A Hard Day’s Night in Milwaukee

“When I was 12, all friends had little transistor radios,” said Deb Unger, now 74. “Whenever Bob Barry played a Beatle song on WOKY, we went crazy!”

by

Milwaukee History

On September 4, 1964, The Beatles gave a concert in Milwaukee, the 12th stop on a 25-city American tour. Pressure from enthusiastic fans and the lack of downtime had already led to exhaustion and emotional strain among group members and their entourage. Despite the challenges, The Beatles never failed to be well-behaved and polite in public, and in the process reversed any negative perceptions the media may have had.

If not for Nick Topping, owner of International House, which carried Greek foods and record albums from around the world, The Beatles probably wouldn’t have played Milwaukee at all. Topping was the concert promoter who booked Miriam Makeba, Josh White, Pete Seeger, and other often politically controversial performers in town. In February 1964, after the Beatles had appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show three Sundays in a row, Chicago-based Triangle Productions asked Topping to promote a Milwaukee appearance by the group. In a 1993 Milwaukee Journal interview, he said, “I didn't know what they were all about, but I saw the love for them.” The Beatles were getting $3,000 for the show or a percentage of the ticket sales, depending on which figure was higher. Topping didn’t have funds for an advanced guarantee, but was allowed to raise the money by taking reservations for 12,000 seats at the Arena. Tickets were priced at $3.50 and $5.50, and they sold out within days.

In the city, 45 rpm Beatles singles were 79-cents at Gimbels-Schusters and Woolworth’s. Five months earlier, Beatlemania reached an amazing peak when 12 positions on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart were held by the quartet’s songs. In 1964, the entertainment publication Variety estimated their record sales at $425,000,000 in today’s currency. Ringo, 24; John, 23; Paul, 22; and George, 21, were multi-millionaires three years after forming the band. Their phenomenal income also came from live shows in England and merchandise tie-ins such as Fab Four pins, sweatshirts, bools, photos and other collectibles.

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Landing at Mitchell

Invasion of the group’s privacy started before their plane landed at Mitchell Field. They were coming from Indianapolis on a 75-minute flight, and close to 800 people were waiting to see them. But a phalanx of peace officers took The Beatles to the National Guard headquarters after some teenagers broke through the cordon and rushed toward the plane. Leaving behind hundreds of disappointed fans, the Beatles were driven to the Coach House Motor Inn at 19th and Wisconsin Avenue. At a press conference, a disgruntled Paul accused the police of pulling “a dirty trick” at the airport to avoid their fans. John claimed to have a sore throat and did not attend the event.

At the Arena, the Beatles played a 35-minute set that consisted of “Twist And Shout,” “You Can’t Do That,” “All My Loving,” ‘She Loves You,” “Things We Said Today,” “Roll Over Beethoven,” “Can’t Buy Me Love,” “If I Fell,” “I Want To Hold Your Hand,” “A Hard Day’s Night” and “Long Tall Sally.” To the delight of the audience, Ringo sang ‘Boys’. Playing to a huge basketball venue surely impacted their performance. Screaming fans and limitations of 1960s sound systems made it difficult for the Beatles to hear themselves play.

The group ran from the stage and jumped into a limousine headed back to the Coach House. At the hotel, hundreds of fans who didn’t have tickets to the show were impatiently waiting to see them.

Journal reporter Gerald Kloss once referred to them as “bushy haired intruders from Liverpool.” After the show, he admitted, “They were very nice and looked even more cuddly than they had on the Ed Sullivan TV show.”

Before the Beatles swept out of town for a Chicago concert, Paul phoned Christine Cutler, 14, a patient at St. Francis Hospital. She had a ticket to the show but couldn't go because of a sudden illness. A physician managed to have Paul call her on Saturday afternoon from the airport. They chatted for several minutes before he said, "Well, I've got to hang up, you see. But you will smile, though,” he said. “That's the main thing.” The Milwaukee Journal reported the girl wanted to take the telephone home with her.