Everyone wants to talk to Paul

 

Everyone out of the pool

 

Warming up for the last show

 August 29, 1966 - Candlestick Park 

Ralph Gibson in Hollywood

 

August 24, 1966

The Hollywood Capitol Records press conference in 1966 has to be one of the most photographed press conferences of the Beatles career.    Here are some photographs taken by freelance photographer Ralph Gibson.   These are all new to me.  

I sneaked one in for Mark to enjoy!   

The second time at Shea

 

Touring America

 

The Beatles in Toronto

 

The Beatles in Detroit 1966

 The Beatles in Detroit 1966

By Dorothy Suriano

With a Little Help From my Friends

July 1975

It’s been nine years since that fantastic day of August 13, 1966. My next door neighbor was Robin Seymour who was a disc jockey for CKLW radio station.  Now Robin had told me if there was any concert I wanted to see and anybody I wanted to meet, to ask him and he’d see what he could do.  I knew then that this was my chance.  After all, wasn’t it just two years ago that his daughter Jenny had gone backstage and had her picture taken on Paul’s lap?

I asked Robin if it would be possible if he could get me tickets to the concert.  The day Robin got the tickets he explained why he had gotten three (I had asked for two).  He planned on going with us.  I couldn’t believe it.  That would mean that Kim Stevens and I would be going backstage with Robin.  At the age of 13, I thought that I was going to die of a heart attack.  Then it happened two days before the concert.  Robin broke his leg at the Roostertail where he was MCing a show.  That dashed our hopes of going backstage and meeting the Fab Four.   Kim and I hadn’t seen the tickets and didn’t know where we’d be sitting.  And we also had an extra ticket.

 

August 13, 1966.  WE had decided to take my brother Mike along to the concert. Robin had given us the tickets that morning.  Kim’s dad took us to the Olympia stadium and we were on our way.  We got there early and we couldn’t believe the crowds.  It was fantastic!

As soon as we got out of the car a Police Wagon was coming up the street on McGraw with about a dozen girls chasing it.  Kim and I dashed off leaving my brother behind.  WE just knew the Beatles were in it.  Well, we were wrong.  They opened the doors and four cops were sitting there laughing at all of us. 

Next Kim and I proceeded to buy our Beatle pins and banners.  I bought a pin that said “I love Paul” and Kim bought one for John.  We sat on the curb waiting for The Beatles to arrive.  And then suddenly, it happened.  A police escort was coming up McGraw and a black limo was right behind them and also a bus.

The crowd all moved to where they thought they could get a better look.  The noise was deafening.  Kim, Mike and I stayed right where we were.  After all, they had to pass right by us.  I was about to get my first look at a live Beatle.

The limo rolled by us and in it were Brian and George.  I stood there not believing my eyes.  He was so beautiful.  He smiled and waved to us and Kim and I got spastic.  Now, John, Paul, and Ringo were not in the limo so they had to be on the bus.  Kim and I stared at that bus trying to make out who the people were.  We were frantic.  AS the back of the bus went by, Kim and I at the same time spotted the other three.  I then pointed to the back of the bus and started screaming that they were there.  Ringo doubled his fist and me and Paul smiled and waved and John was looking off in the distance.

After all the excitement we then marched up to Olympia’s doors to be let in.  We glanced at the tickets and I saw that they said ground level, so we found the nearest usher and asked him to guide us to our seats.  (We had never been to a concert before and it was truly an experience).

The usher looked at our tickets and smiled.  He then took us to our seats.  My God, they were front row tickets!

We were positioned right in front of Paul’s microphone.  Kim and I climbed all over each other.  Mike was getting embarrassed.  He hadn’t wanted to come anyway.  The concert started.

We sat very still while the other acts were on.  We vowed that we would not scream and carry on when the guys came on.  We then had to wait during an intermission.  Everybody was getting tense.  You could feel it in the air.  Then the lights started to dim and the excitement increased.  Four figures ran up on the stage, grabbed guitars and the lights flashed on.

There they were!! A scout of screams filled the air.  Kim and I were on top of our chairs in an instant screaming our hearts out (so much for our vows).  Their suits were beautiful.  They had on grey bell-bottomed suits with pink pinstripes running through them and pink shirts to match.

Things were being thrown from everywhere:  rings, stuffed animals, everything.  I don’t remember much of the beginning.  I was trying to get my camera to work but after the first song, I gave up and threw the camera down.  Paul noticed and laughed.  Then with sympatric eyes said, “What’s wrong love?”  I died.  I simply died.  Paul had noticed me.  He actually talked to me.

Paul then announced that they were going to attempt a song.  I’ll use his own words.  He said, “The next song we’ll try to do is a song we usually have an orchestra to back us, but today we only have this cheap band, so bear with us.”  The song was “Yesterday.”  It had gotten a little quieter for this particular song, but not me!

