55 years of Hey Jude

 

September 4, 1968

Paul and Francie's advertisement

 August 7, 1968

Continued work on Hey Jude

July 31, 1968
 

Hey Jude

 July 30, 1968

Hey Jude

Tonight I am going to share a story that has been shared on this site before, but this is the first time the author wrote about her experience and it was the one that was written right after it happened.  
This story of Hey Jude was written by Sher Miller and was found in the September 1968 issue of "Father Lennon's Many Children."


Tuesday, September 3 (1968) we had been at Paul's house all day waiting for him to come back from his holiday (he went to get a sunburn).  Finally, about four o'clock he came home all red-cheeked. He didn't stay out too long because he was exhausted from the plane trip.

That evening at EMI, they arrived about seven thirty, first came John and Yoko in a small white van driven by Mal.   not far behind, Ringo came in a large black limousine, chauffeur driven.  He has his mustache again and looks adorable.  Then right behind him was Paul in his white mini.  He stopped and signed autographs.

 After Paul went in Mal came out with forms which some kids were signing.  Finally one of my friends managed to get a sheet.  it was an invitation to take part in an actual Beatles film of "Hey Jude!!!"  We all rushed up to Mal and he said we could all have one.   We got the forms just as George was driving up in his white mini.  Since I had met George just two days before Iw as anxious to talk to him again.  I approached the car and before I had a chance to say anything, he looked up and me and waved.   He had remembered me.   I was in a daze for the rest of the night.  you spend almost five years of your life obsessed with four people who don't even know you exist, and then one day one of them remembers you ... it was so beautiful. 

The next day, September 4th, we met at Paul's house and said goodbye to him as he left for Twickenham Studios.  We got there about five o'clock and at first, they made us stand far behind the cameras and far from the stage.  Mal kept assuring us that we wouldn't be back there for the actual taping.  Finally, the let us move up.  Before we knew what was happening, in walked the Beatles.   There was no screaming or anything (it's so casual in England) but you knew everyone there was just dying!  They jumped onto the stage and began to tune up.  Paul is on piano throughout the song and he is just fabulous on it.  Paul had on a red velvet jacket and a pink shirt.  John, a white pullover, dark pants, and white sneakers.  George had on green corduroy pants and a brown ruffled shirt.  Ringo was wearing a light green corduroy suit with a white ruffled shirt.  The director got on the stage with them and told us what our job was.  At the end bit of "Hey Jude" that very long ending, we all rush in and surround The Beatles and sing with them!  We had a rehearsal and when I rushed in, I managed to get right near George.  Paul kept telling us to dance and clap and move around a lot.  We did it over and over about five times and each time the Beatles came back from viewing it and decided to do it again, we all cheered.

In between the actual taping the Beatles improvised.  I personally think those parts were the grooviest of the evening.  It isn't often you hear Paul singing "Hang Down Your Head Tom Dooley!"  At one point a friend of the boys from Liverpool got on stage with them.  He was completely soused.  He turned to John and said, "Can I ask you a question?"  John nodded and there was complete silence.  Then the jerk said, "Did you love your wife?"  John immediately came back with "Not lately."  (By the way, Yoko was sitting right behind me looking completely bored.)  There was silence again after John answered and Paul saved the day.  He began playing the piano and said to John, "What's was your most embarrassing moment?"  Everyone laughed and all was okay.  Paul is the most wonderful friend anyone could have.

Before we knew it the time was twelve thirty.  We had spent five beautiful hours with them!

The day the Beatles invited their fans on stage with them

From 1963-1966 The Beatles did not want their fans to join them on stage while they were performing.   Security, as well as Mal Evans and Alf Bicknell, were placed around the stage to prevent fans from getting to them.   And if by chance a fan did make it onto the stage, that fan was immediately removed.

However, 50 years ago today, September 4, 1968 The Beatles actually invited fans to join them onstage in singing the "na na na na" refrain in "Hey Jude." 

As the story goes,  members of the British Beatles fan club in London were invited to take a bus to participate in a Beatles video session.   Members of different cultures and professions were also invited.     They were all taught the song (which couldn't have taken too long) and they did many, many takes of the song.   The Beatle fans each tried to get the closest to his/her favorite Fab during the song.   

