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The Beatles 1964 First Tour Of The United States – The Photos And The Mania

7th February 2014 marked 50 years since The Beatles first toured the United States. The band were a massive hit . On 9 February 1964 the Fab Four made their first live US television appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show . At  8 P.M, 73 million Americans saw John Paul, George and Ringo play.

On 11 February 1964 The Beatles’ performed in their first US concert, a show at Washington Coliseum, Washington, D.C. Next day, they performed at New York’s Carnegie Hall, New York. They squeezed in another performance on the Sullivan show before returning to the UK on 22 February 1964.

The Beatles leave London airport in 1964. From left: John Lennon, George Harrison, Ringo Starr and Paul McCartney. (AP Photo)

The Beatles leave London airport in 1964. From left: John Lennon, Ringo Starr, Paul McCartney and George Harrison. (AP Photo)

ARRIVING IN NEW YORK

Britain’’s Beatles make a windswept arrival in New York on Feb. 7, 1964, as they step down from the plane that brought them from London, at Kennedy airport. From left to right, Ringo Starr, John Lennon, Paul McCartney and George Harrison (AP Photo)

The Beatles arrive at New York’s Kennedy Airport Feb. 7, 1964 for their first U.S. appearance. From left are: John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr and George Harrison. (AP Photo)

Police man the barricades outside New York’’s Plaza Hotel, on Feb. 7, 1964, as Beatle maniacs push forward in hopes of a view of Britain’’s singing sensations after their arrival for an American tour. (AP Photo)

Police enforce the barricades outside New York’s Plaza Hotel as fans push forward in hopes of a view of The Beatles after their arrival for an American tour on February 7, 1964. (AP Photo)

The Beatles are shown during a news conference in Forest Hills, N.Y., Feb. 1964. (AP Photo)

The British rock and roll group The Beatles are seen during their first U.S. tour in 1964. The band members, from left to right, are George Harrison, John Lennon, Ringo Starr and Paul McCartney. (AP Photo)

The Beatles meet reporters at Kennedy Airport in New York City, Feb. 7, 1964 on their arrival from London for their first American tour. The band members, from left, are, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, George Harrison, and John Lennon. (AP Photo)

The Beatles wave to fans assembled below their Plaza Hotel window after they arrived in New York City on Feb. 7, 1964 for a short tour of the United States. From left to right are, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, John Lennon, and George Harrison. (AP Photo)

The four members of Britain’s young singing group, the Beatles, stand in front of the microphones in the press room of Kennedy International Airport today during press conference following their arrival, February 7, 1964. From left: John Lennon, George Harrison, Ringo Starr, Paul McCartney. (AP Photo)

The Beatles face the media on arrival at the John F. Kennedy ariport in New York City. Feb. 7, 1964. The British rock and roll group was also greeted by a screaming crowd estimated at 5,000. (AP Photo/Charles Tasnadi)

The Beatles walk around New York’s Central Park, Feb. 10, 1964. From left: Paul McCartney, John Lennon and Ringo Starr. (AP Photo)

Three members of the Beatles pose on a stack of rowboats in New York’s Central Park, Feb. 10, 1964. From top: Ringo Starr, John Lennon and Paul McCartney. (AP Photo)

John Lennon, center, holds his forehead as 5-year-old Debbie Fyall, of London, England, sits on his shoulders, in New York, Central Park, USA, February 8, 1964. The other two members of the Beatles are Paul McCartney, left, and Ringo Starr, right. (AP Photo/The Beatles)

ED SULLIVAN

Three of the four member of the British group the Beatles are shown with Ed Sullivan before their live television appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show in New York City, Feb. 10, 1964. From left are, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, partial view, George Harrison and Sullivan. (AP Photo)

American fans in New York react during the Beatles’ concert on the “Ed Sullivan Show”, Feb. 8, 1964. (AP Photo)

The Beatles, minus an ailing George Harrison, perform on the “Ed Sullivan Show”, Feb. 8, 1964. In front, left to right: Paul McCartney, Neil Aspinall (standing in for Harrison), and John Lennon. On drums is Ringo Starr. (AP Photo)

British rock band the Beatles are shown during rehearsals on the set of the “Ed Sullivan Show” in New York, Feb. 9, 1964. On drums is Ringo Starr, bassist is Paul McCartney, left, and guitarist is John Lennon. (AP Photo)

Paul McCartney, bassist for the Beatles, is shown on the set of the Ed Sullivan Show, Feb. 1964. (AP Photo)

Ed Sullivan, center, stands with The Beatles during a rehearsal for the British group’s first American appearance, on the “Ed Sullivan Show,” in New York. Feb. 9th, 1964. From left: Ringo Starr, George Harrison, Sullivan, John Lennon and Paul McCartney. The rock ‘n’ roll band known as “The Fab Four” was seen by 70 million viewers. “Beatlemania” swept the charts with twenty No.1 hits and more than 100 million records sold. The Beatles broke up in 1970. (AP Photo)

The Beatles perform on the CBS “Ed Sullivan Show” in New York, in this Feb. 9, 1964, file photo. From left, front, are Paul McCartney, George Harrison and John Lennon. Ringo Starr plays drums in the background. The Beatles’ “Love” album is being released on Nov. 21, and is a thorough reinterpretation of their work. (AP Photo/FILE)

WASHINGTON – AN ‘I WAS THERE’ MOMENT

The Beatles perform at the Coliseum in Washington, D.C., Feb. 12, 1964, during their first American tour. The British band members are, in foreground, Paul McCartney and John Lennon; Ringo Starr on drums; and George Harrison on guitar, far right. (AP Photo)

Surrounded by amplifiers and treading jumping beans underfoot, the Beatles swing into their routine during a show at the Coliseum in Washington, Feb. 11, 1964. From left: lead guitarist George Harrison, bassist Paul McCartney, rhythm guitarist John Lennon, and drummer Ringo Starr. The beans were thrown by excited fans. (AP Photo)

DRINKS WITH THE KNOBS

The centre of attraction, four boys from Liverpool enjoy themselves as they attend a charity ball at the British Embassy, in Washington, on Feb. 11, 1964. They are the Beatles , from left: Ringo Starr, George Harrison, Paul McCartney and John Lennon, currently raising a storm on their first tour of the United States. (AP Photo)

NEW YORK GIG

Police security is on hand for the arrival of The Beatles as guitarist George Harrison leads the way from a taxi-cab to Carnegie Hall’s stagedoor on W. 56th St. in New York City on Feb. 12, 1964 . About 2,000 fans are gathered outside the concert hall to catch a glimpse of the British rock and roll band on their first U.S. tour. (AP Photo)

The Beatles, from left, Paul McCartney, John Lennon, Ringo Starr, and George Harrison, take a fake blow from Cassius Clay while visiting the heavyweight contender at his training camp in Miami Beach, Fla. Tuesday February 18,1964.

Boxer Cassius Clay lifts Ringo Starr, one of the Beatles into the air while the singers visited Clay’s camp in Miami Beach, Fla. February, 18th, 1964. Others are, from left: Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and John Lennon. (AP Photo)

Ringo Starr of The Beatles Rock group shown on the beach in Florida, February 15, 1964. (AP Photo)

WELCOME HOME

British pop group the Beatles wave as they arrive at London Airport, England, in 1964 after their successful U.S. tour. (AP Photo)

A Beatle fan claws at a metal fence as she welcomes the pop group on their arrival at London Airport, England on Feb 22, 1964. Some 5,000 people, many of whom had waited overnight, were at the airport. (AP Photo)

Four thousand fans of The Beatles at London Airport to greet them on their return from a tour of the United States.

Paul McCartney looks up and acknowledges the waves and screams shortly after arriving with the other three Beatles at London Airport from America.

Fans press forward to the restraining linked arms of a chain of extra policemen on duty at London Airport when the Beatles returned from a tour of the United States.

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Feb. 11 1964, the Beatles' first concert in the United States

Eric Jentsch in our Division of Culture and the Arts shares the story of the first Beatles concert in America, which took place right here in Washington, D.C. 

February 11th marks the 48th anniversary of the Beatles' first concert in America. Two days earlier, the group introduced themselves to the nation by performing on New York-based "The Ed Sullivan Show." The "Fab Four" from Liverpool were famously met by more than 3,000 hysterical and nearly riotous fans at JFK airport when they first arrived in the city.

After the concert, the Beatles headed south to Washington, D.C., to play a raucous set before thousands of ecstatic teenagers at the overbooked Washington Coliseum.

American "Beatle-Mania" was a relatively recent development. Devotion to the group came seemingly overnight, with their first song to hit the U.S. charts, "I Want to Hold Your Hand" rocketing to number one that previous December, selling more than 5 million copies in seven weeks. The Beatles then succeeded themselves at the number one spot with "She Loves You," already a hit in England.

Washingtonian Carroll James is the DJ credited with first playing "I Want to Hold Your Hand" on U.S. airwaves. The Beatles' subsequent popularity in the nation's capital inspired the band's visit to the District after their Sullivan performance.

