Dave Hull and George Harrison

 

Interviewing Ringo

Interviewing Ringo
By Dave Hull
KRLA Dee-Jay
Pasadena, Calif.


Dave:  Hi.  It's me again.

Ringo:  It's you again, I know.  Here we go again.  What--what now?

Dave:  I wanted to ask you one question.  A personal question, about Maureen.

Ringo:  Maureen?

Dave:  Yes.

Ringo:  Maureen who?

Dave:  Cox.

Ringo:  Oh yes, yes.

Dave:  She is performing duties as your private secretary, is she?

Ringo:  No.

Dave:  She's not?

Ringo:  It's a lot of rubbish, really.   you see, we had an interview together.  'Cause she's given that job up, you see, the reporter said "Well, what are you going to do?" and I said, "Well, if she wants to end up working for me..." and then there was this headline, you see --' Ringo's new secretary.'  She hasn't done anything yet.  I haven't seen her for a long -- quite while actually, you know.

Dave:  Oh, is that correct?

Ringo:  Yeah.  We're not going sort of steady or anything, you know.  It just happened that I met her, and Ithought 'Well, would you like t come away?"-- you know, cuase it's no fun on your own.  We can't just sort of go out, and -- you know -- with girls.  Not really.  And we can't just sort of go to dances or clubs, or that, you know.  and when we went away, we were chaperoned, anyway, cause the captain of that boat and his wife were on board so we, you know...all the magazines in America say, sort of, you know unchaperoned.  Ho ho ho!  We were chaperoned, you know.  there's nothing, so there.

Dave:  Are you looking forward to seeing any particular part of Los Angeles, or Hollywood wile you're here?  I mean other than the fact that it's been rumored that you're planning on -- wish to see Disneyland?  Have you thought about it?

Ringo:  No, we didn't plan -- I don't think even wished it, you know.  I mean I never thougth about Disneyland.  We may go there, but I never thought or said, "Let's go to Disneyland."  I didn't even know it was here, actually.   And no, I just -- we go to the places and then you never know what happens, you know.  We may go to a club or something like that.  But we're nothing planned.

Dave:  How would you find the audience in Canada cmpared to the American audiences?

Ringo:  The same.  They're the same most of the world over.  They're only Paris that are different, when you get more fellows than girls, you know.

Dave:  That's in Paris?

Ringo:  In Paris.  Yes.

Dave:  What -- do they have the same acceptance though, even though the crowd is different?

Ringo:  Yeah.  But instead of a scream, you get a roar, you know.  Instead of "aaaaah" you get "rooooh".

Dave:  Derek is yelling.  Thank you very much, Ringo.

Ringo:  Take no notice of him, Dave.

Dave:  (laughing)  Alright, thank you very much.

Interviewing George

Interviewing George
By Dave Hull
KRLA Dee-Jay
Pasadena, Calif.


Dave:  Say George, I wonder if I could speak with you for just a moment?  I'm Dave Hull from KRLA.

George:  Oh hello.  How are you?

Dave:  I've had several conversations with your mother.

George:  Yeah.  I believe you have, yes.

Dave:  Has you mother asked you any questions about the amount to letters she's been receiving?   She's been most kind as you know in answering them.

George:  Well, I do know now, as I don't often get back to Liverpool.  In fact, the same with most of us, and the times we do get back to Liverpool, we spend just seeing our families.

Dave:  Do you get a chance to see your mother and father?

George:  Yeah, occasionally.  Oh yes, and if I can't go up there, they come down to see me whever I am.

Dave:  They do get a chance to see you then?

George:  My parents have been very good in answering letters.

Dave:  The best.

George: I know she said -- my mother said that she's had al ot of letters.  In fact, more letters from California, around this area than any other place.

Dave:  I'm responsible for that, and I hope she's not upset in any way.

George:  No, but you know, she enjoys it.  she likes it, and she likes all the kids who write to her, and you know, she appricates it.

Dave:  A lot of kids asked me about Pattie Boyd.  Goerge, are you engaged?

George:  No, no, not engaged, not married and no plans for marriage.

Dave:  Thank you very much, George.


Las Vegas


Dave:  George, there's a couple of questions I'd like to ask you.  Are the Beatles planning on visiting Disneyland?

George:  Disneyland?  No, don't think so.  You see, if we did suddenly think, "Let's go and see Disneyland," we make quick arrangements, and go there without letting anybody know.  Because if we said, "Yeah, we'll be going there on Monday,"  then there'd be thousans of poeple there, and we wouldnt' get to see it anyway.  But as far as we know, you know, we haven't made any plans to see it.

Dave:  I see.  Okay.  Are you planning on cutting a new record at Capitol Records in town on Monday?

George:  No.  I don't think so.

Dave:  What part in the movie did you like the best, "A Hard Day's Night."?

George:  Um, I liked the bit in the field.

Dave:  Yes.

George:  I don't know about making it.  Making the film, I don't know.  I think I enjoyed the scene in the bathroom.

Dave:  With John in the tub?

George:  Yeah, that's making it.  But just as of in the film, I prefer the bit in the field.

Dave:  I see.  I do want you to please convey my best wishes to your mother.

George:  Okay

Interviewing Paul

Interviewing Paul
By Dave Hull
Pasadena, Calif.

Dave:  Are you plannign on entering Drakes Drum in the races in the United States?

Paul:   Oh, I see.  It's nothing to dow ith me, you know.  It's my dad's horse and I didn't buy it for myself.  I bought it as a birthday present for him.  So if he fancies entering, you know, let him.  He's doing okay though, won last time, I know.

