Jackie Lomax sessions in L.A.

 October 31, 1968

Who would win?

 

Paul arrives in L.A. for the dirty weekend

 

June 21, 1968

Pan Am Press

 

Dodger's Stadium

 

The conference at the tower

 

Experience with John & Yoko 1970

 Experiences

Harrison-Lennon Followers newsletter

January-February 1971

By Ginger Robinson

 

Saturday- May 2, 1970

With six hours of sleep behind us, I dragged myself from bed after being awakened by the words “John and Yoko in L.A.”   Those words came from three friends on their way to L.A. for the search.   We picked up one more and moved onward.

 

We got to L.A. at 10:30 and went to the Beverly Hill Hotel where it was said that John and Yoko were staying.   We drove by a few times and up the ‘visitors only’ driveway.  Nothing.  We decided to drive by one more time and then go eat.  “I saw John.”  Among the screeching of brakes and voices, I asked where.  Kathi said she’d seen him on the second-floor balcony.  We pulled across the street and waited.  And waited with eyes glued on the balcony.  Three of us left and went into the ________ (leek, look, lock??) to ask if John and Yoko were there.  The man said no.  Cindi and I left to get some flowers.  The others stayed and kept watch.  We got carnations and took them to the desk clerk, but he said John and Yoko had checked out a week ago (Oh sure!  They didn’t even have a Visa a week ago!)  So, Cindi said, “thanks for nothing!”  We stomped out and went back to the others.  We decided to go to Phil Spector’s house and leave the flowers with him.  We left a note to John and Yoko saying we were sorry we couldn’t give them personally.  We left them on the doorstep.

We drove up to Blue Jay Way and saw the fog then drove home.  We were all disappointed.  Do Beatle fans give up this easily?  Well – one more time!

 

Tuesday – May 5, 1970

I called work and told them I had to go to L.A. for an important appointment and wouldn't be able to come in.  I went to pick up Barb, and we headed to beautiful L.A.  

When we got there, we went to the Beverly Hills Hotel, but we didn’t see anything.  We went into the lobby, and Barb called a friend who lives in L.A. to see if she knew anything about John and Yoko.  She said they went to Stefenino’s Restaurant on Sunset Blvd. at about 6:00.  By the time she finished talking it was 4:30. We decided to make the rounds of all the houses The Beatles had ever stayed in.  Why I don’t know.  We tried Phil Spector’s house.  We drove up to it and by it.   It looked deserted.

We finally made our way back to Stefenino’s.  I parked the car four blocks away on some empty street with a two-hour parking limit.   We went to the restaurant, and Barb asked Randy (the doorman) if John and Yoko were coming tonight.  He said they’d come between 6 and 7.  It was almost 6:30 then.  We went up to the corner and sat on some steps.  About 10 minutes later, Randy said John and Yoko had just pulled in.  “Where, Where?”  He pointed to the building next to the restaurant.  We ran down there and saw John and Yoko go up in the elevator.  We waved, but the door had already shut.   We got so excited!  We thanked Randy and went and got the car.  We drove to a gas station and phoned Cindi.  She said she wasn’t coming up but for us to stick it out.  Which is just what we intended to do.  I found a place to park closer to the building.  Well, we were afraid to go into the building and wait.  First, because there were no chairs, and second because we didn’t want to feel like idiots.  We brought some food (well Coke and peanuts, real nourishing stuff) and sat across the street.   We finally decided to go inside and wait.  I guess we didn’t care what people thought.  Randy wandered through a few times with little remarks like “having fun?” “Still waiting?”  Stuff like that.  We looked at the registrar that had the names of the people that worked in the building.  There were all sorts from psychics to music publishers to accountants to movie agencies.  We wondered what they could be doing.  At 9:00, the security guard came in.  We both thought ‘this is it.’  But he didn’t ask us to leave.  He knew we were waiting for John and Yoko.  He said they come down from the 5^th floor at 10:00.  Neither of us had a watch which was kinda good otherwise we would have both had heart failure at 19, and we’re only 19!