A ticket envelope from the Beatles' D.C. concert.

The concert at the now-defunct Washington Coliseum was nothing like the shows that would be staged by rock musicians just a few years later. Sub-par amplification coupled with incessant screaming from throngs of teens made the band hard to hear. The stage was placed in the center of the crowd, forcing members of the band to move their equipment around the stage during the performance in order to face each section of the audience. This was especially inconvenient to percussionist Ringo Starr, who was responsible for moving his large drum-kit about numerous times throughout the night.

None of this seemed deter the enjoyment of the hysterical crowd, whose screaming continued unabated throughout the entire performance. After sitting through opening acts The Caravelles, Tommy Roe, and the Chiffons, fans were given this set by the Beatles: "Roll Over Beethoven;" "From Me to You;" "I Saw Her Standing There;" "This Boy;" "All My Loving;" "I Wanna Be Your Man;" "Please Please Me;" "Till There Was You;" "She Loves You;" "I Want to Hold Your Hand;" "Twist and Shout;" and "Long Tall Sally."

After the appearance, the Beatles went to a party at the British Embassy. They then returned to New York to play two half-hour sets at the famed Carnegie Hall. Their performance on the Ed Sullivan program made the group the talk of the music world, compelling a return trip to the States that summer where they traveled across the country and played larger venues.

Their fantastic success created a "British Invasion" of other English artists inspired by American rock and roll, such as the Rolling Stones and the Kinks, who also found enthusiastic audiences in the United States.

A ticket stub from the February 11 concert, donated by Patricia Mink.

A ticket stub from the Beatle's historic appearance in the Smithsonian's hometown was recently given to the National Museum of American History by long-time D.C. resident Patricia Mink, who attended the concert with her friends. Ms. Mink also included other materials from her youth, including concert programs, autographs, and sound recordings. We are thankful for these materials, as they help us tell the story of this exciting, transitional time in American popular culture.

Eric Jentsch is the deputy chair of the Division of Culture and the Arts at the National Museum of American History.

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The Beatles' 1964 North American tour

• Edit source

The English rock group the Beatles toured the United States and Canada between 19 August and 20 September 1964. The 32 concerts comprised the second stage of a world tour that started with the band's tour of Europe, Hong Kong, and Australia and finished with their UK Autumn tour. The shows in the United States were a return to the country after their brief February 1964 tour.

• 1 Background
• 2 Repertoire, tour personnel and equipment
• 3.1 Hollywood Bowl
• 3.2 New York and meeting Bob Dylan
• 3.3 Jacksonville and segregation concerns
• 3.4 Kansas City
• 3.5 Return to New York

Background [ ]

Following the Beatles' two week appearance in the United States in February 1964, the band became the most well known group in America. In the six months that followed, the band achieved seventeen Top 40 singles, including six number ones. Their US-only LPs A Hard Day's Night and Something New topped the charts for nine weeks. Their first film, A Hard Day's Night , earned $1.3 million (equivalent to US$12,270,000 in 2022) in its first week. Fans in the United States excitedly anticipated a country-wide tour.

On 11 and 14 August, the Beatles began recording sessions for what would become Beatles for Sale , their fourth studio album. They recorded four songs: "Baby's in Black", "I'm a Loser", "Leave My Kitten Alone" and "Mr. Moonlight". After these recordings, they departed London on 18 August at noon. After two brief stops in Winnipeg and Los Angeles, the group arrived at San Francisco International Airport on 19 August at 6:25 pm, greeted by 9,000 fans.

Repertoire, tour personnel and equipment [ ]

Supporting acts for the tour included the Bill Black Combo, the Exciters, the Righteous Brothers, Jackie DeShannon, Larry Lee and the Leesures (Las Vegas only) and Clarence "Frogman" Henry. For their concert repertoire, the Beatles chose only released songs, placing emphasis on ones where the recorded arrangement could be easily reproduced in live performance.

During shows George Harrison switched between his Gretsch Country Gentleman and Rickenbacker 12-string guitars, though he would sometimes play a different guitar than was used on the original studio recording. The Beatles used new 100-watt amplifiers for all their shows, though their sound was still consistently drowned out by the sound of screaming fans.

Journalist Larry Kane of WFUN in Miami joined the Beatles on their tour. Then 20 years old, Kane sent a letter to Beatles manager Brian Epstein requesting a one-time interview. Epstein responded by inviting him to travel with the group as part of the press party. Kane speculated that Epstein included him because he thought he was a well-known American personality that owned several radio stations.

United States and Canada [ ]

The tour encompassed 32 shows in 25 cities over 31 days. Most shows quickly sold-out, and attendance ranged from 4,000 (New York City) to 28,000 (Baltimore). For each show, the Beatles earned $50,000 minimum (equivalent to US$470,000 in 2022), earning over a million dollars across the entire tour.

Intense screaming and rabid fans characterized shows across the tour. Mobbing crowds necessitated enhanced security measures, including decoy limousines and unlikely transportation for the Beatles, such as delivery vans and ambulances. Variety reported that at the show in Vancouver, 160 girls were treated for injuries and distress after thousands of fans charged at the security barriers in front of the stage. At shows in Cleveland and Kansas City fans broke past police lines to climb onto the stage. In both cases calm was only restored after Beatles press officer Derek Taylor threatened to cancel the rest of the concert.

In Montreal a newspaper reported that Ringo Starr had been threatened. Starr later speculated it was due to antisemitism and an incorrect assumption that he was Jewish. In light of the threat, the Beatles left immediately after their Montreal show for Jacksonville, Florida. Due to Hurricane Dora, their flight diverted to Key West, landing at 3:30 am on 9 September. At their hotel, Paul McCartney and John Lennon drank and talked emotionally late into the night.

Hollywood Bowl [ ]

During their first US visit, Capitol Records planned to record the Beatles' performance on 12 February 1964 at Carnegie Hall, New York City in order to make a live album for US release. The recording did not happen because the American Federation of Musicians refused to grant permission. When the Beatles returned to the US, Capitol still hoped to record and again requested permission of the Federation, this time receiving it. Martin and Capitol's Voyle Gilmore recorded the Beatles performing at the Hollywood Bowl on 23 August 1964. Executives rejected the recording for release due to its poor sound quality. Martin explained the audience's screaming was "like putting a microphone at the end of a 747 jet". The recording remained unreleased until the 1977 album The Beatles at the Hollywood Bowl where it is mixed together with two August 1965 performances.

New York and meeting Bob Dylan [ ]

While the Beatles stayed at Hotel Delmonico in New York City, New York Post writer Al Aronowitz introduced Bob Dylan to them on 28 August. The Beatles initially offered Dylan amphetamine pills but he said he preferred "cheap wine". Dylan suggested they instead smoke marijuana, something the Beatles had only tried a few times before. Starr, not knowing he was supposed to share it, smoked the entire marijuana joint himself. After rolling and smoking another joint, the Beatles laughed continuously while Dylan answered the constantly ringing telephone in the band's hotel suite saying, "This is Beatlemania here." McCartney became convinced he had discovered the meaning of life and asked Beatles roadie Mal Evans to write down his thoughts. McCartney recalls reading the paper the next morning with it saying "There are Seven Levels".

Lennon recalled the meeting in 1970: "When I met Dylan I was quite dumbfounded. I'm pretty much a fan type myself, in a way; I stopped being a 'fan' when I started doing it myself. I never went collecting people's autographs or any of that jive. But if I dig somebody, I really dig them." Dylan recalled in 1971: "I just kept it to myself that I really dug them. Everybody else thought they were for the teenyboppers, that they were gonna pass right away. But it was obvious to me that they had staying power."

Jacksonville and segregation concerns [ ]

We don't like it if there's any segregation, because we're not used to it, y'know. We've never played to segregated audiences before, and it just seems mad to me. It may seem right to some people, but to us, it just seems a bit daft.

The Beatles experienced difficulty in leaving the George Washington Hotel in Jacksonville. Around two dozen police officers escorted the group past 500 fans. It took 15 minutes for the group to travel the 25 feet from the hotel elevator to their waiting limousine.

In July 1964, US President Lyndon Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act prohibiting discrimination "on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin". The Beatles, opposed to racial segregation, remained concerned that their upcoming Jacksonville, Florida show could still be segregated. On 6 September – a week before the show – they issued a press statement saying, "We will not appear unless Negroes are allowed to sit anywhere". The following day Jacksonville's daily paper, The Florida Times-Union , released an editorial disparaging the Beatles. Entitled "Beatlemania Is A Mark Of A Frenetic Era", the piece described the group as "a passing fad, whose appearance on the scene was perfectly timed and fitted to the mores, morals and ideals of a fast-paced, troubled time." Though the editorial did not mention segregation, Beatles writer Bill DeMain interprets it as arguing that the Beatles were not intelligent enough to comment on social issues.

The Beatles performed at Gator Bowl Stadium on 11 September after receiving assurance from the promoter that the audience would not be segregated. Barry Miles writes that there were never plans to segregate the show. The Beatles initially refused to go on stage until newsreel and television cameramen were forced from the arena.

