The Beatles - Live at the Hammersmith Odeon, London (December 10, 1965)

On December 10, 1965, The Beatles performed two concerts at the Odeon Cinema in Hammersmith, London, as part of their final UK tour. The concerts marked the first two of four shows they played in London over two days.

During these performances, The Beatles treated fans to an energetic set comprising 11 songs, including hits such as "I Feel Fine," "Help!," "Yesterday," and "Day Tripper." The setlist also featured lesser-known tracks like "If I Needed Someone" and "Act Naturally."

In addition to their electrifying performances, the day also saw The Beatles receiving accolades from the New Musical Express Readers Poll. The band was honored with awards for Best British Group and Best World Group, while John Lennon was recognized as British Vocal Personality, further cementing their status as musical icons.

 

Behind the Spotlight

by Billy Shepherd and Johnny Dean

Spring was in the air, turning fast towards summer. The year: 1963. And those star-shooting Beatles were getting a real taste of the hectic world of one-nighters, scurrying between dates, learning all the joys and worries of "taking on" different audiences night after night in different parts of the country.

The tour, principally, featured American artists Chris Montez and Tommy Roe. Chris, with his wild on-stage presentations and his hit record "Let's Dance"; Tommy Roe with his more dignified song-selling almost in the Buddy Holly style. In most parts of the country, it was the Beatles who were regarded as being the unknown quantity.

We'd talked to Chris Montez just before the tour started. He said: "For an American, any trip to Britain is important. But the first time here . . . well, it's wildly exciting. But tell me, who are these guys the Beatles? I try to keep up to date with the British scene, but I don't know their work. I dig guys like Cliff Richard and Adam Faith and the others, but first thing I heard at the airport was that I should watch out for the Beatles . . . that they were gonna be real big."

Chris, and Tommy, were soon to find out just HOW big. In fact, on the opening night of the tour. The Beatles, with not-too-much in the way of hits behind them, were definitely there in a supporting role. As had been general practice, the Americans ruled the roost; got all the billing space; were treated as the big stars.

It came to the first house. Audience reaction welled up tremendously as soon as the curtains parted to show the Beatles on stage. There were screams--and not merely for patriotic reasons. Paul blinked in the glare of the arc-lights, turned and grinned happily at the others. They launched into a couple of numbers . . . and the atmosphere became real wild. It was immediate communication. The audience loved them. Arms waved, feet stomped, hands clapped. And that wail of appreciative yells and shouts hit ear-bursting frequencies.

The American visitors did the best they could. But even the status of their hit discs, some of Tommy's having been truly international "biggies", didn't make the right sort of impression. And so the Beatles were changed round in the second show . . . and became stars of the show.

History Making

Though audiences in that provincial theatre didn't realise it, this was really a slice of pop-music history. It was the first thin wedge of British stars against the accepted American domination. We weren't to get the full impact of this for . . . oh, the best part of a year! . . . but it was a step in the right direction.

The Beatles, backstage, were modest about their improved position on the bill. But they couldn't hide their elation. Those nail-biting worries about whether fans outside the Liverpool arena would appreciate their style of music . . . those moments were apparently over. "Hey, we're stars now", said John Lennon. "We've got to start behaving ourselves." Of course, nothing REALLY changed.

And so the tour ploughed on. The receptions, if anything, got bigger and better for the Beatles. Chris Montez and Tommy Roe put in early publicity plugs for the Liverpudlians--mainly through their letters back to the States. And Chris, to his credit, joined Roy Orbison in being thoroughly convinced that the Beatles were sufficiently different from the run-of-the-mill U.S. outfits to make a name for themselves 'cross the Atlantic.

Appearances on radio shows like the mass-audience "Saturday Club" did the Beatles plenty of favours, too. Brian Matthew, one-time producer and host of the show, told us: "We were getting just about everybody in the business on this Saturday slab of pop music . . . all the biggest names in the industry. But I think everybody was impressed with the Beatles on these early dates for the simple reason that they weren't afraid of being individualistic. If they were ever nervous, they certainly didn't let it show. There was a sort of basic good humour coming through in everything they did."

Created Atmosphere

"You could easily be fooled into thinking they were a bit slap-dash and unconcerned about their performance. Maybe that stemmed from the way they looked--though their hair wasn't half as long two years ago as the cartoonists were drawing. But once those boys started in on a number, they gave it one hundred per cent concentration. Even without an audience to perform to, they had this knack of complete communication. In the case of 'Saturday Club', it was communication to members of other groups and other singers. They created an atmosphere. Not always easy, that, in a B.B.C. studio."

