Gary interviews the other Beatles

 

More interviews from Disc Jockey, Gary Stevens during the 1965 Beatles tour in North America and Datebook magazine.

Gary: Which do you prefer - playing a few weeks in one theatre as you do in England or one-nighters as you do on tour here?

Paul: Well, actually, if you think about it, if we play one place here, it's the equivalent of playing two weeks in England because the theatres are so much bigger here. 

Gary: One of the newspapers last night had a story about you being about to marry Jane Asher. Is this just one more false report that you have to deny?

Paul: I never said it, but it's daft to deny it. That would just add to their story. They only write a story like that so that the next day, they can say, "Paul McCartney denies it."

Gary:  Some people say your style of music is changing. Do you find that you are doing more folk-style or country-western?

Paul: Not really.  We've done a few in country style, like "Honey Don't." On our last album, you might think we're going classical because we've a string quartet on it. But we just like doing a bit of everything that pleases us. 

Gary: how did you feel facing 55,000 people in Shea Stadium?

Paul: Not nervous about it. Even if we made a million mistakes, nobody would know about it. We just listen to them!

Gary: Do you feel that you're almost a prisoner in your hotel?

Paul: No, I quite enjoy hotels. And besides, all the people we like come to visit us, instead of us going to them. But I would quite fancy going for a walk sometimes. 

Gary: How is married life treating you?

Ringo: I enjoy married life. It's good fun.  Everyone should be married. 

Gary: Are you the boss?

Ringo: I think I am, but I'm not sure!

Gary: Do you have any pet names for your wife?

Ringo: No.  I just called her Maureen, Mo, or Midge.

Gary: How have people reacted to your marriage?

Ringo: Ninety-nine percent of the mail was good.  Everybody congratulated us. 

Gary: Are you nervous about the big crowds that mob you?

Ringo: the only thing you have to be careful of in a big crowd is that there are so many people.

Gary: you often steal the show when you're all together. Are you the natural comedian of the group?

Ringo: I don't think I'm funnier than anyone else. 

Gary: Are you going to get tired of making movies after a while?

Ringo: No. I don't think so. I enjoy it more and more.

Gary: Do you get tired of singing the same songs over and over at concerts?

Ringo: No. It's just like being a builder. They can't use a new style of brick every day. 

Gary: Do you think it was more fun on the way up than now?

Ringo: It wasn't fun when we were starving. But when we first had a number one records, that was great. Then we played the Palladium, and someone said you couldn't do any better than that. And then we did Carnegie Hall, and they said the same thing.  It's a very good coming up. 

Gary: Has having money changed you? Are you a different person now?

Ringo: Not really. But I know that people sometimes just talk to you because you are a Beatle, not a fellow. 

Gary: You're dressed casually in Levis spattered with paint.  What's the story behind all that paint, George?

George: I'm not an artist if that's what you're thinking. The paint is from my painting the walls of my house in England. 

Gary: Do you buy most of your clothes in England?

George: Yes, but there are some good clothing stores in the south of France, too. 

Gary: Do the Beatles usually take their vacations separately?

George: Yes, but I haven't had a holiday in a long time. 

Gary: George, you seem to have the longest hair of the Beatles. Was it always that way?

George: We all had much longer hair when we were first getting started. Brian Epstein had us cut our hair a bit and put on suits. But now our hair has started to grow back to normal again. 

Gary: Do you find that old friends react differently to you now that you are famous?

George: No. People who have been good friends are still good friends. They are amazed when we visit them, and they see we are still the same as ever. We haven't changed all that much. 

Gary: Do you get on well with other English groups?

George: If you were to go into one of the popuar English clubs at night, you'd probably see members of maybe eight groups who are all enjoying a laugh together. Like with the Aniumals and the Stones. People think we all hate each other, but that's not true. We're all in pretty much the same position, and talking about our work relaxes us. 

Gary: How do you feel about the tremendous effect you have on fans?

George: We don't want to be setting examples to people. We enjoy the music we play and the films we make, but we don't want to put ourselves on a pedestal and say we're gods now. We want to be normal and stay sane, and have a great time. 

Interivew with John

 

Just like the interview with George I posted yesterday, this is an interview with disc jockey Gary Stevens and John Lennon from Datebook magazine, published in 1965.   It occurred during the 1965 Beatles North American tour. 

New York's Gary Stevens is one of the youngest DJs in the Empire City, entertaining one of the nation's largest teen audiences from 7 through 11 p.m. every night on WMCA, the home of the "Good Guys." Gary shares the spotlight with his friend enemy, the Wooley-burger, which he calls "the world's most ferocious animal." According to Gary, "Listeners can tell by its growl that this is no beast to fool around with," but they can count on this lively character to serve as the foil for Gary's lively pranks. 

