Interview to promote Meet The Beatles • January 1964
- Timeline More from year 1964
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- Album This interview has been made to promote the Meet the Beatles! (Mono) Official album.
Interview
Q: “How did you ever decide on a name like The Beatles for the group?”
JOHN: “Well, I had a vision when I was twelve. And I saw a man on a flaming pie, and he said, ‘You are Beatles with an A.’ And we are.”
(laughter)
JOHN: “That’s how it started, anyway.”
Q: “How did it all start for you, Paul?”
PAUL: “We made our first record at the beginning of 1963 and we had a hit with that. But I think, uhh, the whole bit really started when we did a Palladium show. And then later we were asked to do the Royal Variety Command Performance, you know, and we met the Queen Mother– and she started clapping.” (laughs)
JOHN: “And Princess Margaret, too.”
PAUL: “Yeah, and Princess Margaret.”
Q: “Do you know how many records you’ve sold up to the present time?”
RINGO: “Uhh, well… The last count was, umm, six million, I think.
JOHN: (jokingly) “That’s just Ringo’s records.”
PAUL: (laughs)
RINGO: “Well, the others’ are on sale.”
(laughter)
Q: “Have you heard that your records are getting into the Pop charts in countries all over the world?”
GEORGE: “Yes. Well, we’ve heard that our latest record ‘I Want To Hold Your Hand’ came into the Australian Top Twenty right at Number One, which is very nice. And I think it’s selling in Finland and Sweden and other places like that, too.”
RINGO: “Also, Ireland.”
JOHN: “Israel, I believe.”
PAUL: (to John) “Oh yeah!”
GEORGE: “Israel, to mention but a few.”
PAUL: “I’m glad they like us.”
Q: “Bet you never thought you’d get that kind of world-wide acceptance.”
GEORGE: (jokingly) “Well, that’s a nice thing to say, isn’t it.”
(laughter)
RINGO: “We’re very lucky.”
Q: “There’s a rumor that you fellas wear wigs.”
PAUL: “No, it’s a dirty rumor. We don’t.”
JOHN: “No, we cut it ourselves.”
(laughter)
Q: “What influenced you fellas to let your hair grow so long?”
PAUL: “I think it was my dad, really. He said, ‘You know, Paul, it’s a bit square,’ the haircut I had– you know, short back and sides. He said, ‘Why don’t you get a Beatle Cut, son.'”
(laughter)
Q: “Was there ever a time when you felt you were in danger of being mauled by exuberant fans?”
PAUL: “Well they get exuberant, you know, but we’re uhh– We enjoy it. We don’t come to any harm, ‘cuz the policemen are equally as exuberant. The police have a great time.”
(laughter)
Q: “Where’d you get those snappy jackets?”
RINGO: “I don’t know. We were just walking ’round town and looked in a shop window. And we liked it so went and just bought a jacket each, and decided to get suits made for the stage. That’s how it started, you know, and we’ve worn them ever since.”
Q: “Well, you know you started a new trend among your fans.”
JOHN: “Yeah, quite alot of ’em are wearing it. Quite alot of ’em aren’t. But there are a few of ’em wearing it. (laughs) I’ve seen an old man in one, as well.”
RINGO: “I’ve seen an old woman.”
(laughter)
JOHN: “I saw four old men. Top that!”
RINGO: (laughing) “I give in.”
Q: “Alot of your songs contain the words, ‘you,’ or ‘me,’ or ‘I.’
GEORGE AND JOHN: “‘Please Please ME,’ ‘From ME To YOU,’ ‘She Loves YOU,’ ‘I Want To Hold YOUR Hand.'”
Q: “Right. Now, what is the significance of that?”
PAUL: “No, the only idea about that is that, uhh… When we sing songs, we prefer to sing ones with a sort of personal touch, you see. So, the best way to get that into a song is just to write them with ‘I’ or ‘you’ or ‘me’ or ‘him’ or ‘through’ or ‘by’ or ‘that.'”
(laughter)
Q: “What brings you to the U.S. at this particular time?”
GEORGE: “Well, we’re over here to do three Ed Sullivan TV shows, and meet the press, and a bit of a rest on Miami Beach.”
Q: “Are there plans for a movie?”
GEORGE: “Yeah. Well, when we get back to England from this current visit of America…”
JOHN: (giggling) “…to America.”
GEORGE: “…by America, yeah. Well, you see, we’re making a film– which we don’t know the title of– but it should be a film just about us.”
PAUL: “We don’t know the script, and we don’t know what songs will be in it.”
GEORGE: “It should be released in the states by the end of this year sometime, we hope.”
JOHN: (laughing) “With no title and no songs!”
PAUL: “And no script.”
JOHN: “Top that!”
(laughter)
Q: “We’d like to thank you for dropping by, and we wish you the best on your U.S. tour.”
GEORGE: “Pleasure to be here.”
PAUL: “Thank you.”
JOHN: “Bye Bye.”
RINGO: “Thank you very much.”