Dave:  And he came in second on the first time out?

Paul:  Yeah.

Dave:  Well then, you've had two places two starts?

Paul:  Yes, very good it was.

Dave:  You're in no way concerned with Darakes Drum at all?

Paul:  Well, uh, I mean I bought it for my dad, but I'm not...it's not mine or anything, you know.  I put bets on it, you know.

Dave:  Do you really?

Paul:  Yeah, sure!

Dave:  Doy ou have a -- what about your favorite part in "A Hard Day's Night"?  Which one was it, can you recall?

Paul:  My favorite bit of it, um, the field.

Dave:  The field?

Paul:  Yes.

Dave:  Very good.  That's my favorite, too.   What about any of the other parts?  Can you think of any?

Paul:  Ringo's bit was the bit I liked as well.  The field best.  Then all Ringo's stuff, and, you know, with them playing "Ringo's Theme" over it, "This Boy."

Dave:  Yeah, by the way, whydid they coose "This Boy" to be Ringo's theme?  Was it his favorite, Paul?

Paul:  Well, it's -- I think he likes it, you know, the song, but it was just it fitted in.  You know, that was the main point, really.


Las Angeles  International airport

Dave:  Nice seeing you.  I'd like to ask you a few questions, if I may, conserning Jane Asher.  Are you engaged to her in any way?

Paul:  Nothing, no.  She's just my girlfiend.  Not engaged, not married, not divorced -- nothing, you know.

Dave:  But what about  --- It's been rumored that you were residing at the Wimpole address with the Asher family.  Is that correct?

Paul:   There's so many rumors that reach America--you know, about us, wich are completely untrue.  That's another of them.  She's just my girlfriend, you know.  And I take her out when we are in London.  That's all there is to it, really.

Dave:  What about your next picture? Is there going to be a part made for Jane Asher in it?

Paul:  (slightly laughing)  No.

Dave:  Thank you.

Interviewing John

Interviewing John
By Dave Hull
KRLA Dee-Jay
Pasadena, Calif.

Dave:   Will you answer me a couple of questions about "A Hard Day's Night," John?  did you make up the title for "A Hard Day's Night"?

John:  No, Ringo did.

Dave:  Was it Ringo that made it up?

John:  Yeah.  He said it accidentally.

Dave:  He did?  What about In His Own Write?     Which one of the stories is your favorite?

John:  Act One Scene Three.

Dave:  Act One Scene Three?

John: Yeah.  I like that.

Dave:  What about "Sad Michael"  or "No Flies on Frank?"

John:  Well, they're earlier, you know.  Ones like that.

Dave:  Do you consider yourself a little twisted?

John:  No, not really.

Dave:  Not really.  Well, I want to thank you very much for talking with me.

John:  Buy the book, folks.  It's not really twisted.  It's good fun -- happiness. Ha ha.

Dave:  I've a couple of other things, too, considering you and your wife.  I asked you this one before, when you were here that time.  Is your wife expecting?

John:  No she isn't!  They keep writing about it in these damn fool magazines.  Damn fool I say, and I repeat it.

Dave:  Yes.

John: Damn fool magazines.  They keep writing stories about how she broke it to me -- all that.  I'm not having a baby, she's not having a baby.

Dave:  There's a rumor that you're leaving the Beatles.  Is that true?

John:  Now that's silly, you know.  I don't know how they start.  oh, very funny, old bean.  Good-bye.

Dave:  Good-bye



Las Vegas

Dave:  What is your favorite part in "A Hard Day's Night"?

John:  The bit in the field.

Dave:  Mine too.  But what abotu the bathtub?

John:  Oh yeah.  I don't mind that, but I prefer the bit in the field.

Dave:  Is it true some of the stuff was spontaneous, John?

John:  All of it in the bathtub was.  The idea wasn't.  They jsut run it, and I just had to do whatever It hougth of in the bathtub.

Dave:  What about the other fellows?  Did they do things too, that were spontaneous?

John:  Yes, quite a lot of it was spontaneous.  Only you can't really, because you got to do so many takes.   Even if, say the four of us are there, and one of us things of a gag, ad-lib, just throw it in, and there's something in the background goes wrong, so you go to do it over again.  So they're not ad-lib then.  there's still quite a lot to this bit, but you know, some of the gags are us, or the director, you know.  He threw quite a bit in, too.

Dave:  John, may I ask you -- it's been rumored that the next film -- that you are preparing to write now -- have you started the next film?

John:  No, I'm not writing it at all.  You know, it was just started because I had a book.  A short story at home which I thought would make a good film, if it was re-written, and that's how it got round that I was going to write it, you know.  But I haven't got time.  I don't even think I could, anyway.

Dave:  Well, it's been rumored that it's going to be filmed in Hollywood.  Can you tell whether it is, or isn't?

John:  No.  It's definately not being filmed in Hollywood.  It'll be done in England.  It's cheapter, and you know, it saves us from going away from home, as well.

Dave:  John, tell me if you've yet moved into your home in Surrey?

John:   No, I haven't had time.   The place is empty.  There' s no furniture.  Needs decorating, and walls knocking down.  The thing's nowhere near ready.  It'll be next eyar, probably.

Dave:  You will be?

John:  Uh, well, I hope before -- it depends.  That's the longest it will take.  You know, to fix it up.

