The Beatles are offered $1 million to perform live in 1967

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The Beatles stopped touring after their 1966 US tour, focusing on studio activities instead. Paul McCartney was the most reluctant to stop, but he was convinced after the concert in St. Louis on August 21, 1966.

We did this one concert in America, when it was raining, with water coming in the amps, and we hated it – we did the show, but hated every minute of it. And then at the end of it, we were put inside this metal-lined van, and were sort of clattered about in there. And I think as we were sitting in there, John and George just said Sod this! But they had been saying ‘All this touring…’ We were just shattering ourselves, And I think that was when I said ‘Sod it. – I agree with you’. That made three of us, so we went into recording. We decided to just keep recording, and if anybody said ‘When are you going to tour next?’, we’d say ‘We’re not sure. We weren’t going to announce that we’d stopped touring; we just decided to quietly pull out of it, and get into recording more.

Paul McCartney – interview with Jamming!, March 1983

In early December of that year, US promoter Sid Bernstein was in London as promoter of the Young Rascals, who were touring there at those dates. Bernstein was the first promoter to bring the Beatles to the United States from Britain.

Taking the opportunity of his visit, he offered The Beatles $1 million to play two concerts at New York’s Shea Stadium in 1967. Bernstein made similar offers in 1969, 1976 and 1979, but the Beatles never toured again.

BEATLES OFFERED $1 MILLION

SYD BERNSTEIN, who first entered the Rock field when he promoted THE BEATLES at Carnegie Hall, is currently negotiating to book The Beatles at Shea Stadium, New York next year. Bernstein has offered $1,000,000 for two appearances there and for the TV rights to the show.

Next week, Bernstein’s first Broadway show opens. It is a Country & Western show starring JOHN RAIT, entitled “A Joyful Noise”.

Bernstein, at present in Europe with his YOUNG RASCALS, is making a film with the group. “The film, which will be shot in June, will be based on the group’s life and their current British trip will play a part in the picture.

“I have also signed one more group,” he told RM. “They are called THE BLUES PROJECT and they are on the EMI label in Britain. The group’s first album sold 50,000 copies in the States.”

From Record Mirror – December 10, 1966

Last updated on September 27, 2023