Kansas City [ ]

During the tour, millionaire Charlie Finley, owner of the Kansas City Athletics baseball team, offered the Beatles a large sum to perform an extra show in Kansas City. With few days off, the Beatles rejected the initial offer, accepting only after it increased to $150,000 (equivalent to $1.4 million in 2022), a higher figure than any American artist had ever received for a single show.

On 17 September, the Beatles played in Kansas City's Municipal Stadium to around 20,000 spectators, roughly half the stadium's capacity. Breaking with their trend of only playing released material, they covered "Kansas City"/"Hey, Hey, Hey, Hey" to what Beatles historian Mark Lewisohn writes was "an especially uproarious reception". The Thursday night show was a net loss for Finley, though he explained afterwards, "I don't consider it any loss at all. The Beatles were brought here for the enjoyment of the children in this area and watching them last night they had complete enjoyment."

Return to New York [ ]

The Beatles performed a charity concert in New York City on 20 September. Titled "An Evening With The Beatles", the show aided the United Cerebral Palsy of New York City and Retarded Infants Services.

Set list [ ]

According to Walter Everett (lead singers appear in parentheses):

• "Twist and Shout" (abbreviated) (John Lennon) or "I Saw Her Standing There" (Paul McCartney)
• "You Can't Do That" (Lennon)
• "All My Loving" (McCartney)
• "She Loves You" (Lennon and McCartney)
• "Things We Said Today" (abbreviated) (McCartney)
• "Roll Over Beethoven" (George Harrison)
• "Can't Buy Me Love" (McCartney)
• "If I Fell" (Lennon)
• "I Want to Hold Your Hand" (Lennon and McCartney)
• "Boys" (Ringo Starr)
• "A Hard Day's Night" (Lennon with McCartney)
• "Long Tall Sally" (McCartney) or "Twist and Shout" (Lennon)

During one of the 19 August Daly City shows, the Beatles added "Till There Was You" (McCartney). On 17 September in Kansas City, they played "Kansas City"/"Hey, Hey, Hey, Hey" (McCartney).

• 1 Jim McCartney
• 2 The Long One
• 3 The Beatles (animated series)

The Beatles' 1964 North American tour

The English rock group the Beatles toured the United States and Canada between 19 August and 20 September 1964. The 32 concerts comprised the second stage of a world tour that started with the band's tour of Europe, Hong Kong, Australia and New Zealand , and finished with their UK Autumn tour. The shows in the United States were a return to the country after their brief February 1964 tour.

Repertoire, tour personnel and equipment

United states and canada, hollywood bowl, new york and meeting bob dylan, jacksonville and segregation concerns, kansas city, return to new york.

Following the Beatles ' two week appearance in the United States in February 1964, the band became the most well known group in America. [1] In the six months that followed, the band achieved seventeen Top 40 singles, including six number ones. [2] Their US-only LPs A Hard Day's Night and Something New topped the charts for nine weeks. [3] Their first film, A Hard Day's Night , earned $1.3 million ( equivalent to US$ 12,770,000 in 2023 ) in its first week. [4] Fans in the United States excitedly anticipated a country-wide tour. [3]

On 11 and 14 August, the Beatles began recording sessions for what would become Beatles for Sale , their fourth studio album. [3] They recorded four songs: " Baby's in Black ", " I'm a Loser ", " Leave My Kitten Alone " and " Mr. Moonlight ". [5] After these recordings, they departed London on 18 August at noon. After two brief stops in Winnipeg and Los Angeles , the group arrived at San Francisco International Airport on 19 August at 6:25 pm, greeted by 9,000 fans. [6]

Supporting acts for the tour included the Bill Black Combo , the Exciters , the Righteous Brothers , Jackie DeShannon , Larry Lee and the Leesures (Las Vegas only) and Clarence "Frogman" Henry . [7] For their concert repertoire, the Beatles chose only released songs, placing emphasis on ones where the recorded arrangement could be easily reproduced in live performance. [3]

During shows George Harrison switched between his Gretsch Country Gentleman and Rickenbacker 12-string guitars, though he would sometimes play a different guitar than was used on the original studio recording. The Beatles used new 100- watt amplifiers for all their shows, though their sound was still consistently drowned out by the sound of screaming fans. [3]

Journalist Larry Kane of WFUN in Miami joined the Beatles on their tour. [8] Then 20 years old, Kane sent a letter to Beatles manager Brian Epstein requesting a one-time interview. Epstein responded by inviting him to travel with the group as part of the press party. [9] Kane speculated that Epstein included him because he thought he was a well-known American personality that owned several radio stations. [10]

The tour encompassed 32 shows in 24 cities over 31 days. [8] Most shows quickly sold-out, and attendance ranged from 4,000 ( New York City ) to 28,000 ( Baltimore ). [2] For each show, the Beatles earned $50,000 minimum ( equivalent to US$ 490,000 in 2023 ), earning over a million dollars across the entire tour. [11]

Intense screaming and rabid fans characterized shows across the tour. [12] Mobbing crowds necessitated enhanced security measures, including decoy limousines and unlikely transportation for the Beatles, such as delivery vans and ambulances . [2] Variety reported that at the show in Vancouver , 160 girls were treated for injuries and distress after thousands of fans charged at the security barriers in front of the stage. [13] At shows in Cleveland and Kansas City fans broke past police lines to climb onto the stage. In both cases calm was only restored after Beatles press officer Derek Taylor threatened to cancel the rest of the concert. [14]

In Montreal a newspaper reported that Ringo Starr had been threatened. Starr later speculated it was due to antisemitism and an incorrect assumption that he was Jewish . [15] In light of the threat, the Beatles left immediately after their Montreal show for Jacksonville, Florida . [15] Due to Hurricane Dora , their flight diverted to Key West , landing at 3:30 am on 9 September. [14] At their hotel, Paul McCartney and John Lennon drank and talked emotionally late into the night. [16] [nb 1]

During their first US visit, Capitol Records planned to record the Beatles' performance on 12 February 1964 at Carnegie Hall , New York City in order to make a live album for US release. The recording did not happen because the American Federation of Musicians refused to grant permission. When the Beatles returned to the US, Capitol still hoped to record and again requested permission of the Federation, this time receiving it. [17] Martin and Capitol's Voyle Gilmore recorded the Beatles performing at the Hollywood Bowl on 23 August 1964. [18] Executives rejected the recording for release due to its poor sound quality. [17] Martin explained the audience's screaming was "like putting a microphone at the end of a 747 jet". [19] The recording remained unreleased until the 1977 album The Beatles at the Hollywood Bowl where it is mixed together with two August 1965 performances. [20]

While the Beatles stayed at Hotel Delmonico in New York City, New York Post writer Al Aronowitz introduced Bob Dylan to them on 28 August. [21] The Beatles initially offered Dylan amphetamine pills but he said he preferred "cheap wine". [22] Dylan suggested they instead smoke marijuana , something the Beatles had only tried a few times before. Starr, not knowing he was supposed to share it, smoked the entire marijuana joint himself. [21] After rolling and smoking another joint, the Beatles laughed continuously while Dylan answered the constantly ringing telephone in the band's hotel suite saying, "This is Beatlemania here." [23] McCartney became convinced he had discovered the meaning of life and asked Beatles roadie Mal Evans to write down his thoughts. McCartney recalls reading the paper the next morning with it saying "There are Seven Levels". [24]

Lennon recalled the meeting in 1970: "When I met Dylan I was quite dumbfounded. I'm pretty much a fan type myself, in a way; I stopped being a 'fan' when I started doing it myself. I never went collecting people's autographs or any of that jive. But if I dig somebody, I really dig them." [25] Dylan recalled in 1971: "I just kept it to myself that I really dug them. Everybody else thought they were for the teenyboppers , that they were gonna pass right away. But it was obvious to me that they had staying power." [26]

We don't like it if there's any segregation, because we're not used to it, y'know. We've never played to segregated audiences before, and it just seems mad to me. It may seem right to some people, but to us, it just seems a bit daft. [27]

– Paul McCartney , interviewed by Larry Kane , 20 August 1964

The Beatles experienced difficulty in leaving the George Washington Hotel in Jacksonville. Around two dozen police officers escorted the group past 500 fans. It took 15 minutes for the group to travel the 25 feet from the hotel elevator to their waiting limousine. [28]

In July 1964, US President Lyndon Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act prohibiting discrimination "on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin". [29] The Beatles, opposed to racial segregation , remained concerned that their upcoming Jacksonville, Florida show could still be segregated. On 6 September – a week before the show – they issued a press statement saying, "We will not appear unless Negroes are allowed to sit anywhere". [29] The following day Jacksonville's daily paper, The Florida Times-Union , released an editorial disparaging the Beatles. Entitled "Beatlemania Is A Mark Of A Frenetic Era", the piece described the group as "a passing fad, whose appearance on the scene was perfectly timed and fitted to the mores, morals and ideals of a fast-paced, troubled time." [29] Though the editorial did not mention segregation, Beatles writer Bill DeMain interprets it as arguing that the Beatles were not intelligent enough to comment on social issues. [29]

