The beginning of a beautiful relationship

Who invited the kids?

Paul is shady

Paul McCartney in Hollywood

I am not quite sure where this story came from.   I got it in a bunch of newspaper clippings and it is a photocopy.  So it could be from anywhere, but most likely a teen magazine.  We have seen Robyn Flans before.  She worked for Modern Drummer magazine and met Ringo in the 1980's and 1990's.  Well here she is a total teenage fan girl over Paul McCartney in Los Angeles in 1968.   I feel like there must be more to this story.  How did these girls just happen to get to talk to Paul on the phone and get invited over to his Bungalow in the first place?   

Paul McCartney in Hollywood!

By Robyn Flans and Gerri Friedman

As he approached, it truly seemed like a dream – a flight from reality.  It had been a rough day.  At 7:30 we had boarded a bus.  Finally, at 9:00, once at the magic Beverly Hills Hotel, we reached Paul on the phone.  He spent a half hour talking to us, telling us his bungalow number and then that we’d be expected about 6:00 in the evening, which meant a day of nervous waiting!  We began our waiting by sleeping in the bathroom, which only wasted an hour.  That left us with five hours on our hands.  By 5:00 it became evident that the lobby was not the place for us to wait, becoming formal, so we, in our jeans, silently trotted out to the lawn to wait patiently for him.  When 6:00 rolled around and still Paul did not return, we began to doubt his word.

But, alas, at 7:12 our fate arrived, and luckily we were still alive to be rewarded by his presence.   As we walked up those bungalow steps, the echoes of knocking knees could be heard plainly.  Courageously we approached Paul’s roommate Tony, who was nice enough to bring us to Paul’s attention.  Once  we had that over with, the rest was easy.  As Paul emerged from his bungalow, our knocking knees were put at ease as he told us to relax and have a seat.  We sat down close to him, checking to make sure Paul would not slip from our grasp.  Hoping not to impose, we politely asked Paul if we could snap some pictures.  Obviously being used to them, he accepted with graciousness. 

Between sips of water, we asked Paul questions.  He told us why “Magical Mystery Tour” got a bad write up in England.  Seems that they’re very conservative over there.  And we’re not?!?!  But we always thought….Oh well, it doesn’t matter what we think.  It is what he thinks that counts.  We spoke of how some people are mean by giving the fans fake information to make themselves look big.  The thing that amazed us, was that he was so real (maybe because he is!?), and so unaffected.  Whenever there was a lull in the conversation,  Paul sang for us putting us at ease immediately.  Paul was also asked to explain, “How I won the War.”  He told us that people play more into it then there really is, and then he went on  to explain some of the confusing parts to us.  One of the other girls with us, Vicki, gave Paul a pair of beads as a small token of her love for him.   Being original in every way, he put them on his shoes – trying to start another fad, huh Paul?

The pictures were still being snapped and after every flash in our eyes, we were truly scared to open them in fear of waking up and finding our dream gone.

The climax of our visit occurred when Lesley went to give Paul her gift to him.  It was a common, ordinary everyday gift – an elephant bean.  You’re asking me what it is?  You’ve got to be kidding!  Actually, we soon found out, when the minute bean fell from Lesley’s nervous hands, coming apart as it touched bottom.  Lesley commenced to picking up the elephants – ivory elephants that is – to be exact twelve tiny ones.  While all this was going on, Paul felt he had to get into the act (the ham) so he began shouting verse of “Go Lesely!! Hurry Les! “ etc.   What a scene!  Lesley frantically began to retrieve them as Paul eagerly extended his hand for the elephants.  Paul was in the process of calculating nine from twelve, trying to see how many elephants he had lost in the accident, when all of a sudden, a lady popped out of the bushes.   Would you believe a maid walked around the corner?  We all laughed for a while about that.

Time was running short, so we all decided it best to record his face in our minds.  We could never forget the moment we had waited for for five long years.  Our reward sat there as we examined him from top to bottom.  He’s much more beautiful in person than in pictures, but the pictures we took captured much of his beauty.  His eyes, his most outstanding feature, are of hazel color.  They’re big and droopy and just by looking at them, one can tell Paul’s feelings.  His nose and mouth are perfectly shaped, but there is still a small scar form his motorbike accident.  Being nobodies, Paul didn’t really dress up for the occasion.   He wore brown and white herringbone pants and no top however, so we might not get the wrong idea, he put on a velvet maroon jacket. 

We felt we had taken up enough of Paul’s precious time, and we told him so.  Then the best moment of the forty he had spent with us happened.   All four of us received kisses, but for some wonderful reason, we two, received special ones – on the lips.  We were only ecstatic with happiness.  We thanked him for spending so much time with us and then we all stood up.

