The Beatles 1964 North American Tour

 Part 1 of 2

Featuring photographs & words from "A Hard Day's Night in America"

Gunther & Rayl

*please see note at the end of this post

18 August 1964 - Leaving London Airport en route to America!

Before the Beatles even arrived in Los Angeles, the Hotel Ambassador cancelled their 22-26 August reservations citing that: "After exploring all possible measures that might be taken, it would be impossible to ensure protection for the Beatles, the hotel guests or the teenage Beatle fans."

18 Aug 1964 - In addition to losing a place to stay while in Los Angeles, the Beatles had to find another place to land as Lockheed Airport (shown here camouflaged during WW2) refused clearance 'because officials didn't want teenagers ruining the airport.' They had chartered a jet to fly into this private facility.

18 Aug 1964 - Fans first heard of the Beatles landing via AM Radio. It wasn't long before they descended upon Los Angeles International Airport.

18 Aug 1964 - 4:15pm Pan Am's Boeing 707 aka "The Beatles Clipper" touches down at Los Angeles International Airport.

18 Aug 1964 - An impromptu press conference was set up and behind 13 microphones the Beatles tried to answer questions from 'mostly uncomprehending' newspeople.

Select this text-link to see the Beatles' arrival in Los Angeles and the impromptu press conference that follows.

[Video archived at my account on Dailymotion]

18 Aug 1964 - Their presence in Los Angeles lasted for only a little over one hour. Here they would clear US Customs, then head onto San Francisco where their first show would take place at the Cow Palace, Aug. 19th.

The Beatles San Francisco arrival on 18 August 1964 is met with evangelical opposition.
https://soundcloud.com/johnstoskopf The link is to a sound-bite of one of the 'evangelists'.

18 Aug 1964 - When the Beatles arrived in San Francisco a crowd of 5000 was awaiting them.

18 Aug 1964 - The Beatles are taken into a penned in area to greet the fans at San Francisco International Airport. "More deputies than had manned the recent Republican Convention were on hand, but they were losing ground fast."

18 Aug 1964 - After a 15 hour flight into the USA, including a stop in LA to clear US Customs (and an impromptu meeting with reporters) then onto San Francisco, finally 'settling' into the Hilton, there was yet another 'planned' press conference still before the end of the day.

San Francisco Press Conference [Audio Only]

19 August 1964 - Shortly before 2am, Norman Weiss, John, Ringo & Derek Taylor were able to get out of the San Francisco Hilton to head for a 'secluded bar in Chinatown for a late meal & drinks'. There they met Dale Robertson from "Wells Fargo", an 'enormously successful (US TV) show in England'.




19 Aug 1964 - I understand it was a sheriff's deputy that spotted Shirley Temple and her daughter Lori and escorted them backstage at the Cow Palace (San Francisco) to meet the Beatles. Brian Epstein's rule of not having the Beatles photographed with celebrities was then broken. "I had not asked to go back, because I really didn't think there was a chance for such a thing," remembered Shirley.

19 Aug 1964 - At the Cow Palace, San Francisco.  Paul McCartney recalls: "We'd step on them (jellybeans) and they'd stick to our guitar leads and our shoes. The kids must've thought I was trying out new dance steps, but I was always just trying to get them unstuck!"   *Photo by Curt Gunther

19 Aug 1964 - At the Cow Palace, San Francisco. The place had been filled to capacity with 17,130 tickets sold.

19 Aug 1964 - At the Cow Palace, San Francisco. The Beatles' show grossed $91,670 beating (by $40,000) the previous record held by Chubby Checker in January 1962.

19 Aug 1964 - At the Cow Palace, San Francisco. The show was momentarily stopped twice (because of the jellybeans that were being thrown at the stage) when an announcer ran onstage pleading, "You're hurting the Beatles!"

19 Aug 1964 - At the Cow Palace, San Francisco. A dozen or so kids required attention at first-aid stations set up inside the Palace. One boy dislocated his shoulder. Other patients suffered bruises or hyperventilation.

The Beatles - Cow Palace, San Francisco

For whatever reason, I noticed this video is now unavailable, at least in the United States anyway. I tried uploading a copy to my Dailymotion account and that's not working so I've uploaded it to this link where you can download a copy if you wish to see it:

San Francisco Cow Palace, 19 August 1964

19 Aug 1964 - It was decided, after the Cow Palace performance, to fly into Las Vegas that evening and not wait until morning. Given they were going to do two shows the next day made sense to do this. They were flying an American Flyers Electra II for the first time and while inspecting the interior, George noticed a rope ladder, which wasn't very lengthy and asked what it was for. "In case of emergency," was the reply to which he expressed, "I guess this means we'll be flying comfortably at ten feet then?"

20 August 1964 - Arrival in Las Vegas 1:45 AM

20 Aug 1964 - Arrival in Las Vegas. Even with a lot of secrecy surrounding their destination, fans still found out about it.

20 Aug 1964 - Ticket for the 2nd show.

20 Aug 1964 - The Sahara in Las Vegas welcomes the Beatles.

20 Aug 1964 - The Beatles in Las Vegas.

20 Aug 1964 - After brunch, being that it would be impossible for the Beatles to visit the slot machines in the lobby, a couple of them were brought up to their suite.

