The Beatles (178 page)

“
soft questions
”: “You look too old to ask soft questions like that,” John snapped at a reporter in Japan. Tokyo press conference, 6/30/66.

“
Christianity will go
”:
London Evening Standard,
3/4/66.

The article was picked up on April 13
: “Our Fearless Correspondent,”
San Francisco Chronicle,
4/13/66.

“
The trouble with government
”: “Lennon on Elections,”
Disc,
4/2/66.

Uh-oh, the reporter thought
: “The press was still protecting the Beatles.” Author interview with Tony Barrow, 10/31/97.

“
As far as these hooligans were concerned
”: Author interview with Vic Lewis, 1/20/98.

George Harrison had been forewarned
: “I remember when George was in Germany he got a letter saying…” George Martin in
Anthology,
p. 216.

And a steady stream of letters flowed
: Author interview with Tony Bramwell, 9/8/97.

“
We always had to deal with these nuts
”: Author interview with Peter Brown, 12/9/97.

“
was turned into an armed camp
”: Brown & Gaines,
Love You Make,
p. 202.

“
All the other bedrooms
”: Author interview with Vic Lewis, 1/20/98.

“
We were locked up
”: Paul McCartney in
Anthology,
p. 215.

“
It was their first time
”: Author interview with Peter Brown, 12/9/97.

Especially with Brian and Brown
: “I met a guy at the pool” and “I picked up a Japanese boy and brought him back [to the hotel].” Both ibid.

617–18 “
yellow shirts and natty bottle-green suits
”: Paul McCartney in
Anthology,
p. 216.

“
like a military maneuver
”: George Harrison in ibid.

“
The drive was absolutely eerie
”: Author interview with Vic Lewis, 1/20/98.

“
The audience was very subdued
”:
Ringo Starr in
Anthology,
p. 216.

“
There were one or two screamers
”: Brown & Gaines,
Love You Make,
p. 203.

“
I couldn’t believe what I was seeing
”:
Mojo,
1/96, p. 54.

“
Those little briefcases
”: Neil Aspinall in
Anthology,
p. 217.

“
Our bags were on the runway
”: George Harrison in ibid.

“
You fucking idiot!
”: Author interview with Vic Lewis, 1/20/98.

Tony Barrow thinks it was “unlikely
”: Author interview with Tony Barrow, 10/31/97. Also “I doubt if he even read it thoroughly or ever noticed the crucial suggestion that the Beatles might ‘call in on [Imelda Marcos].’ ” Barrow, “Manila: July 1966,” p. 9.

Peter Brown has a distinct recollection
: “It was in Japan that we got the invitation to the palace. It came from Tony, and Brian’s answer was ‘regret.’ ” Author interview with Peter Brown, 12/9/97.

“
President Marcos, the First Lady, and the three
”:
Manila Sunday Times,
7/3/66.

“
This is not a request
”: Author interview with Vic Lewis, 1/20/98.

“
in the interest of diplomacy
”: “He told us… I recommend that you go.” Author interview with Peter Brown, 12/9/97.

“
Well, we were fucking
right
”: Ibid.

“
organized troublemakers
”: “This left our stationary cars at the mercy of organized troublemakers.” Barrow, “Manila: July 1966,” p. 15.

“
Drive on! Go through the people
”: Author interview with Vic Lewis, 1/20/98.

“
Your fee is taxed
”: Ibid.

“
Oh, dear!” he thought
: Paul McCartney in
Anthology,
p. 220.

“
things started to get really weird
”: Ringo Starr in ibid.

“
The passageway was lined
”: Author interview with Peter Brown, 12/9/97.

“
Nobody would give us a ride
”: George Harrison in
Anthology,
p. 220.

“
The atmosphere was scary
”: Barrow, “Manila: July 1966,” p. 17.

“
We were shitting ourselves
”: Author interview with Peter Brown, 12/9/97.

“
I didn’t fancy the chances
”: Barrow, “Manila: July 1966,” p. 18.

“
I really felt the boys could be killed
”: Author interview with Vic Lewis, 1/20/98.

“
We were all carrying amplifiers
”: George Harrison in
Anthology,
p. 220.

“
an abusive crowd and police
”: Author interview with Peter Brown, 12/9/97.

