The Beatles recovering and having jet lag from the tour.

xxxxx

Saturday, 9 July 1966

It was Saturday, under the sign of Cancer. The US president was Lyndon B. Johnson (Democratic). In that special week of July people in US were listening to Paperback Writer by The Beatles. In UK Sunny Afternoon by The Kinks was in the top 5 hits. Torn Curtain, directed by Alfred Hitchcock, was one of the most viewed movies released in 1966 while Valley Of The Dolls by Jacqueline Susann was one of the best selling books.

Travel: India to England

Following their first trip to India, The Beatles returned to England on this day.

They arrived at London Airport at 6am. A brief press conference was held, and George Harrison and Ringo Starr were interviewed by the radio show Today on the BBC Home Service.

The following is a transcript of The Beatles' interview with the ITV network.

Q: At the airport, did they come up and start physically threatening you?

Paul McCartney: We got to the airport and our road managers had a lot of trouble trying to get the equipment in because the escalators had been turned off, and things. So we got there, and we got put into the transit lounge. And we got pushed around from one corner of the lounge to another, you know.

John Lennon: 'You're treated like ordinary passenger! Ordinary passenger!' Ordinary passenger, what, he doesn't get kicked, does he?

McCartney: And so they started knocking over our road managers and things, and everyone was falling all over the place.

Q: That started worrying you, when the road manager got knocked over.

McCartney: Yeah, and I swear there were 30 of 'em.

Q: What do you say there were?

Lennon: Well, I saw sort of five in sort of outfits, you know, that were doing the actual kicking and booing and shouting.

Q: Did you get kicked any?

Lennon: No, I was very delicate and moved every time they touched me. But I was petrified. I could have been kicked and not known it, you know. We'll just never go to any nuthouses again.

Q: Would you go to Manila again, George?

George Harrison: No, I didn't even want to go that time.

Lennon: Me too.

Harrison: Because we'd heard that it was a terrible place anyway, and when we got there. It was proved.

Source: The Beatles Bible

 

The Beatles go sightseeing in India

The day after their arrival in India, The Beatles managed to sneak out of their New Delhi hotel, the Oberoi, and did some sightseeing.

Ringo Starr: That was our first time in India, and it was quite interesting; but we had a bad day when the guys from British Airways took us out to see a camel drawing water - they go round in circles to work the pump where the water comes out. You could always tell the people who worked for BA in Delhi, because they all wore ties even though it was about 300 degrees in the shade. One guy thought it would be a bit of fun to jump on the poor animal that was walking round - probably that was all it would ever do in its life, drag this harness and draw the water. It was crazy, so we all got a bit angry with him.

The Beatles arrived in India for the first time, following a brief refueling stop in Bangkok, early in the morning of 6 July 1966.

Although they had hoped to spend time in India resting and discovering the country's music, their stay was anything but relaxing.

George Harrison: Before the tour was planned, I had an arrangement made that on the return journey from the Philippines to London I would stop off in India, because I wanted to go and check it out and buy a good sitar. I had asked Neil if he would come with me, because I didn't want to be in India on my own. He agreed, and we had booked for the two of us to get off in Delhi.

The Beatles managed to sneak out using the hotel's rear exit, and did some sightseeing and shopping.

George Harrison - Delhi was a really funny feeling. I'm sure a lot of people have had this experience when they go there. In the parts of New Delhi that were built by the British, it isn't the little streets you might expect: we were on big wide roads, dual carriageways with roundabouts.

The Beatles arrived in India for the first time, following a brief refueling stop in Bangkok, early in the morning of 6 July 1966.

Although they had hoped to spend time in India resting and discovering the country's music, their stay was anything but relaxing.

George Harrison: Before the tour was planned, I had an arrangement made that on the return journey from the Philippines to London I would stop off in India, because I wanted to go and check it out and buy a good sitar. I had asked Neil if he would come with me, because I didn't want to be in India on my own. He agreed, and we had booked for the two of us to get off in Delhi.

The Beatles managed to sneak out using the hotel's rear exit, and did some sightseeing and shopping.