20 Aug 1964 - They didn't win anything...

20 Aug 1964 - Liberace (who was opening at the Riviera) met the Beatles backstage after the matinee performance. Although this was breaking the rules again, Derek Taylor decided, "If I could slip it to the boys and they accepted, fine. We wouldn't keep them out. And Liberace was really very, very nice. He came up and simply said, 'I want to meet these young artists who are doing such amazing things.'"  *Photo by Curt Gunther

Pat Boone temporarily gave up believing he could make hit records because, in his opinion, there wasn't any way any other artist that could break through the #1 barrier the Beatles held. The Beatles were selling all the records these days, he thought.  He did get involved selling Beatles lithographs. Meeting Paul backstage to show some of his merchandise, it was noticed that any images of cigarettes were removed leaving the Beatles' hands 'hanging idly in the air.' Pat Boone explained that the artist, Leo Janssen, anticipated he wouldn't want to sell merchandise with anybody shown smoking. Paul replied, "Well, Pat, you know if we smoke, we smoke."

20 Aug 1964 - One of the Vegas Shows, Convention Hall.

Paul & Ringo, George with Larry Kane - 20 Aug 1964 [Audio Only]

20 Aug 1964 - One of the Vegas Shows, Convention Hall.

20 Aug 1964 - There was a bomb threat made during the Beatles' second show in Vegas, the first of numerous threats during the coming weeks. Police searched and turned up nothing.

20 Aug 1964 - Another threat came later in the form of the fan. At first it was seemingly innocent. "VIPs, record executives and girls who'd managed to break through the barricades or finagle an invitation packed the Beatles' private hotel room." On this night, the guests weren't leaving. John became interested in his guitar, working on a new song while 'a mingling of guests, including a couple of young girls, hung around.'  [Note:  I can not verify the exact time or place of this photo, but I admit to leaving it in here as it fits the narrative.]

21 August 1964 - Derek Taylor (right) and Neil Aspinall, 'unable to rid the room of guests, finally gave up and left to go downstairs to gamble & find some breakfast. When they arrived back in the room they found two girls sleeping, fully clothed, on one of the still-made beds. John, still working on his song, was on the other bed. Soon a sergeant from the Las Vegas Police Department was pounding on the door demanding entrance, storming in and escorting the girls out. They were found to be underage. For John, the whole incident was a shrug, but it wouldn't be the last he heard of it.'     [Note:  I can not verify the exact time or place of this photo, but I admit to leaving it in here as it fits the narrative.]

Derek Taylor (shown in front of George's leg, maybe?)

Derek Taylor is also interviewed in a recording from this date.

21 August 1964 - The Beatles' limousine approaches Edgewater Inn in Seattle after their flight in from Las Vegas.

21 Aug 1964 - Beatles press conference in Seattle.

Beatles Seattle Press Conference - 20 Aug 1964 [Audio Only]

21 Aug 1964 - Candid photo taken by the family that owns the Edgewater Inn, Seattle, WA

21 Aug 1964 - Fans outside Edgewater Inn.  With all of the security, including the Coast Guard and Marine patrols guarding the bay, fans managed to get into the Inn.  "Early in the morning, four young stowaways were discovered in a restroom at the Edgewater....  ....after checking every room, three girls turned up under a bed in one room and two more under a bed in another room."

21 Aug 1964 - Beatles 'fishing' out of their suite at the Edgewater Inn.

A more recent photo of the Edgewater Inn where the Beatles stayed in Seattle.

21 Aug 1964 - Las Vegas Sun, the following day of the Beatles' visit.

21 Aug 1964 - Fans outside the Seattle Center Coliseum.

21 Aug 1964 - Candid photos taken by the family that owns the Edgewater Inn, Seattle, WA

21 Aug 1964 - Another photo apparently from inside the Edgewater Inn, Seattle, WA

21 Aug 1964 - Inside the Seattle Center Coliseum

22 August 1964 - George slept in this morning, Paul & Ringo watched TV and John discussed his book "In His Own Write" with a reporter.  (Edgewater Inn Beatles Suite shown as it appears today.)

22 Aug 1964 - By noon the Beatles had left their hotel and headed back to the Seattle-Tacoma Airport, bound for Vancouver, Canada.  They were, however, denied entry, and had to return to Seattle to sort out US Customs arrangements, then bound once more for Vancouver by around 4:50pm.

22 Aug 1964 - The concert was "an orgy for teenagers" and "unbelievable and frightening.  The hysteria and loss of control go far beyond the impact of the music.  This is not simply a release...but a very destructive process...defying in emotional ecstasy the restraints which authorities try to place on them." Dr. Bernard Saibel, supervisor, Washington State Division of Community Services.

22 Aug 1964 - Arriving in Vancouver, Canada around 6pm.  Being so close to showtime, they passed on visiting the Hotel Georgia and headed for the stadium arriving around 7pm.

22 Aug 1964 - Vancouver.  At the Hotel Georgia, which ultimately never saw the Beatles' arrival, one "unfortunate soul, dressed in a dark shirt and wearing shades and a dark golf cap was driven past the hotel, sitting in the back seat of a red car.  Someone shouted: "There's Ringo!" and the crowd numbering around 3,000 mobbed the car.  'The car seems to have been squashed to the ground under the sheer weight of the youngsters,' said Police Inspector F. C. Bud Errington."

22 Aug 1964 - Vancouver

22 Aug 1964 - I'm not certain where they found the time for a press conference, but there was one and it was preserved on tape.

The Beatles Vancouver Press Conference - 22 Aug 1964

22 Aug 1964 - Vancouver.  

22 Aug 1964 - Vancouver.  Seconds after the Beatles began playing, the west gate buckled under the strain of the bodies.

22 Aug 1964 - Vancouver.  Moments later fans stormed the south gate, the one closest to the stage and several more made it inside.

