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Fans on the mob

September 3, 2014, 8:37 pm
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One fan wrote about her experience on the back of her Beatles concert ticket

Fans trying to sneak a peek of the Beatles.  Photo by Curt Gunther

a crush of fans greeted the Beatles when they arrived at the Fair grounds.  Photo by James C. Ramsey

Mrs. Henry Schricker Jr, the dauther in law for the former governor received first aide after she was knocked down by Beatle fans. (Star photo)



The Beatles played two shows at the Indiana State Fair.   Everywhere they traveled, it was a bit of a mob scene and several people got hurt.   They needed constant police protection. 
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Fans Pout, Plot to get near idols-it's do use

September 3, 2014, 9:00 pm
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photo by Curt Gunther

photo by Curt Gunther

Photo by Curt Gunther



Disgruntled teenagers stalked the Beatles at the Speedway Motel today while other clever fans converged on the State Fairgrounds to plan strategy so they can be near the ragmops tonight.

Sleuthful efforts at both places were squelched by the forces of the law and led to such comments as that by Marie Halligan, 16, in her attempt to get close to the motel where the Beatles are staying, "I'm so angry.  We can't get within 500 miles of them." 

It was the same for about 50 other fans who found the Beatles' whereabouts at the motel.  State troopers and sheriff's deputies cordoned off the motel, and at one time 30 policemen were parked in the motel's parking lot.

One mother registered herself and two daughters in the motel to get close to the Beatles.

The Beatles were said to be camped out in either Rooms 222 or 224, and troopers turned windows on the second floor into guard towers.

The fans at Speedway were being kept on the south side of 16th Street across from the motel.

William Cash, 14, saved somewhat, at least, the day for the outsiders.  He said he was part-time bus boy in the motel and reported "with authority" that the Beatles had boiled eggs, toast, and coffee for breakfast.

The motel situation after the Beatles' arrival here today was so hectic that the press contingent had to sleep on the floor of a locker room last night.  Seven representatives of the foreign press were among the crew.


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Beatle Reporters qualify for combat pay

September 3, 2014, 9:33 pm
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Times photo by Bruce I. Gerard


Beatles, Reporters Qualify for Combat Pay
By Peter Hinchlifte
The Indianapolis Times

Just what is this with the Beatles?
Well, they're English.
So am I, for that matter.
They sing.
I do too.  Just ask my bathtub.
They play musical instruments.
I play a useful "Bells of St. Mary's" on the mouth organ.
They earned $101,000 for 58 minutes work at the State Fair.
Hmm!
Still, the more I think about it, after watching them at close quarters for two hours last night, they are welcome to every nicked they earn.  After one brief sample of the ordeal they have to go through every day.  I wouldn't swap places with them if they were getting $1 million a show.

In a hectic span of three minutes, I was slapped in the teeth with a hard object, had my ribs crushed to breaking-point and got muscles out of place down the whole right side of my body!

I followed two or three yards behind the Beatles as they were taken out of the Communications Building to the stage in front of the Grandstand for their second show.

"Well, here we go again, troops,"  Ringo said as they came out of the room where they had succeeded in snatching two hours of peace and quiet between shows.

"Face the music,"  John Lennon said.

As they were shoved into a car outside the building, a teenage girl tried to jump in beside them.  She was forcibly removed.

Bess Coleman, an attractive young miss who used to work for an English newspaper and who is a member of the official party traveling with the Beatles was grabbed by a policeman as she followed the Beatles out of the building.

The policeman, who obviously mistook her for a fan, roughly tried to hurt her over a fence.  She managed to fight free and scramble into a second car.

"I'm shaken but I'm not seriously hurt," Miss Coleman said later, "I know the police have a hard job but they had seen me around all night long."

I followed behind the two cars with three English newspaper reporters who are covering the Beatles' tour of America.  Police tried to bar our way at one point and I was struck in the mouth.  I don't know what hit me and I don't know who hit me.

Seconds later I as pushed almost to the ground.  My ribs were jarred and my side was strained.

As I watched the Beatles perform less than four yards away, during the second show, I decided that my father had made a wise decision in buying me a football instead of a steel guitar for my birthday.