I think the "Hey Jude" promo is in my top 5 favorite Beatles promos.    It has something special about it.    Seeing Paul with his big eyes and red velvet jacket sitting at the piano, singing the beginning of the song.   Ringo concentrating on his drums wearing one of the ugliest green suits I have ever seen (and yet Ringo somehow pulled it off).   John chomping away on his gum and for some reason wearing an orange bow tie around his neck, singing harmonies along with Paul.  And George in brown, singing those background "ahhhhhs" without a care in the world.

And the fans -- oh those lucky fans.   To see them run up to the stage and get pulled up closer to the Beatles.  You have seen this clip so many times, that some of the fans seem like old friends.   The boy next to Ringo playing the tambourine that shares a moment with the drummer,  the girl with the blonde curls near Paul,  the girl with the short hair that sits down next to George and singing along, and even Bill the Busker -- they all make the promo something worth watching over and over again.


I encourage you to go onto youtube and enjoy watching Hey Jude again for the 50th anniversary. 

It was Yesterday we Met in a Dream

I have to say that I just LOVE this story.   While I enjoy all of the stories of people meeting one of the Beatles in person, the stories of people who met them while the Beatles were still a band in the 1960's are always so special for me to read.   This one is especially wonderful.    Talk about being at the right place at the right time.  

Just a few observations about this story.   The first is that Paul needed to have better security at his home in the 1960's.   It sounds like girls were breaking easily and stealing things on a frequent basis.  She didn't come through the bathroom window just one time.  You would have thought that after the first time his clothes and things were stolen, he would have found better ways to secure his home so that more things were stolen.   Another thing was just how nice George always is in these stories.   He was so kind to the fans who traveled so far to come to his home.   There have been so many stories about George and his willingness to chat with fans who have knocked on his door.   The last thing that really stands out is that this story mentions Paul's girlfriend, Maggie.  You don't hear much about her in general and I was always under the impression that she was a secret, but it seems that the fans knew about her.   She even spoke with them, so I guess she wasn't the secret girlfriend after all.

This story was written by Sher Miller and was first published is issue #6 (from September 1978) of the McCartney Observer.  All photos were copyright to Sher Miller.

It was Yesterday we met in a dream

By Sher Miller

August 23^rd is a date that stands out in my mind for several reasons.  It was John and Cynthia’s anniversary date, it was the date of the last time the Beatles did a concert in New York and most important of all to me, it was the date of departure for my parents and I go to England.   August 23, 1968 was my first trip to England and definitely the best.  Going to England was my High School graduation present from my father, and believe me it did a lot towards helping me work hard to pass my finals.  We left New York the 23^rd and arrived the morning of the 24^th.  London was a gigantic thrill for me; it had been my dream home since 1964 (along with Liverpool).  It was incredible to finally be there, to really have the dream come true.  We settled in our hotel near Hyde Park and attempted to get some sleep after the plane ride.  I wasn’t haven’t much luck in my room.  I was so excited.  I called my pen pal Margaret and after chatting for a while we arranged we meet at the St. John’s Wood Underground station the next day so I could see Paul’s house as soon as possible.  Next day I said goodbye to my parents (I didn’t see much of them during those two weeks but fortunately they were understanding) and I found my way onto the correct train to St. John’s Wood.  Margaret and her friend Coral were already there and we said our hellos and exchanged presents.  We walked towards Paul’s street and to me it was living in a fantasy.  I just couldn’t believe I was really there.  When I saw the famous Cavendish Avenue street sign and turned down the street I knew immediately this was very real.  

Paul holding Sher's peace beads in his hand.

