Atlanta 1965 press conference • Wednesday, August 18, 1965

Interview

This interview remains the property of the respective copyright owner, and no implication of ownership by us is intended or should be inferred. Any copyright owner who wants something removed should contact us and we will do so immediately.

[Elvis Presley] was wilder then, you know, and he’s gone a bit middle-aged. You know the image. You know what I mean. We still like him, though.

Paul McCartney

Q: I want to ask what your unfulfilled ambitions are.

Paul McCartney: “Er, I haven’t got any.

Ringo Starr and George Harrison: Neither have I.

John Lennon: Me too.

Q: How are The Beatles enjoying their tour here in America?

John Lennon: Very much, thank you. Hello, hello.

George Harrison: Yeah, it’s great.

Ringo Starr: Having a great time.

Q: Is Ringo going to be a father soon, and if so, what will he name his child?

Ringo Starr: I am gonna be a father soon, and I haven’t got a name yet.

Q: How come you’re not hitting more southern cities on your tour?

John Lennon: We don’t know, you know. It’s not up to us where we go. We just climb in the vans.

Paul McCartney: Philosophical.

Q: George, you being the only single one of the group…

George Harrison: What about Paul? Haven’t you heard about him? Let me introduce you.

Paul McCartney: Hello – you goofed!

Q: May I continue? What are your matrimony plans?

George Harrison: Well that question, you know, it’s stupid for a start because Paul isn’t married either, is he? So if you’d like to ask the question again and count Paul in.

Paul McCartney: Right, and we’ll both talk at the same time.

Q: What are your matrimony plans?

George Harrison: I haven’t any.

Q: Paul, what about you and Jane Asher? What’s the story?

Paul McCartney: What about us?

Ringo Starr: Go on, tell them.

Paul McCartney: Well, I haven’t said anything to anyone. But people keep writing about it, and putting it in papers and things. So, erm, you know, I’m getting to believe it. It’s daft, you know. I never said a word about it, anyway. They just keep quoting.

Q: Do the boys have any Atlanta acquaintances?

John Lennon: Not yet.

Ringo Starr: No.

Q: I’d like to ask George Harrison: You fellas seem to have started a complete new trend in music, in clothes, and in hairstyles. When you think about what you started, are you proud of it?

George Harrison: Yes.

Q: I’d like to ask George Harrison about having a nightclub named after your hair. Are you thrilled?

George Harrison: Well, I was until I saw the nightclub.

John Lennon: How about that?

Paul McCartney: How about a hand for that boy! A big hand! What a show!

Q: I’d like to ask Ringo: I understand that you like country and western music, and I was wondering if The Beatles have any plans for recording in Nashville?

Ringo Starr: I do like country and western, and we have no plans of recording in Nashville.

Q: Does George like classical Spanish music?

George Harrison: Yeah.

Q: Do the rest of you like any classical music?

Ringo Starr: Classical rock and roll.

George Harrison: The thing is, I like it but I couldn’t get out of bed in the morning and put it on, you know. It’s only certain times I can listen to it.

Paul McCartney: We all like different kinds of music. Only, sort of, bits of it. A bit of Tchaikovsky here and there, you know.

Q: Where do John and Paul get their ideas for writing songs?

John Lennon: Out of John and Paul’s heads.

Q: If The Beatles could attend someone else’s concert what artists would they go and see?

John Lennon: There’s lots of them, you know.

Paul McCartney: At the Apollo or something like that.

John Lennon: Like, to go to the Apollo and see everybody that goes there.

Q: I have a question for all The Beatles here. If you were sitting at home listening to record albums of other recording artists, who are some of the American recording artists that you prefer?

John Lennon: Otis Redding is one.

George Harrison: Yeah.

Paul McCartney: James Brown.

John Lennon: There’s lots of them.

George Harrison: Nina Simone.

Paul McCartney: Chuck Jackson.

George Harrison: There’s hundreds of them.

John Lennon: Many, many.

Q: What do you think of Elvis Presley?

John Lennon: We liked his early stuff, you know.

Paul McCartney: We liked it a lot more than the stuff that he does now.

John Lennon: We still play his…

Paul McCartney: He was wilder then, you know, and he’s gone a bit middle-aged. You know the image. You know what I mean. We still like him, though.

Q: Is this The Beatles’ last tour?

The Beatles: No.

Q: Of America?

The Beatles: No.

Q: I heard something about Nashville. Did you say you were not going to record there?

Ringo Starr: There’s no plans to record there.

George Harrison: There’s no point of us recording anywhere else, you know. I mean, we’d probably end up with the same sound wherever we record, you know, so what’s the point?

Q: Do the Nashville music companies, do they send you their material or do you ask them to, like Carl Perkins stuff?

John Lennon: We just bought that years ago when it was out, you know.

Paul McCartney: We just do it ’cause we’ve got the records.

Q: I’d like to ask any Beatle, what do you think of the groups – American or otherwise – copying your style, hair, and your style of music?

John Lennon: We don’t mind. It’s no worse than the British ones doing it.

Q: Who is your A & R man?

John Lennon: George Martin.

George Harrison: It’s written on the back of every album.

John Lennon (to George): He doesn’t own the albums, he just wants to know.

George Harrison: Well, you gotta buy some.

Last updated on September 1, 2020