Things we said today
Nov. 4th, 2010 03:52 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
selenakWatching Beatles interviews in chronological order is interesting, because you can see how they hone their act with the media (and also when the journalists caught on that they were getting good free quotes here). There's an 1963 one from Ireland, when they're already a national but not yet an international phenomenon; George keeps glancing outside the camera frame (to his mother, if the dialogue is anything to go by). He all but waves. By the time they're in Sweden two years later, they're pros but also very bored with the press and passing the boredom by testing just what they can get away with, especially John. Mind you, some things stay consistend, including stupid questions. One is tempted to invent a Beatles Interviews Drinking Game.
- 1 sip when (there is no if about this) someone asks about the hair
- 2 sips if/when a non-British reporter asks any variation of "which one are you?"
- 3 sips for any variation of "why do all those girls love you?/What do you think about your fans?"
- 4 sips when John pokes Paul, pulls his ear, tickles him, slaps him on the head or throws a pillow at him
- 5 sips if a reporter wants to hear some singing
- empty the cup if the smart ass remark comes from the interviewer rather than from the group (I found only two examples, Dusty Springfield asking Paul whether he plucks his eyebrows and a reporter after the "more popular than Jesus" quote asking John "Mr. Lennon, is it true you want to give up your musical career for a chair in comparative religion?")
Behold the Beatles in Ireland. The reporter later admits he's not familiar with any of their songs (one can tell). They're already pretty good at playing with the press, but there are moments when it's obvious it's still their first year in the spotlight.
1964, and they're in the US. Someone hasn't done their homework:
Their most famous US press conference is probably this one, though:
Back to Britain. The English reporter is considerably chummier (do I detect a bit of national pride at the local boys made good thing?). Incidentally, in this interview Ringo comes up with the "tomorrow never knows" phrase which won't be made into a Beatles sung until two years later.
More international touring. Sweden and a plug for John's In His Own Write book. The newest Lennon variation to the "which one..." question is to introduce them as "George Parisol, Ringo Stone and Paul McCharmley":
In order not to let the Swedish reporter be the dumbest, I'll link to a Canadian interview as well (wherein the reporter manages to insult Ringo and George, and is the cause for one great eyeroll exchange between Ringo and Paul. Also features another headslap). The Dusty Springfield "do you pluck your eyebrows?" interview is here.
And here's one that evokes more bittersweet melancholy than giggles. They were all asked from the get go "how long do you think you'll last/what will you do when the bubble bursts?" because nobody could imagine it lasting. So here is an example of what they thought they'd do, these four young men between 20 and 22, in 1963:
- 1 sip when (there is no if about this) someone asks about the hair
- 2 sips if/when a non-British reporter asks any variation of "which one are you?"
- 3 sips for any variation of "why do all those girls love you?/What do you think about your fans?"
- 4 sips when John pokes Paul, pulls his ear, tickles him, slaps him on the head or throws a pillow at him
- 5 sips if a reporter wants to hear some singing
- empty the cup if the smart ass remark comes from the interviewer rather than from the group (I found only two examples, Dusty Springfield asking Paul whether he plucks his eyebrows and a reporter after the "more popular than Jesus" quote asking John "Mr. Lennon, is it true you want to give up your musical career for a chair in comparative religion?")
Behold the Beatles in Ireland. The reporter later admits he's not familiar with any of their songs (one can tell). They're already pretty good at playing with the press, but there are moments when it's obvious it's still their first year in the spotlight.
1964, and they're in the US. Someone hasn't done their homework:
Their most famous US press conference is probably this one, though:
Back to Britain. The English reporter is considerably chummier (do I detect a bit of national pride at the local boys made good thing?). Incidentally, in this interview Ringo comes up with the "tomorrow never knows" phrase which won't be made into a Beatles sung until two years later.
More international touring. Sweden and a plug for John's In His Own Write book. The newest Lennon variation to the "which one..." question is to introduce them as "George Parisol, Ringo Stone and Paul McCharmley":
In order not to let the Swedish reporter be the dumbest, I'll link to a Canadian interview as well (wherein the reporter manages to insult Ringo and George, and is the cause for one great eyeroll exchange between Ringo and Paul. Also features another headslap). The Dusty Springfield "do you pluck your eyebrows?" interview is here.
And here's one that evokes more bittersweet melancholy than giggles. They were all asked from the get go "how long do you think you'll last/what will you do when the bubble bursts?" because nobody could imagine it lasting. So here is an example of what they thought they'd do, these four young men between 20 and 22, in 1963:
