#8jun1964

[the-cosmic-empire]

Photos taken by George aboard the Beatles flight from Amsterdam to Hong Kong on the 8th June, 1964.

[the-cosmic-empire]

Q: "Mister Nicol, how do you feel being rushed into this vast world of publicity all at once?"

JIMMY: "It's a most exciting experience."

JOHN & GEORGE: (jokingly) "Correct."

BOB ROGERS: (giggling) "Correct... which is a Beatles password, I think, everytime a question is asked, as unanimous agreement with a shout of correct."

[...]

Q: "How did you pick the name 'Beatles'?"

GEORGE: "John picked the name Beatles. Why did you pick the name Beatles, John?"

JOHN: "It's not MY fault. It's just a name by any other... But why does anybody pick ANY name, you know, 'cuz it's the one they like best."

PAUL: "Beatles seemed like a good name, at the time."

Q: "Is it supposed to mean the crawly-crawly..."

JOHN: "Well, you ought to see us at night."

GEORGE: "That's the double-E, crawly-crawly."

PAUL: (mock-upperclass dialect) "Crawly-crawly, you see. It's a pun. Jolly good."

JOHN: "Pun, pun."

[...]

Q: "With all this traveling about, how do you get time to rehearse?"

JOHN: (giggling) "We don't!"

Q: "You don't rehearse?"

JOHN: "We do, a bit. We rehearse with Jimmy 'cuz he's new."

[...]

Q: "How would you judge your reception at Kai Tak Airport as compared with the reception you've received when visiting other countries?"

GEORGE: "It's been great."

JOHN: "A good comparison."

GEORGE: "Yeah, it was very good."

Q: "Was it quieter, was it...?"

GEORGE: "No, it was about the same as we've had recently at other airports."

Q: "George, they tell me that you arrived in London the other day and only two people turned up."

JOHN: (correcting, comically) "THREE!"

(laughter)

PAUL: "Five. Five."

Q: "It was the Daily Express and, you know, you can't believe them. What happened?"

PAUL: "They were all 'round Ringo's bed."

(laughter)

[...]

Q: "How do you like your girls in Hong Kong?"

(laughter)

JOHN: "Oh, I dunno..."

GEORGE: "Well uhh, from what we've seen, they're great. (pause) Everywhere you go there's some good and some bad, aren't there."

(laughter)

PAUL: "That's true."

JOHN: "True. I'm not arguing. I'm with you, there."

GEORGE: (laughs)

JOHN: "Correct!"

PAUL & GEORGE: (giggling) Correct!"

Q: "It's said that you got your hairdo from Oliver Twist."

GEORGE: "No, we didn't. We didn't know Oliver Twist had a Beatle haircut."

PAUL: "No, it's just a rumor."

Q: "How often do you get your hair cut?"

GEORGE: "It just depends. Usually about once every blue moon."

(laughter)

Q: "John, could you tell us something about the book that you've written?"

JOHN: (pause) "It's selling well..."

Q: "What made you write it? What is it about?"

JOHN: "It's about nothing, really."

(laughter)

JOHN: (giggling) "I just do it for a hobby, you know. I've done it for many years."

Q: "Have you any idea how many copies it's sold already?"

JOHN: "No, 'cuz I changed me phone number and the fella can't get in touch with me to tell me."

[...]

Q: "It's also been said that you were very well educated. Could you prove it?"

JOHN: "No, I'm not."

Q: "You didn't go to school, then?"

JOHN: "Oh, of course. I had to. The state made me."

Q: "How long were you educated?"

JOHN: "'Til I was about 18, 19. I've forgotten."

PAUL: (to George) "He was?"

GEORGE: "Oh, art school."

JOHN: (loudly, comically) "That's school i'nt it? That's school i'nt it?"

GEORGE: "Sorry, John."

JOHN: "Alright."

GEORGE & JOHN: "Correct!"

PAUL: (giggles)

Q: "You're taking your mothers to Australia, is this correct?"

JOHN: (joking, somewhat morbidly) "Well, Paul and I aren't."

GEORGE: "Incorrect!"

JOHN: "Just my Auntie."

PAUL: "Just his Auntie."

JOHN: "That's all."

PAUL: "We haven't got..."

JOHN: "She's resting."

Q: "But we hear reports that some of you are bringing your mothers..."

GEORGE: "We heard that, too."

JOHN: (jokingly) "You're in the wrong agency."

GEORGE: "That was the Daily Mail."

[...]

Q: "What do you think of (Hollywood actress) Tuesday Wells?"

PAUL: "Very nice. Yes."

GEORGE: "Miss Saturday Night's much better."

[Extracts from The Beatles press conference at the Presidential Hotel, Hong Kong, on 8th June 1964, from beatlesinterviews.org ]

Pics: The Beatles during the press conference. The bottom photo is John attending the Miss Hong Kong beauty pageant which was being held in the hotel at the same time. The Beatles, tired from travelling, didn’t want to attend but then John agreed to put in an appearance before the press conference so no one would be offended. (You know how people can take umbrage over Beatles no-shows!)

[the-cosmic-empire]

The Beatles arrive at Kai Tak Airport, Hong Kong on the 8th June 1964. John is being accompanied by his Aunt Mimi.