by Bob Spitz
“They think for themselves”: NME, 5/27/67.
“Over the last four years”: “From Us to You,” NME, 6/10/67.
“equal to any song”: “The Messengers,” Time, 9/22/67, p. 122.
“Unfortunately, there is no apparent”: “We still Need the Beatles, But…,” New York Times, 6/18/67.
“a historic departure”: Time, 9/22/67, p. 128.
a staggering 2,500,000 copies: sales figures from Melody Maker, 6/10/67.
“second renaissance”: Red Robinson in Pritchard & Lysaght, The Beatles, p. 246.
“they had the pulse”: Murray the K in ibid.
“the nutters”: Miles, Paul McCartney, p. 332.
“missionaries”: New York Times Magazine, 5/7/67.
697–98 “messengers from beyond”: “The Messengers,” Time, 9/22/67, p. 128.
“progenitors of a Pop”: New York Times, 6/18/67.
“The Beatles weren’t the leaders”: Paul McCartney in Anthology, p. 253.
“Even when the others weren’t”: Author interview with Tony Barrow, 10/31/97.
“Paul needs an audience”: Davies, Beatles, p. 280.
“the cock who crowed”: Ibid., p. 370.
“I’m either going to bluff”: Paul McCartney in Anthology, p. 255.
“About four times”: ITN footage, printed transcript, 6/19/67.
“The press had a field day”: George Harrison in Anthology, p. 255.
“No one knew why Paul”: Author interview with Alistair Taylor, 1/18/98.
“We weren’t actually telling anybody”: Ringo Starr in Anthology, p. 255.
“I thought Paul should”: George Harrison in ibid.
“I think LSD helped”: Melody Maker, 6/23/67.
Several months earlier, the BBC-1: “Beatles-World TV,” NME, 5/27/67.
Paul had been working on: George Martin in Pritchard & Lysaght, The Beatles, p. 251.
“seemed to fit with the overall concept”: Ibid.
“keep it simple”: Lewisohn, Sessions, p. 116.
“Well, it’s certainly repetitive”: “All You Need Is Love,” Beatles Book Monthly, 7/87, p. 4.
“We must do some preparation”: George Martin in Pritchard & Lysaght, The Beatles, p. 251.
“make it a strict condition”: Beatles Book Monthly, 7/87, p. 5.
on the eve of the broadcast: “I went off in the evening to find guests for the next day.” Tony Bramwell in Badman, Off the Record, p. 292.
“Everyone I asked jumped”: Author interview with Tony Bramwell, 8/8/97.
“By 7pm [on June 25]”: Beatles Book Monthly, 7/87, p. 7.
“It was so bloody heavy”: Ringo Starr in Anthology, p. 257.
“too out of sorts”: Author interview with Peter Brown, 12/10/97.
“zonked”: Bryan Barrett, Arena archives.
on one amazing bill in early June: Lewisohn, 25 Years in the Life, p. 91.
“The idea was that you’d have”: Neil Aspinall in Anthology, p. 258.
According to several well-placed insiders: Author interview with Alistair Taylor, 1/18/98; also author interviews with Peter Brown, 12/12/97, and John Dunbar, 1/13/98.
the son of a major: Goldman, Lives of John Lennon, p. 295.
Magic Alex, as John dubbed him: “This is my new guru, Magic Alex.” Miles, Paul McCartney, p. 374.
“Alex wasn’t magic”: George Harrison in Anthology, p. 258.
“Magic Alex invented invisible paint”: Ringo Starr in ibid., p. 290.
“We didn’t really call anyone’s bluff”: Miles, Paul McCartney, p. 375.
paying £95,000: Brown & Gaines, Love You Make, p. 261.
“my earthly age”: “The Guru,” Newsweek, 12/18/67, p. 67.
Later he fell under the spell: Miles, Paul McCartney, p. 402.
“a method of quickly and easily”: Davies, Beatles, p. 232.
Ringo was visiting Maureen: “At that time, Maureen was in hospital having Jason and I was visiting.” Ringo Starr in Anthology, p. 260.
“After having such an intense”: George Harrison in Anthology, p. 263.
“a little bit of emptiness”: Miles, Paul McCartney, p. 400.
“He said that by meditating”: Ibid., pp. 401–2.
“to further the experience”: George Harrison in Anthology, p. 262.
“thought he made a lot”: Paul McCartney in ibid., p. 260.
“It takes time to come down”: John Lennon in Badman, Off the Record, p. 301.
CHAPTER 33: FROM BAD TO WORSE
Brian was also invited: “Brian was going to come at some point… he was going to join us there.” Paul McCartney, Arena archives.
