The Thriller in Manila

When we left our four favorite guys, it was 4am and they were getting settled into their suits with six adjoining rooms at the Manila Hilton.   Ringo, John and George went straight to sleep, but Paul and Neil got into a car and drove around the financial district of Manila.    Paul recalls that on one side of the street it was like Wall Street and the other had  squallers.  

What the Beatles weren't aware of was that while they were in Japan, Ramon Ramos Jr., the promoter of the Manila concert had sent a telegram to Tony Barrow inviting them to a reception at the Palace with the Marcos family as well as various friends and family of the presidential family plus numerous children.    It seems like no one wants to take the blame for the miscommunication, but what I believe is that Tony read it and ignored it, as the Beatles frequently get invitations to these sort of things.  

So while the Beatles were sleeping, people were gathering at the Palace, expecting to have a meal with the Beatles at 11am.    Reportedly, the first Brian Epstein knew about this was when he was having coffee with Peter Brown (really--he was there???) at the hotel coffee shop and Vic Lewis (who involved in the tour) asked Brian what time the Beatles were going to leave for the palace.   Brian didn't know anything about it and said that the Beatles weren't going to attend because they needed to sleep and they don't do those sort of functions.  

The Ambassador to the Philippines then called Brian at his hotel room and advised him that it was in the Beatles best interest to attend the luncheon and he best not insult the royal family as they were the ones that provided the police security for the lads.   But Brian didn't change his mind and told him, no.


The guys must have woke up around 10:55a.m. because when they turned on the television in the suit, they saw news reports about how they hadn't arrived to the luncheon and they sat there and watched themselves not arrive.   The camera zoomed in on the empty plates and sad faces of the children.     All the while, police were banging on the door of the suit yelling for the Beatles to come out.     They were most likely scared and stayed in their rooms, or perhaps Brian had called them and said that he had taken care of it and not to be concerned.     Paul was under the impression at that point that Brian would apologize on their behalf and all would be fine.


So as they left the hotel to do two of the largest concerts they ever did, they had no idea that at the palace kids were saying things such as, "I'd like to pounce on the Beatles and cut off their hair!  Don't anybody dare me to do anything because I'll do it!"    And "there is only one song I like for the Beatles, and it's Run for your life."

Beatles on a boat

Here is where the Manila story gets a bit confusing.  After the press conference, the Beatles were taken to the Marima yacht on the Manila Bay , which was to be their hotel for the night.    Supposedly rooms were booked at the Manila Hilton just to throw off fans and the Beatles were supposed to know all about the plans of spending the night on a boat.  

Some reports state that the Beatles were taken there without Brian Epstein or anyone else in their entourage allowed on board.   But that can't be true because  he played a big part in this part of the story plus he is seen in at least one photo from the boat.


So the Beatles get on the boat and all goes pretty well at first.    There were reporters on the dock that wanted to take photos of the Beatles through the windows of the boat, which made Brian made and he yelled at them "No photos!"   So there are very few photos of them from this event.

Brian looks like he will start yelling at the camera man soon

The only people on the boat   besides the crew were two children of don Manolo and a beauty queen.  The newspapers reported that the Beatles relaxed and listened to Indian music on cassette tapes.  They had a meal of fried chicken, filet mignon, mashed potatoes, carrots and sweet peas and there was plenty of Scotch and Coke to drink.

But things became uncomfortable.   It was unbearably hot and the mosquitoes were out and biting.  Plus the Beatles were uncomfortable and a bit frightened by the police holding guns that were guarded them.    There was also some report of at least one of the guys feeling sea-sickness.  

does this look like a guy that is having a fun time on a boat?

It was reported that Brian Epstein was unhappy with the whole thing from the start and wanted to stay at the hotel.   A group of 18 young people boarded the boat uninvited and stayed to talk to the Beatles.   Reportedly, this didn't bother the four guys, but pushed Brian over the edge.  

The Beatles soon figured out that they were expect to spend the night on the boat and stay there until one hour before the concert the next day.   They said that they needed more than just an hour to prepare their stage clothing and instruments for the concert and could not stay on the yacht.    Did the Beatles really need more than a hour?   I wouldn't think so, but I am sure that they felt trapped on that boat and thought it was nice enough for an evening, but not all night and most of the next day.

Brian got on the ship-to-shore phone and spoke with Vic Lewis (promoter) and yelled at him "We're not staying one minute longer on this bloody boat!  There's absolutely nothing to do and we do not want to spend anym more time on this ghastly little yacht!"

By the time the guys made it to the Manila Hilton Hotel, it was 4am.    

Manila Press Conference

Many people claim that the Beatles never gave a press conference in Manila.   But they did.  It was at the Philippine Navy headquarters and it sounds from what I have read that it wasn't too much different than any other Beatles press conference from 1966. 

When photographers were taking the Beatles photos before the press conference started, John tried to make them laugh by yelling out "Woof Woof."    While Ringo danced around saying, "shall we dance?"    

This small photo is the only one I can find from the photo shoot before the press conference that day. 

 

They were asked about being far away from the fans when they exited the plane and they claimed that they weren't hiding from the fans, but instead the fans were hiding from them.   Some of the questions the Beatles were asked included:  "Would you be as popular without your long hair?  When did you last get a haircut?  how much tax do you pay?  How do you solve the Vietnam War?"  For that question, George answered, "Give it back to whoever deserves it."

They were asked about the name of their latest song and one of them said, "Philippine Blues."   One reporter asked John what he meant by the word 'Spaniard' in the title of his latest book.  John asked her, "Have you read it?"  And she responded no and John told her, "Then read it."

