Hanging out on the plane

Pole hanging

I love striped shirts!

Thank you note

The Beatles, being the well-mannered fellows that they were, would send thank you notes to the people who helped them out on the tour, often with a small gift. I wonder if bands nowadays still do this sort of thing?  The letter here was sent to Larry Kane, and while it could have been a form letter, it was obviously signed by the Beatles, and I love how George sends a note to say hi to Sgt. Buddy (he really must have made an impression of the Beatles!)

Taking question

Fire in the sky

George looks over to the fire fighters--

You can see a fire fighter checking out the situation on the plane.

The Beatles had a very difficult flight to Portland, Oregon.  It was during that flight that Larry Kane noticed the wing was on fire and things were pretty scary (Beatles women and children first!).   You can see in one photo that a fireman was working on the plane as the Beatles left.    Here is what Alf Bicknell had to say:

We seem to be very lucky on this tour, or maybe not!  Anyway, another nasty incident with the plane.  As we came in to land between mountains as if that wasn't bad enough, one of the engines caught fire!  I don't' think there was anybody who wasn't scared to death.  I know I was.  George was quite adamant that he didn't wish to do this again.  He was really worried.   Despite all this, the show here in Oregon, at the Memorial Coliseum in Portland, went down very well.  We are leaving after the second show.     What turned up for the books, a new plane was waiting for us, or rather an old one.  I've got plenty of time to write now, as there is nothing much else to do.  That plane people forgot to bring any refreshments form the Elektra.  So much for the party!   There are a couple of lads from the Beach Boys with us who dropped in after the first show.  Brian is fuming because of the state of the plane, and we're going to be late  because it's so slow. 

Hanging out with the Beatles backstage at the Met

 

For more awesome photos of the Beatles backstage that were taken by Mal Evans for a fan, see this link:
http://www.meetthebeatlesforreal.com/2012/01/kodak-moments.html

The problem in America

Larry Kane interviewed the Beatles individually backstage before the concerts in Chicago in 1965.   Interestingly enough, they were looking at a magazine (was it Newsweek?) with the title "the White problem in America."   Their was a lot of racial tension in the United States in 1965.   The Watts riots were going on when the Beatles came to the U.S. and this was a topic the Beatles discussed backstage.    Things haven't changed very much in 50 years, sadly.

Midway point

From the collection of Sara Schmidt.   Please do not post without permission

The Beatles meet the Press and Fans

From the collection of Sara Schmidt  Please do not post without my permission

From the collection of Sara Schmidt.  Please do not post without my permission

The Beatles Meet the Press and fans
Written by Unknown
Houston Chronicle
August 20, 1965

Frantic fans of what may be the world's most famous foursome fought with security police and figured out many ways to try to get near their idols Thursday, but generally failed.

Beatlemaniacs, hundreds of them, proved the ingenuity of the younger generation while trying to gain admittance to the Beatles press conference Thursday afternoon at the Sheraton-Lincoln Hotel.   Admittance to the 2pm press conference was permitted only to those who clutched, with a vise-like grip, a white ticket signed by C.W. Weaver, station manager of Radio Station KILT.

But many of the youth either misled or just hoping, flashed a wide variety of "press cards" at police in an effort to get a chance to see and hear the mop-headed heroes.    "I've seen every kind of card you can imagine," said Deputy Sheriff J.M. King, assigned to guard the main hotel entrance.  "One guy had apparently passed out dozens of his business cards to these kids and told them it would get them in."   But it didn't.

City patrolman, D.R. Weaver, also on the hotel security detail, said he had many requests to sign hsi name to cards of all types, in hopes that in the confusion the similarity of his last name and that of the radio station manager's would be overlooked.

One, who would later only say she was Diane, 17, a recent Belaire High School graduate and a nurses' aide at a local hospital, tried to get past King at the door by wearing her uniform. "She told me somebody sent her over to set up an infirmary in case somebody was injured,"  King said.  "But she couldn't give me the name of who she was supposed to see or who sent her.  If she had, I might've let her get by."

Other girls donned maids' uniforms and tried to get into the hotel under the guise that they worked there.  "We haven't ever hired any 14 year old here, though." a hotel spokesman said, "We stopped them all."

Those who were lucky enough to get into the conference had to disguise their youth and subdue their emotions because they were sternly warned that they could be kicked out of the affair if they misbehaved.  But afterwards, hero worship took over again.   Dottie Bolieu of Texas City ran shrieking and sobbing across the lobby and collapsed into the arms of two waiting girlfriends.  "I touched George!  I touched George!" she wailed.   Then her friends joined her in the tearful episode.   No, they weren't crying because they hadn't touched Beatle George Harrison, "We're just so happy!  We're her best friends."

A For Worth girl, Martha Ezell, 16, grabbed the plate the Beatles' water pitcher sat on after the conference, but a hotel employee, with the explanation that he could have her jailed, retrieved her souvenir. 

Some of the older spectators at the press conference wondered just how official some of the press representatives were.  Two young girls, who claimed to be reporters form the Dallas Time-Herald, sported front row seats, and scraps of paper.  But they had forgotten to bring pencils.  One of the youthful reporters were overheard telling her companion that she hoped she didn't cry when she saw Paul.   the other was content to write "Ringo" over and over again very rapidly throughout the interviews.

Backstage at the Garden

Paul and his striped shirt

No where to turn

Beatles in San Francisco for a brief press conference August 19, 1964.   This is one of those press conferences that I do not have a lot of photos from, so I was glad to have found this one. 

Ringo and John having fun

I think this photo that Ringo posted for John Lennon's birthday last week is hilarious!   Fun time in Trinidad in 1966! 

Striped shirt and shades

If anyone out there has more details about what the Beatles did during this 2 day break, that would be great.   There are stories out there that the Beatles jammed until 4am, but I think from what we read in John Trusty's story, it was the Bill Black Combo that jammed and the Beatles were just hanging around the bar and hotel.   Ringo was swimming (I have read several reports about him swimming with the Exciters).  This is just one of those times in Beatles touring history that a whole lot isn't reported.   I will keep digging for information and hopefully will find out more facts.   If nothing else these photos (which I got years ago from Ken Wood on the Day by Day forum---thanks Ken!) are great!

John's Cosmo shoot

John Lennon wasn't just resting during the break in Key West, Florida.   He had a photo shoot for Cosmopolitian Magazine.    John got new clothes and posed for photos while the other boys apparently went out to a beach-like area.     The Cosmo magazine didn't come out until the December 1964 issue (if anyone is interested in reading the article I do have it scanned and can send you a copy).