John making the call himself: “John called Brian late that night.” Author interview with Peter Brown, 12/10/97.
“It was the best damn thing”: Author interview with Bryan Barrett, 1/9/98.
a staging of three short comedies: “3 Bellow Plays Are Precipitated,” New York Times, 3/8/66.
“That very weekend”: Author interview with Tony Barrow, 10/31/97.
“four or five young… guys”: Author interview with Peter Brown, 12/10/97.
“I was struggling”: “Cynthia Lennon: In Her Own Words,” Hello!, 5/28/94.
George drew the blinds: Davies, Beatles, p. 231.
“Tell him to let you on!”: C. Lennon, A Twist, p. 147.
Peter Brown put an arm: “I put her into Neil’s car.” Author interview with Peter Brown, 12/10/97.
“You just sit there”: John Lennon, 1967 interview, in Anthology, p. 261.
“like a prescription”: George Harrison in ibid., p. 263.
“It has been specifically chosen”: Author interview with Pete Shotton, 1/19/98.
Mal Evans divulged that his mantra: “We found out we all had the same word.” Ibid.
“you get a sniff”: John Lennon, 1968 interview, in Anthology, p. 261.
“divertissement”: Brown & Gaines, Love You Make, p. 268.
“something of a tight ass”: Author interview with Peter Brown, 12/10/97.
“Many bottles of wine”: Brown & Gaines, Love You Make, p. 268.
“Clearly, he’d just woken up”: “He said that he had gone to bed late and take [sic] quite a number of sleeping pills.” Peter Brown, H. M. Coroner’s Report, B. S. Epstein, 9/9/67.
“It wasn’t unusual for Brian”: Joanne Newfield Petersen, Arena archives.
“So? What’s new?”: Author interview with Alistair Taylor, 1/17/98.
John Gallway arrived: time determined by H. M. Coroner’s Report, 9/9/67.
Blood streamed from his nose: Inspector George Howlett in ibid.
“Is there any brandy”: Joanne Newfield Petersen, Arena archives.
“He’s lying on the bed”: Author interview with Peter Brown, 12/10/97.
“We’ve got to get hold of Clive”: Author interview with Alistair Taylor, 1/17/98.
“The Beatles had to be told”: Author interview with Peter Brown, 12/10/97.
“This is a terrible shock”: Press conference transcript, Bangor, Wales, 8/27/67.
“confusion and disbelief”: Ringo Starr in Anthology, p. 264.
“traipsed off to the Maharishi”: Paul McCartney, Arena archives.
“Our friend’s dead”: Ibid.
“to love him and let him go”: Ringo Starr in Anthology, p. 264.
“Well, Brian is just passing”: Press conference transcript, Bangor, Wales, 8/27/67.
“We’ve fuckin’ had it”: Wenner, Lennon Remembers, p. 52.
“We did the first show”: Author interview with Tony Bramwell, 8/6/97.
“I believe it was an accident”: George Harrison in Anthology, p. 265.
“very sinister circumstances”: Paul McCartney in ibid.
“His father, Harry”: Author interview with Alistair Taylor, 1/17/98.
“Our main concern”: Author interview with Peter Brown, 12/10/97.
the Beatles, who had been asked: “The Beatles were asked to stay away.” Brown & Gaine
s, Love You Make, p. 273.
“There was a big power grab”: Author interview with Alistair Taylor, 1/17/98.
Brian had left no will: “He died in August without making a will.” Daily Sketch, 1/6/68, p. 7.
“the Beatles were shocked”: Brown & Gaines, Love You Make, p. 275.
The Beatles had flirted: Lewisohn, Chronicle, p. 261.
“They didn’t know where any of the money”: Neil Aspinall in Anthology, p. 268.
Mystery Tour segments 1 through 8: Miles, Paul McCartney, p. 358.
“John had spent an afternoon”: Ibid., p. 356.
John has said as many as twenty: “He’d already written twenty songs.” Sheff, Playboy Interviews, p. 157.
“[Paul] said, ‘Well, here’s a segment’ ”: Wenner, Lennon Remembers, p. 54.
written, he claimed: Sheff, Playboy Interviews, p. 156.
“a beautiful poem”: Ibid.
“The words don’t mean a lot”: “What a Groove It Is Growing Older, Says John Lennon,” Disc and Music Echo, 12/16/67.
only “I am the eggman”: Burdon, I Used to Be an Animal but I’m All Right Now, p. 139.
“organized chaos”: Lewisohn, Sessions, p. 122.
beginning with electric piano: “In the studio, we began with electric piano and Ringo’s drums.” John Lennon in Pritchard & Lysaght, The Beatles, p. 257.