The Beatles performed at Gator Bowl Stadium on 11 September after receiving assurance from the promoter that the audience would not be segregated. [14] Barry Miles writes that there were never plans to segregate the show. [30] The Beatles initially refused to go on stage until newsreel and television cameramen were forced from the arena. [31]

During the tour, Charlie Finley , a millionaire who owned the Kansas City Athletics baseball team, [32] offered the Beatles a large sum to perform an extra show in Kansas City . [2] [nb 2] With few days off, the Beatles rejected the initial offer, accepting only after it increased to $150,000 (equivalent to $ 1.5   million in 2023 ), a higher figure than any American artist had ever received for a single show. [35]

On 17 September, the Beatles played in Kansas City's Municipal Stadium to around 20,000 spectators, roughly half the stadium's capacity. [34] [32] Breaking with their trend of only playing released material, they covered " Kansas City "/" Hey, Hey, Hey, Hey " to what Beatles historian Mark Lewisohn writes was "an especially uproarious reception". [36] The Thursday night show was a net loss for Finley, though he explained afterwards, "I don't consider it any loss at all. The Beatles were brought here for the enjoyment of the children in this area and watching them last night they had complete enjoyment." [34]

The Beatles performed a charity concert in New York City on 20 September. Titled "An Evening With The Beatles", the show aided the United Cerebral Palsy of New York City and Retarded Infants Services. [37]

I was too young to appreciate it. Who knew the Beatles and their tour of 1964 would be the benchmark for all time? After all, this was just a rock-and-roll group. You could feel the insanity, but you didn't feel the history then. After that experience, almost every other was downhill for me. [38]

– Journalist Ivor Davis, 2003

Writer June Skinner Sawyers describes the tour as "the first major rock-and-roll concert tour in the history of popular music ". [8]

In response to Larry Kane asking if there was anything he cherished about the tour, Lennon replied: "Well, just the whole thing. It's been fantastic. We will probably never do another tour like it. It could never be the same as this one and it's probably something we will remember the rest of our days. It's just been marvelous." [39]

The Beatles returned to North America in 1965 and 1966 . [40]

According to Walter Everett (lead singers appear in parentheses): [3]

• " Twist and Shout " (abbreviated) ( John Lennon ) or " I Saw Her Standing There " ( Paul McCartney )
• " You Can't Do That " (Lennon)
• " All My Loving " (McCartney)
• " She Loves You " (Lennon and McCartney) [nb 3]
• " Things We Said Today " (abbreviated) (McCartney)
• " Roll Over Beethoven " ( George Harrison )
• " Can't Buy Me Love " (McCartney)
• " If I Fell " (Lennon)
• " I Want to Hold Your Hand " (Lennon and McCartney)
• " Boys " ( Ringo Starr )
• " A Hard Day's Night " (Lennon with McCartney)
• " Long Tall Sally " (McCartney) or "Twist and Shout" (Lennon)

During one of the 19 August Daly City shows, the Beatles added " Till There Was You " (McCartney). On 17 September in Kansas City , they played " Kansas City "/" Hey, Hey, Hey, Hey " (McCartney). [41]

According to Mark Lewisohn [42] and Walter Everett: [18]

• List of the Beatles' live performances
• ↑ After Lennon's murder , McCartney commemorated their Key West night in his 1982 song " Here Today ". [16]
• ↑ The Beatles Anthology writes the initial offer was $60,000, [33] while author Barry Miles writes it was $100,000 [34] (equivalent to $600,000 and $1000,000 in 2023, respectively).
• ↑ Some shows omitted "She Loves You". [6]

Related Research Articles

The Beatles were an English rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The core lineup of the band comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are widely regarded as the most influential band of all time and were integral to the development of 1960s counterculture and the recognition of popular music as an art form. Rooted in skiffle, beat and 1950s rock 'n' roll, their sound incorporated elements of classical music and traditional pop in innovative ways. The band also explored music styles ranging from folk and Indian music to psychedelia and hard rock. As pioneers in recording, songwriting and artistic presentation, the Beatles revolutionized many aspects of the music industry and were often publicized as leaders of the era's youth and sociocultural movements.

Beatles for Sale is the fourth studio album by the English rock band the Beatles. It was released on 4 December 1964 in the United Kingdom on EMI's Parlophone label. The album marked a departure from the upbeat tone that had characterised the Beatles' previous work, partly due to the band's exhaustion after a series of tours that had established them as a worldwide phenomenon in 1964. Beatles for Sale was not widely available in the US until 1987, when the Beatles' catalogue was standardised for release on CD. Instead, eight of the album's fourteen tracks appeared on Capitol Records' concurrent release, Beatles '65 , issued in North America only.

Help! is the fifth studio album by the English rock band the Beatles and the soundtrack to their film of the same name. It was released on 6 August 1965 by Parlophone. Seven of the fourteen songs, including the singles "Help!" and "Ticket to Ride", appeared in the film and take up the first side of the vinyl album. The second side includes "Yesterday", the most-covered song ever written. The album was met with favourable critical reviews and topped the Australian, German, British and American charts.

" Hey Jude " is a song by the English rock band the Beatles that was released as a non-album single in August 1968. It was written by Paul McCartney and credited to the Lennon–McCartney partnership. The single was the Beatles' first release on their Apple record label and one of the "First Four" singles by Apple's roster of artists, marking the label's public launch. "Hey Jude" was a number-one hit in many countries around the world and became the year's top-selling single in the UK, the US, Australia and Canada. Its nine-week run at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 tied the all-time record in 1968 for the longest run at the top of the US charts, a record it held for nine years. It has sold approximately eight million copies and is frequently included on music critics' lists of the greatest songs of all time.

" Hello, Goodbye " is a song by the English rock band the Beatles, written by Paul McCartney and credited to Lennon–McCartney. Backed by John Lennon's "I Am the Walrus", it was issued as a non-album single in November 1967, the group's first release since the death of their manager, Brian Epstein. The single was commercially successful around the world, topping charts in the United States, the United Kingdom, France, West Germany, Canada, Australia and several other countries.

" Things We Said Today " is a song by the English rock band the Beatles, written by Paul McCartney and credited to Lennon–McCartney. It was released in July 1964 as the B-side to the single "A Hard Day's Night" and on their album of the same name, except in North America, where it appeared on the album Something New . The band recorded the song twice for BBC Radio and regularly performed an abbreviated version during their 1964 North American tour.

" You're Going to Lose That Girl " is a song by the English rock band the Beatles from their 1965 album and film Help! Credited to the Lennon–McCartney songwriting partnership, the song was mostly written by John Lennon with contributions from Paul McCartney.

" All My Loving " is a song by the English rock band the Beatles, from their second UK album With the Beatles (1963). It was written by Paul McCartney, and produced by George Martin. Though not officially released as a single in the United Kingdom or the United States, the song drew considerable radio airplay, prompting EMI to issue it as the title track of an EP. The song was released as a single in Canada, where it became a number one hit. The Canadian single was imported into the US in enough quantities to peak at number 45 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in April 1964.

" I'm a Loser " is a song by the English rock band the Beatles, originally released on Beatles for Sale in the United Kingdom, later released on Beatles '65 in the United States, both in 1964. Written by John Lennon, and credited to Lennon–McCartney, it was considered for release as a single until Lennon wrote "I Feel Fine".

" Hey Bulldog " is a song by the English rock band the Beatles released on their 1969 soundtrack album Yellow Submarine . Credited to Lennon–McCartney, but written primarily by John Lennon, it was finished in the recording studio by both Lennon and Paul McCartney. The song was recorded during the filming of the "Lady Madonna" promotional film, and, with "Lady Madonna", is one of the few Beatles songs based on a piano riff.

" I'm Down " is a song by the English rock band the Beatles, written by Paul McCartney and credited to Lennon–McCartney. It was released on a non-album single as the B-side to "Help!" in July 1965. The song originated in McCartney's attempt to write a song in the style of Little Richard, whose song "Long Tall Sally" the band regularly covered.

" She's a Woman " is a song by the English rock band the Beatles, written primarily by Paul McCartney and credited to Lennon–McCartney. It was released on a non-album single in November 1964 as the B-side to "I Feel Fine", except in North America, where it also appeared on the album Beatles '65 , released in December 1964. Though it was the B-side, it charted in the US, reaching number four on the Billboard Hot 100 and number eight on the Cash Box Top 100 . The song originated in McCartney's attempt to write a song in the style of Little Richard. The lyrics include the first reference to drugs in a Beatles song, with the line "turn(s) me on" referring to marijuana.

" Kansas City " is a rhythm and blues song written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller in 1952. First recorded by Little Willie Littlefield the same year, as "K. C. Loving", the song later became a chart-topping hit when it was recorded by Wilbert Harrison in 1959. "Kansas City" is one of Leiber and Stoller's "most recorded tunes, with more than three hundred versions", with several appearing in the R&B and pop record charts.