Dave:  they said you've moved to Emperor's Gate.  Are you moving out of there into the Surrey home?  Is that it?

John:   I've moved from Empoeror's Gate, but not into the house, you see.

Dave:  I see. Okay.  thank you very much.

Hullabaloo!: The Life and misadventures of L.A. Radio Legend Dave Hull -- Book Review

Radio in the 1960s is a topic that really interests me.   I love the zaniness of it all and how it is was about the music but also about comedy and silly things.  Dave Hull was the Beatles fan club president for KRLA radio in the 1960's and he has been mentioned on this blog many, many times. I thought it would be fun to read his autobiography, Hullabaloo!   The Life and Misadventures of L.A. Radio Legend Dave Hull.  

Dave tells the story of his life with a lot of enthusiasm.  From the stories in the book, you can tell that Dave has never done anything halfway, and this book is included. He left no stone unturned and no story untold.  He tells about his childhood and how he got his start on radio while in the service during the Korean War, when he was stationed in Africa. From then he began working at a small radio station in Roswell, New Mexico and continued to land in places including Ohio, Detroit and Florida before landing in Los Angeles, California.

While at these small radio stations around the nation, Dave mastered his schtick as "the Hullabalooer" a wild and crazy guy with sound effects and silly jokes to go along with the rock n roll music he spun.  By the time he was hired at KRLA, he had mastered his craft and quickly became one of the most well-loved DJ's at the station.  He quickly became the "Fifth Beatle" and had an in with a guy at Capitol who would get the newest Beatles singles to Dave before any other radio station. This way KRLA always played the new Beatles songs before anyone else, which was a HUGE deal in those days.

Dave was really gutsy when it came to Beatles things.  He called Liverpool Information and got the phone number of George's folks. He called the number and used Mrs. Louise Harrison as his personal informant on all Beatles rumors and news.  She gave him the lads' addresses and tour schedule, which Dave blabbed on the air, much to the dismay of Brian Epstein!

Dave interviews George in 1965

He also liked to sneak on airplanes.  In 1964, when John and George were in L.A. with their girlfriend/wife after the Tahiti holiday,  Dave sneaked onto the plane and interviewed John and George.  He and another DJ from KRLA sneaked onto the plane again in August 1964 when the Beatles were leaving L.A. for Denver. They could have gotten in trouble big time for that one, but thankfully they didn't and they were able to get more interviews with the guys.   Some of those interviews were even on a record, " Hear The Beatles tell all" where whoever printed the cover misunderstands Dave and quotes him talking about "The Paddy Boyd."

Dave even got to travel with Derek Taylor in 1965 to the Bahamas and interview the boys on the set of Help!.    

After the chapters about the radio in the 1960s, I think the book got a little long.  There were some funny parts about the comedy things Dave did on the radio (Loveline, Dial a Date, and some other shows) in the 1970s, but over all the last part of the book dragged a little bit. However, I think if you remember hearing Dave on those shows at the time, you would really enjoy reading about it.

One thing that I found to be distracting in the book is Dave used titles of Beatles songs (and other songs from the 1960s) in his writing. It just didn't work for me. It seemed forced and cheesy.

This book was a bit long, at 600 pages. I think he could have been cut down some, but overall, it was still a fun book to read.    If you were a teenager in the L.A. area, you will most definitely love this book.   I am sure it will bring back a lot of great memories for you of a simpler time for American radio.

The link below is the affiliate link to Amazon, where you can purchase this book.  I get a small percentage of anything purchased through this link.  Money made from the Amazon Afflication is used to pay the annual fee to keep this site online.  Thank you for your support.  Sara

https://amzn.to/3uLybEg

A personal interview with John and George by Dave Hull

This brief interview and information was taken from the August/September 1964 Beatles Boosters Fan Club newsletter

What you are about to read is the personal inteview Dave Hull of KRLA radio (in Pasadena, Calif.) had with John (and George!) May 25th (1964) at the Los Angeles International Airport when John, George, Cynthia, and Patti Boyd [sic] were here in between changing planes from Tahiti to London.

Being on his toes, Dave made it out to the airport to get this personal interview when most of the Beatlemaniacs were in school and didn't learn of this special event until after they had left.  The Beatlemaniacs were really excited to hear that two of our idols were in town, but disappointed in not hearing about it sooner so they could go out to the airport to greet them.

You're probably wondering why George only said two words.  He was not being stuck up!  If you look at the interview, notice the star (**), that is where Dave was being hauled out of the plane and George could only get those two words in before the doors slammed in Dave's face!  

Dave sure is lucky, isn't he?  Let's all hope we can be this lucky this summer!  I've got my fingers crossed!


A Personal Interview with John and George
By Dave Hull

Dave:  First of all, where did you come from to here?

John:  Tahiti.  We just been there two and a half weeks on a holiday around the islands.

Dave:  And from here you're going back to London are you?

John:  Yes, and then we do a couple of shows in London, go to Australia and then....

Dave:   and then go back to the States?

John:  Yeah.

Dave:  Are you going to London first?

John:  After Australia, yeah I think so.  I dont' know now, really.  What am I gonna say?  Oh yeah, we're gonna come back to do the film premiere in London and then we come to the States to do the film premiere.

Dave:  Where will that be?

John:  I  don't know.  I'm not sure.  I'll ask George.  I think it'll be Los Angeles.  Oh no---Oh I don't know.  I have no clue.  You're asking the wrong person.

Dave:  I understand you're expecting.  Your wife is expecting.  Now, is that correct?

