Press conference in Glasgow

The Beatles started the 1965 UK tour with--what else---a press conference!   It all started with photographers and press people at 5:10pm.

The Beatles were asked why they were only playing 9 dates on the tour and George answered, "We could go on an everlasting tour in Britian and still not please everyone."

The smashing of George's guitar

Poor George----before the 1965 UK tour even got officially started he experienced a tragedy in his life.   His favorite guitar, his 1962 Country Gentleman Gretch guitar was smashed to pieces along the side of the road.     How could such a thing happen?   

Alf Bicknell, the Beatles' driver explains in his book Beatles Diary

We got the stuff in the car.  Mal had already gone on with the van and all the equipment.  There were bits and pieces to come and, because there were one or two guitars, and all that, they went on the back.  It was really dark by now, and we get off.   On the motorway, there's this flashing behind me and Ritchy says, "Alf there's someone flashing you up behind," and I said, "Yes, I'm aware of that."  So I slowed down to see.  There was this big lorry, and I stopped.  This guy comes up to me and says, "Listen mate, you've lost a banjo back down the road."   I thought, "Oh no!" and Neil comes around the other side of the car and says, "Oh, no!  What have we lost?  What's gone?"  One of the straps had broken and he said, "You go and tell them," and I said, "No.  You go and tell them."  Anyway, I went round adn said, "We've lost a guitar."   "Which one is it?"  "I don't know!"  So, we get back into the car, a bit sheepish like because I'm worried about it, obviously.  John turns to me and says,"If we find the guitar, Alf, you can have a bonus."  "What's that?" I asked.  "You can have your job back."  So we continued on, and thanked this guy very much, and drove off and came back around the dual carriageway, and we found bits and pieces of the guitar all over the road.  I never found our how the Daily Express got hold of the story.  I never told them.  They had a huge, great story, they covered and made a whole page out of it. 

The Final UK tour -- 50 years ago

It was 50 years ago today that the Beatles started the last tour of the UK in their history.    No one knew it at the time, but the 10 day tour, which included 9 venues  in 8 cities would be the last time the Fab 4 would travel around the UK performing for fans.   

Sadly, this is the true "mystery tour" of the Beatles career.    It isn't easy to find photographs, information or even stories of fans that attended these shows.    Video or audio footage, not even a snippet or two, have ever popped up.   Dedicated fans have tried their best to piece together what they could about this brief tour through old articles found in magazines and newspapers.    I can't wait to read about this tour in Mark Lewishon's next book---hopefully he can sold the mystery!

Here is what we do know for sure:  The Beatles performed 11 songs--  I feel Fine, She's a Woman, If I needed someone, Act Naturally, Nowhere Man, Baby's in Black, Help!, We Can Work it out (with John on keyboard), Yesterday (with Paul on keyboard---see photo!), Day Tripper, and I'm down (again with John on keyboard).      

John and Paul play pool with one of the Moody Blues

We also know that Paul met Denny Laine during this tour, as the Moody Blues were one of the opening acts (along with The Paramonts, The Marionettes, The Koobas, Beryl Marsden, and Steve Aldo).


So for the next few days I will be posting the best I can about the forgotten UK tour of December 1965.
Strangely the tour program of of the cartoon Beatles, which wasn't shown in the UK.   And the program included a pull out poster.   (very cool).

I wanna hold your hand

This photo was taken backstage in Liverpool during the 1965 UK Winter tour.   I know that Bressie Braddock was someone many Liverpudlians admired, but why is Ringo holding her hand?  

Save the Cavern '65

During the Liverpool 1965 concert, these girls were passing out information for a "Save the Cavern" campaign they were running. Paul (who came back to the re-opened Cavern in 1968), was all for it and invited the girls backstage.

Glasgow '65

It isn't very often that you can find photos taken during the Beatles 1965 Tour. Our good friend at the WogBlog posted a link to this awesome auction that is selling photos that were taken on Dec 3, 1965 in Glasgow at a press conference. Most of the photos that have previously been seen from this press conference show Paul wearing a really long tie and John blowing his nose on it. These photos are a little more on the serious side.

Thanks!

Here in the United States it is Thanksgiving Day. It is a custom that on this day, we go around the table where we are having our meals and say what we are thankful for. Since we here at "Meet the Beatles for Real" are a virtual family, I wanted to say that I am thankful for each and every one of you who check this blog on a regular basis. I am especially thankful for those who comment, but even if you are a lurker, I am glad that you are checking it out. I decided to start this blog after trying to organize my Beatles photos (something I do all of the time!) I realized that I had a bunch of photos taken by fans and I started to wonder who the girls (and guys) were who were in the photos. What were their stories? And so this blog began for me to organize my photos and maybe find some information. Little did I know that thanks to this blog, long lost friends would be re-united, a family would find a photo and story of their loved one (someone who had met the Beatles at a press conference) who had passed away which they had been searching years for, and some amazing stories would be shared.

I am thankful for anyone who has ever sent me a story or a photograph or even just a word of encouragement. Without all of you, I would have given up on this blog a long time ago.

I am thankful for The Beatles. They are part of my life. The Beatles are my hobby, but they are also part of who I am. John, Paul, George and Ringo are four important guys to me. And I know that a lot of people will never understand that. It is their loss. I think everyone should have a passion for something that they can share with others. For some it is comic books, others it is Star Wars, for some it might be coin collecting....and for me it is The Beatles.

And so I am leaving you all with a treat. Two photos of John! They aren't fan photos, but I just scanned them from BBM and I like them. Happy thanksgiving to all of you, even if you aren't in the U.S. I am sure you have things to be thankful for today and every day.

Live in '65

Here are a few sets of live photos both from 1965. The top set is from Houston and the bottom is from one of the December '65 UK tour stops. 1965 would have been such a fun year to see the guys perform!