George's return to Hamburg

 

Thirty-three and a third

 

Another day in Boston

 

November 17, 1976 - Boston

George's press tour of 1976

 

November 15, 1976 - Chicago, Illinois 

Chicago promotion

George was a busy guy in the fall of 1976 and part of his busy schedule was to promote his new album at that time, 33 1/3.  With stops in Chicago and Boston, it was almost like a mini-tour to the fans during that time.   This story REALLY shows how managed to appear everywhere at once and stay one step ahead of one of the guys.     It sounds like a really fun time.

George 1976

Barb Clark

With a little help from my friends issue #17 (January 1977)

Knowing about the promotional party that Warner Brothers was having for George’s new album, 33 1/3 and knowing he’d show up, we—Tempy S., Kay P. and I packed our bags and drove to Chicago.  We went to O’Hare Airport thinking he’d get into town a few hours before the party.  There we met up with George Tebbens, Sharon U., and Carol or was it Nancy?  I got them mixed up.   They were sisters.  All of them were from Chicago.  We spent the day meeting all the flights coming from LA.  The flights came 15 to 25 minutes apart, which just gave us time to run to each one.  It started to get late.  The last flight we met, one guy got off with a Warner Brothers jacket on.  We thought, this is it!  The last person got off the plane.  No George.  Tebbens went home to get ready for the party.  We all went over to the hotel where George was staying and went into the lobby to wait.  Kept our eyes glued to the elevator door.  Tempy got up and moved closer.  We sat there a while.   A man came up to us and said we’d have to leave.  He asked who we were waiting for.  We didn’t answer.  He told us to go outside and stand – that he’d be coming out soon!  So we all went out front.  About 20 minutes later out George came; wearing a colored sweater, orange trousers which we later found out was a jumpsuit.   And he looked gorgeous!  Looked a bit like ’68 Yellow Sub. time.   He looked surprised to see all of us waiting for him.  He grinned that grin and said hello to everyone.  Signed some autographs, and then got into the limo and went off to the Ambassador.  We quickly got a cab.   The cab driver was cool—knew what was happening.  He said, “I think we can beat them!”  We got out, threw him some money, and stood in front of the Ambassador.  Three seconds later George arrived!  He rushed through the crowd while we stood around trying to come up with some way to get into the party.  Meantime the crowd started changing, “We want George, we want George!”  Some climbed up on the windows and looked in them – they were chased down.  Everyone still yelled, “We want George!”  And then the curtains opened and some man looked out.  Everyone yelled louder, “We want George!”  Meantime we’d met up with another friend of ours, Howard S. who had a room in there.  Everyone continued shouting “We want George!”  Finally the curtains opened and there stood George, grinning and waving to everyone.  After a b it he waved goodbye, and everyone yelled a bit louder.  It all felt like 1964 again, us yelling and him waving and grinning out the window at us all.  Finally he left the window.

Earlier a police car had arrived.  I thought they’d take us all away.  Overheard the cop saying he was there to arrest the doorman.  We did get into the hotel.  Howard having a room there, but that’s as far as we got.  They had a list of names and as you went into the party, they checked your name off.  So we didn’t get in.  Tebbens got in somehow of course.  Somehow we’d missed seeing George leave, but we all got together to celebrate what had happened, then called it a night and were to meet again the next morning in front of George’s hotel.

