Solemn Beatles Respond to Silly Press Questions (Washington D.C. 1966)

 

Solemn BEatles Respond to Silly Questions

By Muriel Dobbin

The Baltimore Sun

August 16, 1966

Solemn Beatles Respond to Silly Press Questions

By Muriel Dobbin

The Baltimore Sun

August 16, 1966

Washington, August 15. 

    There were Beatles in the locker room of the Washington Senators tonight. Beatles in polka dots and velvet, long-haired and straight-faced, were giving solemn answers to silly questions. The Beatles' press conference at the D.C. Stadium sounded like an attempt on the part of the mop-haired rock and rollers to soften the American impact of the remarks made by one of the quartets, suggesting that their popularity exceeded that of Jesus Christ.

     The offending Beatle, an apparently inoffensive man called John Lennon, was subdued tonight before a group of alleged reporters who behaved like a Beatles fan club. Lennon was even conservatively clad in a brown sports coat compared with the purple polka dots of Ringo and the canary yellow of Paul, sitting in the locker room with the temperature of both their surroundings and the screaming faithful outside rising.

    The Beatles conducted themselves with more sobriety than the occasion demanded. The first question involved reincarnation. "In what form would the Beatles like to return to this world? "  "A tree," said velvet-coated Ringo. "Did they feel that Lennon's comments about Christ versus the Beatles had affected crowd attendance, which is said to have diminished on their present American tour?"  "The crowds are big enough for me," said Lennon, carefully adding that he was concerned because so many people were upset by his remarks. He had recently explained apologetically that he did not mean what people thought he meant. 

    "What did they think of British Prime Minister Wilson's stabilization policy which involved wage-price freezes?"  "Not much," said the Beatles unanimously. They were asked about a magazine interpretation that one of their songs was sinister. "The song means exactly what it says," said a Beatle patiently. "Nothing." What would happen to them when they stop being Beatles? "We will just be four people, "they said. 

    After 18 minutes, the press conference was over, and the Beatles went to face what was estimated to be 30,000 quivering fans, including four girls who had baked them a cake. A man selling Beatles pendants and buttons was pessimistic about the future of the group with whom he had been traveling on their current visit. "We're dying," he said. It was reported that around 400 police were assigned to maintain order at the Beatles' performance, but one large policeman took time out to find a taxi cab, into which he thrust a sullen teenager. "Take my daughter home," he told the driver.

Beatles are Jeered in Scuffle (1966)

 July 5, 1966 -- Beatles leave Manila.  George and Paul look very concerned as they wait to leave.  

Beatles are Jeered in Scuffle

No author Listed

Birmingham Evening Mail

July 5, 1966

    (From Manila) The Beatles were booed and jeered in an airport scene here today as they received the coldest sendoff of their careers. At one point, an airport worker pushed a member of the group's seven-man entourage.

    

     About 50 passengers, reporters, airport workers, and others crowded in, shouting questions and insults as the Beatles filled in exit forms as they walked to their plane. About 500 people lined the airport observation platform, shouting, "Go to hell, Beatles! Go home, Beatles!" The Beatles were even subjected to the indignity of walking up to the second floor with their own baggage. The airport manager, Mr. Gilliromo Jurado, had turned off the power for the escalator. 

    The Beatles and their party were finally allowed to leave after their tour promoters settled a tax case that had threatened to disrupt their travel plans. But unlike the roaring welcome they received on their arrival on Sunday from 1000s of fans, which included massive security, the Beatles were a sad sight on their departure today. 

    They had to go through all the ordinary procedures instead of being given the VIP treatment through customs, and one of their party, Alf Bicknell, fell after being kicked in the leg. The Beatles' manager, Mr. Brian Epstein, was pushed to the ground during a brief scuffle, and one witness said he was kicked. Another witness said that someone tried to punch Ringo Starr.

     Even after they were on board the plane, their troubles were not over. Mr. Epstein had to disembark and sign a letter concerning the Beatles' tax payments in the Philippines. The Internal Revenue claimed that the Beatles owed the equivalent of £ 6,600. 