You can just barely see Eddie's ears

Before Margaret had a chance to say anything I spotted the huge gates that were in front of Paul’s house.  We walked quietly past the deserted gates and peeked over the wall of the house next door.  Everything seemed so quiet I began to think Paul wasn’t home.   We went across the street and sat for about two hours when some girls showed up and stood by the gates.  We watched them for a while just standing around and then suddenly they began to cluster nearer to the gates.  Then we saw a head sticking out of the partly open gates and I about died.  We hurried over there and there was Paul, holding Eddie (a Yorkshire terrier he had given to Jane before they split).  Paul looked so beautiful.  Maybe because it was the first time I’d ever been so close to this man who was my life, but I was just tongue-tied.  I had my camera in one hand and a gift of some Indian peace beads in my other hand and I just stood there like a mummy not taking my eyes off his face.  He wore a light blue turtleneck short sleeved shirt and dark pants.  His eyes were so big and hazel and his hair dark brown with bangs.  What a daze I was in.  Paul spotted Margaret and said hello to her (she used to hang the house quite a lot) and I remember thinking later, “God I wish Paul would remember me like that.  I believe he finally did remember me (not by name) in later years, but then I would’ve given anything to have been some of those English girls.  Finally I got myself to pick up the camera and take a few pics.   The camera was an instamatic that would advance the film automatically, and very noisily, and each time it zipped to the next picture Paul would look over at me with a “what was that?” expression.  Ah recognition at last, even though it was because of a camera.  After about ten minutes, I figured I’d better give him the gift, although by his reaction I needn’t have bothered.  I help up my hand with the beads in it and said, “Paul?”  He turned to me.  “These are for you, they’re Indian peace beads.”  I was absolutely choking on the words I was so shook.  He took them from me and said (get this), “Thank you, very nice…not really, but you’re a guest.”  Well thanks for nothing sir.  I think I said something like, “you can give them back” but he pulled back his hand and wrapped them around it.  He was smiling when he said it but I  didn’t think it was so amusing.  However, at the time I was in too much of a daze to let it bother me.  Margaret didn’t think it was very nice though.  He continued talking to the girls and posing for pictures for a little while longer then closed the gates.  Margaret and I walked to the other corner slowly, deciding if we should go to the new Apple office on Savile Row (it hadn’t even opened yet at that time).  As we were debating about what to do we hear this car horn going crazy behind us.  We turned around and there was Paul driving up in his mini, waving wildly as he drove past.  I was beaming from ear to ear, maybe that was his way of apologizing for the remark about the beads. In any event, I didn’t care what he had said and it ended my first meeting with Paul on just the right note.  We did to go Apple after all that day but no one was there.

 Unfortunately I didn’t keep a diary over there so a lot of the day following are sort of a blur except I know we saw Paul quite a few times driving in and out of his driveway.  After days after my first time seeing Paul anther pen pal and I were walking up to his house and we noticed that something very strange was going on.  A few girls were standing at the gate looking up at the bedroom window on the second floor.  Well my friends and I looked up too and didn’t like what we saw.  There were a few girls inside the house running around grabbing anything they could handle.  Once in a while they’d stick their heads out the window and wave a sock or something thinking they were very funny – we weren’t laughing.  Finally they ran out of the house (obviously Paul wasn’t home) and over the wall next door letting out Martha and Eddie as they did.  They ran up the street and some people followed them and then came back to us reporting that one of the things they had stolen was Paul’s copy of Hunter Davies biography which he hadn’t even read yet and wasn’t released to the public.  We were totally disgusted.  They also got some papers and clothing of his.  Well we decided to wait for Paul and tell him what happened, hoping he wouldn’t think we were involved.  We didn’t have long to wait.  He pulled up in the car and got out smiling at us.  One of the English girls finally got up the nerve to tell him some girls had broken in and taken the biography.  Paul looked furious and he asked us if we knew who they were but we honestly hadn’t seen them at the house before.  We left as soon as Paul went in, after telling us to let him know if we see the girls again.  Next day the girl who had stolen the biography hadn’t shown up and Paul sent Rosie out to see if she had come down.  Finally she did come in the late afternoon with the book and rang the bell after we all really gave it to her.  Rose answered and girl told her she’d give back the book if Paul would come out to get it himself so she could apologize.  When rose came back on the intercom she said Paul would be out later.  We stood around for a while then through a crack in the gate I saw Paul come down the stairs and get into his car, just then a cop came strolling down the street and we had to move away from the gate or be yelled at.  We walked away just as Paul pulled out in the car expecting to see a bunch of girls waiting for him – what screwed up timing that was.  Finally he spotted us standing down the street looking back at him.  He drove the car up to where I was and said, “Who are the ones?”  I pointed ahead of me to where they were standing and he zoomed up to them.  The girl handed him the book through the car window, he said, “Ta, very much” and sped off without giving her a chance to say anything.  I think it really bothered her that he hadn’t’ given her a chance to apologize but she was lucky he didn’t have her arrested. 