“so weird”: John Lennon, 1974 interview, in Anthology, p. 273.
eight violins, four cellos: Lewisohn, Sessions, p. 127.
“have their heads”: Ibid., p. 122.
The Beatles, however, were clearly pleased: “It was a fascinating session. That was John’s baby, great one, a really good one.” Miles, Paul McCartney, p. 357.
“It was this idea of a fool”: Ibid., p. 365.
“We literally made it up”: Ibid., p. 360.
“John would always want a midget”: Ringo Starr in Anthology, p. 272.
“We would get off the bus”: Ibid.
Brian’s “social secretary”: Author interview with Nat Weiss, 1/28/98.
Neil lacked “sufficient clout”: George Martin in Anthology, p. 268.
“was out of his class”: Martin, All You Need, p. 171.
On one side of a table: Details provided by author interview with Peter Brown, 12/10/97.
“A joint company doesn’t work”: Robert Stigwood, Arena archives.
“They would be willing to put money”: “Clive Epstein—New NEMS Boss,” NME, 9/9/67.
“We shook hands”: Ibid.
“was a very reasonable price”: Ringo Starr in Anthology, p. 268.
seven subsidiaries were formed: Lewisohn, 25 Years in the Life, pp. 97–98.
“There was an enormous sum”: Author interview with Peter Brown, 12/10/97.
Clive Epstein and Harry Pinsker: “I suggested to the boys that they buy freehold property and go into retail trading.” Observer, 9/1/68, p. 12.
“So we’d sit around the boardroom”: Author interview with Alistair Taylor, 1/17/98.
“selling records was dismissed”: Brown & Gaines, Love You Make, p. 280.
“How fucking boring!”: Author interview with Alistair Taylor, 1/17/98.
“You can just imagine”: McCabe & Schonfeld, John Lennon: For the Record, p. 103.
“We’re just going to do”: Author interview with Pete Shotton, 1/19/98.
George got involved with: “Mime Ban Hits Beatles Clip,” NME, 12/2/67.
Paul opened discussions: “Stones Play It Cool on Possible Beatles Tie-Up,” NME, 10/21/67.
Magic Alex was commissioned: Miles, Paul McCartney, p. 442.
“groovy clothes”: McCabe & Schonfeld, John Lennon: For the Record, p. 105.
“something that we’d want”: Ibid., p. 103.
“dressing in such interesting clothes”: Miles, Paul McCartney, p. 443.
“The aim of the company”: “A Is for Apple,” Observer, 9/1/68, p. 7.
“sell everything white”: “Paul came up with a nice idea, which was ‘Let’s sell everything white.’ ” John Lennon, 1970 interview, in Anthology, p. 270.
“a beautiful place”: NEMS press release, 10/3/67.
“horrified”/“Give it to them”: Harry Pinsker in Badman, Off the Record, p. 329.
“they wear gypsy headdresses”: New York Times, 11/21/67.
“have an image of naturel”: Sunday Times, 11/5/67.
“You should move to London”: Author interview with Pete Shotton, 1/19/98.
“eating majoun and smoking hashish”: Miles, Paul McCartney, p. 444.
“the clothes looked more like”: Ibid., p. 445.
“They refused to tell”: Author interview with Alistair Taylor, 1/17/98.
“The painting was gorgeous”: Paul McCartney in Anthology, p. 270.
But the City of Westminster’s: “The Fool… decided to ignore officialdom.” Miles, Paul McCartney, p. 445.
“There was no direction”: Author interview with Pete Shotton, 1/19/98.
“It was a mess”: Author interview with Alistair Taylor, 1/17/98.
It reminded them of Beatlemania: “Many of the old fears returned. This, again, was Beatlemania.” D. Taylor, Fifty Years, p. 322.
with 450,000 advance orders: “Beatles ‘Magic’ Disc-book Held Up,” NME, 12/9/67.
“There was plenty of stock”: Author interview with Peter Brown, 12/10/97.
“It was disastrous”: Author interview with Alistair Taylor, 1/17/98.
“There was no plot”: Daily Mail, 12/28/67.
“Nobody had the vaguest”: McCabe & Schonfeld, Apple to the Core, p. 94.
“It looked awful”: George Martin in Anthology, p. 274.
“the most expensive home movie”: Coleman, John Lennon, p. 362.
“thought it was dreadful”: Author interview with Peter Brown, 12/10/97.
“I saw it four times”: Paul Fox in Badman, Off the Record, p. 335.
for the paltry fee of £9,000: “Fox offered him the derisory sum of £9,000.” Miles, Paul McCartney, p. 366.
