Dallas presser

 

Happy to be home

 September 2, 1965 - London 

The Beatles are still favorites among Teens (Atlanta 1965)

 

The Beatles are Still Favorites Among Teens

By Lynn Birch

The Macon News

August 22, 1965

 

“We didn't take any chances this time,” the burly policeman who had been guarding the Beatles' plane all day told me in acid tones. He was right. Not one fan out of the 36,000 in Atlanta caught a glimpse of the Beatles, except at the concert.

Of course, this does not mean they did not try. As I surveyed the airfield suspiciously, my thoughts returned to my own adventures of the day. The Atlanta Airport, where my day began and ended, is a disaster to all Beatles fans, for it has no less than 10 exit gates, which the Beatles would use, and presented a strategic problem, so I consulted with my father, and we chose one of the wrong ones, unfortunately.

 At approximately 2pm The Beatles plane landed in a restricted area on one side of the airfield, while my family and I waited in the southern airway terminal on the other side, and some 500 fans besieged the lobby and observation tower in the main part of the airport. Our spot really seemed to be the perfect place for the group to land. Only four fans had discovered it, and it offered easy access to the expressway. The official black limousines, which whisked the Beatles directly from the airport to the stadium, were parked there. Even the majority of newsmen assigned to cover the arrival of the Beatles came to this hangar with their cameras and walkie-talkies.

 While we were all waiting, I met two 19-year-old girls who had come from Lexington, Kentucky, to see the concert that night. They had also seen the Beatles in Indianapolis. As I was talking to these girls, a man from Channel 5 filmed us looking at the various planes in our binoculars. Shortly after this, one of the newsmen said that The Beatles' plane had landed.

We knew what kind of plane they had, so I hopped on top of the car and looked across the field. Sure enough, there it was: an Elektra with a red stripe down the fuselage and the words ‘American Flyer’ on the side. The yellow truck containing their musical instruments was just backing away from the plane. I almost dropped my binoculars in astonishment. The Beatles had eluded all of us  completely.

 At the stadium, after several unsuccessful attempts to enter the press conference, I found my seat and tried to get settled with my pocketbook, transistor radio, souvenir book, binoculars, notebook, pencil, Coke and a box of popcorn. Needless to say, it was not easy.

The platform, which would serve as the stage, was on the second baseline, and there were no chairs on the field. Only half the seats in the stadium were used for no one was sold a ticket that would place them behind the stage. I was very pleased with my position, the sixth row directly in front of the platform.

Over 150 policemen were assigned to the stadium in order to protect the Beatles while they were on stage. Many of them stood shoulder to shoulder on the edge of the field in front of the fans in the bleachers. They were equipped with helmets, nightsticks, and guns. And I noted with amusement that one had two large wads of cotton in his ears.

 Fans from all over the South had flocked to this concert. I realized, as I looked around and saw signs from Florida, Alabama, Tennessee, Kentucky, and North Carolina, as well as various parts of Georgia.  One group of girls had arrived on a chartered plane from Cincinnati, Ohio. Others had come from as far away as Maine and New York. Numerous signs proclaiming, “We love you Beatles,” dotted the stadium before and during the show.

The scoreboard was used to entertain and inform the crowd. Such things as “Beatles”,” yeah”, “go”, and “wow” Flashed across. It once told us to holler for your favorite Beatle! I only saw one quick glance at it while the Beatles were on stage. And this is what it said, “Everybody Yeah”.

 The concert began when Paul Drew, a WQXI disc jockey who was on tour with The Beatles, introduced the mayor of Atlanta, Ivan Allen Jr. He had been given the four lads from Liverpool the key to the city during the press conference, and he informed us that they were all now the honorary Atlanta Beatles. “The city is truly big-league! We've got the Braves and the Beatles.” This drew such a deafening roar of approval from the crowd that the mayor's plea for good behavior was all but lost.

The fast-moving show featured a number of very good acts who preceded the Beatles. They were the Discotheque Dancers, King Curtis, Cannibal and the Headhunters, Brenda Holloway and Sounds Inc..

