February 7, 1964
They are here (in the US!) Their Pan Am flight from London Heathrow touches down at NYC's recently renamed JFK airport at 1:30 pm. The Beatles stage a short chaotic press conference. "Can you sing something?" John: "We need money first!" "Are you going to get a haircut while you are here?" George: "I had one yesterday."
They move on, in four Cadillac limousines, to the Plaza Hotel in Manhattan. Thus starts a whirlwind of shows, press conferences, interviews, and phone calls back home. It's all very well documented in the Maysles Brothers documentary "The Beatles, the First US Visit". Here is some footage that was shot exactly 50 years ago today, outtakes from "The Making of...".
George Harrison is suffering with a fever of 102, but the show must go on. The three lads from Liverpool, who've stuck together through thick and thin and a friendly drummer are about to overwhelm the new world. You can make bringing coals to Newcastle work!
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We watched the Maysles film last night -- A no-hype record of what happened in those amazing few days.
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