Still, I had to report on them for only one night.  One of the English reporters, Ivor Davis of the London Daily Express commented as he looked out across the sea of faces which flooded across the Grandstand and out onto the track, "Think of us boy, tomorrow.  It's like this.  Us pressmen traveling with them ordered four beers and a grilled cheese sandwich a piece this afternoon and before we could take either a bite or a sip the Beatles were being rushed somewhere and we had to follow.  Then we have to risk our lives and limbs following the boys up onto the stage.  I tell you it's tough.  We have to do it every day too.  Your worries are over."
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Concert memories from the Beatles at the State Fair

September 3, 2014, 9:46 pm
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To read more about the Beatles concert in Indianapolis, I recommend two books.   The first is Some Fun Tonight vol. 1 by Chuck Gunderson.   In this book, you can read the great (true) story of when Ringo left the Speedway and went cruising around Indy with a police officer and ended up at his house and met his daughter!   It is worth reading!

The second book came out this summer.  It is called All Those Years Ago and it is by David Humphrey.   It is all about the Beatles Indianapolis concerts and has a ton of fan memories and interesting information.   You can purchase your copy here.  

The Beatles performed 2 shows in Indianapolis.   The first one was inside the Coliseum and the second was outdoors in the bandstand.   I believe that all of the photos I have seen are from the Coliseum.   There is also a great film that shows this concert.   What I recall about the film is that it shows an ice cream vendor not doing his job, but listening to the Beatles.







Concert memories (collected from many places online)



"I was a 9 yr old boy going to see the Beatles that summer at the Indiana State Fair. However, I have very good recall of this, my first concert. I remember walking around the fairgrounds and seeing girls with Beatles buttons with words on them ‘I Love John’ ‘I Love Paul’ and such. There weren’t many girls wearing ‘I Love George’ or Ringo buttons though. My father was a pediatrician and was the doctor of the ticket manager of the State Fair and he got 4 tickets and sent his 11 yr old daughter and son to this along with our older cousin and her friend. (Very cool, dad) 

The Beatles came out and played the east end of the Coliseum, which for people that saw concerts there in years following was maybe the only time anyone played this end. The west end became the common location. I think John beginning to sing ‘If I Fell’ and the screaming became so loud I had to put my fingers in my ears. I mean, there is loud and there is Beatles loud. I think the beginning of my hearing loss began on this day Since this time I have seen many major concerts but none even began to come close to the fervor of this hot summer day inside the Coliseum.

There were men in white coats running around with stretchers picking up girls who had fainted and carrying them off hurriedly. Lots of girls, thousands, maybe I was the only boy in the place. And many were out of control. I just stared at them wondering what was the big deal.

It is interesting that the Beatles would later comment on this concert that it was “quite quiet” only I don’t know if they had started drugs by this time or had earplugs in because it was anything but quiet. It was unbearably loud and it never stopped, relentless.

I mostly remember just looking around at the girls who were screaming. I was in a bit of shock that someone could lose control like this over a bunch of guys up there singing. But, the impression was everlasting: THESE GUYS WERE C-O-O-L.

After this I remember guys began wearing Beatles boots. I thought they were pretty cool but parents frowned upon them because they looked like something ‘hoods’ would wear.

After the concert ended, we exited the southeast corner of the Coliseum. As we walked away there was a sudden shrilly, high pitched scream that went up and I turned to see what had happened, only to find a surge coming towards me that to this day kind of gives me chills. It was the feeling being trampled underfoot and it was not pleasant. I looked up and there was a surge of girls then the Beatles were running right past us, within 3 feet, and got into a black car that was parked nearby. I have a memory of one of the Beatles brushing against me slightly as the cops cleared their way for them. It was thrilling in a sense, but it was over in maybe 10 seconds. But how thrilling can it be for a 9 year old, anyway? Wish I’d been a few years older.

This is one of the memories you have in your lifetime that cannot be erased and I would say that nobody will ever cause a commotion and stir that the Beatles did. And the decibels of the screams given Elvis, especially Michael Jackson, don’t approach the levels given the Beatles.
One of a kind. Originals." The best. –Larry R.

"I was at the concert in the early evening. I remember lots of sailors were there in white uniforms. We were sitting up high in the stands, indoors, and had a good view of the stage and whole crowd. I don’t know directions, but the stage was to our left. It was the first time I had been back to the Coliseum since the horrible explosion the year before. What impressed me the most about the Beatles was how polite they were and professional in their performance. They bowed all together after each song. Their hair seemed so long and you could see why they were called mop-tops. It seems funny now to think how much fuss was created by their appearance. There was a lot of screaming, but not right near us, as we were mostly adults in that area, and we could hear the music well enough. It was a wonderful show, and I’m so glad to have seen the Beatles live."—Ruth

"I was inside the Coliseum that day in Indy. My buddy and I had front row seats. The Beatles were all dressed in gray Nauru jackets and pants. I don’t possibly know why the fab four thought the crowd was “quite quiet”.
The thousands of screaming girls were so loud and it never let up…we could barely hear the songs they were playing, yet we were only 30 feet away from the stage! It was a moment in time I will never forget!"–Eric J.

