That Magic Feeling: The Beatles’ Recorded Legacy, Volume Two, 1966-1970 – Read Now and Download Mobi

Also by John C. Winn

Way Beyond Compare: The Beatles’
Recorded Legacy, Volume One, 1957–1965

To the memory of my grandfathers,
Sterling Winn and William Delorey

CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

PREFACE

1966: Take This, Brother

1967: A Little Bit Older

1968: You Become Naked

1969: Financial Imbalance

1970: Will You Forgive Me?

APPENDIX A:
Master Newsreel List for the Years 1966–1970

APPENDIX B:
John Lennon’s Home Tapes 1966–1970

GLOSSARY

SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY

DISCOGRAPHY

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Although I had to do all the dirty work myself, such as transcribing press conferences, this book would simply not exist without the support and help of a lot of other people.

First and foremost are Scott Raile and John McEwen. Scott has given me invaluable feedback on the majority of the manuscript, and has always been there to nit-pick over the finer points of arcane Beatle trivia over the last twelve years. Were it not for John McEwen, you’d be reading a guide to audio recordings only—his expertise in the field of Beatles video and generosity in sharing the material are unparalleled.

Other fellow Beatle fans and authors who provided encouragement, recordings, and facts include Mark Ashworth, Chazz Avery, Andrea Bucchieri, Jay Donnelly, Harald Gernhardt, Don Giller, Ted Greenwald, Randy Hall, Chris Hanzl, Walt Ja-neck, Mike Johnson, LRE King, Katz Kisaki, Tim Kocher, Allan Kozinn, Jason Kruppa, Mark Lewisohn, Chip Madinger, Warren Raab, Tim Riley, Bamiyan Shiff, Doug Sulpy, Dirk Van Damme, and Michael White.

Special thanks to my agent, Matthew Elblonk, for his persistence in getting this revised edition published. A tip of the hat to Andrew Croft for helping to launch my writing career in the pages of his Beatlology magazine. Thanks to all my friends who have talked Beatles with me over the years: Oliver Graham, Chris Mirski, Dominic Robillard, Karyn O’Bryant, and especially Abby Dees. Lots of love to my parents, grandparents, and Aunt Cathy and Uncle Jim for helping to raise a fine Beatlemaniac.

Finally, eternal gratitude to my best friend, Janis, for believing in me and giving me the confidence to have faith in myself and my abilities.

This book is meant to be used in conjunction with Volume 1, so I won’t rehash the rationale and definitions from the earlier preface. But in case you’ve been able to acquire only this volume, here’s how a typical entry works:

6. Studio session              P, G

The header contains a number (sequential within each chapter—this would be the sixth entry for that year), followed by a categorical designation for the entry. In entries where less than all four Beatles participate in a recording, I’ve also included the capital letters of their first names (Paul and George in this instance). For this purpose, Pete Best and Jimmy Nicol count as official members, and all studio sessions for Beatle product are exempt from the rule (thus the entry for “Yesterday” is not labeled with a P, even though Paul is the only Beatle to sing or play).

These are all fairly straightforward, but note that the date of an entry is the final date new sound was added to a recording. For instance, most of the song “Slow Down” was recorded June 1, 1964, but it wasn’t completed until George Martin’s piano overdub three days later; thus it falls under June 4. Under Location, “EMI Studio 2” should be taken to read Abbey Road Studio 2, London; similar shortcuts are used for John’s (“Kenwood”), George’s (“Kinfauns”), and Ringo’s (“Sunny Heights”) London homes.

Studio session subentries are generally grouped into blocks of raw sessions followed by finished mixes. For the hypothetical song above, we have a continuous stereo recording of five takes, a mono recording of a later take, and a finished mono mix (RM stands for remix mono; RS for remix stereo) created January 30, 1964. For concert recordings and TV/radio performances, the songs are listed in the likely order of performance. “Intro” and “outro” can consist of stage patter or merely audience screaming between songs. All timings in this book are meant to be approximate, not definitive; when faced with different lengths on various sources, I always went with the recording closest to the presumed correct pitch.

RELEASE HISTORY

1964: C was released on a single and is available on a CD single of the same title.

1976: A and B surfaced on the vinyl bootleg Beatles Tut-Tut Album in very good quality.

The release history is an attempt to show the genealogy of each recording. It always includes the first appearance, whether on a legitimate or bootleg source, any subsequent upgrades in sound quality or length, and the currently available commercial issues. Sound-quality assessments are obviously subjective, and are meant for comparative purposes only.

Any questions, corrections, comments, or additions? Drop me a line at [email protected]—I’m always glad to talk Beatle.

1. Studio session

Although it wasn’t exactly publicized at the time, the Beatles didn’t cover up the fact that most of the Shea concert film had to be overdubbed in a studio due to technical limitations. To their credit, they had already refused to release both Hollywood Bowl concerts recorded by Capitol for similar reasons, but with NEMS putting their own money into the Shea project (via Subafilms), the group was persuaded to bring the recordings up to par. This was achieved in a London film-dubbing studio, with George Martin at the helm and the Beatles doing their best to match their new vocals and instrumental tracks to the images on celluloid.

Paul beefed up his bass tracks for A-D, with John also fortifying his organ on the latter song, probably having a ball trying to re-create his manic elbow stylings. Both E and F were completely rerecorded by the whole band, and the studio atmosphere is most evident on these numbers, although they do a good job of investing the songs with concert-level energy. It’s not clear whether any overdubbing was done to G, and as “A Hard Day’s Night” was largely obscured by dialogue, it was left untouched.

There wasn’t time to fix up “Twist and Shout” or “Act Naturally,” so earlier recordings were added to the soundtrack. In the case of “Twist and Shout,” Capitol’s 1965 Hollywood Bowl recording was deemed suitable, but “Act Naturally” proved more difficult. A couple of shows into the tour, the group had dropped the song in favor of “I Wanna Be Your Man,” and thus no suitable live recording existed. Instead, the original studio version was sweetened with crowd noise and dropped in. Although the record featured acoustic rather than electric rhythm guitar, it’s doubtful many viewers noticed the difference.

RELEASE HISTORY

The Beatles at Shea Stadium soundtrack has been released on dozens of bootlegs over the years; the earliest titles on vinyl included Shea, the Good Old Days and the misleading Last Live Show. The best CD source is probably Shea!/Candlestick Park.

2. Newsreel footage              G

As Ringo had a year earlier, George consented to meet the press the day following his wedding to Patricia Boyd. This ITV News footage from the press conference captures the newlyweds’ entrance, Pattie sporting a knitted beret, as the couple sit on a desk and kiss for the benefit of photographers. As Tony Barrow struggles to control proceedings in the background, George professes his desire to take things slow when it comes to starting a family.

RELEASE HISTORY

This footage was included on the video compilation Beatles 1962 to 1970.

3. Interview               G

One interview from this press conference seems to originate from an ABC-TV report with an unknown American journalist. George doubts that the marriage will have much of an impact on the Beatles’ popularity, hoping that the fans are becoming more interested in the music and less concerned with their personal lives. He also refuses to rise to the bait when the reporter presses him to speculate about Paul’s marriage plans. Pattie says she wants to have three children, which prompts George to sing a line from Len Barry’s recent hit “1-2-3” (ironically, Barry’s follow-up single, which entered Billboards Top 40 this very day was titled “Like a Baby”!). Pattie patiently answers a couple of patronizing questions before smooching George for the benefit of ABC’s cameras.

RELEASE HISTORY

This interview circulates among collectors in good quality from a radio rebroadcast on George’s twenty-third birthday.

4. Interview               G

In this interview for a Reuters newsreel, Pattie expresses a wish to remain away from the public eye, much as Cynthia and Maureen were doing. She reiterates her desire to have three children (“Thirty-nine,” interjects George), but sadly the couple failed to produce any progeny during their eleven-year marriage. The newlyweds then recount their meeting on the film set of A Hard Day’s Night, with George revealing that Pattie snubbed him on his initial request for a date.

RELEASE HISTORY

1996: 46 seconds of this interview was released on Fab Four CD & Book Set. The full clip circulates on video.

4a. Newsreel footage               G

British Pathe’s archive has several minutes of silent footage of the newlyweds’ press conference, including shots of George’s parents, Brian Epstein, and Tony Barrow watching the proceedings, and Pattie showing off her wedding ring for the cameras. At the end, Mr. and Mrs. Harrison squeeze onto a couch with the new Mr. and Mrs. Harrison and pose for further pictures.

RELEASE HISTORY

This silent footage circulates on video.

5. Newsreel footage               G

George and his new bride decided to wait a couple of weeks before taking off to Barbados for a lengthy honeymoon. Cameras followed the couple through the terminal at London Airport to the steps of their BOAC flight, George in a casual suit and Pattie in a mod black-and-white outfit with stylish shades.

RELEASE HISTORY

This footage circulates on video, and was included in ITV’s Reporting ’66: End of Beatlemania.

6. Speech               G

At some point early in the year, George agreed to record a brief message of thanks for the readers of Bravo, the magazine that would sponsor their upcoming tour of Germany. The message is spoken entirely in German, and George was probably chosen to be the spokesman because he was easily the Beatle most fluent in that language.

RELEASE HISTORY

1966: This recording was issued on a 7-inch flexi-disc, Die Goldenen OTTO-Sieger 1966, included with issue 13 of Bravo magazine, dated March 21. It’s been copied on numerous bootlegs such as Beatles 4 Ever and Live at the Circus Crone.

7. Interview

Once Paul returned from his Swiss skiing holiday, the Beatles could begin convening after a long respite. One of the first such occasions was around this time at NEMS’s offices, when the “trunk photo” eventually used on the “Yesterday”… And Today album cover was shot. But of course, the alternate picture that initially graced the sleeve was much different, stemming from a March 25 session with photographer Robert Whitaker.

Before donning the butcher smocks and gathering the doll parts and raw meat, however, a somewhat unwelcome publicity task awaited the group. Brian Epstein was half owner in the newly merged Disc and Music Echo paper, and to promote its inauguration, a free flexi-disc single would be mailed as a premium to readers who sent in coupons. The disc, titled Sound of the Stars, was to feature interviews with a number of British pop stars. With Epstein’s involvement, and NEMS’s Tony Barrow producing the recording, the Beatles’ participation seemed mandatory.

At least that’s how it sounds during the unedited interview, with none of the group having anything interesting to say, and Radio Caroline DJ Tom Lodge having no interesting questions to pose. Instead, he tries desperately to fill time, receiving little assistance from his interview subjects. As the tape begins, Lodge asks such inane questions as “What’s it like being a Beatle?” and “What do you think of this microphone?” John, just starting to use LSD recreationally around this time, mentions “hallucinations,” and Paul knowingly sniggers about “poiple hearts … All them pop groups take ’em.” In fact, when Ringo’s earnest answer to a question about answering mail induces riotous laughter for no apparent reason, it appears some of the lads may be high, and the tape is switched off.

As we rejoin them, Tony Barrow is heard admitting he has nothing particular in mind for this recording, which is a pity for anyone having to listen to the next fifteen minutes. Such “wacky” jokes as Paul’s twins, ages “four and five,” and having Gershwin and Trotsky ghostwrite their songs, come across as forced rather than whimsical. In desperation, Lodge even asks Ringo when he first had sex! Even more embarrassing are his attempts to get the Fabs to send greetings to other Radio Caroline DJs; they obviously don’t listen to his station and recognize almost none of the names, although John is sure they used to work with Tony Blackburn.

After requesting “Green Door,” a 1956 hit for Jim Lowe, and “Priscilla,” a hit for Eddie Cooley and the Dimples the same year, they make a dedication to Donny Andrews, bassist for the Liverpool group the Remo Four. Finally, the conversation turns toward politics, and George struggles to make some valid points about military spending and the BBC’s monopoly on terrestrial radio. But in the end, only a fraction of this tape was suitable for the flexi-disc.

RELEASE HISTORY

1966: The flexi-disc Sound of the Stars contained excerpts from this interview; a bit at the start of side 1 and a further 1:37 to close out side 2.

1996: The unedited source tape was released on the CD Don’t Touch That Dial 2.

8. Home demo               P

In March 1966, as Paul was helping Barry Miles set up the Indica Bookshop, the two discussed setting up a recording studio that could be used by poets and experimental musicians. Paul ended up installing a pair of Revox tape recorders in a flat Ringo was leasing, where this demo fragment was most likely recorded. In Paul’s authorized biography, Many Years from Now, Barry Miles writes: “Paul recorded most of the demo versions of ‘Eleanor Rigby’ at the experimental recording studio that he had set up in Marylebone.”

The tape originally contained Paul’s off-air copy of the documentary The Beatles at Shea Stadium, aired March 1 on BBC TV. Sometime in the following weeks, Paul erased the tape’s first two minutes with a guitar demo of his new composition. According to their chauffeur Alf Bicknell, the Beatles taped demos at George’s home on April 10, 1966; this may also come from that session. Following the Shea documentary, the tape apparently concludes with an instrumental resembling “I’m Looking Through You,” which may mean even more material from 1965 was being taped over.

Paul recalls writing the melody to “Eleanor Rigby” on the upright piano in the Ashers’ basement music room (the same piano he and John had used to compose “I Want to Hold Your Hand”), by “vamping an E-minor chord.” The demo sounds a half step lower in pitch, with Paul’s double-tracked vocal accompanied by his acoustic guitar. The circulating excerpt consists of the refrain “All the lonely people/Where do they all come from?/All the lonely people/Where do they all belong?” The full demo reportedly includes the working lyric “Father McCartney” during the second verse; hopefully the unedited tape will appear someday to verify that fact.

RELEASE HISTORY

2001: This recording turned up out of the blue on a tape being auctioned via the Internet. The sample clip was available on the website www.beatles-auction.com.

2002: A was included on the CD-R As It Happened, Baby!

8a. Home demo               P

In the same vein as the “Eleanor Rigby” demo, but far less structured, is this recording of Paul and various friends fooling around with his Revox machines in the basement studio. Playing with the tape echo, Paul babbles in various silly accents (Scouse, Irish, and so on), with his mates chiming in here and there. Although the recording date is unknown, Paul does mention the “Carousel of Light” at one point. While this phrase is fairly close to Carnival of Light, the January 1967 festival to which Paul contributed a Beatles sound collage, this is most definitely not that recording.

RELEASE HISTORY

2004: On June 12, BBC Radio 4’s series The Archive Hour broadcast Barry Miles’s documentary Z Is for Zapple, which opened and closed with this recording. The entire show circulates on CD-R.

9. Studio session

The sessions for Revolver started off with a bang this evening thanks to a recording that would end up lyrically, melodically, and sonically unlike anything the Beatles had attempted before. It began life with the unassuming working title “Mark I,” and John, its author, already had some idea of how he wanted it to sound, although getting it right took some doing.

For this first attempt (A), a simple tape loop of slowed-down guitar and resonant percussion was prepared to drone and scrape away in the background. With George Martin’s “Here it comes” playback warning, Ringo and Paul added a simple but relentless drum and bass backing on top of this, the result all going on track 1 of the four-track tape. John also sang a guide vocal on track 4, but seems to have been listening to the loop in his headphones rather than what Paul and Ringo were playing, as his vocal lags behind throughout.

A monitor mix of this take (B) appears in two segments on the Anthology DVD, as George Martin plays back the tape with Paul, George, and Ringo at Abbey Road, occasionally isolating each of the two tracks.

Although the recording as it stood was already revolutionary by their standards, John had something more extreme in mind. By take 3, a satisfactory backing track was laid down on track 1 of the tape. This consisted of Ringo’s drums and Paul’s bass, this time

without any accompanying tape loop. John wanted a more ethereal sound on his vocal than mere double-tracking could give him (something akin to thousands of chanting monks or the Dalai Lama atop a mountain). Presumably, with no Himalayas nearby, the closest thing at hand in Studio 3 was the swirling sound of the Hammond organ’s rotating Leslie speaker.

Much to his delight, when John’s voice was fed through the Leslie, it produced the desired gyrating tone, and he recorded a lead vocal on track 4 of the tape, with the Leslie effect switched on for the second half of the song. Alongside this, George played a tamboura drone on the same track. There was more work to be done, but that would have to wait for the following day.

RELEASE HISTORY

1996: A was officially released on Anthology 2.

2003: B was released on the soundtrack of the Anthology DVD.

10. Studio session

Today’s afternoon session saw an important addition to “Mark I” as each Beatle arrived with several tape loops of various sped-up and distorted guitars and sound effects such as wine glasses being rubbed. Five of these were placed on different mono machines, the tension taken up by people holding pencils. These signals were all patched into a mixer controlled by the group’s new recording engineer Geoff Emerick, who alternated among the signals and fed the results onto track 2 of the “Mark I” tape. Track 3 of the tape would not be filled for a couple more weeks.

This evening session was devoted to Paul’s ode to marijuana, “Got to Get You into My Life.” By the fifth take, a basic track of acoustic guitar, drums, and George Martin on organ was completed, with added vocals: Paul’s lead and some nice harmonies from John and George. The song was lyrically complete at this stage, with the additional words “somehow, someway,” after the title line; what would eventually be a guitar break near the end was for now a repeated “I need your love” in rising harmony.

Although take 5 (A) was temporarily marked “best,” they started again the next day with a slightly different arrangement. With only two tracks of the tape filled this evening, the version released on Anthology 2 is understandably in mono; if you listen closely, there appears to be a second organ part mixed out (clicking keys can be heard) that duplicates the eventual brass line after each refrain.

In addition, 21 seconds from the end of this take was included in the Anthology documentary; although the music overlaps entirely with the CD, the vocal track is left up a bit longer, allowing us to hear Paul’s comment “D’you want to do another one, George?” as well as a bit more clowning from John and George.

RELEASE HISTORY

1996: A was officially released on Anthology 2. The excerpt with extra vocals was also released on the Anthology home video the same year; it can be found on the bootleg CD Abbey Road Video Show. Its appearance on the Anthology DVD has been ruined by aligning the vocal and music tracks out of sync.

11. Studio session

John and Paul had each contributed a new song, and now it was George’s turn. His composition, given the impromptu working title “Granny Smith,” incorporated the Indian instrumentation he was growing fonder of, and the lyrics continued in the philosophical vein of “Think for Yourself.” Recording began on the eleventh with three takes in the afternoon and three more in the evening session to complete a basic rhythm track. Based on the written and aural evidence, the four tracks filled that day consisted of the following:

A1—George’s acoustic guitar and lead vocal, with harmony from Paul on the last word of each verse

A2—fuzz bass from Paul, using the volume pedal to swell the notes during the refrains

A3—sitar, tamboura, and tabla overdub, the latter performed by Anil Bhagwat

A4—second sitar and fuzz guitar overdub

Also, at some point on this first date, a 34-second edit piece was taped for the song’s intro, consisting of swarmandal and sitar. At the end of the day, a rough mono mix of take 6 was made for George to take home.

Two days later, this afternoon session completed the song; take 6 was reduced to take 7 by means of combining A1 and A2 above to a single track (let’s call it B1), and A3 and A4 to a second (B2). Track B3 of this new tape had a high harmony vocal from Paul (this track was not used on any released mix), and track B4 had a second vocal from George and tambourine played by Ringo. John doesn’t seem to have participated in the song at any point, unless he played the fuzz guitar.

The session sheet from this day indicates that take 7, with a length of only 2:44, didn’t have the intro edit piece added yet, nor did the three mono remixes done this day. The intro was probably joined during an April 25 session, as John Barrett’s tape log has a separate reel from that date (E60604) notated “INTRO. SITAR EDIT PIECE FULL TITLE.” With this done, copies of the “best” mono master were made on May 16, one for the United States and one for the UK, which may indicate that George Martin was considering sending this song to Capitol for inclusion on their “Yesterday”… And Today LP As the final stereo mixing and editing was done on June 20 and twenty-first, the song was still being referred to as “Granny Smith;” sometime between then and the transfer order prepared on July 4, George settled on the awkward title “Love You To” (often erroneously listed as “Love You Too”).

This mono mix (A) lasts several seconds longer during the fade than the other two. The original stereo mix (B) makes one of the edit points quite obvious, as a jump in the vocal track can be heard at 2:21. This mix has track B4 mixed in the center, B1 mixed right, and B2 mixed left. By 1999, engineers were able to sync up all four tracks from take 6 (A1–A4) with B4 from take 7 when doing the remix (C) for Yellow Submarine Songtrack. The result is that A3 is mixed left and A4 to the right, allowing the previously buried second sitar and fuzz guitar to be heard much more clearly than on earlier releases.

RELEASE HISTORY

1966: A and B were included on mono and stereo pressings, respectively, of the Revolver LP. B is available on EMI’s CD of that title.

1999: C was included on Apple’s Yellow Submarine Songtrack CD.

12. Studio session

After the usual dinner break, the Beatles reconvened to work on Paul’s “Paperback Writer,” which was destined to be the A-side of their next single. Undoubtedly a lot of rehearsal and discussion took place, for at the end of six and a half hours, they were able to perfect the backing track in two takes. The rhythm consisted of Paul and George on electric guitars, Ringo on drums, and John on tambourine. Ringo tapped his sticks to keep time during the breaks, which would later be filled with multiple vocal harmonies.

The raw tape opens with Paul practicing the intro; as this section is in stereo, with the instruments spread across at least three tracks, it probably comes from the rehearsals, although it does have a “take one” announcement. This is followed by a loud crashing noise, and suddenly everything is on a single track. The first attempt makes it through one verse, but breaks down when George is late changing from a G to a C chord. He is then heard commenting that the others were speeding up, and Paul concurs, saying they are “pressing” too much. George Martin reminds them that the tape is still running, and they begin a second take, which goes off without a hitch.

Although we have both takes on a continuous recording from the multitracks, take 2 as we hear it incorporates overdubs from the following day’s session, so it is examined below (entry 13A)—the timing for that entry begins where the first bit of overdubbed sound is heard.

RELEASE HISTORY

1988: The vinyl bootleg Ultra Rare Trax, Volume 5 & 6 included a very good, but incomplete, copy of this outtake.

1989: A more complete recording, in the same sound quality, appeared from tape source on the bootleg CD Unsurpassed Masters, Volume 3.

1994: A was included on the boxed set The Ultimate Collection, Volume 3: Studio Sessions, 1965–66 in excellent quality, and with an extra second or so at the start (but running too slow).

13. Studio session

Thanks to tape operator Phil McDonald’s notes, we can reconstruct some of the work done this afternoon to complete “Paperback Writer.” With the rhythm on track 1, Paul overdubbed his main vocal on another track, and a second vocal with backing from John and George on a third track. To fill the remaining track (track 2), numerous overdubs were attempted and discarded, using all the new tricks and toys employed over the previous week. Paul played a bass part, with the signal limited, filtered, and compressed. George Martin tried playing piano through the Leslie speaker for one attempt, and “had a good time” on organ for another. A further idea was to overdub guitar in the gaps after the title phrase was sung. In the end, the only thing not crossed out in the notes is what was used: George and John added further vocals (including the infamous “Frère Jacques” phrase) while Paul played his bass part and George added some lead guitar fills here and there.

At the end of the full take 2 as heard on bootleg (A), a couple of seconds of a rehearsal take (rhythm track only) can be heard—this was obviously something taped over by the “proper” takes. Simultaneous to that, as the final track 2 overdub ends, the tail of one of the earlier overdub attempts is audible, as the Leslied piano jangles on.