John:  It's the first time I've heard of it.  We've got one, that'll do for now.  We just stick him in the guitar case!

Dave:  Listen, you're coming from British Columbia down here when you make your engagement at the Hollywood Bowl.

John:  Oh, are we?

Dave:  --which out disc jockeys will be at...

John:  Ahh, that so?

Dave:  You'll be flying in from British Columbia.  What airport?   Do you know any of the reservations or anything?

John:  I have a clue, or anything.  I don't even know where I'm going tomorrow.

Dave:  What about your book?  Experiencing some good sales on your book?

John:  Well, I didn't even know it was out over here yet cause I've been away.

Dave: ** Sorry, that's all right.  Thank you.

John:  Bye!

Dave:  Bye!  Thank you very much!  Bye!

John:  Good bye

Dave:  Hello George.  How about saying hi....?

George:  Hello, good bye!

Let's Talk with Paul

The last of the four part series of interviews with individual Beatles and Derek Taylor and Dave Hull on the beach in the Bahamas in March 1965.

Dave Hull wins the "Beatle Award"  (who gave him this award? How can I win the Beatle award?)

 

 

 

 

Let’s Talk with Paul

KRLA the Beat interview

April 21, 1965

Derek:  Paul McCartney just came down on the sands.  He probably looks the smartest of the three this morning.  He’s got on grey trousers, light blue jacket, blue checked shirt, deep take film makeup, and I think his feet are bare.  Good morning, anyway, Paul.

Paul: ‘Morning, Derek?

Derek:  How have you been?

Paul:  Well, you know, Derek, what it’s like…fine dandy, everything’s going great.  You knew I’d say that, didn’t you?

Derek:  Well, you see, I just sort of let you walk through the opening, because I don’t need to tell you what to say, and never did.  Or did I.

Paul:  No. Of course you didn’t, no.

Derek:  How many people are in this film who were in the last film besides you, Paul, besides the Beatles?

Paul:  Victor Spinetti was in the last one—he was the TV producer – and this time he’s one of the baddies.  Dick Lester and Walter Shenson, really.  I think that’ all.  The actors are all different except for Victor Spinetti.

Derek:  I don’t know whether the plot has ever been published so I don’t  want to go into tremendous detail because it would spoil things; but could you just give me a bit run-down what it’s all about?

Paul:  Yeah, it roughly people trying to get hold of Ringo’s’ ring for some reason or other, so that he can be sacrificed or something.  It’s very funny.  And they keep trying get a hold of him and get the ring and we keep trying to rescue him, etc. etc and it goes on.  It fills ninety minutes worth of screen time. 

Derek:  There are a lot of new songs.  I think in “A Hard Day’s night” there were six or seven brand new ones. How many in this one?

Paul:  There’ll be about the same – six or seven new ones.  In  actually fact I don’t’ think we’ll stick in old ones  like we did in “A Hard Day’s Night.”  I think it’s better if we got some completely new songs. 

Derek:  You mean you wouldn’t use any old ones as background music?

Paul:  I don’t think so.  We might as well --- we’ve recorded eleven new songs.

Derek:  Those are actually already on tape are they/?

Paul:  Yes, and the could all be done for the film.   What Dick Lester is going to do is pick the best seven --- the seven he likes best – or that fit best in the film.  And if we do need any background music we’ll put the others in.

Derek:  George Martin, presumably, is cooperating completely on the score ad the background and that sort of thing?

Paul: Nobody’s got round to the score yet because we’ve only just done the numbers and he’d write the score around the numbers.  Anyway we’ve only just started filming so there’s no particular panic for that. 

Derek:  No.  I think when I last saw you when I left you in December, there were no songs at all.  Is that right?

Paul:  Right.

Derek:  You must have worked pretty hard since then.

Paul:  No. Not really.   We just sort did a couple a week.  I know I wrote a couple on holiday and John wrote a couple on holiday too.  And we did a lot together.  So when we go back we have quite a bit ready.  We have about fourteen songs in all to record.  We’ve done about eleven of them  There are still one or two that we haven’t done  actually .  Might do those when we get back to England.

Derek:  It’s widely known now that a lot of the songs which bear both your names were, in fact, written by one or the other on your own, and then arranged jointly later.  Of the songs in the film, are several of them single records or have you written them alone or are they joint endeavors. 

Paul:  Well there are a couple of single efforts and couple of joint.   What normally do, though, even if I go away and write a song…normally the reason I write it on my own is ‘cause its daft to sit around waiting for the other one to came up and finish the song.  If you happen to be off on your own you might as well finish it off yourself, cause we don’t’ have words and music as you well know.   So what normally does happen is that if I get stuck on the middle of the song, I‘ll give in, knowing that when I see John he’ll finish it off for me.  And it’ll be a fifty-fifty thing.  That’s what happens even with a lot f the single efforts.  I just sort of forget about the middle eight until I see John and then say, “I need a middle eight for this one” and he says, “Right.  Okay!”

Derek:  I think “I saw her standing there” was written almost entirely by you, but John put in one word which sort of made it right.

Paul:  Yeah, that’s it.  What happened was, he took out one word, which would have made it very wrong.  The first two lines…I did it going home in a car one night, so I wasn’t really thinking too much about it.  The first two lines, originally were “she was just seventeen and she’d never been a beauty queen,” which just sounded like it rhymed to me. 

Derek:  How’d you happen to write a line like this?

