Interview for The Beatles Monthly Book

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Here is the second in the special new FREDERICK JAMES series featuring recorded press conference excerpts transcribed in question & answer form.

Q: John, how did you come to make “How I Won The War”?

JOHN: Dick Lester just asked me and I just said “Yes”, It was as simple as that.

Q: Many major artists have said your music is an influence on them. Are there any artists who had had an influence on you?

PAUL: Yes, Nearly everyone. We pinch as much from other people as they pinch from us.

Q: Did you ever have an opportunity of walking out in the street without being recognised? Can you walk into a theatre to see a movie? JOHN: Yes, if you go in when the lights are down. PAUL: We can in England. It’s easier than in America.

RINGO: On tour people know where you are. They’re all looking about for Beatles. They’re expecting to see us. It’s quite different at home when we’re not actually working. There’s the element of surprise involved, you see.

Q: Have you ever used or trained Beatle doubles as decoys?

PAUL: No. We tried to get Brian Epstein to do it but he wouldn’t!

Q: Ringo, how much did you contribute to “What Goes On”?

RINGO: About five words and I haven’t done a thing in the way of songwriting since.

Q: How do you feel about people using Lcnnon/McCartney material and changing it around to suit their own styles?

JOHN: It depends how they do it, you know.

PAUL: Once we’ve done a song and it’s been published, anyone can use it. Whether we like their version or not depends whether they do it to our personal taste. And that’s not got anything to do with public popularity or anything. Just our own tastes.

Q: What is the most important thing in life? GEORGE: Love is, I’d say.

Q: Do you see your music progressing to such an extent that you go electronic?

PAUL: Yes, I suppose we could.

GEORGE: But not totally.

Q: Before you came to America you passed the comment that you were going out to get beaten up. Do you think American fans are more hostile than elsewhere?

GEORGE: No, not at all. I said that when we arrived home after Manila. They said what are you going to do next, and in the context of that conversation I was making what was intended to be one of my little jokes, you see. Really we just get shoved around a bit on tours, jostled in cars and planes and things. All very harmless stuff.

Q: How has your image changed since 1963?

GEORGE: An image is how you see us so you can answer that better than we can.

JOHN: Yes, you’re the only people who know that.

PAUL: Our image is what we read in the same newspapers you read.

Q: What has been the most memorable and the most disappointing occasion for you?

RINGO: It’s hard because there have been so many memorable occasions.

GEORGE: I think Manila was the most disappointing.

JOHN: And the most exciting is yet to come.

RINGO: And maybe the most disappointing too!

Q: Do you think American girls are fickle?

RINGO: All girls are fickle!

Q: Do you worry about things being thrown at you on stage?

JOHN: You worry about your eyes mostly. Some of the little hard things that are thrown you don’t see in time to think about ducking.