Before joining W.M.C.A., Gary DJ'd in Miami, St. Louis, and Detroit, where he also hosted a TV bandstand show. 

He's a Beatlemaniac from way back, even having vacationed with them in London. 

Following are excerpts from Gary Stevens' various exclusive interviews with the Fab Four. 

Gary: Do you feel that your audience has changed any?

John: Over all, it's probably grown a bit.

Gary: Is your audience growing up?

John: No, I think getting younger. The average age is about 13.

Gary: Is it easier to play for a lot of people than for a small group?

John: Yes. Nobody is going to know what we're doing. 

Gary: How is life for a Beatle in London? Are you always surrounded by fans?

John: We can go almost anywhere in the world as long as we go alone. If I leave the house, say, at 10 a.m. and go out to buy a pair of shoes - a few people will see me, but no big crowds with gather, and no press. 

Gary: you have the reputation of being the "intellectual" of the gorup. how do you react to fans' worship of the Beatles?

John: It looks like worship from the outside, but we really don't meet any fanatics. You know that the fans like you, but you never know how they really feel.

Gary: It has been said that you fellows don't take yourselves seriously. Is that true?

John: No, we couldn't. If we did, we'd start thinking we were gods or something.

Gary: Do you get nervous when fans charge at you?

John: Not too. As you know, our security is pretty amazing. 

Gary: If you could say one little thing to your fans, what would you say?

John: What I'm saying now.  I don't think of them as a mass. If I were talking to one of them, I'd find out what she wanted to know. I wouldn't just say "Hi, thanks for buying my records." Maybe she likes us and doesn't buy our records.

Gary: Does acting come naturally to you? Do you have a dramatic coach?

John: No, we don't. They just give us lines, and they try to make it look like we're acting. Half the time, we don't look at the script. We do it on the spot, and it requires many takes. I didn't even know what our two films were about until I saw them. 

Gary: Do you like to listen to your own singing?

John: I like to listen to our new records.

Gary: Are you a perfectionist?

John: No!

Gary Stevens interviews John Lennon

This photo and interview came from a Teen magazine and sadly the cover of the magazine is missing, so I cannot tell you the name of it.   I had never read it before, and  so I thought it would be worth sharing.

New York's Gary Stevens is one of the youngest DJ's in the empire city, entertaining one of the nation's largest teen audiences from 7 through 11 p.m. every night on WMCA, the home of the "Good Guys."  Gary shares the spotlight with his friendly enemy, the Wooley-burger, which he calls "the world's most ferocious animal."  According to Gary, "Listeners can tell by its growl that this is no beast to fool around with" but they can count on this lively character to serve as the foil for Gary's lively pranks.

Before joining WMCA, Gary DJ'd in Miami, St. Louis and Detroit, where he also hosted a TV bandstand show.

He's a Beatlemaniac from way back, even having vacationed with them in London.

Following are exerts from Gary Steven's exclusive interview with John Lennon.

Gary:  Do you feel that your audience has changed any?
John:  Over all, it's probably grown a bit.
Gary:  Is your audience growing up?
John:  No, I think getting younger.  The average age is about 13.
Gary:  Is it easier to play for a lot of people than for a small group?
John:  Yes.  Nobody is going to know what we're doing.
Gary:  How is life for  a Beatle in London?  Are you always surrounded by fans?
John:  We can go almost anywhere in the world as long as we go alone.  If I leave my house, say, at 10 a.m. and go out to buy a pair of shoes- a few people will see me, but no crowds will gather, and no press.
Gary:  you have the reputation of being the "intellectual" of the group.  how do you react to fans' worship of the Beatles?
John:  It looks like worship from the outside, but we really don't meet any fanatics.  You know that the fans like you, but you never know how they really feel. 
Gary: It has been said that you fellows don't take yourselves seriously.   Is this true?
John:  No, we couldn't.  If we did, we'd be thinking we were gods or something.
Gary:  Do you get nervous when fans chase you?
John:  Not too.  As you know, our security is pretty amazing.
Gary:  If you could say one little thing to your fans, what would you say?
John:  What I'm saying now.  I don't think of them as a mass.  If I were talking to one of them, I'd just find out what she wanted to know.  I would just say, "Hi, thanks for buying my records.  Maybe she likes us and doesn't buy our records."
Gary:  Does acting come naturally to you?  Do you have a dramatic coach?
John:  No, we don't.  They just give us lines and they try to make it look like we're acting.  half the time we don't look at the script.  We do it on the spot and it requires many takes.  I didn't even know what our two films were about until I saw them.
Gary:  do you like to listen to your own singing?
John:  I like to listen to our new records.
Gary:  Are you a perfectionist?
John:  No!