worth some money.'  He said, 'I swapped it later that day for an Airfix kit because I didn't like the Beatles.'  Goodness only knows what that would have been worth because while there mush be a few autographed albums, there were no or very few autographed toy guitars.  I wonder where that ended up?  It probably got thrown on a skip."

Brian Epstein put host, David Lowe in charge of the Beatles for the night.  One of the biggest issues he had was that John Lennon's small harmonica went missing between shows.  After the first show, John threw the harmonica down and Lowe's 14 year old song found it and thought he had discovered an discarded Beatles souvenir.   When John could not find the missing instrument, he was unhappy to say the least and he refused to go back onstage for the second performance until they found it.    Lowe somehow discovered that his son had it and was back at home by this point and he had to get a taxi back to his house and discovered his son was asleep with the harmonica under his pillow.   He got the harmonica back to John and the concert continued as plan with no one knowing the drama going on backstage. 

David Lowe with the Beatles

There are several memories of the Beatles concert that can be found in the Creasy book.  Here are some of them:

It was pandemonium when they came on.  No sooner had the curtains opened as we announced, "Ladies and Gentleman, the world-famous Beatles" than the scream went up and the two girls int he front row -- who had been at the very front of the queuing for tickets  promptly fainted and had to be carried to the back on stretchers.  they never saw a thing.  The rest of the show went well, but really there was too much screaming and shouting.  It was impossible to hear what they were singing but it was as if people didn't except to hear them.  --  cinema manager that night

 I could hear quite well, given the screaming.  I had a great seat, though -- an aisle seat about eight to ten rows from the front, quite central.  It must have been very difficult for the others on the show because I remember between the acts the chants of "We want the Beatles" over and over again.  I also clearly remember the four lads obviously totally enjoying themselves.  It was almost as if they were looking at each other and thinking, "Can you believe this?"  Mary Well I remember well.  She was a big favourite of mine and 'My Guy' was terrific. --Bob

Photographer, David, says that no photographer were allowed to be taken of the Beatles onstage during the performance and all photographs had to have been taken backstage and he was one of the few there that night.    He does remember the concert, "You really couldn't hear anything with all the screaming.  they just had those three Vox amps.  No more than you'd have for a band playing a pub today You really had no chance."

The Beatles left the theater and went to the Great White Horse Hotel in Ipswich, where they stayed the night and they also spent some time signing autographs.

Happy Halloween everyone!

May Blue Meanies and Princesses come to your door to receive treats---

Halloween 1970

Nothing like being spooked on Halloween by the McCartney family!   I have been holding onto this little story written by some NewYork fans from 1970 for several months just to post it at Halloween.  

Halloween 1970

By Joanne DiFilippe and Linda Rabe

5 Bites of the Apple Sept/October 1972

There will never be another Halloween like this Halloween!  As you all know, Paul had arrived in New York on October 8, 1970.  We spent three desperate weeks looking for the man.  Well on October 30^th, we went down to CBS Recording Studios where Paul was recording.  After not seeing him for over a year we were quite happy.  The next day, we were sitting by John Eastman's  still trying to find out where he was staying.  That afternoon we were sitting by John’s and watching the little children dressed up for Halloween.  We then decided to go around to the store and buy candy to give to them.  After doing our good deed for the day, we decided to continue with our search.  After having no luck for most of the day, we decided to try 5^th avenue.  As we crossed 81^st street, we saw two women and a man coming up toward 5^th.  They were dressed in yellow sheets with masks and the man was carrying a baby.  As they were approaching us at the corner, the man hid the baby’s face under the sheet and one of the women’s hands reached over to grab the man’s arm (which looked quite familiar!).  And as they came around the corner they were making these ghostly sounds.  We stopped dead in our tracks and figured we play along.  Suddenly thinking, “Oh no!” the guy with the baby came to each of us individually and made ghost sounds in our faces, coming so close he could have knocked us over.  It seemed funny that out of the 5 of us, who were there he came up to only the 4 who had been at the studio the night before.  As they turned to go into the Stanhope Hotel, which we were about to check, we noticed the groovy argyle socks (it was the socks!).  Which after a while, became a well-known trade mark, convinced us that we were right.  After realizing that our search for Paul was ended we realized that if during the course of the day we had been off by one minute in anything, we would not have been this lucky.  Not only had our search been over but we realized we had been put on by a Beatle  But yet, we got our reward for treating instead of tricking on Halloween.  That was the first of many events that followed! 