"At the first performance inside, they started letting the crowd into the lobby. But were not letting anyone go to their seats. A lot of pushing and shoving. Saw a guy's arm break a window glass. Remember at least one kid knocked down. Fortunately they quickly yelled to let them go to the seats. It was pretty scary. I was 16. Could have been a tragedy. I was ready to leave!
Glad my older brother talked me into staying! It was a great thrill to see The Beatles live!"–James B.

"My father was the MC for the second show in the grandstands, WIBC morning DJ Bouncin' Bill Baker. We lived on the north west side of town behind Broadmoor golf course. We had a police escort to the concert from our home and when we arrived in my fathers Greenbrier van painted up with WIBC logos and Bouncin Bill Baker signs all over a crowd swarmed the van thinking that The Beatles were inside.  My brothers and I loved it, but my mother was a little worried. I was only six but I remembered it well and sitting in the second row from the stage, girls kept pushing everyone as I stood on the wooded chair to get a better look. My father came out on stage wearing a green Nehru jacket and a Beatles wig, which Ringo took off his head when they came out! My older brother was fortunate enough to meet all The Beatles back stage in their dressing room. It was a great memory of a magical evening, I’m still hoping to find someone who might have taken a picture with my father on stage that night and get a copy for our entire family. We still have a complete roll of Beatle wallpaper from the radio station left over and other memorabilia, which my sister is avid collector. A very fond memory! " My Best Brad W. Baker

"I  was at the early show in the Coliseum and I was one of the screaming girls. I really loved the music so I tried not to be so loud that I couldn’t hear anything. It didn’t matter though, everyone around me and my friend were so loud we couldn’t hear much else. My father drove us up from Lexington, Ky. and we barely got there in time for the seating. I remember Jackie De Shannon wearing a bright blue fringed disco dress right before the Beatles came out. When they came out and started singing it was so surreal I couldn’t believe I was really seeing them in front of me. The memory maybe a little faded but some parts I remember so well. We couldn’t get tickets for the second show but my Dad let us hang around the fence by the tunnel where they were driven out to the stage area in a black limo. I was a huge George fan and he actually waved at us as they drove by, it was magical, there are no other words. After that my friends and fellow outcasts at our preppy school had Beatle parties where we shared bootleg records and videos not yet released in the states. Someone’s dad went to Europe and brought them back for us. It was huge in my life to be there and some of my best memories."–Jean


"My mom and I went to see them! My dad thought it was ridiculous to pay $5 bucks a piece for our tickets...it was awesome!"–Charlie H. 

"I was 11 years old, We saw the Beatles at the Grandstand show. My Mom told me & my sisters not to scream, but I did anyway"– Sally P.
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Fans didn't get to see them!

September 4, 2014, 6:27 pm
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When the Beatles landed at Geneal Mitchell Field in Milwaukee, Wisconsin at 4:20pm, around 700 Beatle fans were waiting to greet them.   They were holding their signs and waving their banners, ready to see the Beatles come down off the plane and wave to them before being taken off by a police officer to a car

However, fans were disappointed, because for the first time in the U.S. tour history, the Beatles did not get to wave to any of the waiting fans.  The Beatles' plane was taken to the far side of the field and out of the eyesight of the fans.

Paul  was sure to tell that it was not the Beatles' idea to snub the fans and it was the police who said they could not wave to the fans.   The media tried to lay the blame on Brian, which Paul was quick to say was a lie.   Sorry Milwaukee Beatle fans!
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The original threetles

September 4, 2014, 6:37 pm
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If you recall,  the day before the concert in Milwaukee, during the press conference in Indianapolis, George was asked if the Beatles ever get sore throats when touring.   George says something about how he had a sore throat and so did John.    John's throat problems must have gotten worse overnight because it was so bad that he did not attend the press conference in Milwaukee.   For the only time in Beatles American press conference history, only three Beatles were present.   And the one Beatle who was resting in the hotel suite was the one Beatle that usually did all of the talking during the press conference.   Paul, George and Ringo were left to fend for themselves and answer questions about why they did not wave to fans at the airport.  