With the song complete, mono mixing was done that same evening, and as McDonald’s notes specify, track 1 was faded out during the a cappella interludes, so that Ringo’s tapping wouldn’t be audible (although you can hear it on A). Also indicated is an instruction to slow down the tape echo on the “die away of ‘Paperback Writer’ ” before each chorus. This was done very deliberately on B, but toned down in the stereo mix done some months later (C), which also fades the song several seconds earlier. A new stereo mix was done around the time of Anthology for the soundtrack of the promo clip for “Paperback Writer.” This mix (D) has tracks 1 and 2 mixed center, and the two vocal-only tracks split left and right. The remix (E) on the Anthology DVD, however, is more faithful to the original stereo mix.

RELEASE HISTORY

1966: B was released as a single worldwide and can be found on a CD single of the same title. C was released later that year in the UK on A Collection of Beatles Oldies; its initial U.S. appearances on the LPs Hey Jude and The Beatles 1962–1966 had reversed channels. Mix C is also contained on the Past Masters, Volume 2: The Beatles 1962–1966; and 1 CD collections.

1983: The multimedia presentation The Beatles at Abbey Road contained a sped-up, fake stereo mix of this song, most likely derived from A or C; although it’s nothing special, this variation can be heard on bootlegs such as Turn Me On Dead Man: The John Barrett Tapes (where it’s been speed-corrected), and Abbey Road Video Show (where the bass has been EQ’d out for some reason).

1984: Most of A appeared from the raw studio tape in Westwood One’s Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band: A History of the Beatle Years 1962–1970 radio special, although the last 31 seconds are obscured by narration.

1988: The bootleg Ultra Rare Trax, Volume 1 included A in excellent quality, although nearly 2 seconds were chopped out near the end of the song. The full recording surfaced later that year on the vinyl bootleg Ultra Rare Trax, Volume 5 & 6; it appeared from a tape source the following year on Unsurpassed Masters, Volume 3.

1994: An upgraded copy of A was included on the boxed set The Ultimate Collection, Volume 3: Studio Sessions, 1965–66.

1996: D was prepared for use in Anthology; it was heard in complete form on an Apple electronic press kit (EPK), and is on the CD Lost and Found and the CD-R Video 1.

2003: E was released on the soundtrack of the Anthology DVD.

14. Studio session

With the A-side of the single finished, the group tackled its equally excellent B-side, John’s “Rain.” Already in these sessions, they had experimented with new techniques such as tape loops, jangle and fuzz boxes, putting voices through Leslie speakers, messing with filters and heavy tape echo, and trying new ways of miking instruments. Anything to get new and different sounds, and “Rain” would add a couple more twists.

The basic backing was recorded on the evening of April 14 with drums and guitars on one track of the tape, and Paul’s bass occupying a second track. To give the song extra weight, the tape was rolled at a slightly fast speed during the recording, giving the rhythm a slower, heavier, more lethargic sound upon playback. John then added his lead vocal on the tape’s third track, but this time the tape was slowed down during the overdub, so his voice would sound slightly fast on the finished product. Although it’s not documented on the session sheet, John must have taken home a rough mix of “Rain” that night. While trying to play it back at home, he threaded the tape backwards by mistake and (being stoned at the time), loved what he heard.

Two days later, the group reconvened to add more vocals and tambourine to finish the song. John mentioned his moment of reverse-enlightenment to George Martin, and during a break (perhaps while the group went out to dine), the producer prepared a surprise. He copied some segments of John’s lead vocal track (the first line of the song, and the words “sun shines/Rain” spanning the second verse and chorus) onto a second reel. This reel was turned around and overdubbed onto the end of the song, and John was pleased with the result presented upon his return.

There is little difference between the released mono and stereo mixes, which is odd as they were made more than three years apart! John’s lead vocal was treated to artificial double-tracking (ADT), yet another innovation of these sessions, during the mixing pro cess. A new remix (C) was done for the Anthology home video, leaving everything centered but the tambourine/backing vocal track, which is panned to the left. On the Anthology DVD (D), however, the drums and guitars are left, bass and main vocal centered, and tambourine/backing vocals right.

There is also a version of “Rain” released on several bootlegs (best found on The Ultimate Collection, Volume 3: Studio Sessions, 1965–66) that sounds identical to B, although it may be from the raw studio tape, as it seems to have a split-second extra at the fade compared to commercial stereo pressings.

RELEASE HISTORY

1966: A was released as a single worldwide and can be found on the “Paperback Writer” CD single.

1970: B was released in the United States on Hey Jude; this mix is also contained on the Past Masters, Volume 2 CD collection.

1983: The version of B used in the multimedia presentation The Beatles at Abbey Road was slightly sped up and had reversed channels.

1996: C was released in the Anthology home video documentary.

2003: D was released on the soundtrack of the Anthology DVD.

15. Studio session

Although it wasn’t as inspired or innovative as any of the songs worked on so far for Revolver, “Doctor Robert” did introduce new subject matter into the Beatles’ lyrical canon, being loosely based on a real-life New York physician who allegedly prescribed amphetamine-fueled vitamin injections to “pick you up.”

The rhythm track was perfected in seven takes on April 17; it consisted of rhythm guitar, bass, drums, and George on maracas. George then overdubbed lead guitar, John added harmonium, and Paul played piano, although the latter was either buried deep in the mix or unused entirely. They returned two days later to complete the song by overdubbing all the vocals, which would be split via ADT during the mixing process. Although the complete take 7 lasted 2:56, all released versions are edited down.

The U.S. mono mix (A) is the longest, allowing a comment from John to be heard after the song ends (often reported as “OK, Herb,” but it sounds to me like “OK, er …”). As with the tapping stick on “Paperback Writer,” the maraca that kept time under the “well well well” segment was lowered on most mixes, but is audible on mix A. The UK mono mix (D) has a slightly longer delay on the vocals’ ADT and seems to be missing a bit of guitar at 1:36. The two stereo mixes sound nearly identical, but one of the edit points, at 1:34, is more audible on mix C. A stereo remix, buried under dialogue on Anthology (E), has the rhythm track moved a bit to the left.

RELEASE HISTORY

1966: A was released on mono copies of “Yesterday”… And Today in the United States; initial stereo pressings included this mix in fake stereo, but later issues used the correct mix, B. C was included on UK stereo copies of Revolver, and is on EMI’s CD of that title. D was released on UK mono pressings of Revolver.

2003: E was released on the soundtrack of the Anthology DVD.

16. Studio session

An excellent song written mainly by John, and a flawed but entertaining performance, “And Your Bird Can Sing” was first attempted at the start of this session. The arrangement is nearly finalized, being played in the key of D at this point, and having a more Byrds-like feel to the guitar sound. In addition, the third verse comes before the solo here, rather than after the second bridge. Instead, the second bridge is followed by a repeat of the first verse, and a rather impressive bass and drum flurry precedes the coda.

The backing track consisted of two electric guitars and drums. On the second track, John sang his first lead vocal while Paul played bass and Ringo (or perhaps George) shook a tambourine. The third track was filled with a second vocal from John, with Paul and George singing harmonies. This track also had more lead guitar “punched in” for the solo and end of the song; rather than use ADT or even manual double-tracking, this was played by Paul and George on two guitars simultaneously.

For the fourth track of the tape, yet another John/Paul vocal was added, but something caused a giggling fit as they began this overdub, and the resultant singing is less than serious, with many lines missed entirely due to laughter, and one rendered as “When your bike is broken.” The Anthology CD mix (A) has the “giggly” vocals centered, making them easy to remove via the OOPS process, while a remix for the DVD (B) has the “straight” vocals centered. The DVD mix is also artificially extended by 8 seconds by repeating one of the final phrases. The session concluded with the first four takes of George’s “Taxman,” but this too would be remade, beginning the following day.

RELEASE HISTORY

1996: A was released on Anthology 2. An OOPSed version included on bootlegs such as Upgraded Collection—Highlights eliminates the “giggling” vocal track, allowing us to hear what this arrangement might have sounded like had it been released in 1966.

2003: B was released on the soundtrack of the Anthology DVD.

17. Studio session

This long session saw “Taxman” nearly through to completion. Eleven rhythm track takes (electric guitars, bass, and drums) were laid down. George overdubbed two lead vocal tracks, with harmonies from John and Paul, and for the fourth track, Ringo added tambourine, Paul played lead guitar, including a ferocious solo, and John and Paul dropped in a few falsetto “anybody got a bit of money’s.” The song at this stage (A) ended with a sung “Taxman!” in the style of the Batman TV series theme. A new stereo remix (B) from this take is included on the Anthology DVD; it centers the rhythm track, splits the two vocal tracks slightly, and pans the fourth track to far right.

Although Mark Lewisohn’s two books (Recording Sessions and Chronicle) indicate that Paul’s exaggerated “count-in” was only added on May 16, it is present on this take, and was probably spoken during the backing vocal overdub. As Lewisohn’s liner notes for Anthology 2, written more recently, denote that take 11 from this date is what we’re hearing (and John Barrett’s tape log has no mention of any May 16 overdub work on “Taxman”), I’m assuming the earlier reference was in error.

RELEASE HISTORY

1996: A was officially released on Anthology 2.

2003: B was released on the soundtrack of the Anthology DVD.

18. Studio session

The first task this afternoon was to complete “Taxman” with a reduction mix of take 11, combining both vocal tracks onto one track of a new tape, called take 12. The newly freed fourth track was filled with a cowbell over-dub, and the “bit of money” vocal was erased and replaced with the notorious “Mr. Wilson/Mr. Heath” part. In addition, some unwanted lead guitar notes during the second verse were wiped from the tape.

Paul’s guitar solo was so splendid, they decided to feature it again at the end of the song, so it was mixed separately and spliced onto the end of the main body of the song (and George’s final “me” at the end of the song, which overlaps the splice, was presumably lifted back in from the main take). The only real difference between the mono and stereo mixes is that the cowbell track enters at 0:34 on C and at 0:46 on D.

“Mark I” was finally completed this day with over-dubs of organ, tambourine, and piano on track 3 of the tape. At the same time, John manually double-tracked the first couple of verses; apparently he found the non-Leslied first half of his vocal a bit thin-sounding. The tape was then turned around so that someone could overdub a backwards guitar solo (probably Paul, as the tone is similar to his “Taxman” solo); this was “punched-in” and erased part of the track. Note that John’s second vocal was not achieved through ADT, as has been previously reported, since it cuts out exactly when the tambourine and organ do; in addition, there is a slight difference in the way “meaning of within” is sung on each vocal track. Mark Lewisohn reports this session as a sitar and vocal overdub, which makes no sense until you substitute “guitar” for “sitar.”

The first nine mono remixes were made on April 27, with the eighth chosen temporarily as “best.” This mix (A) is the only one to have the guitar solo treated with ADT. A tape copy of this mix was made on May 16, and sometime over the following three weeks, John ditched the title “Mark I” in favor of one of Ringo’s epigrams, “Tomorrow Never Knows,” to “take the edge” off the song’s ponderous lyrics. Three more mono mixes were done on June 6, the middle of which (B) was selected as a new “best”—this mix leaves out the last phrase of the guitar solo and fades the effects track a tad early, allowing the piano to clank away on its own longer than on any other mix. The stereo mix (E) fades in more gradually than the mono mixes, which open at full volume.

For whatever reason, George Martin changed his mind on July 14 and made an eleventh-hour effort to substitute the original “best” mono mix, but a small batch of albums had already been pressed. Thus UK mono copies of the album with the matrix number XEX 606-1 on side 2 contain mix B, while XEX 606-2 and all subsequent issues contained mix A. A monitor mix (F) of this take found in three segments on the Anthology DVD has the individual tracks isolated and plays through to the end, as the piano and organ stumble to a halt.

RELEASE HISTORY

1966: As noted above, early mono pressings of Revolver in the UK contained B, while the majority included A; all mono copies also contained C. D and E were released on stereo pressings of Revolver worldwide, and are both on EMI’s CD of that title.

2003: F was released on the soundtrack of the Anthology DVD.

19. Studio session

This remake of “And Your Bird Can Sing” was performed, as John put it before the first attempt, at a “quite brisk” tempo, and raised to the key of E. The backing of rhythm guitar and drums on one track, and Paul’s bass on another, was taped simultaneously. Eleven takes later, they listened to their efforts and selected take 10 as the best, although they liked the very end of take 6 as well, with Paul’s sputtering bass, so this was spliced to the end of the song at the remix stage. Vocals from John, Paul, and George (treated with ADT on the remix) and percussion (tambourine, cymbal, and handclaps) filled the third track, and a dual guitar solo from Paul and George completed things on the fourth track.

The only difference of note among any of these mixes is that the U.S. mono mix (A) has the percussion track mixed slightly louder during the guitar solo.

RELEASE HISTORY

1966: A was released on mono copies of “Yesterday”… And Today in the United States; initial stereo pressings included this mix in fake stereo, but later issues used the correct mix, B. In addition, B was included on UK stereo copies of Revolver and is on EMI’s CD of that title. C was released on UK mono pressings of Revolver.

20. Studio session

On April 27, the Beatles had taped eleven takes of John’s new composition “I’m Only Sleeping.” These were played in the key of Em, but with the tape machine running fast. As with “Rain,” this gave the song a more languid, dreamy quality when played back. Only the rhythm track of bass, drums, and two acoustic guitars was taped that night, and take 11 was temporarily marked “best.” However, they returned to the song two nights later, attempting a remake.

As usual, they recorded several of their rehearsals, in this case consisting of drums and vibraphone on track 1 of the tape, and acoustic guitar on track 2; no vocals were attempted during these run-throughs. The first nine minutes of this rehearsal were then erased by five “proper” takes, but the last minute or so of the rehearsal (A) survived. This can be heard on Anthology 2, mixed into mono (even though two tracks were used).

The first take (B) of the remake was the only one seen to completion, and it had acoustic guitars, tambourine, percussion, and John and Paul’s vocal duet all taped on track 1. While the rehearsal sounds in Em, these “real” attempts were again recorded with the machine running fast, and they play back a half step lower in pitch. At this point, the structure is the same as the earlier version through the solo break; this is followed by repeats of the first refrain, the bridge, the third verse, the solo break, and the second refrain, fading out on some vamping.

This remake owes quite a bit in style to the Lovin’ Spoonful’s then-current hit “Daydream,” quite apart from the obvious lyrical similarities. The Spoonful were currently touring England, and John and George caught their show on April 18.

They presumably played this new version back to back with the “best” take from the twenty-seventh and preferred the latter, as this remake was quickly abandoned. Instead, to finish up the session, John taped his lead vocal onto track 2 of take 11, this time with the machine running slow (also as with “Rain”) to make it sound faster in the final mix. More work would be done to this recording the following month.

RELEASE HISTORY

1996: A and B were officially released on Anthology 2.

21. TV performance

For the fourth year running, the Beatles performed at the New Musical Express Poll Winners’ Concert. Although nobody could have known it, the ten thousand people present were witnessing the group’s final live concert in front of a paying British audience. In an impressive display of British pop’s breadth and power, on the bill besides the Beatles were the Rolling Stones, the Who, the Yardbirds, the Spencer Davis Group (featuring Stevie Winwood), Small Faces (with Kenney Jones and Ronnie Lane), Cliff Richard, and the Shadows.

Unfortunately, the Beatles’ show-closing set was neither broadcast nor filmed, due to contractual squabbles, but they are known to have played “I Feel Fine,” “Nowhere Man,” “Day Tripper,” “If I Needed Someone,” and “I’m Down.” These five songs had featured in their December 1965 set list and would be carried over to their June–July 1966 tour as well.

Cameras did capture the award ceremonies at the end of the show, with John receiving trophies as runner-up, world musical personality and Britain’s top vocal personality, and all four named top vocal group in Britain and the world. The group, dressed all in black with John sporting a pair of shades, accepted the awards from actor Clint Walker, posed with the trophies for the press and the fans, and then walked offstage, their nine-year British performing career effectively over.

RELEASE HISTORY

1999: The audio of this event (although no Beatle can be heard speaking) appeared on the boxed CD boot Mythology, Volume 2, taken from a videotape that circulates among collectors.

22. Radio interview

For the first time in over five months, the Beatles consented to a handful of interviews for BBC Radio, all conducted by Brian Matthew. Although they had no specific product or appearance to plug, the 400th edition of Saturday Club was a special enough occasion to warrant their participation; as originally aired, their appearance consisted of four segments totaling 6:05, including yet another a cappella rendition of the Saturday Club theme song.

Matthew gets right to the point, wondering just why they have been so absent from the public eye lately. After some nonresponses, George finally explains that they prefer being in the studio to appearing in front of their adoring fans, and John points out that they are now spending twice the usual amount of time recording an album. George hopes that their impending album will be done in two or three weeks, so they can get some time off before their next tour (in the end, sessions stretched out for seven more weeks, right up to the eve of the tour).

Somewhat unwisely, Matthew assumes that the new LP won’t contain any sitar, now that “everybody’s using it.” While the others defend its continued use, George states matter-of-factly that he doesn’t care what others do, he plays sitar because he likes it. After John explains that the new album will have no cover versions, Matthew inquires about their upcoming North American tour (announced in April). The news that they will revisit Shea Stadium is a cue for some joshing about baseball and partying on the plane during the summer ’65 tour. Matthew, who had traveled with them on the first leg of that marijuana-fueled journey, interjects knowingly, “Everybody takes off before you get off the ground, it’s a jolly good trip.”

RELEASE HISTORY

1972: A portion of this interview, apparently from a re-broadcast on Top Gear, was aired in the BBC Radio documentary The Beatles Story.

1999: A more complete recording, in two segments, appeared on the boxed CD bootleg Mythology, Volume 2. Unfortunately, about 25 seconds are missing from the second segment here that were included in The Beatles Story.

2000: A slightly better quality copy of the first segment only was bootlegged on The Beatles Broadcast Collection Trailer 2.

23. Radio interview               R

After John and George were given furloughs, Brian Matthew chatted with the two remaining Beatles not yet interviewed for the BBC Transcription Service’s Pop Profile series. First up was the drummer. (Mark Lewisohn’s Complete Beatles Chronicle has the Saturday Club interview and this one both starting at 5 p.m., which seems unlikely!)

Ringo declares the extra free time the group now has to be beneficial, although he can’t exactly say why; unlike his bandmates, he seems to have few interests outside being a Beatle. He happily admits to being “a lump of nothing, just sitting on a chair” raising “a family of blobs.”

Even on the seemingly pertinent topic of music, Ringo can’t name a single artist whose albums he would make an effort to listen to. He discusses his short attention span, reminiscing about begging for a bicycle in his childhood only to trade it away. Finally he opens up when recounting his origins as a drummer, playing in a hospital ward band and then improvising his first kit from biscuit tins, wire, and sticks of firewood.

RELEASE HISTORY

1988: Portions of this interview were broadcast in the December 17 episode of BBC Radio’s The Beeb’s Lost Beatles Tapes. It appears from this source on the CD-R Attack of The Filler Beebs, Episode 3.

1999: A more complete recording was bootlegged on Mythology, Volume 2 (and in slightly better quality on The Beatles Broadcast Collection Trailer 2 the following year), although this has music added to link two segments that are heard as a clean continuous recording on the earlier source.

24. Radio interview               P

Paul’s Pop Profile proved a bit more illuminating than Ringo’s, although where the drummer’s was a bit too mundane, Paul’s is a bit too pretentious. He complains how “it’s a drag” that he is becoming pigeonholed for attending concerts of experimental music (specifically Luciano Berio’s on February 23). Matthew wonders whether Paul will simply retire “when the bubble bursts,” reasoning that he will be rich enough. Paul, obviously not having heard a word Ringo just said, claims that “like any of the others, I don’t like doing nothing, particularly.”

A revealing joke slips from Paul’s lips when discussing George’s new passion for Indian music: “We’ve been ’round to his house a couple of times, he plays you … and, uh … so boring! [laughter] No, no! It’s— it’s good …” After enthusing about seeing great plays in London (and dissing the repertory company in his hometown of Liverpool), he names filmmaking as a potential field to conquer; from Magical Mystery Tour through Let It Be, Paul would try and usually fail to get the other Beatles excited about this medium.

RELEASE HISTORY

1972: A bit of this interview was broadcast in the BBC Radio documentary The Beatles Story, including 27 seconds not found on any other source. This includes two “Oh, God” exclamations from Paul, which were apparently censored from the version used elsewhere.

1988: Portions of this interview were broadcast in the December 10 episode of BBC Radio’s The Beeb’s Lost Beatles Tapes. It appears from this source on Attack of the Filler Beebs, Episode 3.

1999: A more complete recording was bootlegged on Mythology, Volume 2 (and in slightly better quality on The Beatles Broadcast Collection Trailer 2 the following year), although this has music added over the beginning and ending of the second segment, which is clean on the earlier source.

25. Radio interview               P

This brief recording may be an excerpt from the Pop Profile described in the previous entry; Brian Matthew’s narration in The Beatles Story implies that he was the interviewer, although his voice is nowhere to be heard on the recording (nor are his trademark “Yeah’s” and “Mmhmm’s,” which are peppered throughout the rest of his interviews during his subjects’ replies). The only other obvious place this would be from is The Lennon and McCartney Songbook (see the August 6 entry).

In this short clip, Paul explains that despite its popularity, “Michelle” wasn’t considered as a single release because they usually chose more up-tempo material for singles.

RELEASE HISTORY

1972: This interview was broadcast in the BBC Radio documentary The Beatles Story. It appears from this source on the CD-R Attack of the Filler Beebs, Episode 2, mislabeled as a June 1965 recording.

26. Studio session

Returning to take 11 of “I’m Only Sleeping,” George filled up the tape’s two remaining tracks on May 5 by taping two backwards guitar solos, one played through a fuzz box. These overdubs apparently carried on through most of the song, to be faded up in appropriate spots during remixing. At the beginning of the next day’s session, two tape reductions were done (the second attempt was best) to combine the two guitar tracks onto one track of a new tape. The newly vacated fourth track was then filled with a final vocal overdub, John double-tracking his lead in places, and Paul and George singing harmonies. Both vocal tracks were treated to ADT during mixing.

The easiest markers to differentiate the four released mixes are the points where the backwards guitar track was faded up. For the U.S. mono mix (A), it appears only three times: at 1:22–1:27, 1:33–1:46, and from 2:47 to the song’s end. The U.S. stereo mix (B) has backwards guitar in four places, at 0:44–0:47, 0:49–0:53, 1:33–1:45, and 2:45 to the end. The UK stereo mix (C), done the same day, is similar, with guitar at 0:44–0:47, 0:49–0:53, 1:32–1:45, and 2:45 to the end. By the time the UK mono mix (D) was done, it was decided to include guitar at all five spots: 0:45–0:47, 0:51–0:53, 1:25–1:27, 1:33–1:45, and 2:46 through the end. The incomplete remix (E) used in Anthology centers all instruments and splits the vocals left and right.

RELEASE HISTORY

1966: A was released on mono copies of Yesterday”… And Today in the United States; initial stereo pressings included this mix in fake stereo, but later issues used the correct mix, B. C was included on UK stereo copies of Revolver and is on EMI’s CD of that title. D was released on UK mono pressings of Revolver.

1980: C was released on Capitol’s Rarities collection in the United States, with a misleading liner note claiming verses had been “rearranged.”

2003: E was released on the soundtrack of the Anthology DVD.

NOTE:

An often-reported “fifth alternate mix” from the French Strawberry Fields Forever EP is actually just a copy of D.

