Tour by the Beatles | |
Location | United States, Canada |
---|---|
Start date | 19 August 1964 |
End date | 20 September 1964 |
No. of shows | 32 |
The Beatles concert chronology |
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.
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 $1.3 million (equivalent to US$ 12,770,000in 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 $50,000 minimum (equivalent to US$ 490,000in 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]
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]
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.