22 Aug 1964 - Vancouver.  After the concert, with the police escort in full swing, "a young boy threw his bicycle in front of the lead excort motorcycle.  All managed to swerve around it." 

22 Aug 1964 - Vancouver.

The Beatles Vancouver Concert - 22 Aug 1964

As written on my Facebook page:  This is actually pretty cool if you are a Beatle freak and have a little patience. The first part is the concert from Vancouver, 22 Aug 1964, as it was apparently broadcast on local radio. The second part is commentary by radio personalities that were there during the show. It think I recall this bootleg, but I was never that much into hearing absolutely every single lousy recording made of them live but I'm giving it a pass today for a 50 year anniversary remembrance.

23 August 1964 - With the Beatles arriving at their rented Bel Air mansion in Los Angeles before dawn, it was John & Derek (Taylor, on the left) who'd made a pact that the first swimming pool they saw in LA they'd jump into, and they did.  

23 Aug 1964 - That afternoon, John Lennon, Derek Taylor & Neil Aspinall were approached by Brian Epstein, Nat Weiss and their attorney, Walter Hofer, about that 'incident' with the underage girls in Las Vegas.  The mother of one of the girls was threatening to sue for 'exposing minors to ridicule.' 

23 Aug 1964 - Derek Taylor (left) "It was a fright.  The mother was most certainly in the hotel, down at the tables, and knew where the girls were.  Suddenly John and Neil and I were accused of exposing these girls to ridicule.  I didn't know then and I don't know now what it means, but it looked bloody awful for us."

23 Aug 1964 - "We've got to give these women $10,000 to get them off our backs," recalled Neil Aspinall.  "It was right over my head.  And John was going, 'For what?' He was one of those guys who felt strongly that if he hadn't done anything wrong, then why should he give into blackmail threats?  And nobody had done anything wrong."   The Beatles, John Lennon in particular, had been set up.  Payoff was made, but scandal was averted.

23 Aug 1964 - A press conference was held at the Cinnamon Cinder, a teenage nightclub owned in part by Bob Eubanks, who was largely responsible for getting the Beatles to perform at the Hollywood Bowl.

23 Aug 1964 - Bob Eubanks at the Cinnamon Cinder.  A Beatles press conference was held there.  "What do you think about the recent comments made by a Seattle psychiatrist, saying the Beatles are a menace?"  "Psychiatrists are a menace, too,"  responded George drily.

I don't have anything recorded from this press conference, but I do have some backstage interviews with Larry Kane and John and Ringo here.

23 Aug 1964 - The Beatles leaving the Cinnamon Cinder.

23 Aug 1964 - At the Hollywood Bowl.

You can listen to the concert at the Hollywood Bowl in Stereo by selecting this link.  (This is the complete original recording of the concert.)  Files are in the .wav format.

 

24 August 1964 - The big event of the day for Brian Epstein was meeting Col Tom Parker at the Polo Lounge in Los Angeles.

24 Aug 1964 - The thrill of the day for the Beatles was spending time with Burt Lancaster.  Paul, Ringo, George, Neil Aspinall, Mal Evans, Derek Taylor & Roy Gerber went to have dinner and a movie with him.  John, who was deep in writing a song stayed behind.  Ringo said he was the nicest person they met in Hollywood, and was given an old sharpshooter by Burt, "which had long since stopped functioning."   The film they saw was "A Shot in the Dark" with Alan Arkin.  "They were more thrilled with the Lancaster invitation than anything else..." said Gerber.  "He wasn't in every way the Burt Lancaster we thought he would be, but he was a full Burt  Lancaster impersonator and that was rewarding, because he was a nice man and very easy to talk to," recalls Derek. 

24 Aug 1964 - The Livingston Garden Party to benefit the Hemophilia Foundation.  The police were in a panic, setting up barriers, roping off the house and bringing out a riot squad that hid in the garage for the duration of the day.  When the neighbors were told the area would be closed to traffic one of them, in an outrage, called Mrs. Olson threatening to shoot anybody who crawled through his bushes or touched his property.  "A shaken Mrs. Olson relayed the threat to the police." 

24 Aug 1964 - This was a charity garden party to benefit the Hemophilia Foundation and it was sponsored by Alan Livingston (President of Capitol Records) and his wife, Nancy Olson.  Any adult invited was required to bring a child.  An estimated 500 people attended, including Edward G. Robinson and his granddaughter, Mrs. Ray Walston & daughter, Lloyd Bridges with children Jeff & Cindy, Princess Jasmin Khan, Eva Marie Saint with children, Barbara Rush and son, Donald O' Connor and children, Mrs. Dean Martin and children, Gary Lewis, Jack Palance and daughter & Hedda Hopper.   *Photo by Curt Gunther

The Beatles in Los Angeles Part 1 of 2

The Beatles in Los Angeles Part 2 of 2

24 Aug 1964 - Back at was now known as "Beatle Manor" the fans were doing their best to get close to the lads.  These last two days the Beatles spent in LA were the worst for the police.  Two girls were hauled off a laundry truck as it rolled into the gates, others were pulled out of trees and bushes.  Some 50 juveniles were taken into police custody for trespassing and damaging private property, later assessed at $5,000.

25 August 1964 - More photos from the Beatles stay at their Bel Air Mansion in Los Angeles.

25 Aug 1964 - John & Neil managed to get out early and do some shopping.  When they returned they were just in time to meet with the others and Col Tom Parker.  "He came laden with gifts of covered wagon lamps, toy guns, belts and holsters for the Beatles, Neil, Derek & Mal.  The Western-syle belts, which had their names engraved on the back, carried, the inscriptions 'From Elvis and the Colonel' burned into the inside and were from Nudie's of North Hollywood, the Western outfitter who made the gold lame jumpsuit Elvis wore."  The Colonel was very entertaining and unfortunately because of conflicting schedules they couldn't meet Elvis this time. 