 From time to time, the chant of  “We want the Beatles” became audible. Much to my surprise and delight, I spotted John Lennon watching the show from the dugout while Sounds Inc. were on stage.

Finally, a hush of anticipation fell as Paul Drew introduced them. Bedlam erupted as Paul, John, George, and Ringo ran from the dugout and climbed on the platform. They received the most rousing welcome I've ever heard, and it continued throughout their 35-minute performance. Girls cried, pulled their hair, jumped up and down, beat on their friends hysterically, and screamed. I calmly focused my binoculars on Paul and lost consciousness as hundreds of flash bulbs popped all around me.

 The boys looked very rested and were in excellent spirits. Experimenting with his microphone before he announced the first song. Paul commented, “It's a little loud, isn't it?” I suppose that is why I could hear every word of every song and every word they said. It was fabulous after seeing, but not hearing, the concert in Jacksonville. I could hardly believe it.

 The Beatles sang 12 songs:” Twist and Shout”, “She's a Woman”, “I Feel Fine,” “Everybody's Trying to Be My Baby” (The only song George sang),  “Can't Buy Me Love,” “Baby's in Black,” “I want to be your man” (Ringo is only song) “A Hard Day's Night,” “Help” and “I'm down”. Obviously, they were enjoying every minute of the concert as much as their fans; the Beatles captivated the audience completely. With that showmanship and magnetism,  other personalities make them unique.

Beatles Land to Infect Our Young (New York City 1965)

         Beatles Land to Infect Our Young

By Gerald Kessler and William Travers

Daily News

August 14, 1965

 

The Beatles staged their third invasion of the American colonies yesterday, and despite persistent rumors of waning popularity, managed to infect New York with the customary symptoms of the virus-- Beatlemania.

 At first, it appeared that an immunity had been built up among the city's screaming teenagers, mostly girls, against the mophead infection. Fewer than 100 teens were at Kennedy Airport when the B-707 jet, bringing the Mersy men from London, sat down at 2:35 pm. But when the wealthy foursome reached the current command post, the Warwick Hotel at Sixth Avenue and 54th Street, about 3:30 p.m., at least 10,000 noisy, panting youngsters, again mostly girls, strained behind police barricades to greet their rock and roll idols.

The barricades had been put in place at Seventh Avenue and at Fifth Avenue and 54th Street. Others were at 53rd and 55th streets on Sixth Avenue. Havoc threatened briefly when mobs of teens broke through the barriers at 53rd and Sixth Avenue at 2:10 p.m., long before the quartet's arrival, but the 130 cops on hand quickly restored order. The greatest concentration of the young fans was on the west side of Sixth Avenue, between 54th and 55th streets.

 The Beatles-- Ringo Starr, Paul McCartney, John Lennon, and George Harrison start a nationwide tour Sunday at Shea Stadium, where a capacity crowd of 55,600 is expected. While here, they will spread themselves over the 32nd and 33rd floors of the hotel at a tab of $302 a day; their quarters will be in the entire layout, the Governor's Suite.  A private elevator leads from the lobby to their rooms.

The lack of enthusiasm and crowds at the airport stems from tight security arrangements and advance notice that no one would get to see the mopheads. The plane, with 91 passengers, including the Beatle party of 16 touched down on runway 13R about two miles from the main arrivals building.  While some passengers fumed at the  25-minute delay, the Beatles party deplaned, held a brief press conference for the 75 newsmen and photographers behind barricades, and then entered several caddies for the trip to Manhattan.

Above the roar of air traffic, few of the Beatles' precious words were heard. A few keener ears managed to learn that they had a good trip and that their specialty requested film, Operation Crossbow, had been enjoyable.

Approaching the hotel, the Beatles were driven the wrong way on 54th Street, West from Fifth Avenue on an eastbound Street to avoid the screaming teenagers. They emerged smiling from the cars and speedily ascended to their rooms. The lobby had practically been scrubbed clean of people.