Dirty weekend fans

These photos were taken by Lucille Azzarito and Patti O'Neil.   I have been doing a bit of reading about Paul's L.A. trip in 1968.     He was extremely open and welcoming to the fans while he was there. 

Let the first dirty weekend begin!

Paul seems pretty happy here at the Beverly Hills hotel  he gets off the plane in Los Angles in 1968.  I have never understood why they gave him a flower lei in Los Angeles, but what the heck, it was the 1960's...flower power and all that, right?

Paul takes time to pose with a fan at the airport hotel  before heading out to start a fun weekend with Linda.

Robyn meets half of the Beatles

Robyn Flans was a writer from Modern Drummer magazine, but she also is a Beatles fan.   She was one of those girls met Paul in L.A. during the "dirty weekend."   She also interviewed Ringo in 1980 and 1996 for Modern Drummer magazine.    No word if she ever met John or George....

Where is this footage?

Singing in L.A.

Oh to have been there! And to think you fans that were there had no idea who Linda was at that time.

Red Velvet

Paul in his red velvet jacket is to die for! Tracks has this photo on ebay right now. What a beauty!

the first dirty weekend

We all know by now that time Paul spent in 1968 in Los Angeles has been named "the dirty weekend." However I just recently learned that it was Linda who gave it that name and said that it was the "first dirty weekend" she and Paul spent together.

Paul McCartney where?

So I just purchased a very strange thing. It is a bound book that if full of Beatles articles from teen magazines from the 1960's. That isn't what is so strange I guess. What is strange is that there is no rhyme or reason to the organization of this bound book. One page I am reading about the Beatles making the movie Help. I turn the page and think I am going to keep reading about Help, but instead is a story about the Beatles in India! The Help story continues about 40 pages later. It is a mess to figure out! But I did find some goodies in the book that I will be sharing. Don't ask me what magazine or issue they come from because I can't tell at all.

The first one I am going to share is story about Paul McCartney's infamous trip to Los Angeles in 1968 (the "Dirty Weekend). This story does not mention Linda, but does talk about the fans that hung around and met him. I think this is from Teen Set magazine.

Paul McCartney Where?

(this article conceived and executed (literally) by Anonymous Photographer, Chuck Boyd, Nancy Chester, Larry Delaney, Carol Gwenn, Ken Mansfield, Dick Ray and Judy Sims

The Beatles myth has descended upon us again, this time in the person of P.McC. himself. No one could have felt the whole thing quite as deeply as the two pale groupies who stationed themselves in the lobby of the Beverly Hills hotel for a solid weekend. they followed Paul to, among other places, the marina, where they reported (tearfully) that he developed a horrible sunburn, because his shirt was open to the waist. There was also an evening drive through the campus of U.C.L.A. (huh?) where the groupies ran out of gas and walked back to the hotel to continue their vigil. A reporter and photog dashed to the hotel, only to be attacked by the groupies. They were shown (reverently) to the bungalow that Paul had occupied, and were allowed to touch a somewhat mangled bunch of grapes. Grapes? Very simple: "Pauley ate on this morning!"

Paul's visit was relatively unexpected; one might say it was an out and out surprise. Capitol Records was holding its annual convention at the Century Plaza hotel with its executives and promotion men from all over the country, all having a good convention time, when in walked .... Paul McCartney??! Celebrities and employees alike lined up to have photos taken with the Beatle, who smiled graciously while signing endless autographs for endless pictures, endearing himself forever and ever to all those conventioneers.

Actually Paul didn't fly several thousand miles just to sign autographs (although it isn't the worst idea anyone ever had). He had to firm up the deal between the Beatles' new Apple Records and Capitol, which will be handling the manufacture and distribution of Apple records in this country and Canada, starting with the Beatles' next album. He wanted to meet the people he would be working with, wanted to get acquainted with the business side of things (and also managed to work in a few leisure hours...). The idea of a Businesslike Beatle may be new and strange to us, but we're not about to complain because it will probably mean more Beatle trips to this country, and the more of those the better!

Paul arrived on a Thursday night and stayed until the next Monday afternoon. He stayed at the Beverly Hills hotel and was even listed in the registry there. As he walked in, a kid stopped him in the lobby and asked, "Hey, aren't you John Lennon?" Paul answered, "No, I'm Stevie Wonder."

Although there was no real attempt to hide the fact that he was here, it was generally known, except by a handful of faithful girls who tracked down the rumor and waited patiently outside his bungalow. At first he was smuggled into places, like the convention, for a surprise effect, but after the first day or two he strolled about in plain view of anyone who was watching, pulling up to front doors (a welcome change; he commented that all he had seen of this country for the past three years was "back doors and kitchens.")