25 Aug 1964 - Jayne Mansfield & the Beatles:   "She harangued me and hassled me and very badly wanted to meet them, at her place, then our place, at any place," recalls Derek Taylor. She finally agreed to come over to the house alone.

25 Aug 1964 - The Beatles had been invited to the show at Whisky-a'-Go-Go.  "Johnny Rivers was playing.  A then-friend of mine was doing press for (the place) and he kept saying it would be kept secret," recalls Roy Gerber.  "No one will be there but us and a few friends," promised Jayne Mansfield, adding that the club's management had already agreed to provide security.  The Beatles wanted to go and take the chance, so Gerber rented a white Cadillac convertible, called the place and made sure they could pull directly into the back parking lot and enter through the backstage door.  The club's press agent phoned two radio stations and the word was out.

25 Aug 1964 - [Photo:  Inside the Whisky-a'-Go-Go] - John, Ringo, George, Jayne Mansfield, Derek, Neil, Mal, Bess Coleman, Bob Bonis, and Roy Gerber piled into a 3-car caravan and pulled up to the place at 10:45pm.  (Paul stayed behind at 'Beatle Manor'.)  John, Ringo & George had to hide under blankets in the Cadillac until someone finally came to the backstage door to let them in.  The club had not been secured and chaos set in.

25 Aug 1964 - When a photographer came over, George asked him not to take pictures but he began snapping anyway and then left.  He returned several minutes later and began shooting again, despite George's repeated requests to stop.  Infuriated, George hurled a drink at him, which sloshed onto actress Mamie Van Doren, who was maneuvering over to the table, and things started to get wild.

25 Aug 1964 - "I always saw the Beatles in certain circumstances as a bit like Tom Thumb, who in Victorian times was wheeled around like a freak, a cute freak, but a freak nonetheless," recalls Derek Taylor.  "And in certain circumstances, the Beatles were seen as novelties or freaks, like a panda with five legs--'how very interesting.'" 

25 Aug 1964 - The crowd shouted (at the photographer) "Get lost!" He did, and so did John, George, Ringo and the rest of the entourage.  "It had been their one attempt to live normally for a couple of hours and even that couldn't happen," recalls Bess Coleman.  "It was a flop," says Derek Taylor.  A photograph of George throwing the drink was run on the front page of the Los Angeles Herald-Examiner the following day, much to the chagrin of Brian Epstein.  "Not only did we have a bad time, but we'd broken the rules--we'd gone out of the house, got into difficulties and a bad photograph appeared and it was a mess," says Derek.  "It was nobody's fault, except our own inexperience in taking the guarantee of someone else that everything would be all right.  We should have known better." 

More talks with John & Ringo and Larry Kane.

26 August 1964 - As the Beatles boarded their flight out of Los Angeles bound for Denver, Colorado, station KRLA's Dave Hull & Jim Steck, on hand to record the farewell, turned to each other and suddenly realized this was their chance to 'get on that plane.'  They walked up the plane's ramp and followed the stewardess' directions, the press forward, the crew aft.  Passing Neil & Mal, who were thinking nothing of their presence, they picked up the tour much like a political campaign. 

Recordings made of The Beatles while on board this flight were later released on VJ Records', "Hear The Beatles Tell All" which you can obtain from this link.  Files are in the .mp3 format.

[Video archived at my account on Mediafire]

26 Aug 1964 - about 1,000 fans were encamped around the amphitheater, lounging on blankets, listening to transistor radios, reading Beatle magazines.  (Amazingly, I can't find any photos of the Beatles at Red Rocks, but can not resist showing the beauty of this venue as it looks today.)

26 Aug 1964 - 250 Denver policemen, recruits, and auxiliary policemen, as well as Jeep patrolmen assigned concert detail, were briefed and rehearsed in how to handle Beatlemania.  *Photo by Curt Gunther

26 Aug 1964 - The Beatles arrive in Denver at 1:35pm, Stapleton Field.   As they climbed in, a cameraman (who said he was) from a Hollywood-based newsreel supplier jumped into the front seat of the Beatles' limo and began filming.  Bob Bonis asked him to get out.  Unauthorized filming was unwanted and all were convinced the real point of the footage was to develop a commercial film.  Bonis grabbed the cameraman pulling harder than intended and he and his camera went sprawling onto the tarmac with the local crew recording the entire incident.

26 Aug 1964 - As they headed out into traffic, frantic teenagers followed in their wake and cars jammed up in every direction.

26 Aug 1964 - Throughout the area, cries of alarm were heard and police were momentarily helpless in unsnarling the traffic jams.  *Photo by Curt Gunther

26 Aug 1964 - Imagine pulling up along side a car to find the Beatles staring back at you!  (Denver, CO)  *Photo by Curt Gunther

26 Aug 1964 - Nearly 5,000 people milled around outside the Brown Palace Hotel.  The Beatles' limousines pulled up to a service entrance where only about two dozen lucky fans stood, caught off guard, as the boys were hustled inside.

26 Aug 1964 - As the elevator doors were closing, Bob Talkin, from the Rocky Mountain News, slipped inside. Ringo asked the operator to let them off on the 7th floor and they'd walk to their suites on the 8th floor.  "We don't want any photographers around," he explained.  The elevator, packed with some 20 people, got stuck between the 6th & 7 floors.  A hotel engineer managed to release it after only a few minutes and the boys jumped off. 

