Interview for WCFL • Friday, August 12, 1966

Interview

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Throughout their 1966 US tour, some journalists had the opportunity to travel with The Beatles and hold in-depth “taping sessions” in their hotels or dressing rooms. These sessions allowed the journalists to interview each Beatle more deeply than was possible at press conferences.

Among the journalists who had this privilege were Judith Sims and Bess Coleman of TeenSet US magazine, Jim Stagg of WCFL Chicago radio station, Kenny Everett of Radio London, and Jerry Leighton of Radio Caroline.

Between the two Chicago performances, there was a “taping session” in the boys’ room (Throughout the tour they were referred to collectively as “the boys”). This was my first person-to-person contact, except for the timid elevator episode; so, I’m sure that I’ll be forgiven if I didn’t get the most accurate notes in the world. There were no formal introductions — most of the press party had been on last year’s tour, so they just picked up where they had left off, and everyone sort of wandered around from Beatle to Beatle, tape recorders whirring away. Ringo was sitting cross-legged on a couch in front of a coffee table piled high with gifts from fans (Gifts were everywhere.). George was stretched out on another couch; John was seated behind a desk; and Paul was on a chair near the desk. They were surrounded by tape recorders, and the whole thing was most informal. The rule followed for taping sessions was, grab the closest Beatle and talk into the microphone, except that several people usually converged on one Beatle at a time. It made for some very interesting tapes!

Judith Sims – From TeenSet Magazine – Quoted in “Ticket To ride – The Extraordinary Diary of The Beatles’ Last Tour” by Barry Tashian

On this day, August 12, The Beatles played the two first concerts of their US tour, in Chicago. The first one took place at 3 pm, and the second one at 7:30 pm.

Audio recordings of this “taping session” with The Beatles that day have survived, thanks to journalists Ken Douglas and Bess Coleman / Jim Stagg.

From “That Magic Feeling: The Beatles’ Recorded Legacy, Volume Two, 1966-1970” by John C. Winn:

Another member of the entourage was the Beatles’ American press officer, Bess Coleman, writing for Teen Life magazine and recording daily bulletins from the road for syndication on various U.S. radio stations. DJ Jim Stagg, a veteran of Beatle tours, was also present backstage at Chicago, and he shared Coleman’s microphone during the taping session.

The tape begins with Stagg testing the recorder and capturing much of the conversation with Paul discussed in the previous entry. This recording continues past the point where the Douglas version cuts off, with Paul discussing the French horn in “For No One” and the group’s less frenzied demeanor onstage compared with earlier tours. Stagg asks Paul what he’s looking forward to in Cleveland, and Paul replies, “Jim Stagg. Can’t wait to see him.” He jokes that while it’s a shame they might lose some fans from the Jesus incident, as long as they steer clear of armed robbery, it won’t be a problem. Coleman wonders if “Eleanor Rigby” was inspired by Paul’s own loneliness, but he says, “It’s just nice writing a sad song instead of a happy one.”

The pair moves on to Ringo, who chats first with Coleman about married life and being a father. In a similar vein, he tells Stagg that Zak has been walking since he was eight months old, and that Maureen is walking, too! Ringo claims not to have been worried about how the audience would react during their first concert, and feels that the press conferences the previous day helped clear the air. Knowing Ringo’s dislike of Donald Duck, Stagg quacks a brief “Hi, Ringo!”

John talks with Coleman about How I Won the War, feeling that he doesn’t “stand a chance in hell” of becoming a serious actor, but that he hopes to continue writing poetry, drawing, and painting. Amazingly, Stagg asks whether the recent controversy might be a blessing in disguise, and John says pointedly, “I don’t think it’ll ever be that.” He concedes it could have turned out much worse, but with Memphis on his mind, he adds ominously, “It still could, I s’pose.” When Stagg mentions the amplifier troubles in their afternoon performance, John replies, “That’s the least of our worries at the moment.”

George is more forthcoming, explaining that someone backstage must have unplugged the power supply. He goes on to say that they only rehearse just before beginning a tour, to remind themselves how new songs go. In contrast to the constant nightclubbing of 1964, George describes how the Beatles now stay at home and play board games such as Buccaneer and Risk. He puts the change down to married life creating a comfortable routine, and says he’s constantly redecorating their home.

Coleman makes the mistake of asking if George would like to tackle another instrument now that he’s “mastered the sitar.” George makes it clear that Indian music is no passing fancy, and that maybe in forty years he will have mastered the basics of sitar playing. Stagg attempts to ask a few questions, but George seems more interested in reading about the Beatles’ recent visit to Tokyo in a Japanese music magazine.

From “That Magic Feeling: The Beatles’ Recorded Legacy, Volume Two, 1966-1970” by John C. Winn