Clark Race Meets the Beatles in London

Pittsburg's Clark Race talks to Ringo backstage during the "Around the Beatles" performance. 

Clark Race Meets Beatles in London

Pittsburg Post-Gazette

May 1, 1964

Written by Clark Race

    KDKA, radio, Deejay Clark Race is now conducting a pilgrimage to the land of the Beatles.  Yeah, yeah, yeah.  In company with South Hills teenager Jacqueline Labarton and her father, Miss Lebarton is the winner of the station's contest in which young people were asked to complete the statement "I'd like to meet the Beatles because..." Prior to his departure, Mr. Race accepted a commission to report on the momentous meeting arranged in London. It arrived yesterday by pigeon post, and I have rushed it into print. -- Win Fanning

    I met the Beatles today. It was an experience I'm sure that will never be equaled in my lifetime. At 10:30 this morning, Tuesday, I was taken by a chauffeur driven limousine to the outskirts of London, where the Beatles were videotaping a "pop music spectacular". Those who predicted the early demise of the Beatles should have been in attendance, as they say in Britain, at the studio session. Belying this sedateness of this formidable exterior Associated Redifusion is, or at least was today, the fortress against an exciting, screaming mom of several 100 people.

     Word had circulated around the suburban communities, which ring the television building, that The Beatles were coming; and all the disciples had gathered.

     Beatlemania, no matter how intense in Pittsburgh, can't match the enthusiasm for it here in London. Most men and boys wear Beatle suits, Beatle boots, and yes, even Beatle haircuts. If you didn't know the Beatles, it would be difficult to extract them from the crowd of other young people gathered at all the studio entrances and restrained by polite,  but firm bobbies.

     We first met Brian Somerville, the public relations man for the Beatles, in the television studio coffee shop. Next to Brian Epstein, The Beatles' manager, Somerville knows more about the Beatles than anyone. A veteran of 16 years in the Navy, he looks more like the president of a successful London bank than one of the keen minds behind the growth and development of Beatlemania.

    By close associates, The Beatles are referred to as "the boys", assuming that everyone in the conversation knows that the term means the four popular singers. Brian Somerville, formerly with the London Express, said that the reported rift between him and Brian Epstein had widened, and there was a good possibility that he would leave the Beatles organization.

     For the next six hours, I moved from the studios where the television program was being taped, to the Beatles dressing room, trying desperately to cover the Beatles in an interview. Although they had been popular here for more than two years, hundreds of people jammed the station studios to watch them perform.

     A photographer from every London newspaper was represented, along with newspaper writers, correspondents and the like, who came from all over the world to cover every move that The Beatles made. The Beatles newspaper reports might be compared to the coverage given daily to the Pittsburgh Pirates.

     Finally, late in the day, a magical path was cleared through the crowd at the Beatles dressing room door for my private audience with the world's most popular singing stars. It was an interview conducted while the boys changed into their costumes for the Shakespearean number, which they were going to do on the show.

     George laughed when I asked him about the personal appearances that his sister, who lives in Chicago, was making on behalf of The Beatles. "I don't know what she's talking about," he said. "She left home when I was nine years old, so I don't know how she could talk about me and the boys."

     Ringo compared their popularity to a two-edged sword. "We must watch movies in a private screening room," he said. "We don't dare go to the cinema because of the crowds."

     John talked about clothes. He said that The Beatles have their zippered boots made in a London shop. "Actually, we invented these boots," he said, "and we bloody well ought to have a patent on them."

    . Paul urged the rest of the group to "Come on, boys, we've got to leave. Can't keep the telly waiting."

     You know, probably one of the biggest requests I received from Pittsburgh listeners was for autographed pictures. Forget it! Very few exist as The Beatles were heard out of their dressing room, I noticed a road manager signing Beatle pictures with two different pens. "Got to make them look authentic," he said.  "Aren't you afraid people will know the difference?" I asked.  "I doubted," he said, "I've been signing these for the last five years."

     I leave tomorrow for Edinburgh, Scotland, where the winner of our contest, Jacqueline Labrton will see the Beatles concert backstage, along with her father, John.