As you saw in the Calendar* this morning, the Beatles, fresh off breaking American television ratings with their performance on The Ed Sullivan Show, met the American press in the Terrace Room of the Plaza Hotel in New York City. The following is a text of that press conference:
Q: "Your program was reviewed by a music critic, and uhh..."
RINGO: (comically exaggerated) "OH NO!!!"(laughter)RINGO: "Not again!!!"Q: (reading from newspaper) "...and he said that you had 'unresolved leading tones, a false modal frame ending up as a plain diatonic.' What would you say to that?"JOHN: "He ought to see a doctor about that."(laughter)PAUL: "No, he's just copying the fella in the London Times who did a review like that. The only difference is, I don't know if that's favorable or not. The London one WAS, you see."RINGO: "Why doesn't he just say if it's good or bad."Q: (laughs) "What do you think of the reaction of Amer... What do you think of American girls in the first place, now that you've had your first contact with them?"PAUL: "Marvelous. They're the same as British girls only they've got a different accent."Q: "Is it your ambition to continue what you're doing, or what do you plan to do?"JOHN: "Yeah."PAUL: "Well, as long as it lasts like this. As long as we keep enjoying it. Once we stop enjoying it, and people stop enjoying it, then uhh..."GEORGE: "We'll pack in."RINGO: "We'll HAVE to pack in if people don't enjoy it."GEORGE: "That's a British saying for 'give up.'"Q: "One of the big attractions is your haircut and your manner of dress. What prompted that? The haircuts, for instance."RINGO: "It just happened, you know. (looks up at his own hair) You just wake up one day and there you are."(laughter)
CBS News interview:
Q: "Who came up with the name Beatles, and what does it really mean?"RINGO: "John thought of the name Beatles, and he'll tell you about it NOW."(Beatles laugh)JOHN: "It means Beatles, doesn't it. But that's just a name, you know, like shoe."PAUL: The Shoes, you see? We could have been called The Shoes for all you know."Q: "There have been huge crowds of teenage girls outside complaining that they don't want to mob you, they just want to speak to you. What do you think about this? Do you want to talk to them?"RINGO: "Well, have you ever tried talking to about two hundred people at once?"JOHN: "We'd love to, you know. If we wave, somebody always says 'Stop that waving! You're inciting them!'"Q: "How do you feel about your appearance at Carnegie Hall this week, the center of musical culture?"RINGO: "Umm well, a bit nervous, but not too much, you know. We just hope we go down, 'cuz we're on with a lot of Americans. So we hope they like us."Q: "What have you done in New York, and what do you hope to see while you're here?"JOHN: "Well, we've been out to a couple of clubs. Rock clubs, mainly. 'Cuz we just like listening to rock when we're not working, anyway. And we're hoping some of our favorite artists will come up, but you know, they're all out on the road or something. They're not here."Q: "Who is your favorite American artist?"JOHN: "There's a lot, you know. Marvin Gaye, Miracles, Mary Wells. Those people."Q: "When was the last time you had a haircut?"PAUL: "Uhh, quite a long time, actually. (jokingly, but straightfaced) The last time was about 23 years ago, was the last time I had one."Q: "Have you met any interesting American girls?"GEORGE: "Umm... not yet, but hoping."Q: "What do you think of the police protection you've been receiving here in this city?"RINGO: "It's marvelous. They're doing a great job, you know, looking after us."Q: "Are the crowds as large as you expected?"JOHN: (giggling) "No. We didn't expect anything like this, you know."Q: (aiming the microphone at Paul) "What is the most interesting offer you've ever received?"PAUL: "Ahh... Yes... Umm... We've had a lot of interesting offers, actually. (pause) No comment!"Q: (laughs) "What do you think of the Christine Keeler Profumo affair?"GEORGE: (dryly) "It's great, yeah."(Beatles laugh)PAUL: (laughing) "Good publicity!"GEORGE: (laughing) "Yeah."JOHN: "They're all happening."Q: "Have you heard any reviews of your appearance last night?"PAUL: "The papers this morning just sort of... we only read two of them, and they weren't very favorable. I think one of the microphones was off, so that may..."JOHN: "The kids still liked it, you know."PAUL: "Yeah. The audience was fantastic. Great reception."Q: "Thank you, gentlemen."BEATLES: "Thank you!"