We met about 9am except for Howard and George.  Howard got there too late and George (as in Tebbens) had to work.  We stood around for an hour or so.  Char B. met up with us.  We all kept getting crazy remarks from the limo driver, “Why do you still do this?  “You stand out in the cold all this time?”  Someone said, “Yeah, all day if we’d have to.”  We told him where we were all from.  Tempy told him Boston, and he said “you should’ve stayed there, that’s where he’s going next.”  (You can imagine how she reacted to that.)  Kay went to put money into the meter while the limo driver watched her and said, “Is that your car?”  She said “yeah,” and the other guy with the limo driver wrote down her license plate number.  They brought out his luggage then and loaded it into the limo, and then out came George!  Looking surprised as ever, wearing a plaid tweed hat and an army jacket.  He grinned and said hello to us and got into the limo and signed some autographs.  And then the limo took off and so did we.  Tempy, Char, Kay and I ran to the car to follow him.  The limo was already 3 blocks away and almost lost in the traffic.  We had lost it earlier.  We’d found out he landed at Midway Airport in a private jet, so we took off for there.  Getting out of the traffic finally, and onto the Expressway doing about 80.  No sign of the limo.  Kay got it up to about 90.  Still no sign of the limo and then suddenly it came into sight.  We’d caught up with them!  We were all yelling and going mad.  We calmed down a bit, went off the exit with them, got a red light.  The driver looked into the rear view mirror and Kay waved at him.  George and the guy in the back seat then turned around and waved, and we slunk down into the seat.  They turned into the airport and went into a gate leading onto the field.  Tempy and Char jumped out of the car while Kay and I parked it in the middle of the road next to the gates.  WE all ran onto the field.  George was getting out of the limo and going up the stairs leading onto the plane.  He got to the top, stopped and turned around and waved to us.  We waved back and he disappeared into the plane.  Someone looked out the window, but the windows being dark, we couldn’t tell who it was.  The plane started up and we stood back watching it as it took off and disappeared from sight.  George was off for Boston and so was Tempy, as we took her to the airport.  By the way, remember the one who wrote our license number down?  He did that to clear it with the guards or whoever at the airport –otherwise, they would’ve stopped our car from following the limo up to where the plane was!

George promotional tour

I think 1976 was a pretty good year for George Harrison, or at least it was a pretty good year for fans to meet him.  While he did not tour, he did a lot of promotional appearances and the fans jumped at the chance to see him, no matter what the cost.   And so here is the story of a girl named Charlene and her friends who brazenly strolled into George's party.  (I often wonder if I would have had the guts to do those type of things if I was there at the time).   I have posted another story from this same party told by George Tebbens (who is mentioned in this one) 

By the way, I just have to add that I always knew that sweater looked soft!   

This story was published in the April 1977 issue of "With a Little Help from my friends" and was written by Char Bass.

George and Charlene, take for Charlene by Sue Canty

George

By Char Bass

November 15, 1976  

I got up on time, but I had left too much to do and so was late getting off.  I got into Chicago about 2:30 (their time) and went to the motel to change and get settled in.  I finally got to the Ambassador, found my friend Sharon and got the car parked by about 4:30.  I had decided to wear my vested navy suit with my OM necklace.  We met up with another friend and had some dinner in the little restaurant in the basement and then went back up to the lobby to wait for another friend, Rita.  We tried to explain to this dumb security guard that we were waiting for Rita, but he told us to leave anyway.  We didn’t though, and we just quietly stood out of everyone’s way.  We heard a rumor that Natalie Wood and Robert Wagner were there and would be leaving soon, so we were prepared when they came down and headed for the door.  I got two pics and Sharon got one and an autograph.  Soon after that Rita came, and so we went back downstairs to plan.  Rita took our coats up and checked them and then we decided to go over to the West where the party was to be.  We separately went up to the restroom right by the Guild Hall, and we could see that there were quite a few people there, but that George had not arrived.  We decided that one at a time, we could wait until someone from the party came up and then follow them back down and into the party.  We put this plan into effect after we were pretty sure that George had come.  Sharon went first and I waited a b it and started down.  I could see Sharon on the far side of the door, and realized that it hadn’t worked.  So we stood there to wait for Rita to come down and the security guard was back telling us we couldn’t stay there, so we were off to a door that Sharon thought might get us in.  We went through and followed a hall, turning right, then left, then right again, and then was faced with the possibilities of two stairways.  So we chose one and at the top we just looked at these people in the small room saying that we thought we were lost, and they pointed to a door to our right, so we started for it thinking that we had failed.  But then, just like in A Hard Day’s Night, when the boys went through the fire escape door ---“We’re out!”—we went through the door and we were IN!

