FIRST BEATLES NEWS CONFERENCE GIVEN IN MY HOME TOWN.

On August 18th, the Beatles returned to the States to kick off their whirlwind 1964 North American Tour -- sweeping 24 cities and giving 32 performances in just 34 days.

The Beatles flight from London arrived at Los Angeles International Airport on the 18th, where the Beatles would give the first of two press conferences on this day.

After traveling to San Francisco later the same evening, the Beatles would give the second press conference from the San Francisco Hilton. The first concert of the tour would be held the following night in Frisco at the Cow Palace.

In the movie 'A Hard Day's Night,' John is asked by a female reporter if he had any hobbies. Although John writes his answer down on a piece of paper, the movie audience is unable see what he's written and can only see the reporters' shocked facial reaction. In this August 18th 1964 press conference at LAX, John Lennon and George Harrison dispel the rumors and reveal what it was that he actually wrote.

The Beatles would return to Los Angeles just five days later, giving an additional L.A. press conference just before their historic performance at the Hollywood Bowl on August 23rd.

Q: "What is your opinion of other groups that are patterning themselves after you?"

JOHN: (jokingly) "Great! We don't know any!"

(laughter)

PAUL: "Most of them don't. Most of them try to be different. That's the point, you know."

Q: "What kind of a musical background do all of you have, before you started out?"

JOHN: "Twelve-bar."

PAUL: "Nothing. Not really. No formal education, you know."

Q: "John, in the movie, somebody asks you what your hobby was and you wrote something down. What was it?"

JOHN: "Crap!"

Q: "What was it?"

JOHN: "Crap! (spells it out) C-R-A-P."

GEORGE: "It's a dice game."

JOHN: "A dice game."

GEORGE: "A dicey game, ha!"

JOHN: (giggling) "You thought it was something else, didn't you?"

(laughter)

JOHN: (comically) "You're a naughty journalist, aren't you?"

Q: "Let me ask you this question. With all of the success that you people have had, what do you plan to do with all of the money that you've now made?"

PAUL: "Uh, dunno really. We don't make plans."

JOHN: "Great! We've got a house to go to."

Q: "Where?"

JOHN: "I dunno, I just made it up."

Q: "How long will you be in Los Angeles?"

JOHN: "I haven't a clue. I didn't even know we were here!"

Q: (to Ringo) "Do you change your rings very often?"

RINGO: "Never. You know, I've had these three on since..."

Q: "What do you do with rings you're given?"

RINGO: "I just keep 'em in a box. you know, I sort of keep all of them."

Q: "Let me ask you this question. How do you feel about all of the enthusiasm that the teenagers display?"

PAUL: "We love it, 'cuz it's flattering. I mean, wouldn't you feel the same if they displayed it for you?"

Q: "Does it ever scare you, all of the enthusiasm of some of the teenagers..."

PAUL: "No, no."

Q: "But you're all traveling under such high security."

PAUL: "Yeah but that's why, probably, it doesn't scare us, 'cuz we never get frightened -- we never get near to a dodgy situation, you know."

Q: "Many groups have had a lot of trouble because of disputes that break out among members of the group. Do all of you get along pretty well?"

PAUL: "We've been each others friends for years. A long time. Umm, you know, I knew George and John at school so, we just... we are each other's friends. So we get along."

Q: "You get along pretty well."

PAUL: "As well as best friends do, which is lucky. It's good. (pause) All our jokes are nearly all private jokes, as well, you know."

Q: (asks question about tabloid rumors, away from the microphone)

RINGO: "I don't even know the girl. It's a load of rubbish."

JOHN: "And also, I know it's in a magazine called 'Truth' about us having another baby. (yelling, comically) It's a lie! Dirty lie! (stands up and talks closely into the microphones, jokingly) I don't know what the slander laws are over here, but I'm certainly going to investigate them."

(laughter)

Q: "The burning question is, when are you going to get a haircut?"

PAUL: "Um... we do get haircuts, actually. Amazingly enough."

RINGO: "I had one last night, believe it or not."

JOHN: "He had one last night."

RINGO: "Last night I had one. I did! It's no lie."

PAUL: "But it just doesn't... You notice it when you've had a haircut but don't notice when we have. Well, sneaky haircuts."

JOHN: "We're just well-groomed."

Q: "Have you heard about having a place to stay, or not having a place to stay, down here in Los Angeles?"

JOHN: "Uhh, you know, we're not interested. As long as we get a bed each."

FEMALE FAN: "We heard that you were all married."

RINGO: "Only John."

FEMALE FAN: (to Paul) "You're not married?"