    The crowd's reaction was apparently in reply to an alleged snub by the Beatles when they failed yesterday to show up for the luncheon at the Presidential Palace. A group of young girls crying at the airport kept shouting to the crowd, "It was not the Beatles' fault!"

     The British Embassy issued the following statement. "The Embassy were not consulted at any stage whatever about the Beatles' visit to Manila. The Embassy deeply regrets any offense which might unfortunately have been caused. The Embassy have been assured by the Beatles that no discourtesy of any kind was intended."

     President and Mrs. Marcos issued a statement late this afternoon, saying they regret the incident at the airport. The statement said there was no intention on the part of the Beatles to slight the First Lady or the government of the Republic of the Philippines. President Marcos called the incident a "breach of hospitality."

Riot Set Off by Beatle Fans in W. Germany (1966)

 

Riot Set Off By Beatle Fans in W. Germany

Reuters

June 27, 1966

    Thousands of rioting West German fans of the Beatles turned the heart of Hamburg into a battlefield Sunday night as they broke windows, threw tear gas bombs, and caused traffic chaos. Police reinforcements with dogs and loudspeakers barricaded streets around the hall where the British pop group was performing, while ticketless fans roamed the center of West German's largest city. 

    Appeals for the teenagers to clear the streets were met with a chorus of yells, and police began drenching them with fire hoses. Fans replied with tear gas bombs, and police eventually moved in with dogs and nightsticks to disperse the crowds during the riot.

     Teenagers smashed store windows in an elegant shopping center, broke streetcar windows, and tore down trolley wire contacts. An official said 40 youths were arrested by late evening. 

   By late evening, the city was quiet again as police vans patrolled the streets. The Beatles are at the end of a four-day tour of West Germany

New Beatles in Japan photos

 

As unbelievable as it seems  every year, "lost" Beatles photographs are found.  Recently, 102 photos of the Beatles in Japan in 1966 have been discovered.   Here is one that the news media has published the story of the photos and it is a great one.  We see John with Alf Bicknell in the background at the Hilton in Tokyo and he is with a figure that seems to be the same one that is on the Sgt. Pepper album cover.  

Holiday Bound

 January 12, 1966

Beatles Came in Night and Slipped Away (1965)

 

A plaque outside the King Arm Hotel, Berkwick, states that Charles Dickens stayed there during his lifetime. Now the management could erect another plaque stating that the Beatles stayed there. Ringo, Paul, John, and George stayed overnight in the hotel on their way to Glasgow, but few people knew about it. John Lennon turns to crack a joke to Ringo Starr and George Harrison, but Paul McCartney was missing. 

Beatles Came in Night and Slipped Away - Cloak of Secrecy Beat Fans

No Writer Listed

Berwick Advertiser

December 9, 1965

    The Beatles: John, Paul, George, and Ringo slipped in and out of Berwick in a cloak of secrecy on Friday. Only a handful of people knew that they had arrived, and they were planning to head north on Friday afternoon. 

    It was all so different from the amazing scenes when the Beatles were expected and never came. Then there were crowds everywhere, crowds who waited, hopeful but fruitless. 

    Hardly anyone saw them go on Friday, and even fewer saw their arrival in the early hours of the morning. The famous Four chart toppers, MBEs, idols of the pop lovers, crept quietly upstairs to their rooms in the King's Arms Hotel in Hide Hill. They had breakfast in bed, and just after lunchtime, they slipped out of the hotel with little fuss.

     The management and the staff of the King's Arms Hotel were sworn to secrecy. Police knew the famous Four were in town. They, too, kept it quiet, and hardly anybody else knew until the last minute that the Beatles were in town. 

    They left Berwick in a rainstorm in a black Austin Princess car with the rear windows clouded over.

     The Beatles had been in town, and they had left without a Yeah, yeah, yeah. Left with a ticket to ride in comfort, without crowds or hysteria. 

    A few miles up the road, misfortune befell one of George Harrison's three guitars. It fell from the car onto the A1 road and broke.

