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Thursday, June 23, 1966

Press conference in Munich

Press conference • Interview of The Beatles

Last updated on October 22, 2023


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  • Published: Jun 23, 1966

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This interview remains the property of the respective copyright owner, and no implication of ownership by us is intended or should be inferred. Any copyright owner who wants something removed should contact us and we will do so immediately.


On June 23, 1966, The Beatles took a flight from London to Munich, to start the first leg of their world tour. They arrived just before 1 pm, were picked up at the airport and brought to the Bayerischer Hof Hotel.

The four Beatles received some very special local gifts – Lederhosen, the traditional Bavarian leather pants. A press conference took place at 4 pm in the hotel, with reporters asking rather silly questions. When the tabloid Bild asked Ringo Starr whether his Lederhosen were too big for him, he said maybe they were, but he’d just wait until the baby grew.

The 1966 German tour was sponsored by the German youth magazine “Bravo”. During the press conference, The Beatles received an Otto Gold award from the editor of Bravo magazine.


Q: What do you think about Munich?

JOHN: Well, what I’ve seen looks lovely, and the weather’s nice too.

Q: What do you think about your book here?

JOHN: Oh, I don’t know what I think about it in German yet, ‘cuz I can’t understand it. But the publisher’s nice. In English, it’s nice. I don’t know what it’s like, you know. Just read it and find out.

Q: What are you going to do with your lederhosen?

PAUL: Umm, I don’t know. Probably hang ’em up eventually.

Q: You’re not going to wear them?

PAUL: I might do, yeah. It’s too hot at the moment.

Q: How’s your German?

RINGO: Terrible. I don’t speak it.

Q: You don’t speak it at all?

RINGO: Not to speak of, you know. Just a couple of jokes, like spiegeleye and pomfritz, you know. (laughs) But that’s not really German. That’s about all I know… and wie gehts, which is enough. (jokingly) As long as you can say wie gehts, you’re alright.

Q: If you could purchase a page in the Olympic Games in ’72 in Munich, what would you like to be?

GEORGE: Oh, I don’t know.

RINGO: Egg and spoon race.

GEORGE: (laughs) The three-legged race, to headline the Olympic Games. Well… maybe the high jump.

RINGO: The high jump. Good one.

GEORGE: (laughs) 


From The Beatles The Fab Four smiling at press conference 1966 8×10 Photo | eBay – The Beatles at the press conference in Munich
From June 1966: Germany went wild over The Beatles’ blitz tour – DW – 06/22/2016Image: Rockmuseum München, Foto: Rainer Schwanke/Archiv Herbert Hauke
From The Beatles Style Guide: Part Five 1965 – 1966 – Atom Retro (atom-retro.blogspot.com)
From June 1966: Germany went wild over The Beatles’ blitz tour – DW – 06/22/2016Image: Rockmuseum München, Foto: Rainer Schwanke/Archiv Herbert Hauke
From Germany Tour Begins – The Beatles History (beatles-chronology.ru)
From The Beatles Monthly Book – August 1966
From Germany Tour Begins – The Beatles History (beatles-chronology.ru)
From Meet the Beatles for Real (rssing.com) – The editor-in-chief of Bravo magazine, Liselotte Krakauer, presented the band members with the Otto Gold Award for the most popular band of the year.
From Germany Tour Begins – The Beatles History (beatles-chronology.ru) – The editor-in-chief of Bravo magazine, Liselotte Krakauer, presented the band members with the Otto Gold Award for the most popular band of the year.
From Meet the Beatles for Real (rssing.com)
From Germany Tour Begins – The Beatles History (beatles-chronology.ru)
Paul McCartney writing

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