In His Own Write is a 1964 nonsense book by the English musician John Lennon. Lennon's first book, it consists of poems and short stories ranging from eight lines to three pages, as well as illustrations.

The Beatles staged their second concert tour of the United States in the late summer of 1965. At the peak of American Beatlemania, they played a mixture of outdoor stadiums and indoor arenas, with historic concerts at Shea Stadium in New York and the Hollywood Bowl. Typically of the era, the tour was a "package" presentation, with several artists on the bill. The Beatles played for just 30 minutes at each show, following sets by support acts such as Brenda Holloway and the King Curtis Band, Cannibal & the Headhunters, and Sounds Incorporated.

" I'll Be on My Way " is a song written by Paul McCartney, credited to Lennon–McCartney, first released on 26 April 1963 by Billy J. Kramer with the Dakotas as the B-side of their hit debut single "Do You Want to Know a Secret", a song also written by Lennon–McCartney. The single reached number two in the UK charts while "From Me to You" by the Beatles occupied the number 1 position. The Beatles recorded a version of the song on 4 April 1963 for BBC radio, first released on the 1994 compilation album Live at the BBC .

" Christmas Time (Is Here Again) " is a Christmas song by the English rock band the Beatles, originally recorded for their fifth fan club Christmas record, Christmas Time Is Here Again! (1967). One of the few Beatles songs credited to all four members of the band, it consists of a blues based backing track as well as double-tracked vocals sung by them, George Martin and Victor Spinetti. The lyrics are mostly made up of the song's title refrain, repeated across nine verses.

" Eight Days a Week " is a song by the English rock band the Beatles. It was written by Paul McCartney and John Lennon based on McCartney's original idea. It was released in December 1964 on the album Beatles for Sale , except in the United States and Canada, where it was first issued as a single A-side in February 1965 before appearing on the album Beatles VI . The song was the band's seventh number 1 single on the Billboard Hot 100 , a run of US chart success achieved in just over a year. The single was also number 1 in Canada, Belgium and the Netherlands.

" Komm, gib mir deine Hand " and " Sie liebt dich " are German-language versions of "I Want to Hold Your Hand" and "She Loves You", respectively, by the English rock band the Beatles. Both John Lennon and Paul McCartney wrote the original English songs, credited to the Lennon–McCartney partnership, while Camillo Felgen wrote the translated German lyrics. Felgen is credited under several of his pen names. In places, his translations take major liberties with the original lyrics. Odeon Records released the German versions together as a non-album single in West Germany in March 1964. Swan Records released " Sie liebt dich ", along with the original "She Loves You" B-side "I'll Get You", as a single in the United States in May 1964. Capitol included " Komm, gib mir deine Hand " as the closing track of the 1964 North American-only album Something New .

• ↑ Lewisohn 2000 , p.   144 : two weeks; Kahn 2004 , p.   143 : most well known group.
• 1 2 3 4 Kahn 2004 , p.   143.
• 1 2 3 4 5 6 Everett 2001 , p.   250.
• ↑ Wiener 1992 , p.   22 , quoted in Everett 2001 , p.   250
• ↑ Lewisohn 1988 , pp.   47–48.
• 1 2 Lewisohn 2000 , p.   169.
• ↑ Gunderson 2013 , pp.   22–31.
• 1 2 3 Sawyers 2006 , p.   69.
• ↑ Kane 2003 , p.   22.
• ↑ Kane 2003 , p.   23.
• ↑ Gould 2007 , p.   249.
• ↑ Everett 2001 , p.   250–251.
• ↑ Spitz 2005 , p.   524.
• 1 2 3 Lewisohn 2000 , p.   171.
• 1 2 The Beatles 2000 , p.   153.
• 1 2 Lewisohn 1988 , p.   48.
• 1 2 Everett 2001 , p.   251.
• ↑ Spitz 2005 , pp.   526–527.
• ↑ Lewisohn 1988 , pp.   48, 62.
• 1 2 Jackson 2015 , p.   13.
• ↑ Brown & Gaines 1983 , quoted in Jackson 2015 , p.   13
• ↑ Jackson 2015 , p.   14 : laughed continuously after rolling another joint; The Beatles 2000 , p.   158 : "This is Beatlemania here."
• ↑ Miles 1998 , p.   189 , quoted in Jackson 2015 , p.   14
• ↑ The Beatles 2000 , p.   158.
• ↑ Scaduto, Anthony (16 March 1972). "Bob Dylan: An Intimate Biography, Part Two" . Rolling Stone .
• ↑ Kane 2004 , p.   152.
• ↑ Miles 2007 , p.   144.
• 1 2 3 4 DeMain 2004 , p.   144.
• ↑ Miles 2007 , p.   145.
• ↑ Miles 2007 , p.   144–145.
• 1 2 "Beatles look like worms in lighted box Thursday" . Lawrence Daily Journal-World . Associated Press. 18 September 1964. p.   5 – via Google News Archive.
• ↑ The Beatles 2000 , p.   157.
• 1 2 3 Miles 2007 , p.   147.
• ↑ The Beatles 2000 , p.   157 : few days off; Miles 2007 , p.   147 : higher than any American artist.
• ↑ Everett 2001 , p.   250 : only released material played; Lewisohn 2000 , p.   171 : played "Kansas City"/"Hey, Hey, Hey, Hey," to uproarious reception.
• ↑ Lewisohn 2000 , p.   172.
• ↑ Kane 2003 , p.   18.
• ↑ Kane 2003 , p.   17.
• ↑ Everett 2001 , p.   306 : 1965 tour; Everett 1999 , p.   70 : 1966 tour.
• ↑ Lewisohn 2000 , pp.   169, 171.
• ↑ Lewisohn 2000 , pp.   168–172.
• The Beatles (2000). The Beatles Anthology . San Francisco: Chronicle Books . ISBN   978-0-8118-2684-6 .
• Brown, Peter; Gaines, Stephen (1983). The Love You Make: An Insider's Story of the Beatles . New York: McGraw Hill.
• DeMain, Bill (2004). "Come Together". In Trynka, Paul (ed.). The Beatles: Ten Years that Shook the World . London: Dorling Kindersley. p.   144. ISBN   0-7566-0670-5 .
• Everett, Walter (1999). The Beatles as Musicians: Revolver through the Anthology . Oxford and New York: Oxford University Press . ISBN   978-0-19-512941-0 . Retrieved 31 March 2014 .
• Everett, Walter (2001). The Beatles As Musicians: The Quarry Men through Rubber Soul . Oxford and New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN   978-0-19-514105-4 . Retrieved 7 March 2021 .
• Gould, Jonathan (2007). Can't Buy Me Love: The Beatles, Britain, and America . New York, NY: Harmony Books. ISBN   978-0-307-35337-5 .
• Gunderson, Chuck (2013). Some Fun Tonight! The Backstage Story of How the Beatles Rocked America: Volume 1: 1964 . Milwaukee, WI: Backbeat Books. ISBN   978-1-4950-6567-5 .
• Jackson, Andrew Grant (2015). 1965: The Most Revolutionary Year in Music . New York, NY: Thomas Dunne Books. ISBN   978-1-250-05962-8 .
• Kahn, Ashley (2004). "Altered States". In Trynka, Paul (ed.). The Beatles: Ten Years that Shook the World . London: Dorling Kindersley. p.   143. ISBN   0-7566-0670-5 .
• Kane, Larry (2003). Ticket to Ride: Inside the Beatles' 1964 Tour that Changed the World . Running Press. ISBN   978-0762415922 .
• Kane, Larry (2004). "Beatles Over America". In Trynka, Paul (ed.). The Beatles: Ten Years that Shook the World . London: Dorling Kindersley. pp.   152–155. ISBN   0-7566-0670-5 .
• Lewisohn, Mark (1988). The Complete Beatles Recording Sessions . New York: Harmony. ISBN   978-0-517-57066-1 .
• Lewisohn, Mark (2000) [1992]. The Complete Beatles Chronicle: The Only Definitive Guide To the Beatles' Entire Career . London: Hamlyn . ISBN   978-0-60060-033-6 .
• Miles, Barry (1998). Paul McCartney: Many Years from Now . London: Secker and Warburg.
• Miles, Barry (2007) [1998]. The Beatles: A Diary – An Intimate Day by Day History . London: Omnibus. ISBN   978-1-847720-825 .
• Sawyers, June Skinner (2006). "Larry Kane". In Sawyers, June Skinner (ed.). Read the Beatles: Classic and New Writings on the Beatles, Their Legacy, and Why They Still Matter . London: Penguin Books . p.   69. ISBN   0-14-303732-3 .
• Spitz, Bob (2005). The Beatles: The Biography . Little Brown. ISBN   978-0-316-80352-6 .
• Wiener, Allen J. (1992). The Beatles Ultimate Recording Guide . New York: Facts on File.
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Watch CBS News

The Beatles' 1964 North American Tour

January 28, 2014 / 6:00 AM EST / CBS New York

In February 1964, after finally achieving a number-one hit in America, the Fab Four came to the United States with high hopes, performing on the widely popular Ed Sullivan Show both in New York City and Miami Beach and playing concerts at Carnegie Hall and the Washington Coliseum. In just 15 short days, the Beatles conquered America.