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The Beatles Motor In(n)

September 4, 2014, 7:27 pm
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Maybe you will get a call from me....

September 4, 2014, 7:58 pm
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Poor 14 year old Christy Cutler....she had tickets to the see the Beatles in Milwaukee and wouldn't you know it---she got sick.   Christy came down with an illness that landed her in the hospital in the middle of August 1964 and she was still there two weeks later when the Beatles were set to play in her town.   She had an illness that was not diagnosed, even after extensive tests were ran.  At the time of the concert, her condition was very serious and her doctor was not sure if she was going to live or die.   As an adult, Christy believes that the illness that caused her to to miss see the Beatles in 1964 was caused by exposure to the pesticide DDT.   Regardless of what she had, the fact that she was missing the concert made her feel even worse. 

Wanting to raise the sick teen's spirits, her aunt pulled some strings with the newspaper and Paul McCartney was talked into calling the girl in the hospital.   Paul was the Beatle that usually did the phone calls to sick children in the hospital, as Ringo recalled later.     The staff was told that Paul would call around 2:15pm, but not to let Christy know in case the plan fell through and she would be even more devastated.

Because the switchboard at the Motor Inn Hotel was blocked with calls from fans trying to talk to a Beatle, Paul had a difficult time making the phone call to St. Francis phone call, but at 2:30p.m. the call went through.

Christy recalls that the phone call only lasted about 2 minutes and it was very difficult for her to talk because her throat hurt so much.    Paul asked her how she was feeling and she said fine.   Christy recalls that Paul had a strong English accent.  She asked him if the Beatles were planning on returning to Milwaukee and he said, "Our manager makes those decisions."   Before he ended the short call with the fan, Paul told her, "Well now, I've got to hang up, you see, but you will smile though. That's the main thing, you know."

Nurses were huddled in the doorway listening to Christy's side of the conversation and when she hung up, it was reported that the nurses cried.

After her story about talking to Paul appeared in the newspaper, Christy began to get bags filled with letters from Beatle fans all around the country who wanted to be her penpal.  

Christy had one request for the hospital:  she wanted to keep the princess phone that was used to speak to Paul McCartney.  The hospital allowed for her to take it home with her, however when her family moved out of their home, the telephone company claimed the famous phone as their property and would not allow her to keep the phone.  

Christy's health did improve and she believes that talking to her favorite Beatle on the phone helped her heal, at least a little. 






Information found
 http://www.jsonline.com/news/milwaukee/57119567.html

 http://www.jsonline.com/news/63898972.html

 http://www.fab4milwaukee.com/Christy.html

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The concert in Wisconsin

September 4, 2014, 8:03 pm
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This is obviously before the Beatles came on stage...everyone seems pretty calm.

The Beatles view....



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The Milwaukee fans go wild!

September 4, 2014, 8:21 pm
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I have no idea why, but it seems like I have more photos of fans at the Milwaukee concert than any other venue.    And while these are from the September 4, 1964 date, the really could be from any stop on the tour because the mania and the love the Beatles experienced was universal at every stop on the tour.


It was common (but dangerous) for fans to stand on the backs of the chairs in order to see the Beatles


Often bars, such as this one would get pulled up because so many fans were grabbing onto it and pulling. The girl on the side looks like she is in deep thought.

This emotional Ringo fan's name is Shelley.   Here s her story. 

Screaming and screaming some more---police cover their ears.

Snapping a photo and praying it turns out.

the Beatles make you almost pull your hair out!


So overwhelmed with emotion one fan doesn't even realize that she is flying her Beatles banner upside down.

One police officer tries to sneak a peak to see what the fuss is all about

Fans try to get closer to the Beatles....and one photographer is caught in the midst of it all!

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Front row seats

September 4, 2014, 8:36 pm
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Beatles are a screaming smash here

September 5, 2014, 8:17 pm
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Singers Meet the Press--Beatles are a screaming smash here
By Thomas Fitzpatrick
Chicago Tribune  September 6, 1964

Everything you've heard about the effect the Beatles have on teenagers is true.  Confusion reigns when they appear.  Teenagers; and even adults, reach an uncontrollable state.  How do you explain it?

They walk out on the stage in a place like the International Amphitheater and everyone goes absolutely wild.  Young girls leap to their feet and begin to wave their arms and scream.  They keep screaming until the Beatles, with their heavy guitar beat, have finished their song.