George Harrison - Delhi was a really funny feeling. I'm sure a lot of people have had this experience when they go there. In the parts of New Delhi that were built by the British, it isn't the little streets you might expect: we were on big wide roads, dual carriageways with roundabouts.

ddddd

The Beatles leave the Philippines

Rizal Memorial Football Stadium, Vito Cruz St., Manila, Luzon, The Phillippines

The calm before the storm, two performances before a total of 80,000 fans, 30,000 at the afternoon show and 50,000 in the evening.

The Beatles had never intended to snub the Philippines' First Lady, Imelda Marcos, however, on this day they awoke to chaotic scenes as a result of the misunderstanding.

The Manila Times newspaper carried a front-page story accusing The Beatles of "snubbing the First Lady and the three Marcos children," leading to serious ramifications for the group. Just after eight that morning a man in a shiny suit carrying a brown briefcase came to deliver an envelope for Brian Epstein: 'Here is your bill for the income tax due on The Beatles' fee.' Our contract with Cavalcade, as with most concert promoters outside the UK, was very precise on the matter of local taxes. The responsibility for payment belonged with the promoter. Ramon Ramos Jr was contractually liable for the settlement of any tax bills. But the taxman insisted that the full fee was taxed as earnings regardless of any other contracts.

His words were confirmed by the Manila Daily Mirror headline: BEATLES TOLD: PAY NOW, LEAVE LATER. The newspapers carried hostile headlines such as FURORE OVER BEATLES SNUB DAMPENS SHOW and IMELDA STOOD UP: FIRST FAMILY WAITS IN VAIN FOR MOPHEADS. According to a palace spokesperson, The Beatles had 'spit in the eye of the First Family.' It was also reported quite erroneously that The Beatles had requested an audience with Imelda Marcos in the first place, the one press story that brought forth hollow laughter from the boys.

From then on The Beatles' troubles escalated. Staff at the Hotel Manila refused to provide room service or to handle their baggage, although their driver remained loyal. The group's press officer Tony Barrow and NEMS employee Vic Lewis travelled ahead to the airport to check in.

Eventually the group's manager Brian Epstein filed a bond for Pesos 74,450 to settle the tax levy, leaving NEMS Enterprises with a financial loss for the Filipino leg of the tour. Contesting the matter would have been fruitless, and the priority for The Beatles' party was to leave the country at the earliest opportunity.

At Manila International Airport, management and staff had been instructed to give no assistance to The Beatles' party. Escalators stopped working as they approached them, forcing them to carry heavy amplifiers and instrument cases.

Once they made it on board the KLM aeroplane the turbulence continued. Tony Barrow and Mal Evans were ordered off once again. Stricken with anxiety, Evans turned to the others and said: "Tell Lil I love her," a reference to his wife.

Evans and Barrow were worried that they would miss the flight and be stuck in Manila at the mercy of the locals. To their relief, it turned out that The Beatles' party's immigration papers had not been properly processed upon their arrival. This left them technically as illegal immigrants, with potentially serious ramifications. Eventually the passports were stamped and they were free to leave.

The flight's departure time had elapsed, but Epstein and Lewis persuaded the pilot to wait for Barrow and Evans. The delay lasted 44 minutes.

Just minutes after the aeroplane left Filipino soil, a press statement was issued by President Marcos which absolved The Beatles of any wrongdoing.The Beatles' flight was bound for New Delhi, where they hoped to enjoy a relaxing break. They arrived the following day to unwelcome scenes of Beatlemania, strengthening their resolve to end touring.

The Beatles arrive in Manila, Philippines

In the morning of 3 July The Beatles flew from Japan to the Philippines, stopping briefly en route in Hong Kong.

Their aeroplane refuelled at Kaitak airport in Hong Kong, During the 70-minute delay The Beatles rested in the VIP lounge, before continuing the journey to Manila.

Ringo Starr - I hated the Philippines. We arrived there with thousands upon thousands of kids, with hundreds upon hundreds of policemen - and it was a little dodgy. Everyone had guns and it was really like that hot/Catholic/gun/Spanish Inquisition attitude.