And the boys were just as popular whenever they visited the E.M.I. recording studios in Abbey Road, St. John's Wood, North London. Beatlemania struck early on these premises where many top stars had been recorded. The ladies who served cups of tea in the canteen simply adored John, Paul, Ringo, George. The lads went out of their way to be helpful, friendly, and always found time to share a quick gag.

Little gifts from the fans were appearing at the studios. Paul's birthday brought a deluge of postcards and birthday cards and little presents. We remember Paul, in the midst of hectic activity, sitting over a fast-cooling plate of sausages and chips and determinedly ploughing through a pile of mail. He said he couldn't believe so many people even knew the date of his birthday. He also gagged that some of his nearest relatives had difficulty in remembering the date.

The doorman, the head commissionaire, at the E.M.I. studios was also clearly impressed with the fast-talking, Northern-accented lads. He said: "Almost from the start, we could tell something special was happening. Recording sessions weren't exactly shouted about . . . we did our best to keep fans away if possible. You couldn't keep secrets from the Cliff Richard fans, of course . . . but the Beatles were drawing great crowds of fans just waiting for a glimpse of the boys. Must say the Beatles were tremendously polite and thoughtful, though they used to take the mickey out of each other in such a straight-faced way that I sometimes wondered if they were actually being serious."

Separate Characters

We've hinted at the emergence of British domination--at least, on the Beatle touring dates. There was something else. In double-quick time, the Beatles were being established as four separate characters. This was definitely a new trend. Fans of the Shadows, for instance, tended to support the whole group.

Same with the Tornados who had a number one with "Telstar". The individual names weren't important. It was the sound--with actual presentation only being important on stage. But the Beatles were pulling in their individual support. Extraordinarily, it seemed each Beatle had moments of being thought "most popular" in different parts of the country. Ringo, true, lagged behind the others at this time . . . but then he was the newest Beatle and he was also rather in the background on stage. "But there'll never be any jealousy inside the group", vowed Paul.

Continued next month when we find out what the boys were like backstage in those early days.

The Piano on "Rock and Roll Music"

Dear Beatles (especially Paul),

Could you please answer a question that has been driving me mad, since I first heard "Rock and Roll Music," who plays the piano on this record? Is it Paul?

When I was listening to "Ticket to Ride" I wondered whether you got your ideas from things which you had experienced, e.g. have any of your girl friends left you and got a 'ticket to ride' anywhere, and just didn't care about it: or have you ever had a girl friend, who still loves another boy, as in the song "Baby's in Black"?

Lots and Lots of Beatle 'Luv',
Glenys Millar,
London, S.E.17.

Paul answers:--
John, George Martin and I all had a go on the piano on Rock 'n Roll Music, Glenys. George M. is the real piano player--John and I just bash away.

Beatles Talk

Another in the special series in which FREDERICK JAMES lets his tape recorder listen in on informal conversations between John, Paul, George and Ringo.

F.J.: This month's BEATLES TALK session is going to be a bit different. As you know, I've been responsible for several features in past issues of our Monthly Book where we've taken a bunch of current Beatle rumours and knocked them for six. After all, if you can't find out the real facts in their own magazine where can you find 'em? Recently the biggest and most ridiculous rumour of the lot has been going the rounds. I'm talking about the one that goes "Are the Beatles slipping?" Now before we get going let me make it very, very clear that this isn't going to be a "Defend The Poor Old Beatles" affair. Let's face it, the most popular and most famous group in the world needs no defending. George looks as though he's ready to start the ball rolling so let's make a start with him.

GEORGE: I just wanted to say something general about Number One records. The papers are making a lot more news out of the charts nowadays and this has two results. First of all people who never buy any pop records know a bit more about the Top Twenty and this is a good thing. On the other hand when they read a story saying "Fred Nurke topples Elvis Bone" they think Fred Nurke is now the most highly-paid and highly-honoured entertainer in the world and this guy Bone has had it forever.

JOHN: We're quite safe at the moment. It's nothing to do with us. We haven't got a record anywhere near the Top Twenty this week!

GEORGE: And we can't possibly have until the next one is released--but what I'm getting at is this. You can't blame anyone who isn't a fan for reading through the Top Twenty in the papers and saying to themselves "There you are, The Beatles aren't in the Top Twenty any more. They're right out of things. They've had it!" Or Elvis Bone or Fred Nurke has had it as the case may be!

F.J.: If I can come in here for a moment . . . .