What happens next?  They start screaming all over again.  Nobody hears anything.  Anyone in the audience who is the least bit cautious is forced to cover his ears with his hands.   That's how loud and shrieking the sound was.  There had to be a real danger to the inner eat.   The show lasted for 2 hours.  It was filled in for the first 90 minutes by musicians who have never been heard on the national circuit before.  The Beatles spent 30 minutes on stage.  They were reportedly paid $30,000.

You can't begrudge them the money because of lack of talent.  IT was impossible to find out if they had any talent because no one in the Amphitheater was able to hear a note.  The only question had to be about the money that must be supplied by Chicagoans for police protection.  It was necessary.

Ringo Starr expressed his appreciation for the work of the police during a press conference.  "What do you think would happen to you if the police didn't protect you?" a man asked.

"I think they'd kill us," said Ringo.  HE smiled as he said it.  But you knew he meant it.

"I feel sorry for them," one mother was heard to say after the show was over.  "Who do you mean?" asked another mother, "The Beatles or the girls?" "The Beatles replied the first mother.  "What will happen to them when all this adulation has passed them by?"

Even tho the show was not scheduled to begin until 8:30 p.m., hundred of young Beatles fans were lined up at the amphitheater doors at dawn.  They remained until the doors were opened and they were allowed to enter.

Even the press conference, held in the Stock Yard Inn prior to their performance, had an unusual twist.  The level of the questions was just about what could be expected.  Starr predicted that Lyndon Johnson would be the next President.  John Lennon explained that it takes  him longer to dry his hair because it is longer.  Paul McCartney, another of the group, said he was looking forward to seeing Chicago's gangsters with their broad brimmed hats and wide ties.

All these brilliant comments were made in an atmosphere permeated by dozens of policemen and personal bodyguards.  Unfortunately, a man driving a limousine identical to that of the Beatles drove by the arena shortly after the performance.

"It's Ringo Starr," shouted one girl and her chant was picked up by hundreds, who surrounded the auto, halted in traffic, and began pounding and rocking the car.  It took the driver five minutes to convince the girls he was no Beatles.

But if the plight of the motorist was a difficult one imagine how it is to be a Beatles.  The group is reportedly making 14 million dollars a year but they are so hemmed in by fans that they dont' dare emerge from their protective cocoons to spend it.

One of the Beatles said recently that he had come to the United States with $150 cash to spend on incidentals.  He hasn't been able to spend a cent of it to date.

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Squealing in Delight

September 5, 2014, 8:19 pm
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The Beatles Descend--Thousands Squeal Delight
By Leighton McLaughlin
Chicago Sun Times September 6, 1964

The Beatles made $1000 a minute Saturday night in the International Amphitheatre during ritual ;bedlam. More than bedlam.  It was the loudest thing since Casey Jones hit that freight train.

Young lungs filled the huge hall with a sound that was worldless, wild and to all appearances witless.

The four young Britons -- John Lennon, Ringo Starr, Paul McCartney and George Harrison were the last act in a two-hour rock n roll show.

For their fans they were the only act.  The living gods of Beatlemania bounced onto the stage, and the faithful leaped into the air and began speaking in tongues.

The Beatles wore pipestem pants, pointed shoes and one of the more curious haircuts in town.  They could not be heard over the roar.  25 feet away from the stage, it was impossible to detect any more than an ;undercurrent of loud-tuned electric guitars.

A young fan took issue with this after the show, "It wasn't too bad," the girl said.  "You could hear a little bit...sometimes."

If the energy expended by the fans were directed property, The United States could have man on the moon tomorrow.

In a sense, however, the energy has been captured. The Beatles made roughly $250 a man a ;minute.

That is $15,000 an hour, or $600,000 for a 40 hour week.  With 52 weeks in a year and with paid vacation, that is $31,200,000 a year apiece.  But, of course they do not work full time.

After the show, about half dozen fans were taken to Evangelical Hospital in various states of emotional and physical exhaustion.

There was only one casualty during the show.   An unidentified young girl was poke in the eye during the frenzy as the Beatles entered.   She was calmed down by ambulance attendant and hurried back to the fray -- one of the walking wounded.

Girls hung precariously from balconies.  Sweating ushers, 170 of them, supplemented by 320 policemen, firemen, private guards, and various functionaries, labored to keep the girls in their seats and from falling out of the balconies.