Next day we found out from Rosie that Paul and Maggie had gone to Sardinia to get  a tan so I had a chance to do some sightseeing with my folks for a change.  Paul left on a Friday and came back on Tuesday.  We were all down there when he arrived home looking very tan and handsome in a pink suit.  Maggie was very nice and told us the Beatles would be recording later at EMI.  Earlier in the week I had also had the chance (with Paul away) to see John’s home in Weybridge and unexpectedly Julian.  He and Cyn were living there while John and Yoko were in London.  We also saw Ringo’s house and his housekeeper greeted us at the door holding Jason (who was only a year old then).  We seemed to be having good luck in seeing the kids that day.  Lastly, and best of all we went to Esher and met George.  He stood with us and talked at his front door for almost 20 minutes that day even though he had a house full of relatives.  He was so absolutely fantastic to us; especially me for some reason, that even though this is a Paul newsletter I must admit George helped to make that trip something very special.  He was just so nice and sort of shy and really down to earth.  I couldn’t get over it.   He posed with each of us, wore this crazy tie I’d given him around his neck the whole time.  Told me when my finger was covering the lens of the camera one time when attempting to take a pic of him and Margaret then cracking up over it, he even went crazy over this plastic umbrella I‘d bought in London and called Pattie out of the house to see it (don’t ask me).  He had his little nephew, Paul with him out there the whole time and his father watched from the driveway.  He was just so natural and friendly to us this day it was a time I’ll never forget.  Seeing Paul was something special to me because I loved him so much he didn’t even have to do anything, but George actually went out of his way to make us feel comfortable.  It’s something I’ll never forget about him. 

 Anyway, the night Paul came back from Sardinia, we went around to Emi where there was quite a crowd, as there always was when the Beatles were recording.   They were doing the White Album at the time and were expected to record the album for the better part of the month.  I must say my timing was perfect.  One of the Beatles assistants, Kevin, was passing out pieces of paper to the fans there and I managed to get one.  It was an invitation to take part in a Beatles promotion film for “Hey Jude.”  I asked Kevin if only the English girls were being allowed to go.  He assured me that anyone could come and so we all arranged to meet at Paul’s the next day to go to Twickenham not really knowing how incredible the day was going to be.  

First to arrive at the studios were John and Yoko sitting in the front of a small white (everything was white for those two then) van with Mal driving.  It was Ringo being driven in huge black rolls by a chauffeur.  He stopped the car for a few minutes while we all took pictures through the windows.  Ringo just sat there as if it was something he just had to go through till he could run into the studios.  It was a few minutes till the next member arrived and did it in class. A white Jaguar drove up and pulled into EMI’s driveway.  George was at the driver’s seat and he stopped and rolled down the windows slightly to take pieces of paper form the fans for autographs.  There was only one girl standing on the passenger side so I stood behind her trying to see into the car.  The girl bent down at one point and I could see George and apparently he could see me too just then because he looked up at me and smiled and waved.  I smiled back and walked away from the car floating on cloud 9.  Sounds silly now I know, but it meant a lot ot me then to be remembered.  I told Margaret what ha d happened and she thought it was really great he had picked me out of the mob.  By the time Paul arrived quite a few minutes had passed since George had gone in.  Paul always used to come last.  Had to make his entrance I guess.  He stopped the mini to let us take pics and sign autographs.   Paul and George had been the only ones to do so for the fans.  Paul looked very handsome indeed, still wearing his pink suit and looking quite tan.  I took a few photos and he drove in and went into the studios.  Unfortunately I had to leave to meet my parents so I missed them coming out but I heard it was very, very late.   “Hey Jude” had just come out in England then and the first time I heard it I loved it.  Some girls brought down a portable record player to Paul’s one day and were playing “Hey Jude” on it and Paul sent Rose out to tell us to cut out the noise.  Haha!