26 Aug 1964 - Six teenage girls and one policeman, who had been bitten on the wrist, were taken to the Denver General Hospital for treatment. Among the afternoon's casualties:  fractured ribs, abdominal injuries, hysteria and a fractured right foot that had been rolled over by a car.

26 Aug 1964 - At 9:30pm the Beatles took the stage at Red Rocks, but the altitude proved troublesome.  Halfway through the first song, the Beatles were out of breath and throughout the performance they would have to take frequent hits from canisters of oxygen. 

26 Aug 1964 - As the Beatles' performance came to an end, sheriff's deputies, patrolmen and the Jeep Patrol rushed to the front of the stage to form a human wall of protection.  Remarkably, and only by the grace of God, the wall held.

26 Aug 1964 - Despite all the police preparation at Red Rocks, some fans managed to sneak in and climb up on the huge boulder behind the stage, while others crawled up the sheer cliffs that frame the stage on the side.  (Amazingly, I can't find any photos of the Beatles at Red Rocks, so this alternate more recent photo was used.)

The Beatles at Red Rocks Amphitheatre - Denver

The Denver Press Conference.

John Lennon talks with Larry Kane - ca. 25-27 Aug 1964 [Audio Only]

27 August 1964 - The Beatles touch down in Cincinnati after 5pm.  (Photos by Walt Burton)

27 Aug 1964 - The Beatles are taken straight to the Cincinnati Gardens where they would be playing that evening.

27 Aug 1964 - 6pm:  The Beatles were ushered to a locker room underneath the seats at the Cincinnati Gardens.

27 Aug 1964 - Cincinnati Gardens.  The Beatles talk to the Elvis for the first time by telephone.  Elvis told Paul about his new bass guitar and complained about the blisters it was causing.  (Photos by Walt Burton)

27 Aug 1964 - Press conferences were now becoming a vital part of the tour garnering kudos as entertaining shows on their own making them almost mandatory.

More from this day in Cincinnati (27 Aug 1964) can be found at this link.

[Video archived at my account on Dailymotion]

From the Cincinnati Museum Center

27 Aug 1964 - Before the show.  (Photos by Walt Burton)

27 Aug 1964 - The Beatles at the Cincinnati Gardens!  (Photos by Walt Burton)

28 August 1964 - The Beatles arrived in New York City just before 3am to an estimated 3,000 fans at Kennedy International Airport.   Staying at the Delmonico Hotel, they managed to break through fans that were blocking the entrance.  In the melee, Ringo's St. Christopher's medal had been ripped off his neck.

28 Aug 1964 - Radio personnel from all of New York's pop stations infiltrated the hotel and the Beatles' floor.  Within seconds WABCs 'Cousin Brucie' was on the air, live and ad-libbing a tear-jerking appeal to the 'little villain in the night' who grabbed Ringo's medal.  "It means more to me than almost anything," said Ringo. "A present from my auntie.  I haven't had it off me neck since I was 21. It's sort of a keepsake, just a gold St. Christopher's medal. If you just bring it back, I'll give you..." Everyone held their breath!  What would Ringo promise?  Cousin Brucie took command of the microphone. "What greater reward could there be than a kiss of forgiveness?"  Anyone having the medal or knowing its whereabouts was directed to come to the WABC Studios.  *Photo by Curt Gunther

28 Aug 1964 - Meanwhile back in Cincinnati, Juvenile Court Judge Schwartz issues a warning:  The Beatles are a threat to our children!

28 Aug 1964 - The news spread and WABC's phones began to ring.  More than one hundred calls came in, all from girls claiming to have the medallion; but before long one 16 year old Angie McGowan arrived with the real gold St. Christopher's medal in hand.  Angie, along with 3 girlfriends, appeared before the WABC microphones saying she accidentally pulled the medal from Ringo's neck when she tried to kiss him. 

This particular link concerns Ringo getting his medallion back.

[Video archived at my account on Dailymotion]

28 Aug 1964 - The now obligatory press conference, this time at the Delmonico Hotel's Crystal Ballroom.

You can download a copy of their press conference via the link below:

28 Aug 1964 - The press conference at the Delmonico Hotel

28 Aug 1964 - I am not certain but I think this is outside the Delmonico Hotel in New York, where the Beatles were staying.

28 Aug 1964 - There was a lot of concern about getting the Beatles from Manhattan to where they were playing in Queens, Forest Hills Tennis Stadium.  The fear was they could possibly get stuck in the Midtown Tunnel, a thought which was absolutely horrifying to everybody.  "We would have been trapped -- sitting ducks," said Nat Weiss.   Although the stadium officials objected, the NYPD was behind the idea of using a helicopter. *Photo by Curt Gunther 

28 Aug 1964 - At 7:30pm the Beatles and entourage left for the Wall Street helicopter pad headed for Forest Hills Tennis Stadium.   Everyone aboard marveled at this new perspective of Manhattan.  *Photo by Curt Gunther

28 Aug 1964 - Aid Bob Bonis arrived at the stadium early and found that promoter Sid Bernstein had set up only an empty tent 'backstage' that was to be the Beatles dressing room.  No furniture, nothing.  Bob, pointing to the tennis club explained this will never do, telling Sid, "We're supposed to be in there!"  Bernstein replied, "They're afraid the Beatles will wreck the place.  It's too late now, they're already on the helicopter."  "No, it's not too late," said Bonis, pulling out his walkie-talkie adding, "I'll call them right now and tell them to go the hell back where they came from unless you get them proper dressing rooms."  Bernstein, alarmed, took off.  Dressing rooms - inside the tennis club - were waiting when the Beatles' helicopter arrived at 8pm.  *Photo by Curt Gunther

28 Aug 1964 - "The helicopter was so noisy on the inside," recalls Nat Weiss (shown here in-between John & Paul).  "The engines were really loud, and the sound of the propellor, but when we got down to about 500 feet the screaming of the crowd overpowered the noise of the helicopter.  Everybody must've had a flash camera, and as we're coming down, all the flashes are going off, the screaming, it was like gods or a UFO was descending.  It was very surrealistic and other-worldly; and very touching."  *Photo by Curt Gunther

Forest Hills Tennis Stadium (where the Beatles played in 1964) as it was in 1929.