“
they started spitting
”: Ringo Starr in
Anthology,
p. 220.

“
When they started on us
”: “Lennon: I Thought I Was Going to Get Hurt,”
Disc & Music Echo,
7/16/66.

623–24 “
You treat like ordinary passenger!
”: John Lennon, 1966 interview, in
Anthology,
p. 220.

“
was Brian’s cock-up
”: John Lennon, 1972 interview, in ibid. And “we didn’t feel it was our cock-up.” Paul McCartney in ibid.

“
seizing with tension
”: Author interview with Peter Brown, 12/9/97.

Lewis was concerned
: “Vic wanted to make sure he got the $17,000.” Author interview with Nat Weiss, 1/28/98.

“
It was just sort of a freak show
”: John Lennon, 1969 interview, in
Anthology,
p. 229.

“
Who fucking needs this?
”: “It was in Delhi that the Beatles started discussing not touring anymore. It was ‘Who fucking needs this?’ ” Author interview with Peter Brown, 12/9/97.

“
four waxwork dummies
”: I reckon we could send out four waxwork dummies.” John Lennon, 1966 interview, in
Anthology,
p. 229.

“
I prefer to be out of the public eye
”:
Melody Maker,
6/25/66.

“
And they decided then and there
”: Neil Aspinall in
Anthology,
p. 229.

“
It wasn’t like the boys
”: Author interview with Tony Barrow, 10/31/97.

“
You’d better get on top of this
”: Wendy Hanson, 11/27/84, AGA.

blasphemous
: “We Love John and God!”
Melody Maker,
8/19/66.

“
Beatle Burnings
”:
Anthology,
p. 224 (illustration).

“
so it’s no sweat off us
”: Miles,
Paul McCartney,
p. 294.

KZEE… “damned their songs
”:
Time,
8/12/66, p. 38.

a Baptist minister in Cleveland
: Pritchard & Lysaght,
The Beatles,
p. 218.

“
joining stations… in Massachusetts
”: “Beatles Manager Here to Quell Storm Over Remarks on Jesus,”
New York Times,
8/6/66.

“
We were being told
”: Author interview with Tony Barrow, 10/31/97; “There were threats that John would be shot.” Author interview with Alistair Taylor, 1/17/98.

“
didn’t really take it too seriously
”: Miles,
Paul McCartney,
p. 293.

“
a storm in a teacup
”: “Are the Beatles Safe in America?”
NME,
8/12/66.

“
The moment he got in the car
”: Author interview with Nat Weiss, 1/28/98.

“
were taken completely out of context
”: Ibid.

“
He did not mean to boast
”: Press release, Maureen Cleave, 8/8/66.

Brian “request[ed] emphatically no [further] comment
”: Telegram from Brian Epstein to Wendy Hanson, 8/5/66.

“
were having a field day
”: George Harrison in
Anthology,
p. 225.

“
I’d forgotten [all about it]
”: John Lennon, 1966 interview in
Anthology,
p. 225.

“
Tell them to get stuffed
”: Coleman,
Lennon,
p. 313.

“
It went back and forth
”: Author interview with Nat Weiss, 1/28/98.

“
One thing seems certain
”: “Beatles Create a New Nursery Rhyme,”
NME,
7/29/66, p. 3.

“
The 100 Greatest Albums
”:
Mojo,
1/96, p. 70.

“
scaling of new musical peaks
”: “1966 Band on the Run,”
Q,
pp. 86–87.

“
We’re not trying to pass off as kids
”: John Lennon, 1966 interview, in
Anthology,
p. 229.

NME
reported… nine shipped
:
NME,
7/29/66; and “More Beatles LP Covers,” 8/12/66.

“
And so Brian… kept asking
”: Ringo Starr in
Anthology,
p. 226.

“
We were nervous
”: Author interview with Tony Barrow, 8/30/97.

“
feared the Beatles might be assassinated
”: Coleman,
Lennon,
p. 314.

“
I’ll do anything
”: Ibid.

“
never seen John so nervous
”: Paul McCartney in
Anthology,
p. 226.

“
If I’d have said, ‘Television’
”: Beatles press conference, Chicago, 8/11/66.

“
quite prepared to let the Lennon affair
”: “Stern Reply to Lennon Knocker,”
NME,
8/19/66.