The only girls who got near the Beatles were three young ladies who had the foresight to reserve rooms for themselves and three girlfriends. But when they showed up to claim the rooms, the management refused to honor their letter of confirmation.

The girls were not too crestfallen. They were Linda Scheid, 18 of 264 Avenue L, Brooklyn, Lorraine Tighe, 19 of 4113 Park Avenue, Union City, New Jersey, and Kathy Spinner, 17 of 10, 67/84 Street, Brooklyn.  The management apparently did not know the room reservations were for teenage Beatles fans. Linda did get one dividend. She kissed Paul and Ringo as they ran to their elevator.

 Even after the Beatles had made it to their rooms, the teenage crowd stayed on, screaming every time a bushy head poked from a window. Two hours later, however, the crowd of 10,000 teenagers had dwindled to a few 100.  A police official summed it up this way, “They're tired. I'm tired, everybody is tired.”

 There was one sour note on arrival. One of the plane's passengers in economy, classified, “This is a damn outrage. All this attention being paid to four screwballs.”

Private cabin

 

Ringo is heading to Australia

 

Brian's Roof Party

 July 6, 1965 

Press Conference in color

 June 25, 1965

Fan Besiege Beatles on Italy Tour

Fans Beseige Beatles on Italy Tour

No writer listed

Coventry Evening Telegraph

June 24, 1965

The police allowed only passengers onto the platform when the Beatles arrived at Milan by rail today

for an Italian tour. However, 1,000 teenage fans managed to gather around the ban. They besieged

the ticket office hours before the scheduled arrival, buying tickets to neighboring stations. When the

quartet arrived, the fans, thwarted by a last-minute switch in the arrival platform, charged across the

station waving placards with slogans such as “God, save the Beatles” and “Viva The Beatles.”

 Those at the front of the mob got a brief glimpse of John Paul, George, and Ringo being hustled into

cars, bound for their hotel. It is the group's first visit to Italy. Their first two concerts tonight are at a

Milan sports stadium, seating about 26,000. Later, they go on to Genoa and Rome.

Brian at the Saville Theater

 April 1, 1965

Midas Man Now Showing

 

Anyone who knows me will know that I dislike biopics. Ever since I saw The Doors in the 1990s, I have had a dislike for this popular genre of film. Very, very few Beatles biopics interest me, and I really doubt I will see those four upcoming ones about the Beatles. 

But this particular film, Midas Man, about Brian Epstein, has grabbed my attention. I am such a fan of Brian, and I think any attention given to his life is a wonderful thing.  I am so happy that in the past decade, Brian has started to get the recognition he deserves.  Having a film made about him and his life is a huge step forward.  And while I haven't had a chance to see this film yet, I have heard really good things about it from other fans who have, and I think I will give it a chance.

Midas Man is currently showing, and I know a lot of fans really like bio pics, so I didn't want anyone to miss out on seeing this one.  Here is the official announcement and link.   If you get a chance to see it -- let me know what you think!  

 The “Fifth Beatle” finally gets his story told! 🎬

Discover the rip-roaring true story of Brian Epstein—the legendary manager who launched The Beatles—in MIDAS MAN, now playing exclusively in South Florida!

🍏 Watch the trailer and find a theater near you at MenemshaFilms.com

Featuring a star-making performance by Jacob Fortune-Lloyd (The Queen’s Gambit) and co-starring Emily Watson, Eddie Marsan, Eddie Izzard, and Jay Leno, MIDAS MAN follows Epstein’s journey as he takes The Beatles from their humble beginnings in Liverpool to worldwide fame—showcasing one man’s radical faith in the band and the sacrifices he made to help them succeed.

The Magnificent Seven

 

February 22, 1965

Brian find a way through the crowd

 

The Awards kept coming

 

February 16, 1965 

The Fifth Beatles

 

You don't see a whole lot of photographs of Brian Epstein and George Martin together.  As far as I am concerned, these two men are the most important non-Beatles in the Beatles story.   Really -- where would they be without Brian and George M.? 

Going to the Chapel of Love

 

February 11, 1965 -  Ringo and Maureen's wedding day