Aug 26 2008
The Beatles’ Magical Misery Tour
It was July 3, 1966. John, Paul, George and Ringo were slated to perform in the Philippines. Already, they’d sweated it out in Caverns, Kaiserkellers and Stars. They’d gone through hectic touring schedules, entertained thousands of fans live and millions by their recordings.
Then, in March of 1966, a simple (and true) statement, uttered by John Lennon to a reporter, turned the entire whirlwind of fame into a tornado of trouble. Five months later, in Memphis, one of their last-ever tour performances was punctuated by what sounded like a gunshot — but was only a cherry-bomb thrown onstage by an idiot.
But before that came the Philippine incident:
WHen they landed in Manila on July 3 of that year, they became separated from their entourage and taken to a yacht owned by a local millionaire. Now, somewhere during that time, they were sent (via their “crew”) an invite to join First Lady Imelda Marcos for a morning reception at the Malancanang Palace. Now, no one knows if the crew turned it down or not, but The Beatles didn’t know anything about it. That didn’t change the fact that Mrs. Marcos was expecting them. “They weren’t allowed off that yacht until about 4am, so do you really think they’re going to rush off to have breakfast with Mrs Marcos?” says Robert Whitaker, who was their official photographer. WHile in Manila the band rehearsed for their show in a small, hot room, then put on their best face as they played for tens of thousands of fans with sweat trickling down their faces.
According to Whittaker, it was extremely humid and they weren’t happy (their previous gig, in Japan, was quite different). Still, they performed to Beatle perfection.
When they awoke on the next day, they quickly learned that the Filipino media had made the group public enemy #1 for “snubbing” the First Lady. “At the airport we were all jostled, shoved, pushed, and it was ‘Carry your own bags – there’s no porters for you! ’ It upset the Beatles a great deal,” recalls Whitaker. “When we were on the plane waiting to take off, there was complete silence in the first-class cabin. We didn’t know whether we were all going to be dragged off and slung into prison. When the engines started up and we were finally in the air, there was such elation among all of us to get out of that (place)!”
Now, they went on to fulfill their American dates, but called it quits afterwards. One of the main reasons, historians write, was the way they were treated by Mrs. Marcos and others in the Philippine leg of their tour.
Still, it gives us something to think about: Suppose everything went well on that tour? Would they have extended their live performances for another year or two? If so, would there have been a Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely-Hearts Club Band (considered by many to be their best album ever!)? Or Let It Be or Abbey Road?
Wherever you are, you’re there. Everything you’ve done before has brought you there. It was one of John’s beliefs … and it’s true. So, perhaps the Filipino leg turned out to be a bust, but, along with the incident in Memphis, the Fab Four’s subsequent departure from the stage led to some of the greatest rock albums and music in history!
Now, we’re gonna get back on track with vids and more news in our next segment. So, until then, remember:
Keep your eyes on the skies, your feet on the ground, your heart with the music … and
I’ll see ya on the flip side!