Last gig in Bournemouth

Bournemouth is a place that the Beatles were very familiar with.    They had played there for a full week in 1963 plus a handful of other dates.  If you want to read a great book about the Beatles connection to Bournemouth, I highly recommend the book "Yeah Yeah Yeah The Beatles & Bournemouth" by Nick Churchill.

October 30, 1964 was the Beatles very last time to perform in the town.  This performance was at the Gaumont Theater.   The big news about this concert seemed to have been that (gasp!)  There were one or two empty seats during the first show!!   It wasn't a sell-out concert!   Oh no!   And come to find out, as one fan named Vanessa learned later, not all of the seats had been paid for, "  I was almost 11 years old when I saw the Beatles with my friend Linda.  My mum came with us as we were so young and took us right to our seats.  I found out afterwards she didn't buy any tickets, so we watched the Fab Four for free!"

As was true with some of the other stops on this tour, the Beatles practiced their new song, I feel Fine, during a sound check.  It appears that this song was a major concern for them and they knew they were going to be playing it live in the near future, so the sound check was a good time to rehearse it.   Although I have to ask---what was the point of the sound check during this tour when no one could hear the Beatles play?


Between the two performances, the chief sound technician, Tom Mellor  snapped a few photographs of the Beatles being interviewed backstage.   Tom's daughter recalls, "Dad went into the dressing room to get some photos and the heavies appeared to try to stop him until someone told them it was a good idea to let him in as he was the man who could make or break the show with the sound."

photos by Tom Mellor

The newspaper reported that the screams weren't as loud as they were during previous performances of the Beatles and you could almost make out which song they were singing.   Vanessa recalls, "I remember Mary Wells and there was a lot of screaming.  The St. John's ambulance first-aiders were throwing water over some very excited girls-- my friend and I amongst them -- to calm us down.  I'm not sure it worked!"

An older fan, Brian, who was 26 years old in 1964, was also in the audience.  "The two things that I remember was that the compere deliberately stoked up the women to scream when he kept mentioning the names of the Beatles in the first half of the show.  And appearing in the first half was a young singer who sang three songs, had a great voice, but was not given a chance because the females were chanting for The Beatles"

George was the cool one

Just to dance with you is everything I need

Striped pants and a frilly shirt

The Beatles know how to (Plymouth) rock!

On October 29, 1964, the Beatles' 1964 UK Autumn tour brought them to Plymouth after a late night of celebrating driver, Alf Bicknell's 36th birthday.    At first they were bombarded with some questions from the press.  Ringo was asked about why they were late for the show in Exeter.  George was asked how much longer they were going to last.   Then Ringo and John were asked if they voted.   Paul was asked about the fact that there were supposedly smaller crowds to see them and at one venue a few empty seats.    All in all---a typical meeting with the press.

Backstage the guys happily talked to journalist, Ray Coleman (who much later in life would write one of the best biographies about John).   They spoke about how happy they were that they were done recording their new album and single.  And John talked about the new single, I Feel Fine, by saying this, "I suppose it has a bit of a country-and-western feel about it, but then so have a lot of our songs.  the middle eight is the most tuneful part, to me, because it's a typical Beatles bit."


I have no other information about what went on backstage during this show, but these photos from this date are good ones

The concert itself was one full of screaming fans, but fans that seemed to have themselves under control.   No one even attempted to rush the stage, just a handful of girls fainted and the only major issue was one broken chair inside the theater.    The audience showed great enthusiasm and respect for all of the opening acts and even stood for the National Anthem.  The Beatles ran out of the backdoor exit and into the car that was waiting for them before the fans had even realized it.  

the Hawaii connection

Here is a nice little write up about when George and John (along with their respected significant others) were in Hawaii in 1964.     The story was written by Tiffany Hill and can be found here.