In the middle of the song  I started jumping up and down on my chair and at the top of my voice screaming out “Paul!”  I also pointed to my “I love Paul” button as my voice screamed.  He looked down, saw what I was pointing to and smiled the biggest smile I’ve ever seen, and nodded his head.  John looked towards our group and shouted “shurrup!” only to get more screams.  Ringo was then featured singing “I wanna be your man”.  My brother in the meantime was throwing jelly beans at them.  He hit George on the arm with one and one stuck to his guitar.  George brushed them off and gave my little brother dirty looks.

The last song was “Long Tall Sally.”  By this time, I was crying, slumped in my chair exhausted. 

They then put down their instruments and the chase began.  I had always dreamed of something like this- me chasing the Beatles.  The crowd was blocked by the police.  They had formed a line to let The Beatles pass through.  We must have been close to the dressing room.  I was pressed up against a policeman.  The Beatles were coming through.  I felt sorry for the cops for now I knew how they felt.  I remember as the Beatles came through one of them (I thought it was John but Mike said it was Paul) said, “Christ, let’s keep moving.”  

I will never forget as long as I live the terror on their faces as they tried getting to their dressing rooms.  I will also never forget as long as I shall live that day for it is branded into my brain forever. 

An Embarrassing Moment

 An Embarrassing Moment (no, make that four minutes) in the life of a Beatle (female) reporter

By Marilyn Doerfler

With a Little Help From my Friends

January 1978

 Scene I:  One upon a time in the land of Beatleism, we settled into our Chicago Hotel.  Since we had a little time to ourselves and my interviews were worked up for the next day, yours truly decided to take a little nap at 11:00PM.  When said reporter woke up, it was 3:00AM and since four hours of sleep were par for the course on Beatle tours, decided to take a nice soothing bath in the hopes of getting sleepy again. However, after the nice soothing bath, this “stupid” reporter reached into her purse for the key to unlock the suitcase that had all her underwear (like girdles – yes they wore them back then- and bras and sleeping gear) only to find no key.  Yep, you guessed it – she panicked and turned the purse upside down, scattering the contents left and right.   After a half-hour of searching for the key, hysteria set in.

 

Scene II:   Hold on – we still have not come to the final embarrassment and won’t in this scene either.  What to do?  Well, since road managers are usually the last to hit the sack, I crossed my fingers and called Malcolm Evans (who was definitely the nicest and most considerate road manager I’ve ever met).  Mal told me to hang on and would go down to the desk of the hotel to pick up their luggage skeleton keys (that was a new one on me too).  I got dressed just in time to answer the door.  Mal told me that the manager of the hotel had gone home and the personnel said that he had locked the keys up for the night.  It didn’t take Mal long to figure out another plan of action after reading my stricken face.  He told me to hang on and he would go and get his pocket knife and see if he couldn’t open the one case anyway.  Well, after about an hour, the lock snapped, and to my delight, I was able to open the case.   That was the good part.  As Mal was leaving, he informed me to get a rope to tie around the suitcase, as the lock probably wouldn’t hold.  That was the bad part.

 

Scene III:  Well, here is come:  the most embarrassing moment that I can remember.  Scene:  Next day – wake up call – first thing acquire a rope or facsimile – anything!  Call desk – no rope.  Go out of the hotel and try to find a store with rope, string, baling wire, cord…no luck.  Back just in time to catch the Beatle bus to American Airlines.  The only thought in the back of my mind was the carry said suitcase very, very carefully.  Well, as it were, when the time came, I had to carry my train case and purse along with the delicate suitcase, because of a time shortage.  I already had my big case loaded on the bus.  John Lennon was in front of me just going up the bus stairs.  Jim Stagg (WCFL Disc Jockey and a good friend) were just behind me and Mal behind him.   By now, I suppose you have already guessed it --- said suitcase came apart and all my unmentionables were all over the place.  Since Jim and Mal both snickered, John turned around and said, “Marilyn, what a place to drop your drawers!”  All three then proceeded to help me get my “drawers” back into the suitcase which took about four minutes.  About time, everybody was leaning out of the bus laughing and teasing.

Conclusion:  The next day and a new city – Brian Epstein delivered a spindle of rope, personally, with a big smile on his face.  My face --- color it red for quite some time!

The conference at the tower

 

As I remember...

 One of the things I treasure whenever I find them are the memories of Beatles fans that saw the Beatles in concert.  However --- what I love are the stories that were written shortly after the concert -- within 5 years or less from the big event.    These two stories were written in 1967 and the girls that wrote them still were excited about see the Beatles in concert. 