 

We watched the elevator thingy.  You know – one of those things that tell you where the elevator is.  It seemed like years.  Barb decided she was going to get their autographs.  Braveness!  It finally happened.  An elevator was coming down from the 5^th floor.  I was on the other side of the room.  I can’t express in words the feeling I had.  The doors opened…and there they were.  Barb got their autographs just as they came out.  They both smiled.  I just looked.  We watched them walk down the steps to the garage.  I ran out and saw them pull out.  Barb came out, and we just looked at each other.  We went and got the car and drove up the driveway of the Beverly Hills Hotel.  We didn’t see a light green car anyway.  We left, satisfied.  And drove on homeward bound.

 

John looked so different than any picture.  He looked so small but maybe he just seemed that way to me.  He was thin, real thin.  His hair looks good short.  It seemed to have grown out a lot.  He had a beard.  He was wearing jeans and a jacket to match.  He reminded me of a little boy.  Yoko is so much shorter than he.  She must be about five foot.  She looks so much better in person as does John.  She was wearing dark pants and a white turtleneck sweater.

Barb and I still can’t believe we had that kind of luck.  We’ve never been lucky when it came to The Beatles.  We couldn’t believe it was real.  What a beautiful sight every time I close my eyes and remember.

 

 

Walking Stick

 April 21, 2022

Paul is chilling by the pool

 August 26 or 27, 1966 - L.A. 

Wings over Los Angeles

 

Trying to see the Beatles

 

These snapshots are of the house that the Beatles were staying in during their time off in Los Angeles in 1965.   The girls here are trying to see if The Beatles were taking a swim because they could get a halfway decent view of them from the road.   Some brave girls scaled down the hill that you see and a few really dedicated fans rented a helicopter and flew over the house.     

Little ditty about Paul and Diana

 

Going in for the kiss

 

I have spent WAY too much time laughing at this photo.   Paul's expression is great and Ringo is just laughing at him.   

Vee-Jay Record Aritist

The Boys in LA for the first time

August 18, 1964

A sip and a smile

The High Society

This article was called "The High Society:  exclusive L.A. report"  and was written by Lisa (no last name given) for The Mess newsletter for the January 1975 issue.    L.A. was a hot spot for the former Beatles in the mid-1970s.  No wonder they needed a reporter to report back!

October 15, 1974:  Ringo (he liked being called Rich) records "Goodnight Vienna" with the help of Klaus Voorman, Jim Keltner, Jesse Davis and 1/2 hour later Elton John.   Klaus was nice to us and Elton wasn't too bad either.  He was driven in his $40,000 gold limousine Lincoln Continental chauffeured and all -- silver English tea tray with T.V. and record layer in the back seat.  I gave Rich a glass mug I made this spring and it was funny to hear him say in his Liverpudlian accent, "Oh wow, far out!"  He looked good wearing a Guatemalan shirt, shades (of course), his hair slick back, not quite like from the movie, "That'll be the Day."  Mal Evans kept giving me occasional D.O.M. looks every time he came out to the car.  Pretty friendly that night.   

3 hours later:  Elton John left. Keith Moon walked down the street.  He was wearing a black velvet suit adorned with rhinestones, a very spacey person.  Everyone was leaving.  Rich came out with two young chicks.  He gave me a strange look though -- couldn't figure it out.  We spoke to Rich's bodyguard, Hilary.  He was telling us about garbage.  Everyone went off to have dinner at the Rainbow on the Strip.  Goodnight Rich.


October 25, 1974:  A visit with George.  he apparently was rehearsing for the concert tour.  About 3:30a.m. I was in the parking lot behind the studios sitting down and I heard a voice.  Sure enough, it was George, drinking down a fifth of booze talking to his sweetie, Kathy.  I tried not to crack up.  So I started walking around to the front when he stopped in the driveway by these girls and we came over to give him a gift.  My friend asked him if she could take a picture of him. He didn't mind.  I was surprised to hear that.  Unfortunately, the flash on her camera didn't go off.



