Just watched this BBC documentary episode of "Timewatch", about The Beatles' touring years in the first part of the '60s, on YouTube. Those years were marked at first with the Fab Four's bemusement at the attention of their fans especially the screaming teenage girls. But eventually that attention, not to mention the constant chaos concerning both the touring and the death threats after John's remarks about his group being bigger than Jesus to British reporter Maureen Cleave which eventually found it's way in the U.S. teen fan magazine DATEbook, exacted a strain that resulted in their final scheduled concert at San Francisco's Candlestick Park on August 29, 1966. As a child born of Philippine parents and a native of Chicago, Ill., I was especially interested in the account of the Mop Tops' snubbing the Marcos palace's invitation which got them almost killed and their initial U.S. concert in the Windy City after all the controversy concerning John's Jesus remark. Many interviews of Cleave as well as those of tour personnel and many opening act members provide many insights of what it was like to spend time with those Liverpool Lads. One more interview with one Barry Hood-who made home movie footage of the preparations of that final concert-provide how even by that time the field manager and the tour manager went on to an argument of how the equipment was going to be handled. Lots of great previously unseen footage of this innovative music group abound. So on that note, I highly recommend "Timewatch: Beatlemania" to many of this group's fans as well as anyone who still wonders what the big deal about them was.
2 Reviews
Is all this screaming necessary?
dbdumonteil19 May 2016
This documentary begins and ends with amateur super eight films shot by a fan at candlestick Park ,29th august 1966,the last concert -and they insist that nobody thought it would be their last,unless the rooftop concert counts-;it focuses on the Beatles' live act ,but you have been warned:there's ,like in many other stuff about the Fab Four,no music at all,apart from a vague instrumental,recalling as much the early sixties as the Beatles' sound.
Three quarters of the movie are merely a repetition of what 99% of the fans already know,particularly the Shea stadium,the Budokan ,the unfortunate Philippines episode ,"we are more popular than JC " and the KKK and their "public burning".The docu tries to understand why the Beatles bow themselves out in full glory : everyone knows that the group could not hear his playing anymore ,and that by 1966 they were more interested in their work in the studio.But their tours were poorly managed and casualness and negligence are obvious :the episode of the plane with the engine in flames;In Candlestick Park ,the roadies had to carry all the equipment on the stage ("and I did not know how to assemble the drums ");in another city,Paul got electric shocks on an obviously damp uncovered stage .Afterward,we are told the tours became much more professional (for the other groups);the Beatles had all the initial problems to put up with.
what's the most fascinating is these amateurish shoots of. the historical place where the Beatles performed live for the last time;
As Paul asked if the concert was recorded ,George reportedly said :"I'm not a Beatle anymore"
Three quarters of the movie are merely a repetition of what 99% of the fans already know,particularly the Shea stadium,the Budokan ,the unfortunate Philippines episode ,"we are more popular than JC " and the KKK and their "public burning".The docu tries to understand why the Beatles bow themselves out in full glory : everyone knows that the group could not hear his playing anymore ,and that by 1966 they were more interested in their work in the studio.But their tours were poorly managed and casualness and negligence are obvious :the episode of the plane with the engine in flames;In Candlestick Park ,the roadies had to carry all the equipment on the stage ("and I did not know how to assemble the drums ");in another city,Paul got electric shocks on an obviously damp uncovered stage .Afterward,we are told the tours became much more professional (for the other groups);the Beatles had all the initial problems to put up with.
what's the most fascinating is these amateurish shoots of. the historical place where the Beatles performed live for the last time;
As Paul asked if the concert was recorded ,George reportedly said :"I'm not a Beatle anymore"
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