We decided to get a drink quick, so we looked like we belonged, and got our cameras out and found George.  I tried to take pics with the drink in hand, but soon realized that wouldn’t work and so went to set it down, and came back and madly began taking pics.  I was beside George Tebbins then, saying hi as we both took pics of George posing with a lot of people.  I ran out of film and went to sit down to change it as I wasn’t doing a real good and was taking more time with them then.  I was very glad that I had seen the “Billboard” pic of him before I had seen him for real, because he looked so different to me without his mustache.  His hair looked different than last time I saw him too, Chicago had been pretty far along on the ’74 tour, and his hair had grown out more by then making the curl a bit looser.  His complexion was very pale and his eyes, just as gorgeous as ever.  I moved with him in the crowd and took pics.  I asked a friend of Sharon’s Sue, if she would take a pic of me with George, and she said she would, asking for my camera.  So I walked over, so of in back of him, while she took the pic.  Some man got my attention just about then saying something about having George pose with me.  He introduced himself as Russ and was holding his hand out to be shook, and so I shook it and thanked him, telling him that my name was Charlene.  Then he touched George on the shoulder and asked him if he would pose with me for a pic, and George mumble something like “Oh, sure.”  As he looked at me I smiled.   I could see from the way he turned around that I needed to move my purse.  I didn’t want it in between me and George!  So I guess I saw him start to put his arm out to put around me, so I just slipped my purse off my right shoulder and into my left hand, and as George turned around and put his arm around my should, I slipped my arm around his waist.  His sweater was VERY soft.  We smiled for the cameras and then as we began to move apart, George asked me, “Where are you from?”  I hesitated because I couldn’t remember, and then finally said, “Indianapolis.” He then made a couple comments about the 500 race and I agreed that he had the right place in mind.  Then he said something else I couldn’t’ understand and I thought if I just waited a minute that it would come to me, but it didn’t so I asked, “What?”  He repeated it and I am not sure that I understood even then, because I can’t remember what it was, but I know I gave him some sort of answer that seemed to make sense to him.  It is all so vague to that point and parts are just gone, but I had calmed down enough by then, and I got myself together to finally ask him a question.  ‘When is the new album coming out – what is the release date?”  And he said “Friday the 15^th.”  I must have looked puzzled at him and then said, “Today is the 15^th” (I had been waiting for the 15^th to see him and so I knew what day it was).  And so he said, very slowly in that special little accent, “Well…Friday,” and sort of shrugged.  Then someone else started talking to him and his attention was gone.  I moved toward my camera, and took it, thanking Sue, I think.  I knew that I must look rather dazed and that I had better straighten myself out or I could be getting thrown out.  So I went over and took a couple big drinks of my Screwdriver, thinking about how the 7 &7 that Pete had given me before had helped, and went back to taking pics. 

Nothing that happened is in any kind of order in my mind, but once I remember that one of the photographers told George to put his arms around the people he was posing with, and George didn’t like being told what to do, and so he folded his arms in front of him and looked very defiant – so cute!!    A bit later I was waiting for a chance to get a nice shot and realized while I was focusing that I was standing there sort of alone.  No one was crowded around close like before, and that George was surveying me.  I just stood still and took the pic.  Soon after that someone told George that there were people waiting outside to see him and so he went over to the window.  Then someone came up to me and told me that the press would have to leave and I just nodded.  So I didn’t take any more pics, but when a group of guys surrounded George and started asking him a lot of questions, I just got close and listened.  They asked him about the tour and he said that he was planning one for the fall, but it got delayed because he was sick for 2 months, so he wants to get one planned for next June – do “Japan, Australia, and some dates in the U.S.”  They were asking him about the Beatles getting back together too, and he said that they might just for something special sometime, but it would be hard, “like trying to go back with your ex-wife.”  There were a bunch more questions and answers but I can’t remember.  I was looking over someone’s shoulder, but was really close – you have to, to be able to hear what he is saying.  I was looking at him profile and we really weren’t standing there that long, but while he talked and answered these people’s questions, at least 4 times he looked me straight in the eye – not missing a word- just like before – except that I wasn’t so frightened by that look this time.  Still spellbound, but not frightened.  Then he was called to dinner and I wandered into the dining area, to see where he was going to sit.  I saw George Tebbens and talked to him a minute before I left.  I went to find Sharon and Rita then, and we talked just passing the time until it would be time for him to leave the party, but somehow we missed him.  WE heard that he was staying at the Whitehall though, and so we went over there and found George Tebbens, Kay, Tempy, Barb and some other friends.  We talked a minute and they said that they didn’t know what time George planned to leave for the airport the next day, so we left and all went to get some sleep.

