March 1969
The Beatles turn down 4m$ offer for four US concerts
Last updated on September 27, 2023
March 1969
Last updated on September 27, 2023
Previous article February 21 to August 1969 • The Beatles fight for NEMS / Nemperor
Session Feb 24, 1969 • Tape copying, recording "I Want You (She's So Heavy)"
Session Feb 25, 1969 • Recording "Old Brown Shoe", "All Things Must Pass", "Something"
Article March 1969 • The Beatles turn down 4m$ offer for four US concerts
Article March 1969 • Paul McCartney to write song for Noel Harrison
Article March 1969 • Dick James sells his Northern Songs shares to ATV
A TV ad project to promote “The Beatles” double-album is called off
End of October / early November 1968
The Beatles reject offers to perform live
December 1969
The Beatles receive a $230 million reunion offer
Sep 19, 1976
The Beatles had publicized their idea to return to live performance since late 1968, but the “Get Back” project only ended with a private performance on the rooftop of the Apple building on January 30, 1969.
On March 2, 1969, John Lennon and Yoko Ono gave a live performance in Cambridge in front of 500 people.
Maybe encouraged by those recent events, U.S. Promoter Sid Bernstein, who was the first concert promoter to bring the Beatles over to the United States from Britain, made an offer for The Beatles to play four concerts in Miami, Los Angeles, Chicago and New York. The Beatles turned down his offer.
The Beatles are the biggest draw in the world but they are letting their fans down by refusing to play their new songs in public. It would be a bigger comeback than Elvis.
Sid Bernstein, March 1969 – From “And In The End” by Ken McNab
Sid Bernstein would try again to convince them in December 1969 but would fail again.
BEATLES WILL SAY “NO” TO MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR BAIT
U.S. Promoter Sid Bernstein – who presented the Beatles at New York’s Shea Stadium in 1965 and 1966 – flies into London next week to try and persuade the group to return to the concert platform. But an Apple spokesman said this week: “The Beatles have no plans for concert appearances at this time” – this is in spite of Bernstein’s massive offer of four million dollars to star in four concerts in America in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and Miami.
The huge fee would cover TV and film rights, and Bernstein plans to feature the Rascals – whom he manages – as principal supporting attraction if the concerts take place.
Bernstein originally arrived in London last weekend to discuss his project but was unable to make contact with any of the Beatles. He, therefore, flew to the Continent to discuss details of the Rascals’ forthcoming visit there, and now intends to return to Britain next week.
From New Musical Express, March 8, 1969
The Beatles Diary Volume 1: The Beatles Years
"With greatly expanded text, this is the most revealing and frank personal 30-year chronicle of the group ever written. Insider Barry Miles covers the Beatles story from childhood to the break-up of the group."
We owe a lot to Barry Miles for the creation of those pages, but you really have to buy this book to get all the details - a day to day chronology of what happened to the four Beatles during the Beatles years!
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