27. Studio session

“For No One” was composed by Paul during his March 6 to March 20 ski vacation with Jane Asher in Klosters, Switzerland. It remains one of his greatest accomplishments, with evocative lyrics and a simple but effective melody.

Ten takes of the backing were recorded this evening, consisting of Paul playing piano on one track while Ringo drummed on a second. This off-line tape (A) begins with Paul practicing his piano part and counting in for the first take, which breaks down right after the third verse. Take 2 is announced, after which Paul plays a glissando and comments on the echo on his piano. A few more riffs lead into the second take, which stops after the first chorus; it’s not clear whether the take broke down at that point or if that’s just where our tape happens to end.

The tenth and “best” take had overdubs added to the third track: Paul on clavichord, plus maracas and hi-hat cymbal.

RELEASE HISTORY

1993: A was included on the bootleg CD Control Room Monitor Mixes. It also appears on the 2002 CD Complete Controlroom Monitor Mixes in slightly lesser quality.

28. Studio session

The fourth track of the “For No One” tape was filled this day with Paul’s lead vocal overdub, done with the tape running slow to raise his voice slightly in pitch on playback. A tape reduction was then made, leaving the vocal on its own track and combining the other three tracks to one.

Once again we have an off-line tape from the preparation of the 1983 presentation The Beatles at Abbey Road, which features each of the tracks in isolation as they are switched back and forth on the mixing board. It begins with about two minutes of various unknown piano and drum takes from the May 9 session. The tape is then fast-forwarded to the start of take 10, which opens with Paul giving Ringo drumming instructions. Each track is isolated in turn: piano, drums, clavichord/percussion, and lead vocal (beginning with Paul practicing the opening lines and asking for “silence for the studio, over and out”). The tape is rewound for another listen to take 10, again isolating individual tracks.

RELEASE HISTORY

1993: A 4:03 portion of A was included on the bootleg CD Control Room Monitor Mixes.

2002: A complete (but slightly worse quality) version of A appeared on the bootleg CD Complete Controlroom Monitor Mixes.

29. Promo clips/TV performance

With a new single to promote and no desire to interrupt recording sessions with visits to numerous TV studios, the Beatles repeated the successful efforts of the previous November and used InterTel’s VTR production team to videotape further promotional clips. Rather than a film studio, Abbey Road’s large Studio 1 was used, with Michael Lindsay-Hogg beginning a long association as director of Beatles projects.

After a brief rehearsal, the group took their places for the first two clips, both shot in color. John wore tinted sunglasses, a paisley shirt, and a dark jacket, and played an Epiphone Casino; Paul had on a salmon shirt and dark jacket, and played his Hofner bass; George sported a tan jacket and played his Gibson SG; Ringo, at his kit, wore a coat and tie. After “Rain” (A) was taped, the group watched a playback, and then John and Paul removed their jackets for “Paperback Writer.” This clip (B) begins with Paul peering through some transparencies of the Butcher cover photo session and has all four Beatles wearing shades, John switching to small rectangular yellow-tinted lenses for this clip only. Both these clips would be aired exclusively in the United States on The Ed Sullivan Show.

Lunch followed, and then work began on taping monochrome clips for the UK, still without regular color TV broadcasts. For the next take of “Paperback Writer” (C), John and George sat atop a grand piano, while Paul perched in front of Ringo’s riser. John has put his jacket back on and is the only one wearing sunglasses; this version opens with a close-up of Paul’s eyes.

Two more takes of “Paperback Writer” followed in succession (D and E), with the group standing around Ringo’s kit in a similar formation to clip A. George has now removed his jacket, but Paul has put his back on; John still wears shades. The second of these clips ends with John turning away and hopping off the riser, and George removing his guitar. These two takes would be edited together for use on Ready, Steady, Go!

Following this, two takes of “Rain” (F and G) were taped in the same clothes and location. The circulating copy of F carries on well past the song’s end, showing George unstrapping his guitar, and Paul saluting and doing likewise before the camera zooms in for an out-of-focus shot of nothing in particular. These two takes may also have been edited together for use on Ready, Steady, Go! (only the unedited masters are circulating).

The final task was to tape a special introduction (H), in color, for The Ed Sullivan Show; for this, Paul and George sit atop the grand piano while John stands next to Ringo at a microphone. All four hold up colored lighting gels in front of their faces, remove these and their sunglasses (Paul’s stay on), and say hello, before Ringo gives a brief excuse for their not appearing in person.

RELEASE HISTORY

All of these clips circulate on video among collectors. The Ed Sullivan promos and introduction (A, B, H) were the first to surface, in excellent quality from the original 2-inch color video masters. A red-tinted copy of the Ready, Steady, Go! edit of D and E circulated from an unknown rebroadcast, and the Lucky Stars clip (C) appeared from a film source in the Private Reel compilation, taken from Ringo’s private collection. Most recently, what appears to be the raw tape of C-G appeared from an excellent-quality video source, complete with InterTel slates. The audio of H is available on the bootleg CD The Ultimate Collection, Volume 1: TV Appearances.

30. Studio session

“For No One” was completed this evening by filling the two remaining tracks on the tape reduction. One over-dub consisted of bass and tambourine, and the other featured Alan Civil’s exemplary French horn during the solo break and the final verse.

The off-line control room tape (A) includes further isolations of the individual tracks. It begins with the presong chatter and continues through the middle of the last verse; the tape is then rewound. The song is then played through to the end, allowing the final chord to ring out longer than either released mix. There are no major differences between the mono and stereo mixes (B and C), done at the same session. A remix (D) for the Anthology DVD syncs the four tracks from take 10 (piano left, vocal center, drums and clavichord right) with the overdubs from take 14 (left).

RELEASE HISTORY

1966: B and C were included on mono and stereo pressings, respectively, of the Revolver LP. C is available on EMI’s CD of that title.

1993: Portions of A were included on the bootleg CD Control Room Monitor Mixes.

2002: A complete (but worse quality) version of A appeared on the bootleg CD Complete Controlroom Monitor Mixes.

2003: D was released on the soundtrack of the Anthology DVD.

31. Promo clips

The previous day’s videotaping of promo clips had served its purpose well enough, but failed to stray from the typical “stand around and lip-sync in a studio” format. To this end, the Beatles and Michael Lindsay-Hogg accompanied a film crew this morning to Chiswick House and Gardens in the west of London. The group again sported their psychedelic shades, and all but Ringo brought the same instruments they had employed a day earlier.

Color filming began at the front gate with sequences for “Rain,” which then moved to a cedar tree, the group performing as children played on the branches. “Paperback Writer” was filmed in a nearby statue garden and inside the conservatory. Shots from the conservatory were also used in “Rain,” and several shots of nonperformance footage (the group hanging out and walking through the grounds) were edited into both finished clips. In addition, the version of “Rain” seen in the Anthology documentary (C) incorporates outtake footage from the day’s filming, also in color, as well as shots from both May 19 video clips, in black and white.

Even though they were filmed in color, the only contemporary airings of A and B were on the monochrome-transmitted Top of the Pops. To make up for this, though, the Beatles made a surprise appearance on that show, lip-syncing both songs in a live broadcast from London’s Television Centre on June 16. Sadly, this appearance was not preserved, as with all Beatles appearances from Top of the Pops (bar a clip of their April 10, 1965, performance used in a Dr. Who episode), despite the BBC’s recent efforts to track down a copy.

RELEASE HISTORY

Only a black-and-white copy of A was circulating at first, from Ringo’s Private Reel compilation, but pristine color copies of A and B turned up in preparation for Anthology and are both traded in unedited form. B and C were included in Anthology, and Apple distributed a copy of B in 1996 to promote the Anthology 3 CD, and a copy of A in 2003 to promote the Anthology DVD.

32. Documentary footage              J

Bob Dylan was in England again, braving the occasional boos to bring his own brand of rock-and-roll to the Kingdom. As he had the previous year, Bob invited the Beatles to his shows, and John and George took him up on it, attending this evening’s gig at the Royal Albert Hall in London; all four socialized with him in nightclubs and his May Fair Hotel room.

But the night before the concert, Bob paid a visit to John’s home in Weybridge, and whatever they got up to, Dylan was the worse for it early the next morning as the pair were chauffeured into downtown London to be dropped off at the May Fair. Also in the limo were filmmaker D. A. Pennebaker and his camera, and comrade Bobby Neuwirth operating the boom mike and manning the sound recorder. ABC had commissioned Dylan to produce a one-hour special about the tour for the TV series ABC Stage 66, and two ten-minute reels of film were shot during the limo ride.

It’s a less-than-inspiring occasion, as the hungover Dylan and the uptight-looking Lennon, both wearing shades, sit in the backseat smoking cigarettes. The two famed lyricists parry weakly, attempting to parody serious documentaries by lobbing joke interrogatives at each other about the Mamas and the Papas (Dylan calls them “terrible”), Barry McGuire (“a great war hero,” says John), and the Silkie (Bob says he’s taken a few milligrams of Silkie once). Bob does have good words for Johnny Cash, who had already put in an appearance for the documentary, and good-naturedly ribs John about how superior the United States is.

As the second reel begins, Dylan complains of an unspecified ailment and proceeds to remove his shades and rub his eyes, spending the last several minutes slumped forward clutching his head. Pennebaker and Neuwirth make mock retching sounds and suggest he might as well puke on camera, as John sits by silently. Bob pleads with the driver, Tom Keylock, to hurry back to the hotel as the final reel runs out, and indeed, Pennebaker recalls that he and John practically had to carry Dylan up to his room when they arrived.

RELEASE HISTORY

The finished edit by Dylan and Howard Alk, titled Eat the Document, used only a small bit of this footage. It was rejected by ABC and eventually screened at the New York Academy of Music on February 8, 1971, with a revival run in 1998. A different edit by Pennebaker and Neuwirth, called You Know Something Is Happening, reportedly contains a bit more of the Lennon footage; neither documentary has been released on video. Fortunately, both unedited reels, with a mostly synchronized soundtrack (apparently the sound reel ran out, as the last 2:24 are silent), circulate among video traders in good quality. The complete soundtrack to this footage appears on the Dylan bootleg boxed set Jewels and Binoculars.

33. Studio session

For Revolver’s obligatory Ringo track, a verse melody from John was combined with a chorus melody from Paul, to which both authors (with help from Donovan) wrote a set of fairy-tale lyrics. The resulting song, “Yellow Submarine,” was probably considered as LP filler but turned out well enough to be pulled from the album as a single, and it topped charts around the world a few months later.

The first session, on May 26, was conducted in George Martin’s absence—he was suffering from food poisoning, which probably explains the five-day gap in sessions that followed. Two reels were filled with rehearsals, although these were mostly erased later. The rhythm track was then recorded in four takes, with acoustic guitar, drums, tambourine, and Paul’s bass filling up two tracks of the tape. The last of these takes was “best,” and was overdubbed with Ringo’s lead vocal, joined by his bandmates for the choruses, and a fourth track with further vocals from all four. The vocals were recorded with the tape running slow to play back slightly higher in pitch. At the end of the night, a reduction into take 5 combined both vocal tracks to one and both instrument tracks to one.

For this session six days later, everyone present, including Neil, Mal, studio staff, and guests such as Brian Jones, Marianne Faithfull, and Pattie Harrison, joined in adding sound effects, party atmosphere, and of course the mass vocal choir that ends the recording. The two remaining tracks of the tape were filled as follows (in rough order of appearance):

1. John blowing bubbles, two separate bells, a grinding noisemaker, party chatter, an ocarina, a propeller being cranked and dunked in water, change being spilled, a foghorn, and the final group sing-along

2. Chains swishing in a metal tub of water, clinking glasses, more rattling change and party chatter, a brass band section, a tapping noise, a bunch of mock naval orders (“full stern ahead”), a submerging whoosh effect, John’s “life of ease” response shouts, and, finally, a marching band bass drum played by Mal Evans

In addition, an elaborate set of overdubs was prepared for the start of the song (perhaps as an edit piece), but not used at the time. This featured “marching feet” effects (coal shaken from side to side in a cardboard box) and a spoken passage from Ringo: “… Yellow submarine. And we will march till three the day to see them gathered there. From Land O’Groats to John O’Green, with Stepney do we tread. To see a yellow submarine! We love it.”

A rough mono mix was done at the end of the June 2 session, and five “proper” mono mixes were created the following day. The released mono mix (B) is the only version to leave the rhythm track up from the start; all other versions bring it in after the first strummed chord. Conversely, mix B fades out the second effects track briefly at 1:44, omitting some of the whoosh noise. The original stereo mix (C) has the rhythm in the left channel, main vocals right, and effects tracks mostly in the middle; it also mixes out John’s spoken “life of ease,” which is present on all the other versions.

The “marching/spoken” intro is present only on A, which also allows us to hear both effects tracks without being faded down during the song. One is in each channel (the bass drum is panned around a bit at the end), and the intro and remaining tracks are mixed to the center. Finally, we have the Songtrack remix (D), which synchronizes the original tracks from take 4 with the effects overdubs from take 5, thus allowing the two vocal tracks to be split (the second is treated with ADT and sent left and right); the sound effects are panned all over the stereo picture.

RELEASE HISTORY

1966: B and C were included on mono and stereo pressings, respectively, of the Revolver LP. C is available on EMI’s CD of that title, and B is on the “Yellow Submarine” CD single.

1967: A tape copy of B was made for the production of the film Yellow Submarine, probably during the November 7 session. It appears, with Ken Scott’s announcement, on the bootleg The Lost Pepperland Reel.

1996: A was released on Apple’s “Real Love” CD single.

1999: D was included on Apple’s Yellow Submarine Songtrack.

34. Studio session

George’s third contribution to Revolver was untitled at the start of the June 2 session, although Geoff Emerick came up with the joke title “Laxton’s Superb” (a type of apple and a play on “Granny Smith,” still the working title of “Love You To” at this point).

Five takes of the song’s rhythm track were recorded that day, with lead guitar, piano, and drums all going onto a single track. Take 3 was chosen as “best,” so George added his lead vocal to the second track, with Paul and John backing him up on the third. The final track of the tape was filled with an overdub of extra piano (high notes at the end of each bridge and the off-kilter F and E notes near the end of each verse), tambourine, and maracas. A tape reduction (called take 4, despite the rhythm track takes 4 and 5 already existing) was made; this combined both vocal tracks onto one track of the new tape, and both instrument tracks onto a second. The third track of the new tape had handclaps added for the final verse, and the session ended there.

The following evening, June 3, Paul overdubbed his bass part onto the remaining track, and mono remixing began immediately thereafter. At one point during this session, the song was designated “I Don’t Know” on the recording sheet (another joke at George’s expense, as this was his reply when asked what the song was called), and then finally the obvious title “I Want to Tell You” was chosen. Both mixes have the vocals and handclaps treated with ADT, and the mono mix (A) is much more compressed-sounding than the stereo (B).

RELEASE HISTORY

1966: A and B were included on mono and stereo pressings, respectively, of the Revolver LP B is available on EMI’s CD of that title.

35. Studio session

After coming up with the first few lines and melody, Paul solicited help from his fellow bandmates and friends such as Pete Shotton to complete the lyrics for “Eleanor Rigby,” although who contributed what is in dispute. Undeniable is the brilliant arrangement for doubled string quartet, which George Martin scored and conducted on April 28. Although it’s not given an entry here because no Beatle appears on it, a stereo mix of take 14, the “best” take of the instrumental backing, can be heard on Anthology 2 and is worth a listen. At the end of the session, all eight instruments (four violins, two violas, and two cellos) were reduced to track 1 of a new tape, with the result called take 15.

The following day, Paul added his lead vocal on track 4, and then he, John, and George harmonized for the choruses on track 3. The song was presumed finished and given three mono mixes that night. However, George Martin had an idea that proved the icing on the cake when he decided that Paul should sing the chorus in counterpoint to his final vocal refrain. This was overdubbed onto track 2 after a mixing session that began on June 6; since the overdub began at midnight, it’s listed above as a June 7 entry.

Paul’s lead vocal was split with ADT for the choruses and refrains of both originally released mixes. For the stereo mix (B), someone was a bit tardy at the ADT switch after the opening chorus, allowing a bit of the first “Eleanor” to be doubled where it shouldn’t have been. The Songtrack remix (C) synchronizes the four string tracks from take 14 (spread across the stereo image) with the three vocal tracks from take 15 (mostly centered). A similar mix on the Love CD (D) is extended with an instrumental introduction and guitar from “Julia” at the end.

RELEASE HISTORY

1966: A and B were included on mono and stereo pressings, respectively, of the Revolver LP B is available on EMI’s CD of that title, and A is on the “Yellow Submarine” CD single.

1999: C was included on Apple’s Yellow Submarine Songtrack.

2006: D was released on the Love CD.

36. Studio session

Like “I’m Only Sleeping,” this was Paul’s “Daydream”-influenced song, written with John’s help at Kenwood. On June 8, numerous rehearsals were taped, along with the first three “proper” takes of the rhythm track: piano, bass, and drums. Take 1 was chosen as “best” and the main vocals were added on a second track (Paul on lead, with John and George’s harmonies).

The next day, work continued with overdubs on the third track: cymbal for the intro and choruses, snare drum for the choruses and instrumental break, and more piano (playing in a low register). The break was then filled with a honky-tonk-style piano solo from George Martin on the fourth track, recorded with the tape running fast; handclaps were also added to this track on the final two verses. For a finishing touch, some extra three-part harmonies were punched-in on the cymbal/snare/piano track (this occurs at 1:58). The main vocal track was also treated with ADT during mixing (beginning at 1:45), and both vocal tracks are panned back and forth in the stereo mix to give the effect of harmonizing Beatles everywhere.

Six mono mixes were created on June 9, but none were used; the seventh mix, done June 22, was erroneously labeled “RM2.” The main difference between the released mixes is that the rhythm track is faded out a bit sooner in stereo (B), allowing a bit more of the drums to be heard in mono (A).

RELEASE HISTORY

1966: A and B were included on mono and stereo pressings, respectively, of the Revolver LP. B is available on EMI’s CD of that title.

37. Studio session

Inspired by hearing “God Only Knows” from the Beach Boys’ Pet Sounds on May 19, Paul wrote the final ballad in his trio of Revolver classics, “Here, There and Everywhere,” finishing it up as the LP’s deadline loomed. The first four takes were recorded on June 14, and although vocals were added to take 4, they decided to start over two days later. By take 13, the bass, drums, and electric guitar rhythm track (with a second guitar playing volume pedal “swells” near the end) was perfected. During all these takes, Paul sang a live guide vocal on the second track, which he may have then gone back and redone. The final two tracks were each filled with silky three-part harmonies; one of these tracks was also accompanied by finger snaps.

The version released on Anthology 2 allows us to hear the unused take 7, with instruments and guide vocal mixed in the center, and the final harmony tracks from take 13 superimposed left and right. At the end of this session, a tape reduction into take 14 combined those two on a single track, and Paul made a first attempt at adding a second lead vocal on the newly vacated track, but he would redo it the following day.

RELEASE HISTORY

1996: A was released on Anthology 2.

38. Studio session

The evening began with the completion of “Here, There and Everywhere.” The final track was filled with a second lead vocal from Paul (harmonizing with himself on the second “love never dies/watching her eyes”) and some lead guitar work from George. A rough mono mix was done at the end of the session.

Further control room tapes (A-D) from preparation of 1983’s The Beatles at Abbey Road allow us to hear each track in isolation briefly as levels are being adjusted—three of these attempts also capture some extra guitar strumming prior to the beginning of the song, while C begins at the phrase “changing my life.” The main difference between the released mixes is that the stereo (F) lets the backing vocalists’ “ooh” linger over the song’s final chord, while the mono (G) fades the vocals a bit earlier. The second lead vocal is also mixed out in mono for the phrase “I will be there,” leaving just the first vocal track, on which Paul sings “will be there.”

Paul’s other song completed this day, “Got to Get You Into My Life,” stretched across the entire Revolver sessions, being the second song started and the second to last song finished. A remake began on April 8; judging from Phil McDonald’s notes on the session, this consisted of bass and drums on track 1, two fuzzed guitars on track 2, a second bass guitar (and perhaps backing vocals) on track 3, and Paul’s guide vocal on track 4. By the time the song was released, all that remained of this work was the drums and bass from track 1 (although some fuzz guitar leakage can be heard, probably picked up by the drum mikes).

On April 11, an unspecified guitar overdub was recorded, wiping at least a portion of either track 2 or 3. A rough mono mix was created April 25, and after listening to this, Paul decided to add a brass section. This was recorded on May 18, erasing two of the original tracks. The five-piece ensemble consisted of Les Condon, Ian Hamer, and Eddie Thornton on trumpets, and Alan Branscombe and Peter Coe on tenor saxophones. A tape reduction was made into take 9, freeing up two more tracks (leaving only bass/drums and brass). On the new third track, Paul redid his lead vocal, accompanied by tambourine and (near the end of the song) organ. The fourth track had a second lead vocal and electric guitar overdub, and more mono mixes were created.

But one final touch was added on June 17, when George overdubbed a brief but thrilling guitar solo; this was punched in to the vocal/tambourine/organ track from 1:45–2:06 on the tape. The song was mixed into mono several more times that night, with RM7 chosen as best. This was tweaked a bit the following day by copying it onto a new tape with a simultaneous overdub of the brass from take 8 of May 18; the result, called RM8, was released on Revolver. No such trickery was done for the sole stereo mix (H) the following day. At the end of the song, Paul ad-libbed the melody during each vocal overdub, so George Martin and Geoff Emerick chose to alternate between the two when mixing the song, as follows:

Vocal 1: “I was alone, I took a ride, I didn’t know what I would find there”

Vocal 2: “Another road where maybe I could see another kind of mind there”

Vocal 1: “Then suddenly I see you”

Vocal 2: “Did I tell you I need you”

At this point the two mixes diverge; in mono, vocal 2 continues with “every single day of my life;” in stereo, we hear vocal 1’s “every single day” instead, just before the song fades out.

A remix (I) done for the Anthology DVD syncs the separate brass tracks from take 8 (split far left and right) with the bass/drums from that take and the overdubs from take 9 (all centered).

RELEASE HISTORY

1966: E and G were included on mono pressings of the Revolver LP F and H were included on stereo copies of Revolver and can be found on EMI’s CD of that title.

1991: A fair-sounding tape of C appeared on the bootleg CD Unsurpassed Masters, Volume 6.

1993: A-D were included (in upgraded quality) on the bootleg Control Room Monitor Mixes.

2003: I was released on the soundtrack of the Anthology DVD.

39. Composing tape               J

As “She Said She Said” was a composition with a long gestation period, it’s difficult to date these home demos. Certainly they come from two separate sittings, perhaps months apart. A-E are all excerpts from a composing session lasting 10:31, which has yet to be circulated widely. The cassette it’s taken from continues with a recording of John on the phone, and has him telling a story about a green bottle on side B.

Inspired by Peter Fonda’s comments during a late August 1965 acid trip in Los Angeles, the song took life with the phrase “He said, ‘I know what it’s like to be dead’, I said.” A is nothing more than that phrase sung twice over acoustic guitar accompaniment (in a key somewhere between F-sharp and G major—perhaps John was out of tune, perhaps the tape is at the wrong speed). After two false starts (B), John then tests the recording level with a quick “Hello? OK?” The next segment (C) adds the line “I said, ‘I must be out of my head’” and modulates up a full step in key near the end. D and E are both rudimentary two-track recordings; the original vocal and acoustic guitar (with heavy echo) dominates one channel, while John adds some guitar notes and an extra “he said” on the other track. E adds the lines “I know what it’s like to be sad” and “that’s what he said,” but the song is clearly far from being completed.