Paul: You try writing a song going along in a car and, I don’t know, you sort of think of things like that.  Anyway , when I saw it the next day and played it through to John, I realized it was a useless line.  So we sat down and tried to think of another line which rhymed with “seventeen” and meant something.   We eventually got “you know what I mean,” which means nothing…completely nothing at all.

Derek:  On the other hand it’s not an embarrassing line like “beauty queen” would have been.

Paul:  No, but on the other hand it could have been a deep and sort of involved line, “you know what I mean,”  you know, seventeen year old girls….you know…..great…you see.  It’s just a Liverpool expression as it were, Derek.

Derek:  That’s what I thought, a Liverpool expression.  A lot of your songs could actually be conversation piece  Liverpool:  “She loves you, “  “I saw her Yesterday,” and that sort of thing.

Paul:  Yeah.  Actually there was some fellow in England who was thinking of doing that, speaking our songs just to use them.  Call John Junkin.  Do you know him?  He was in our last film, played “Shake” the road manager.

Derek:  Yes.

Paul:  He wanted to do a record of something like “She love You….Yeah….Yeah?”
  etc.

Derek:  Probably work, I think.

Paul:  It might do, yeah.

Derek:  But it seems to me it might be the only thing left to do now…an exploitation of Beatle material.  I would like to say that during the time I was with the Beatles I never saw any professional jealousy.  Paul came along with a song that became the “A” side, and John had one which he thought might have been the “A” side.  There was never any sort of nonsense or a back biting or jealousy.  Paul, for instance came up with “She’s a woman,” and thought it was an “A” and other people did, and then John came up with “I feel Fine,” so Paul’s “She’s a woman” went on the back.  Did you mind?

Paul:  I didn’t mind at all.   In fact, I wouldn’t have liked it to have been an “A.”  As it happened afterwards, it was quite well received.  A lot of people just thought I was singing too high.  They thought I’d picked the wrong key.

Derek:  Probably less commercial anyway.

Paul:  Yes, might have been.  I don’t know.  You get those people who come up and say, “Why did you sing it that high, you should have done it in a lower key,” because it sounds like I was screeching it.  But, ladies and gentlemen, that was on purpose, honest.   It wasn’t a mistake, honest.

Derek:  Maureen Cleve, who is a London journalist, had a very good line in the piece on the disc and when she wrote, “How can a dirty great voice like that come out of such a face?”  I think it’s often surprising that with a face like yours…sort of angelic face…the face of a delinquent choir boy, someone once said…that you have actually got many voices.  One of them you might call a “colored voice.”  That was your “colored voice” in “She’s a woman,” wasn’t it?

Paul:   No, it was my green voice.

Derek:  What would you call your anti-lovely voice?

Paul:  I don’t know…soppy, I suppose.

Derek:  Away from song writing since you’re now actor….

Paul:  Me James Cagney one, isn’t it?

Derek:  Yeah he’s playing a James Cagney face, which isn’t recording too well on tape.  Could you give us a James Cagney line?

Paul:  No.  I’m afraid not.

Derek:  Would you do us a quick imitation of any of your friends?

Paul:  Any of my friends?  I couldn’t really.  I’m not very good on these imitations.

Derek:  You don’t’ like being prompted to do it. 

Paul:  You’re right.

Derek:  I see Bob Freeman over there.

Paul:  He’s done the cover for our latest album in England.  I don’t think it was in America, was it?

Derek:  No, it wasn’t, but the disc is on sale in America.

Paul:  But they changed the cover.

Derek:  They did.  But the English disc has another name, “Beatles for Sale” and has a bonus of two numbers over and above the American album.

Paul:  That’s it, you see, better value.  Buy Britain, folks, buy Britain!

Derek:  When you come back to America you know you’re going to Hollywood again…

Paul:  Yes, see you there.

Derek:  Well, I’ll see you there if not before.  Thank you very much indeed, Paul and it’s nice to see you again.

Paul:  Okay Derek, see you.

Dave: Hi Paul.

Paul:  Hi Dave.

Dave:   the last time you were in Hollywood you appeared to be a little put out with me because of the addresses I gave out. 

Paul:  I was, yes.

Dave:  Are you still put out with me?

Paul:  Well for that, yes.

Dave:  you still think I’m a rotten guy, do you?

Paul:  No, I just didn’t like the idea, of your giving everybody’s addresses out just because if you’re trying to keep quiet ever—not that I particularly am – but if I was trying to keep quiet and you were giving the addresses out it would be a big drag, you know. 

Dave:  Really the addresses I gave were your folks’ addresses, as you know, and not your hotel.

Paul:  That doesn’t matter at all, I don’t mind.   It’s just that I know a lot of people who have sort of been cursing you  because it’s caused them a lot of inconvenience.  It’s okay, and it’s good news for you to give our addresses out, I agree.  I would probably do the same thing if I were in the same position.  But if you were in my position and other people’s position, you’d probably think the same as me giving out addresses as I thought then.  Actually it doesn’t worry me too much.  I don’t hate you or anything because of it.  In fact, we’re quite good friends.

Dave:  What about your getting around the islands here.  Have you been other places besides Nassau? Have you been jumping around the island?

Paul:  Well, we’ve been out here on Paradise Island and to Nassau and a little bit around the island location with the film.  We’ve been out to nightclubs in the town.  It’s pretty quiet here, you know.  Nobody seems to bother you.  There doesn’t seem to be  an awful lot of people actually on the island.  It’s a quiet place.  So we’re having it pretty easy.