Another (modern) photo of Forest Hills Tennis Stadium where the Beatles played in 1964.

28 Aug 1964 - An estimated 17,000 filled the tennis stadium to capacity and then some.  Nobody, however, told the helicopter pilot to wait.  When Nat Weiss realized there was no way out he headed for the phones demanding the helicopter return before they went onstage, delaying the show until 9:50 when New York finally got the Beatles.  *Photo by Curt Gunther 

28 Aug 1964 - Backstage, in the tennis club, Benny Goodman and his two college-age daughters were brought in to meet the Beatles.  Unfortunately it was a set-up, meaning the King of Swing would get his own concert sponsored by and promoted by the radio station that had hired him in exchange for his coverage of the Beatles concert.  This annoyed Brian Epstein and conversations between Benny and the Beatles did not spark.  Only Derek Taylor had a real sense of appreciation for his music and was irritated it did not go better. 

28 Aug 1964 - Before the Beatles went on, opening act, the Righteous Brothers were struggling to get through their set finally giving up as the helicopter landed.  For Medley and Bobby Hatfield it was now becoming unbearable.  Said Medley, "The tour wasn't great money for us, $750 a week compared to the $500 a night we were getting home in L.A., and it certainly wasn't doing anything for our careers.  Nobody wanted to see us, we were just in the way. We weren't mad at anybody, certainly not the Beatles, but it just wasn't livable for us.  The jellybeans, the screaming; everything that had happened when we played with them at the Washington, D.C., Coliseum in February was still going on, even though everybody really thought that it was just a one-shot thing.  Nobody expected it to go on and on and on."  When they asked to be released from their contract, Brian Epstein was very kind about it saying he didn't blame them.  They agreed to stay on until a replacement act was found. 

28 Aug 1964 - At Forest Hills Tennis Stadium, NYC.  A young girl in a blue dress streaked down the aisle, scaled a 15 foot wire fence making it up to 6 feet away from the Beatles when two guards grabbed her by her heels and pulled her down, knocking production man Harry Hennessey right off the stage in the process. 

28 Aug 1964 - Brian Epstein & Derek Taylor watched from the wings taking in the moment.  "It was extraordinary," remembers Geroffrey Ellis, Brian's friend from Liverpool who was then living in New York. "It really was like gods appeared from the sky and at the end of the performance, they went up again and disappeared.  It was very strange, and the effect lingered." 

28 Aug 1964 - Back at the Delmonico Hotel, bypassing the hospitality suite and heading directly to the Beatles' private suite came Bob Dylan.  When Brian Epstein asked the American guest(s) what they wanted to drink, Dylan responded, "Cheap wine."  The only wines in the room were French, and expensive, so Mal Evans was sent in search of a suitable vintage.  In the meantime, pills were offered.  Unfortunately, for the most part, pills (uppers and downers) were simply a part of rock 'n' roll's survival kit and John had brought an ample supply of chemical wonders along for the tour.  Drinamyls and Preludins were among them and nobody outside the innermost circle knew anything about the pills.  Around other musicians, however, it was generally considered sociable to share.  "How about something a little more organic?" Bob Dylan suggested.

28 Aug 1964 - Marijuana was a somewhat scary proposition for the Beatles.  Neil Aspinall admitted the Beatles had tried it before in Hamburg but it was "just the sticks," as he assessed later, not the high-grade quality of grass available in America, far more potent than that which was found in Europe.  Doors were locked, most of the lights turned off, candles and incense lit.  Towels were stuffed along the bottom of the doorways, the shades pulled down, and the drapes drawn.  Bob sat and rolled thin little cigarettes passing one to John who passed it on to Ringo, "my official taster," he said.  Ringo smoked the whole thing.  "What's it like?" John inquired, peering into Ringo's eyes and face for an answer since nothing was audibly forthcoming.  Suddenly, Ringo burst out laughing.  Meanwhile, Derek called the suite.  He was up to his eyeballs with guests wanting to meet the Beatles.  A voice answered and he knew it was with a Liverpool accent but he couldn't understand a word.  Heading to the private rooms he found everyone "looking very happy." Brian, flower in hand, welcomed him.  Paul bear-hugging Derek announced he'd been up there, pointing to the ceiling. "Get it down," Paul instructed Mal, convinced that words of brilliance were flowing from their mouths.  They were "legless from laughing," as George put it.  Derek declined any of the pot saying "I'll stick to drink." Somewhat alarmed by what he beheld he felt it his duty to stay normal, "whatever that meant."  Nobody was going to have an audience with the Fab Four tonight, and nothing would ever be quite the same again.  (About this photo:  I do not know of its origin, and it looks 'doctored' to me, however, I'm leaving it here as it seems to fit the narrative.)

The 'age of the pill' was coming to a close....

From now on nothing would ever be quite the same again.