“Sod it,” he thought: Ibid., p. 367.
“Appalling!”: Daily Mail, 12/26/67.
“It was worse than terrible”: Evening News, 12/26/67.
“rubbish… piffle”: Daily Mirror, 12/26/67.
“blatant rubbish”: Daily Express, 12/26/67.
734–35 “Whoever authorized the showing”: Daily Sketch, 12/26/67.
“perhaps slightly to [his] own surprise”: Miles, Paul McCartney, p. 440.
CHAPTER 34: AN ADDITIONAL ACT
“a marriage of four minds”: C. Lennon, A Twist, p. 134.
“When it came down to business”: Author interview with Alistair Taylor, 1/17/98.
“four miners who go down”: Paul McCartney in Anthology, p. 110.
“Instead of going to bed”: C. Lennon, A Twist, p. 134.
“There was something about the way”: Author interview with Alistair Taylor, 1/17/98.
“I was amazed by the diary”: Miles, Paul McCartney, p. 115.
“Jane knew people in the country”: Ibid., p. 120.
“Paul was clearly in awe”: Author interview with Peter Brown, 12/10/97.
“Jane confided in me”: C. Lennon, A Twist, p. 133.
Jane had “clearly decided”: Author interview with Peter Brown, 12/10/97.
“very tense”: Miles, Paul McCartney, p. 453.
Jane’s “traumatic” confession: Ibid., p. 452.
Paul “could not get her to name the day”: Brown & Gaines, Love You Make, p. 240.
“never available”: Goldman, Lives of John Lennon, p. 290.
“this stranger”: Author interview with Pete Shotton, 1/19/98.
“pure shock”: Coleman, Lennon, p. 336.
Yoko had been “particularly persistent”: Hello!, 5/28/94.
She once gained admittance: Coleman, Lennon, pp. 335–36.
“there were a lot of phone calls”: Ibid.
“She’s crackers”: Ibid., p. 336.
“I
want two thousand pounds”: Author interview with Pete Shotton, 1/19/98.
“all beautifully cut in half”: Wenner, Lennon Remembers, p. 175.
“In the beginning, all those screwy ideas”: Author interview with Peter Brown, 12/10/97.
“She did a thing called ‘Dance Event’ ”: Wenner, Lennon Remembers, p. 175.
“Use your blood to paint”: Ono, Grapefruit, pages unnumbered.
“avant-garde crap”: Coleman, Lennon, p. 345.
descended from samurai: Hopkins, Yoko Ono, p. 6.
“they actually went begging”: Ibid., p. 10.
Vincent Persichetti: Goldman, Lives of John Lennon, p. 214.
“promoting living art”: Fluxus manifesto, 1962, from Fluxus, etc.
“Long before Jimi Hendrix”: Goldman, Lives of John Lennon, p. 217.
Yoko’s “opera”: from the program, Carnegie Recital Hall, 11/24/61.
“would start to feel the environment”: Hopkins, Yoko Ono, p. 29.
“I was always having abortions”: Esquire, May 1970.
“Tony and the doctors”: Goldman, Lives of John Lennon, p. 226.
“Tony got her pregnant”: Hopkins, Yoko Ono, p. 36.
“Inside there might be a lot”: Sheff, Playboy Interviews, p. 91.
“hypnotically dreamlike”: Cue, 3/24/65.
Yoko’s performance “uplifting”: Financial Times, 9/26/66.
“She said, half-laughingly”: Hopkins, Yoko Ono, p. 58.
“far out”: “Her work is far out.” Wenner, Lennon Remembers, p. 172.
she was “somebody that you could go”: McCabe & Schonfeld, John Lennon: For the Record, p. 55.
“a tribute to women”: Miles, Paul McCartney, p. 449.
“not outright rock”: “Rock Flavour to Next Beatles’ Single,” NME, 2/17/68.
“rockswing”: “Ringo Talks,” NME, 3/23/68.
The opening barrelhouse piano: “I asked him if it was from ‘Bad Penny Blues,’ and he said it was based [on that].” Author interview with Ray Connolly, 8/17/97.
“[The song] reminded me”: Miles, Paul McCartney, p. 449.
“I think… we were all”: Paul McCartney in Anthology, p. 281.
“I was gonna take her”: McCabe & Schonfeld, John Lennon: For the Record, p. 55.
“barracks”: “It was cold and wet, and the complex… resembled a barracks.” Hello!, 5/28/94.
nominal rate of $400: “Beatles’ Guru Is Turning Them into Gurus,” New York Times, 2/23/68.