 

It was 1964, the first time the band had come to the U.S. and the same year the group released A Hard Days Night and Beatles for Sale. Before heading to Tahiti, John Lennon and George Harrison, along with Lennon’s first wife, Cynthia, and Harrison’s then-girlfriend (and later wife), Patti Boyd, made a pitstop on Oahu. They briefly stayed at the Royal Hawaiian before throngs of people crowded its lobby for a sneak peek of the two Beatles. The group left and headed to the Kailua home of John McDermott—the head of the hotel’s public relations agency—for more privacy.

“It can’t be too bad. People in Hawaii respect the privacy of celebrities,” McDermott recalled thinking in a 1969 HONOLULU story. “Teenagers turned out to be an unbelievable exception.”

The musicians and their partners were briefly able to enjoy Kailua beach, before word spread of their new location.

“Fans were everywhere! They were on the roof next door,” McDermott said. “The mob was growing steadily and my wife was becoming undone.”

Lennon, Harrison and company enjoyed a hasty steak dinner on the McDermott’s living room floor, away from the windows, before being escorted out by the police in a black Cadillac to the airport. “In my little world you just can’t be more famous than that.”

Other Hawaii/Beatles connections: In 1981, George Harrison bought 63 acres in Nahiku, Maui because he was so taken with its “beauty and remoteness.” And if you plan on staying at the Kauai Country Inn next time you’re on the Garden Island, you’re in for a treat. Owners Mike and Martina Hough are the proud keepers of a small Beatles museum. Guests are invited to take a Magical Mystery Tour of the Hough’s collection, including a Mini Cooper S car, owned by Brian Epstein, the Beatles’ former manager.

Crowding in to the cars

Beatles bedroom circa 1965

Playboy Ringo '64

Photo removed at the request of the copyright holder

April 13, 2021

Of course Henry the Horse

I had to post this because it isn't every day you find a photo of Paul McCartney and horse poop.

Exeter

Exeter is another one of those stops on the 1964 UK tour that is a bit mysterious.   I do not have very many photos from this date in my files and the photos that I DO have from this date do not seem to actually match up very well and are full of doubt. 

Here is what we know:  On October 28, 1964, after two days away from the tour, the Beatles made the journey to Exeter from London.  However, they did not give themselves enough time to travel from London to Exeter (it is about 200 miles away) and they got lost along the way.   So by the time they arrived, the show was to begin in 5 minutes.  The guys were supposed to get into a decoy van before they arrived at the cinema where they were to perform.  However, the driver turned down the wrong road and instead of arriving at the cinema, they had a meal at a fish and chip shop in the area!  But they did make in time for their portion of the first show and no one even knew the difference.

This looks more like Bournemouth to me than Exeter

The Beatle fans in Exeter were especially a loud audience.   One fan named Ann said, "I cried all the way through.  Someone put their arm around me and I didn't know who it was.   We coudn't really hear the music because of all the screaming."  

The bobbies on guard that night had more to look for than just Beatlemaniacs.   It was during this time that the 13 year old runaway from Boston, Elizabeth, had been reported missing and her mother believed that she had ran away from home to see the Beatles in concert.   So the police were scouring the audience during the mayhem for a tall blonde haired American girl with glasses.  

Three of the Exeter officers that were on duty that night

At the end of the last show, the Beatles were set to escape, but there was a lot of traffic and people walking around the cinema in hopes of catching one last glimpse of the Beatles.   Many of the fans had taken buses home, and one young fan recalls,
"I remember as a 6 year old being on a bus going to Countess Wear having to crawl past crowds outside the ABC after the Beatles had played there. The bus was full of excited girls, some crying. Quite strange and confusing for a 6 year old."

Living the good life

I know these from from the Beatles in Miami, but I would love to know more about the photos.  Who took them? 

Magical Mystery Bird

Beatles magazine

Checking on LIPA

July 29, 1995 ---  Paul made it to Liverpool to checkout the work that was being done at LIPA and sign some autographs for fans along the way.  

A night out at the theater

I just love these types of stories of fans talking to John Lennon unexpectedly.  What a memory to have!    The play with the amazingly long title of "For Colored Girls who Considered Suicide when the Rainbow is Enuf" opened on Broadway at the  Booth Theater on September 15, 1976.   It played until July of that year.    We know that John was in Boston on September 17, 1976  and the person writing the story did not say that they went on opening night.   So I would assume that John and Yoko were there sometimes during the last week of September 1976 (although it is feasible that they went on the 15th or 16th).  

