Welcome back wack

This photo shows them leaving for the Alps

On March 22, 1965 the Beatles and significant others returned home to London.   During the filming of the movie, Help!  fans in London had many opportunities to see the Fab 4 at the airport! 

Give Paul a Chance

Here are some fans having a demonstration when Paul McCartney was arrested in Japan for bringing marijuana into the country in 1980.   I am not sure how much good it did for their cause, but I bet they had a good time getting together to support Paul.  

The power of the radio and the Beatles

Nothing quite like it had ever happened before.   When the Beatles came to the Delmonico Hotel on August 28, 1964,  the fans waiting outside the hotel had something that generations before them didn't have:   transistor radios.

One major Beatles station in the City was WABC --also known as "W A Beatles C" with Cousin Brucie and Scott Muni and others.   And the jocks of WABC had a suit inside of the Delmonico Hotel with unlimited access (thanks to giving the security wine and gifts) of the hotel.   They were broadcasting live about what was happening inside the hotel and 10,000 of their listeners were right below them in the street.    Every Beatles fan standing outside of the hotel was listening to the station on their radio or a radio of someone near them.   They were listening to what the Beatles had for breakfast and what time they got up and any inside information.    They also were singing along in mass unions to Beatles and others hit songs on the radio.

The radio guys loved it!   They would use their high-tech wireless microphones and stick them out the window  and ask the fans to do all sorts of things:  sings WABC jingles, sing happy birthday to President Johnson, sing We love you Beatles, tell them to scream "Ringo!" so he might throw a tie out to them (yeah right....someone would have gotten killed over that tie!).    They were able to hear interviews with the guys.   It had to have been exciting to these fans.

Not surprising, there were any real issues (besides a few girls fainting) outside of the hotel.  10,000 fans and they were all waiting with baited breath to hear what was going on inside of the hotel through their transistor radio.

It was a break-through for WABC and radio in general and it was an unforgettable time for the Beatle fans outside of the Delmonico 50 years ago today.

Beatles are the gear

Fans with posters wait for the Beatles to arrive at the Garden

Beatles?  They’re ‘Gear’ Man

August 27, 1964

Cincinnati (AP) – Four mop-topped lads from Liverpool headed into Cincinnati today and, to use a teen-age phrase, this metropolitan area faced a frantic and “fantabulous” time.

“They’re ‘gear’ man,” (“the moistest”)—sighed 14 year old Karol Burgess, squealed in delight at the hardly expected acquisition of two tickets to tonight’s show by the Beatles before a capacity 13,000 others in Cincinnati Gardens.

Karol had proved pretty “gear” herself by appealing, in a newspaper want ad, for the prized pasteboards.  She got them from Kathy Reid, 13, who had decided, after reading of near-riots at the scene of Beatle concerts, that discretion was the better part of valor and so, to remain at home.

“Fantabulous” was Kathy’s word for the four English youths who, here for the third stop on their American tour, have marched rough-shod in four-four time into the consciousness and languages of teenagers, if not always those of their parents.

Some 100 policemen were ordered to duty around Cincinnati Gardens, some to report hours before the 8pm opening; approximately 40 others were assigned to their uptown hotel and another 100 private guards were employed by a group of local disc jockey who are sponsoring the show.

Ode to Australian Signs

I love the signs the fans held during the Australian tour.  They were very creative and fun.   So I thought I would have one post to highlight some of my favorites.   The last photo was taken by Catherine from when she went to the 'Powerhouse Museum Exhibition - The Beatles in Australia'  She was very kind to let me use the photo that she posted on her blog, so I thought I would mention her blog, which is about sewing in the style of the 1960's.    I love both of those signs, but the one that gave Ringo the phone number was pure genius!

This sign is so true!

"I'd hate 2 have grown up in a world without Beatles..."

Yep...I can relate to this sign!   The Beatles have been part of my world basically my whole life.  Thank goodness no one these days has to grow up without them!

All is Well with J.W.L.

This is a crowd of fans welcoming the Beatles when they arrived in Boston in 1966 at the start of the American tour.   They had a quick layover in Boston and connected to another flight to Chicago.  Fans wanted to let John know that they weren't upset about the "Jesus statement" he had made and that he had their support.   I really hope John saw these signs, because I am sure they would have brought him a bit of relief. 

Watch out Barbara

We love you Beatles oh yes we do

If the Meet the Beatles ... for Real! blog was a "real" fan club and we met together every week, (and I naturally was the fan club president),  I would make us sing this song at the start of every meeting.  I think it is cute that they have the words written out on posterboard.   Maybe this was for that Ready Steady Go TV program where the fans marched around and sang "We love you Beatles" (I had that on VHS in the 1980's).

Signs signs everywhere signs

One of my favorite parts of a Paul McCartney concert is when Paul reads aloud the signs that he sees in the audience.   Of course Paul has had a long time of reading signs, as seen in this 1966 farewell at an airport.   It seems like "sexy" is the key word on the signs that time. 

We luv you Beatles forever and ever!

I wish Ringo really was running for president...

Somehow this seems appropriate to post right now. 

The cutest fan award goes to....this girl!

I think this girl holding the "We Luv You Beatles" sign is the cutest thing I have seen.  I totally would dress just like that today.  I love her "Byrds" sunglasses and her haircut.  She just looks so casual.  These fans are standing in line to see the L.A. premiere of the movie, Help!

A Hard Day's night in Poland

This is sort of neat. It is a sign for the Beatles movie, A Hard Day's Night (which I think was just called the Beatles there) in Poland in 1965. Neat!

The Lennon-McCartney fued

Signs

I think the signs the fans were holding at the John Lennon memorials around the world say volumes more than anything I could write.