The Beatles (172 page)

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Authors: Bob Spitz

Tags: #Biography & Autobiography / General, #Music / Genres & Styles - Pop Vocal

BOOK: The Beatles
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They’re not
listening
”: Author interview with Pete Shotton, 1/19/98.

CHAPTER 24: ONCE UPON A TIME IN AMERICA

Pan Am Flight 101
: Pan American Airways flight logs.


been over the moon
”: C. Lennon,
A Twist,
p. 103.

a crowd of four thousand
: “Four thousand girls… had arrived at London Airport.” Braun,
Love Me Do,
p. 90.


boom[ed] out over the public address system
”:
New York Times,
2/6/64.

new pleated mohair suits
: “Beatles New Suits for USA,”
NME,
2/7/64.


nothing like it
”: Paul McCartney in Badman,
Off the Record,
2/6/64, p. 78.


In Liverpool, when you stood
”: Fawcett,
John Lennon: One Day at a Time,
p. 115.


with a mess of ideas
”: Mimi Smith, AGA (undated).


he thought we were winners
”: George Harrison in Badman,
Off the Record,
p. 78.

Since just after takeoff
: “Every half hour the stewardesses on the plane would carry a product to Epstein, who would then write a polite, ‘No’ to the manufacturer.” Nora Ephron, “Enter the Beatles,”
New York Post,
2/9/64.


Going to the States was a big step
”: Davies,
Beatles,
p. 195.

Paul was also overheard
: Braun,
Love Me Do,
p. 91.


The pilot had rang ahead
”: Paul McCartney in
Anthology,
p. 116.

Shouts—whoops and cheers
: “Just listen to that, fellers!” C. Lennon,
A Twist,
p. 105.

All day they had been urging listeners
:
Melody Maker,
2/15/64.


Not even for kings
”: “3,000 Fans Greet British Beatles,”
New York Times,
2/8/64, p. 25.


some punches were exchanged
”: “Beatles In, Town Knows It,”
Daily News,
2/8/64, p. 14.


As far as I can tell
”: Giuliano,
Dark Horse,
p. 47.


We had heard that our records were selling
”: George Harrison in Badman,
Off the Record,
p. 79.


All right then
”: Braun,
Love Me Do,
p. 94.


Will you sing something
”: Beatles Press Conference, transcript, 2/7/64.


contagious… Beatle wit
”:
New York Times,
2/8/64, p. 49.


Hey, I dig your hat
”: George Harrison in Badman,
Off the Record,
p. 79, and in Pritchard & Lysaght,
The Beatles,
p. 149.


The Beatles are coming
”: Murray Kaufman in Pritchard & Lysaght,
The Beatles,
p. 146.


Who
are
you?
”: Badman,
Off the Record,
p. 80.


the Beatles were lifted
”: Ephron, “Enter the Beatles,”
New York Post,
2/9/64, p. 27.


I remember… getting into the limo
”: Paul McCartney in
Anthology,
p. 116.

It came as quite a shock
: “The Plaza management was petrified.” Braun,
Love Me Do,
p. 96.

Exhausted from their flight
:
The Beatles: Their First American Visit
(video), 1991.


We wanted to hear the music
”: John Lennon, 1964 interview, in
Anthology,
p. 119.


We phoned every radio [station]
”: “Epstein had to stop us.” Ibid.


This is the Beatles’ station!
”: WINS-AM archives, 2/7–8/64.


[He] was as mad as a hatter
”: Ringo Starr in
Anthology,
p. 119.

George’s temperature
: “Beatles Prepare for Their Debut,”
New York Times,
2/9/64.

Wendy Hanson
: “Capitol called me from Los Angeles and said, ‘Can you please get us an English secretary. We need someone for Epstein. We want to impress him.’ ” Wendy Hanson, 11/27/83, AGA.


a rather nouveau-riche family
”: Ibid.


trolled with a bunch
”: Nicky Byrne, 2/84, AGA.

A sculptor in London
:
NME,
4/3/64.


Brian’s made a terrible mess
”: Nicky Byrne, 2/84, AGA.