Look over there

 

Beatlemania 1966 in Cincinnati

 

Yesterday, I shared a letter sent to the "New Beatles Fan Club" about seeing the Beatles in concert in Toronto in 1966.  Today I am sharing another letter from the same newsletter, this one from an anonymous fan who saw the Beatles in Cincinnati in 1966.  It was originally published in 1976 but was written shortly after seeing the concert. 

    I got to the stadium about 11 o'clock and got in without any trouble. The show started almost on time, about a quarter after noon. Now, comes to the sad part. Well, part of it was sad. The DJ said there would be a slight delay and began to give out instructions again, but then the Beatles came out before he was done.

     Jen told me to watch Paul and that he was really outgoing in all of his actions. Well, something was wrong. I know it because the others ran on the field, but Paul walked, messing with his guitar all the way. He was last on the stage, and while the others acknowledged the audience and said hello and stuff, Paul was still quietly messing with his guitar. 

    Something hit me then, and it was someone named John Lennon. I was really worried about Paul, but John was so much fun to watch. He played mainly to our side and kept making faces at the kids in the balcony. I can't quite remember who introduced what, but I know John and George did a lot more talking than Jen said they did in Cleveland. Paul hardly smiled. He kept moving his mic back out of the sun while John was moving his out all the time. It was hot, and I have a sunburn to prove it!

     I think it was right after "Paperback Writer" that Paul put his fingers up to his eyes and squinted like he had a terrible headache. And then he bowed, and when he came up, he blew a real tired breath and shook his head wearily at John. I'm not exaggerating either. A couple of times, he was rubbing his eyes strangely. It was nerve-wracking.

     I wouldn't have believed it was George Harrison on the stage if the other three Beatles weren't there. I always thought he was the quiet type, but you should have seen him! It seemed like he was running around constantly. He introduced about four numbers with bits like "and here's a song we recorded about six years ago." Once he was standing beside John, and all of a sudden, he ran over to Paul's side and waved to everyone over there. He was the first one to say hi to the audience when he came on. Such an introvert! The funniest and most unexpected thing he did was during "Day Tripper. " He stood in the middle of the stage, planted his feet firmly on the floor, and wiggled his knees. I wish you'd have a talk with that boy!  He was really darling. Maybe he was trying to make up for what Paul wasn't doing.

     Paul didn't waltz and he didn't direct the others for "Nowhere Man."  Jen swears he was the one who ruined "If I Needed Someone", his harmony was so off! He wasn't all bad, though. "Long Tall Sally" was really tremendous, and so was "Yesterday", but he looked so dull singing it. His face looked really pale. 

    They wore their blue-and-red striped suits with blue-printed shirts and no ties. John wore big yellow-tinted sunglasses, and George wore greenish-tinted tiny oval ones. They had a big tent over them, and it was awfully hard to see Ringo. He looked good, though, or at least someone else I know thought so!

     They left in a blue car at the opposite side of the field, arms waving wildly out the window. There were only about three attempts to get on the field, and the only one I saw was a boy almost besides us jump over at the end, the police tackled him nicely. 

When the Beatles perform, it's like a three-ring circus (San Francisco 1965)

 When the Beatles perform, it’s like a three-ring circus

By C.O. Williams

Merced Sun-Star

September 2, 1965

The following report is a Merced boy's reaction to the Beatles situation as he witnessed it in San Francisco Tuesday.

 Only in the United States could the national anthem be played in a boss rendition by a Negro and an Italian band using guitar, saxophone, and a drum. This was the unique opening of one of the greatest demonstrations of American idolatry ever shown, the second Beatles concert in San Francisco on Tuesday.

It was interesting how the crowd's expectation of the performance provided a look at one segment of the American way of life today, and I seriously wonder what a foreigner's impression would be. The program started with a bang and a bouncy theme. Immediately after the anthem, a group of discotheque Go-Go dancers were introduced, giving the audience a sample of nightlife in hundreds of clubs throughout America.

After that shaky performance, a group called Cannibal and the Headhunters performed. They danced for the most part, once in a while, singing a few shrill notes into the mic and asking the audience to yell louder.

