Interview for Pop Inn

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On April 13, 1965, The Beatles were at Twickenham Film Studios filming “Help!”

After completing a scene in which they ran along a corridor before being slowed by Professor Foot’s Relativity Cadenza, a fictional device that induced slow motion, The Beatles remained at Twickenham for a live interview on the BBC Light Programme’s “Pop Inn“, promoting their new single, “Ticket To Ride / Yes It Is”.

The programme was broadcast from 1:00 to 1:55 pm, although The Beatles’ interview occupied only part of the show. The group sat in the BBC’s radio car, parked in the studio car park, and their segment began at 1:45 pm.

Incomplete transcript.

On the song “Help!” and the abandoned title “Eight Arms To Hold You”:

George Harrison: I think it’s a good song, you know, “Help!” I mean, it’s not being big-headed saying I think it’s a good song — I just like it. We all like it, probably because it’s new for us. But I don’t think anybody will want to hear a song called “Eight Arms”. Ooh, it’s a crummy title, I think. You know, it was okay — we just… we were getting a bit desperate for titles, and then somebody said “Eight Arms To Hold You” — Ringo said it — we all said “Great!”, you know. But then we suddenly realised, a couple of days after, that we were all sick of it. We didn’t like it. We thought it was a bit daft, you know — the idea.

I don’t know who thought of “Help!” — I think it was Dick [Lester]. He just said, “Let’s have a very simple title, which nobody can say is either bad or good, really.” You know, it’s not a fantastic title, but I think it will work when — sort of — actually the film comes out and things, because it fits very well with the film, the title, and the song.

Ringo on the fan reaction to his marriage:

Ringo Starr: I think it was a dodgy thing at first, you know, and I was wondering, “Well, maybe they’ll all hate me,” and, you know, things like that. And then about 95 per cent of all the mail and all — you know, everybody’s ever said — was all good, you know. We’ve had about — well, I can only remember one bad letter. I mean, but I don’t get that much mail at the house, and, you know, what they got in the office, I don’t know. But by all accounts it was — you know, everyone was pleased. And I’m pleased that you’re pleased. It all — it all said something like, “Good luck to Ringo and Maureen.” Well, I think she’s more popular than me, you see.

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