PAUL: "No, John's the only one."

FEMALE FAN: "Are you just friends with Jane (Asher)?"

PAUL: "Yeah. It's so corny when you say 'We're just good friends,' isn't it. But it's true."

(Brian Epstein leans in to speak to John about the need for the press conference to come to an end)

JOHN: (to the other Beatles) "The airport authorities would like to close this thing down now. (smiling to Paul) Alright?"

RINGO: "Shall we say cheerio?"

PAUL: (finishing his response as he stands) "But we're friends, you know, and nothing more. Walter Winchell said that we're married, but we're not."

RINGO: "Dirty Walter Winchell."

JOHN: (to the reporters) "The airport man says we've got to go!"

RINGO: "Cheerio, then."

JOHN: (yelling over the crowd noise) "Back on the 23rd for polkas and fun!!"

The Fabs gave the following press conference on the evening of the 18th at the San Francisco Hilton, and then rocked the house at Cow Palace in San Francisco on the following night. The group performed just one show at Cow Palace, playing to a sell-out crowd of over 17,000 fans.

The next day, the Beatles' tour would move onward to Las Vegas Nevada, the second stop on their breath-taking sweep of North America.

Q: "How was your trip?"

JOHN: "Pardon?"

RINGO: "Very tiring."

JOHN: "It was sort of like a plane trip, you know... Boring."

RINGO: "We've been going seventeen hours now, you know."

Q: "How often do you get haircuts?"

JOHN: "Uhh, about once every three weeks."

Q: "Each of you?"

PAUL: "Yeah. Actually, it's cut."

Q: "This is your second trip to San Francisco, are you going to see more of it this time than you did last?"

RINGO: "Well, I only saw the airport last time, so I've seen more already."

JOHN: "Can you direct your questions so that everybody can hear them, please?"

PAUL: "Just a minute... Here's Derek. I'd like to introduce you..."

GEORGE: "A big hand for Mr. Taylor."

JOHN: "This is our press representative."

Q: "Who is your tailor?"

PAUL: "A fella called Millings of London."

Q: "In Savile Row?"

JOHN: "No."

Q: "Where?"

PAUL: "A little back street in London."

JOHN: "Old Compton Road. He keeps moving with all the profit he makes... Hmmmm hmmmm, he said."

Q: Are you working on another movie soon?"

PAUL: "Yes, in February."

Q: "Is it coming out then?"

RINGO: "No, we start making it."

JOHN: "We start making it then."

Q: "How frightened were you getting in that cage today?"

JOHN: "What cage?"

PAUL: "At the airport."

JOHN: Uh, it wasn't bad, 'cuz somebody had been up there and tested it."

RINGO: "In fact, all the press went up and tested it."

Q: "Why did you leave so soon?"

RINGO: "We got told, you know."

JOHN: "Some people said, 'Climb up on the thing,' and then we wave, and then they said, 'Get off,' You know. And we come down and wave."

PAUL: "And so we got off, you know. We're very obedient."

JOHN: "Oh we are! Arf arf!"

Q: "Do you think San Franciscans are any worse than any other place in the world?"

BEATLES: "No!"

PAUL: (sings) "'San Francisco.' Good town."

Q: "The people... the crowd that you had... Were they any worse?"

PAUL: "Marvelous. Very good crowds."

JOHN: How do you mean, 'worse'? What's he mean, 'worse'?"

Q: "Why did you start the tour in San Francisco?"

RINGO: "Well, you'd better ask someone else. I don't know."

JOHN: We don't plan the tours. They're planned for us, you see. We just say we don't want to go to, sort of, Buh-boo-boo land... and we leave the rest of the world open. It's all planned for us with a hearty, healthy Hey! Jolly good."

PAUL: "True."

Q: "How do you like not having any privacy?"

PAUL: "We do have some, you know."

JOHN: "We just had some before. Didn't we, Paul?"

PAUL: "We don't have alot."

Q: (to John) "Your hair looks like it's red. Is it red or is it wind-blown?"

JOHN: "Red? Oh no. Well, I've had a shower, you see. It sometimes goes a bit funny. You know, one can never tell... One gets underwater."

Q: "Ringo? You didn't look too happy when you got off the airplane."

RINGO: "If you'd been on it fifteen hours, how would you look?"

JOHN: "How would he look, Ringo?"

RINGO: "Look at him now!"

Q: "Which one of you is married?"

RINGO: "John's married. We'll all get married in the end."

JOHN: "Will you?"

RINGO: "In the end. Two or three years, you know. Plenty of time."

JOHN: "Do you mean you're not 'funny' like the rumor says?"