In an interview published in Melody Maker on June 25 (perhaps conducted June 16 when they were appearing on Top of the Pops), John says he has one more song to contribute to the new album, but has completed only “about three lines so far.” If we assume “She Said She Said” is the song in question, the second composing tape must have been recorded between June 16 and June 21, as it is considerably more advanced.

The song is now played on acoustic guitar in the key of B-flat. F consists of two verses, with John singing a prolonged “I…” in place of “she said.” The second segment (G) begins with a false start, after which John curses and tunes up. A second false start leads into the first verse, which is now lyrically complete. The second verse is a bit different, with “crap” rather than “things” in your head, and a misguided attempt to rhyme “born” with “feel like my trousers are torn.” This leads to the bridge, which has echoes of “Girl” in the line “She said, ‘I will love him more when he’s dead.’ ” Rather than going into a 3/4 section, John repeats “no it’s wrong” and then the tape ends abruptly, apparently where he later erased over it with an otherwise unheard acoustic demo titled “Hold On I’m Coming.” The rest of the cassette contains more of John’s omnipresent Mellotron noodlings.

George remembers being at John’s house and helping him wrap up the composition by joining the waltz tempo “when I was a boy” section, an unfinished song fragment John had started, to the “she said” verses.

RELEASE HISTORY

1988: These tapes first surfaced on episode 88-11 of Westwood One’s The Lost Lennon Tapes series; only A and a portion of G were aired. Both segments were bootlegged on the LP The Lost Lennon Tapes, Volume 2.

1990: A later episode (90-26) of The Lost Lennon Tapes aired A-E as well as repeating the same portion of G. These were bootlegged on the vinyl The Lost Lennon Tapes, Volume 24 and the CD My Love Will Turn You On.

1996: A more complete version of G was included on an obscure homemade CD-R compilation, Entomology. This was copied on the more common From Me to You bootleg. A-E and G are gathered on the CD-R Vinyl to the Core; the versions on Mythology, Volume 2 should be avoided, as D and E are presented in mono.

2002: John gave a Philips cassette containing 25 minutes of “She Said She Said” demos to Yoko’s ex-husband, Tony Cox, in January 1970. The tape was auctioned at Christie’s on April 30, 2002, where it sold for £58,750; a portion of the recording (F) was included on the CD-R As It Happened, Baby! from its airing on news reports. Judging from the sound and content, this tape is also the original source of G.

40. Studio session

The pressure was on to record the final song for Revolver, and indeed “She Said She Said” was the only song on the LP completed during a single session. In addition, Paul became the first Beatle to walk out on a session when he had an unspecified argument with the others, although not before contributing to the rhythm track.

The song, still untitled at the start of the session, was recorded in three takes of the backing: bass and drums on one track and two electric guitars on a second. Since the song was inspired by events during an LSD trip John, George, and Ringo had taken, it’s tempting to speculate that the others were needling Paul about not having tried acid yet; he might have also been irritated that John had sought George’s help in completing the song.

In any case, Paul took a hike, and only two Beatle voices appear on the finished product; John’s lead vocal and John and George’s backing vocals filled the remaining two tracks. These two were combined to one in a tape reduction, called take 4. The extra track was filled with John’s organ and George’s lead guitar, and with that, the song and the album were finished, at a quarter to four in the morning. Thirty-two hours later, the Beatles were flying from London to Munich for their final stretch of concerts.

A remix (C) on the Anthology DVD soundtrack, although buried under dialogue, appears to have the two vocal tracks split slightly, suggesting it’s from a synchronization of takes 3 and 4. It also centers the bass/drums track.

RELEASE HISTORY

1966: A and B were included on mono and stereo pressings, respectively, of the Revolver LP. B is available on EMI’s CD of that title.

2003: C was released on the soundtrack of the Anthology DVD.

41. Newsreel footage

Silent footage of the Beatles’ arrival in Germany exists from at least three different sources: BBC News (who also filmed the London departure), Reuters, and color footage from a German police training film. The group and Brian Epstein wave to fans from the steps of the BEA airplane (George has on rectangular sunglasses, a fur hat, and a turtleneck) before entering the white Mercedes, which took them to their hotel in Munich. Separate clips of their hotel arrival also exist.

RELEASE HISTORY

This footage circulates on video among collectors.

42. TV interview

After a brief delay due to a stuck elevator, the Beatles made it from their suite to the hotel press conference. No recording of that event seems to exist, but this brief television interview was filmed after the general questioning. John talks about A Spaniard in the Works, Paul says it’s too hot to wear the lederhosen they were just presented with, Ringo admits he knows only a few German phrases, and George opts to compete in the three-legged race at the 1972 Munich Olympic Games.

RELEASE HISTORY

1996: This interview was released on Fab Four CD & Book Set; it also circulates on video, as does an extra 17 seconds of footage from the press conference itself.

43. Concert

The first of two shows in Munich was partially captured in a newsreel lasting 2:23 and containing fragments of “Rock and Roll Music” and “If I Needed Someone.” This doesn’t exist with the original sound, but has been overdubbed with MC Charly Hickman’s intro (A) and a full performance of “I’m Down” (C), both presumably from this concert. A 1:08 edit of this footage, with British narration, was used for a Movie tone newsreel. “I Wanna Be Your Man” (B) is taken from a different newsreel and sounds slightly clearer than “I’m Down.” In addition, there is 49 seconds of silent footage of “If I Needed Someone” from one of the two Munich concerts in circulation.

RELEASE HISTORY

2000: Both songs appeared on the bootleg CD Beatles ’66: Munich San Francisco; the newsreel footage circulates on video.

44. Concert

The second Munich show was videotaped for West German television, and the broadcast included songs from opening acts (Cliff Bennett and the Rebel Rousers, the Rattles, and Peter and Gordon) as well as just over half of the Beatles’ set. It truly points out how out of practice the Beatles were at performing live by now. They had played only a single five-song set in the last six months, and a short ten-city tour in the four months previous to that. In the meantime, although they had recorded a nearly flawless album, they hadn’t rehearsed playing as an ensemble. Rather than bothering to learn any songs from Revolver, they merely worked up a rendition of “Paperback Writer” and added it to a set list replete with stale songs such as “She’s a Woman” and “Baby’s in Black.”

Thus the German fans were treated to sloppy renditions with out-of-tune harmonies and botched lyrics (particularly “I’m Down,” which had the verses scrambled and was broadcast with several bars chopped out of the ending, perhaps to cover up further mistakes). The highlight of this show is probably a fairly well-sung “Nowhere Man,” which was included in the Anthology documentary. The first few seconds of “She’s a Woman” are spliced awkwardly onto “Baby’s in Black” for some reason; presumably this was true of the original broadcast as well as the circulating copy.

In addition to the video, a German police training film includes four minutes of silent color footage of this concert, including the Beatles walking onstage and clips from their first three songs. Some of this was broadcast February 11, 2001, on ZDF-TV’s History.

RELEASE HISTORY

This concert initially appeared in mediocre quality from an off-line recording on many 1970s vinyl boots, at first coupled with other TV recordings as Live in Europe & US TV Casts.

1983: An August 31 rebroadcast of the performance on ZDF-TV meant that a clean copy began circulating widely on video. This in-line source was used for subsequent bootleg CDs, all with decent sound, such as Atlanta * Munich * Seattle.

2000: The CD Beatles ′66: Munich San Francisco contains the usual songs, but edits in the superior copy of L from the Anthology video.

45. Concert

The Fabs left Munich this morning in style, via a luxuriously appointed train used by Queen Elizabeth the previous year, and arrived in Essen for another pair of concerts. The first performance is available in its entirety from a fair-quality audience tape with plenty of screaming drowning out the music. Several minutes of silent WDR-TV footage also document the afternoon show, mostly showing fans scuffling with police outside, but including just over a minute of concert material (mostly from the first three songs).

RELEASE HISTORY

1999: The audience recording first surfaced on the bootleg CD boxed set Mythology, Volume 2. The silent news footage circulates on video.

46. Press conference

Backstage between shows, the Beatles dined and held a press conference, presided over by Tony Barrow as in 1965. This and the following entry both stem from a female German reporter’s tape. The weariness with press conferences that had started to creep in during the summer 1964 tour and their jaded attitude of 1965 had now blossomed into full-blown cynicism and, in John’s case, thinly veiled disgust.

It didn’t help that the questions were mostly still inane, as heard here by successive inquiries about whether they like German girls, German cities, German fans, and a German river. These were complemented by bizarre questions such as “What’s the time?” and hostile questions such as “Do you sing for music or money?” Whereas in earlier years they would have played along or quipped back to such queries, they now limit their responses to one or two words, with only Paul making an effort to sound sincere. When someone asks John what he thinks of the questions being posed, he pointedly says, “They’re a bit stupid.” His patience would be tried further the following day.

RELEASE HISTORY

1992: This press conference was released on a CD titled Die Beatles In Essen, and was later copied on the bootleg CD boxed set Mythology, Volume 2.

47. Radio interview

Following the conference, each Beatle was interviewed in turn by the WDR reporter. George says he likes having more private time now and isn’t quite ready to be a father yet; John claims to enjoy some classical music, though he has trouble naming any composers; Paul denies for the umpteenth time that he is engaged; Ringo expresses his distaste for musicals.

RELEASE HISTORY

1992: These interviews were released on a CD titled Die Beatles In Essen. They were later included on the bootlegs Die Beatles In Deutschland 1966! and Mythology, Volume 2.

47a. Radio interview

Also attending the concerts in Essen was Corporal Camie McKay, reporting for Radio Canadian Army Europe. In addition to brief interviews with the Rattles and Peter Asher, McKay captured several minutes of the press conference on tape.

The report begins with his description of the Beatles’ outfits, as they pose for photographs prior to the general questioning. A bit of the conference follows, and then McKay makes his way to the table to interview Ringo, Paul, and George in turn. All three Beatles agree that the quality of questions at the conference was particularly poor (George calls them “idiotic”). Ringo says he enjoys soaking up the sun in Los Angeles and Spain, and Paul says he thinks they’ll be playing in Toronto on the upcoming tour. As McKay moves on to George, you can hear Paul being interviewed by the female WDR reporter (see previous entry). George has time to answer only a single question before the event is over, and McKay moves out into the concert hall to wrap things up.

RELEASE HISTORY

This recording circulates in very good quality.

48. Concert

While interviewing fans in the audience, the WDR reporter captured most of the Beatles’ performance of “Paperback Writer” from their second show at the Grugahalle. It can be distinguished from the earlier recording by Paul’s introduction. Here he calls it a “song,” whereas on the audience tape he announces it in German as a “lied.”

RELEASE HISTORY

1992: This recording was released on a CD titled Die Beatles In Essen, subsequently copied on the bootleg Die Beatles In Deutschland 1966!

49. Newsreel footage

Leaving Essen via the same train after their final show, the Beatles pulled in to Hamburg in the wee hours for their first shows in the city since New Year’s Eve 1962. Thirty-seven minutes of raw newsreel foot age of their Hamburg visit (all silent and black and white) is in circulation; these may be offcuts from a 1966 TV documentary Damals In Hamburg, which used a lot of the same scenes. These clips are so fragmented (and include so much repetition) as to make accurate timings futile, but include the railway arrival and other activities discussed below.

Also circulating is a 34-minute documentary, The Beatles Am 26. Juni 1966 In Der Ernst-Merck-Halle, produced by the Hamburg police department and covering the train arrival, hotel, concert, and airport departure.

RELEASE HISTORY

This footage circulates on video among collectors.

50. Newsreel footage

After being driven to their hotel, an enormous castle some thirty miles from Hamburg, the group slept in and appeared at the balcony to wave to fans before departing for the city again. The raw newsreel footage includes crowds and police outside the hotel, glimpses of their suite, beds, and bathrooms (filmed before they arrived), and their balcony appearance.

RELEASE HISTORY

This footage circulates on video among collectors.

51. Concert

Silent footage from the early show in Hamburg appears in both the TV special Damals In Hamburg and the raw newsreel offcuts. These include backstage scenes and snippets from “She’s a Woman,” “If I Needed Someone,” “Day Tripper,” “Nowhere Man,” “Paperback Writer,” and “I’m Down.” The Hamburg police documentary The Beatles Am 26. Juni 1966 In Der Ernst-Merck-Halle includes further scenes from the concert, as well as poor-quality recordings of A-D on its (nonsynchronized) soundtrack.

In addition, when some of this footage was aired on Weltjournal, it included audio of two songs (E and F), presumably from this very concert. The same fragment of “Paperback Writer” was repeated twice in the report.

RELEASE HISTORY

1996: E and F surfaced on the bootleg CD Die Beatles In Deutschland 1966!

2000: E and F appeared in slightly upgraded quality on Beatles ′66: Munich • San Francisco.

2003: A-D were bootlegged on the CD Bravo Beatles Britztournee.

52. Press conference

A near-disastrous event, the press conference between shows in Hamburg should have been a happy affair. They were meeting up with old friends such as Astrid Kirchherr, producer Bert Kaempfert, Star-Club barmaid Bettina Derlien (presumably present here, as John and Paul shout, “Hi, Betty!”), and an unknown comrade in a bow tie whom Paul tells Mal to allow backstage. But John, suffering from a slight sore throat, was in a foul mood and had no patience for the questions, which were admittedly poorer on this occasion than most.

Things begin civilly enough with several minutes of posing for photographers, and then a short TV interview focusing on their prior stints in Hamburg (Paul cheerfully recalls “Lying in the street… out of your mind” at “seven o’clock in the morning”). We get an inkling that all is not right with John after the first general question. Someone asks their opinion of birth-control (“antibaby”) pills, and John says, “I wish they’d had it a few years ago.” Ouch! Don’t tell Julian!

After that, the questions get more and more like an interrogation from Dieter of Sprockets. Some examples: “Where do you want to dance tonight?;” “What’s the matter with Peter Sellers?;” “Ringo, who is better, Cassius Clay or you?” When the latter reporter tries for the penetrating follow-up “What about Ringo?,” John replies, “I think you’re soft! ‘What about this?’ and ‘What about that?’ ” A couple of questions later, John freely admits to plagiarizing parts of his last book, and to being lazy.

Someone then seems to ask Ringo in fractured English whether Zak bringing him a spoonful of spin ach would make him happy, and wonders if nine-month-old Zak will follow them to Tokyo. This is too much for John, who loudly moans, “What kind of questions are these? Come on, anybody from the press here?” Another question about his writing being “great literature like James Joyce” engenders the response “It’s nothing to do with James Joyce,” John’s voice dripping with disgust. Another reporter asks what they dream of, and John interjects, “What do you think we are? What do you dream of? We’re only the same as you, man, only we’re rich!”

Things come to a head as a woman accuses them of being “horrid-snobby,” and Paul explains their attitude a bit more eloquently: “You expect sort of nice answers to all the questions. But if the questions aren’t nice questions, they don’t have to have nice answers. And if we don’t give nice answers, it doesn’t mean we’re snobby. It just means we’re natural.” This gets a smattering of applause, and thankfully the last few questions relate to their music. But this press conference was just one more nail in the coffin of their touring era.

RELEASE HISTORY

1996: A bit of this press conference was released on the bootleg Die Beatles In Deutschland 1966!

Several minutes of silent footage from this conference appear in the aforementioned Damals In Hamburg TV special and the raw offcuts; a basically continuous audio recording of the proceeding is dubbed over the top on the circulating copy, none of it synchronized with the picture.

53. Concert

It’s unclear which of the two Hamburg shows this comes from, since it doesn’t overlap at all with the other available recording (see earlier entry); it apparently originates in a TV report.

RELEASE HISTORY

1996: A surfaced on the bootleg CD Die Beatles In Deutschland 1966!

53a. Newsreel footage

The documentary The Beatles Am 26. Juni 1966 In Der Ernst-Merck-Halle includes footage of the Beatles leaving their Hamburg hotel and boarding a Japan Airlines flight in a light drizzle, bound for London and Tokyo.

The mind-numbingly lengthy journey was made even longer when a typhoon forced an unscheduled stop in Anchorage, Alaska. The entourage quickly booked accommodations for the night and continued on to Japan the next day. During the flight, Ringo apparently kept occupied by playing with a cassette recorder—one of the tapes he made documenting the tour went up for auction at Christie’s in 1996 and again at Sotheby’s in 1998. The lot, which included a second cassette of Ringo running through some unreleased compositions (“Looking for the Lightning” and “Sitting in the Back of My Car”), sold for $2,866.

RELEASE HISTORY

This silent footage circulates on video.

54. Newsreel footage

When they finally landed in Tokyo, sporting kimonos, the Beatles strained to see through the blinding TV lights and waved from the steps of their plane at what they assumed were fans. As they would discover on the drive to the Hilton Hotel (where they arrived at 4:13 a.m.), the Tokyo police force had spared no effort in keeping the crowds as far away as possible, organizing them into small groups along the route from the airport and nearly outnumbering the fans.

RELEASE HISTORY

A color newsreel in circulation (with sound) captures 30 seconds of their airport arrival and a further 10 seconds as they entered the hotel. Further black-and-white silent film contains 1:03 at the airport and 1:26 of the drive to the Hilton.

55. TV interview

Finally emerging from their suite (“at 7:14 and a third,” as Ringo later joked), the Beatles made their way down to the press conference. En route, they were intercepted by a camera crew from Nippon Television, and they stopped in a hallway alcove to chat with E. H. Eric (real name Taibi Okada), the master of ceremonies for all their Tokyo concerts.

They admit to ignorance about Japanese culture, and Ringo gently criticizes the overzealous security, which is making it difficult to see their Japanese fans. Queries about meeting the Queen, marriages, and how often they washed their hair must have made them dread the upcoming press conference, in fear that the questioning would be no more intelligent than that in Germany.

RELEASE HISTORY

This clip has circulated on video for many years, although none of the footage is in-sync with the soundtrack. The audio portion is available on numerous vinyl bootlegs and interview discs, but is best found on the 1989 Swingin’ Pig CD Five Nights in a Judo Arena.

56. Press conference

The Tokyo press conference was a somewhat tedious affair, due to the lengthy translations from Japanese to English and then vice versa for the responses. Although Tony Barrow was present, the translator took charge of the event. The Beatles were seated onstage behind a long table, flanked by Barrow, Brian Epstein, and others, with the press relatively far away in the audience. Problems with the PA system made it difficult for the participants to be heard, although everything is captured clearly on the tape.

The translator begins by introducing “Ringo Starr-san” and the others, followed by a photo shoot, with the Beatles standing in front of the table to pose. The first few questions are less than riveting, covering tired issues such as fan reaction and haircuts. We learn that the Beatles’ wives socialize with one another, but the Beatles’ parents do not. Asked what they seek next, John says, “Peace,” and Paul adds, “Ban the bomb.”

Kevin Garry of Reuters reads questions from the foreign correspondents. He asks for a reaction to critics who accuse the Beatles’ performance at the Budokan, a martial arts arena, of desecrating traditional Japanese culture. Paul replies that nobody condemns Japanese dance troupes for performing in England, and John mutters that singing is better than wrestling.

Someone wonders why they don’t wear their MBEs in public, and John counters, “We don’t wear all our gold discs, either.” Brian is asked if he has taught the group any principles for success, and he replies that artists and manager have influenced each other equally. When the typhoon is mentioned, John quips, “There’s probably more wind from the press than from us!” John also speaks for the group in denouncing the war in Vietnam, a topic Brian reportedly warned them against commenting on.

Kevin Garry is then allowed five more minutes for questions and spends most of that time in a futile attempt to elicit thoughtful insight into the reasons for their success. Paul does reveal that at age twelve, he saved up to see a Bill Haley concert; he also feels that crowds at football matches are more violent than those at Beatles concerts. Garry passes on a tongue-in-cheek question about what they will do when they grow up, but John doesn’t find it funny: “You look adult enough not to ask questions like that.”

RELEASE HISTORY

1996: The complete audio of this press conference was included on the bootleg CD Japan 1966. Eleven minutes of black-and-white newsreel pool footage (mostly the questions from Kevin Garry) circulate on video, with sound; a small portion of this was used in the Anthology documentary. Brief color clips also appeared in the Japanese TV special The True Story of the Beatles.

57. Concert

Opening night nerves? Or four musicians who no longer have their hearts in it? Whatever the reason, this Tokyo concert is infamous for being a truly wretched effort on the Beatles’ part. Lamentably it’s also the best existing document of a Beatles concert, videotaped in full color with a decent sound balance in front of a relatively quiet audience. The first two of five Budokan concerts were taped for broadcast on Japanese TV, featuring songs from each concert combined with documentary footage and songs from the opening acts. The group’s stage suits (dark green for this show, white on the following day) make it simple to tell the two shows apart.

As for the concert itself, it isn’t a good sign when John has to stand sideways during the opening song because his microphone keeps revolving in its stand. This problem would plague all the vocal mics throughout the show, with Ringo having to hunch over to sing “I Wanna Be Your Man.” At several points, George stops playing and waves to the audience in the middle of a number. He later revealed that this was to induce a scream to cover up some of the shakier moments in the band’s arrangements.

No amount of crowd noise could cover up the lack of care evident in this performance. George’s lead singing on “If I Needed Someone” is woefully off-key throughout, and his guitar solo in “Day Tripper” atrocious. In the latter song, John plays a B-flat chord rather than an A at one point and either doesn’t notice or doesn’t care. Ringo looks bored out of his skull as he plods away on the drums. Only Paul puts energy into his singing and playing, but his stage banter is perfunctory. He doesn’t attempt any Japanese other than an occasional domo, and introduces “I’m Down” with: “This song is called [mumbling] good-bye, we’ll see you later …”

RELEASE HISTORY

Both Tokyo shows have circulated for decades in complete form on video; there is also some newsreel foot age (monochrome) of the group leaving the Budokan in dark suits, mopping their brows with towels, and entering a limo, which probably comes from this evening. A further 1:40 of silent color amateur footage shows their arrival at the Budokan, followed by excerpts from two of the concerts (one dark green suit and one white suit).

1975: The Beatles’ set from this concert was booted on vinyl as Five Nights in a Judo Arena in excellent sound. The videotape source was used for a Swingin’ Pig CD of the same title in 1989.

1993: This show was released in Japan by Apple on a laser disc, Beatles Concert at Budokan 1966, which includes bits and pieces of the opening acts such as Isao Bitoh, Yuya Uchida, and Jacky Yoshikawa and the Blue Comets. This source was used on the 1996 bootleg CD Japan 1966.

1996: B and D were officially released on the CD Anthology 2.

58. Concert

The second of five Budokan shows, this Friday afternoon concert was also videotaped, and it went a lot more smoothly than the opening night’s performance. The camera cues are more organized, including numerous cutaways to the audience. The microphones stay firmly in place, and Ringo’s vocal mic is set to the correct height. “Day Tripper” in particular (introduced by John as “a single record in 1948”) is more competently performed. About the only blunder comes when Ringo accidentally repeats the final verse during his number: “I wanna be your lover, baby, I wanna be your man … Twice!”

Not that the Beatles are taking things more seriously. George keeps up the cheer-inducing waves, John announces “Nowhere Man” with “We’d like to do a song now that’s another song,” and Paul finishes up by saying, “And, uh, so, as they say in Runcorn, ‘Sayonara.’”

