Their Day in Court

October 19, 1968

Fans took advantage of John and Yoko's court date for an opportunity to see them.   Yoko looks scared.  
 

It's All Too Much -- A Book Review

 

Do you know those people who happen to always be at the right place at the right time?   Those people that get away with doing things that most people get in trouble for?   Put David Stark on that list of people because after reading his book It's All Too Much, I just had to think, "Wow!  He just had all the luck!"

The amazing thing about David is that he is able to "show the receipts" through photographs that show him in the background of the places that go along with his stories (see photos above) and autographs he obtained from The Beatles over the years.  

Part of David's luck had to do with the fact that he was a teenage Beatles fan who lived in London in the 1960s.   He had easier access to the Beatles than most other fans in the world.  He also had a lot of guts and wasn't afraid to walk through a door that was open a crack to down an unknown hall.   

This great mix of luck and guts allowed David to do amazing things, such as sitting behind The Beatles at the premiere of the Yellow Submarine movie, John and Yoko's court appearance, The James Paul McCartney Wings concert, and several more adventures. 

He also met The Beatles the same way many others did -- such as waiting to see John at the first Grapefruit book signing, at LIPA, waiting to see George outside of a radio station, and at Ringo's press conference.    

David also tells how he got a job in the music business and how that job allowed him to start up his own magazine and how that opened up great opportunities to meet Paul McCartney on several occasions and George Martin and many, many other people that are important in The Beatles story. 

At times it feels like this book is just a bunch of name-dropping, but then I start to realize that this actually is this guy's life.   If I met all those famous people -- I would want to tell people too.   

I enjoyed reading It's All Too Much, and I am still amazed at how David Stark was able to meet the members of the Beatles so often.   

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/3TjEiZy

Yellow Submarine Premiere

Today marks the 45th anniversary of the premiere of the Yellow Submarine.  Here is the story of how David Stark was able to meet the Beatles at the premiere.   This story was published in a 1988 issue of Beatle Book Monthly. 

Yellow Submarine Premiere

Richard Buskin talks to a Beatles fan who managed to sneak into the exclusive premiere!

In 1968, David Stark was a fifteen year old schoolboy, who like countless other Beatles fans the world over was prepared to go to almost any lengths in order to meet up with his idols.  During the next few years he achieved this aim on several occasions, but the first and possibly the most daring of his encounters occurred on Wednesday, July 17, 1968, the day of the “Yellow Submarine” world premiere in London.

After arriving in Piccadilly Circus with a school chum in mid-afternoon, and spending several hours watching the gathering crowds from the roof of the cinema (thanks to an open door at the side and a conveniently placed elevator), the two lad managed to enter the theatre’s “dress circle” only to be stopped by an usher who demanded to see their tickets.

“I told him that we’d left our tickets when we came in downstairs,” recalls David, “and when the manager arrived and asked us why were there in the first place I replied that we had been sent tickets by our ‘good friend’ Clive Epstein, whom I had in fact met while on holiday a few years earlier.  Well, the manager wasn’t too convinced with that explanation and took us to the bar to find Clive – gulp! - but he was more impressed when I spotted Dick James and asked him if I had seen Clive.  He told me that he had been held up in Liverpool, at which point the manager said, “Okay, I can see you know people here.  You can stay, but next time hold on to your tickets!”  Unbelievable luck!

Even more incredibly lucky was David’s choice of seats – immediately behind the Fab four and their friends!

“We just stood around as everyone came in,” he recalls.  “I remember seeing Status Quo, Grapefruit and some members of The Who.  And then all of the sudden camera flashguns started going off everywhere, and the whole place buzzed as the Beatles arrived with their entourage.  They went down to the front row of the “dress circle,” closely followed by the photographers, and as the photographers left I noticed two empty seats behind Paul!

“At this point I was really sweating it out, especially when I looked to my right and saw that Iw as sitting next to Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones!  I thought we were going to be thrown out of any moment.  Eventually I plucked up the courage to ask him if it was okay to sit there, and he said it was, as the seats were reserved for Mick Jagger and Marianne Faithfull, but they were still in the States!  John Lennon then turned around and asked Keith Richards something like, “So who are you friends?,” and Keith said, “Oh sorry, haven’t I already introduced you to Mick and Marianne?”

A better opportunity to speak to John, Paul, George and Ringo came after the feature-length cartoon finished and received its ovation from the audience.  The Beatles stayed in the foyer, waiting for the pandemonium outside to subside a little and for their cars to arrive, and David took full advantage of the situation to talk to both John and George.

“Everyone was really up,” he recalls.  “They were obviously pleased with what they had seen on the screen.  John, with Yoko at his side, was telling me about the new Apple offices that had just moved into in Savile Row, and when I asked him if the Beatles were recording any new songs he said he’d been working on one that was constructed around a children’s nursery rhyme.  I worked out later that he must have been talking about “Cry Baby Cry”.  George, meanwhile, in his yellow suit and hat, told me he hoped his soundtrack album for the “Wonderwall” film would be released sometime later in the year.

“Apart from meeting the Beatles, the most vivid memory I have of that night was the incredible sight of thousands and thousands of people outside the cinema, all struggling to get a glimpse of their idols and chanting the chorus to ‘Yellow Submarine’.  Incredible!”