On the heels of the successful Sullivan shows, Beatles manager Brian Epstein and Norman Weiss of New York's General Artists Corporation drew up an ambitious plan to present the Beatles to America's teenagers in a series of concerts that would crisscross the nation. The group would play in L.A.'s Hollywood Bowl, Colorado's Red Rocks Amphitheatre, venues from Chicago to New Orleans, Boston to Jacksonville.

MORE 'CBS NEWS 50 YEARS LATER: THE BEATLES AT THE ED SULLIVAN THEATER '

Plans were nixed for the Beatles to appear at Los Angeles' cavernous 80,000-seat Coliseum, a show GAC wanted Disneyland to partner with, and the East Coast's equivalent, Freedomland, where Weiss suggested three shows daily over a three-day period!

All told, the first official tour of North America would have the group play a staggering 32 shows in 26 venues in 24 cities in just 33 days. In the end they would walk away richer by $1-million - in today's dollars, about $7.5-million. GAC's Weiss marveled, "In the more than 15 years that I have been in this business, I do not know of any attraction that has come close to this sort of money in so short a tour."

PHOTO GALLERY: VIEW RARE BEATLES PHOTOGRAPHS FROM "SOME FUN TONIGHT"

For talents like Frank Sinatra or Judy Garland, promoters were accustomed to paying appearance fees of $10,000 to $15,000 ($75 - $112,000 today). They were shocked to learn it would take $25,000, $30,000 or even $40,000 in guarantees ($150 - $300,000 now), plus a percentage of the gate. But each was eager to cash in on Beatlemania.

During the tour, the group encountered total chaos in every city they played. They endured bomb threats, blackmail plots, teenagers who infiltrated their hotels dressed as maids, and even a prediction from a famous astrologer that they would all die in a plane crash.

Elaborate plans were drawn up to transport the Fab Four to hotels and venues. These included the use of ambulances, police paddy wagons, armored trucks, and, in one case an empty fish truck. Hucksters as well as managers of fine hotels gathered up bed linens, pillowcases and even the carpet the Beatles walked on to be cut and sold off to fans that were eager to get their hands on anything the Beatles touched.

Perhaps no musical act before or since will ever rival the Beatles on their groundbreaking tour of 1964. John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr would not only leave an indelible impression on their fans in the United States and Canada, but also leave the continent with devotees hungering for more.

________________________________________

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The Beatles Take America, 1964

John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr posed in a portrait on a black backdrop in January 1964.

Two days after their U.S. TV debut on “The Ed Sullivan Show,” the Beatles played for 8,000 fans at their first American concert, at the Coliseum in Washington, D.C., on February 11, 1964. Ticket price: $3.

Stan Wayman The LIFE Picture Collection/Shutterstock

Written By: Ben Cosgrove

When John, Paul, George and Ringo first made it across the pond in 1964 to play before their adoring, screaming fans in the States—including, famously, performances on The Ed Sullivan Show that mark, for many people, the true beginning of rock and roll’s British Invasion—LIFE photographers were there to capture the Liverpool lads’ wry spirit, their charm and their youth. (Were they really ever that young?)

Below is a short selection of pictures from 1964, when a quartet of mop-topped Brits landed on America’s shores and changed the pop-culture landscape forever.

John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr posed in a portrait on a black backdrop in January 1964. John Dominis The LIFE Picture Collection/Shutterstock

Two days after their U.S. TV debut on “The Ed Sullivan Show,” the Beatles played for 8,000 fans at their first American concert, at the Coliseum in Washington, D.C., on February 11, 1964. Ticket price: $3. Stan Wayman The LIFE Picture Collection/Shutterstock

The Beatles joked and smoked at a press conference in August 1964 at the start of their U.S. tour. Bill Ray The LIFE Picture Collection/Shutterstock

The Beatles waved to fans as they arrived at the Los Angeles airport in August 1964 for a press conference at the start of their second American tour. Bill Ray The LIFE Picture Collection/Shutterstock

Police held back a crowd of fans at the Los Angeles airport in August 1964. Bill Ray The LIFE Picture Collection/Shutterstock

At Beatles concerts, like this American show in 1964, screaming crowds often drowned out the band. Ralph Morse The LIFE Picture Collection/Shutterstock

John, Paul, George and Ringo in a (very, very cold) Miami swimming pool in February 1964. John Loengard The LIFE Picture Collection/Shutterstock

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The Beatles live: Washington Coliseum, Washington, DC

The Beatles’ first US concert was watched by a crowd of 8,092 fans at the Washington Coliseum in Washington, DC.

The band had traveled from New York to Washington, DC early in the day by rail, as an East Coast snowstorm had caused all flights to be cancelled.

A special sleeper carriage was attached to the Congressman, the Pennsylvania Railroad express train. The carriage was called The King George, and was already full with press people by the time The Beatles boarded.

Originally, we were going to fly to Washington, but, because of the heavy snow storm that I was told was coming, I advised Brian Epstein to make special arrangements to get a special train to take us to Washington. We went down to Washington and had a lot of fun on the train but we almost got killed when we got off the train. Some 10,000 kids had broken through the barriers. I remember being pinned against a locomotive on the outside, and feeling the life going out of me. I said to myself, ‘My God! Murray the K dies with an English group!’ George looked at me and said, ‘Isn’t this fun?’ I did my show that night direct from their dressing room.

Upon arrival at Washington’s Union Station The Beatles were greeted by 2,000 fans who braved the eight inches of snow on the ground. They gave a press conference before visiting WWDC, which had been the first US radio station to play a Beatles record.

The group and their entourage checked in at the Shoreham Hotel, where they took the entire seventh floor to avoid fans. One family refused to be relocated so the hotel staff cut off the hot water, electricity and central heating, telling them there was a power failure and they had to move.

The Beatles’ concert that night was at the Washington Coliseum, a boxing arena. Upon their arrival at the venue the group held a press conference.

Also on the bill at the Coliseum were The Chiffons and Tommy Roe. However, The Chiffons were unable to make it due to the previous day’s snowstorm. Instead, the opening acts were Jay & The Americans, The Righteous Brothers and Tommy Roe.

The Beatles took to the stage at 8.31pm, and performed 12 songs: ‘Roll Over Beethoven’ , ‘From Me To You’ , ‘I Saw Her Standing There’ , ‘This Boy’ , ‘All My Loving’ , ‘I Wanna Be Your Man’ , ‘Please Please Me’ , ‘Till There Was You’ , ‘She Loves You’ , ‘I Want To Hold Your Hand’ , ‘Twist And Shout’ and ‘Long Tall Sally’ .

The group were performing in the round, and Ringo Starr ’s drum riser was turned 180 degrees after the third song by Mal Evans , to allow the audience behind them to watch the performance. This was repeated again after I Wanna Be Your Man, and following She Loves You they turned 45 degrees.

In addition to this somewhat awkward set-up, George Harrison’s microphone wasn’t working during the opening song, and he was given a faulty replacement. It didn’t dampen the audience’s appreciation, however; they responded with typical screams of Beatlemania, causing one of the 362 police officers present to block his ears with bullets.

Many of the fans pelted The Beatles with jelly beans, after a New York newspaper had reported The Beatles discussing their liking for them.

That night, we were absolutely pelted by the fuckin’ things. They don’t have soft jelly babies there; they have hard jelly beans. To make matters worse, we were on a circular stage, so they hit us from all sides. Imagine waves of rock-hard little bullets raining down on your from the sky. It’s a bit dangerous, you know, ’cause if a jelly bean, travelling about 50 miles an hour through the air, hits you in the eye, you’re finished. You’re blind aren’t you? We’ve never liked people throwing stuff like that. We don’t mind them throwing streamers, but jelly beans are a bit dangerous, you see! Every now and again, one would hit a string on my guitar and plonk off a bad note as I was trying to play.

Brian Epstein had allowed CBS to film The Beatles’ performance, which was shown by the National General Corporation in a telecast in US cinemas on 14 and 15 March 1964. The performance has since been released on DVD, and extracts were included in Anthology.

After their performance The Beatles attended a reception at the British Embassy, at the invitation of Lady Ormsby-Gore. They gave out raffle prizes – signed copies of Meet The Beatles! – at the end of a dance to benefit the National Association for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, and mingled with the assembled dignitaries.

However, they left in disgust after one of the guests cut off a lock of Ringo’s hair from behind his left ear. The Beatles walked out and told Brian Epstein never to subject them to such an occasion again.

