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The Beatles

Page 128

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.

 

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