David did not attend the party held afterwards at the Royal Lancaster Hotel after all, he had not been invited!  But at least he had seized what was probably the last ever opportunity to experience Beatlemania at first-hand.

I want to tell you

Here is a series of short stories of Beatles encounters from David Stark, who is a musician who lived in London and was a teenager during the height of Beatlemania.  He has a lot of great stories that he shares, and I was fortunate to hear him tell them in person at the Beatles convention this past August.   These were written for the British Beatles Fan Club Magazine and were published in Issue #36 (From April 2010). 

David and Paul in 2006

Yet another time David and Paul were togther

David at the Fest for Beatle Fans in Chicago giving a slide show presentation.

I want to tell you

By David Stark

My parents took me and my brother to “Another Beatles Christmas Show” at the Hammersmith Odeon on Monday 4^th January 1965 as a special treat.  My dad knew Dick James’ accountant, which is how I think he got the tickets.  We had a great view, but all I remember is the non-stop screaming was totally deafening.  We could hardly hear the band, which isn’t surprising as Vox AC30 amps and a 100-watt PA system don’t carry too far in big venues.

My first encounter with any of the group on a personal basis took place the following year outside EMI Studios in Abbey Road. This was around the time they were recording “Paperback Writer” and “Revolver” in April 1966, which coincided with the Easter holidays, I went to school in Elstree and had a classmate who lived on Abbey Road just a couple of block away from the studios.  He was often telling me how he’d seen the Beatles arriving, and also got his copy of the “Help” album signed by them, which of course I was rather envious of.  So although I lived some miles away in Stanmore, I cycled all the way to St. John’s Wood on day to meet up with my pal and wait outside the studios for any Beatles to arrive.  An expectant crowd, mainly female, was already gathering and it looked as if we might be in luck.  I rested my bicycle against the left-hand studio gate without thinking any more of it, and waited for something to happen.

A short while later a bizarre sight on wheels approached the studios from the direction of Lords cricket ground.  It was a black Rolls Royce with a loudspeaker mounted on the roof, while someone inside was loudly delivering a gibberish commentary to all and sundry.  It was none other than John Lennon MBE, and as his limo got close to the studio entrance  I suddenly heard him say the immortal words, “and get that fucking bike out the way!” over his personal tannoy system.  Naturally I obliged as quickly as I  could, as the car slowly drove past us into the studio courtyard.  Lennon waltzed out and signed a few autographs before heading up the studio steps and that was that.  I’d got off lightly for obstructing a Beatle, but had to wait a couple of years to meet him properly.  

One Saturday night in the autumn of 1970 or 1971, I was out with my pal Vince trying to think of something to do for a laugh.  We didn’t have much dosh, were dressed in smell Afghan coats and jeans and didn’t fancy joining the usual crowd at the Wimpy Bar by Edgeware Station.  Vince had recently got his first car, a Ford Anglia, s I came up with the idea of driving to Hampstead to find where Ringo lived and asked him out for a pint.  Yes, a ridiculous thing to even think of, but that’s what made it more of a challenge.  I happened to know the name of Ringo’s street, but not the number of which home.

As it happened, Compton Avenue is a small private road opposite Kenwood House on Hampstead Heath, so we parked up and promptly rang the bell of the first house on the left.  Who should come to the door but none other than Lulu with then-hubby Maurice Gibb in tow.  They were obviously wondering why these two young scruffs were intruding on them, but couldn’t have been nicer when I fibbed that we’d been invited to Ringo’s gaff but weren’t too sure which hosue it was.  “Ooh, he’s just down the endo f the road on the right,” said Lulu, sweet as pie, ‘You can’t miss it,” added Maurice, “it’s got a big double drive.”  Success!  Could you imagine anyone, famous or not, giving that kind of information to two total strangers these days?  We duly thanked them and headed a few yards down the road, where it was apparent that if it was Ringo’s house (actually called Round Hill), then he was having some kind of party, judging from the  number of cars parked n and around the drive. 

Anyway we mustered up some courage, took a deep breath and rang the bell.  And who should come to the door this time but Ringo himself.  “How can I help you lads?” he asked.  “We were just wondering if you’d like t come out for a quick drink with us.”  I volunteered, feeling somewhat stupid but at least sticking to the plan.  “Er, thanks for asking but I’m afraid we’ve got a few friends in tonight.”  Ringo replied, looking somewhat puzzled by the two young cavaliers on his doorstep.  “Thanks for the offer though. Another time maybe.”  As he was saying all this, I suddenly saw Eric Clapton walking past the back of the hallway.  We then quickly said our goodbyes and Ringo closed the door, as we headed back to the car laughing our heads off.

Tom Scott and friend

This is a photo (David Stark's) that I took at Beatlefest of the screen when David was showing his photos.

This is the same photo, only clearer but not complete.

Here is a nice photo of George from the late 1970's.   The guy on the far left (when you are looking at the photo) is David Stark.   The guy in the cap is Tom Scott (who was a guest at the Fest this year.  He is a saxophone player).  The girl in the photo (and the person on the bike) are unknown.