They stood on their seats and screamed anyway, but none plunged to the floor.

As a demonstration of affection, they pelted the stage with whatever was at hand:  flashbulbs, candy and a couple of stuffed teddy bears.  McCartney was smacked in the face with a spent flashbulb, but hardly missed a beat of whatever he was playing.  It couldn't have been heard anyway.
Many of the fans paid premium scalper's prices for tickets and other bought counterfeits.  About a dozen ersatzi tickets were discovered at the gate.

Crowds started showing up at the amphitheater, 42nd ;and Halsted, at about 6am.   Saturday, even before police got th4ere.  Police Comdr. Robert Lynskey estimated that at the peak there were 15,000 persons inside the amphitheater and 4,000 milling outside.

Children from all over the nation called the Stockyard Inn next door for reservations.   They were turned down.  A group of four girls appeared with bedrolls Friday night and announced they were going to camp in the inn until the Beatles arrived.  They were turned out.

As the fans -- 95% of them young girls --  began filling the amphitheater, they were screaming to surrender their homemade signs all professing love and objects that would be hurled as missiles.

One reporter was approached three times by young girls and asked to take them into the Beatles' press conference.  He was offered up to $30 for the favor.

When the Beatles arrived at Midway airport, there were some 5,000 faithful on hand.  a number of fans scaled a fence but were repulsed by the police.

The quartet was hustled by limousine and motorcycle escort to the inn.  Girls waiting in line could not see them arrive.  But when they ere informed of the arrival, the news could actually be seen passing down the line.

The girls leaped in the air, squealed and came down in the same spot.  No one wanted to lose her place in line.  Immediately after the show the Beatles were hurried into the waiting cars and back to the airport.  They flew directly to Detroit for another engagement.

Even after they left, policemen under Lynskey guarded the door to their hotel room to prevent souvenir hunters form tearing it apart.   Before the show, crowds milled outside the amphitheater and the inn, hoping to catch a glimpse of the four.  For some reason word got around that they were near a window facing Halstead.

Girls screamed, cajoled and raged at the window intermittently for hours.   The Beatles were nowhere near it, but the pleading kept up anyway.  At one point, fans stormed a break truck pulling up to the amphitheater which was suspected of concealing the Beatles.  The driver barely got away with his life and police restored order.
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We've arrived in the windy city!

September 5, 2014, 8:28 pm
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Ringo's golden drum

September 5, 2014, 8:44 pm
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The Ludwig drum company's main office was located in Chicago, Illinois.   Ringo Starr played Ludwig drums and the name "Ludwig" was seen prominently on the Beatles drum head.   To honor Ringo for the advertising  and publicity, William Ludwig Jr. presented Ringo with a special gold snare drum.   This snare drum was a one of a kind made especially for Ringo.   It had a special plaque that said, "Ringo Starr, the Beatles" on it.  

Before the Chicago concert of 1964,  a presentation was made where William Ludwig Jr. said this;
"I have never known a drummer more widely acclaimed and publicized than you, Ringo Starr. Your millions of fans have honored you and the other members of The Beatles by their overwhelming acceptance of your recordings and concert appearances. On behalf of the employees and management of the Ludwig Drum Company, I would like to thank you for choosing our instruments and for the major role you are playing in the music world today."

Ringo took his gold drum back to England after the tour and has had it in his possession every since.  In 2010, Ringo allowed the Met in New York City to borrow the gold drum for a special exhibit and many fans had the chance to see the famed drum.  It appeared again at the Grammy's special Ringo Starr exhibit at their L.A. museum last year.




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Chicago Beatle fans

September 6, 2014, 3:29 pm
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Some photos taken of the Beatles during the 1964 Chicago concert by a fan in the audience.

Fan taken photo from the Beatles chicago press conference

B-day Chicago memories


She even kept the tissue she cried in after she saw Paul and Ringo....


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Remembering a Beatle meeting

September 6, 2014, 4:06 pm
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Back in February of this year, I found this interview with a Detroit fan who met the Beatles at the Detroit '64 press conference on the Detroit CBS station's website.  The interview with Nancy Cain was conducted by  Nagsheen Nassif.  I am excited to share it with those of you who might have missed it the first time around today on the 50th anniversary of when the Beatles were in Detroit. 



 
Ever wondered what it would be like to be up front and center at a Beatles concert? Well, Nancy Cain, the Public Relations Director at AAA Michigan, was there when the Beatles first came to America 50 years ago. She also got to meet them, ask a question at a press conference, and write a story for the Associated Press – and she was only 14 at the time.  I had the opportunity to interview her and she described her experience as “a thrill she will always remember.”