Dave:  The people who do bother you, are they mostly Europeans or Americans?

Paul:   Mostly Americans, really.  I think mainly because the main lot of the tourists here are American.  The natives here don’t bother much.  They just sort of go out and…”Ho-ho the Beatles.”  And they have big grins on their faces.  That’s good enough for them.  But the people ask you for autographs I think mainly are Americans or Americans living here or American tourists.

Dave  Do you have many problems getting around when you’re on vacation?

Paul:  It depends on where you go.  Last time I went to Tunisia and had no problems at all.  It’s so quiet here, really.   As I was telling Derek before about the phones.  They’re cut off in Tunisia it’s ridiculous.    I mean a man from a newspaper came around when we were in Tunisia and spoke to me and everything and it didn’t get back to England.  It was ridiculous.

Dave:  You mean nothing of the material got out?

Paul: No, because all the liens were so bad.  I couldn’t speak to anyone in England.  It was a fluke if you managed to get a good line to England. 

Dave:  Isn’t it a please, though, if you’re away on vacation?  You get away…

Paul:  Yeah, right, it was this time.  I enjoyed it.   Went away for two weeks, lazed around, went to the little soukhs, which are little market places the Tunisian’s have.  In fact, this very pair of sandals was bought for one dinar.  It’s about fifteen shillings in English—I think about two dollars.

Dave:  When you go on vacation do you turn into a tourist like most tourists do?

Paul:  Yes, mainly.  Like Tunisia I did.  Sometimes you don’t.  You go to somewhere where it’s not so quiet, then you don’t really get a chance to go out and turn into a tourist.  I was completely tourist with a movie camera and snapshots.

Dave:  When you are returning to Hollywood—of course the itinerary hasn’t’ been planned yet, meticulously-but I understand you’re going to do a couple of shows in Hollywood, then you’re going to San Francisco, then you’re returning to Hollywood for a couple of days’ vacation.  Is that true?

Paul:  I think that’s true.  I’m not really sure about the itinerary myself yet, but that sounds like it.

Dave:  Were you interested in seeing Hollywood?  Remember last time you didn’t a chance to see much.   You were locked n the house and really didn’t…

Paul:  Well that was good enough really.  We saw Bel-Air and we stayed in a nice house in Bel-Air and we enjoyed ourselves.  That was good enough.  That was really all I wanted.  Like when I went to New York we saw skyscrapers.  That’s about all we wanted to see in New York.  In Hollywood we wanted to be in Bel-Air for a bit.

Dave:  When you returned, Derek told me you were impressed with the performance at in Hollywood and also that you were impressed with the other place, and that was the Red Rock Stadium in Denver.  Is that correct?

Paul:  Yes, actually we were impressed with a lot more places than that.  But we enjoyed Red Rock.  It was funny because it’s the mile-high city and the air is different a mile high.  It’s must harder to breathe.  We felt sort of drunk or something on stage.   We were sort of falling about.

Dave:  Because of the oxygen, I suppose?

Paul:  Somebody said it was that.  Sounds feasible.  Might not be true Might be we were just imagining it.  Very hard to sing.  I couldn’t get any breath.  None of us could get any breath.

Dave:  When you return to Hollywood, a great many stars, as you know, listen to KRLA…any particular stars you’re looking forward to seeing this time.  You really didn’t get a chance last time…

Paul:  We met Burt Lancaster last time and he’s a great fellow…marvelous bloke and his kids great.

Dave:  What about some of the others. Of course during the lawn party in Beverly Hills you met a lot of them.  But are you looking forward particularly to being with some particular star, this time around?

Paul: Well, I’ll tell you…I’m just like anybody else.  When I meet any stars.  I haven’t changed that much that it doesn’t impress me.  I always say, “Great” you know, seeing them in the movies or “I saw him on television” But I’m always impressed.  So it doesn’t matter, really, who I meet.

Dave:  We’re on the air at this time, broadcasting to Hollywood.  Is there anything particularly you can think of to say to the fans—the millions of fans in Hollywood and Los Angeles and Southern California?

Paul:  All I can say is—it sounds corny—but just thanks for being nice last time and wanting to come and see us.  Because it still knocks me out if people want to come and see us.  It’s great.  I don’t’ think anyone can get that blasé that they don’t care who comes to see them.  So I just like to say thanks to everybody and everybody who looked after us while we were there, and to people like Bert Lancaster who invited us over to his house.  We had a great evening.  In fact, to everybody in Hollywood who came to see us or who met us at one time or another    Even the people who didn’t meet us who brought our records.  Great.

Dave:  I want to thank you, too Paul, for taking moment to talk with us.

Paul:  Okay Dave.

Derek and Dave's turn with John

Next in the four part series from KRLA Beat Magazine is Derek Taylor and Dave Hull's interview with John Lennon.  Notice that an interview with Marueen Cleve caused some misunderstanding in America....John should have learned in 1965 to be careful what he says to that woman.  Haha1

Beatles Rumors Ended!

KRLA Beat Magazine

April 14, 1965

Derek:  John Lennon, in dark glasses, white trousers, blue Plimsolis, black socks, lilac shirt and multi-colored jacket.  Lovely to see you again, John, after about 3 months.

John:  Good to see you, Derek, in your grey shirt, blue tie, grey trousers and tweedy thing.

Derek:  How many songs have you written for the film, John?

John:  Altogether we’ve written fourteen but only seven will be in the film, Derek.

Derek:  could I have a few titles?

John:  Uh, no.

