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Saturday, January 18, 1964
Concert • By The Beatles • Part of the Winter 1964 France Shows
Last updated on December 1, 2024
Location: Olympia Hall
Concert Jan 17, 1964 • France • Paris • First show
Concert Jan 17, 1964 • France • Paris • Second show
Concert Jan 18, 1964 • France • Paris • First show
Concert Jan 18, 1964 • France • Paris • Second show
January 18
Brian Epstein was a gentleman. He spoke like he came from Eton or Oxford. If people made requests nicely, it wasn’t in him to say no. Epstein would let in even local reporters from the provinces. He knew there was promotional value if someone posed with the group and then his hometown paper printed a shot, calling their own guy “the fifth Beatle.”
Epstein loved the Beatles and they loved him. It was Epstein who chose their matching outfits. He was adamant about a fresh, clean look. He wanted their boots to be spotless. Men with long hair were considered controversial at the time. And at the beginning, their hair was slicked back. Then, all of a sudden, it’s cut sharp and smart, with a fringe.
They even kept their hotel rooms neat. Before they went out, they’d smooth out the beds. They didn’t want to be known as untidy, leaving towels or liquor bottles strewn about. They discussed that. They certainly were the first and last rock group to do this; it would soon become a badge of honor for other bands to trash their room.
Epstein was ready for anything. The first sign of serious trouble, he could call big-time lawyers in his family or associated with him—people you didn’t want to get a phone call from. If a problem came up, he knew how to make it go away. He was always saying, “Don’t worry, Harry. It’ll all work out.” And he’d say it so calmly, while all the madness was swirling around him.
From dawn till late at night, Epstein focused on the Beatles. But sometimes he’d just not be around. He would have a boyfriend with him and then he’d sort of disappear. And after many of the shows, the nights could drag on until three in the morning. Young women fans would occasionally come up and sit in the rooms and have a party. The Beatles would pick up the phone and order food, a lot of it not being touched. They were like soldiers on leave. They were so young; they had no filter. George was 20; Paul, 21; John and Ringo, 23. At the 50th anniversary celebration of their stay at the George V, I was asked what the Beatles learned when they were in Paris. I thought for a moment and answered, “They learned to order room service.”
They discovered they could call up for bottles of whiskey too. But they didn’t know how to drink, really. Just a little here and there. I never saw them drunk. I never saw drugs, either. This was before the drug scene impacted them. (Epstein would die three years later of an overdose of drugs and alcohol at age 32. And his loss was devastating to the band.)
What I did see were a lot of young women, as you’d see with many music groups. I shared a room with George a couple of nights in Paris and New York, with George sleeping in the second bed. John did this too on a later assignment I did with the band. Because the one they’re supposed to be sharing a room with—I’m not saying who—has got a girl in the next bed. So they roomed with me. That’s the truth.
Harry Benson – From The Beatles Stormed America in 1964. I Was With Them, Day and Night | Vanity Fair, January 17, 2024
This was the 5th concert played at Olympia Hall.
A total of 39 concerts have been played there • 1964 • Jan 16 (Second show) • Jan 16 (First show) • Jan 17 (Second show) • Jan 17 (First show) • Jan 18 (First show)• Jan 18 (Second show) • Jan 19 (First show) • Jan 19 (Second show) • Jan 20 (First show) • Jan 20 (Second show) • Jan 22 (Second show) • Jan 22 (First show) • Jan 23 (First show) • Jan 23 (Second show) • Jan 24 (Second show) • Jan 24 (First show) • Jan 25 (Second show) • Jan 25 (First show) • Jan 26 (Second show) • Jan 26 (First show) • Jan 27 (First show) • Jan 27 (Second show) • Jan 29 (Second show) • Jan 29 (First show) • Jan 30 (Second show) • Jan 30 (First show) • Jan 31 (Second show) • Jan 31 (First show) • Feb 1 (First show) • Feb 1 (Second show) • Feb 2 (First show) • Feb 2 (Second show) • Feb 3 (Second show) • Feb 3 (First show) • Feb 4 (Second show) • Feb 4 (First show) • 1972 • Jul 16 (Afternoon show) • Jul 16 (Evening show) • 2007 • Oct 22
First show
Written by Chuck Berry
Written by Luther Dixon, Wes Farrell
Written by Phil Medley, Bert Russell
Second show
Written by Chuck Berry
Written by Luther Dixon, Wes Farrell
Written by Phil Medley, Bert Russell
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