RELEASE HISTORY

This white-suits concert circulates in excellent quality on video. The soundtrack first appeared on the bootleg LP Welcome the Beatles, later upgraded as Budokan ’66. Most early bootlegs used a scratchy film print, but it’s taken from a clean video source on the CD The Ultimate Collection, Volume 2: Live, Live, Live.

59. Newsreel footage

A Reuters news crew captured the Beatles boarding a flight for the Philippines, blissfully unaware of the nightmare that awaited them in Manila.

RELEASE HISTORY

This brief, silent, black-and-white clip circulates on video.

60. Concert

After a stopover in Hong Kong, the Beatles’ arrival in Manila was marred by an unexpected detainment wherein they were separated from their narcotics-laden luggage. A quick-thinking Neil Aspinall grabbed the bags and transferred them by car to the Hotel Manila. Meanwhile, the group, having no idea what was going on, found themselves surrounded by military personnel and shepherded to a private yacht, where they were forced to socialize with a Filipino fat cat.

Thus it was understandable when Brian Epstein let them sleep in the next morning, turning down on their behalf an invitation to appear at Malacañang Palace to meet the country’s first lady, Imelda Marcos. Unaware of the situation, the Beatles performed two shows to huge crowds, the first of which was fleetingly captured in newsreel footage by Reuters.

By the following morning, the scandalous snubbing was front page news in Manila, and the entire Beatles touring entourage found themselves not only ostracized, but threatened with physical violence from all sides as they made their way to the airport and onto a plane. Although the band members escaped bodily harm, their manager, road managers, and chauffeur all suffered injuries at the hands of both the hostile mob and Manila officials.

RELEASE HISTORY

This silent footage was included in a French TV documentary, Destinées, which circulates on video. It also appears in the home videos The Beatles Story and Anthology.

60a. Newsreel footage

Finally permitted to take off from Manila on July 5 at 4:45 p.m., the Beatles looked forward to a few days of recuperation in India before their return to London. The original plan had been for only George and Neil to get off in India, but the others vacillated several times before deciding to join them. Serenity was not to be had, as several hundred fans swarmed around the airport in New Delhi when they arrived, and camped outside their hotel; rather than a furlough, it felt like a continuation of their tour incarceration.

Associated Press cameras filmed their nighttime airport arrival in New Delhi, including a brief glimpse of an impromptu press conference.

RELEASE HISTORY

This silent footage circulates on video in poor quality.

61. Newsreel footage

The Beatles’ weary arrival back home in the early-morning hours of the eighth was captured by newsreel cameras. But even as they wave cheerfully to the fans, it is clear their hearts are no longer in it. One fan’s BEATLES YOUR GREAT banner is grammatically balanced by another’s YOU’RE LUVERLY LENNON.

RELEASE HISTORY

This arrival was preserved in a Pathé newsreel titled Beatles Like Home Best, which circulates on video.

62. TV interview

A few days in India had done little to quell the group’s bitterness about Manila, and upon their return to London they were eager to complain about the abusive treatment they had received. ITV News dispatched John Edwards to film an interview for that evening’s newscast.

Paul relates how they had to carry the equipment up the mysteriously “broken” escalators at the airport, and John wonders facetiously if shoving and kicking is standard supervision for Filipino passengers. Their estimates of the number of officials harassing them range from five to thirty, and John admits he was “petrified” with fear, and declares that they’ll “never go to any nuthouses again.” George says he didn’t even want to go to Manila in the first place, after hearing horror stories about the place beforehand. Paul calls their attackers cowardly, because they knew the Beatles’ party would be unable to fight back.

RELEASE HISTORY

1996: This interview was released on the CD Rare Photos & Interview CD Volume 3. The footage is included in the video Beatles 1962 to 1970, and the majority of it was used in Anthology.

63. Newsreel footage

This alternate interview for a Reuters newsreel is similar to the previous one, but with a different (unknown) reporter. John says they were assaulted “by some monkeys,” and George complains that their intimidation at Manila Airport was obviously preplanned. The clip concludes with footage of John and Paul being mobbed by fans, this time friendly, upon leaving the airport.

RELEASE HISTORY

This footage circulates on video.

64. Studio session               P

Although they had shared a bill at Hamburg’s Star-Club back in December 1962, the Beatles’ only tour with Cliff Bennett and the Rebel Rousers was the brief German/Far East stint of June–July 1966. Backstage at Essen on June 25, Bennett jokingly asked when John and Paul would write him a hit song. To his surprise, Paul picked up an acoustic guitar and played a number he thought would be perfect for Cliff’s group: “Got to Get You into My Life.”

Although the song wasn’t custom-written for Bennett, it was unusual for the Beatles to “give away” one of their songs before their own version had been released. Paul attended the sessions back in London, as reported in the July 22 issue of New Musical Express. On the first day, Paul assisted behind the mixing board and played the piano glissando heard at 1:48. He left before Bennett recorded his lead vocal that night, but upon hearing the result the next morning, felt the singing could be improved upon. As Paul lived a few blocks from Abbey Road, Bennett arrived at 10 a.m. to find the Beatle wearing bedroom slippers.

Bennett recounted the second day’s session to the New Musical Express: “He played the number for me on the piano and showed me how to bend the notes. Then I did the vocal with Paul in the control box conducting me by waving his arms about like mad.” It paid off, as this cover version has just as much pizzazz as the original, and shot into the British top 10 upon its release.

RELEASE HISTORY

1966: This song was released on a single (Parlophone R 5489) August 5 in the UK, where it reached number 6 in the Melody Maker charts. A U.S. release August 29 (ABC 10842) failed to chart. It’s also included on the 1990 CD compilation Lennon & McCartney Songbook.

65. Radio interview               P

TV host David Frost made an unsuccessful jump to radio with this short-lived series, which mixed chat and records. Paul put in a pretaped solo appearance on this usually live show, largely because Frost would be overseas on the day of broadcast.

They begin by discussing the Beatles’ upcoming tour of America, and Paul says he prefers England, where people aren’t as obsessed with money, although he admits that most of the Americans he’s met are businessmen. Frost compliments him on “Eleanor Rigby,” but Paul expresses disappointment with the string arrangement, agreeing with someone’s appraisal of the ending as a “Walt Disney send-up.” He goes on to declare that every time they finish an album, they are so sick of hearing the songs that they hate them for a while. Paul seems to have had a particular problem with Revolver. While touring Germany, the others had to convince him that the whole LP wasn’t out of tune!

He puts it all down to wanting their music to develop, and he claims that Beatles songs from 1963 and 1964 sound corny to him now. On the other hand, he is able to enjoy early Elvis records, corny as they may be, for their nostalgic value. Frost wonders about future plans, and Paul responds vaguely that he wants to spread himself thin, try lots of things, and choose something different. Frost feels (probably correctly) that Paul has the most ambitions of any Beatle, but Paul points out George’s love of Indian music.

After Frost relates how a newspaper article once printed his age as seventy-two due to a typo, Paul counters with the tale of a San Francisco Chronicle reporter who called the Beatles “John, Paul, George, and Harold” in an August 1964 story. This apparently became something of an inside joke among the group, as Paul can be heard reciting the same names during the Get Back sessions while reading another newspaper article aloud.

Frost asks for some tips to improve his radio show and Paul suggests a jingle spelling out Frost’s name accompanied by a trumpet fanfare to help win back some of the audience the BBC has lost to pirate radio. The program ends with Frost revealing the prerecorded nature of the episode, adding a “skipping record” effect to poke fun at the “wonderful techniques” of the BBC.

RELEASE HISTORY

This recording circulates in good quality among collectors.

66. Radio interview               J, P

At the end of July, John’s remark to Maureen Cleave about the Beatles being “more popular than Jesus” was reprinted in Datebook, a U.S. magazine for teens. Within a week, aided by a publicity-starved radio station in Alabama, a crisis was brewing that threatened the group’s imminent American tour. To quell the situation, Brian Epstein roused himself from bed in North Wales, where he was recovering from glandular fever, and flew to New York City on August 5. At the same time, a plan was made for John to record a statement of contrition at EMI Studio 3 at 2:30 the following afternoon.

Epstein phoned Lennon from his suite at the Waldorf Towers, and John reportedly refused to record the prepared apology, saying he’d rather they just canceled the tour. That was an unappetizing prospect for all concerned, so Brian wrote up his own statement for the press, and telexed it to NEMS in London. He made a point of stressing that Derek Taylor helped compose the statement, knowing how much John respected Derek.

As their manager held a press conference in New York on the sixth, John and Paul were being interviewed for a BBC Radio special focusing on other artists’ renditions of their compositions. The interview was conducted in the sitting room at Paul’s new home in London. Not surprisingly, John sounds preoccupied, leaving his partner to do most of the talking.

The tape begins with the Irish Guards’ recording of “She Loves You,” and host Keith Fordyce asks if they have any resentment toward anyone for covering their songs. Paul feels that most people improve on their songs, but John disagrees vehemently. Paul back pedals by saying that people who just copy their arrangement are wasting their time, and John claims not to mind as long as they get some royalties. Fordyce wonders whether they prefer solo artists’ covers as opposed to those by other groups, which leads into the playing of Peggy Lee’s “A Hard Day’s Night.”

Asked to name composers they admire, Paul can come up with only Goffin and King, a team they modeled themselves after (John jokes that they fought over which one would be Carole). They give Matt Monro some backhanded compliments for his cover of “All My Loving,” with John muttering, “He did it how people imagine it should be done.” While they discuss the strengths of having a partner to bounce ideas off of, Paul’s housekeeper arrives and serves drinks. Paul uses “Day Tripper” as an example of a song that would have been two totally disparate concepts if they had each tried to write it separately.

Lena Horne’s “And I Love Him” (they undoubtedly would have preferred Esther Phillips’s version) leads Fordyce to ask if the song was written for anyone in particular, and Paul says “most of them are.” They may have been talking at cross-purposes; certainly the song was written for or inspired by Jane Asher, but was always intended to be a Beatles performance. Paul says that a song intended for Helen Shapiro (“Misery”) ended up being recorded by Kenny Lynch, and John reveals that one Beatles song (he doesn’t say which) was originally written for Cliff Richard. John also laughs at the notion that “Wait” was written for Frankie Vaughn, whose rendition follows.

Some howling from Martha, Paul’s seven-week-old English sheepdog, interrupts Fordyce’s next question about what time of day they write songs. They say it doesn’t matter as long as you’re not too sleepy, and they use both piano and guitar to compose, although John claims he is running out of guitar chords. Amid the closing pleasantries, Paul invites Fordyce to “pop in” if he’s ever in the neighborhood. The Beatles had appeared twice on Pop Inn, a BBC show hosted by Fordyce, in 1963.

RELEASE HISTORY

1988: Portions of this interview were broadcast in the December 17 episode of BBC Radio’s The Beeb’s Lost Beatles Tapes.

2000: The bootleg The Beatles Broadcast Collection Trailer 2 included the portion broadcast in 1988 plus a further segment from an alternate rebroadcast. This show was pressed on a Transcription disc titled “Songwriters Extraordinary,” but as that source reportedly lacked music, the original tape must have been preserved. Kevin Howlett’s book The Beatles at the BBC describes a bit more of the tape’s contents that is circulating. (See also May 1966 for a possible further extract from this show.)

67. Newsreel footage

Brian Epstein’s August 5 cable from America had advised the Beatles not to speak to the British press; nevertheless, in the days leading up to the trip, a camera crew caught up with the group as they emerged from a shop in downtown London (the same shop they had walked past in the movie Help!).

Most of the entourage strolls straight past the cameras and into the waiting car, but Paul answers a couple of the reporter’s questions. He wonders what sort of reception they are expecting “after the odd bonfire” in the United States, and Paul reassures him it will be fine. Trying a different but still polite route, the reporter asks if this is a good time to be going, but Paul sidesteps that neatly by commenting how wonderful the weather is in August.

RELEASE HISTORY

This clip was included on the video compilation Beatles 1962 to 1970.

68. Newsreel footage

The Beatles spent a nervous morning at London Airport wondering what would be in store for them when they touched down in the United States that afternoon. Already, plans for them to fly on TWA had been canceled due to a strike, so an earlier flight on Pan-Am was hastily arranged. To make matters worse, they were forced to spend a forty-five-minute delay touring the wonderfully exciting control tower.

A BBC News camera captured their tour and eventual emergence onto the tarmac, and they stopped to answer a question or two. John admits that he’s worried about the tour, but Paul once again insists that “it’ll be fine. You watch.”

RELEASE HISTORY

This footage was included in the documentary Imagine: John Lennon. An alternate clip circulates on video from a French TV show, Destinées.

68a. Newsreel footage

The Beatles’ first stop was Boston, where John must have been heartened by the sight of fans holding aloft banners reading WE SUPPORT JOHN and ALL’S WELL WITH J.W.L. Associated Press and BBC News cameras filmed their brief layover, as they transferred to a flight for Chicago, the first destination on the tour.

RELEASE HISTORY

This footage (some in color) circulates on video.

69. Newsreel footage

Any hopes John had that his problems would disappear must have evaporated as soon as he stepped from the plane in Chicago. In this clip, the group waves to fans from the tarmac alongside their awaiting limo. After a couple of shouts from the press of “How you feeling, all right?” and “Big loud ‘hello,’ fellas!,” one reporter wastes no time: “John, are you sorry about what you said?” John immediately replies, “Yes, yes I am!” in an “OK, you got me” tone of voice. He knew his biggest test was still to come.

RELEASE HISTORY

This Reuters newsreel clip circulates on video from a French TV show, Destinées.

70. Press conference

The Beatles were driven directly from the airport to their hotel, where two separate press conferences would be held, such was the demand for immediate clarification of John’s remarks. Brian Epstein’s statement was only a stopgap solution; the press and public wanted to hear an explanation straight from John’s mouth.

The first conference was something of a warm-up, being held mainly for the disc jockeys and reporters traveling on the tour and local newspapers. With no national media present, no footage of this first conference seems to exist, but photos were taken and most of the event was captured on an audio recording.

Unsurprisingly, the first question is directed to John, who makes a lengthy and obviously unrehearsed attempt to explain the circumstances under which his quote was produced, without clarifying the remark itself. He says that when he first heard about the controversy brewing in the United States, he dismissed it as akin to “bad eggs in Adelaide” but grew concerned as he realized how quickly it would snowball. One reporter helpfully points out that the DJ in Birmingham (Tommy Charles of WAQY) has demanded an apology, and John halfheartedly offers one up. (“If he wants one … he can have it.”)

More sympathetic reporters observe that the American press has covered the affair in a more sensational manner than elsewhere, and that a lot of the trouble really stems from the Bible Belt. Paul defensively replies that John was merely speaking his mind, and that “I thought everyone here … believe[d] in free speech.” Someone asks if John really believes Christianity will shrink, and he chooses his words carefully: “Only from what my views and from what I’ve read or observed of Christianity, and what it was, and what it has been, or what it could be, it just seems to me to be shrinking.” He then points out the hypocrisy in not pointing this out and pretending religion is as strong as it once was, and Paul implausibly hopes for a resurgence in Christianity.

With the main topic exhausted for the moment, the discussion turns to “Eleanor Rigby.” One journalist makes a misguided attempt to perceive Father McKenzie’s unheard sermons as a comment on the decline of religion, but Paul insists it’s merely about a lonely person who happens to be a priest. More ludicrously, someone invites John to speculate what Jesus would make of the song if he were alive today. John and Paul attempt to downplay the song’s significance, but George sums it up thusly: “We had to have another track to fill up the LP.” A couple of non-Lennon controversies are touched upon, such as Paul’s remark that America was a racist country and an unknown Beatle’s claim (not John’s) that Britain was becoming a police state. Paul comments sheepishly, “We’ve really been putting our feet in it lately!”

The mood lightens toward the end. When someone begins a query to John—“I’ve read something recently that you were”—he interrupts immediately with “Never said it!” George says it’ll be nice to have a break from hotel food in Los Angeles, and Paul imagines a banner headline: “Beatles Hotel Food Drama.” John is asked how he feels about going to Memphis, the only Bible Belt city on the tour, and he admits he considered hiding out in England and not coming over at all, but is cautiously optimistic that he can clear everything up. In fact, when someone asks John the starting date for filming How I Won the War, he replies, “When I get back from America. I say ‘when.’ ”

RELEASE HISTORY

1966: Excerpts of this recording were released on limited edition LPs such as Beatle Views (recorded by DJ Ken Douglas) and I Apologize (recorded by Chicago Tribune photographer Bill Bender).

1981: A much longer recording was included on the LP Timeless, also released on CD but not from tape source. This fades in and out between questions but is the most complete source available, missing only a few seconds captured on Beatle Views (the question about Britain being a police state).

71. Press conference

The second Chicago press conference was covered by all major networks, including ITV News from Britain, and while no continuous recording seems to exist, dozens of newsreel fragments of various lengths are circulating.

It’s difficult to assemble the pieces in their original order, but it seems John was initially asked to clarify his statement. His response is a more concise version of the opening remarks from the previous conference, concluding with a cynical “But I said it in that way, which is the wrong way. Yap yap.” Told that many teenagers have admitted they do like the Beatles more than Jesus, John launches into the most repeated sound bite of the evening, blinking nervously: “Well, originally I was—I was pointing out that fact in reference to England—that we meant more to kids than Jesus did. Or religion, at that time. I wasn’t knocking it or putting it down, I was just saying it, as a fact. And it sort of—it is true, ’spec—more for England than here. Y’know, but I’m not saying that we’re better, or greater, or comparing us with Jesus Christ as a person. Or God as a thing, or whatever it is. Y’know, I just said what I said and it was wrong, or was taken wrong. And now it’s all this.”

John says the bonfires and death threats worry him, and doesn’t seem to find it funny when someone asks if he feels he’s being crucified (three years later, he’d have no trouble expressing this sentiment). Nor is he amused by the suggestion that it’s all a publicity stunt designed to revive interest in the group. However, when someone asks what they find most enjoyable about the “Godhood on earth” they have achieved as stars, he and Paul can laugh—“Don’t say that. It was him—he said it! Now, you all saw that!”

The only fragments not focusing on the matter at hand concern the progression of their music and John candidly discussing his lack of interest in getting to know the father who abandoned him.

RELEASE HISTORY

1996: Portions of this press conference were released on the CD Rare Photos & Interview CD, Volume 3. Brief clips appear in documentaries too numerous to list, including Imagine: John Lennon and Anthology.

72. Concert

Two silent home movies exist from the first stop on the Beatles’ last tour. The first is a color home movie (2:28) of exceptionally awful quality, which usually circulates with an unrelated live version of “I Feel Fine” dubbed over. Somewhere in the fuzzy murk, the Beatles can just be made out performing and then exiting the stage at the end of the show.

Slightly better is a black-and-white film lasting 3:51, which has portions of nearly every song. (“Rock and Roll Music,” “I Wanna Be Your Man,” and “Long Tall Sally” are absent.) It’s not clear whether both films are from the same show or both houses from this date are represented.

RELEASE HISTORY

This silent 8 mm footage circulates on video among collectors.

73. Radio interview

Between shows, the Beatles held the first of several “taping sessions” in their dressing room. These were informal gatherings that gave the journalists traveling on the tour (and occasionally local reporters) a chance to interview individual Beatles in a more in-depth fashion than the press conferences allowed.

Ken Douglas, a British DJ then working in Louis ville, Kentucky, covered the first half of the tour and was able to chat with all four Beatles this first day. Paul explains that he and John have no formula about who writes which component of their songs, and says he hopes the Jesus controversy is behind them now that John has had a chance to explain himself at great length. Douglas asks about the Indian sounds on Revolver, and Paul says they all like the drone, but that George is mainly responsible for those influences. Another reporter inquires about the “weird effects” on “Tomorrow Never Knows,” and Paul recounts bringing “a bag full of six tape loops” to the session. Kenny Everett, there to cover the tour for Radio London, wonders if they feel pressure to be less experimental in their music, but Paul thinks they are striking a good balance by progressing slowly on each album and bringing the audience with them. He also claims to have sung “Eleanor Rigby” “very bad” (more of his Revolver paranoia).

Douglas then talks to Ringo, who pokes fun at him for reading from a list of prepared questions: “ ‘How many songs have you and John written?’ That’s not really for me, is it?” Ringo says their next movie will start filming in January “with any luck,” and that although he misses Maureen while on tour, they both understood before marrying that he would have to be on the road from time to time.

John talks about his role in How I Won the War, but doesn’t seem to know much about the plot beyond his character’s name. He lists “Here, There and Everywhere” and “Yellow Submarine” as his listening favorites from the new LP, and seems resigned to an American concert tour every August. Whether he was sincere or not, that attitude would be nonexistent by the end of the month.

Finally, George discusses the Beatles’ constant drive to improve their music, hopes that his use of sitar will inspire fans to take an interest in Indian music, and stresses the importance of their apprenticeship in Hamburg’s nightclubs.

RELEASE HISTORY

1966: These interviews appeared on the charity LP Beatle Views, which was reissued in incomplete form on LPs such as The British Are Coming and The Gospel According To: The Beatles, but has yet to appear on CD from tape source. An extra 10 seconds at the start circulates from Kenny Everett’s report (Paul describes what he did in the hotel the previous night).

74. Radio interview

Another member of the entourage was the Beatles’ American press officer, Bess Coleman, writing for Teen Life magazine and recording daily bulletins from the road for syndication on various U.S. radio stations. DJ Jim Stagg, a veteran of Beatle tours, was also present backstage at Chicago, and he shared Coleman’s microphone during the taping session.

The tape begins with Stagg testing the recorder and capturing much of the conversation with Paul discussed in the previous entry. This recording continues past the point where the Douglas version cuts off, with Paul discussing the French horn in “For No One” and the group’s less frenzied demeanor onstage compared with earlier tours. Stagg asks Paul what he’s looking forward to in Cleveland, and Paul replies, “Jim Stagg. Can’t wait to see him.” He jokes that while it’s a shame they might lose some fans from the Jesus incident, as long as they steer clear of armed robbery, it won’t be a problem. Coleman wonders if “Eleanor Rigby” was inspired by Paul’s own loneliness, but he says, “It’s just nice writing a sad song instead of a happy one.”

The pair moves on to Ringo, who chats first with Coleman about married life and being a father. In a similar vein, he tells Stagg that Zak has been walking since he was eight months old, and that Maureen is walking, too! Ringo claims not to have been worried about how the audience would react during their first concert, and feels that the press conferences the previous day helped clear the air. Knowing Ringo’s dislike of Donald Duck, Stagg quacks a brief “Hi, Ringo!”

John talks with Coleman about How I Won the War, feeling that he doesn’t “stand a chance in hell” of becoming a serious actor, but that he hopes to continue writing poetry, drawing, and painting. Amazingly, Stagg asks whether the recent controversy might be a blessing in disguise, and John says pointedly, “I don’t think it’ll ever be that.” He concedes it could have turned out much worse, but with Memphis on his mind, he adds ominously, “It still could, I s’pose.” When Stagg mentions the amplifier troubles in their afternoon performance, John replies, “That’s the least of our worries at the moment.”

George is more forthcoming, explaining that someone backstage must have unplugged the power supply. He goes on to say that they only rehearse just before beginning a tour, to remind themselves how new songs go. In contrast to the constant nightclubbing of 1964, George describes how the Beatles now stay at home and play board games such as Buccaneer and Risk. He puts the change down to married life creating a comfortable routine, and says he’s constantly redecorating their home.