Upon their arrival, The Beatles were greeted by 5,000 fans at Manila International Airport. At the time, the Philippines was a dictatorship ruled by Ferdinand Marcos, and the group's visit was a troubled one from the very beginning.

George Harrison - As soon as we got there it was bad news. There were tough gorillas - little men - who had short-sleeved shirts and acted very menacingly.

The Beatles were driven in a cavalcade, escorted by six police motorcyclists, to the Philippine Navy Headquarters where a press conference was held. Afterwards they were taken to a private yacht owned by a wealthy Filipino named Don Manolo Elizalde, a friend of local concert promoter Ramon Ramos Jr.

George Harrison - They took us away and drove us down to Manila harbour, put us on a boat, took us out to a motor yacht that was anchored out in the harbour and they put us in this room.

The plan was for The Beatles to remain on the yacht until the following day. From there they ascertained that Aspinall was safe with their equipment, and that their drugs hadn't been discovered by the authorities.

They were enjoying the thought of being cut off from the world for 24 hours. They were sweating profusely in the heavy heat of the afternoon and were not entirely happy to see the gun-toting cops marching to and fro on the deck, but they felt that these were inconveniences rather than causes for complaint. Then we were told that we would be landing at a secluded point along the coast the next afternoon shortly before The Beatles' first show, which wiped the smiles off their faces. Our Filipino hosts may have been well-intentioned in their elaborate planning but they had no idea of the group's lengthy pre-show routine, including the preparation of stage suits and instruments.

Nobody in The Beatles' party saw the newspaper until later. The visit was not part of their itinerary, nor was it discussed. The promotor, Ramon Ramos, had been forced to promise the palace that the visit would occur, and was afraid to tell manager Brian Epstein in case it resulted in a refusal.

The 11 o'clock meeting was to have been followed by a luncheon at 3pm, one hour before the first of two concerts in Manila, which would have left them with little time to prepare. Ramos was caught between the prospect of either offending the palace or The Beatles, and so he left matters as they were.

Partly because of the pandemonium over the yacht, the tour itinerary prepared by Ramon Ramos Jr was never discussed properly that evening between Epstein and the rest of us. I doubt if he even read it thoroughly or even noticed the crucial bit suggesting that The Beatles might 'call in on' the First Lady, the president's wife, Imelda Marcos, at three o'clock on Monday afternoon 'before proceeding on from the Malacañang Palace directly to the stadium for the first concert.' The wording Ramos used made this sound like a casual proposal rather than a command from the President's office - not a fixed and formal appointment so much as something to be talked about as a possibility. According to Epstein's own jealously guarded rules, only he himself would have discussed such a matter with John, Paul, George and Ringo. If Ramos had raised the invitation with him directly, Epstein would have turned it down on the boys' behalf, knowing that with an afternoon show to do they would want to be safely installed in their dressing room at the stadium by three o'clock. In any case, The Beatles hated meeting dignitaries of all types from small-town mayors up to heads of state and would have been only too pleased to use their matinee commitment as a get-out.

On board Don Manolo Elizalde's yacht, The Beatles were guests of honour at a party attended by wealthy Filipinos. It wasn't until 4am that Brian Epstein allowed them to leave for their suite at the Hotel Manila. The group's exhaustion meant they were still asleep when government officials arrived later that morning to take them to the palace.

Source: The Beatles Bible

Live: Nippon Budokan Hall, Tokyo

The Beatles performed their last two shows at the Nippon Budokan Hall in Tokyo, Japan on this day. They performed five times in total at the venue over three days. Each of the shows was seen by 1,000 fans. Death threats against The Beatles had been received, and the concerts took place in a subdued atmosphere.

George Martin said "It was upsetting. I remember when George was in Germany he got a letter saying, 'You won't live beyond the next month.' And when they went to Japan they had such heavy guards that they couldn't move anywhere. The Japanese took those death threats very seriously."

The Beatles performed an 11-song set, the same one used throughout their 1966 tour.

Neil Aspinall said "The show was a bit weird! There were the jujitsu people who used the Budokan, so they felt it was their temple. This was the first time they'd had a rock band in there, and they didn't like it. There were threats from them, and so there were a lot of police around. The Japanese were very disciplined. There were 3,000 police for 10,000 fans. The police were all over the place, keeping them under control."