Q: "Your program was reviewed by a music critic, and uhh..."
RINGO: (comically exaggerated) "OH NO!!!"(laughter)RINGO: "Not again!!!"Q: (reading from newspaper) "...and he said that you had 'unresolved leading tones, a false modal frame ending up as a plain diatonic.' What would you say to that?"JOHN: "He ought to see a doctor about that."(laughter)PAUL: "No, he's just copying the fella in the London Times who did a review like that. The only difference is, I don't know if that's favorable or not. The London one WAS, you see."RINGO: "Why doesn't he just say if it's good or bad."Q: (laughs) "What do you think of the reaction of Amer... What do you think of American girls in the first place, now that you've had your first contact with them?"PAUL: "Marvelous. They're the same as British girls only they've got a different accent."Q: "Is it your ambition to continue what you're doing, or what do you plan to do?"JOHN: "Yeah."PAUL: "Well, as long as it lasts like this. As long as we keep enjoying it. Once we stop enjoying it, and people stop enjoying it, then uhh..."GEORGE: "We'll pack in."RINGO: "We'll HAVE to pack in if people don't enjoy it."GEORGE: "That's a British saying for 'give up.'"Q: "One of the big attractions is your haircut and your manner of dress. What prompted that? The haircuts, for instance."RINGO: "It just happened, you know. (looks up at his own hair) You just wake up one day and there you are."(laughter)
CBS News interview:
Q: "Who came up with the name Beatles, and what does it really mean?"RINGO: "John thought of the name Beatles, and he'll tell you about it NOW."(Beatles laugh)JOHN: "It means Beatles, doesn't it. But that's just a name, you know, like shoe."PAUL: The Shoes, you see? We could have been called The Shoes for all you know."Q: "There have been huge crowds of teenage girls outside complaining that they don't want to mob you, they just want to speak to you. What do you think about this? Do you want to talk to them?"RINGO: "Well, have you ever tried talking to about two hundred people at once?"JOHN: "We'd love to, you know. If we wave, somebody always says 'Stop that waving! You're inciting them!'"Q: "How do you feel about your appearance at Carnegie Hall this week, the center of musical culture?"RINGO: "Umm well, a bit nervous, but not too much, you know. We just hope we go down, 'cuz we're on with a lot of Americans. So we hope they like us."Q: "What have you done in New York, and what do you hope to see while you're here?"JOHN: "Well, we've been out to a couple of clubs. Rock clubs, mainly. 'Cuz we just like listening to rock when we're not working, anyway. And we're hoping some of our favorite artists will come up, but you know, they're all out on the road or something. They're not here."Q: "Who is your favorite American artist?"JOHN: "There's a lot, you know. Marvin Gaye, Miracles, Mary Wells. Those people."Q: "When was the last time you had a haircut?"PAUL: "Uhh, quite a long time, actually. (jokingly, but straightfaced) The last time was about 23 years ago, was the last time I had one."Q: "Have you met any interesting American girls?"GEORGE: "Umm... not yet, but hoping."Q: "What do you think of the police protection you've been receiving here in this city?"RINGO: "It's marvelous. They're doing a great job, you know, looking after us."Q: "Are the crowds as large as you expected?"JOHN: (giggling) "No. We didn't expect anything like this, you know."Q: (aiming the microphone at Paul) "What is the most interesting offer you've ever received?"PAUL: "Ahh... Yes... Umm... We've had a lot of interesting offers, actually. (pause) No comment!"Q: (laughs) "What do you think of the Christine Keeler Profumo affair?"GEORGE: (dryly) "It's great, yeah."(Beatles laugh)PAUL: (laughing) "Good publicity!"GEORGE: (laughing) "Yeah."JOHN: "They're all happening."Q: "Have you heard any reviews of your appearance last night?"PAUL: "The papers this morning just sort of... we only read two of them, and they weren't very favorable. I think one of the microphones was off, so that may..."JOHN: "The kids still liked it, you know."PAUL: "Yeah. The audience was fantastic. Great reception."Q: "Thank you, gentlemen."BEATLES: "Thank you!"
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