Well, this point brings me to what is probably the most exciting day of my life:  September 4, 1968.  The entire story of the “Hey Jude” filmingwas printed in The Write Thing a fewissues ago so I won’t go into the whole night again.  I’ll just tell you we were with the Beatles for five hours filming and re-filming the seven minute film that was on the Smothers Brothers TV show October 1968.  In between the actual filming they would jam.  Playing everything from “Hang down your head Tom Dooley” to the Stones records.   It was amazing.  I had never been that close to all four Beatles before, nor would I ever be again. They were so beautiful together, musically and personally.  If I’d known that night how close the Beatles were to splitting up I would have never believed it.  They seemed as close as ever.  I guess that was a tribute to their professional abilities to forget whatever personal crap was going on for the benefit of putting out a perfect product.  Just the fact that they decided to redo the film so many times was an indication of how carefully they created their music.  It was a thrill and a pleasure to have been a part of what was to become the last time they ever performed in front of an audience as The Beatles.  After the film some people (six of us actually) stayed at the studio while everyone else left for the ride back to London (Apple provided the buses to and from the studio which was in a small town outside of London).  We had no transportation back to the city but we didn’t care at that point.  We waited in the studio while the Beatles and David Frost re-did some introduction and while we stood there George once again amazed me.  As he was sitting on the little stage smoking he turned full around to me (I was standing alone watching them) and gave me this huge grin.  Once gain he had acknowledged me.  One of the girls nearby said, “Did you see the look he gave her?”  I was really happy as this was to be my last chance to see him this trip (and not again until 1970 it turned out).  We walked out with Paul to this little studio kitchen and I asked him if we could all pose with him.  He agreed and we stood all around him with Margaret taking my camera to get the picture.  Of course the flash didn’t go off. Paul took the camera and turned it around in his hands a few times (trying to do what I’ll never know).  Then he handed it back to me and said, “Catch me later.”  Naturally the flash did go off a few minutes later but I never did get to pose with Paul.  Oh well.  After about an hour, George and Ringo came out and said goodnight to us and left in separate cars.  Then Paul, John and Yoko came out together and I got a picture of Paul as he stepped into the lighted doorway.  When the flash went off he flung out his arms as if to say “you got me!” (very hammy).  He looked quite tired (it was 1am, so it was understandable) and when I asked him how the film had turned out he said, “great” and gave the thumbs up sign.  He, John and Yoko all got into a limousine and Paul kept waving to us all the way down the road until they were out of sight.  I left London two days later brimming with wonderful memories of seeing Paul for the very first time close up, of talking to him and finding out he was real.  It was a chance to see the Beatles as a group close up and also, unknown to me at the time, it was the last time I would see Paul as a bachelor.  There were so many things about that trip that have remained unsurpassed in the 10 years that have followed and the three other England trips since.  I guess for everyone the first time is always the most special and a decade has done nothing to change that.

 

Backup on Hey Jude

This is a story from the summer 2005 issue of the British Beatles Fan Club magazine.  It was written by a fan from Sweden, Bengt Ahlstrom.   Bengt was one of the lucky fans who sang in the background during the "Hey Jude" promos in 1968.  And while this is a story that has been told on this blog before, it is always neat to hear the same story from a different person because every Beatle experience and memory has that individual's personal spin to it that makes it unique to that fan.  It says in this article that Bengt wants to hear from other fans that were there.  The magazine has an email address, but I don't feel it's right to give it out without his permission.  However, if you were there and wish to get in touch with him, please let me know.

I was 19 years old traveling in Europe by car, at this time   I was staying in my car at a parking place located near Trafalgar Square.  I was invited by a girl from Apple, whom I met on Oxford Street, to appear together with the Beatles as the performed "Hey Jude" on 4th September 1968.  Of course my answer was YES!

However, I had to sign an agreement saying that I was not going to be paid.  We were a group of ordinary people asked to perform the last part of "Hey Jude" standing besides the Beatles.   There was a symphony orchestra playing too.  David Frost was the host and the "Hey Jude" promo was  first broadcast four days later on his LWT show Frost on Sunday.  They recorded the song about five or six times for the TV cameras and in the meantime they sang a lot of classic old songs like "Tea for Two", "Tom Dooley" etc.  This went on from about 6:00pm to a couple of hours after midnight.  The Beatles seemed to have very much fun together and played and sang and joked a lot.  They also talked to us now and then.   Paul gave a lot of hugs to young girls and George went around talking to people, as did Ringo.   John was more quiet and very tight together with Yoko, except when he was performing the song.