There was heavy police presence, and the audiences were unusually quiet. For the first time in years this allowed The Beatles able to hear themselves play live for the first time in years, and had the unfortunate effect of exposing their weaknesses as a live act.

Neil Aspinall said "For the first time in a long while the audience could hear. There was no loud screaming, which came as a surprise: the band suddenly realised they were out of tune and they had to get their act together. The second show was pretty good - they had got it together by then - but the first one, in the afternoon, was a bit of a shock."

After the concert, while staying at the Tokyo Hilton, The Beatles completed their painting Images Of A Woman.

Live: Nippon Budokan Hall, Tokyo

The Beatles performed two shows at the Nippon Budokan Hall in Tokyo, Japan on this day.

The shows were each seen by 1,000 fans. As with the previous day's concert, the first performance from this day was filmed by Nippon Television. Footage from both was broadcast in the programme The Beatles Recital, From Nippon Budokan, Tokyo, on NTV Channel 4 on this evening from 9pm.

Ringo Starr said "The audience was very subdued. If you look at the footage from the shows you'll see a cop on every row. They'd all get excited in their seats as we were playing, but they couldn't express it."

In the footage, The Beatles' 1 July performance can be distinguished by their white suits; in the first concert they wore black. They performed the same set of 11 songs throughout their 1966 tour: Rock And Roll Music, She's A Woman, If I Needed Someone, Day Tripper, Baby's In Black, I Feel Fine, Yesterday, I Wanna Be Your Man, Nowhere Man, Paperback Writer and I'm Down. 

Live: Nippon Budokan Hall, Tokyo

Five show in the Nippon Budokan Hall, one on June 30, 1966 and two each on July 1st and 2nd - before 10,000 fans on each occasion.

The group and their entourage stayed at the Tokyo Hilton, where they occupied the Presidential Suite. Security at the hotel was so tight that they were unable to make unscheduled excursions around the city. They did, however, give a press conference from the hotel.

The evening's concert had support from Yuya Uchida and Isao Bitoh. The Beatles performed a set containing 11 songs: Rock And Roll Music, She's A Woman, If I Needed Someone, Day Tripper, Baby's In Black, I Feel Fine, Yesterday, I Wanna Be Your Man, Nowhere Man, Paperback Writer and I'm Down.

The June 29, 1966 flight dodged a storm, JAL attendant recalls, but that was nothing compared to the tempest that awaited the Fab Four at the Budokan.

The Liverpool mop tops came to Tokyo for a historical and ill-fated visit that helped seal the fate of their live tours.

Feet planted on Japanese ground for the first time and bleary from lack of sleep, the Beatles faced the usual round of daft probes about their hair, which they handled with customary good humor. Asked about the “motives and incentives” for their hairstyle, Harrison said: “We couldn’t afford a barber at the time.” Ringo: “I think the next change will be when we go bald.”

Travel: Alaska to Tokyo

Following The Beatles' unscheduled nine-hour stop in Anchorage, Alaska, their long journey to Tokyo continued.

Ringo Starr said "Anchorage, Alaska, was like a cowboy town to us; it was really like a backwater. My only great memory of Alaska is that at the airport they have a huge, magnificent white bear in a glass case."

Ringo Starr was the owner of one of the first portable cassette recorders, and spent much of the journey recording the conversations of those around him on the aeroplane.

A brief history of the Beatles' (brief) time in Alaska

Live: Ernst Merck Halle, Hamburg

The Beatle's train pulled into the central station in Hamburg a little after 6:00 am on June 26th. It was the first time any member of the group had set foot in the city since January 1963, when - as relative nobodies - they had completed their fortnight's Christmas stint at the Star Club.

On hand at the station, and backstage before their two shows at the Ernst Merck Halle, were many faces from the past, ranging from Astrid Kirchherr to Bert Kaempfert and even Bettina Derlien, the buxom, blond barmaid from the Star Club.