November 16, 1976

I was supposed to call George Tebbens at 8, but no one answered.  So I consulted my Tarot cards and they said that George would leave before noon and that I should give him the OM pillow I made for him, and so I got moving and left there, all checked out at 9 with my OM overalls on.  I got to the Whitehall, all parked, pillow and camera in hand, by quarter of 10.  Kay, Tempy and Barb were there already, and they said that nothing had happened so far.  There were a few other people there too.  Luggage came out and other people went in and out – it was hard to see who was coming out because of the reflection on the glass door.  Some guys came out and got in one limo and the big MO came out and got in the first car too, so we figured George had to be coming down.  We got the license plate number of the second limo – 7151.  Kay said that they might be going to the airport, they had found out that he came on a private jet at Midway, so I asked if I could go with them -  I couldn’t have gotten my car out of the parking quick enough, and I told them that if they didn’t have to come back to down then I’d get a bus back to my car.  Then Kay had to put more money in the parking meter, and the guy who was George’s chauffeur asked which one was her car, and later we heard them take the license plate number.  Someone asked why we’d stand out in the cold for George, and we all told how far we’d come and he was amazed.  When he got to Tempy, he told her she should have stayed home because George was headed for Boston.  So George came out and I got one shot then tried to get his attention to give him the pillow as he passed me, but he didn’t hear me.  Someone asked if he’d give them an autograph and he said “Uh…ok….”  And got into the car first and then signed some stuff.  I didn’t’ get the pillow in because of the crowd so when they said “ok, that’s enough” and starting pushing us back, I wouldn’t be pushed and held the pillow in to him.  He was looking the other way and so I said, “Hey George!”  He turned and saw it, and put his  hand out like he didn’t know what I wanted for him to autograph it, take it, look at it or what, but he finally took it and I got out of the way.  Just as I turned around back toward the car, I heard his gorgeous voice say, “Thank you.”  So I said, “You’re welcome.”  Barb said he was looking to see who had given it to him as he said it.  I couldn’t see his face, but I could see the pillow in his hands and he looked at the front and then back and then front again, and he was still looking at it when the limo pulled away.  We decided to follow and got stopped by a long light at first, but Kay caught up to the limo on the highway.  We think they might have let us, but we followed the rest of the way there and through the gate and then the limo stopped at a closed gate and the driver got out to open it.  They sent me over to ask if George would pose for a few pics, but as I got close to the limo the driver got in and drove through the gate.  I stopped there and took a pic of the limo, thinking I couldn’t get any farther, but I didn’t see anyone to stop me and the gate didn’t say Keep Out or anything, so I ran in and toward George’s jet.   I saw him get out of the car and got there in time to take one pic of him on the stairway, and he looked straight at me and had a funny little look on his face and he was carrying the pillow on the plane himself!  He didn’t ditch it or give it to anyone else, so  I guess he really liked it.  I got another pic of his back as he got in the plane.  Then we got out of the way and watched the plane leave.  We went back to a place close to the Whitehall and had some lunch and planned to go to New York for the Saturday Night Live show, but we found out that he was going to tape it and by the time we would have gotten there, he would have been in Bombay.  Anyway, I can’t wait until the tour!

Waltzing with Olivia

From one of the stories I posted earlier this year, we now know that this photo shows George and Olivia dancing to a song from George's album 33 1/3 from when he was in Chicago promoting the album. 

George November 1976

If you pay attention to the comments section of this blog, then you might have read on that post of George in the sweater with the pretty girl on his arm that I had found out more about those photos. The answers came from a story George Tebbens wrote for "The Write Thing" for the Jan/Feb 1977 issue of the fanzine. I couldn't help but think that these photos were taken in November 1976 in Chicago. George should have have traveled 6 hours south to see a new-born Beatle-fan...me!