His wandering took him to several boutiques, The Whiskey a Go Go (where Albert King was playing), the Factory (a private club) and Billy Graham's yacht. But no sooner did he board the boat and leave the pier than the rudder broke and they had to go back for repairs.

Capitol people Ken Mansfield and Larry Delaney spent hours and hours with Paul (being completely charmed by him). "He was always so courteous, no matter how hectic it was," they remember with awe. "He had time for everyone."

One night the three of them were sitting in Paul's bungalow and Paul took out his guitar and played some tunes which will be on the next album. "He started writing a song and asked us for help! But he really listens, he wasn't just being polite." Apparently all the songs have been written for the album, but only a couple have been recorded. "They're not exactly straight yet, but the stuff he played for us was fantastic." Here they groped for the right words. "Artistic...pure. More simplicity. How can you describe it? Not a return to rock and roll, in fact more like the opposite. Beautiful...."

The Beatles are in the final stages of constructing their own recording studio at 3 Savile Row in London in the basement of an ancient building. "It's a landmark building, so they have to get permission to make any changes in the structure; that's why the studio has to be in the basement."

Ken and Larry kept remembering anecdotes form Paul's visit in no particular sequence. Events which stuck in their minds. Here are a few:

"Paul couldn't really grasp how the Beatles have affected the American way of life. Every time we'd get into a car after going through a crowd he'd talk about it as if it were a whole new thing to ponder."

"When we took him to the convention we went through the basement and took an elevator to the 15th floor. We were walking down the hall when one of our promo men from Atlanta popped out of a doorway, spotted Paul, stopped dead, then ran up the him and gave him a big hug and said, "Hey man, howary, how's it goin'" Paul hugged him right back saying, "Hey, great to see ya, how's it goin'?" When the guy finally went on down the hall, we asked Paul if he knew him. Paul said he'd never seen him before."

"One morning Paul went down to the hotel pool. There was a guy there who was determined not to be impressed by a Beatle. He walked past Paul and said very high handedly, "How are you?" Paul replied, "Fine, how are you?" The guy keep right on walking; Paul leaned forward and called out "Hey, you didn't tell me how you were!" Broke everyone up.

"A girl reporter for a TV station was giving him a hard time, but he kept smiling. He was never once as rude as he had a right to be."

"When we took him to the airport to catch his 1:15 flight to London, there was a 3-hour delay because of a bomb threat on his plane. So we stood by the elevator and ate hot dogs and admired pretty girls and blew every one's mind. I mean, how often do you see Paul McCartney standing at a counter putting mustard on a hot dog???"

Not nearly often enough.

More of the velvet jacket....

The lovely Miss Tammy just posted these photos recently and I am SURE all of you are frequent visitors of the wonderful Beatles Photo blog and have seen these there. However, they are worth repeating over here at this measly little attempt of a blog to be as cool as Miss Tammy because several girls who were there in 1968 to see Paul in that beautiful red velvet jacket do read this blog and maybe if we are lucky one of them might share with us what happened on those steps!

Dirty weekend

Here are a few more shots of Paul taken during his stay in L.A. in 1968.

More of Paul in L.A. in 1968

What I think makes this blog especially cool is that people from all over the world who have met one or more of the Beatles are finding themselves and their friends in the photos I have been posting! With just a few exceptions, everyone who has contacted me has been so happy to see themselves on the blog and I know this blog has helped connect some long-lost Beatle friends who had been out of touch with each other. It is just so awesome!

One fan who found herself in a photograph that I had posted emailed me this weekend. I have been sick all weekend and just now got around to checking emails. (Whatever bug is going around is knocking me out!!). This fan didn't leave her name, but she did say that she met Paul when he came to L.A. in 1968 and has been looking for more photos from that time. She loves Paul in that red velvet jacket! (Who doesn't??? I am not even a "Paul girl" and I swoon over him in that jacket!). She sent me some photos of her with Paul that she had found. The first one is the one that had been posted but my copy was all messed up, so here is a new, "fixed" version.

Here are all of the photos I have found so far from this day

Oh Snap

Here is a great photo from Paul's L.A. trip in 1968.

Paul in L.A. 1968

Paul McCartney went to Los Angeles in June 1968. He had some business to do with capitol records. It wasn't a well known trip, but word got out among fans that Paul was in town. He was actually there with Linda, but no one really knew it was her at the time. On June 24, fans came to where he was staying and he played the guitar some, pose for photos and signed autographs. I think these are neat because the fans didn't have to go to England to see Paul this time.