October 30, 1963 - Drop In

Taped: Wednesday 30 October 1963
Aired: Sunday 3 November 1963

At Narren-teatern in Stockholm, the Beatles recorded an appearance on the Sveriges Television show Drop In before a live audience in a small theatre in the Grona Lund amusement park. They were persuaded by presenter Klas Burling to extent their set from two to four numbers and performed 'She Loves You', 'Twist And Shout', 'Long Tall Sally' and 'I Saw Her Standing There'. Also on the bill were Gals & Pals and the young singer Lill-Babs who appeared in many photographs with the group.

Non-Stop Comedy

Press conferences in America were something else. The boys kept up a non-stop stream of comedy. Asked what they thought of topless bathing costumes, Ringo said seriously, with that well-known frown creasing his face: "We think they're great. We've been wearing them for years!"

Hectic days, but the big thing was that the Beatles immediately recognised any English face in the audience. Journalists who'd gone out, on spec, to see the boys were instantly recognised. And this is something that holds true even now. It's pointless suggesting that the Beatles are uniformly pleasant to everybody connected with the Press, but they certainly do always remember their mates from the early days.

Over that Elvis and the Beatles bit: it wasn't until 1965, in September again, that the two major attractions actually met up.

And the main point that came out at that historic meeting was that the Beatles virtually felt more sorry for Elvis than did Mr. P. for them. It was John who summed it all up: "When the fans went for you, you were up there all alone. With us, it's four against everybody and we can draw support from each other." And on the flying business, bugbear of all top stars, both Elvis and the Beatles said that they didn't really like it, especially the take-off and the landing. Elvis had, after all, been caught in a two-engine plane when one of the propellers failed. "I was scared", he admitted . . . but all the boys agreed that you simply had to fly to keep appointments with far-flung fans.

But two years ago the main problem, as now, was to keep the peace. It was like war breaking out whenever the Beatles appeared and it must be admitted that there were grumblings of discontent. Radio reporters were kept away from the boys, because of over-strict police control. Journalists never got to ask their questions. Even Paul, who accepted American behaviour with the mildest of comment, said: "It gets a bit much. Even if a friend, a journalist, wants to get in to see us, there's some massive police force putting up the blocks."

Meanwhile, back home, the Beatles were winning just about every pop poll. And getting invitations from their old friends back home. We think Paul probably hit on the essential loneliness of stardom when he said: "I've got this invitation to a wedding of an old mate of mine. I'd love to go. But you know how it would be. Riot scenes and all that. It'd spoil his day and it'd spoil mine. You just can't lead the sort of life you want to. And don't take this as being a knock at the fans, because we owe everything we've got to them . . ."

The Beatles came back to Britain with "A Hard Day's Night" dropping rapidly in the charts. It had had a very good run. They came back with everybody from the Prime Minister downwards singing their praises because they'd been darned good ambassadors and they'd never let Britain down. Their immediate needs included material for a new LP and for a new single. Said George: "We made our name on records and we've got to try to keep up the same standards. We can't just rush into a studio and do something and think that's all there is to it. We must work and work and work . . ."

Managers Meet

by Billy Shepherd and Johnny Dean

We promised news of the summit meeting between Brian Epstein and Colonel Tom Parker, of Elvis Presley fame. It was a lunch date and quite unbelievable in that it concerned two men controlling a multi-million dollar industry. Elvis himself couldn't be there, but he stressed how keen he'd been to meet the Liverpudlians. But he'd had a break from filming and he'd made arrangements to be in Memphis, Tennessee.

Eppie asked the Colonel if Elvis would do much touring in the future and Parker replied: "We'd love to hit the road, but we have to think of giving the maximum enjoyment to the maximum fans and the best way to do this is by making films, which can be seen by millions". The Beatles have faced teh same problem in the years since this meeting. It's impossible to be in every part of the world at the same time, but if you make a movie it can be seen by hundreds of thousands at the same time.

Brian Epstein, which his expanding list of artists under his control, was apparently surprised to hear that the Colonel had had only one artist . . . Elvis. But it was pointed out that the Colonel was 44 years old when he first met up with Elvis; Brian Epstein was only 28 when he first started guiding the Beatles.

The tour of America, in September 1964, was very hard on the Beatles because the temperature was usually in the region of 100 degrees. We think it was Ringo who first complained. He said that each show took more out of the boys than a Cup Final would from a professional footballer. But the Beatels did two shows a night . . .

Yet, a couple of years prior to this U.S. tour, the Beatles had (minus Ringo) been sweating out hours a night in the clubs of Hamburg. What was the difference? Let George answer: "Nervous strain, that's where it was all so different. If you're only getting a few pounds a night, you can let everything rip and ejoy yourselves. But if the total taken at the box-office is thousands and thousands of dollars, you know that you can't afford to make any sort of mistake."

Hollywood, for sure, will never again be the same. The Beatles dominated everything, with stars like Jayne Mansfield hurrying to get a signature or a chat or a smile from the boys. Movie City, home of the biggest names in the earlier history of show business, fell about trying to entice the Beatles to functions.

