Happy Independence Day (to those of us in the United States)

 

...and then a riot broke out

 Personally I think the 1965 concert in San Francisco was the most dangerous concert the Beatles performed.  

Evening Show

 San Francisco evening performance 1965

The mystery of the tablecloth has been solved!

 In 2016, I wrote about the tablecloth The Beatles doodled on while backstage in San Francisco in 1966.  You can read that story here.  

Quick recap:  The caterers, Simpson's Catering, brought The Beatles and their crew their food while they were backstage before the San Francisco show and also supplied the tablecloth for the table.   The Beatles used the colorful Japanese pen gifted to them by fans to draw doodles on the tablecloth after the meal.   Joan Baez was also there, and she drew on the tablecloth.   Afterward, Simpson's Catering took their tablecloth back with them, now adorned by Beatle art and autographs.  It was put on display in the shop's front window, and many fans stopped by to see it and take photos of it.   Then six days after the concert, someone broke the large window and took the tablecloth.    

That is all we knew about this piece of Beatles artwork.   It has been missing since 1966.   Although I do have to say that someone in the comments section of the article from 2016 someone came forward and said that the guy who originally stole the tablecloth in 1966 gave it to his uncle, who had no idea it was stolen until the 1980s.    Whoever had the tablecloth gave it back to the son of the caterer in 2020, and now he is selling the tablecloth through Bonhams auctions.  

You can bid on the famous tablecloth here.    It only has one day left!

Thanks to this auction, we can see the artwork up close. 

This is the biggest section that is made by a Beatle.   John Lennon drew all of the yellow areas.  Paul signed his name in bubble letters and put an arrow.  

These drawings were drawn by Joan.   Who do you think she was doodling?

George and Ringo were seen drawing at the table.  But when I looked closer, I realized that they had doodled on paper and not actually on the tablecloth.   What a shame!   I am sure those scraps of paper are long gone.   The caterer asked George and Ringo to autograph the tablecloth. 

This photograph by Marilyn Doerflers really shows some of the art -- notice John's yellow drawing especially?

I am glad that this mystery has been solved and that the tablecloth has survived all these years.  I find it a bit disappointing that there isn't more artwork on it (such as the one they did in Japan the same year), but original John Lennon art is always awesome. 

So cute!

 

Warming up for the last show

 August 29, 1966 - Candlestick Park 

The Pied Piper of San Francisco

August 7, 1967

Time in San Francisco

 

July 1972 - San Francisco, California with Geraldo Rivera 

The craziest concert ever

 

The Night I Grabbed Paul McCartney

 

The Night I Grabbed Paul McCartney

By Jackie Jones

Harrison-Lennon Followers fan club newsletter

November – December 1970

 

August 19, 1964, is a night that will always remain cherished in my heart forever.  For that was the night I grabbed the man I love and was able to be close to him for at least a few seconds.   The man is Paul McCartney.  Here in Harrison-Lennon Followers, I’ve decided to share my beautiful moment with my fellow friends.

 

My friend Sylvia and I had front row seats at the Cow Palace.  The Righteous Brothers were in the middle of their act, and had only two other songs to do, when the audience become restless, causing unbearable tension throughout the Palace.  Parts of the crowd started chanting “WE WANT THE BEATLES!  WE WANT THE BEATLES!”  I could feel that the Righteous Brothers were getting a bit irritated and as anxious to leave the stage as we were in wanting them to.  After they had left, there was a 5-minute break.  I told Sylvia that I had made up my mind to get to Paul, even if I was kicked out in the process.  She told me I was crazy, that I wouldn’t get anywhere near Paul, and to forget the whole thing.  Me, being the stubborn Cancer that I am, shook my head and said no.  She then bet me $10 that I wouldn’t get to him.  I didn’t argue, I just said, “Okay, wait and see.”  I edged my way to the edge of the stage where two cops were standing by the steps leading up to the stage, this sort of made my hopes fail, but I was determined to try and reach Paul.    I just had to and that was there was to it.  It seemed like an eternity before the DJ said, “And here’s the group you’ve been waiting for – The Beatles!”  The screaming was one continual roar that vibrated through the Cow Palace, making it sound like a supersonic jet!  Just thousands of beautiful Beatle People showing their love for the lads from Liverpool!  Suddenly they ran on stage – George, Rich, John, then Paul.  I don’t know how I did it, I just kept pushing towards the steps, fans were rushing towards the stage in all directions and before Paul made the last step before he was on stage, I grabbed him around the waist.  I couldn’t believe that I was holding him.  I couldn’t believe it was happening to me.  All I could do was cry and say, “Paul, I love you,” over and over again.  Then I did something I hadn’t planned.  I kissed his back before I was pulled from him.  I yelled one more time, “Paul, I love you!”  I’ll never forget the way he smiled at me that night.  George pointed over at me and laughed.  I was crying so hard and I couldn’t stop!  I thought I was going to get kicked out for sure, but since I hadn’t fought with the “Bobbies” I was directed back to my seat.  All I did was cry as Sylvia kept shaking me and saying “You actually grabbed him.”  She was crying too.

 

I die inside every time I think I actually held him for those precious seconds.  It’s a dream I’d like to relive all over again!  I hope those of you who are reading this enjoyed it as much as I did tell you my wonderful experience!  

The Key

 

Looks at this artwork

 

San Francisco airport -- August 29, 1966 

Cow Palace

 

Maybe I'm a Amazed by You

 

June 14, 1976 - San Francisco, California

Ringo and the Koala Bear

 The stuffed koala bear was a gift from one of the many fan club presidents in San Francisco.  June 13, 1964 - San Francisco, California  

San Fran 1965

 

John and Yoko in the City by the Bay

 

On Saturday, August 5, 1972 John and Yoko were on a vacation in San Francisco, California.  On this day Geraldo Rivera spent the day in the City by the Bay with the couple.   They did some typical sightseeing: they rode a trolly car, went down the steep hills in the city, saw the Golden Gate Bridge, and Fisherman's Warf.    The video footage of this is really interesting and fun to see.     Geraldo interviews John and Yoko and Yoko shares that she met her father for the first time when she was 3 years old in San Francisco.   He had been working in the city and the Ono family traveled from Japan to see him.    

Geraldo did a longer interview with them inside.  I am not sure if this is the same day because they are wearing totally different clothes.    It is a very sad interview because they are talking about how they do not know where Kyoko is and how they think Tony Cox is keeping Kyoko hidden until John got kicked out of America.    Yoko always says that she has learned that her 8-year-old daughter is 2 years behind in school.   That just breaks my heart if it was true.    

I think this is an interesting time in John and Yoko's history that we don't hear much about.