The Beatles in Action on stage at Shea Stadium

 

The Beatles in Action on Stage at Shea Stadium

By Linda Joy

5 Bites of the Apple

July/August 1972

 

I have loved The Beatles ever since ’64, especially Paul.  I always wished to see them in person, even though I came from a small town in Connecticut.  In July ’66, I was looking through the newspaper and saw “Beatles Appearing at Shea Stadium …. August 23^rd!”  I thought, “oh Christ, I Gotta go!”  I called up my cousin, Cassie, and she wanted to go too.  So, I asked my mother.  She said, “You can go, but you have to earn your money to see them.”  No one would believe what I did.  I always hated housework – I cleaned everything!  Then I got this brainy idea to sell soda bottles down at the store.  So, my cousin and I loaded up a wagon of bottles, and downtown we went.  Everybody thought we were weird, but I didn’t give a shit because I wanted to see them!   We earned $12.00.  I sent away for the tickets.  We were waiting for weeks, and my father made the wisecrack, “Oh, they’re probably all sold out.”  Well, it was at the end of July when we got the tickets.  I was jumping up and down with rapture, saying, “I’m gonna see Paul!”  Enclosed with the tickets was a letter saying, “Here are your tickets.  Hope you enjoy the show.”  I was so happy.  I was crying.  All my friends envied me.  Then my mother stated that she didn’t want me to go to New York alone, being that I was only 14 then.  (I guess she was afraid of me being mugged or something).  I explained to her that I had to go, begging that I got the tickets already.  She said, “I’ll drive you and Cassie to New York.”  I nearly fainted! 

 

Finally, August 23^rd came around, and of course, I couldn’t sleep at all.  I work my mother up at 6 am, telling her that we must get an early start.  We all left around 10 am since my mother didn’t know where Shea was (She had never driven into NYC before).  On the way in, I was listening to WMCA, and all they were playing were Beatle songs.  My cousin and I couldn’t believe we were gonna see the “Famous Four.”  When we finally got to Shea, I let out a big scream.  I thought for a moment that my mother was going to crawl underneath her seat.  My mother told us that she would wait in the car, and so she parked it near the Stadium.  Cassie and I walked around.  We talked to some girls, and they told us that they were sleeping at Shea overnight!  We went back to the car and then 3 buses pulled up…shit!  I’ve never seen so many cops in all my life.  My mother even took my binoculars and stared at them.  My cousin decided to go in – it was getting around that time.

 

We entered, and an usher showed us to our seats.  But there was an older woman and her daughter sitting in our seats.  I told her politely that they were sitting in our seats, and she said we were crazy.  So the usher told us to sit 2 rows behind them, and I was swearing and pissed.  Then two New York girls said we were sitting in their seats.  Cassie told them what happened.  So I called the usher over again.  He thought we were insane.  So he led us to section 9 and told us no matter what to stay there.  Well, these seats were better than our own!  I couldn’t believe the huge signs all over the place. Some said: We love Paul too, George wave to us, Happy anniversary John and Cyn, Paul don’t’ marry Jane Asher, and one sign said “Paul Is Sexy” but the “Y” fell off!  Then finally the show started at 8 pm, and my heart was pounding and pounding.  Bobby Hebb came on first, then the Remains and Murray the K.  He told us the Beatles couldn’t wait to see us fans, and they love us all.  Everyone screamed…including me!

Then the Ronettes came on.  Everyone said, “We want the Beatles – Get off!”  Then Murray came on, and everyone sang “Happy Anniversary John and Cyn,” “Yellow Submarine,” and “We Love You Beatles.”  Then Murray said, “HERE ARE THE BEATLES!”  Everyone stood up – screaming and jumping up and down.  George and Ringo came out first, and I screamed “George! George!” Then John and Paul came out.  Paul was skipping and waving, and I really yelled his name!  Christ, did my throat feel that scream.  I was wondering if it were all a dream.  A few seats down, this girl had a book and she was banging it over her father’s head, screaming “Paul, Paul!”  Everyone around me was in complete ecstasy.  I looked at my cousin, and she was just sitting there.  Saying nothing.  She was looking at me in a disgusted way when I was screaming, but I didn’t care.  Nothing mattered.

Then Paul said, “May I speak?”  These two asshole guys in the back of me yelled, “No!” And they were yelling, “McCartney sucks!”  My temper couldn’t take that anymore, so I yelled, “Shove I up your ass, you b-----!”  Then these two other girls told them to cram it -well, they kept quiet.  Then Paul said, “I want everyone to sing along with me and clap their hands.”  All of a sudden, these two girls went through the barricades.  Paul and George were staring at them, and everyone was yelling, “Go! Go!”  The cops caught them.  When I was staring at Paul and his body through my binoculars, I noticed that he was winking at a lady copy, and she just turned her head.  My throat was so hoarse.  I thought I wouldn’t be able to ever talk again.  It was then Paul noticed the sign that said “Paul Is Sex,” and he said into the mic, “Oh girls.  I’m a male.”  It was finally over, and John yelled, “Goodbye, fans!  We’ll be back next year, so save your money, and we love you all.”  I was in complete shock.  We had to leave, and so we found my mother in the car, shaking, and the door locked.  I asked her what was wrong, and she said, “Christ. I never saw so many crazy kids screaming over them.  They were jumping up and down on my car, and I got scared.”  I laughed.  I asked my cousin to come with me to stand near the gate once more for a minute, and I couldn’t stop thinking of Paul and what happened. I could feel the tears running down my cheeks. 

To this day, people still envy me.  Yes, I was very lucky to think that was their last New York appearance.  But lucky to see the four most beautiful people who brought happiness to me and whom I love very deeply.