Wednesday, August 17, 2016

the Beatles say goodbye to Canada




300 boppers scream Beatles out of Malton
August 19, 1966

The Beatles were sent off by 300 screaming teenyboppers at Malton yesterday, and landed in Boston a couple of hours later to the screams of another 350.

At Malton, the crowds exceeded the 250 who saw the boys off in 1965.  One banner yesterday pleaded, “Please come back” and other had large red letters reading “SEX” on one side and “JOHN” on the other.

The Beatles took $96,000 out of Toronto.

Police had to rope off the King Edward Hotel to let the Beatles safely out to the paddy wagon, escorted by motorcycles and horses, which whisked them off to the airport.

“You guys aren’t coming back next year, are you?” a weary, perspiring policeman asked Ringo Starr as he clanged the paddy wagon door shut.  Ringo smiled and replied, “Please don’t fret.  Of course we’re coming back.”

Manager Brian Epstein told the Star in his suite at the hotel that it was not to be the Beatles last visit.   “We’ll be back, possibly next year.” Mr. Epstein said.

Wearing a striped black and gray mod suit, black suede boots, an orange paisley pattern tie and think sideburns, Epstein read newspaper reviews of the Toronto show, packed his bags and cursed the teenyboppers laying siege to his room.

“It was bloody awful,” he said, “I couldn’t get a bit of sleep with those terror pounding on my door and shoving notes under it all night.” 

His bed looked it, too.  Pillows, sheets and blankets were scattered over the backboard and bedside table.

Police had the corridor roped off on the eight floor to keep the besiegers at bay.

Wave after wave of screams deafened the dozens of policemen on duty when the Beatles appeared around the corner.

Paul McCartney mumbled, “It’s madness.  It’s madness.  ‘touch his anklebone.  Touch his earlobe.’”
The Beatles wore corduroy slacks and jackets.  John Lennon had huge orange sunglasses. 

“Coming back next year, John?” a teenybopper asked.

“Yes, are you?”

Footnote:  John Lennon bought a new sports jacket yesterday.  When an aide delivered it to his suite, Lennon complained to the Deputy Chief, John Murray, “It looks too new.”  Chief Murray rolled it into a ball and stepped on it a few times.

“Beautiful,” smiled Lennon.


2 comments:

  1. Hi, Sara! Can you tell me which magazine/newspaper this article was from? :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. It is from the Toronto Star (newspaper).

    ReplyDelete