By the time Brian arrived
: “When it dawned on Brian what had happened, it started to make him physically ill.” Braun,
Love Me Do,
p. 129.


smoking night and day
”: “Bootleggers Trying to Capture a Share of Success,”
New York Times,
2/17/64, p. 20.


Seltaeb was… in a business
”: Walter Hofer, 3/83, AGA.


all sorts of gear
”: Nicky Byrne, 2/84, AGA.


cruise past the Apollo
”: Author interview with Paul McCartney, 5/27/97.

the label’s pressing plants
: Dave Dexter in Pritchard & Lysaght,
The Beatles,
p. 155.

Otherwise, Meggs put himself
:
New York Times,
2/17/64, p. 20.


vintage Coca-Cola
”: Braun,
Love Me Do,
p. 103.


asking dumb questions
”: R. Spector,
Be My Baby,
p. 77.

John and George quickly developed serious crushes
: Ibid., p. 72.

There was no chance of that
: “Thank you for your recent request for tickets… and [we] are very sorry to tell you that so many ticket requests already have been received that we are unable to send you any at this time.” Letter, CBS TV Network, Ticket Bureau, CBS archives.


It’s from Elvis!
”: “America Gets the Beatle Bug from John, Paul, Ringo & George,”
NME,
2/14/64.


these youngsters from Liverpool
”:
The Ed Sullivan Show,
2/23/64, CBS archives.


We weren’t happy
”: Paul McCartney in Badman,
Off the Record,
p. 82.


Finally,” George recalled
: George Harrison in ibid.


just stopped by to get a look
”: WWDC radio interview, Carroll James, 2/11/64.


having a row
”: Wendy Hanson, 11/27/83, AGA.


he sung rounds
”: Ibid.


Now, yesterday and today
”:
The Ed Sullivan Show,
2/9/64, CBS archives.


crazy girls, who were going bananas
”: Goldman,
Lives of John Lennon,
p. 159.


a record, according to the A. C. Nielsen Company
”: “Sullivan Show Scores,”
New York Times,
2/11/64.


a fad
”: “The Beatles and Their Audience,”
New York Times,
2/10/64.


false modal frames
”: Ibid.


seemed downright conservative
”:
Washington Post,
2/10/64.


Visually they are a nightmare
”:
Newsweek,
2/11/64.

BEATLES BOMB ON TV
:
New York Herald Tribune,
2/10/64.


fucking soft
”: Braun,
Love Me Do,
p. 109.


If everybody really liked us
”: John Lennon, 1964 interview, in
Anthology,
p. 120.


vicious attack
”: “He considered the reviews a vicious attack.” Brian Sommerville, 7/3/84, AGA.


Before Epstein came here
”: Braun,
Love Me Do,
p. 114.

Ostensibly, the conference was called
: “Next morning we had another press conference when the news was released that we’d signed to make 3 films.”
The Beatles in America
(pamphlet; no copyright page or numbering).


false modal frames
”: Beatles press conference transcript, 2/10/64
.

Three opening acts
: “We had Tommy Roe and that groovy group the Chiffons.”
The Beatles in America.

Murray the K showed up
: “I broadcast my entire show from the Beatles’ dressing room.” Murray Kaufman in Pritchard & Lysaght,
The Beatles,
p. 152.

In most theaters-in-the-round
: “Because it was an ice rink, there was no way to come up from under the stage.” Carroll James, “Fab Four on the Radio,”
Beatlefan,
April-May 1984, p. 9.

So Harry Lynn
: “Harry Lynn said to me, ‘Your job is to keep everybody diverted.’ ” Ibid.


The reaction was so overwhelming
”: Paul McCartney, radio interview, 2/11/64, also cited in Goldman,
Lives of John Lennon,
p. 160.


an obstacle course
”: Goldman,
Lives of John Lennon,
p. 160.


went berserk
”: “The crowd went berserk with delight.” “America Gets the Beatle Bug,”
NME,
2/14/64.


All the Beatlemania ingredients
”: Ibid.


That night, we were… pelted
”: George Harrison in Badman,
Off the Record,
p. 85.


the ring-side seem like Omaha Beach
”: Braun,
Love Me Do,
p. 119.