Derek:  Why?

John:  Because they don’t’ like giving title out until they’re published.  People might write songs with the same title and confuse the market. 

Derek:  How many songs were there in “A Hard Day’s Night,” how many originals?

John:  I can’t remember.  They were all originals.

Derek:  What I mean by originals was how many were created especially for the film?

John:  Oh, I don’t know how many of them were --Say eight out of ten., if it was ten.  But all of these are for the film in this one.

Derek:  Are you taking the same plans to introduce the songs naturally as part of the plot?

John:  I think it’s very easy in this film.  A lot of them are going to be behind-the-scenes, like the running the in the field in “Hard Day’s night.”

Derek:  Sort of background music?

John:  Yeah, and a lot of them are going to be just potty.  We’ve done a lot of mad stuff.

Derek:  The script, which I had a look at this morning, looks rather eccentric.  The end of the operation, I pressure is to get a different sort of film from “Hard Day’s Night.”

John:   Yeah and we’ve done it, haven’t we?

Derek:  Well, from the look at the set you have—sitting on the beach in holes in the sand and people in khaki uniforms, red sashes and red turbans---some of them carrying guns and some of them carrying shovels.  Over by the water’s edge Leo McKern, the British actor, is standing looking like a Polynesian high priest.  The whole scene is pretty wild.  John hasn’t’ been doing too much this morning.    I presume you got up later than Ringo?

John:  Ringo got up about 7:00, I got up at about 9:00, which is late for a film.  It’s early for me.

Derek:  How do you come to terms with getting up so early when normally you are late risers and late to bed?

John:  Well, we just go to bed about 12:00 every night.  We go out at 6:00 and pretend it’s 11:00 and night, and come in at 12:00, you see.

Derek:  Are you finding it fairly easy to move around in the Bahamas?

John:  Oh yeah, it’s not bad at all.  Just the usual tourists.  Aside from that it’s not bad.

Derek:  Did you have a big send-off at London Airport?

John:  Yes.  It was very big because it was a half day for the schools.  There were about eight or ten thousand there.  It was like the crowd we had when we got back from America.  It was very good.

Derek:  That’s probably the biggest send off. Well you have had huge crowds going in.  Normally you don’t get a big crowd to see you out. 

John:  No, that’s right.  That’s probably the biggest send-off we’ve had.

Derek:  The Beatlemania level in England, if you forgive the phrase, I know you don’t like the phrase, is still pretty high.  It’s very high in America, too.

John:  Good.

Derek:  When are you due back in America?

John:  I think it’s about the autumn or fall, as they call it, I think.

Derek:  There are a few other things I would like to talk to you about, John.  Like killing a few rumors.  Is it still true that you have only one child?

John:  I have the only one child and none on the way.

Derek:  There are an awful lot of rumors about you having been in Hollywood recently, with Cyn, and that wasn’t true either?

John:  No, I  haven’t been in America seen we were last there.

Derek:  When you leave here where will you be going?

John:  To England for two days and then to Austria for a week, and then back to England for the rest of the film.

Derek:  That you very much, John.  I’ll turn you over to Dave now.

Dave:  How  are you John?

John:  Fine, Dave, how are you?

Dave: How’s Cynthia?

John:  She’s great.

Dave:  Good, good.  How do you like the weather down here?  I understand you’re not too happy with it.

John:  It’s too humid for me.    It’s not bad.  It’s better than rain, I suppose.

Dave:  The weather’s quite different back in England right now.  Rather grey, isn’t it?

John:  I think they’re having a bit of snow here and there.

Dave:  What about the movie.  How do you feel about it compared to “Hard Day’s Night.”  Is it somewhat the same for you?  Are you having less work to do?

John:  So far we’ve had less to do but it’s only in the first week.  But you know, it’s okay.

Dave:  What about your part in “Hard Day’s Night.”  You know a lot of it was spontaneous.  The part in the bathtub, you recall you talked to me last time…are you doing the same here or are you sticking to the script?

John:  We’re sticking to the script until there’s an opportunity of, you know, going away form it.  We’ve done a bit that has nothing to do with the script.  Filmed little bits that the director thought might come in handy for something or other.  Whenever a situation arises we do it.

Dave:  Are you thinking of a great deal of things yourself, John?

John:  Well, we’ve hardly done anything on it.  It’s mainly been people chasing Ringo.  So far we haven’t done much at all.

Dave:  What about your new book?  “A Spaniard in the Works” is the title. It’s being published by whom?

John:  Simon & Schuster, I presume.

Dave:  They’re the ones who published your other one.  Is it almost the same as your other one?

John:  Well, it’s pretty similar, yeah.  Better, I think, because it’s developed a bit bigger.  The drawings are better and it’s longer…there’s more of it. 

Dave:  Well that’s good.  I know it will make your fans happy.   Your other one was a very successful book.  Is this one done on short stories again?

John:  Yeah, but the stories…but there are none that are really short.  They’re all about four or five pages long.

Dave:  Are these new stories or are they ones you did a long time ago?

John:  They’re brand new.

Dave:  The title is “A Spaniard in the Works.”  Now, you’ve made a play off the word spanner.

John:  Spanner is a wrench in America.  When you “put a spanner in the works” you louse everything up.  In America you say “put a wrench in the works.”

Dave:  Yes, toss a wrench in the works.  How do you use the play off words for the title of the book?

John:  It’s the title of one of the stories about a Spaniard, who gets a job in Scotland, that’s all.  I thought everybody knew the expression.  I didn’t know they had a different expression in America.