Coleman makes the mistake of asking if George would like to tackle another instrument now that he’s “mastered the sitar.” George makes it clear that Indian music is no passing fancy, and that maybe in forty years he will have mastered the basics of sitar playing. Stagg attempts to ask a few questions, but George seems more interested in reading about the Beatles’ recent visit to Tokyo in a Japanese music magazine.

RELEASE HISTORY

This recording circulates among collectors in poor quality, copied off-line from the raw source tape.

75. Newsreel footage

From Chicago, the Beatles boarded a morning flight to Detroit, where they performed two shows at Olympia Stadium. A few seconds of local news footage captures their airport arrival.

RELEASE HISTORY

This footage circulates on video.

75a. Concert

One of Kenny Everett’s tour reports for Radio London captured the start of one of the Detroit concerts, including a few seconds of the opening number. A supposed audience recording of a complete Detroit show that circulates is a fake, largely constructed from a Tokyo concert.

RELEASE HISTORY

This recording circulates in good quality.

76. Radio interview

Although he had followed the Beatles’ entire 1965 tour, in 1966, DJ Jerry Bishop was able to travel only to Detroit for their evening concert on August 13. He returned to his home base of Cleveland the following day and interviewed the group before their sole concert that evening.

Paul explains that when he is laughing onstage, it’s usually due to a blunder, such as John botching the ending of “Yesterday” in Detroit. Naming Buck Owens, George Jones, Kitty Wells, and Hank Snow among his favorite performers, Ringo says he enjoys country music mainly for the stories it tells.

Bishop warns John that while Municipal Stadium holds eighty thousand people, it might look empty tonight with only thirty thousand, but John doesn’t seem to mind: “Try sticking somebody else in there and see how many seats go!” He compares audiences in various countries, describing Japanese fans as high-pitched clappers, and comments on the increasing number of young men at their American concerts.

Finally, Bishop and the boys gather for a farewell photo, inspiring Ringo to sing a line from Dudley Moore’s “Goodbye-ee” (theme song for the TV show Not Only … But Also …). Paul takes over with a rendition of “We’ll Meet Again,” with everyone joining in.

RELEASE HISTORY

1982: The “farewell” segment was released on the LP The Beatles Talk with Jerry G.

1983: The remaining segments were included on the LP The Beatles Talk with Jerry G., Volume 2. It’s possible that this LP includes further extracts from this date, but these are the only ones with identifying features.

77. Radio interview               R

Although no press conference or taping session was held in Cleveland, Ken Douglas found a moment either backstage or at the Sheraton Hotel to tape an interview with Ringo.

In a discussion familiar to those who followed Ringo interviews, he admits to a home life of inactivity, and denies having any plans for his eleven-month-old “big fatso,” Zak. The thrills continue as we learn that Maureen cooks a mean lamb dish, and that Douglas and Ringo’s gardener share a hometown of Surbiton. Douglas then relates to Ringo some events of the previous evening. The entourage journeyed by bus from Detroit immediately following the concert. Around 2 a.m., they pulled in to the Vermilion Turnpike Plaza in Ohio, where Brian’s assistant Wendy Hanson was dispatched to the Howard Johnson’s to purchase ice cream bars. Paul and George decided to get out and stretch their legs, to the shock and delight of some passing girls (Ringo had stayed on the bus and missed this excitement). In turn, Ringo relates how a motorist had followed him and Maureen around one day, catching them at a red light only to mistakenly demand autographs from “Paul” and “Pattie”!

RELEASE HISTORY

1966: These interviews appeared on the charity LP Beatle Views, which was reissued in incomplete form on LPs such as The British Are Coming and The Gospel According To: The Beatles, but has yet to appear on CD from tape source.

78. Concert

The Beatles’ Cleveland concert featured a magnified replay of events from their last concert in that city. This time, rather than a few hundred fans rushing the stage, several thousand fans broke through barriers and swarmed the group as they attempted to play “Day Tripper.” Quick thinking allowed the police to hustle the band to a small trailer beside the stage, and it took twenty minutes to calm the crowd down and resume the show.

Ken Douglas recorded some of the mayhem, including WIXY DJ Al Gates pleading with the fans to return to their seats. As Douglas describes the scene, the Beatles retake the stage and, skipping the planned fifth number in their set, “Baby’s in Black,” begin to play “I Feel Fine.”

In addition, several silent home movies documented the occasion. The first of these is a fragmentary 16 mm color film totaling 1:51. This is assembled in a seemingly random order, and features cops, fans, and bits of “I Feel Fine” and “I Wanna Be Your Man.” Two minutes and forty-two seconds of further 8 mm color footage is so grainy and dark, only the occasional zoom-in on Paul is of interest.

But there is also a remarkable black-and-white 16 mm silent newsreel, lasting 6:38, that gives a much clearer picture of what happened. It opens with roadies setting up the stage, with several DJs and MCs taking the microphones. The Beatles enter, wave, plug in, and begin their first number, and apart from a girl being carried out in the arms of a policeman, all seems normal. Suddenly the entire crowd moves forward, but it’s hardly a chilling sight; in fact, Paul is grinning broadly as they reach the foot of the stage. In the next shot, dozens of cops and other officials are milling around onstage. Once a path is cleared, the Beatles stride quickly but calmly down some steps and into the caravan. Police push the crowd back slowly but surely as Gates appeals for calm.

RELEASE HISTORY

1966: This recording appeared on the charity LP Beatle Views, which was reissued in incomplete form on LPs such as The British Are Coming and The Gospel According To: The Beatles, but has yet to appear on CD from tape source. “I Feel Fine” was copied on the 1999 CD-R compilation Vinyl to the Core. The various film clips, often dubbed with irrelevant audio, circulate among collectors.

78a. Newsreel footage

One of the few color newsreels capturing a Beatles airport arrival was filmed in Washington, DC. In this brief clip, George, Paul, Ringo, and John (in that order) descend from the plane and are driven away in limos to the Shoreham Hotel.

RELEASE HISTORY

This silent color footage circulates on video.

79. Press conference

A muggy locker room in DC Stadium was the site for their preshow press conference in the nation’s capital. The event gets off to a rousing start when Ringo declares he’d like to be reincarnated as a tree, but eventually they are asked about the “more popular than Jesus” issue. Told of the Ku Klux Klan’s protest at that evening’s show, John replies, “There’s nothing to say about them.” Someone points out that the Vatican’s official newspaper defended John’s remark, and he replies, “If it makes other people feel better, it’ll make me feel better.” John disagrees that the controversy has had a detrimental effect on ticket sales for their tour, and angrily denies that the whole thing is a publicity stunt.

On other topics, Paul reveals that the idea for “Yellow Submarine” came to him at bedtime, and George and John agree that if the “butcher” cover had been a better photograph (John calls it “unsubtle”), they might have fought against its recall. Asked if they would consider entertaining U.S. troops, John replies, “I wouldn’t like to go near Vietnam,” and unsurprisingly, he says the biggest drawback of being a Beatle is “interpretations of what you say.”

RELEASE HISTORY

1996: A portion of this recording appears on Rare Photos & Interview CD, Volume 2, and the complete conference circulates in very good quality. In addition, about a minute of color newsreel footage from the proceedings is traded on video, and 41 seconds of black-and-white footage was released on the compilation video Beatles 1962 to 1970.

79a. Radio interview               G

In this interview with Kenny Everett, George talks about the metamorphoses their career has undergone since Germany, candidly admitting that their live performances have wasted away because of the noise of the fans (and because of the group’s lack of interest and preparation, although he doesn’t mention those factors). He feels that the content of the last two albums has begun to increase the ratio of males to females in their audience, and hopes this will diminish the overall noise level at future concerts.

RELEASE HISTORY

1984: Most of this interview was broadcast in the radio documentary Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band: A History of the Beatle Years 1962-1970. The full interview circulates in good quality from an off-line recording.

80. Radio interview               P, R

For their upcoming visit to New York City, the Beatles arranged an extra press conference. Unlike the second one in Chicago, this “junior press conference” wasn’t for professional journalists, but teenage fans. One hundred fifty lucky teenagers would be selected at random from applicants by the U.S. branch of the Beatles fan club and by WMCA radio.

To plug the event, Paul and Ringo (and probably the others) recorded brief messages early in the tour that aired on WMCA as the day approached. Paul explains at some length the reasons behind the special occasion, feeling that fans will come up with more interesting questions than professional reporters. Ringo merely reminds the fans to arrive with shiny shoes!

RELEASE HISTORY

This recording circulates from a good-quality off-air tape of WMCA’s tour coverage.

81. Radio interview               P

The Beatles’ bus left Washington on the sixteenth for Philadelphia, where they would play a single show that evening, flying directly to Toronto after the concert. Arriving at JFK Stadium, the group was transferred to a floral van and smuggled inside. Rather than a full press conference, representatives of six local media outlets were granted formal interviews. In addition, another taping session was held in the stadium dressing room for the touring reporters. Ken Douglas cornered Paul for a lengthy recorded chat.

With respect to the diminishing crowds, Paul points out that they have only their own attendance records to match. In fact, they still play to more people than any other artist. Douglas accurately predicts that their records will continue to sell long after they stop touring, and Paul says they’re now more interested in writing and recording than performing. He realizes how futile it is to try and communicate to tens of thousands of screaming people at once.

Paul then explains why he bought a house in London rather than out in the suburbs: He prefers being near the city, but it’s still close enough to his band-mates that he can go swim at their houses! He wonders if there will be time for a holiday after the tour, assuming that they will be recording a new album for Christmas. After recounting his trip to Paris for John’s twenty-first birthday, Paul reflects on the mayhem at the Cleveland concert. In a seeming contradiction of the point he was making a minute earlier, he claims to enjoy the “fan participation” at their concerts, as long as nobody gets hurt. He astutely points out that much of the recent negative publicity is inevitable due to the nature of the newspaper business. After a while, good news is no news, and disparaging articles become the fashion.

RELEASE HISTORY

1966: These interviews appeared on the charity LP Beatle Views, which was reissued in incomplete form on LPs such as The British Are Coming and The Gospel According To: The Beatles, but has yet to appear on CD from tape source.

82. Radio interview               R

Once again, Bess Coleman generously shared her microphone with a fellow reporter, Radio Caroline’s DJ Jerry “Super” Leighton.

Ringo greets him as “Jerry Laverne,” although it’s hard to tell if he’s joking. In any case, Leighton gets nowhere with his first two questions: Is there anything you’d like to be asked, and is there anything you feel strongly about? Ringo cheerfully admits, “I don’t feel strongly about anything.” Coleman tries a different tack and discerns that Ringo doesn’t like being asked about personal or financial matters, but otherwise is open to answering anything. She points out that he’s down from four rings to two on this tour, and he says the real problem is the gold bracelet, which weighs him down while drumming.

Ringo explains how the amplification is usually so poor that he has to lip-read onstage to keep track of his place in each song, although he praises the sound system in Cleveland. Leighton makes the understandable presumption that if Ringo doesn’t care about much, he might not be too keen on the progression the Beatles’ music has been taking. Ringo denies that, but says he wishes his playing was progressing at the same rate as their songwriting. Coleman asks if he practices in order to improve, but Ringo says playing on the records is enough to keep him on track. Since they play the same songs every night, and nobody (including himself) can hear them, Ringo logically sees no reason to rehearse while on tour.

RELEASE HISTORY

This recording circulates among collectors in poor quality, copied off-line from the raw source tape.

83. Radio interview               G

Jim Stagg chatted briefly with George in Philadelphia about the possibility of the Beatles buying their own airplane rather than chartering one for tours. George, who notoriously hated flying, says he’s not interested enough to want his own plane, though it might be interesting to “learn how to crash.”

RELEASE HISTORY

This recording circulates among collectors in poor quality, from an off-line broadcast.

84. Press conference

The Toronto press conference was held backstage at Maple Leaf Gardens, probably between the 4 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. shows. A complete tape of the event has recently surfaced, recorded by Toronto journalist Graham Newton. In general, the occasion is a cut above most press conferences, with plenty of thoughtful questions posed and weighty issues tackled.

The early questions are slanted toward religion and the “more popular than Jesus” flap. Asked if he would recommend Christianity to young people, John responds, “I’d recommend it for old people as well. Especially.” He says that while his quote wasn’t taken out of context, the article was, being meant for a newspaper feature and not a teen magazine. He admits it may have hurt his image in the eyes of certain people, but “I don’t mind about them somehow.” George says love is more important than popularity, and that most of the Lennon bashers are acting in a very unchristian fashion.

Asked what inspires young people, Paul feels it’s anyone who talks honestly, although he realizes the generation gap makes it difficult for parents to communicate to teenagers, no matter how sincerely they try. Someone wonders if “Eleanor Rigby” signals a new trend, but John and Paul quickly point out that violins are actually quite old instruments. Will they go electronic? Paul: “Yes, anything.” George: “But not totally.” John: “Oh, I could!” It’s pointed out that the Beatles got their MBE awards for helping the British economy, and John jokes that perhaps they should return them to help bolster the faltering market. When this quip receives a round of applause and laughter, John grins and says, “It’s very friendly here. I think I’ll relax.”

The lighthearted mood is not long-lived, as a very earnest reporter asks why they don’t take a more vocal stance against the United States’ involvement in Vietnam. They all denounce war in general, and the U.S. draft specifically, but as John says, “We’re not allowed to have opinions, you might have noticed.” This was aimed more at Brian Epstein than the media, as their manager had forbidden them on previous tours to make antiwar statements while in the States. Realizing he may have just put his foot in his mouth again, John sighs. “We’ve had it in Memphis now.”

Paul says they’ve thought about writing a musical, but not one like My Fair Lady, because other people can write that style of music much better. John says it’s quite possible they will split up, and that they can’t go around “holding hands forever;” Paul agrees that it’d be embarrassing to be a thirty-five-year-old Beatle singing “Long Tall Sally” every night (but that didn’t stop Paul from doing it as a thirty-one-year-old member of Wings). Finally, Paul relates how being distracted by a full moon caused his moped accident the previous Christmas.

RELEASE HISTORY

2001: This recording was released in excellent quality on the CD The Beatles Canadian Press Conference. Poor-quality off-air excerpts had previously circulated as part of the Jim Stagg tour coverage. Twenty-three seconds of silent footage from the conference also circulates on video.

85. Radio interview

Following the press conference, Jim Stagg taped brief interviews with each Beatle. Unfortunately, the horrendous quality of my copy makes it difficult to decipher all of the conversations, but there seems to be a common theme: aging gracefully as pop stars.

George expresses satisfaction with the growing sophistication in rock lyrics; Paul agrees that they have matured, although it conjures up images of a “very old man with a pipe and slippers” in his mind; John compares their development under the spotlight to bananas being force-grown in a hothouse; Ringo cautions not to take everything they say seriously, as being famous shouldn’t give their opinions any more weight.

RELEASE HISTORY

This recording circulates among collectors in poor quality, from an off-line broadcast.

86. Radio interview               G

This interview clip is a tentative identification based more on its location on the tape than any internal clues. It seems to be the end of a longer chat, as George explains that when one of them starts to get a swelled head, the others will quickly deflate his ego.

RELEASE HISTORY

This recording circulates among collectors in poor quality, copied off-line from the raw source tape.

87. Radio interview               P, G

On the morning of August 18, the Beatles flew from Toronto to Boston, where Jim Stagg chatted with George as he deplaned. It seems no press conference was held in Boston, but another taping session gave Stagg a further chance to talk with Paul and George.

Displaying extreme modesty, Paul insists there are “a thousand songwriters” as good as the Lennon and McCartney team, putting down most of their success to serendipity. On the other hand, George feels that people who don’t get lucky breaks are mostly people with no talent anyway. He also talks about meeting his uncle and aunt the previous night in Toronto, and staying up until 6 a.m. to talk with them. What George doesn’t mention is that after his relatives left, he spent another hour smoking pot and listening to music with members of the Remains.

RELEASE HISTORY

This recording circulates among collectors in poor quality, from an off-line broadcast.

88. Radio interview

Once again, Bess Coleman spoke individually to each Beatle during the Boston taping session.

Ringo complains how difficult it was to emulate a professional disc jockey when he tried to perform a mock radio show on one of his home tapes. He points out how the press reaction in the first city on any given tour usually sets the tone for subsequent coverage, and gives a wonderfully nonresponsive answer when asked to comment on whether this will be the Beatles’ last U.S. tour.

Asked if there’s any place new he’d like to visit, George (perhaps thinking of Manila) says he’ll go anywhere he won’t get arrested! He professes once again not to be satisfied with Revolver, because when listening it’s impossible for the group to focus on anything but the flaws, and every song could be improved somehow. Another unknown female approaches, saying, “Don’t have a tape recorder, I just wanted to chat,” and George immediately launches into a parody of a typical pop star listing his fave-raves (“Corn Flakes … Mini Minor … blue … blond …”).

Asked to define the word happiness, John reels off a similar joke list (“A cuddly foot… a brown bear … and a plate full of Kellogg’s …”), before admitting that happiness is more a state of mind than something dependent on environment or material goods. He also reveals that George has just given him a haircut, and that the last time he cut George’s hair (in Hamburg) was a bit of a disaster.

Paul explains that he bought a farm in Scotland because it was inexpensive and remote, and enthuses about the likelihood of being trapped there one day by a snowstorm. After vaguely describing the property, he admits he’s seen it only once, for the grand total of one hour! His priority is moving into the new house in London, but Paul feels by 1967 he’ll be able to begin staying at his farmhouse.

RELEASE HISTORY

This recording circulates among collectors in poor quality, copied off-line from the raw source tape.

89. Concert

The Beatles’ single sold-out show in Boston proved to be wilder than most, borne out by these two recordings of the event. In the first (A), a reporter for WBZ Radio describes a fan breaking from the grandstand and being headed off by police before reaching the stage.

“Paperback Writer” (B) can be heard in the background of Kenny Everett’s interview with a man who helped set up chairs at the concert. Even more remarkable was Kenny’s conversation (C) with John Labinski, a fan described in the next day’s Boston Globe as “a heavy-set young man in a green shirt.” As Paul launches into “Long Tall Sally,” Labinski nonchalantly discloses that he is about to jump onstage, and seconds later, a disbelieving Everett gives the play-by-play: “OK, there he goes. He’s gonna leap up now … he’s onstage! And he’s got hold of John! He’s got hold of Paul! Now he’s getting George … they’ve got him offstage right now … and he’s being grabbed by all the police. What an interview! Woo-hoo! I bet this is an exclusive!”

RELEASE HISTORY

1984: C was included in the radio documentary Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band: A History of the Beatle Years 1962-1970, and copied from that source on the CD-R compilation Vinyl to the Core.

2004: A was included in fair quality on the CD-R We’d Like to Carry On. B and C circulate from good-quality off-air tapes.

90. Newsreel footage

Leaving Boston on an 11:30 a.m. flight, the Beatles headed south for perhaps the scariest stop on their tour: Memphis, Tennessee, the destination closest to the Beatle Bonfires in Alabama. On hand to cover events in the city was a crew from Britain’s Independent Television News, for the show Reporting ’66. The first clip from this day shows the band deplaning from their American Airlines flight, looking a tad apprehensive.

RELEASE HISTORY

This footage circulates on video among collectors.

91. TV interview               P

The bus ride from the airport to Mid-South Coliseum was harrowing, as the passengers were instructed to keep away from the windows in case any of the roadside protesters decided to exact revenge for John’s Jesus remark. Nevertheless, at some stop on its journey, the ITV camera crew was able to film Paul as he signed autographs from the window. A reporter shouted a few questions about their next concert location and the length of the tour, which Paul was able to answer with a little prompting from within the bus.

RELEASE HISTORY

This footage was released on the home video documentary British Rock: The First Wave.

92. Concert

Both Memphis shows survive as audience recordings, taped by teenage fans Gloria Allen and Noreen Prouty. After turning down an offer from EMI in 1996, they auctioned the recordings on eBay in 2003, and the tapes didn’t take long to surface on bootlegs.

The afternoon show is relatively uneventful, with the performances being a minor improvement from the Tokyo shows. There’s an amusing moment during the introduction (A) when the emcee gets the crowd to spell out “B-E-T-L-E-S” [sic]. The tape has a few speed fluctuations, as well as a break in the middle that omits the end of M and beginning of N; it fades out 34 seconds into “Long Tall Sally.”

Also among the ten thousand people at the matinee show in Memphis were Bess Coleman and her tape recorder. As the Beatles finish out their set, she makes several attempts to record a ringside report, struggling to point out over the screams that the notion of the group being unpopular is clearly nonsense. Portions of P and T-W were captured in the background of Cole-man’s report. Due to the less than satisfactory conditions and shaky sound, it’s unlikely this tape was ever broadcast.

ITV’s crew also filmed the group walking backstage just prior to going on (wearing light pin-striped suits); this short clip appears in Anthology and numerous documentaries.

RELEASE HISTORY

2001: Bess Coleman’s poor-quality report appeared on the CD-R compilation Live: Make as Much Noise as You Like!

2007: The nearly complete audience recording (A-V) appeared in poor quality on the bootleg CD From Beatles in Memphis 1966.

93. Press conference

Once again, ITV was on hand to film the press conference between shows, but all that was used in their report was a short clip of the Beatles seated at a long table signing autographs and posing for fans.

RELEASE HISTORY

This footage circulates on video.

94. TV interview

The ITV camera crew caught up with the Beatles backstage at the coliseum for a sit-down interview. Paul explains that the main difference on this tour is that the press conferences are both more hectic and less frivolous. John says that people are entitled to have negative opinions about the group, and they can dislike those people in turn. The interviewer points out that their past success has hinged on their outspokenness and honesty, and they admit that it’s hard to have to bite their tongues.

Paul tries to explain that their controversial comments are meant to be helpful, and that it’s actually a good thing for them to be pointing out that the war in Vietnam is wrong. The reporter wonders why anyone should care what an entertainer has to think about politics, and John says that’s just a part of showbiz, but that one “can’t just keep quiet about anything that’s going on in the world, unless you’re a monk.” Thinking fast to avoid another religious uproar, John adds, “Sorry, monks, I didn’t mean it!”

RELEASE HISTORY

1996: Fifty-four seconds of this interview was released on the CD Rare Photos & Interview CD, Volume 3, and the complete footage is circulating on video. Excerpts were released on the home videos Anthology, British Rock: The First Wave, and The Beatles Story.

95. Radio interview               J, P

Bess Coleman recorded interviews with at least two Beatles backstage in Memphis. Paul explains how difficult it would be to reproduce their newer songs such as “Eleanor Rigby” onstage unless they traveled with supplementary musicians. Even then, the task of amplifying a string quartet to be heard over screeching fans would be a nightmare, which is why they perform “Yesterday” with their usual lineup of instruments.

Coleman points out that the group seems much more open and willing to expound than on earlier tours, and Paul fittingly responds by launching into a two-minute monologue, the gist of which is that when they first played outside of Liverpool, people would mock their appearance and accents, causing them to withdraw and use sarcasm and insults as a defense mechanism. In addition, most of the questions they were asked at early press conferences were less than deserving of thoughtful answers. Paul feels that reporters are now showing an interest in their music, which has led them to open up and discuss things at greater length.

Asked how much of their recording success is due to George Martin, John seems to have trouble giving their producer specific credit, although he says they learned all the technical aspects from him. Coleman wonders if John ever feels like a caged animal, but he reiterates that when they are on tour, they know it’s a job and not a sightseeing vacation.