The third artist was a female vocalist who cooed into the microphone for several more minutes and again finished by asking the audience to sing, yell, and clap longer and louder with her.

The last group gave a wonderful selection of slapstick humor by bringing back the antics of the Keystone Cops and the Three Stooges. These six talented young men called Sounds Incorporated merely played their instruments with no singing, but the whole stage was needed to contain their running, jumping, and cartwheeling.

 By this time, the stage was set, and the last and greatest act of the circus was near. For a moment, things were quiet, but for the loud cries of the popcorn soda and hot dog vendors.

Suddenly, the curtains parted, revealing the Beatles, and the crowd broke loose, expelling the pent-up emotions for this long-awaited spectacular. For the next 45 minutes, you could not hear yourself. Girls were crying, screaming, yelling, and waving madly. Two girls, upset and possessed, rushed the stage and made it to their idols, John and Paul. For several seconds, as they wrapped their arms around their idols' necks, security guards tugged at their feet and pried them apart. But for the girls, it was worth it—a small fete.

 An agile teenage boy scaled the six-foot fence behind the stage and ran to John. With the flick of his wrist, he snatched John's hat from his head and dove into the crowd with a priceless souvenir. Just as nimbly as the young lad snatched John's hat, John grabbed a nearby policeman's cap, placed it sitting atop his well-groomed curly locks, and continued strumming his guitar.

 A very tiny and obviously heartbroken girl standing next to me pleaded with me as tears streamed down her face to lift her up so that she could see above the crowd and gaze at her idols for a few seconds.

 In many ways, the Beatles' performance resembled a circus at times, with so many things happening simultaneously. One could not keep track. Besides the Beatles singing act, other demonstrations were going on, just as equally, attention-grabbing.

 Security guards defending the foursome were practicing judo, karate, and any means of self-defense against the helpless teenage girls who were madly rushing the stage. The crowd constantly gave its typical show of emotion, the crying, screaming, jumping, running, and waving young souls were hard to resist watching.

Another hilarious area of entertainment was the vendors. In their patented manner, they tried to sell souvenir books, Coke, hot dogs, and popcorn, giving me, and I'm sure others, a real good show.

The final and perhaps greatest act was put on by the valiant Cow Palace repairmen. The rickety fence holding back part of the crowd was coming loose at the base, and the repairmen battled with the screaming teenagers to do their duties and stop the hole in the dike.

 During the whole Beatles performance, there was a constant rain of litter, jellybeans, and popcorn on the stage. Ringo bore the brunt of the attack, perched high in his drum nest; he was an easy target for love trash.

 With the same swiftness that marked their entrance, the Beatles fled, and the great show of emotion halted as 1000s of happy but rumpled and exhausted teenagers filed out of the palace to return to their respective and somewhat more normal way of life.

Reporters crowd around the Beatles

 

A reunion with an old mate

 

January 2, 1990 - Paul with Alf Bicknell backstage before a show in Birmingham  

Tonsils out and heading home

 

December 10, 1964 

It was like meeting the Pope

 

Thea Hoving with John Lennon

The Beatles with Tom Hoving

All photographs taken by Walter Darren

"It was Like Meeting the Pope"

The Daily News (New York, NY)

August 13, 1995

Seven-year-old Trea having lived the dream as the daughter of the man responsible for the Shea concert parks commissioner, Thomas Huffing. She got to meet John Lennon and the other Beatles backstage. Here's her story:

     I was scared to death. I remember walking to meet them and thinking, "This is like meeting the Pope." I have no idea why. Then, when I got there, I barely lifted my eyes. I was so scared. John Lennon was extremely cool. He had this wry sense of humor. Actually, that photograph being taken where I look like I have a major attitude, that was just the camera grabbing me at the right moment. In reality, I was completely scared.

     Paul McCartney, though, was totally adorable. He was trying to be really childish to open me up. It was very cute. I remember he scribbled something on the back of an envelope and was showing it to me. And when I think back on it, the image looked like it was a Blue Meanie, but that was way before the Yellow Submarine. 