Earlier they had filmed "Revolution" for TV without any audience, but they were watching and discussing the results of the video while we were there.  I was standing close to John, watching the video for "Revolution."  He made many positive comments to us (I still have my clothes, which have been touch by John.  Crazy, but a big thing for me).  George was smoking a lot (Kent).  He gave his phone number to a guy from the USA who asked for an interview for his schoolwork.  George was saying he was very occupied with an album at the moment but told him to call later.  I also met George Martin years later and he has signed the agreement. 

Hey Jude

This is a story from a 1978 .issue of "The Write Thing."  It was written by Sher M. of Brooklyn New York. It tells her story of her once in a life-time experience of singing with the crowd during the song "Hey Jude" on the David Frost show on September 4, 1968. 

It began the evening before, when at EMI we were all given invitations by Mal (Evans) to attend "a TV performance by The Beatles" as they worded it. But actually the key word on the priceless piece of paper was "take part" in a Beatles performance. None of us had any idea what that would involve. Some thought we'd be on the popular English program "Top Of the Pops" with the Beatles. "Taking part" would have meant dancing on the show. That prospect was not exactly thrilling.

 Well anxious and excited we met at Paul's house (Cavendish Avenue, just blocks from EMI) to wait for him to leave for the studio. The filming was to take place at Twickenham Studios. At Paul's there was about 10 people including my three friends and I. Paul came out after a limousine arrived. He was with Nat Weiss, an American lawyer and associate at the time and friend of the late Brian Epstein.

Paul was wearing a red velvet jacket. He held up the limo while we crowded around his side of the car. After a few minutes of autograph signing for some German girls, the car drove off with Paul waving to us.

 We made our way to Victoria Station. Apple was providing our bus transportation to the studio and back. A lot of the "regulars" from Cavendish Ave. were already there. We all boarded the bus, about 30 of us now, and headed for the studio.

We later found out that meanwhile The Beatles were filming the "Revolution" promo film.



When we arrived and ran up to the gate I could hear John singing at the top of his lungs. Mal came over to us and said we'd be allowed in shortly. I heard John stop singing and then start again, trying to get the song perfect. It was unreal thinking The Beatles were right in the building next to where we were standing. Needless to say we were all nervous wrecks!

 Mal led us through the gates and took us to a cafeteria for tea and sandwiches, but we weren't very hungry. As we sat there two more buses arrived with about forty more people. We were getting mad thinking there would now be a real mob scene. Finally we were all led into a courtyard over which was a glass enclosed walkway going from one building to the next. As we were standing there James Paul McCartney himself comes walking overhead and seeing all of us down below he stops and waves. Never let it be said that Paul passes up an opportunity to ham it up a bit. We all started jumping up and down going quite mad by then as the tension and excitement built.
 Paul ran out of sight and we (now about 50 people) were brought into the studios. (Mal Evans wrote in the Beatles Monthly Book magazine (Issue #63, October 1968) that 300 extras were given invitations.) There were no Beatles in sight, but their equipment was on a small stage and a piano was put up there for Paul. We couldn't see much at first as there were a lot of cameras in the way.

After the instruments were properly set up in walked the four of them. I froze on the spot as this was the first time I'd ever been so close to all four of the Beatles at once. The Beatles went to the stage where John and George began tuning their guitars while Paul doodled on the piano. I was busy watching Paul joke around with John.

John, Paul, George and Ringo then started jamming with hit tunes like "Hang Down Your Head Tom Dooley" and other favorites. It was quite funny. I was able to make my way closer to the stage and happened to over hear George singing to himself, "I Just Want To Make Love To You" by the Stones. I think he suddenly realized that he could be heard and stopped abruptly.