JOHN: Well it's your own tape you're wasting.

F.J.: Do you think it really matters to a group as important as The Beatles whether or not you ever have a record at Number One again--let alone whether you happen to have a new one selling at the moment?

PAUL: You're joking! Of course it matters. The more success you've had in the charts the more you're going to worry when things aren't going quite so well.

JOHN: Yes, but what he means is that if we can make successful films and things they're more important than the Top Twenty anyway.

PAUL: Do you think they are?

JOHN: Me? No, I don't. I'm just telling you what he means.

RINGO: Alright--so if "Help!" doesn't go to Number One straight away we're going to sit around and cry!

GEORGE: I expect we would too! It's funny really--I mean funny peculiar--when you've got a new record out you can't wait to hear how it does after the first week. It doesn't matter how many Number Ones you've had, the next one is always the most important.

RINGO: When we tell people we had a great big shindig to celebrate getting to Number One they can't understand it.

PAUL: Yes--they say "Aren't you used to that yet?" I don't think we could ever get used to it. We hope for a Number One right away but it's still a surprise each time it really happens.

F.J.: Well, I'd say that with or without another Number One, there aren't any real signs of The Beatles slipping. You've only to look at your own fan club membership list. Or take the American tour in August, for example, where you'll have 55,000 Beatle People watching your first concert at Shea Stadium in New York. According to reports I've read from the States you could have sold out all over again with extra concerts right through the tour if there'd been time to add the extra dates.

PAUL: There must be a few less Beatle fans than there were, say, eighteen months ago. Whenever there's something new happening you'll find people sort of jumping on the bandwagon to have a go. Then some of them get fed up and jump off again. I don't think you can get away from that.

RINGO: In other words, what we've got now--readers of the Monthly and fan club members and so on--are the REAL fans. The ones who don't just buy each Number One record BECAUSE it is a Number One record.

F.J.: If you're reading the Monthly Book now . . .

JOHN: Well they must be mustn't they?

F.J.: . . . you can stand up and take a bow. You're all officially long-term Beatle People as of this moment!

JOHN: Thank You, Beatle People. You can't actually see the four of us kneeling down because the microphone's pointing the wrong way. Thank you, thank you, thank you. That was me miming for the other three.

F.J.: You say you'd be worried if you didn't get a Number One . . .

RINGO: If we don't? WHEN we don't, you mean. You can't go getting Number Ones for ever.

F.J.: Alright, WHEN you don't get to the top first week off--but what about some of these press stories. The "Beatles slipping" ones. Do those worry you?

JOHN: It's difficult to answer that. If we say "Yes" that's not really true but if we say "No" it sounds all big-headed as though we can't take criticism.

PAUL: None of us minds criticism. We want that. We want to know what people think, whether they're fans or writers or whatever they are. It would be terrible if we just didn't want to know and tried to pretend we were little gods with a halo round each of our heads.

JOHN: It's angels that have a halo.

PAUL: It's just as bad to read stupidly good things about ourselves as it is to see stupidly wrong rumours.

GEORGE: It's bad when all the writers say wonderful things about something just because it's "in" and fashionable to do so. Constructive criticism is far more sensible than blind praise.

F.J.: Let's get on to one of the other current rumours. I've seen some of your fan mail from people who have got the idea you don't fancy tours any more.

RINGO: No. Untrue. I think doing live shows is one of the most important parts of working in the entertainment world. We all do.

PAUL: You see this is a case of somebody twisting something we've said to make a story turn out THEIR way. His way, her way, or whatever. If a journalist comes up to us and we're sitting backstage at some theatre and it's freezing cold and Mal hasn't come back with the food and . . .

GEORGE: And then the reporter says "Do you still love touring?"

RINGO: And we all yell out "No. We're never doing another one. So there!"

JOHN: And he believes us. He honestly does--or else he wants to think he does for the sake of his story.

RINGO: Anyway, we're spending a lot of this year doing "live" shows one way and another.

JOHN: Of course it's more comfortable to live at home and just go down to a film studio every morning. No travelling and packing and bribing waiters to give you a sandwich in the hotel after the show. Everybody finds SOMETHING to grumble about so that they can be happy--but none of that means we don't enjoy touring.

PAUL: We'd have done a Spring tour of Britain for sure if we hadn't been working on "Help!" No, we're not against tours and we'll certainly be doing plenty more concerts here and abroad.