In Cleveland, especially
: “3000 Fans Rush Stage, Force Beatles to Retreat,”
Cleveland Plain Dealer,
8/15/66.

“
given the order
”: Bess Coleman,
Teen Life,
9/66.

“
By the time we got to Memphis
”: Author interview with Tony Barrow, 8/31/97.

“
Brian was very nervous
”: Author interview with Nat Weiss, 1/28/98.

“
If we cancel one
”: “I heard Paul tell him…” Author interview with Tony Barrow, 8/31/97.

“
the flight from Boston to Memphis
”: Tashian,
Ticket,
p. 65.

“
So this is where all the Christians come from
”: “I was sitting next to John and Paul. John looked out the window and said…” Author interview with Nat Weiss, 1/28/98.

“
Send John out first
”:
TeenSet,
9/66.

“
Driving into Memphis
”: Tashian,
Ticket,
p. 133.

“
I will never forget… we pulled
”: Miles,
Paul McCartney,
p. 294.

“
The Beatles smiled through it all
”:
Commercial Appeal
(Memphis), 8/20/66.

“
Everyone started to relax
”: “On Tour with the Beatles,”
TeenSet,
9/66.

“
when he heard [the blast]
”: Ibid.

Two teenagers had lobbed
:
“Bang Joins Shrieks in Beatle Show,”
Commercial Appeal
(Memphis), 8/20/66.

“
It was clear from the start
”: Author interview with Lionel Bart, 1/16/98.

“
I’ve noticed that George
”: “American Eye-View,”
Melody Maker,
8/27/66.

“
It had been four years of legging
”: George Harrison in
Anthology,
p. 229.

“
Nobody was listening
”: Ringo Starr in
Anthology,
p. 227.

“
was fed up playing
”: Ibid., p. 229.

Conditions were so pitiful
: “I remember Ringo’s drums moving around, and he would get up and move them back.” Tashian,
Ticket,
p. 70.

“
I didn’t want to tour
”: John Lennon, 1980 interview, in
Anthology,
p. 228.

“
the music was dead
”: Wenner,
Lennon Remembers,
p. 46.

It rained before showtime
: “It started pouring just before showtime.” “Double-Header with the Beatles,”
Cincinnati Post and Times-Star,
8/22/66.

“
They’d brought in the electricity
”: George Harrison in
Anthology,
p. 227.

“
It was really scary
”: “The promoter was so cheap he only put a canvas canopy over the stage.” Author interview with Nat Weiss, 1/28/98.

“
the only gig we ever missed
”: George Harrison in
Anthology,
p. 227.

“
a couple bits of corrugated iron
”: Miles,
Paul McCartney,
p. 294.

“
There were sparks flying
”: Tashian,
Ticket,
p. 134.

“
to pull it whenever the first person
”: Ibid.

“
We were sliding around
”: Paul McCartney in
Anthology,
p. 227.

Even Paul admitted he’d had enough
: “Oh, God, who needs this?” Miles,
Paul McCartney,
p. 294.

“
had become spiritually rather empty
”: Ibid., p. 249.

“
We didn’t make a formal announcement
”: Ringo Starr in
Anthology,
p. 229.

“
Good news… Diz is here
”: Author interview with Nat Weiss, 1/28/98.

“
half a dozen or so billets-doux
”: Brown & Gaines,
Love You Make,
p. 215.

“
a suicidal depression
”: Author interview with Nat Weiss, 1/29/98.

“
It was not the sort of night
”: Author interview with Tony Barrow, 10/31/97.

with 25,000 die-hard Beatles fans
: “Beatles’ Closing Concert on Coast Attracts 25,000,”
New York Times,
8/31/66.

“
being jolted from head to toe
”: Tashian,
Ticket,
p. 118.

“
sounding like clouds bursting
”: “Remembering the Night the Beatles Played Candlestick,”
San Francisco Chronicle,
8/29/86, p. 23.

“
totally familiar studio recorded versions
”: “Beatles Strike Out at Ball Park,”
San Francisco Examiner,
8/30/66.

“
John and Paul say exactly
”: Author interview with Tony Barrow, 8/31/97.

“
a puppet show
”:
San Francisco Chronicle,
8/29/86, p. 23.