People were sort of touching us as we walked past, that kind of thing. Wherever we went we were supposed to be not normal and we were supposed to put up with all sorts of s**t from lord mayors and their wives and be touched and pawed like A Hard Day’s Night only a million more times. At the American Embassy, the British Embassy in Washington, or wherever it was, some bloody animal cut Ringo’s hair, in the middle of… I walked out of that. Swearing at all of them and I just left in the middle of it.

Also on this day...

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Latest Comments

To see clips of this historic concert is pure heaven as The Beatles are showered in adoration from their newly cultivated American fans. But… when is Apple Corps. going to obtain use of the pristine CBS master videotape of this entire show for dvd release?! You can see a short tantalizing clip of it in Anthology and it looks like it was caught on camera just yesterday it’s so crip and clear. I’d lay down the money for it in a heartbeat so come on folks at Apple, please get on this!

Neither The Chiffons or Tommy Roe performed at this show. Both were unable to make it because of the massive snowstorm the day before.

The only originally scheduled act to show up were The Caravelles. Also opening up that night were Jay & The Americans and The Righteous Brothers.

Funny; Tommy Roe seems to remember it and has talked about it in many interviews over the years. (And, no – he’s not talking about the UK tour the previous year. He mentions that and then talks about the DC concert). Example:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/music/the-beatles-first-us-concert-an-oral-history-of-the-day-the-fab-four-conquered-dc/2014/02/10/23f1042a-9010-11e3-84e1-27626c5ef5fb_story.html?utm_term=.fbaae116f17a

Are you sure about Tommy Roe? I must say I’ve never heard that Jay & the Americans or the Righteous Brothers were among the opening acts. The Chiffons, Tommy Roe and the Caravelles yes, though.

Here’s another link. Now, let’s end this stuff…. https://web.archive.org/web/20220212225311/https://www.houstonchronicle.com/life/columnists/hoffman/article/Tommy-Roe-remembers-Beatles-first-U-S-concert-5222415.php

WWDC was not the first US radio station to play a Beatles record. That honor goes to Chicago’s WLS & legendary DJ Dick Biondi, who aired an original Vee-Jay (with the mis-spelled ‘Beattles’) pressing of “Please Please Me” on his 9-Midnight show soon after its original US release in early 1963. It even made the local charts, on the WLS ‘Silver Dollar Survey’ (Biondi was also the featured DJ on that week’s survey).

For me, the weekend that the Beatles landed in the USA was very personal for more than the usual reasons. In retrospect the entire affair remains bittersweet because I lost a family member. For two months the U.S. had remained in mourning after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy a few weeks earlier on November 22, 1963. Although I was a bit too young at the time to realize the full effects of what was happening in America. I now understand that the death of JFK meant also the death of a dream for much of the youth of the age. Shock and disbelief were the initial reactions of all, followed by a new dark paranoia for much of the newly disaffected youth, a fear fueled by disgust and distrust, and cold uncertainty. On Friday, February 7, 1964, there seemed to be some relief on the way as I watched the Fab Four (on our small black and white TV set in Raceland, Kentucky) land in America. For weeks I had been seeing ads on TV stating that “The Beatles Are Coming!” even though I had no idea what a “Beatle” was. The Fab Four touched down in America, launching the “British Invasion,” all three networks covered their frenzied arrival at JFK Airport where over thousands of fans (estimates run between 3,000 to 4,000) smiled, waved, swooned, and screamed. Many held signs professing their undying love, others offered tokens of love letters, candy, flowers, and photos. It was real and genuine hysteria, and not a publicity stunt, making it a true media event that was also real, unlike much of today’s scripted “reality” shows and staged events. It stands as an historical day not just for music, but culturally for the way that all things English would affect the US youth. Accompanying them was producer Phil Spector who would later work both with them on LET IT BE and with John for some solo material; and Brian Epstein, the group’s personal business manager and impresario who taken them out of the sweaty, gritty beer-halls of Germany and Liverpool and groomed them for the world stage by making good on his promise to take the lads to the States after they landed their first US #1 hit. The brisk sales of “I Want To Hold Your Hand” helped to make it all possible. They made a few humorous remarks to the press and were whisked away to their hotel for the remaining day. On the following morning of Saturday, February 8, 1964, a televised press conference was held with THE BEATLES in the Baroque Room at New York’s Plaza Hotel during which the lads’ warm personalities playfully and quick-wittedly quipped and joked, helping to charm their way into the hearts of their interviewers and America at large. Later, they rehearsed (un-televised) for their first of two consecutively scheduled Sunday night headline appearances on the Ed Sullivan Show. That same Saturday morning, my grandfather John Milt Davidson Sr. did not wake up for breakfast. Grandma (beside him in the photo) had died just before I was born so he had been staying with us for a while. My Mother checked on him and had to tell my Dad that he was unresponsive and cold to the touch. In a panic, Dad rushed into the bedroom where Grandpa slept and realized that his father and namesake had passed away quietly in his sleep after having turned 84 on January 22. Oblivious to what was happening, I was quickly pushed in front of the TV while they called an ambulance and tried to deal with the situation without upsetting me. I recall being absorbed by the Beatles’ interviews, but when a big white truck pulled into the driveway and two men dressed in all white carried a white cot with a white sheet into Grandpa’s bedroom only to bring it back out with him on it a few moments later covered by the white sheet, I was shocked and ran into my Mother’s arms. I asked my Dad “Where are they taking Grandpa?” and I’ll never forget his red-eyed answer: “They’re taking him to heaven, son.” I immediately thought that the men must be angels and I asked my parents if I could go with them. Dad replied, “You’ll see him again someday if you stay a good boy.” Grandpa had been especially fond of me. At Christmas he would hide an extra bag of nuts in the top of his bedroom closet along with an old glass pop bottle to crack them open with. He and Dad would take turns reading to me and sometimes we’d just listen to the radio together if there was nothing on the tube, an event Mom and Dad often enjoyed as well having been raised on radio themselves. That day is now and forever burned into my memory, but it would be years later (I wasn’t quite three yet with my birthday being in May) before I realized the symbolism of it all: my Grandpa’s generation was giving way to the next. Now, 50 years later, Mom and Dad are gone too, and only Paul and Ringo remain of the mop tops, but I must say that they ALL had a profound effect on this music lover. Thanks for letting me share my memories.

WRONG! There are (3) Beatles still alive: Pete Best, (drummer 1960-62), Paul and Ringo.

Some notes to this historic first US Beatles concert. There are a multitude of alternative footage available (well, sort of), so having put it all together at home I now have a very different mix of the film, with less audience and more Beatles. 1.Upon entering the stage we can see Paul unfolding a set list and leaving it on top of one of the amps. One of the few times I have seen that. Holland 64 is another, and I think Chicago 65. 2. No song is introduced by John. No wonder many Americans would think of Paul as the band leader later on. 3. It´so wonderfully amateurish. Spinning the drum set around several times is terrible enough, having the musicians do it themselves is just rude. It happens after I saw her standing there, I wanna be your man, She loves you and Twist and shout. 4. When they moved the drums after She loves you, they didn´t bother changing the amps, so I want to hold your hand is played with their amps pointed to another direction. Before the song, Ringo drums a short roll. I don´t think I ever heard him do that between songs at any other time, he always waited for the next number. 5. During All my loving, Paul and George are on the “wrong” side of one another, compared to later shows. 6. Paul refers to Ringo as “our drummer”, which makes it sound like he was a hired extra. It happened many times. 7. During several songs, you can see girls with microphones wired to a reel-to-reel tape recorder. Would be nice to hear those recordings today! 8. Pauls last intro; “We´ve already overrun our time”; yeah sure, like the audience would have been unhappy with another 6 songs! I wonder who decided on the group´s playing time, Beatles, Epstein or the promotor? All in all, it is great that the show was filmed and preserved as it was. A very enjoyable show.

I listen to footage from this concert and you can hear the bass bouncing off the back of the hall!! It makes you realise all the footage we have of early Beatles is really not representative of their live sound. Mostly we get from the PA, ie vocal and a bit of guitar. It’s a shame we can never hear that cavern sound with the big booming bass from the “coffins” built by Adrian Barber. Washington is the nearest I can hear, anybody got any suggestions? Can anybody eq some footage to bring out the bass?

I love the way Paul’s bass kicks in at the beginning of Roll over Beethoven and just drives it heavy. More bass and drums and their vocals are spot on perfect live.

Sorry, I am from Asunción, Paraguay and I do not write english very well, but I want to ask you a question about the Concert at the Washington Coliseum, I read that at the Concert performs Jay and the Americans, Tommy Roe and The R. Brothers, but, what happened with The Caravelles? an English duo that I read in some place, that the girls performs at the Washington Coliseum with the others covers, That it is true?

How was the bald guy helping Ringo and the boys move their gear around? That dude deserves a medal.