    The whole time, George and Ringo were there, but they were in the back, sort of in the periphery.

     After that, I went out front with my best friend for the concert. My dad had gotten us great tickets, and the whole thing was electrifying. Even at the age of seven, I was aware of the importance of it. It was the first real mega concert. It was amazing. It was the coolest thing.

     Then these two teenage girls convinced us to let them sit in our seats, and we could sit on their laps, and they spent the whole time screaming. We thought that that they were crazy. I was in love with the guys in the band.

     After the show, my cousin, who hadn't gotten to go backstage, kept wiping my hands, trying to wipe all the Beatle-juices that had gotten on me. I still think about it all the time. I think I've probably had dreams of trying to lift my head up and have a conversation with John Lennon.  In my teenage years, I went to other concerts, but nothing was The same sort of rampage as that Shea concert. 

As the parks commissioner of New York City in 1965 Thomas  Hoving was the man who gave permission for the Shea concert. He took his family backstage to meet the Beatles. Here's how he recalls that day:

    I remember one thing very distinctively, and that was that after taking my daughter into the locker room, these four young men surrounded by press, press agents, and all sorts of people jumped up and ran toward me to thank me effusively for having them in this thing, all four of them. That sort of thing just doesn't happen. 

    Years later, when I was asked to testify for John Lennon when he was coming into this country, I relayed that anecdote from Shea Stadium. I said to the judge, "This is a man of great charm and politeness, and he ought to be allowed into the country." And the judge said, "How would you characterize him as an artist?" and I told him that "if he were a painter, John Lennon's work would be hanging in the Metropolitan Museum of Art."

     The other thing I remember from the concert was that we had suspected there'd be some rough stuff, so we built this huge proscenium over the pitcher's mound at Shea with an armored car underneath so that they could just jump down and escape if it got unruly. And it did get unruly. People started jumping over the barricade, and cops were tackling people, and I thought you could smell riot in the air. Fortunately, there wasn't one.

     With that photo, my daughter, I think, didn't wash her hand for at least 10 days and was gaining all sorts of prestige in school, but at the time, she was overwhelmed. It was one of the rare times in her life when she was struck dumb. The Beatles were so bloody sweet; it was a moment of great history.

Mad Mel Returns

 

Here are the Beatles at a press conference in Portland, Oregon, in 1965.  That guy in the striped shirt and big sunglasses is none other than Mad Mel,  the Australian disc jockey who orchestrated the knitting of a huge scarf that he presented to The Beatles during their tour of Australia.  You can read the story about that here. 

When I saw these photos the other day, I was confused about why Mad Mel would be at a Portland Beatles press conference.   I discovered that in 1965, Mel left Australia and was a DJ at CFUN in Vancouver, British Columbia (Canada).    Portland would have been the closest town to Vancouver to have a Beatles concert that year.   Since Mel had a friendly relationship with the Beatles, it makes sense that CFUN would send him down to Oregon to attend the press conference.  He must not have spent too much time in Canada because I read that Mel was back on air in Australia by the end of the decade.  It is believed that Mad Mel still lives in Sydney.  As far as I know, he hasn't been interviewed about his time with The Beatles.  Hopefully I am wrong and the book about the Beatles in Australia that is supposed to be published this year will give us more information about this interesting disc jockey and his Beatle connection. 

Maybe one of Alf's last jobs for The Beatles?

 

Nervous to meet the Beatles in a moment

 

I bet she got the paper in her hand signed by all four Beatles a few moments after this photo was snapped.  What a moment that was caught on film for this fan.  

Portland Press conference

 

Leaving Ringo's Apartment (part 2)

 As several people stated -- this photo was taken on the way to get the MBE in 1965.  

Helping Alf

 

Mal gets some help up at the airport in Manila after being knocked down.   

What is John saying?

 

Someone was saying on Facebook how Alf Bicknell passed away on March 8, 2004.   I met him once at a Beatlefest in Chicago and it just seemed like it wasn't that long ago.   Anyhow -- I then spotted this photo and thought it was great.