On November 1, 1976 it was announced that Warner Bros. was to throw a press party to celebrate the signing of George Harrison and Dark Horse Records. As most anyone who knows Hari, the announcement of this was a shocker. I couldn't believe someone as anti-press and anti-fan as George had seemed to become would do something like this much-less give fans advance notice on a pre-party radio interview.

The party was Nov 15 and that afternoon a friend on a newspaper here invited me to go along with her. From what her invitation said it was to be a small gathering for the press to meet George. As it turned out there were 100 in attendance plus for a short while about 20 other lucky fans who managed to crash. The party started at 7:15 pm and George showed up around 8pm. As soon as he walked in a barrage of flashes went off. It took me a minute to finally reach him. When I did, he was smiling and posing for about 7 or 8 photographers (actually some were fans) and not for just one or two shots but for dozens each. Throughout the remaining hour George spoke to several columnists form each of Chicago's 3 major newspapers, about a dozen D.J.'s, a few newsmen from local stations and the Chicago based executives from Warner Bros. and their guests.

About 9 pm everyone headed into a banquet room for dinner. I still don't know if George ate the prime rib or just the potatoes and string beans. Dinner lasted til about ten, at that time Mo Ostin, head of Warner Bros. Records (U.S.) gave a little speech about George's career and welcomed him to W.B. George got up to a round of applause and started joking about the ad in Billboard mag. the week before. "Well, unaccustomed to full-page ads as I am, I'd like to thank everyone." He also dedicated "Learning How to Love" to Herb Alpert, head of A&M Records who just sued George to get rid of him and Dark Horse Records.

Everyone at the dinner was given a 33 1/3 press kit and t-shirt that said "I was with George Harrison at 33 1/3". George had a booklet from the kit in his hands and went over some of the songs as they were played. The first was "Woman don't you cry for me." It reminded me immediately of something from All Things Must Pass. Next was "Beautiful Girl", after hearing this I was really impressed cause this is the first slow song in years George has done that didn't drag and wasn't religious. "Beautiful Girl" reminds me of something from around Rubber Soul especially the way he sings the verse that starts with "and when I saw the way she smiled at me--ee"

After the song finished, George checked out the video-cassette machine and told everyone the next two films to be shown were produced by Eric Idle of Monty Python. He explained that the reason for making the films was to use them as a means of promotion in areas outside the US where radio isn't so varied.

"True love" was the first film to be shown. George and a female companion were dressed 1920's style and riding in a gondola. You had to see it as it was very funny and hard to explain why. The second film was for "Cracker Box Palace" again it was very Beatle-Pythonish. These were filmed on the grounds of Friar Park (George's home for anyone who doesn't know) and showed George more as a Beatle circa 1965 than an "ex", which is what he's like to be known as today.

The last song was "This Song". Although the film was shown on Saturday Night Live it wasn't ready for the party. Instead George told everyone to dance along with him and his partner. This shock was too much for everyone, we all just watched. "This Song" ended and the party was over. He did pose for some publicity shots and answered a few more questions. He told one reporter, "I'm going to India for a week, then to a friend's wedding in L.A. December 15." When asked who's wedding, he said "My friend Keith Moon." But everyone knows by now Keith messed up a possible Beatles reunion by postponing his wedding.

By now it was 10:30 and George left. Back at the hotel where he stayed a couple fans got ot see him. He was still smiling, stopped for autographs and didn't mind anyone taking photos.

One girl asked for another autograph, this time for her sister. He turned and obliged and said with a smile, "What a cheap excuse for a few more photos." After saying goodnight he went to his room to tape a few radio interviews.

I don't know why George's attitude had changed so. It may have hurt his ego being dumped by A&M or could it be he may be tired of Paul getting all the glory and touring America so successfully without the kind of bad press he received. One can only speculate.

After listening to 33 1/3 and seeing how he has changed on a personal level, maybe in 1977 George will shine again as a true star. 33 1/3 is a step at giving his fans what they want. Hopefully he will tour this summer as planned the way he should have done it two years ago.