How did you have the opportunity to do something like this?
“The Beatles flew to Detroit on Sept. 6, 1964 as the 14th stop of their 1964 North American Tour. My dad, Charlie Cain, was a veteran Associated Press writer/editor with the Detroit Bureau. When he took the assignment to cover the Beatles’ first ever visit to Detroit- — at the famed Olympia Stadium — he suggested to the AP that it might be fun to have a teenage girl write about the experience first-hand as well. Of course, he had listened to my countless “it would be so great to meet the Beatles” comments for weeks. Thanks to my dad, I was lucky enough to be that teenage girl.”

What was the experience like?
“I can close my eyes even now — 50 years later — and I can still see the Beatles onstage. You couldn’t hear their music — all you could hear was one long loud scream that came up from the audience of mostly young teen girls … and they screamed throughout the entire concert. No one at Olympia Stadium had ever heard a louder, longer, happier, and more exuberant delighted scream than that one. I was exactly at the right moment in time for this concert. As a 14-year-old Detroiter, I was among the countless fans who loved the Beatles from the moment we heard their first records played on the radio and cheered their first American national TV appearance on the Ed Sullivan show.”

What was the most interesting part of this experience?
“My dad and I were right next to the stage, standing just a few feet from the Beatles. As singer Jackie DeShannon, who was the act before the Beatles, finished her last song, the crowd of some 15,000 teens began screaming louder and louder for the Beatles. By the time she left and the Beatles assembled on stage, all you hear was that one long scream of joy. Some of the young crowd rushed the stage for a closer look. They were hustled off by security guards as the Beatles played one hit song after another, smiling all the time. The crowd threw jelly beans at the stage — for some reason, this had become a popular way to pay homage to the Beatles. I scooped up lots of jelly beans — some that had actually bounced off one or another of the Beatles — and proudly gave them away to friends at school the following day.”

How would you describe the energy at this concert?
“This was a moment in time — girls screaming in joy, Beatles playing music that could barely be heard over the screams and applause, and the spotlights shining on the four musicians. Olympia Stadium almost shook to its foundation from the excitement. I have been to concerts since — but none can touch this for the pure joy and energy. I am certain everyone in that crowd shared the same feeling. This was historic — and the beginning of a new era in music. The Beatles were rock stars, and their fame only continued to grow. The concert was even better than anyone could have imagined.”

Did you have a chance to interview the Beatles after the concert?
“After the concert, we were hustled backstage for a brief news conference.  I was lucky enough to stand right behind the Beatles, closest to Ringo. He shook my hand.  Questions flew from reporters who had quickly assembled.  I had my reporter’s notebook and pen in hand, ready to take notes. As one of the youngest people in that room, several Beatles smiled at me and said hello, I smiled and said hello back.  I asked how the Beatles like Detroit—someone else asked the same question.   I remembered the questions and answers — and wrote a story for the AP.”

Have you ever sat in on a news conference before?
“This was my first news conference. As a reporter and public relations director, I have attended or organized many news conferences — but none quite like this brief exchange –almost banter — between the Beatles and media on hand. When the Beatles left the room, everyone stood around for a few moments, almost in awe and some just smiling. What a great assignment!”

What was the drive home like for you and your father after this concert?
“As my dad and I drove home, we both commented simultaneously that we couldn’t hear very well… we were still slightly deaf from the screaming crowd. A security guard told us the same thing — he thought he lost his hearing; it was a day unlike any other at Olympia Stadium. Our ears rang for several days.”

Who was your favorite Beatle and song?
“At the time, Paul McCartney was my favorite Beatle — but over the years, I’ve grown to appreciate all of them for their extraordinary talent. That day at Olympia Stadium, one of my favorite Beatle song was “I want to hold your hand,” but today, it’s hard to pick a favorite — the Beatles have contributed so much that it is hard to single out a favorite. One of my favorites is “The Long and Winding Road.”
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Concert memories of the Beatles in Detroit

September 6, 2014, 4:16 pm
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photo by Tony Spania






Memories of fans who attended the concert in Detroit, Michigan (collected through various places online)

