Chasing the Beatles: A Hard Day's Night (Mare) (1964)

 

Chasing the Beatles:  A Hard Day's Night (mare)

By Courtenay O'Connell

Tampa Bay Times

September 13, 1964

(Editor's Note. Courtenay O'Connell, one of the Beatles' most extraordinary 13-year-old fans, was sent to Jacksonville to report on Friday night's appearance of her idols. Courtenay, 730, 3/17, Avenue North St Petersburg wrote a letter to the editor of the Times to get this assignment. She looked radiantly happy as she typed her story yesterday, but the disappointment showed through. She had not interviewed Paul John, George, and Ringo.)

     Four, polite, young English boys every girl in the world wants to meet are the Beatles, and I still do. I wouldn't be saying this, though, if I had been informed sooner that there was to be a press conference in the afternoon, I might have even gotten an interview later in the day, but I needed more than just a simple press card.

     It all began Friday, a day full of unexpected disappointments and wonderful fun adding up to A Hard Day's Night, to quote a famous movie title.

     Arriving by train with my sister, Maureen, and Cathie Brydabel, a friend. We were happy and gay, ready to work. As we stepped off the train, some 498 other girls and boys streamed out of 10 well-packed cars, pushing and shoving, running and jumping onto all the buses.

        Everyone had settled down in their seats, ready to start off for the Gator Bowl, quite a few miles out of town. We arrived at the Gator Bowl at 8pm with half an hour to find and interview the Beatles. Our hopes held high, we asked a young man from WAPE to help us, but found out that even a person with the highest credentials couldn't get more than 10 feet away from the Beatles. When asking more than five policemen, the story was the same to us. Though it really meant, "if you missed the press conference, it's your own fault". 

    The show began at 8:30 p.m., starting with three performances by a band, three singers, and a girl who sang one or two songs.  To a child ahead of us, it was considered quite boring. My sister and I felt the same. The Beatles were last coming on at 10pm, and the applause was terrific, followed by shrieks and screams. 

    They sang eight songs, each singing a solo. Paul sang, "Close Your Eyes". George swung it with "Roll Over Beethoven". John sang a number from their movie, "If I Fell" and Ringo wowed the girls with "Boys". Other numbers were "Can't Buy Me Love," "A Hard Day's Night," "She Loves You," and "Things We Said Today."

     To add to this setting, two hilarious things happened. To start it off, after two or three songs, John Lennon announced," Now we're all going to clap our hands and stomp our feet and make a lot of noise because we can't hear you."  He was stomping his feet and clapping his hands so wildly that he hit George in the face by accident. Also when he said, "because we can't hear you", I thought they all must be wearing earplugs.

    

     To top it off, during one of their numbers, Ringo, the drummer, dropped his onyx ring, which he wears on his left hand. While catching it, he missed a beat, which made lead guitarist George very angry. This is mostly because George follows Ringo's rhythm.

     When the four announced their last song, wails of despair rose, and girls raced to the platform, crying and screaming. The only two things that held them back were policemen and a fence. Cathie Brydabel peeked through a crack in the raised platform and saw John Lennon stooping over.

    We had to leave, though, but as we did, I found out all cameras had been banned. I also found out that a girl was about to snap a picture of the Beatles when a policeman snatched her camera away. 

    When we arrived at the train station, we got in the car and settled down. It left after midnight, and for the next four hours, some of us slept, some ate, and some just talked. When we arrived in St Petersburg, we couldn't believe it was over, but next year we'll be there ready to get the perfect story. Wherever they may be.