 A friend from Liverpool was on stage, who was quite drunk, wearing a flower behind each ear. He was cracking jokes and the Beatles laughed along with him until he started asking John embarrassing questions. The friend was completely soused, when he turned to John and asked "Can I ask you a question?". John nodded and there was complete silence. The friend continued "Did you love your wife?". John immediately came back with "Not lately". There was silence again after John answered then Paul saved the day. Paul began playing the piano and said to John "What was your most embarrassing moment?" Everyone laughed and all was okay.

 The director told us we'd be singing the long ending with the Beatles and we practiced it once, with everyone running into surround the small platform nearly knocking over huge cameras in the rush. Well we were told to cool it a bit, don't kill each other, we would all get pretty close to The Beatles without destroying the studio.
 We tried it again and it was less chaotic although I was frustrated in my attempts to get over to Paul's side of the stage as the largest rush was in that direction. We practiced a few more times still without filming and I managed to get either on the stage on George's side or right in front. Of course when we actually filmed I wasn't able to get as close as my two friends who managed to end up sitting behind George on Ringo's drum stand. What you ended up seeing on the actual promo film is the cameras backing away from the Beatles towards the end of the song and suddenly there are people there around them, but behind the scenes it was quite frantic trying to get the spot nearest the stage. It was a friendly competition though, except one time Ringo nearly got knocked off his stand! Ringo laughed about it. After we'd filmed it once the Beatles left to view it in their dressing rooms upstairs. At least I thought they'd all gone out. I turned to watch the film on one of the monitors and there in the middle of the crowd were Ringo and Paul watching also.

 When George and John returned we tried it again, and again and...we actually filmed for five hours till it was exactly what the Beatles wanted. Let me stress that I'm not complaining! If they would've kept us there 50 hours I wouldn't have minded. I never wanted that night to end. Each time the Beatles came back from viewing the film and decided to do it again we all cheered!

The best times were between actual filming when The Beatles would just fool around on stage. David Frost was to have the film on his show and when he mentioned them in the promo spot for the show we all cheered - but we weren't supposed to. So later on, we found out from Mal, David would be redoing the promo clips with the Beatles there.

 Six of us decided to stay when the filming was finished. everyone but us got back on the buses to London. It was about 11:30PM by now and we'd been there about six hours. Only The Beatles, Mal, David Frost and studio technicians were left after the buses had gone. It was the closest to being alone with the Beatles I would ever get. Frost's intro was re-done and while he was talking I stood alone on the side just watching. George suddenly looked at me from where he was sitting on the little stage and broke into this gigantic grin. One of the girls nearby said "Did you see the look he gave her?" I'd met George at his house three days earlier and obviously he'd remembered.
 The Beatles walked out to go to the dressing rooms and we went out with them. I asked Paul if we could all take a picture with him. He said, "sure" and we crowded around him. I had my Instamatic camera which one of my friends grabbed from me and prepared to get a shot of us around Paul. Well, naturally the flash wouldn't go off. Paul took my camera, turned it around in his hands a few times and then said, "Catch me later.". Paul ran upstairs and we sat outside waiting for them.

I could see The Beatles in a little kitchen having drinks, Yoko was up there too and some studio girls. After about a half hour Ringo came out with his chauffeur and said "goodnight" to us, not far behind him was George who smiled and got into his car. A few minutes later Paul came downstairs and as he stepped into the lighted doorway I snapped his picture. He threw out his arms as if to say "Ah you got me!"



 John and Yoko were right behind him and as they came out I got another pic of all three of them. They really looked tired and Paul said the film had come out great, giving the me thumbs up sign when I asked him about it. They got into their limousine and Paul turned to wave at us out the back window all the way down the road and out of sight.

That night heralded the end of my 1968 trip as I left two days later. It was surely a gigantic stroke of good luck and timing to have been a part of that historic night. I'll never forget it.

That old man again....

This photo is very funny. This man is someone we see in several Beatles fan photos. There are a few photos that show him hanging around Savile Row outside of Apple. Then there are photos of him with the Beatles when they are sitting around watching a film (MMT?) and singing. I always knew that he was also at the David Frost "Hey Jude" taping, but this is the first time I see that he was signing! Paul looks baffled and George looks like he is going to start laughing. So....those in the know. Who is this little old man?