Paris • 3pm show

BEATLES IN EUROPE — PART ONE — ‘You don’t have to kneel, you know!’ RINGO, MBE

PARIS, the last citadel to hold out against the world wide epidemic of Beatlemania capitulated on Sunday when the Beatles scored a tremendous triumph with two sell-out concerts at the 5,800 seater Palais des Sports.

By any standards the reception was magnificent. By French standards it was sensational. The Palais des Sports has seen nothing like it since the Ray Charles concerts seven years ago.

So, as it seems to be the season for gongs, let me give you my own M.B.E. honours list:

One for these four Magnificent British Exports.

One for the Massive Beatle Enthusiasm they generated in Paris.

One for the world’s Most Brilliant Entertainers and finally a gong for M.B.E. himself (Mr Brian Epstein) who succinctly summed up the whole business after the tumultuous applause had subsided with: “How can they bloody well say they didn’t deserve them?“

As a curtain raiser to their European tour, the Beatles could not have had a more exhilarating experience. With Paris at their feet, they are set to take the rest of Europe by storm.

Lyons, where they appeared on Tuesday, was a sell out. Milan — 18,000 seats — a sell out. So is Genoa.

And even further ahead, Brian Epstein told me that every ticket has been sold for the concert in August at the massive 55,000 seater Shea Stadium in New York, where the Beatles will play to the most immense audience they have ever encountered.

Standing in the control box high up in the dome of the Palais des Sports, it was an unforgettable sight to see the audience, an animated mosaic of colour, leaping up and down in their seats, waving their arms and shrieking deliriously English and American style at the four black-clad Beatles.

At the end of the second concert, the police and bouncers did their best to provoke a riot, but apart from a few overturned seats there was no real trouble.

Massive security precautions — hundreds of police and fire hoses at the ready — and concert organisers Europe Number One issued thousands of leaflets warning fans that they would be ejected if they caused trouble — proved completely unnecessary.

This over-cautiousness began at Orly Airport when police refused to allow a press conference because they feared a riot — although there were less than fifty fans to greet the Beatles, including ten British girls who had camped out all night on the airport roof. And it continued when a grim-faced policeman refused at one point to allow Brian Epstein into the Palais.

As John Lennon observed: “These coppers think they’re okay while De Gaulle’s in charge, but just wait till Eppy takes over. The trouble is they read in the papers about all this Beatlemania crap — sorry, for the MM I have to say rubbish — and then they panic.“

All the Beatles admitted to being apprehensive before the first concert. They had not played before an audience for weeks and they were, frankly, a little out of touch.

The pre-concert confusion was typical. John had carefully packed two left boots; the batter head on Ringo’s snare drum split and had to be replaced just before the boys went on stage, and nobody could find a small amplifier to tune up the guitars.

“We’ll have to be folk,” said John, “and tune up on stage.“

The dressing room banter flashed around too fast to be recorded — but underneath it there was clearly a little anxiety.

It was, of course, entirely unnecessary. Once on stage, professionalism and personality took complete control and the fluff and faulters were utterly overshadowed by the boys’ tremendous attack and enthusiasm.

Paul, announcing in Liverpudlian French, got roars of approval, and throughout the three-four “Baby’s In Black” the entire audience swayed from side to side like a multi-coloured corn field. It was a fantastic sight.

The climax came in the second concert when the boys returned to the stage after “Ticket To Ride” for an encore with “Long Tall Sally”. The audience, who weren’t expecting another number, had started to leave their seats. When Paul led into the number the fans surged forward to the barrier around the stage like a tidal wave, and scores of police were rapidly summoned to keep them back. I saw young girls punched and pushed and other fans slashed around the face with police capes.

Three young fans who had front row seats for both concerts were leaping about like maniacs. They wore John Lennon caps and red shirts with “We love you Beatles” lettered on the back. And they were boys.

An umbrella they carried, adorned with Beatle pictures, was quickly snatched and smashed by police.