One newspaper stated that "John Lennon peered over his arrogant nose at the crowd."   And someone else said that he liked Ringo the best because "He gave serious answers and was respectful.  But his taste of clothes is atrocious.  He wore a maroon jacket with white stripes, foulard shirt and pants and shoes that defy description."

The beginning of the Manila trip

As Beatle fans we know  quite a bit about the Beatles terrible experience in Manila, but a lot of what exactly happened there is clouded in half-truths and mystery.    I have been reading a lot of interviews and news stories to piece together what happened.


The Beatles arrived at the Manila International Airport on July 3, 1966.   There were well over  1,000 fans waiting to great them, but they didn't get to see them because the Beatles' plane did not land close to the fans.

As soon as they stepped off the plane, they faced a problem in Manila.    As you will notice in just about any photograph of the Beatles on the steps of an airplane, each guy has his own briefcase.   Inside of that brief case was personal items as well as marijuana.   The way things typically worked was that the Beatles exited the plane and get right into the waiting car that would take them to the hotel or venue.  They would have those brief cases with them in the car while the entourage would go inside the airport and go through customs.   No one would ever examine the cases.  But things were different in Manila.   As soon as they stepped onto the stairwell, Atty. Salvador Mascardo demanded that they hand over their bags.

The Beatles were herded into the waiting limo by the police forces and Neil Aspinall managed to sneak the cases into the truck before it took off.     The Beatles were taken to Philippine Navy headquarters for a press conference.


Meanwhile disappointed fans were chasing after the Beatles' limo---some got close enough to kiss the car they were in.

Meeting a fan in the Manila

This is an interesting photo.    Here we have the Beatles meeting a fan during their horrendous time in Manila in 1966.   Our favorite foursome look very hot and sweaty and tired.   George appears to be in an unhappy mood, Paul seems to be doing his normal smile for the camera, John is just there hoping to get this meeting over with, and Ringo is making a little girl happy by giving her his autograph.   This fan is just happy to meet the boys, and she has no clue how miserable they really were in her country.

This is what relief looks like

This AP photo shows the fellows in India right after they have landed from their Manila nightmare in 1966.   I would think that the men behind them are airport workers, but that one guy is trying to get a photo with the Beatles, isn't he?   Anyhow....John and Paul sure look happy.  

Beatles in Thailand

I thought I knew a LOT about the Beatles 1966 touring schedule, but this news that they landed in Thailand during the Far East portion of the 1966 World Tour and couldn't get off the plane is news to me.   It isn't shocking or surprising news, but still just something that I do not recall being mentioned before, although it is highly likely that I just forgot.   Anyhow, here is a story and interview with a fan who met the Beatles in Thailand on their airplane when it stopped.  I included a few photos of the Beatles on the plane during the tour and one rare one of Paul at the Manila harbor.

Jan Wiseley’s teen years could be called nothing short of amazing.
Jan and her sister Susie were the daughters of Air Force Col. Robert Uhrig and his beloved wife “Toots.” They moved to Thailand in 1963 when her dad took a Southeast Asia assignment.
Uhrig was a patriot, historian and exceptionally-skilled officer. He was friends with Gen. Chuck Yaeger among many others.
After his Air Force service, Uhrig spent a few years with Air America — the CIA’s covertly-sponsored airline — and later represented the Northrop Corporation in Southeast Asia until his retirement.
Uhrig wanted his daughters to see the world and its events for themselves — including a special trip to meet the Beatles.
The Fab Four touched down at Bangkok Airport during their 1966 Far East tour. But they didn’t go over well with Thai authorities, who wouldn’t allow the mop-tops to set foot off the plane.
Wiseley, 63, gives her account, and talks a bit about living in Thailand as an American teen.
(The following interview with Jan Wiseley was conducted Thursday by Staff Writer Matt Surtel at her house in Castile.)
 Can you tell me exactly how you met the Beatles?
They were going to fly in, and Daddy heard they were going to land in Bangkok.
They wouldn’t let them off the plane. I thought it was their hair, but my sister Susie says it was the hair and the music.
So they evidently weren’t allowed on the tarmac. They were on their way to Hong Kong.
My dad, and I think it was Col. Fox, had heard they were going to land, so they got us out of school. There were about six of us. When they had to refuel, they let the stairway down and let us on the plane, and they gave us their autographs.
Did you have any idea, when you awoke that morning, that you’d be meeting them?
Yes, because my dad had heard — I’m pretty sure. I’d have to ask my sister if we knew.
She didn’t get the autographs because she didn’t get to go up high enough. I got to go into the plane to get their autographs.
Weird question, but what were they doing?
I just remember them standing there and they were talking to us, you know? And I remember getting the autographs.
 Were you a fan at the time?
Yes, because my aunt was real cute. “The Twist” had started too, I think, and my aunt would bring music in her suitcase, if (the Thai authorities) hadn’t gone through it — they confiscated a lot of stuff.
Did you get to talk to them for very long?
I don’t even remember that, because it was so long ago. I just remember being on the plane. I knew the Beatles, but I didn’t think how popular they were. I was in 10th or 11th grade. I know I wasn’t a senior.

A hot afternoon in Manila

I believe that these were taken by a fan who attended the Manila performance in 1966 and sent them in to a teen magazine.

Manila mania

There aren't a whole lot of photos of the Beatles performing in Manila. I do have a few in a book that was released last year (the title escapes my mind at the moment). Here are 2 that Gina scanned. I love the one of John!