I was just remembering the Beatles today and was telling my husband that I saw the Beatles in D.C. in 1964. For a moment he didn’t believe me… He said hardly anyone has seen the Beatles as they didn’t perform for long, especially in the States. Well, I was 10 and living in Bethesda, Maryland. I’d see the Beatles on the Ed Sullivan show and owned the Meet the Beatles album, their first. My mother bought me a ticket and dropped me off. I was pretty independent. Now days, no mother would drop her barely teenage 10-year old daughter off to a concert. But…she trusted me and there I was with a zillion other teenage girls. I swore that I would not be screaming as I had heard about the fans in the UK screaming. Yet, as the Beatles ran out from the underground access onto the floor of the Stadium, every girl in the entire place stood up and started screaming and we all screamed throughout the entire concert!! Non stop screaming and yelling the Beatle of choice. I yelled “George, George, George”, hoping he would hear my cries coming through all of the other cries. Quite an experience I’ll never remember.

I was there too and have the ticket stub to prove it! I was in Row 11. And my Dad dropped me off along with my girlfriend. You’re right that the screaming was non-stop. I had puschased 2 tickets to the show a couple weeks before the concert based on a small ad in The Washington Post and only hearing I Want To Hold Your Hand. Once they were on Ed Sullivan you couldn’t get a ticket. As a huge Beatles fan I attended subsequent concerts in the U.S. including the famous one at Shea Stadium. Unfortunately, I was always in the “nosebleed” seats after that but excited to be there. I now proudly use a coffe mug that says “I Was There” along with the date, the venue, and a list of the songs they performed. Great times!

I’m interested in finding out more about when The Ormsby Gore Family, Alice Ormsby Gore’s Family Hosted The Beatles At The British Embassy in Feburary 1964

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THE PHOTOGRAPHY

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Mania Days, The Beatles 1964 US Tour

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' Mania Days is a gift of a Beatles book. Its contents are as gilt-edged as its gold-leafed pages. It's something to treat yourself to and to treasure.' – Record Collector

‘Right across the AM band there was a welcome of such volume and sincerity that The Beatles reeled, bedazzled by their own reflections in the airwaves. On almost every station disc jockeys were screaming, "Beatles, Beatles, Beatles!”’ – Derek Taylor

Mania Days is a must-have book for Beatles aficionados and anyone interested in the transformative power of music and popular culture. The final 100 copies are now available in a new and updated binding and slipcase, specially designed to commemorate 60 years of The Beatles in the USA and 50 years of Genesis Publications in 2024.

'Every day Curt Gunther, drawing deeply on a cigarette, his wise and cunning eyes boring into mine, would say: "Derek, we gotta have some special pictures, something original."' - Derek Taylor

'Curt Gunther was up early that morning and out looking for a doorway. He knew the one he wanted... "I want the four of them in there. That's the picture I want to make. Then I die happy."' - Derek Taylor

'Brian's decree that no press were to accompany us on the chartered Lockheed Electra was already being challenged by the star of the press gang, Los Angeles freelance Curt Gunther, who was to become my closest friend in America.' - Derek Taylor

Mania Days is an essential complete photo-documentary record of life on the road with The Beatles - a unique opportunity to board their chartered Lockheed Electra jet and join them on their historic travels across America.

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• Binding: Quarter-bound in black Italian leather
• Box: Housed in a lithographed slipcase

An essential photo-documentary record of life on the road with The Beatles. Board their Lockheed Electra and join them on their historic travels across America.

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The Beatles invaded Cincinnati 60 years ago today

CINCINNATI (WXIX) - Pandemonium, mass hysteria and fandom filled the air in the former Cincinnati Gardens stadium on Aug. 27, 1964, as the legendary rock band, The Beatles, performed in front of 14,000 screaming fans.

Tuesday marks the 60th anniversary since the Fab Four - John Lennon, George Harrison, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr - took the stage. It was a remarkable moment for the City of Cincinnati - to even be considered for invasion.

During the 60s, The Beatles reached a new height in their career, especially after their appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show.

In August of 1964, the band kicked off their North America Tour - 34 days, 24 cities, 32 shows and Cincinnati was their eighth performance.

The concert was a sold-out show, costing the lucky golden ticket winners a whopping $5.50 for 29 minutes of their time.

Barb Brooks, of Cincinnati, was just 11 years old when she saw the Fab Four live, making the hike from Norwood to Cincinnati Gardens.

“I was wearing yellow shorts, a Beatles t-shirt and carrying a Beatles beach towel,” Brooks recalled. “We waited hours for the doors to open, hanging in the back of the Gardens to see them as their limo pulled in. Several fans tried to sneak in.”

When The Beatles took the stage, all she heard were screams from thousands.

“... The arena erupted in this high-pitched scream that took my hearing for days after it [seemed],” she added.

It was a side effect of “Beatlemania.”

Ellen Everman, of Northern Kentucky, was 13 when she attended the show with seven of her friends.

“We were 10 rows back and we had the most expensive tickets,” Everman told FOX19 NOW.

She paid $8 for something Beatles fans would kill for.

“Eight dollars was a lot of money back then,” Everman explained. “We raised money [for the tickets] by selling greeting cards in our neighborhoods.”

Despite being close to the stage, the Northern Kentucky native said the sound was not very good - not because of the poor quality sound system, but because of the shrill constant screams.

“If it [the show] went on any longer, we wouldn’t have any hearing,” she said. “It was like a tsunami of sound.”

The Beatles played 12 songs that night, opening with Twist and Shout , followed by Roll Over Beethoven in between, and shutting down the house with Long Tall Sally .

“This band changed everything - it changed the culture, totally changed music,” Everman added. “They were the beginning of the second British invasion... It was an invasion of love.”

How the Queen City secured The Beatles

“WSAI Good Guys” was plastered on a banner at the back of the stage that August night, referring to the Cincinnati radio station AM1360.

The “Good Guys” of the station were former Hamilton County Auditor Dusty Rhodes, Paul Purtan, Mark Edwards, Steve Kirk and Bobby Harper.

In 2014, Rhodes told FOX19 NOW’s Kara Foxx that the group sent a telegram to London, asking that The Beatles play in Cincinnati. Soon after that, each Good Guy pitched in $5,000 each to pay the $25,000 appearance fee.

“I don’t think this moment’s gonna be replicated any ways similar, ever again,” Rhodes told Foxx 10 years ago.

However, The Beatles did come back in 1966, performing at Crosley Field.

Remembering The Beatles

In honor of the anniversary, Cincinnati’s 60s/70s rock band, Haymarket Riot Band, is playing at The Redmoor Theater tonight, performing mainly Beatles songs. The performance will feature a special guest band, Backbeat.

Like how it was 60 years ago, tickets are being sold for $5.50 (general admission). The event starts at 6:30 p.m. and ends at 10:30 p.m.

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September 5, 2024

Come together: indiana state fairgrounds take guests back in time to the beatles' 1964 concert, samantha horton.

Artist Corey Heimann stands next to a permanent art installation of the Fab Four at the Indiana Farmers Coliseum.

Sixty years ago the Indiana State Fairgrounds vibrated with the jumping and screaming of fans seeing The Beatles perform in the state for the first time. On Tuesday evening the Indiana Farmers Coliseum filled up again, some remembering that day decades ago.

“I was nine years old. Went with my mother and my brother,” Max Colver said.

On September 3, 1964, Beatlemania took over the state fairgrounds with the Fab Four — Paul, George, John and Ringo — performing two sold out shows to thousands of Hoosiers.

“We were on the floor about three rows from the back, and we barely could see anything,” Clover said, describing standing on his chair to get a glimpse of the band. “The sound quality was horrible, but it didn’t matter, because we were screaming so loud and having such a good time.”

In 1964, tickets were $5 — with inflation that would be about $50 today. To commemorate the event the state fairgrounds charged the $5 price for general admission tickets to the anniversary celebration, which included a replay of the 1964 concert and a Beatles cover band.

The ticket price was one of many things organizers did to commemorate the historical event.

In the lobby of the Coliseum, people gathered around as a new permanent art installation was revealed. Thousands of Rubik’s Cube pieces were arranged to form a portrait of the four band members.

“So this is made up of 2,368 Rubik’s Cubes,” said Cory Heimann, the artist who created the piece.

The Fort Wayne artist described the process of having 15 people work on solving each of the cubes to create the pixels needed for the portrait.

“Each one has to be solved just right to be able to make up this mosaic,” Heimann said.

Heimann said he wanted to bring together the world’s best selling band with one of the world’s best selling toys.

“Getting to combine those two is such a delight,” Hiemann said. “That’s what I get such a kick out of, is finding different ways for art to mix in ways that you don’t expect it.”

On the opposite side of the lobby a line of people waited their turn to walk through an exhibit of Beatles memorabilia, including 1964 concert tickets, photographs and newspaper clippings.

“It means the world to me, because I’ve seen so many people sharing incredible stories,” said Tom Fontaine, the owner of the collection. “They were there and they talk about [it], and I’ve seen heard a couple people saying, ‘That’s so and so.' So they recognize some people in this.”

For many it was a night of coming together and sharing memories, like Max Colver and his son Mike.

Contact WFYI All Things Considered newscaster and reporter Samantha Horton at [email protected] .

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