PAUL: "Lots of rumors in America."

Q: (to John) "Are you writing now?"

JOHN: "Yes. I wrote all the way over on the plane."

Q: "'Partly Dave' and that sort of thing?"

JOHN: "No. I've already written that one, thank you. I wrote 'Snore Wife and the Seven Dwarts.'"

Q: "What is the name of the next movie?"

RINGO: "We don't know yet?"

Q: "When is it coming out?"

RINGO: "We don't know. We don't start it until February."

Q: "Now that you've made a movie, do you dig the acting bit?"

JOHN: "We don't profess to be actors."

PAUL: "Besides... it's only Americans that 'dig.'"

JOHN: "Dig?"

PAUL: "Dig your baby, daddy!"

JOHN: "Oh, I get it."

PAUL: "With it!!"

Q: "In America, the current slang is: 'tough,' 'boss,' and 'dig.' What are some of England's?"

RINGO: "Fab... Gear."

JOHN: "They're ever-changing, you know, Madam. 'Alec Douglas-Hume,' That's a big one. 'Wilson,' Everyone does it."

PAUL: "Harold Wilson?"

JOHN: "Always."

PAUL: "There's alot of slang. 'Barry Goldwater.'"

JOHN: "That's a new one over there. It means, 'Drag.'"

Q: "What does it mean over there?"

JOHN: No, it means... uh... 'Happy days are here again.'"

PAUL: "Said he."

Q: "Are you going to be back in time for the elections?"

JOHN: "Back here?"

Q: "No. Back in England."

JOHN: "Are they having them again?"

GEORGE: "They have 'em every week."

JOHN: "Drat."

Q: "Ringo, how do you feel about the 'Ringo for President' campaign?"

RINGO: "Well, it's rather... It's marvelous!"

Q: "Assuming you were President of the United States, would you make any political promises?"

RINGO: "I don't know, you know. I'm not sort of politically minded."

JOHN: "Aren't you?"

RINGO: "No, John. Believe me."

PAUL: "I think you should be President."

JOHN: "I saw you dancing with Bessie Braddock."

Q: "How do the other guys feel about Ringo being nominated for President?"

JOHN: "We think he should win, you know."

PAUL: "Yes, we think he should."

GEORGE: "Definitely in favor."

Q: "Ringo, would you nominate the others as part of your cabinet?"

RINGO: "Well, I'd have to... wouldn't I?"

GEORGE: "I could be the door."

RINGO: "I'd have George as treasurer."

JOHN: "I could be the cupboard."

RINGO: "He looks after the money."

Q: "Are you going to be visiting Miami again this year?"

GEORGE: "No."

RINGO: "Not unless it's on the tour."

JOHN: "Aren't we?"

GEORGE: "We're going to Florida to do a show in Jacksonville... the Gator Bowl. But we won't be going to Miami."

Q: "Is Liverpool going to win the first division this year?"

RINGO: "I don't know, I don't follow football, you know."

Q: "You don't follow football?"

RINGO: "No. I don't follow football! You got the message. I don't know, are they winning or something?"

JOHN: "We don't like any sport. Waste of time."

PAUL: "Swimming."

JOHN: "No, we can all swim."

Q: "John, when do you write your next book?"

JOHN: "Uhh, well... All the time, you know."

Q: "Do you keep little notes?"

JOHN: "Yes... here and there."

Q: "Ringo, can we see your rings?"

PAUL: "Show 'em. Go on."

JOHN: "Show him."

Q: "Ringo, can you look this way and hold your rings up?"

JOHN: (jokingly) "Could you do it again, Ringo?"

PAUL: "Ringo, just one more for the east coast! One more for the east coast!"

JOHN: "I've got it! I've got it!"

RINGO: "Have you got it?"

JOHN: "Oh, me flash is gone."

PAUL: "One for 'Life' magazine."

JOHN: "Ha ha ha, eh Ringo?"

RINGO: "'Life'? That's a big magazine."

Q: "Ringo, you're on the cover."

RINGO: "Are we?"

JOHN: "Are we?"

Q: "What do you boys plan to do in San Francisco other than sleep?"

JOHN: "Sleep."

RINGO: "Just play the 'Cow Palace,' that's about it."

Q: "You're not going to see the town?"

RINGO: "No, we're not going to see your beautiful city that we've heard so much about."

Q: "Why not?"

GEORGE: "It'd take too much organization, wouldn't it?"

RINGO: Oh, you wouldn't see anyway, just speeding along in a car."

JOHN: "Help, Derek! They're getting out of hand!"  (END)

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