The Beatles played two shows at the city's Ernst Merck Halle on Jungtusstrasse, each of which was seen by 5,600 people. A press conference was held between the sets. Forty-four people were arrested for rioting during the shows, both inside and outside the venue.

The group played the same 11 songs that constituted their standard set throughout the tour: Rock And Roll Music, She's A Woman, If I Needed Someone, Day Tripper, Baby's In Black, I Feel Fine, Yesterday, I Wanna Be Your Man, Nowhere Man, Paperback Writer and I'm Down. The Ernst Merck Hall, on Hamburg's Jungiusstraße, was later demolished, but not before a number of major bands including Queen and Pink Floyd performed there.

After the shows John Lennon and Paul McCartney paid a nostalgic visit to the Reeperbahn where they visited a number of people and places from their past.

Live: Grugahalle, Essen, Germany

In the morning The Beatles were driven in a fleet of Mercedes cars, flanked by police on motorcycles, to Munich railway station. From there a special train took The Beatles from Munich to Essen for two shows at the Grugahalle.

The train had been used in the previous year by Queen Elizabeth II during her royal visit to West Germany. The Beatles were each given a suite of rooms on board, as were their five-man entourage.

They played two concerts at the Grugahalle, during which they performed the same 11 songs: Rock And Roll Music, She's A Woman, If I Needed Someone, Day Tripper, Baby's In Black, I Feel Fine, Yesterday, I Wanna Be Your Man, Nowhere Man, Paperback Writer and I'm Down.

Between the two shows The Beatles held a press conference and enjoyed a meal in their dressing room. Following their second performance at the Grugahalle they boarded the train once more to travel to Hamburg, arriving at around 2am.

Live: Circus-Krone-Bau, Munich, Germany

The Beatles' brief 1966 tour of West Germany, Japan and the Philippines began on this day, with two concerts at the Circus-Krone-Bau in Munich, Germany.

The shows took place at 5.15pm and 9pm. The second show was filmed by German television network Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen (ZDF), and followed a brief afternoon rehearsal set for the cameras. The footage was shown as Die Beatles on channel two on Tuesday 5 July, from 8-8.45pm.

Also appearing on the bill were Cliff Bennett and The Rebel Rousers, The Rattles and Peter and Gordon. The German leg of the tour was known as the Bravo Blitztournee, and was sponsored by the entertainment magazine Bravo.

The Beatles' set throughout the tour consisted of 11 songs: Rock And Roll Music, She's A Woman, If I Needed Someone, Day Tripper, Baby's In Black, I Feel Fine, Yesterday, I Wanna Be Your Man, Nowhere Man, Paperback Write and I'm Down.

For these first dates, the group's recent absence from live performance was apparent. George Harrison introduced Yesterday as being from Beatles For Sale, and I'm Down was briefly delayed by an on-stage conference between John Lennon, Paul McCartney and Harrison about lyrics in the opening verse. In spite of this, McCartney managed to get each verse wrong.

Source: Beatles Bible

On June 23rd 1966, the Beatles flew from London Airport to Munich for a three-city tour of West Germany. For promotional purposes, the German leg of their 1966 tour would be called 'Bravo-Beatles-Blitztournee.' The opening acts on this tour of Munich, Essen and Hamburg included The Rattles, Peter and Gordon, and Cliff And The Rebel Rousers.

The Beatles and their entourage arrived in Munich at noon on the 23rd, holding a press conference upon their arrival at the Hotel Bayerischer Hof, and granting the following interview which was filmed for television.

As part of their arrival, each of the Beatles were given elaborately crafted lederhosen, the traditional leather German shorts which remain popular in the region and are culturally associated with masculinity.

Studio Three (control room), EMI Studios, Abbey Road

Recording for the Revolver album had been completed the day before. During this final session, mono and stereo mixes of six songs were made to complete the album.

The second half of the session was devoted to stereo mixes. Eleanor RIgby, She Said She Said and Good Day Sunshine were each mixed in a single attempt, followed by two mixes of Yellow Submarine.

Tomorrow Never Knows proved more problematic, and took six attempts before a satisfactory stereo mix was achieved. The session ended with one mix of Got To Get You Into My Life.