He says that war is the one thing in the world that disturbs him the most, and foreshadowing Paul’s statement a year hence, denies that teenagers will take drugs just because their pop star idol does. He feels that instead of banning records with drug themes, the government should be doing more to educate young people about drugs, rather than sensationalizing them.

John admits that while it’s hard to differentiate a true friend from a hanger-on, he doesn’t mind being conned by people, since he does it himself occasionally! He feels their concerts are now valid as shows, but bereft of any musical quality, and claims to be a voracious reader, but can’t name a favorite author or indeed the names of any books he likes.

RELEASE HISTORY

This recording circulates among collectors in poor quality, copied off-line from the raw source tape.

96. Radio interview               J, P, G

Since this was Jim Stagg’s last night on the tour, he recorded the Beatles’ personal farewells (presumably Ringo was occupied at the time). Stagg expresses more than once his suspicion that this may be the last Beatles tour, and the others remain positive about seeing him again but decidedly noncommittal about another visit.

RELEASE HISTORY

This recording circulates among collectors in poor quality, from an off-line broadcast.

97. Concert

This was certainly one of the most memorable Beatles concerts, but far from a pleasant memory. A near-capacity crowd packed the Coliseum for the evening show, including Gloria Allen and Noreen Prouty with their tape recorder.

As the band, now wearing dark green suits, finished the second bridge of “If I Needed Someone” (F), a sudden loud bang (as George sang the word “love”) brought a chill to their veins. Once they realized none of them had been shot, instinct told them to keep playing, and the song continued. It turned out to have been a cherry bomb hurled from the balcony, which ended up injuring four crowd members. Two suspects, a teenage boy and girl, were found with fifty firecrackers and cherry bombs in their possession, but at the time, the Beatles had no way of knowing whether it was an adolescent prank or an outraged Klansman with a rifle. Amazingly, John introduces the next song (G) with a seemingly nonchalant “Well, thank you, everybody. Thanks for the bang.”

Although several cameras were filming the concert, none of them managed to capture the incident clearly. Three minutes and fifty-six seconds of silent color home movie footage circulates, featuring portions of several songs, including “If I Needed Someone.” The ITV crew documented 34 seconds of “Baby’s in Black,” and a second TV report has 15 seconds of concert foot age followed by film of a spiritual rally held the same evening at the Memphis Union Mission. Eight thousand people attended the religious event, while 12,500 opted for the Beatles. More popular, indeed!

RELEASE HISTORY

2007: The audience recording (A-W) appeared in poor quality on the bootleg CD From Beatles in Memphis 1966. The concert footage circulates on video among collectors.

97a. Newsreel footage

Out of the frying pan, into the fire. Having escaped Memphis intact, the Beatles probably felt relieved to arrive in Cincinnati in the wee hours of August 20.

This brief news clip captures their airport arrival in darkness (at around 3 a.m.).

RELEASE HISTORY

This silent color footage circulates on video.

98. Concert

Stuck in a hotel with no room service, the Beatles looked forward to playing Cincinnati on the night of the twentieth and moving on. But heavy rain showers arrived just before showtime and soon turned into a deluge. For an indoor show, this wouldn’t have posed a problem, but the promoters had failed to provide any kind of shelter for the stage, located in the middle of a baseball stadium.

By 10:25 that night, the decision was made to postpone the show until the next afternoon. Fifteen thousand fans went home wet and unhappy, and about twelve thousand of them returned at noon the next day, ticket stubs in hand, for the rain date.

Some silent color footage of this performance shows the group, in the same pin-striped suits worn in the Memphis afternoon show, taking the stage and playing. A canopy is now present, and of course the sky is clear and sunny.

RELEASE HISTORY

This footage circulates from a broadcast on WCPO, Channel 9 News in Cincinnati, and was partially included in Anthology.

99. Amateur footage

Hearkening back to the double (and sometimes triple) bookings of 1962, the Beatles flew out of Cincinnati at 4 p.m., bound for their second venue of the day in St. Louis. One fan’s black-and-white 16 mm home movie captured their arrivals at both the airport and Busch Stadium, as well as a portion of the concert (the transition from “Rock and Roll Music” into “She’s a Woman”). About a minute of black-and-white newsreel footage also exists of their arrival and scenes outside the stadium. See later entry for further home movies of the concert.

RELEASE HISTORY

This silent footage circulates among video collectors.

100. Radio interview               J, P, R

With a limited number of stops on the 1966 tour, radio stations in various nonitinerary cities held contests to send groups of fans to see the Beatles. One such party traveled from Denver to St. Louis, accompanied by a representative of the station who talked his way backstage to interview the group before the concert.

John describes the events that caused them to cancel the Cincinnati show, and says that most of the fans were able to make it back that afternoon for the rescheduled concert. With storm clouds massing, the reporter wonders if that night’s show might not be rained out, but John says they don’t mind playing in a thunderstorm as long as the equipment is covered. He then fails to get information from John about How I Won the War. (“I understand that you and the other three Beatles are under contract to United Artists to do three pictures.” “Are we?”) Finally, the reporter asks if Revolver is any different in England, and amazingly, John is able to name the three tracks pulled for use on “Yesterday”…And Today (well, maybe it’s not so amazing considering they are all his songs).

Paul is asked about the possibility of the Beatles releasing an album of Christmas songs, and he points out that “White Christmas” is one of the only holiday-themed pop songs to be wildly successful (“You might as well bring out an Easter album …”). The reporter unwittingly hits a potential sore spot by asking Paul to explain the meaning of “She Said She Said,” and he gives a very literal interpretation of the lyrics, admitting, “I don’t know what half of our songs are about.” Ringo reveals that he’ll be singing “I Wanna Be Your Man” that night, and Paul jokes that it’s a special request for the visiting Denver fans. Asked why he isn’t singing “Yellow Submarine” instead, Ringo says they keep meaning to rehearse it, but never get around to it. He feels the crowds have been as good as ever, but might seem smaller now that they are trying to fill larger stadiums. The recording wraps up with further unenlightening chat about security, taxes, and films.

RELEASE HISTORY

This recording circulates among collectors in poor quality, from an off-line broadcast.

101. Concert

Another rainy evening approached, but this time preparations were in place. Not only was a canopy erected, the order of acts was switched to allow the Beatles to perform in the middle of the bill, just in case the drizzle turned to a torrential downpour. This left the Cyrkle and the Ronettes (backed by the Remains) the ignominious task of following up the act everyone had paid to see, and with the rain still falling, the stadium emptied out pretty quickly.

The Beatles were transported out of the stadium in a pair of police cars. Paul, perhaps combining two events, remembers leaving the show in an “empty chrome van.” Already coming down with a nasty flu and terrified of having to play in the rain and face electrocution, Paul was so miserable that he agreed with the others that it was time to put an end to touring.

In addition to the brief footage mentioned earlier, a longer home movie exists from the show, beginning with the introduction from MC Nick Charles. Unfortunately, although it’s in color, it’s much too dark to see anything, and only the occasional flashbulb reveals that it truly is the Beatles onstage. A poor-quality audience recording of part of the concert (A-C) also exists, taken from a news report.

RELEASE HISTORY

2007: A-C were booted on the CD Complete North American Tour 1966. The silent 8 mm home movie circulates on video, with an unrelated live version of “Rock and Roll Music” dubbed over the top. It’s followed by what appears to be a few seconds of footage of John’s arrival at Busch Stadium earlier that evening.

102. Radio interview

These interview clips are difficult to tie to specific dates, but were all recorded by Ken Douglas during his tenure on the North American tour (he didn’t continue on to New York with the rest of the entourage).

In these brief extracts (eight in all), Ringo talks about his dogs and building company, George talks about his cars, swimming pool, and the nightclub he co-owns (Sybilla’s), Paul says he wants them to make better films, and John offers a terse “No comment, no comment!” to an unknown question.

RELEASE HISTORY

1966: These interviews appeared on the charity LP Beatle Views, which was reissued in incomplete form on LPs such as The British Are Coming and The Gospel According To: The Beatles, but has yet to appear on CD from tape source.

103. Press conference

The Beatles flew from St. Louis to New York City, arriving at LaGuardia Airport around 3:50 a.m. local time on the twenty-second. Most of that day was spent unwinding in their suite at the Warwick Hotel, but that evening they conducted a pair of press conferences, one standard affair and one “junior press conference” for contest winners.

The first one gets off to a roaring start with a question about Vietnam (George: “War is wrong, and it’s obvious …”) and the news of two girls who threatened to jump from the twenty-second floor of a hotel unless Paul visited them. Someone wonders if they were disappointed by the handful of fans who greeted them at the airport and is met with intense sarcasm. (John: “Yeah, we were real brought down about that.” Paul: “Three o’clock in the morning. We expected millions.”)

Surprisingly, it takes a few minutes before the first question about the “more popular than Jesus” flap, which John dismisses with “a lot of it’s just a lot of rubbish, and a lot of it’s serious.” Another reporter tries to get John to comment on the possibility that America’s reaction was less mature than overseas, but he won’t take the bait. Paul is happy to, however: “You hear more from American bigots than you do from Russian bigots.”

Just when it seems the New York press is more sophisticated, a female reporter asks about their hair, and someone follows up by asking if they wear wigs. Paul merely sighs. “Oh, do you believe that? Do ya?” Someone finally asks George a question, but falls into the usual trap: “Now that you’ve learned to play the sitar, do you expect to learn any more instruments?” George patiently explains that Ravi Shankar has been playing sitar for thirty-five years and still hasn’t learned.

The standard topics shuffle past: John’s film and books, Ringo’s son, Paul’s farm and relationship with Jane Asher. The main angle taken by the press seems to be the group’s sagging popularity, and after the fourth time being asked how he feels about this, John replies, “Very rich.” About the only other point of interest occurs when a cameraman from one of the U.S. networks has to change reels and holds up the whole proceeding, not wanting to let down his 18 million viewers. John mocks him: “Great. Impressed, eighteen million.”

RELEASE HISTORY

1996: Short extracts from this press conference were released on the CD Rare Photos & Interview CD, Volume 2. A complete fair quality audio recording of the entire event circulates, as do color film clips of varying lengths. Some were used in Anthology, and NBC News has broadcast its archival footage on various episodes of the MSNBC show Time and Again. It’s likely the NBC footage exists in a fairly complete state (presumably missing the part where the cameraman had to change reels).

104. Press conference

Any hopes the Beatles had that their fans would ask more interesting questions than the press were probably dashed during this junior press conference, although the tone was decidedly more friendly than the cynical and sometimes hostile interrogatives offered up by the real press.

Probably the biggest scoop is Paul’s admission that he will one day marry Jane Asher, met with a loud cry of disgust from the fans. Less earth-shattering is the revelation that George doesn’t have a cousin named Maggie, although Paul plays along and pretends he knows one Patricia Slater of Cumberland. We also learn that Paul likes chocolate, miniskirts, and the Beach Boys, and thinks the Beatles cartoon series is “fun.” Otherwise, the topics are pretty much identical to what the “legitimate” journalists and DJs had covered ad infinitum: John’s film, clothes, British versus American girls, even Ringo’s rings!

RELEASE HISTORY

A poor-quality off-line tape of this press conference circulates, from bits and pieces (twenty-four separate fragments) broadcast that evening on WMCA radio. In addition, 56 seconds of footage (probably from an AP newsreel) was included on the video Greatest Rock ‘n’ Roll Legends Scrapbook. Both sources are needed, as they don’t overlap entirely (and of course, the sound is much better on the video).

105. Radio interview

As usual, New York DJ “Cousin Brucie” Morrow taped exclusive interviews with the Beatles when they came through town. These were apparently conducted immediately following both press conferences, and aired live on the Cousin Brucie Show, although the circulating tape is from a rebroadcast.

Beatle number 1 is John and topic number 1 is you-know-what. Morrow wonders why the controversy didn’t take hold in Britain, and John replies that “there’s no sort of DJs needing publicity in England,” referring to the Birmingham, Alabama, bonfire organizers. After describing the chaotic Cleveland concert, John is offered the microphone to say whatever he wants, but demurs: “I’m not a famous ad-libber like they think. And I don’t want to take over the show—it’s your show Bruce, you do it.”

Morrow talks to Paul next, and asks him to classify the nature of his relationship to Jane Asher. Paul responds cheerily, “We’re just queer. That’s the scene. But, I mean, I couldn’t say that on the air live, y’know.” Follow-up questions about dating preferences get nowhere, so the topic shifts to Paul’s farm and then John’s religious troubles. Paul acknowledges that he was apprehensive about being attacked by people “with masks” (presumably the KKK), but feels it’s all been cleared up as well as can be expected. As John had, Paul puts it all down to the Birmingham radio station trying to drum up ratings.

George is in fine laconic form when asked what Indian music is (“It’s music that comes from India”). He speaks sincerely about music for a minute, but then Morrow makes the tactical error of asking George about other professional ambitions. “I’d like to be a bricklayer,” he responds earnestly.

Ringo chats about his son, Zak, and is beginning to discuss the “butcher cover” when everyone else begins to leave the room. Ringo politely stays behind to answer a few more questions about Shea Stadium and the St. Christopher medal he had lost back in 1964, and which Morrow and WABC had helped him to reclaim.

RELEASE HISTORY

This recording circulates in good quality among collectors from an off-line broadcast.

105a. Radio interview               G

George chatted with Kenny Everett in New York, primarily about the imminent break from the tour in Los Angeles. George says they hope to hang out with the Mamas and the Papas, the Byrds, and Derek Taylor, and says if they want to get out and see any of the city, the trick will be not to tell the police. Kenny asks why they don’t want to visit any Iron Curtain countries, and George’s answer is replete with thoughts of Manila: “It’s the sort of thing where you may or may not get back on the plane to come home.”

RELEASE HISTORY

This interview circulates in good quality from an offline recording.

106. Concert

Eager to make a quick buck out of the Beatles (presumably before their imminent demise), an enterprising company called Audio Journal sent a roving reporter to Shea Stadium. His mission was to capture the reactions of fans, stadium employees, police, and anyone he ran into before, during, and after the concert. Although a number of Beatles performances were captured far in the background, these are incidental to the voices of the “erupting” fans.

During this segment of the LP, female fans scream on cue, shriek, “I love you, Paul,” and ask the reporter how he can just sit there in the presence of Beatles. Some teenage boys estimate the number of police, narrate the exploits of some fans who run onto the field, and declare that the Beatles are obviously on the way out. The only sane voice is a thirty-eight-year-old self-proclaimed “atypical Beatles fan” (presumably the father of one of the screamers), who points to Arthur Fiedler and the Boston Pops’ cover versions as proof of the quality of Beatles compositions.

Bits and pieces of silent color footage circulate from this concert, as well as a three-minute color home movie filmed from the upper deck (in which the Beatles may as well be ants). WCBS-TV also sent Leonard Harris to cover the concert, and eight minutes of raw footage from his report survives, consisting mainly of interviews with fans in the stands.

RELEASE HISTORY

This album was apparently released in 1966, under the unwieldy title Beatles at Shea Stadium Described by Erupting Fans, although it made no impression on the charts. It was more prevalent after a vinyl reissue in the early 1980s and was transferred to CD in the 1990s. The “musical” portions appeared on the 2001 CD-R compilation Live: Make As Much Noise As You Like! The home movie and news footage circulates on video, and some of it appears in the Anthology documentary.

107. Press conference

Smuggled out of Shea Stadium in an armored car, the Beatles were taken directly to the airport and flew west to Los Angeles, arriving in the predawn hours of the twenty-fourth. As usual, they rented a private house, this time in Beverly Hills, to decompress a bit. Their sole task this first day out west was to meet the press and receive some awards at the Capitol Tower in Hollywood. In between posing for photos, accepting a gift of branding irons, and schmoozing with Alan Livingstone over the gold record for Revolver, the Beatles conducted the liveliest press conference of the tour.

For whatever reason, the group are back in a playful mood, perhaps because they are surrounded by familiar faces. DJ Fred Paul, who had traveled with them on the Summer 1964 tour, is back to ask again “What will you do when the bubble bursts?” At one point, David Crosby, hovering in the background, is pointed out and quickly ducks out of view.

Some highlights:

Q: One of your countrymen was here yesterday or the day before … He said he thought that American women were out of style … and that because they didn’t wear miniskirts, their legs were ugly.

Ringo: Well, if they don’t wear miniskirts, how does he know their legs are ugly?

Q: I’d like to direct this question to Messrs. Lennon and McCartney. In a recent article, Time magazine put down pop music. And they referred to “Day Tripper” as being about a prostitute and “Nor wegian Wood” as being about a lesbian.

Paul: Oh yeah.

Q: Now, I just wanted to know what your intent was when you wrote it, and what your feeling is about the Time magazine criticism of the music that is being written today.

Paul: We were just trying to write songs about prostitutes and lesbians, that’s all.

John: … quipped Ringo.

Ringo: Because we’re on tour, people know where we are. That’s why we have a crowd.

Paul: Oh! Is that what happens?

Ringo: Yes, yes! I worked that out!

Paul: Oh, you little rascal!

Q: Uh, may I ask about the song “Eleanor Rigby”?

What was the motivation or inspiration for that?

John: Two queers.

Q: I’m sure you’ve all heard of the many Beatle burnings and Beatle bonfires—

John: Well, the photos we saw of them were of sort of middle-aged DJs and twelve-year-olds burning a pile of LP covers.

The mop-tops did not corner the market on wit that evening:

Q: Mr. Lennon, is it true you’re planning to give up music for a career in the field of comparative religion?

Of course, it’s not all fun and games. A detailed question about their finances is met with a deep sigh from Paul. The obligatory Jesus moment includes a reporter’s astute observation “This created quite a controversy and a furor in this country.” Paul chimes in facetiously, “Did you know that, John? You created a furor.” A British journalist asks them each to name a most memorable and most disappointing moment in their career. Dead silence. John: “No idea.” George eventually votes Manila as “most disappointing.”

Yet another Beatle quote to Maureen Cleave is dredged up: “Show business is an extension of the Jewish religion.” John admits to having said it, but refuses to elaborate. (Paul: “Aww. Come on, John. Tell ’em what you meant.”) Ringo had also gotten into trouble in a 1964 Playboy interview by joking that Pete Best “took little pills to make him ill.” Best was now suing for defamation, and when a reporter asks about the lawsuit and whether Best was really a former Beatle, John cryptically replies, “Uh, I think he’s had a few, but we don’t bother with those.”

RELEASE HISTORY

1985: An excellent-quality copy of most of the press conference was released on the LP West Coast Invasion, later reissued on CD. An alternate source tape on the CD Talkology, Volume 2 contains a few extra seconds here and there (only one line from a Beatle), but is missing parts on the earlier release.

Lengthy black-and-white newsreel excerpts were released on the video The Beatles Unauthorized, featuring a few segments (mainly the photo shoots) not on the CDs listed above. KNBC-TV also filmed the event in color, including their arrival in an armored car. Twenty-five seconds of this circulate from a rebroadcast on KNBC, and 45 seconds were included in a 1992 Capitol Records EPK to promote the thirtieth anniversary of “Love Me Do.”

108. TV interview               P, G

Following the general questioning, there was the usual opportunity for individual TV crews to film Beatle interviews. Cameras for ABC-TV’s Where the Action Is had been rolling throughout the press conference, and a correspondent (filling in for host Dick Clark) fought his way to the front of the room to corner George for an interview.

After explaining that his voice will be replaced by Clark’s and pointing out which of the myriad cameras George should face, the reporter struggles to get a serious answer out of him. George says his favorite music is “honky-tonk,” his favorite American country star is Buddy Holly, and that if he could see any American performer, it’d be Len Barry!

A subsequent attempt to interview Paul is even more haphazard. Paul mistakes the name of the show for the name of a group (“the Worthy Actioners”) but agrees to answer some questions. The first question is “What time of day do you prefer to write your tunes?” Paul gets up and rambles, “Certainly daytime anyway, or nighttime. Certainly something like that,” before walking away. Understandably, none of this footage was deemed suitable for airing on ABC, although they apparently did air clips from the press conference itself on the September 13 edition of Where the Action Is.

RELEASE HISTORY

Although it was never aired, this footage circulates in excellent quality among video collectors.

109. TV interview               R

After their one-day break in Los Angeles, the Beatles flew to Seattle for two concerts on the twenty-fifth. At the airport, a local TV reporter pursued an upbeat Ringo across the tarmac for a few comments.

RELEASE HISTORY

This footage circulates on video from a twentieth anniversary rebroadcast in 1986.

110. Radio interview

The Seattle taping session was held in a press room at the Coliseum, across the hall from the Beatles’ dressing room. Although people such as Jim Stagg and Ken Douglas had left the touring party, there was always someone in each city to talk to, in this case Dusty Adams, who recorded separate interviews with each Beatle.

Asked about the possibility of recording an album in America, Paul says that a Memphis studio wanted an exorbitant fee, but that they would consider it if the price was right. A rather specific rumor was circulating about Jane Asher being flown in to marry Paul that evening in Seattle, and after three years of dealing with such reports, Paul is completely unfazed, putting it down to “occupational hazard.”

Adams tells George he was one of the DJs to call a London studio that February to wish him a happy birthday, and the two of them wrack their brains trying to figure out which album the Beatles could have been recording at the time. Presumably George was attending some other artist’s session, as the Revolver sessions didn’t begin until April. George talks about the supermarket on Hayling Island John had bought for his pal Pete Shotton in 1965, and says that he has a tape recorder in his car to sing into in case he gets a song idea on the road.

Ringo explains who sings what on “Yellow Submarine,” and for the 4,240th time says he does little but “just sit ’round” in his spare time, although he admits to the occasional reading craze. He concedes that airport crowds have been smaller than ever on this tour, but thinks it’s because fans have sussed that heavy police protection limits the amount of personal contact the group can have with fans on such occasions. Ringo also gives his account of the Manila incident, although it’s “still a mystery” exactly what happened.

John halfheartedly says he’s still writing material for a third book, and expresses no interest in attempting to compose songs with anyone but Paul or perhaps George. He declares that his “more popular than Jesus” quote was tossed off so trivially that when it resurfaced, he had to go back and read the original article to remind himself that he hadn’t been misquoted.

RELEASE HISTORY

1982: These interviews were released on the picture disc LP Timeless II. They have been reissued on the CD Inside Interviews: Talk Downunder: Sydney to Seattle.

111. Press conference

Between shows in Seattle, a press conference was held onstage at the Coliseum. A recording of edited highlights exists from what may have been the last joint press conference the Beatles ever gave in America.

Unsurprisingly, the Jane Asher “wedding” is brought up, and at first Paul decides to pull everyone’s collective leg: “Tonight, yeah. I couldn’t tell you [when and where], that’s a secret!” Although reservations for a reception had supposedly been booked at the Edgewater Hotel under the name Mr. Bartholomew, Paul says he knows nothing about it, and George points out that they’ll be flying back to California that night anyway. Someone asks if they represent a new type of morality, and Paul jokes that they’ll leave the protest music to their support act, the Cyrkle. A female reporter tells John he’ll be known as a great author in twenty-five years, and that she’d like to talk to him about it sometime. (John: “See you in twenty-five years, then!”)

George explains that they have an idea for their next movie but are waiting to see a completed script before deciding whether to film it. Another female reporter asks Paul what he’s doing after the show, and he replies, “I don’t know, marrying you, probably!” When someone asks if all Lennon/McCartney songs are true joint compositions, John mutters, “Don’t they buy Datebook?”