Larry Kane with Paul & John.  

Paul & George, Brian Epstein talk with Larry Kane in NYC ca. 28 Aug 1964

August 28, 1964 edition.

29 August 1964 - "Is it a riot?" a tourist questioned.  "No," sighed the tired officer.  "Just the Beatles."  The Delmonico was still under siege.

Another photo of the Forest Hills Tennis Stadium taken during the day.

29 Aug 1964 - Forest Hill Tennis Stadium was packed to over-flowing again tonight as the helicopter arrived.  (I'm not positive this photo was taken on this day, but it's a typical back-stage-plus-security scene.)

29 Aug 1964 - Screaming, crying girls and boys tried to storm through 150 policemen, 100 security guards, and barricades.  About 50 youngsters made it through but were carried away, screaming.

29 Aug 1964 - One girl made it up to the stage, ran to George and grabbed him in a hug, hanging onto his neck as he struggled to keep up with the song.

 29 Aug 1964 - George kept hitting the wrong notes.  She fainted and was carried off.

29 Aug 1964 - "That was foony," John said later, laughing.  As the Beatles went through their set, 50 girls who had passed out from hysteria or heat were carried, like wounded victims, from the field and delivered to the first-aid station set up in a tent. 

29 Aug 1964 - The NYPD called members of the elite Tactical Police Force to strengthen the stage guard.  One young man got one foot on stage before being pulled off but taking several footlights out in the process.  Someone hurled a tomato hitting Paul on the arm.

29 Aug 1964 - Bolting for the helicopter, a crowd of 50 girls running after in hot pursuit, the Beatles won the race, ducking into the machine that would deposit them in Atlantic City for the next day's concert.  

30 August 1964 - The Beatles arrive in Atlantic City around midnight and check into the Lafayette Motor Inn, a boardwalk motel.  For the first time in the tour they were able to walk into the front doors and the entire cast and crew had all of the top floor reserved for them allowing them to wander up and down the halls with ease.   Awaking mid-afternoon, their hideaway had been discovered and so they spent the afternoon reading and watching one of the few color TVs they'd seen in American hotels.  They headed out to the Atlantic City Convention Hall (shown here) around 7:30pm.

30 Aug 1964 - Inside the Atlantic City Convention Hall.  The Beatles would perform there just 3 nights after Lyndon Johnson had accepted the Democratic presidential nomination.  Medley, of the Righteous Brothers, remembers:  "I don't know how they got in.  Ringo almost bought it in the crush of the crowd.  I saw one kid's leg get crushed between two of the limos and it was scary.  There was nothing funny or cute about it." 

30 Aug 1964 - I couldn't find very much at all from this time period, except these few snapshots of the Beatles inside Atlantic City Convention Hall.  

This photo of the fans is in better condition. 

Ringo, John & Paul talk to Larry Kane ca. 29 Aug 1964 

30 Aug 1964 - Somewhere in their schedule the Beatles managed a press conference while in Atlantic City. 

31 August 1964 - Today was a day off for the Beatles in Atlantic City.  Local merchants brought items to them for their consideration, they watched television, read, and played Monopoly.  Ringo later started a very long poker game.  Then, very late, the Beatles (according to Bob Bonis) "put on an impromptu show of old-time vaudeville bits in their suite.  They did comic impersonations, musical numbers & parody tunes.  It was the Beatles as Palladium, old show biz acts, and they were great!"

1 September 1964 - The Beatles remain in 'isolation' for the 2nd day since their concert in Atlantic City at the Lafayette Motor Inn.  (Snapshot from 30 Aug.)

1 Sept 1964 - The day was devoted to more sleeping in late, more Monopoly, Scrabble, poker & blackjack, listening to the radio, watching television.  (Snapshot from 30 Aug.)

1 Sept 1964 - The top floor of the Lafayette was used to screen some of the current movies of the day.  The promotor of the concert, George Hamid arranged for it as he owned several movies theaters.  His projectionist had no idea who the films were for, so along with other of the season's box office hits, he included "A Hard Day's Night".  The films were shown from Midnight to 4am.  (Snapshot from 30 Aug.)

Another nice photo of George playing Monopoly with Jackie DeShannon at the Lafayette Motor Inn in Atlantic City, NJ.  *Photo by Curt Gunther 

Neil Aspinall, Derek Taylor & George Harrison talk with Larry Kane ca. 31 Aug 1964

2 September 1964 - The Beatles got out of Atlantic City via the Lafayette Motel kitchen backdoor in a closed seafood delivery truck and then to a rendezvous point 6 miles west of the city, onto two chartered buses to Philadelphia arriving about 4pm.  By 6pm they were holding a press conference.

2 Sep 1964 - Beatles press conference in Philadelphia.  In the last week the City of Brotherly Love had been suffering from an upheaval over the civil-rights issues America was not addressing soon enough.  For the Beatles, Philadelphia was the home of Frankie Avalon, Fabian & American Bandstand.  (Also, this day Brian Epstein and the Beatles received an unbelievable offer from Charles O. Finley for $150,000 to play in Kansas City on one of their days off.  The money was a needed boost to help pay for an expensive tour so far and the Beatles went along with the idea.)

2 Sep 1964 - Beatles Press Conference in Philadelphia.   When they played that evening, Clarence "Frogman" Henry came on board to replace the Righteous Brothers.   Henry joined the Bill Black Combo, the Exciters & Jackie DeShannon as opening acts.  

John & Ringo talk with Larry Kane, 2 Sept 1964

2 Sept 1964 - Once more, I can not find very much on the Beatles on this day, 50 years ago in Philadelphia, but the concert itself was broadcast live on the local radio station and available today on YouTube.