Dave:  Well, we do.  Usually we say, “don’t throw a monkey wrench in the works,” or “don’t throw a monkey wrench in the machine.”  But now we understand.  You use “a spanner” and “a Spaniard “to play off words.  It’s very clever.

John:  Thank you.

Dave:   What about sales?  The book is published?

John:  No, it’s not published yet.   Won’t come out for another month, I don’t think.   It’s finished and everything’s done.   They’re just putting it together in the publishers. 

Dave:  Did Paul get a chance to write the front?

John:  There’s no introduction on this one.  They’re thinking of putting the same introduction again exactly.  They thought it didn’t need one this time or they didn’t want one.  There were enough page as it was. 

Dave:  What about the people here?  Have you have many problems getting around the Bahamas?

John:  No, it’s not bad at all.  There are not many people here.

Dave:  What about your night life.  Are you enjoying any night life here?

John:  We’ve been to a couple of places.  They clubs aren’t sort of wild.  We wouldn’t bother normally with them but they’re the only places to go so we have to go to them.

Dave:  You and Paul and George are more or less protectors during the movie.  You’re trying to keep him from  being chased by these different people?

John:  He comes in possession of this ring and whoever wears it has to be sacrificed by this big mod that Derek described before, and we’re trying to save him and get this ring off his finger.  They’re other people trying to get it off for various reasons.  It’s very complicated.  Basically what it is is to stop him getting sacrificed. 

Dave:  John, there’s been a controversy in the States concerning one tune out of your recent “Beatles for Sale” album.  The tune was also on the “Beatles ‘65” album released in the States.  Most magazines say that it’s Paul doing the tune “Rock n Roll music” and I’ve continued to say it’s you.  Will you please straighten this out for us once and for all?

John:  It’s definitely me.  There’s only one voice on it and it’s me.   On the British album, you see, they explain who sings what exactly, and who sings the harmony.    They seem to miss it off in the American one, which is silly.   It saves all the messing.  I heard one on the radio last night who said George was singing and it was me and Paul.  There were about eight voices on it and it’s all me and Paul.  It’s mad.   They should print it on the album like they do in England and there wouldn’t be any messing.

Dave:  On these trips that take you away from your family don’t you miss Cynthia and Julian a great deal?

John:  Yeah, I miss them like mad.  I was going to bring them out here but they’d just be hanging around all the time because that’s all there is.

Dave:  You kept your son out of the press.  Has that been your own doing or is it that the press is not really interested in your son?

John:  I don’t’ know.  They want pictures, I suppose, but I’m…you know…he’s going to have enough problems as it is being my son without getting pictures in when he’s a kid.  I don’t like family pictures anyway.

Dave:  When you go away for any length of time and return, do you find he’s developed new traits that you weren’t aware of before?

John:  Oh yeah, they change all the time at that age.  He’s only two.  Mainly new words he’s learned.  Quite good fun to see what he’s learned.

Dave:  You made a statement that I understand was more a put-on than anything else.  I thought at the time it was a John Lennon put on, but most of the American press are not aware of your talent of kidding and that was when at the marriage of Ringo and Maureen when you and your wife drove up in your Rolls Royce, and you said that George had driven over on his bicycle.  You were putting on the world, weren’t you?

John:  Yeah.  Did that get around?  I didn’t know.

Dave:  Yes, it made press all across the nation.  Everybody was saying, “which was the Beatles who arrived on a bicycle?”  but he really didn’t, did he?

John:  No.  It was just a joke.  He came with me in the Rolls.  We just said it to a friend of ours, 

Maureen Cleve, on the phone and we thought she’d know.  But it was so early in the morning that she probably didn’t think.  She just wrote it down.  I forgot to apologize to her, but it’s got around the world.

Dave:  Well it was a surprise to everyone, Ringo’s marriage.  I know it wasn’t a surprise to the Beatles because I knew for some time he’s been very much in love with her.  How long as it before they really got married did they plan on it?  Actually the marriage date?

John:  I haven’t a clue.  I knew there was something in the air but I went on holiday so I was way out of touch.   Nobody was in touch.   And I just got back and they suddenly said the date is in two days’ time.  I said, right.  It was quite a shock to us, too because we knew he was going to get married but not exactly when.

Dave:  your last holiday was spent were?

John:  St. Moritz, Switzerland, skiing.

Dave:  the fact of the matter is, I saw a picture of you sitting down in the snow.  You had fallen while skiing.  Did you take your wife?  And Julian?

John:  I didn’t take Julian because he’s too young to learn to ski.  They learn about four.  I’ll take him about four.  I took my wife.  It was great.

Dave:  Was it publicity set up or did you really fall down?

John:  Well I fell down a few times but that actual photograph I couldn’t fall over.  When they waited for the fall, I kept doing it right, so the ski instructor told me I had to downhill and fall over as well.  So I did fall over.  I did fall over a lot.  Obviously everybody does. 

Dave:  Are you really a good skier?  An average skier?  How do you rate yourself?

John:  Well, both my wife and I did well because we had a private instructor, you see.  The people who were in big classes were doing the same stuff at the end of two or three weeks.  And we were going down from the tops, so I suppose we were above average.  It takes a long time if you’re in a big class of forty.  They can’t teach you properly. 

Dave:  Well, I don’t’ want to bug you anymore.  I know you ‘d like to relax for a second.  Thank you so much, John.

John:  Good to see you again, Dave.