The other nights we were there, Jim Keltner, Robbie Robertson, Bob Dylan, Shankar, Preston, a couple more odds and ends came by at the studio.  They had a beautiful dark horse out front facing George's Mercedes.  Another night we waited until 3:30 a.m. and I handed him a glass vase I made.  Then he was given a Harrison badge by my friend.  We found out later, he was wearing it at the concert in L.A. 

The next night it was the last evening at the studio, all the vans were packing up to go to Vancouver.  We waited until 5:30, he didn't stop that time.  It was the same night we went to the premiere of "That'll be the Day." 

Rich looked good.  He was wearing a little gold earring.  His hair was slick city.  We left early to follow him, but couldn't catch up with him though.  He's still living here in Beverly Hills somewhere.  At one point, all four of them were in L.A. last month.  this guy called for McCartney's room and Linda answered.  According to him, she was drunk off her ass.  She kept asking him if he had friends who knew who Linda McCartney was.  Funny.  I wish I could have been there to tape her voice.  It's nice to hear them drink occasionally.

November 12, 1974:  Harrison concert.  Sly Stone was sitting behind me.  Dylan was walking back and forth to the side stage.  Shankar was fantastic!  George looked really good.  The second concert was better.  They wore hats and costumes and whatever.  Unfortunately, George's voice was croaking.  He was sick up in San Francisco.  He gave the Cow Palace audience a bad time.  "If you don't like the Indian music, you can leave," etc.

Another installment of Girls that met the Beatles from Datebook

All photos taken by Vicki Hessel 

Fans that Got to Meet the Beatles (Los Angeles)

By Vicki Hessel

Los Angeles, California:  Even standing there among the photographers in the crowded room on the first floor of the Capitol Records building, I didn’t believe it.  I wasn’t quite sure why I was there, but it just couldn’t be for a Beatles press conference!  I didn’t even feel excited, just tense.

But there was Tony Barrow saying, “The Beatles are on their way.  We’ll have all the photographers come up along the front here for five minutes of still photos.  Then, after the questions, we’ll ask you all to leave so the television equipment can be set up.” 

Surrounded by professionals with their complex cameras and equipment, I lifted my little “Flashfun” with a bulb and was ready.  I’d moved pretty close to the front of the room.  Being 5’1” often has advantages.

Suddenly there was screaming from an opened side door.  Photographers clicked frantically at whatever their huge bodies were hiding from me.  Being 5’1” doesn’t ALWAYS have advantages.  Then I saw the Beatles – casually dressed, laughing, waving and reaching for ciggies.  I touched the man in front of me.  “I’m short,”  I said against the noise.  “You can shoot right over my head.”   He smiled and helped me squeeze in front of him.  Sardinesville.    I was crushed by shoving bodies and swinging camera equipment.  I managed to snap some pictures over the shoulders.

After a bit, I found myself in front.  The boys were on a small platform with a red drape background.  I clicked, ejected and replaced the flash bulb, rolled the film, and then shot again as the boys grinned, waved, looked this way and that.  Then my twelve pictures were gone, and the photographers were being moved back to the sidelines.  When we were finally contained behind a sawhorse, I found I was still in front, crushed against a very tall photographer who plainly wished nineteen-year-old girl reporters with “flashfun” cameras had never been born (or at least released from their cages).  Sitting about three feet from me was U.N.C.L.E.  Robert Vaughn, and near the boys was Dave of the Byrds. 

The Beatles were seated on their swivel stools.  John swung joyously about on his throughout the conference.  George, wearing a brown suede jacket over a white silk shirt tuck into scuzzy blue jeans sat nearest me…my beloved Paul in white Levis and a grey shirt with black pinstripes, John, in a black jersey shirt and dark-cinnamon colored suit, and Ringo in blue and white striped pants, blue print shirt and white jacket.

During the first few questions, Paul accidentally pulled the cord from his microphone.  Making his “oops” face, he tried to fix it, looking about in embarrassment.  George, the electrician finally leaned over and fixed it.

