May 17th, 1965: Here Come The Beatles!

May 12, 1965 – KRLA radio host Derek Taylor announced that The Beatles would be returning to the US for summer tour dates.

Taylor had been The Beatles’ press officer before joining KRLA. What follows is part of his account of working with the group in Los Angeles during their first tour of the US in 1964:

"THE BEATLES and I have lost count of the rumors, mis-statements and guesses about our stay in Hollywood when they appeared at the Bowl last year."

"In fact, we had a very peaceful working vacation. We arrived here in the small hours of the morning at Los Angeles International Airport. We were met notably by Dave Hull – plus Bob Eubanks – who, with KRLA, was promoting the show. We had come many hundreds of miles through the night on our Electra turbo-jet after an open air concert in Vancouver, British Columbia. Though we were tired, we were sufficiently excited by the prospect of seeing Hollywood properly that we kept alert. And when we arrived at the house in Bel-Air, John and I went for a dawn swim in the pool."

"There were many human interest stories in the Bowl that night. One man had his leg broken by a run-away car tire. An emotional girl threw herself into the Bowl fountain after the concert. The press and TV cameramen were having a hard time moving among the audience, for police officers had strict instructions to prevent movement and keep order at all costs. I experienced the greatest difficulty getting in the Bowl at all. I had to empty my pockets to produce four or five forms of identification. My English accent - normally a guarantee of access to any hall where the Beatles were appearing - wasn't enough because the police thought it was phony. Finally, I got in by producing two sets of Beatle autographs."

Listen below to The Beatles latest single "Ticket To Ride."

"Back at the house, we spent a quiet hour or so talking and reminiscing. Paul played the piano."

Taylor goes on to discuss the group’s first meeting with Elvis’ manager, Col. Tom Parker; as well as Hollywood stars like Jayne Mansfield:

"In the meantime, Jayne Mansfield had expressed a desire to meet The Beatles, and they thought it would be interesting to meet her. So I was asked to telephone her. Miss Mansfield was playing at a nearby theatre and she said she would love to meet The Beatles. I said The Beatles would prefer not to have a cameraman present because it would look like a publicity stunt. They simply wanted Miss Mansfield and her escort to be their guests for cocktails by the pool."

"Miss Mansfield thought a photographer would enhance the occasion and a compromise was reached when it was decided we would all meet at the Whisky-a-Go-Go at midnight."

In reference to the upcoming ’65 tour, Taylor concludes:

"No one can guess what it will be like this year. But I anticipate that the highways, byways, fields, hedges, and hills for miles around will again be swarming with Beatle-hunting youngsters."