Actually it must be said that good ole Ringo was the star of the whole tour. This attitude started because teenagers looked on him as being the newest boy, the one who almost was in the background, but Ringo himself consolidated his position by some magnificent clowning and fooling. Even Colonel Parker said: "That drummer, that Ringo, would be a natural in movies--I can see him being a very funny fellow." At the same time, the Colonel was handing out souvenirs to the boys, includign specially decorated holsters and table-lamps made in the shape of old Western coaches.

People were saying then, in 1964, that Ringo would probably leave the group and try his hand at a solo career. Ringo repeatedly told us that his whole future lay in the Beatles and that he'd not do anything outside the group. Now we have the news that it is John Lennon who is going off on his own for a while, to take up a film role. But this is really no great surprise because all the Beatles intend to try things.

August 29, 1966 - Candlestick Park, San Francisco

On August 29, 1966 at Candlestick Park in San Francisco, California, the Beatles performed before a paying audience for the last time. It was seen by 25,000 fans. Their last number on stage was "Long Tall Sally," one of their Hamburg show-stoppers.

By this time the whole group, even Paul who had held out the longest for a continuation of touring, knew that the concerts had to stop. With posterity in mind, he asked the Beatles press officer to tape the performance on his hand-held cassette recorder. George expressed his relief on the plane home: "That's it. I'm no longer a Beatle," he announced.

John: "On our last tour people kept bringing blind, crippled and deformed children into our dressing room and this boy's mother would say, 'Go on, kiss him, maybe you'll bring back his sight.' We're not cruel. We've seen enough tragedy in Merseyside, but when a mother shrieks, 'Just touch him and maybe he'll walk again,' we want to run, cry, empty our pockets. We're going to remain normal if it kills us."

October 16, 1963 - ITN News

Taped: Wednesday 16 October 1963
Aired: Wednesday 16 October 1963

The Beatles were interviewed about the Royal Variety Show announcement by Peter Woods for BBC Light Programme's Radio Newsreel.

Bob Dylan - Jewels And Binoculars Disc 25/26

Label: Vigotone, VT-216/217

VT-216 16 Tracks - Total Time: 64:36
The Blonde On Blonde Studio Sessions
October 5, 1965
1. Temporary Like Achilles (1:03)
("Medicine Sunday")
2. Jet Pilot (1:03)
3. Can You Please Crawl Out Your Window? (1) (0:56)
("Crawl Out Your Window")
4. I Wanna Be Your Lover (1) (1:03)
("I Don't Wanna Be Your Lover")
5. I Wanna Be Your Lover (2) (3:32)
6. I Wanna Be Your Lover (3) (3:26)
7. Instrumental (4:07)
("#1")

November 30, 1965
8. Visions Of Johanna (1) (8:27)
("Freeze Out")
9. Visions Of Johanna (2) (7:28)
("Freeze Out")
10. Can You Please Crawl Out Your Window? (2) (3:38)

January 21, 1966
11. She's Your Lover Now (1) (8:28)
12. She's Your Lover Now (2) (6:26)

January 27, 1966
13. I'll Keep It With Mine (3:13)

February 15, 1966
14. Keep It With Mine (3:13)

Bonus tracks:
15. Can You Please Crawl Out Your Window? (3) (3:33)
16. Pledging My Time (Dutch Greatest Hits mono mix) (3:53)


VT-217 14 Tracks - Total Time: 71:37
January 25 - March 10, 1966
The U.S. Blonde On Blonde mono mix.
1. Rainy Day Women #12 & 35 (4:23)
2. Pledging My Time (3:47)
3. Visions of Johanna (7:26)
4. One Of Us Must Know (Sooner Or Later) (4:51)
5. I Want You (3:00)
6. Stuck Inside Of Mobile With The Memphis Blues Again (7:03)
7. Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat (3:56)
8. Just Like A Woman (4:50)
9. Most Likely You Go Your Way (And I'll Go Mine) (3:19)
10. Temporary Like Achilles (4:56)
11. Absolutely Sweet Marie (4:52)
12. 4th Time Around (4:31)
13. Obviously 5 Believers (3:30)
14. Sad-Eyed Lady Of The Lowlands (11:18)

Bob Dylan - Jewels And Binoculars Disc 23/24

Label: Vigotone, VT-214/215

VT-214 7 Tracks - Total Time: 42:36
May 26 - Royal Albert Hall, London, England
1. She Belongs To Me (3:38)
2. 4th Time Around (4:46)
3. Visions Of Johanna (7:50)
4. Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat (4:02)
5. One Too Many Mornings (4:05)
6. Ballad Of A Thin Man (7:23)
7. Like A Rolling Stone (10:53)

VT-215 7 Tracks - Total Time: 61:15
May 27 - Royal Albert Hall, London, England
1. She Belongs To Me (5:06)
2. 4th Time Around (5:55)
3. Visions Of Johanna (11:31)
4. It's All Over Now, Baby Blue (7:01)
5. Desolation Row (13:31)
6. Just Like A Woman (9:18)
7. Mr. Tambourine Man (8:53)