Q: An English designer has said that miniskirts aren’t popular in America because American woman have ugly legs.

Ringo:  If they don’t’ wear miniskirts, how can you tell if their legs are ugly?

George and produced a coke from somewhere and was drinking it.

Q:  A recent Time magazine article said “Day Tripper” was about a prostitute and “Norwegian Wood” was about a lesbian.  What was your intent?

Paul:  We were just trying to write songs about prostitutes and lesbians, y’know?

Q: do you have much trouble getting around?  Can you go to the movies?

Paul:  In England we can ‘cause we know England.

Ringo:  But when we’re in America, we’re on tour, everything’s advertised, and that’s why everybody knows where we are.

The others turned in mock surprise, John slapped his legs and exclaimed in one of his many voices, “Oh!  Is that why everyone knows where we are?”

Q: John, did you meet Cass of the Mamas and Papas?

John:  Yes.  She’s great.  I’ m seeing her some nights.

Q:  What is your most exciting or disappointing experience?

George:  I think Manila was the most disappointing.

Q:  I’d like to address this next question to George.

John:  Yeah, George what’s your new address?

Q:  You recently made a statement about coming to America to be beaten up…

George:  Oh, that was after Manila and someone said, “What are you going to do now?” and I said, “We’re going to rest up before we go get beaten up by the Americans.”  By beaten up, I meant…

John:  jostled

George:  Yeah, jostled.

Paul:  Anyway, we aren’t beaten up by fans.

George:  Yeah.  There’s been a lot said about fans.  All the ones we lost we really don’t mind.  If they can’t make up their minds, who needs ‘em?

Q:  About those Beatles bonfires…

John:  We missed ‘em.

One of the adult newsmen, irritated by the number of young girl reporter present, asked John if they were always so blessed by “would be” reporters.

John:  You can’t always tell the would-bes from the real ones.

It ended too soon and people started leaving as the TV equipment was readied.  Photographers were free to take more pictures.  I didn’t have any film left, but I went forward anyway.  After a moment, I found myself in front of the Fab Four and still unable to believe it.  I waited until Paul had finished speaking to a man, then I called, “Paul!”  And held out my hand, unable to say “can I shake your hand?”

He stared at me for a second and then a smile burst across his face and he was leaning down toward me.  His hand, strong and wonderful caught mine and shook it vigorously and my favorite face was looking at me as it grinned and said, “How do you do?  Glad to meecha!”  I had no answer ready and was unable to say a thing.  I hoped desperately that  I was smiling back at him but he seemed to understand.  Then he stepped back with the others.

Still feeling like an embarrassed idiot, I glanced to my left at the small table before George’s microphone.  There stood his half-empty Coke bottle.  I fought a mental battle and decided:  Yes, I was silly enough to want the bottle as a souvenir.  But I couldn’t just walk off with it.  I’d have hated for George to see me leaving with it, especially if he were still thirsty.

“George!”  I called.  He looked my way.   “Can I have your Coke?”  He shrugged and nodded, saying, “Yeah sure.”  I captured my prize and left the stuffy room feeling very happy.

I guess what impressed me the most was that they were so much nicer than I’d expected them to be.  They weren’t sarcastic or irritable, even when asked the most stupid questions.  They really seemed to be enjoying themselves.  They were friendly, polite, pleasant, bouncy, and funny, willing to follow the photographers’ zaniest suggestions.

John’s face looking learner; he seemed to be the most alert, answering most of the question quickly, often supplemented by a remark by Paul.  George was very casual and thoughtful and smoked a lot; he seemed to be the most concerned about the Manila flap.  Ringo, sweet and cuddly, smiled a lot and was rather quiet.  Paul was a clown, lively but innocent looking with his lazy eyes and lightning wit.

Their best treatment was for their fans, the girls who had managed somehow to get there, and who wanted to shake hands or get an autograph or collect a Coke bottle.  That famous Coke bottle?  Of course, I still have it.  It’ll make the most precious pop-art vase in all California.

If I needed someone

Ringo holds the key