A DJ from Vancouver radio station CFUN, “Jolly” John Tanner, attended the conference dressed as the Jolly Green Giant. He asks if they are coming back to Vancouver (Paul: “Maybe—Brian decides where we go”), wishes John a belated happy wedding anniversary (John: “Well, you thank them, Jolly Green Giant!”), wonders where one can buy a sitar (George: “India”), and wishes Ringo’s wife, Maureen, a very belated happy birthday.

RELEASE HISTORY

1978: This press conference was released on the LP Beatle Talk, reissued on CD as Beatles Tapes: The Beatles in the Northwest. It was also copied on the picture disc Timeless II, but with the beginning clipped off slightly.

112. Concert

A local station was able to capture a whopping 4 seconds of one of the two Seattle concerts before being forced to shut its camera off. Immediately following the evening show, the Beatles caught an 11:30 p.m. flight back to Los Angeles for two days of relative solitude.

RELEASE HISTORY

This silent footage circulates from a twentieth anniversary rebroadcast in 1986.

113. Concert

The Beatles spent a couple of days hanging out with Derek Taylor, Joan Baez, David Crosby, Cass Elliott, Roger McGuinn, Brian and Carl Wilson, and other Los Angeles musicians. On the evening of the twenty-eighth, they performed their penultimate concert before a packed Dodger Stadium crowd.

A home movie, shot from high above home plate, captures the excitement fairly well, despite being silent and fairly distant from the action. It opens with a shot of the stage, a platform near second base draped with curtains, sporting a huge KRLA radio logo. The scoreboard flashes a message: FOR YOUR INFORMATION—THE BEATLES HAVE ARRIVED AND ARE IN THEIR DRESSING ROOM. Finally, a spotlight picks out the four tiny figures emerging from the third base dugout and walking onstage. Along with fragments of the first five songs, the film depicts a handful of fans running across the outfield before being chased down and escorted off by security.

In a display of bad planning, promoters tried to get the Beatles out of the stadium in a limousine through the main exit gate. Of course, hundreds of fans were awaiting just such a vehicle, so after a U-turn, they were transferred to an armored car, which met up with the limo at a nearby gas station. It was the last of dozens of close-call escapes they’d suffered through since 1963. The next night, an armored car would be ready and waiting to whisk them offstage.

RELEASE HISTORY

This silent home movie, transferred from 8 mm courtesy of Fotomat Transfer Service, circulates among collectors in decent quality.

114. Newsreel footage

A private jet carried the Beatles from Los Angeles to San Francisco this afternoon for their final concert. This also meant their final group airport arrival in the United States, captured, as usual, on film. After posing briefly on the steps of the plane, John, Paul, George, and Ringo take the short walk to their awaiting M&M Chartered Bus. It lingers in the parking lot just long enough for fans to snap souvenir photos and wave at the windows, before pulling away for the short drive to Candlestick Park.

RELEASE HISTORY

This silent footage circulates on video among collectors.

115. Radio interview               J, G, R

The final taping session of the tour occurred in the Beatles’ dressing room before their Candlestick concert. A disc jockey from Albany, New York, (goodness knows what he was doing in California) was present and taped interviews with three of the Beatles.

John talks for one last time about How I Won the War and the possibility of a third book and insists that he reads all the banners hung by fans at each arena. George accepts congratulations on his marriage, and recounts how “Rain” came to have backwards vocals, although he can’t remember whose idea it was. Ringo chats about Zak and expresses incredulity at the thought that Paul would want to get married in Seattle.

RELEASE HISTORY

This recording circulates among collectors in poor quality, from an off-line broadcast.

115a. Radio interview               J, G

These interviews with Kenny Everett were taped sometime during the final tour. In one clip, John describes what it feels like to be hit on the head with a shoe while performing, and does a brief promo for Kenny’s radio show. In another, Everett asks John what he would do given his own radio show, and John reveals that he often pretends to be a DJ on his home

recordings. He then relates how Paul brought some tape loops from his home studio for use on “Tomorrow Never Knows.” There’s also a 6-second snippet of George whistling the Radio London jingle.

RELEASE HISTORY

1984: Parts of these interviews were broadcast in the radio documentary Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band: A History of the Beatle Years 1962-1970. The full recordings circulate in good quality from an off-air recording.

116. Concert

On a windy and cold Monday evening in San Francisco, the Beatles took the stage for the last time. The twenty-five thousand fans in the audience were unaware of this fact, but the four musicians seemed to know it was the end. John brought a camera onstage to photograph the occasion, and press officer Tony Barrow was instructed to grab a cassette tape and record the concert from his position on the field.

A fifteen-year-old fan, Barry Hood, was also documenting the proceedings from the seats with an 8 mm home movie camera on silent color film. Together with a bit of news footage from KRON-TV, we thus have a visual record of the Beatles’ arrival by bus and portions of “She’s a Woman,” “Day Tripper,” and “Nowhere Man.”

Coming at the end of a long tour, the performances are far more polished compared with the Tokyo concerts, but the vocal harmonies are still generally ragged and out of tune. However, the atmosphere of reckless abandon provides some entertaining moments. John introduces “Day Tripper” as being “about the naughty lady” and “Nowhere Man” as “from our BBC album,” while George pegs “I Feel Fine” as a 1959 recording! Not to be outdone, Paul dedicates “I Wanna Be Your Man” to “all the wonderful backroom boys on this tour.”

When a couple of fans escape onto the field during “Baby’s in Black,” Paul’s singing provides a running commentary: “Dear, what can I—hey! Hey! Baby’s in black, and I’m—whoa yeah! Oh, very good.” It apparently happens again before “Paperback Writer,” as Paul tells the crowd, “We’d like to carry on … I think. Not really sure yet. I’d like to carry on, certainly. Definitely. Well, should we just watch this for a bit?”

After the usual sloppy performance of “Paperback Writer,” Paul steps to the microphone. “Thank you very much, everybody. Everybody, wonderful. Frisco. Butchered. Uh, we’d like to say that, um, it’s been wonderful being here [crowd screams]. It is wonderful to see you all. Sorry about the weather. And we’d like to ask you to join in and, uh, clap … sing … talk. In fact, go on, do anything. Anyway, the song is—good night.”

This is a remarkably indifferent stage announcement from the normally cheerful Beatle, and it gives no hint of what is to follow. Hitting a low G note on his bass to find the pitch, Paul screams at the top of his lungs: “I’m gonna tell Aunt Mary! ’Bout Uncle John! He said he got the mis’ry BUT HE’S GOT A LOTTA FUN OH BABY!!”

It’s a song he’s performed probably two or three hundred times with the Beatles; he’d even sung it onstage with his brother Michael in 1957 before officially joining the Quarry Men. “Well, long tall Sally’s built— pretty sweet she’s got—everything that Uncle John need oh baby!” But it’s never sounded quite like this. Paul is putting everything he has into his vocal. “Yeah-heh now baby! WHOO baby! Some fun tonight! WAAAAAAAOW—”

And then Tony Barrow’s tape ran out.

We have to rely on written reports for what happened next. The band finished “Long Tall Sally,” and John played the opening guitar phrase to “In My Life” for reasons we’ll never know. After their synchronized bows, the Beatles set up a camera on an amplifier and took a timed self-portrait of their final moment together on stage. Then they waved good-bye while sprinting to the armored car, which had sat on the field throughout their performance, engine revved and ready to speed them into the night.

RELEASE HISTORY

1984: Most of this concert first surfaced in good quality on the bootleg LP Candlestick Park, San Francisco ’66, but U was missing entirely. The same year, portions of N and O were broadcast in superior quality in the radio documentary Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band: A History of the Beatle Years 1962–1970.

1989: The full concert appeared from tape source on the bootleg CD Live in Paris 1964 and in San Francisco 1966. This version was electronically processed with added reverb on Masterdisc’s CD Candlestick Park: Big Events of ’66, later copied on Vigotone’s CD Shea!/Candlestick Park.

The home movie and newsreel footage was released on the videos One Last Time and Live in San Francisco; a bit of it was used in the Anthology documentary.

117. Newsreel footage

Not long after their final bows, the Beatles were flying south to Los Angeles, touching down at fifty minutes past midnight on the thirtieth. At 12:25 that afternoon, they flew back to England, leaving Brian Epstein behind to mourn the likely end of their touring days, and landed in London early on the thirty-first.

This short clip of their arrival includes a few words from Paul, who says the American fans still love them, but that the tour was exhausting and his only plan for now is to get some sleep. George, who several hours earlier had declared, “Well, that’s it, I’m no longer a Beatle,” concurs.

RELEASE HISTORY

1996: A slightly abbreviated copy of this interview was released on the CD Rare Photos & Interview CD, Volume 3. The full clip is on the video Beatles 1962 to 1970.

118. Newsreel footage               J

The first location for How I Won the War was West Germany, with filming taking place in the town of Bendes-dorf and at a NATO base in Celle. A Reuters camera crew filmed some of the action this first week, as John, in doughboy outfit and National Health spectacles, lined up as “Private Gripweed” and mingled with real NATO soldiers.

RELEASE HISTORY

This silent footage circulates on video. Some of it was used in ITV’s Reporting ’66: End of Beatlemania program, and in the Beatles 1962 to 1970 collection.

119. Newsreel footage               P, R

With John busy filming on location and George packing for an imminent trip to India, it was left to Paul and Ringo to perform the more mundane task of accepting an award from Melody Maker. The ceremony occurred atop the general post office tower, and was filmed by news cameras. This short clip has Paul accepting the certificate, and holding it up to pose alongside Ringo (who is dressed in a white jacket and polka-dot shirt) for photographers.

RELEASE HISTORY

This silent footage circulates on video among collectors.

120. Studio session               P

Paul and Donovan apparently began their close friendship in the spring of 1966, visiting each other often, both at home and in the studio. Donovan remembers helping compose the “Sky of blue, sea of green” verse to “Yellow Submarine” when Paul dropped by his apartment. And, possibly to return the favor, Paul lent a hand to Donovan’s studio session for his own “Yellow” song, “Mellow Yellow.”

Erroneous reports in the musical press attributed the whispered words of wisdom “Quite rightly” to Paul. His actual contribution was little more than whooping and hollering (and possibly handclapping) in the background during the instrumental verse. Paul is particularly easy to hear at 1:56, shouting, “Hey!” He can also be heard crooning “Yellooooowww …” around 2:16 into the track. From about 3:02 onward, Paul continues to babble through the fadeout.

RELEASE HISTORY

1966: This song was released on a single (Epic 10098) October 24 in the United States, where it reached number 2 on Billboard’s chart. It wasn’t released until February 1967 in the UK (Pye 7N 17267), where it peaked at number 8. It is readily available on CDs such as Troubadour and Donovan’s Greatest Hits.

121. Studio session               P

The Escorts, one of a multitude of lesser-known Liverpool beat groups, had an interesting Beatle connection: Their original drummer, John Foster, was Ringo’s cousin. By late 1966, Foster was gone and the group’s original rhythm guitarist was replaced by Paddy Chambers, who had worked in a group with Klaus Voormann. Perhaps at Klaus’s request, Paul visited one of the Escorts’ final sessions to play tambourine on their Smokey Robinson cover, “From Head to Toe.” As so often happened when a Beatle got involved with another artist, Paul was credited as producer for both sides of the single, and is even rumored to have cowritten the B-side, “Night Time,” with Chambers.

An interesting note: Elvis Costello and the Attractions released excellent covers of both songs in 1982; Costello had selected the songs not from hearing the original single but a later reissue on his own label, Demon. Although he had recently met Paul while working at AIR Studios on the LP Imperial Bedroom (Paul was recording Tug of War), and the duo would later cowrite numerous songs, it’s not clear whether Elvis knew of Paul’s connection with these recordings.

RELEASE HISTORY

1966: This song was released as a single in the UK only (Columbia DB 8061) on November 18. It appears on the 1995 CD From the Blue Angel.

122. Radio interview               J

Toward the end of location shooting in Spain, the entertainment reporter Fred Robbins, who had previously interviewed the Beatles in New York and the Bahamas, visited John on set. Their lengthy conversation is chiefly interesting for capturing John at a crossroads between Moptopia and Pepperland. He exhibits none of the wisecracking of the 1963–64 Lennon and none of the impatience and grouchiness of the 1965–66 Lennon, instead sounding rather subdued, mellow, and hesitant.

The first topic is John’s new hairstyle, which Robbins likens to Bob Dylan’s; John then describes the desert location, standing in for North Africa in the movie, as “a dump … it’s like the moon.” Even though most of the picture has been filmed, John is still at a loss for words when trying to describe his character and the plot. He praises the cast and particularly Richard Lester, saying he would have been too nervous to act in front of an unfamiliar director.

hey talk about George’s recent visit to India, and John claims the sitar is “George’s own scene” and won’t be used on Beatles records with any regularity. Robbins then praises John and Paul’s songwriting, using “Michelle” and “Yesterday” as examples. Although he had little input on either, John describes the writing process behind those two songs.

Looking back on the Jesus furor, John says it seems like a bad dream, and he’s reminded of it only when he reads in the newspaper every so often that “Cardinal so-and-so says it’s OK.” Robbins compares the ordeal to the McCarthy era, and John agrees that it was frightening. John then reveals that Paul has signed up to write a theme for the movie The Family Way. Although he seems to think it will be a Lennon/McCartney project, Paul would have the task pretty much wrapped up by the time John returned to England.

After saying farewell, Robbins evidently continued chatting with John off the record, but then switched his tape back on to record an anecdote from John about exploring Paris nearly unrecognized thanks to his new hairdo. Robbins wonders if they’ve ever purposely traveled in disguise, and John says he’s just heard that Paul was in London recently dressed as an Arab (at the October 15 fancy-dress party for the International Times). Robbins thinks George will be unrecognizable in his new mustache, and John seems to feel the best way to go incognito is to smash your own face in.

RELEASE HISTORY

This interview can be found on the cassette Historic Interviews, Volume 2, sold primarily through the Beatlefest catalog.

123. Composing tape               J

Perhaps no other Beatles song is as well documented from conception to finished recording as John’s “Strawberry Fields Forever.” He began composing the tune in his hotel room in Spain, using a nylon-stringed acoustic guitar and a portable tape recorder to create the basic structure.

These recordings all come from a single cassette taped sometime during the fall of 1966; John begins by playing a short classical-style instrumental (A) in F-sharp to warm up. The song itself is performed in the key of A major at this point, and the first take (B) consists of two run-throughs of what would become the song’s second verse. The working lyric is “There’s no one, nobody in life/I mean it’s either too high or too low/That is you can’t you know tune in, but it’s all right/I mean it’s not too bad”. The second take (C) has the first line changed to “There’s no one on my way there,” and John sings the verse three times, humming through the third time.

By take 3 (D), he has hit upon “No one I think is in my tree,” and plays the verse through twice before introducing the chord changes for the chorus, without lyrics at this point. He finishes by repeating the sole verse again. The fourth attempt (E) is similar, although this time, the chorus has rudimentary words: “Let me take you back/Was it a dream/Nothing is real/Nothing to get mad about.”

The ambience switches to a heavily echoed room (perhaps the lavatory or a corridor) for the final demos (F). After a breakdown apparently caused by a door slamming, John sings the usual verse, following it up with the new line “I always no sometimes think it’s me”—with nothing to follow it, he fills in the rest with a repeat of the “high or low” verse. The title finally shows up in the chorus: “Let me take you down there/Strawberry Fields/Nothing is real/Nothing to get mad about/Strawberry Fields and nothing,” and the song ends with another repeat of the “tree” verse. An apparent seventh take (G) is probably from a much earlier demo session erased by these takes; it’s performed a half step higher and consists of the line “That is you can’t you know tune in, but it’s all right” repeated twice.

RELEASE HISTORY

1994: B-D appeared on the bootleg CD Revolution. These were copied the same year on the LP The Lost Lennon Tapes, Volume 30.

1996: The limited-circulation CD-R Entomology contained a tape of F, supposedly in slightly better quality than subsequent releases.

1997: This entire reel (A-G) was included on the bootleg It’s Not Too Bad.

124. Amateur footage               P

After a drive through France, Paul met up with Mal Evans, intending to visit John on the set of How I Won the War in Almeria. Informed that John had already returned to London, he spent a day or two exploring Spain with Mal.

Both men had Canon 8 mm home movie cameras, and while Paul’s movies (he filmed in France as well) are long gone, Mal’s have surfaced. Most of the Spanish footage consists of countryside and architecture, but there are some glimpses of Paul and Mal strolling through a plaza and chatting with local boys, as well as filling up at a petrol station and visiting a farm.

Once arrangements had been made, they journeyed on to Kenya for a photo safari. Two of Mal’s reels, labeled “African Safari Oct 1966 [sic]” and “Africa Paul,” were sold at auction. Paul and Mal can be seen riding an open-topped Jeep and a safari bus, but most of the footage concentrates on various animals (elephants, rhinos, hippos, giraffes, monkeys, zebra, fish, birds, lions, and a snake).

To travel unrecognized, Paul grew a mustache over the course of this trip. On his flight back to London, Paul would conceive the notion of having the Beatles record a whole album “in disguise.” Once home, he would compose “Love in the Open Air” for The Family Way (he had already written the film’s main theme before leaving for France).

RELEASE HISTORY

This silent color footage was released on the DVD The Complete Mal Evans Silent Films.

125. Composing tape               J

Back home, anticipating the next round of Beatles sessions, John perfected “Strawberry Fields Forever” by recording a number of demos with differing instrumentation and arrangements. A-G (and probably H) are taken from side A of a cassette, the flip side of which consists of recordings made at Kenwood on an unknown date: an a cappella “Danny Boy,” John fooling around on organ, and an improvised ditty titled “Pedro the Fisherman” (see Appendix B for details). The Mellotron overdubs (I) stem from another cassette, which also contains the improvised “Stranger in My Arms” (see Appendix B), a bit of “Hello Dolly,” a conversation with Julian, and an otherwise unknown electric guitar demo titled “Who’s Your Man.”

First (A) we hear the hum of a second tape machine and a playback of previously recorded electric guitar, running through the song’s chords in the key of B. John plays a few live guitar stabs over this, but doesn’t seem to have any clear idea of how to proceed. The next attempt (B) is similar, with his live guitar notes getting more and more wretched as the playback proceeds.

On a different occasion, John recorded a guitar and vocal demo in the key of C—this begins with the “tree” verse and continues with the eventual third verse (sung here as “Sometimes no always think it’s me”), the now-complete chorus, the “tree” verse and chorus again, and the repeated title refrain as a coda. Although we don’t have this demo in basic form, we do have a recording (C-E) of John playing it back on another machine and adding a live second vocal. C and E are false starts of the playback, but D is a complete overdub take.

The third set of recordings begins with several takes of an electric guitar/vocal demo, also in C. Take 1 (F) makes it nearly through a verse before John says, “OK” and shuts off the recorder. Apparently he’s unhappy with his guitar accompaniment, as he then tries out several styles (G), each lasting only a few lines. Take 2 is arpeggiated, but John mutters that “it just sorta goes too quiet.” Takes 3 and 4 are both unsuccessful attempts to play in a strumming style reminiscent of “Yesterday.” (John wonders aloud, “Can I do it?”) The next two takes are finger-picked, but John realizes it “doesn’t work like that.” Changing to a softer guitar tone, John busks his way through take 7, a complete run-through, with the same structure as D.

An eighth take on electric guitar (H) may not come from this tape, but sounds similar: It begins with a count-in and has the same lyrics, although John doesn’t sing during the first half of the third verse, perhaps hoping some words will come to him.

After adding a second vocal track to his composing tape, John played back the result to add Mellotron accompaniment and occasional further vocals. This was captured on a recording (I) that begins with playback of takes 3 and 4; John stops the tape and comments, “That’s fuckin’ near, I must say I don’t think much of that.” Starting the tape again at take 3, John fiddles around on the Mellotron and makes sarcastic comments as all the previous false starts roll by. (“Please. Have a bit of respect, will ya? Shut up, I’ll smash your face in.”) When the complete take 7 approaches, John shouts, “It’s a ready, it’s a be going now!” and plays along on Mellotron, using the “wine glasses” setting for the verses and “pipe organ” chords for the chorus.

One final home tape (J) that may have nothing to do with “Strawberry Fields Forever” is included here because it features John babbling in pseudo-backwards Scottish while playing the “swinging flutes” Mellotron

tape, which ended up on the record of “Strawberry Fields Forever” (at 3:37 and 3:53 on the U.S. stereo mix).

RELEASE HISTORY

1988: Many of these recordings debuted in the radio series The Lost Lennon Tapes, as follows:

Premiere episode: edited version of H (verse 1, verse 2, verse 1 again); bootlegged on the CD Backtrack 3.

Episode 88-08: edited version of G (takes 2, 4, 6, and 7); bootlegged on the LP The Lost Lennon Tapes, Volume 1 and the CDs Backtrack 3 and Not For Sale.

Episode 88-15: longer edit of H (repeating both of the first two verses); bootlegged on the LP The Lost Lennon Tapes Volume 3.

Episode 88-30: J; bootlegged on the LP The Lost Lennon Tapes, Volume 9.

1991: G and an incomplete recording of I were aired on episode 91-27 of The Lost Lennon Tapes. They were included that year on the LP Nothing but Aging and in 1993 on its CD counterpart, Arrive without Aging.

1996: A different edit of G (take 6, John’s comment following take 4, edited take 7) was released on Anthology 2.

1997: All of these demos (A-J), unedited and adjusted to the presumed correct speed, were included on the bootleg CD It’s Not Too Bad.

126. Studio session

Convening for their first studio session in five months, the Beatles tackled “Strawberry Fields Forever,” laying down a single take after much discussion and rehearsal. John had written a new opening verse about how “living is easy with eyes closed,” which bumped the other two verses ahead in the song. Otherwise, the structure was similar to his most recent demos, being performed in the key of C.

The backing consisted of Paul playing Mellotron flutes (on the intro and coda), Ringo on drums, and John and George on electric guitars. John sang his lead vocal on a second track, recorded with the tape running fast to sound slowed-down on replay, and accompanied by George playing some Hawaiian-sounding Mellotron slide guitar. John then double-tracked portions of his vocal (the end of the first chorus and all of the third verse), and on the fourth track, he, Paul, and George added some beautiful wordless harmonies. The result was a simple, succinct, and admirable performance, but not satisfactory; the remakes would begin at their next EMI session.

The raw studio tape (A) circulates in a mix with the rhythm left and the other three tracks centered. A 1983 remix (C) of take 1 has the backing vocals left, second vocal right, and the other two tracks centered. The Anthology mix (D) omits the backing vocals and John’s second vocal entirely.

RELEASE HISTORY

1983: The multimedia presentation The Beatles at Abbey Road included C. This appears from tape source on the CD Abbey Road Video Show.

1986: A very good stereo copy of A surfaced from the raw studio tape on the vinyl bootleg Nothing Is Real. A slight upgrade appeared two years later on the LP Ultra Rare Trax, Volume 5 & 6.

1989: A appeared from tape source on the Condor CD Strawberry Fields Forever and later on the CD Unsurpassed Masters, Volume 3.

1992: B was broadcast in the TV special The Making of Sgt. Pepper, wherein George Martin played back the original session tape, briefly isolating the Mellotron slide guitar/vocal track. This source was copied on the 2001 CD-R Strawberry Lane.

1996: D was released on Anthology 2.

1997: A, speed-adjusted to the (incorrect) key of B major, was bootlegged on the CD It’s Not Too Bad.

127. Studio session