As I remember

By Jean Lisieki and Patti Phillips

Around the Beatles fan club newsletter

August 1967

Picture yourself not in a boat on a river, but at Olympia Stadium on August 13, 1966.  Everyone you see is full of life and you can sense the impatience for the arrival of the idols.  Yellow Submarines are being hung from the balconies along with an infinite number of posters.  Finally, when everyone thinks that THE moment has come, D.J. Bob Green walks out.  Of course, this fails to satisfy the restless crowd who wants only THEM.  Then, as if by instinct, the congregation rises as their gods appear on stage.  The four English lads smile appearing as they start their first song, “Rock and Roll Music.”; They look undeniably fabulous in pink shirts and gray suits, with narrow pinstripes and bell-bottom trousers.  Even though the hysteria is not as great as two years previously the crowds' love is strong and deeper.  The group attempts to start “Nowhere Man” but the drummer is having difficulty was his microphone.  Mal Evans and one of the very few nice policemen fix it.  It is now about halfway through the concert.  One very lucky girl jumps on stage, but before she can reach THEM, she is stopped.   The crowd boos.  Finally, the dreaded moment comes, the bass guitarist announces the last song.  You try your best to hold them there with your love but fail.  The Beatles your beloved Beatles are leaving.  For you, it is the end of the world, but life flows on within you and without you.

 

As I remember

By Carolyn Hicks

Around the Beatles fan club newsletter

August 1967

 

We now know why John's leg is up and he is sort of bending over...

First time around was August 18, 1965, at Atlanta Stadium.  It was fab, but no tact was made between them and me.  Rats.  Things I remember most – when they ran out from the 3^rd base dugout, you know grinning and waving, John had something wrong with his foot or shoe or something.  Anyhow, he kept reaching for it and trying to run all at the same time.  Needless to say, that poor thing nearly broke his neck.  Paul, you know, announced most of the time, and once, after about four numbers, he said, “Goodness, it’s hot, isn’t it?” and a riot nearly broke out.  Wonder why?  When they were in the middle of one song, George’s guitar string broke and hew as frantic for a minute; then he spotted his other guitar, snatched I up, and grinned about two miles.  Paul and John were dying laughing, but Ringo looked so mournful the whole time.  One more thing.  Paul did a lovely waltz after announcing “Baby’s in Black” which he classified as “a luvly slow waltz.”  And during “She’s a Woman” his mike fell over.  And this last thing – when it was time for Ringo’s song all three bowed to him.  When they umped in the limo they waved pieces of paper out of the window.  Everybody ran to the outside railing and waved bye to them.  The ones that didn’t were either in the first aid room being treated for hysterics or fainting or trying to get out to the stage.  Some just wanted to pick the grass where they had walked. 

cc

Second time around was August 15, 1966, at Washington D.C. at the D.C. Stadium.  Our seats were closer this time and we had a great view with binoculars.  I couldn’t get over their suits.  They were gorgeous.  Sort of a cream-camel color with belled pants.  The Beatles were Fantabulous!  I’ve never seen them with so much energy, you know, moving around and all.  Paul danced constantly.  George and John did their share of monkeyshines too.  They took turns (except Ringo) announcing this time.  Funny thing.  You know, they, especially John and George, would announce the song then tell what album it’s from; but they always got it wrong.  I honestly thought Paul was going to kill himself.  He was “here there and everywhere.”  All over the stage.  He and George waved a lot, George giving out off waves just turning the screams on and off.  They were panting and could barely catch enough breath to talk much less sing.  When Paul sang “Yesterday” there was really a riot.  Several ran to rails but police knocked them about and ushers carried them out.  It was beautiful.  When Ringo was singing this boy came from nowhere and went flying out to the stage (with police in hot pursuit) and got up on the stage and went for John.  IT scared me to death.  John dodged and the boy fell off the stage and was dragged, kicking, out by four men.  John and to go around the mike three times to get untangled.  Then the next thing you know, they were gone.  But the main part – we went to the stadium at 3:00 (concert time 8:00) and we were standing there (after walking around the stadium three times trying to find some small space to get inside the thing) at the gate peering in.  Suddenly, we began to see members of the other groups.  Then we saw two tall figures inside.  They came closer.  Who was it?  It was George.  Who was with him?  T was Paul.  It was Paul and George!  Natch we started screaming and frantically waving.  They were so sweet. They stopped, smiled, waved and Paul said “Hello.”  That was about the most thrilling thing ever!  Then they were gone – just like before. 

Through the wire

 

Revolver press conference

 

Fun times for everyone

 

Who said nuns couldn't love the Beatles?   Supposedly these are two fans at a Beatles concert in Philadelphia in 1966.    Is the one young lady really a nun?   Was she dressed that way because of John's "Jesus" statement?   Was this even really taken at a Beatles concert?   I don't know -- but it is interesting. 

Looks at this artwork

 

San Francisco airport -- August 29, 1966 

Talking to W-A-Beatles-C

 

Looking cool in Japan

 

Paul and John with their cameras

 

Back home for good

 

Inside the airplane

 

August 30, 1966