With that, work on The Beatles' 1966 album Revolver, held by many to be their finest collection of songs, was complete.

Studio Two, EMI Studios, Abbey Road

Having spent much of the day working on mono and stereo mixes for six Revolver songs, The Beatles began a night-time session in which they completed a new song from scratch.

The Beatles spent much of the session rehearsing the song, with at least 25 attempts before the first proper recording attempt. They then taped the rhythm track in three takes. At one point Paul McCartney walked out of the studio following an argument, leading to speculation that George Harrison played bass guitar on the song.

I like the title She Said She Said, which I think was made up on the session. John brought it in pretty much finished, I think. I'm not sure but I think it was one of the only Beatle records I never played on. I think we'd had a barney or something and I said, 'Oh, fuck you!' and they said, 'Well, we'll do it.' I think George played bass.

Paul McCartney
Many Years From Now, Barry Miles

The rhythm track had drums, guitar and bass. Onto this John Lennon added his lead vocals, and Lennon and Harrison overdubbed backing vocals. With the four-track tape full, a reduction mix was made, two which Harrison added lead guitar and Lennon added an organ part.

Three mono mixes were then made, although these were discarded in favour of a final mix made on the following day.

 

Source: Beatles Bible

Studio One, EMI Studios, London

A new mono mix of "Got To Get You Into My Life" doubling the brass sound of previous versions, prepared between 6:00 and 8:30 pm.

The #1 song in the US on June 19, 1966

Paperback Writer - The Beatles

Paul McCartney's turns 24 today - 50 years ago. (An appearance on ‘Thank Your Lucky Stars’ was made.)

Studio Two, EMI Studios, London

A 7:00 pm to 1:30 am session during which "Here, There And Everywhere" received an additional Paul McCartney vocal overdub, backing his own lead, and an extra guitar passage was added onto "Got To Get You Into My Life". The evening ended with five new mono mixes of the latter recording and one of the former.

Studio Two, Television Centre, London and Studio Two, EMI Studios, London

Although by June 1966 it had been running for over two years, The Beatles had never previously appeared live on the BBC music show Top Of The Pops. They had pre-recorded exclusive performances in BBC studios, or sent promotional clips to be played on the show.

That changed on this day, with a studio performance of new single Paperback Writer. The Beatles had agreed two days previously, when manager Brian Epstein passed on a request from Top Of The Pops producer Johnnie Stewart. Unusually, on this occasion The Beatles agreed.

The group arrived at BBC Television Centre at 2.30pm for a rehearsal for the camera, and to pose for publicity photographs and conduct press interviews. More rehearsals followed between 4.15pm and 5.30, and from 6.30pm to 7pm.

The live broadcast took place between 7.30pm and 8pm on BBC One. The Beatles were the final act to appear, and mimed to both Paperback Writer and its b-side, Rain. They were introduced by host Pete Murray.

The Beatles' only appearance on Top Of The Pops was, with the exception of the worldwide satellite transmission of All You Need Is Love on June 25, 1967, their final live television appearance as a group.

Immediately after the television broadcast the Beatles headed for St. John's Wood and a recording session at EMI. Arranged to begin at 7:00 pm, they couldn't have arrived much before 8:30, working through until 3:30 am perfecting "Here, There And Everywhere" with nine more takes and a fresh set of overdubs onto the "best" rhythm track, take 13. A 14th take was created by reduction, onto which Paul superimposed his lead vocal, slowed down on the tape to sound speeded up on playback.

June 15, 1966. The Beatles' album "Yesterday & Today" is released with the controversial "butcher" sleeve, showing group members smiling amongst a group of decapitated baby dolls. The original photo was pulled after one day, and replaced by a more conventional cover.

Studio Two, EMI Studios, London

Paul had already shown himself adept at writing beautiful ballads, and they rarely come any better than this song, "Here, There And Everywhere", the recording of which was spread over three days.

Four rhythm track takes were recorded during this first session, 7:00 pm to 2:00 am, only the last of which was complete, and initial vocal overdubs were then applied.

Source: The Complete Beatles Chronicle - Mark Lewisohn

Getting read to record the next hit.......Guess which one?