Ringo, in particular
”: Goldman,
Lives of John Lennon,
p. 160.


the acoustics were terrible
”: George Harrison in
Grandstand
interview, BBC-TV, 2/22/64.


They could have ripped me apart
”:
“We’ve Got ’Em Luv, and It’s All Gear,”
LIFE,
2/17/64, p. 34.


What an audience!
”: Braun,
Love Me Do,
p. 130.


champagne party and masked
”: British embassy invitation.

This was precisely the kind of function
: “We always try to get out of those crap things.” George Harrison in Badman,
Off the Record,
p. 85.

as the boys made their entrance
: “The whole ballroom of dancers sort of swirled around us when we came in.”
The Beatles in America.


So, what do you do?
”:
NME,
2/14/64.


full quota of chinless wonders
”: Martin,
All You Need,
p. 162.


like something in a zoo
”: Ringo Starr in Badman,
Off the Record,
p. 85.


exchange pleasantries
”: Brian Sommerville, 7/3/84, AGA.


slightly drunk woman
”: Braun,
Love Me Do,
p. 122.

But as the raffle presentation wound down
:
Daily Express,
2/13/64.


What the hell do you think
”: Ringo Starr in
Anthology,
p. 120.


This lot here
”:
Daily Express,
2/13/64.

John started for the door
: Louise Harrison in Badman,
Off the Record,
p. 86.


They were very sad
”: Harry Benson in ibid.


some giant three-ring
”: George Martin in
Anthology,
p. 155.


The only place we ever got any peace
”: George Harrison in ibid.


simply another theater
”: Brian Sommerville, 7/3/84, AGA.

By February 3, a deal had been struck
: “I have spoken to Sid Bernstein… and Brian Epstein… have both agreed…” Letter, Brown Meggs to Carnegie Hall, 2/3/64.

American Federation of Musicians
:
NME,
2/14/64.


Yells and shouts
”: “The Night Carnegie Hall Went Berserk,”
Melody Maker,
2/22/64.


looked the audience sternly
”:
New York Times,
2/13/64.


thumping, twanging rhythms
”: “2,900 Voice Chorus Joins the Beatles,”
New York Times,
2/13/64.


They are worth listening to
”: “Hiram’s Report,”
New Yorker,
2/22/64, p. 23.


I hear they write
”: “Plaque and Luncheon Celebrate a 50th Birthday for ASCAP,”
New York Times,
2/14/64.


Miami was like paradise
”: Paul McCartney in
Anthology,
p. 120.


bathing beauties
”:
The Beatles in America.


Beatle Central
”: Rayl,
Beatles ’64,
p. 51.


cozzies
”: “Get your cozzies on!” Paul McCartney in ibid., p. 123.


It was a big time
”: “Miami was incredible.” Miles,
Paul McCartney,
p. 162.


rock ’n roll gods
”: Ringo Starr in
Anthology,
p. 123.

Mau Mau Lounge
: “The boys went to the Mau Mau Lounge… and were knocked out by the Coasters.”
Melody Maker,
2/22/64, p. 11.


the most brilliant place
”: Ringo Starr in
Anthology,
p. 120.

But the relaxed, unfettered lifestyle
: “Even when we go swimming… the fans toss autograph books at us.”
The Beatles in America.

stashed in the back
: Norman,
Shout!,
p. 230.

borrowed from one of the local… affiliates
: “We told Brian we wanted a pool, and the guy from the record company had one.” Paul McCartney in
Anthology,
p. 123.

On the rare days
:
NME,
2/21/64.

By February 15
:
Billboard,
2/15/64.

Columnist Nat Hentoff
: “Gold Drain,”
NME,
2/21/64.

Paul felt compelled
: “I think Clay is going to win.” Rayl,
Beatles ’64,
p. 53.


It was a big publicity thing
”: George Harrison in
Anthology,
p. 123.


who could talk at the rate of
”: Mailer,
The Fight,
p. 13.


Get a load of them Beatles
”: “The Beatles and Clay Spar a Fast Roundelay,”
New York Times,
2/19/64.

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