F.J.: I know there's plenty of tape left but I can see this session running overtime or overspace as far as the Monthly Book is concerned if we don't stop here. May I just round off by saying that I'M sure "Help!" will be a Number One record AND a Number One film. Beatle People won't agree that John, Paul, George and Ringo have any chance of slipping while they go on writing, singing, playing and acting just the way they have been doing so far this year. Good luck on the European tour, boys, and see you when you come home!

Norman Smith Continues Talking About Balancing The Beatles

"I've been on all their sessions. I event went to Paris with them--they did 'Can't Buy Me Love' there. How have they changed? Well, I think they're much more fussy these days . . . more Hit Parade conscious, if you see what I mean, in terms of sound. They're absolutely determined not to duplicate tempos, or intensity of sound. They want to come up with something different each time in the studio. Maybe we put forward a suggestion. If the boys don't like it, they'll try it just the same--having turned up their noses. They then do it as badly as they can . . . until we get the point and forget all about the suggestion!

"Paul has a lot of musical ideas, though he's not so good at expressing them. I suppose there's been only one song that has got us beat--it's one written for the new film. I'm not supposed to mention the title as yet, but it's proving a problem for us.

"Ringo? Well, he still doesn't have a lot to say. He'll start off with one sort of rhythm, then be enlightened by John and Paul as to the particular way they 'hear' it in their original song. Usually, they make the point by referring to some American disc that I probably have never heard of. Ringo then comes up with it. It's fantastic the closeness of the group -- they way they're all on the same wavelength and read each other's thoughts.

"I'd say they are rather slower in the recording studios now than they were in the early days. It's a matter of comparison . . . I also do the engineering for Manfred Mann, Billy J. Kramer, Freddie and the Dreamers, Cliff Bennett and the Rebel Rousers, Johnny Kidd and so on. So I can compare.

LIKE TO PLAY

"The Beatles don't like working in the mornings. They always want to get some play time in, and that's usually most of the night. So if they turn up in the mornings, you don't get much done. It's really just loosening up. And of course they make the jokes. I think Paul is probably my favourite Beatle humorist . . . some of the things he says tickle me pink.

"My own favourite Beatle song? Hard to say. But 'This Boy' rates very high--I remember that as a thoroughly enjoyable session. The boys didn't think it was all that great at the time. But I think they've got a sneaking feeling for it now, after all our plugging for it.

"There was the 'Twist and Shout' session, too. A tremendous day's recording . . . an all-time record for the Beatles. We did thirteen titles in ten hours--all for the first LP. A day of musical excitement. Their voices must have been rasping. But John suddenly thought of 'Twist and Shout' and said he wanted to do it. We felt sure his voice would never stand it. But it was done in one 'take.' No over-dubbing. Just one straight take. Normally, we do four-track recording for the Beatles -- Ringo and Paul on one track, then John and George, then the voices, then any extras like Maraccas.

NOBODY REALISES

"No, the Beatles certainly know what they want. In that sense, they've really improved since their very first session. I don't know what to say about their songs. I mean, nobody could have foreseen just how important they would be in the world of music."

Norman Smith is obviously proud of the part he played in capturing Beatle techniques on record. An ever-present member of the team, in fact, since that day when the boys first wandered wonderingly into the studios in Abbey Road, North London. His personal ambition is to produce hit records himself, as A and R man.

And he says: "I'm also very keen on song-writing. The 'B' side of Freddie Garrity's latest, 'Things I'd Like to Say', was one of mine--I did it specially for Freddie. And I've written a lot of others . . . so the ambition is to have a hit in that way, too."

The man who wanted to be a musician but ended up a top recording engineer has led a well-varied life. And there's a lot of variety yet to come with the Beatles. That's for sure.

PETE GOODMAN.

Beatles Talk

Another in the special series in which FREDERICK JAMES lets his tape recorder listen in on informal conversations between John, Paul, George and Ringo.

This Month: PAUL AND JOHN

JOHN: This month, Beatle People, I would like to give you an unbiased lecture about a truly sensational new book to be published, price ten and sixpence, on 24th June by Jonathan Cape, who are very good publishers as everybody knows.

PAUL: Hey! Wait a minute. He said an informal conversation not a flippin' commercial. We're both supposed to discuss things. Like the film frinstance.

JOHN: You discuss the film, frinstance, and I'll discuss this book. It's called "A Spaniard In The Works", folks, and it would be cheap at half the price.

PAUL: Don't you mean twice the price?

JOHN: You see, Beatle People, my learned colleague agrees that it's worth twice the price. Printed throughout in two glorious colours. Brown and green. Printed on real paper too, Beatle People. You can't lose, can you?