Beatles Philadelphia Concert - 2 Sept. 1964

3 September 1964 - The Beatles arriving at the Indianapolis Weir Cook Airport just before 1am from Philadelphia.

3 Sept 1964 - After checking into the Speedway Motel, the Beatles found it impossible to sleep.  John wound up having a conversation with the news director at Cleveland's KYW radio, Art Schreiber, who reports that John was interested in President Kennedy and could not understand how he could be murdered.  John was also appalled at how Americans treated other African Americans and why the police could be 'so heavy-handed at the concerts' to Beatles fans.  Larry Kane would later mention John's aversion to America being involved with Vietnam. 

3 Sept 1964 - Later in the day the Beatles were escorted to the Indiana 500 racetrack and shown this model of it inside the racetrack office. 

3 Sept 1964 - Then it was time for a little golf for the Beatles, although I suppose it really wasn't "their game".

*Photos by Curt Gunther

3 Sept 1964 - The Beatles were to take part in the Indiana State Fair by playing two shows that day, one inside the coliseum and the second one at the grandstand area.

3 Sept 1964 - I think all of the photos I found were from the one show at the coliseum.

3 Sep 1964 - I'm not 100% positive this is taken from the Beatles' show but it is inside the Indiana State Fair Coliseum.

3 Sep 1964 - Great shot of the Beatles' first show at the Indiana State Fair Coliseum which began around 5pm.   About 12,500 fans attended.

*Photos by Curt Gunther

3 Sept 1964 - Before the press conference began the Beatles were introduced to Miss Indiana State Fair. 

3 Sept 1964 - Then came the Indiana State Fair Press Conference. 

Note:  This an 'Audio Only' video and is just 5 mins. long

You can hear some of that Indiana State Fair Press Conference by selecting this link. 

Paul talks with Larry Kane ca. 4 Sept 1964

3 Sept 1964 - The second show that day at the Indiana State Fair Grandstand went on without incident.   *Photo by Curt Gunther

3 Sept 1964 - I can't seem to find anything from the Beatles' second show this day at the Indian State Fair Grandstand, but here's another one from the Coliseum show.

You can hear most of the first concert at the Indiana State Fair here:

3 Sept 1964 - From one of the two shows the Beatles played at the Indian State Fair. 

You can learn more about this experience from an Indianapolis TV station remembering the Beatles' visit in a 1995 look back:

[Video archived at my account on Dailymotion]

3 Sept 1964 - In Indianapolis, Indiana

*Photos by Curt Gunther

4 September 1964 - It was very early in the morning and Ringo couldn't sleep.  He asked two Indiana state troopers to take him for a pre-dawn tour of Indianapolis and they complied with his request eventually winding up at one of the trooper's home, a farm 25 miles north of the city.  On the way over they stopped at a restaurant on U.S.31 near Carmel where two customers made fun of the 'jerk with the Beatle wig on' causing all three to break up laughing.  Ringo was recognized by one woman and her family from Kalamazoo, MI who had driven to Indiana in hopes of seeing the Beatles, but were unable to get tickets.  Ringo shook her hand and gave each of her children an autograph.  *Photo by Curt Gunther

At the farm, Ringo and the trooper woke up his 11 year old daughter, who in a dream showed Ringo around the farm astonishing 4 other neighborhood children dropping by to witness the unbelievable.  *Photo by Curt Gunther 

4 September 1964 - Fans in Indianapolis bid a fond farewell to the Beatles.  *Photo by Curt Gunther 

4 Sept 1964 - Paul loved his new button, swiped from Mal Evans, who himself got it from the flight engineer, Robert Miller.  *Photo by Curt Gunther

4 Sept 1964 - The Beatles arrived in Milwaukee at 4:30 pm with their plane touching down at the other side of the airport, bypassing and upsetting in that process many fans. They themselves did not have much choice and regretted any time they were unable to satisfy their fans' demand.  



4 Sept 1964 - Select this link to see The Beatles arriving in Milwaukee and the fans that will not see them.  The local press conference was held where they were staying at the Coach House Motor Inn without John because his throat was sore. 

4 Sept 1964 - At the Milwaukee Arena.

4 Sept 1964 - Local personality, Bob Berry, was the MC for the Beatles' show in Milwaukee.

5 September 1964 - The next morning, as police waited impatiently, Paul got on the phone to talk to a fan, Christine Cutler, who had bought a ticket to the previous night's show in Milwaukee, but fell ill and could not attend.

5 Sept 1964 - That afternoon as the Beatles left Milwaukee for Chicago, fans were able to see them off.

George, Ringo & Paul talk with Larry Kane ca. 4 Sept 1964




Part 2 [Conclusion] to be posted in November!




*Almost all of the written information is from or inspired from the book "A Hard Day's Night in America" [Text by A.J.S. Rayl - Photographs by Curt Gunther] and where possible, credit is given via asterisk (*) to each photo taken by the author, Curt Gunther.  Since I first read this great book in 1989, I marveled at all of the adventures the Beatles and their entourage encountered while on this American Tour and with the advent of the internet, I have satisfied a long-term dream of being able to fit a few more pieces of the story together via photographs located from a variety of sources.  Not all credit is given, much I'm not able to find, however, the intention is simply to present a photographic memory of the Beatles' journey that Summer of 1964 by collecting all of these great photos into one place along with recorded interviews and surviving film found on YouTube.  It is a piece of history that will never be repeated and my hopes are that this post only ignites more interest in the Beatles, and the book.

*********