Back in the dressing room after the show John Lennon sat exhausted in an armchair, sweat trickling on to his pink shirt and black jacket, complained: “You don’t get any time to breathe. ‘Rock’n Roll Music’ nearly killed me.“

But the Beatles were obviously knocked out by the delirious reception. “I expected it to be much worse,” said George, “but it was great. We were a bit rusty, but no one seemed to notice.” And the general feeling was that the biggest test was over.

Not the least excited fan in the Palais des Sports on Sunday was Brian Epstein — and, in fact, he was almost literally knocked out. Racing up to the control room to take a picture of the boys on stage he hit his head on the low concrete lintel of the doorway and fell back and nearly plunged down a spiral staircase.

Back in their suite at the George V where they had managed to get accommodation after all — the Beatles produced their celebrated banter as disc jockey Chris Denning tried to interview the boys.

Kneeling on the floor to operate his tape recorder Chris asked Ringo: “What do you think about the M.B.E. award?“

“I think it’s great,” said Ringo. “And, by the way, you don’t have to kneel, you know.“

“Have you met Harold Wilson?” Chris asked John Lennon.

“Harold Wilson?” John answered. “I knew him when he was on Decca.“

To set the seal on a fantastic day, I took my record player into the George V and had a special preview of the numbers from “Help”.

And this is where I run out of superlatives. Because these tunes are some of the best John and Paul have ever done.

Ringo’s country-and-western number is his best ever; there’s a real screamer of a rock number called “I’m Down”; but most fantastic of all is a solo ballad by Paul, “Yesterday”, which is completely different from anything the Beatles have done and which uses a string quartet. It has number one engraved on every bar and it’s a pity it won’t be released in Britain as a single.

FOOTNOTE: Brian Epstein told me he plans to film the mammoth concert at the Shea Stadium for simultaneous showing in Britain and the States around Christmas.

From Melody Maker – June 26, 1965

MIKE HENNESSEY in PARIS. Next stop — Europe

WITH the possible exception of the upper regions of Afghanistan, France is probably the least Beatle-crazy country in the world. The Beatles’ last visit here, in January last year for a season at the Olympia Theatre, was successful, but not an unmitigated triumph. The Stones, the Kinks, the Animals, Chuck Berry — all have had better receptions since.

The Beatles’ film, “A Hard Day’s Night”, even though incongruously dubbed in French, did not do well over here. Beatles records, of course, sell well — although Odeon, who release them here, decline to give sales figures.

Having said all that, I must report that hardly a ticket remains for their two concerts at the 5,800-seater Palais des Sports on Sunday. Currently a hundred posters are going up around Paris rather pointlessly advertising the concert. The concerts will be filmed by French TV, and will be taped for radio.

Meanwhile the latest Beatles EP — there are almost no singles in France except for juke boxes — containing “A Ticket To Ride” is selling briskly and will be followed next month by the release of an EP containing songs from “Help”.

Probably the best authority in Paris on the feelings of pop fans towards the Beatles is Henri Leproux, who runs the famous rock club “Le Golf Drouot.” He told me: “The kids rate the Beatles tops musically, but they are disappointed that they cannot make any personal contact with them. The Stones, the Kinks, the Animals — they have all visited the club and circulated freely among the fans. There is no mobbing here. French kids just aren’t like that. I think the kids realise it is not the fault of the Beatles themselves — but of the people who over-protect them.“

For all the reservations and the apparent lack of any Beatlemania here, I am willing to bet that next Sunday’s concerts will be a riot — possibly literally. For one thing, Sunday is the best possible day for a concert — and for another the Palais des Sports has riotous associations.

Every rocker and roller, every yé-yé and every available policeman will be there on Sunday. And when nearly six thousand kids get together in a riot-prone arena like the Palais des Sports, anything can happen.

● The full bill for the concert had not been completed at the time of writing, but featured in addition to the Beatles will be the Yardbirds.

● Accommodation note: Since its Air Fair time in Paris, impresario Felix Maruani has had no end of trouble trying to find a hotel for the Beatles. He finally managed to book five rooms at the Relais Bisson on the Left Bank of the Seine not far from Notre Dame.

From Melody Maker – June 19, 1965