PAUL: Don't forget what John says. 24th June. Jonathan Cape. Ten and sixpence. "A Spaniel In The Circs."

JOHN: "A Spaniard In The Works." Good grief, you'll have a Rolling Stone rushing out a book called "A Spaniel In The Circs" and all my good work will be undone. I say again, sir, undone with a capital UN.

PAUL: As I was about to say before I was Beatled, we've finished filming "Help!". Actually the last scenes were done at Twickenham a couple of weeks back but we've been called into the studios several times since for overdubbing. That means, well, you know when you see an outdoor scene in a film and the actors are miles away from the camera. Well, they can't use microphones or you'd notice them growing out of bushes or sticking round the corner of buildings. So if there is any dialogue in scenes like this they have to put it on the soundtrack afterwards. That's called overdubbing.

JOHN: There is no overdubbing in "A Spaniard In The Works", folks. No cheating and miming like that. "A Spaniard In The Works" is live, LIVE, L-I-V-E. All Live. The book was written indoors using only close-range microphones, typewriters, ciggie-packets and green and brown ballpoint pens for the drawings. Remember, folks, only "A Spaniard In The Works" comes to you completely free from skin-irritating overdub.

PAUL: In Nassau we had to keep out of the sun because the scenes we did out there come at the very end of "Help!" and it would look funny if we were all brown and tanned in the snow sequence which you see earlier on and then pale and unhealthly in the Bahamas bit. All sorts of odd people that you'll know play parts in "Help!". Roy Kinnear, Frankie Howerd. The Queen Mother was nearly in one scene--but that was unintentional. She was driving by the film location in Nassau on her way to the airport after touring Jamaica.

JOHN: Pity she didn't stop and join us.

PAUL: We had a fabulous time down on Salisbury Plain a couple of weeks back. We did four days of location filming there with tanks and troops which were on loan from the Army. Bit chilly after Nassau with lots of rain showers and a cold wind but, without giving away any production secrets, I think the Salisbury scene is one of the funniest of the lot!

JOHN: Fun, fun, fun, with them chasing us, and us chasing them, as me chasing you and where's the tea Mal.

PAUL: One of the greatest free evenings we had during the making of the film was at Obertauern in the Austrian Alps. There isn't a great deal of night life but we made some of our own. It was the assistant director's birthday and we were at the Marietta Hotel. Dick Lester found an old piano in the hotel and we all had this gear sing-along session.

JOHN: It's a new craze. Yes, folks, it's all the rage. Have your own read-along session at home! A complete do-it-yourself and read-along kit comes free inside every brown and green copy of "A Spaniard In The Works".

PAUL: There's not much more I can say about the film without giving away very hush-hush secrets about the story. There's going to be a Royal Premiere in London on 29th July. At the Pavilion in Piccadilly Circus where "A Hard Day's Night" opened last summer. Then the film will start going the rounds in August and there's a New York premiere a week later. We do a European tour in June but we'll be back home long before the premiere. All I can say is I hope everyone enjoys the film. In a lot of ways we're all sorry the production is finished 'cos we had a great time making it.

JOHN: Is that all you've got to say?

PAUL: Yes, I think so.

JOHN: Well, if you've quite finished, perhaps you don't mind me having a quick word with Beatle People about this book.

PAUL: Which book is that, John? it says on this ciggie paper you've just handed me.

JOHN: I don't like talking about it really. People will think I'm plugging.

PAUL: Ah, go on, John, nobody'll think that.

JOHN: No, I can't. I'm bashful.

PAUL: Please. . . .

JOHN: All right. Read all about "The National Health Cow" and "Cassandle" (on different pages). Read all about "Silly Norman" and "Benjamin Distasteful" (both in glowing green and beatle brown). These and fourteen other unbelievable fables before your very mouth in "A Spaniard In The Works".

PAUL: Aren't there drawings too, John? you asked me to say when you stopped the tape recorder just now.

JOHN: Yes, yes. Well, sort of. One of them (in brown and green which are very artistic colours and especially cheap to print, you see) is a full-page drawing of a fat bugie. Beatle People will be interested to know that I ate nothing but SWILL, the new deodorant bird seed, for six weeks in order to get into the right mood to draw this particular picture.

PAUL: What happened?

JOHN: I fell asleep on my perch--but the picture came out O.K. I drew it in two minutes flat. Flat on my face at the foot of the perch.

PAUL: And what is the title of this new book of yours, John?

JOHN: Oh, I'm so sorry. Didn't I mention it? . . . .