They play they saw was written by Ntozake Shange and was nominated for a Tony award for best play.   It isn't a traditional play in that it is actually 20 poems that include dancing that have topics that relate to women's issues and race.   I had to read it as part of my theater minor  requirements in college and I liked some of it, but found part of it to be a bit "out there."    Although I have to say that  read the play and I have never seen it performed live with the dance, which might have made more sense.  In all actuality, this seems very much like a play that Yoko would enjoy.

Please note that the photos of John and Yoko were from when they went to the Coppa Cabana in October 1976 and not from this exactly date.    Edit:  Further reading of the same issue of The Write Thing (in the news section) says that the pair saw this play and went to the Coppa Cabana room afterwards.   So the photos I posted ARE from the exact date, which is still unknown.

Story by Nancy Englehardt

The Write Thing

October 1976

Let me begin by saying that I am a Beatle fan who has, up until now, been content to worship my heroes from afar.  I’ve always admired people who have had the courage to just ring doorbells, do a bit of idle chattering and whip out their Brownie Instamatics for a few pictures.  But for numerous reasons I have shied away from that sort of thing.  Primarily because I also have a deep respect for their privacy.  Sure at times they’re hams who would love nothing more than to see a crowd waiting just for them but there must also be times when they would just love to shove your autograph book down your throat and I for one wouldn’t want to be there.  But ultimately it has to do with the fact that I’ve always wanted to keep them on their respective pedestals, afraid of meeting them as mere mortals.  I thought that if I met one of them that somehow he wouldn’t seem so important anymore.  Luckily that hasn’t happened.   For I had an actual face to face encounter with none other than J.L. himself.   So with no further ado, here’s what took place on that day that I’ll have a hard time forgetting. 

My husband and I went to see a play, “For Colored Girls who have Considered Suicide when the rainbow is Enuf.”  We had particularly lousy seats, all the way in the back which made me extremely angry since they were the most expensive seats in the house.  Well, my anger soon subsided when the lights dimmed and who else but John and Yoko Lennon sat themselves down right next to us.  Actually two seats did separate us but that’s close enough.  Needless to say (but I will anyway) all of my time was spent trying to look at John without him seeing me do so.  He has such a marvelous profile.  You know, one of the great, long, arrogant noses and he looked particularly sweet this day.

The entire time was also spent deciding whether to speak to him after the play.  I was whispering to my husband who suggested that I go into the lobby before the show ended and wait there.  Good idea!  You see, since they came in late to avoid a scene, he figured they would leave early for the same reason.  I pretended to be using the phone so if they did happen to come out, it wouldn’t look as if I was ready and waiting to descend upon them even though those exactly were my intentions.  I couldn’t believe my eyes.  They did come out early.  I started to rap up my imaginary phone call and hung up.  I was walking towards them, both smiling at me.  Was I going to blow probably my last chance to talk to one of them?  Io, I actually spoke.  Something coherent nonetheless.  “Were you two in the audience?”  I asked with a note of surprise in my voice.   Why I couldn’t admit to seeing him I’ll never know.  “I think we were sitting in the same row,” said John.  “You’re kidding,” said I (don’t I ever give up?)   Yoko remained silent but kept smiling while John asked, “So what’d ya think of the play?”  with the most adorable grin on his face.  What could I say?  You were distracting me and I wasn’t paying attention.  “Well, I’m not Clive Barnes (N.Y. Times Theatre critic) but I liked it.”  If I only could have known in advance that I was going to get John Lennon a theatre review I could have come up wit something better than that.  But I’m lucky that even came out straight.  John, said, “Well, we all can’t be Clive Barnes, now can we?”  I gave him a confused look since I was confused.  Yoko laughed and then he said, “Well, we gotta go now. “  “Nice meeting you” popped out (understatement of the year).  I was feeling so up that I had to go into the ladies room to let go with a yell.  Unfortunately someone was in there and thought I was an escaped loony.  But as long as John Lennon didn’t think so, I didn’t care.