I was at this concert and saw Paul McCartney again at Comerica Park July 24, 2011. He mentioned that you could not hear songs for all the screaming. So true. I was bummed because you could not hear at all. Girl next to me fainted and missed entire concert. Did enjoy Jackie DeShannon but don’t remember the other acts. I have never run into anyone who was at that concert and everyone is always impressed that I saw them in 1964—Gayle

I also attended the 1964 concert. The event was so influential in my life that it is etched in my mind forever. Interestingly, I don’t remember any other bands performing at the concert. I remember that they only played for about 20 minutes and were set up at one end of what was normally the Olympia ice hockey surface. The screaming was constant and deafening and as fate had it, I was seated to the band’s right and just slightly behind them, but up in the second or third tier so I had a great view and could actually hear them play and sing, (except when Ringo sang the song “Boys”). Thoughtfully, they all turned around and acknowledged the fans seated behind them after every song. Another image that has stuck with me is all the jelly beans that fans threw at them during the performance. After the concert, two rows of cops with arms interlocked surrounded the stage, barely stopping some and dragging others off who had leapt over them to grab the jelly beans they stepped on during the concert. An absolutely, unbelievably amazing Beatlemania scene! Afterwards, on the way out, people were breathing so hard from 20 minutes of screaming, that the walls of the exit corridors were literally dripping with exhaled moisture! –Mark C. 

My sister was at that concert. She still has a couple of the jelly beans that the Beatles stepped on and threw back at the crowd. I went with my dad to pick her up from the concert. She was 17 at the time and came out of Olympia with her girlfriends hoarse and drenched in sweat. –Bob P.

I was also there…up in the Press Box with the son of my Dad’s boss and his fiancee’. I remember a girl fainting and all the screaming. Though I had no idea what this word meant at the time, I can now describe it all as “surreal”…like I was almost dreaming it. I was 8 and it’s one of the best things I can ever say I’ve gotten to do in my life. –Barbara H.

I was there with two sisters and my mom. Yes, etched in my memory, John or Paul were only heard as the girls calmed down to hear them mention what song was next. One cord maybe, then couldn’t hear any of the songs the Beatles played but the screaming, the jelly beans the Beatles had to dodge. One girl kept jumping up and down screaming in front of us. My mother beat her with her purse cause she was blocking her view. The energy, the pandemonium. All worth to live a moment in the history of the Beatles. Heard they grossed more in Detroit than any other city that tour. I now live in Singapore, and yes, there is a bit of reverence, when you tell the world “you saw the Beatles live.” -Mike Griffin

I was at the 1964 concert. My family lived in Ann Arbor. My dad got tickets from one of the Red Wings hockey players he knew through his job at Ford and he took me since I was only 12. This was a very special occasion since I was one of six children at this time. We were seated up and to the left of the stage and had a very good view. I was timid in the midst of all the screaming. When I finally worked up enough courage to scream, the woman in front of me turned and gave me a strange look. I stayed pretty quiet but was elated. If I covered my ears, I could actually hear the songs through all the noise. My dad wore airport ear gear! Funny! I was motivated to learn to play the guitar and I was convinced I would someday marry Paul McCartney. My best friend was going to marry John Lennon. What a childhood memory! I still have the original program from this concert. –Robyn


I was there , I lived in Detroit at the time. I don’t remember hearing much of anything because of the screaming and I think I was doing quite a bit of it myself. But, it was great fun, and I will always have that memory as I was only 12 at the time. The father of a friend of mine said they would never last and bet her a 6 pack of colt 45 that they would be gone in a year. Don’t know if she ever collected it or not! –Mary Lou S.

My Dad, a Probate Judge, scored 4 tickets in ’64. He was to take my three older brothers; one who loved hockey didn’t care to go so I did. At 10 years old I recall hearing only one bit of music through all the screaming. I remember a girl behind me, the veins in her neck bulging as she screamed. As Ringo walked off stage I think a woman leaned over a railing and swung her purse to hit him over the head, likely so she could say her purse touched a Beatle. Amazing night and, yes, people have that reverence when I mention that I was there. –Dave S.


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Beatles an another press conference

September 6, 2014, 4:18 pm
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Photographs from the Beatles 1964 press conference in Detroit, Michigan.....another day...another time to meet the press....






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The Beatles slept here

September 6, 2014, 4:20 pm
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After every stop along the Beatles tour, souvenir hunters were on the prowl to get a hold of anything the Beatles touched.    Bedsheets that the Beatles slept on were the most popular item to cut up and sell.   Here is an example from Detroit.  Notice how tiny the piece of the bed sheet is!  


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