The Beatles 1964 world tour was

the Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The core lineup of the band comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are widely regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatle ...

' first world tour, launched after their 1964 UK tour. The reception was enthusiastic, with ''

The Spectator ''The Spectator'' is a weekly British political and cultural news magazine. It was first published in July 1828, making it the oldest surviving magazine in the world. ''The Spectator'' is politically conservative, and its principal subject a ...

'' describing it as "hysterical". It was followed by their subsequent North American tour in August of that year.

Tour history

Negotiations for an Australasian tour started in October 1963, and Epstein signed in January 1964 (a month before the Beatles’ American tour). The price had increased from £1500 a week to £2500 a week plus airfares and excess baggage for drums and amps. The negotiations between Robert Kerridge of Kerridge Odeon in Auckland, Aztec Services (Kenn Brodziak) in Melbourne, their London agent Cyril Berlin of The Grade Organisation and

Brian Epstein Brian Samuel Epstein ( ; 19 September 1934 – 27 August 1967) was an English music entrepreneur who managed the Beatles from 1961 until his death in 1967. Epstein was born into a family of successful retailers in Liverpool, who put hi ...

were by telegram (many reproduced in the 2024 book). The Beatles were stated to have made £250,000 from their Australasian tour.

Jimmie Nicol temporarily replaces Ringo

On the morning of 3 June 1964, the day before the tour was to begin, Ringo Starr fell ill during a photo session. He fainted and was taken to hospital with a strong fever, where he was diagnosed with severe tonsillitis and hospitalized for a few days in London. The Beatles, especially George Harrison, wanted to postpone the tour, but manager

and producer

George Martin Sir George Henry Martin (3 January 1926 – 8 March 2016) was an English record producer, arranger, composer, conductor, and musician. He was commonly referred to as the "fifth Beatle" because of his extensive involvement in each of the Beatle ...

decided to use drummer Jimmie Nicol to temporarily replace Starr. When Ringo heard this, he was convinced he was about to be permanently replaced. During rehearsals, when the Beatles asked Nicol how he was doing, his answer was always "It's getting better"; this phrase later inspired McCartney's song " Getting Better" from the 1967 album '' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band''. Years later, Nicols said that he would have done the tour for free, but Epstein offered him £2,500 per performance and a £2,500 bonus. "I couldn't sleep that night, I was one of the fucking Beatles!" he said in a 1988 interview. The tour began on 4 June 1964 in

Copenhagen Copenhagen ( ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a population of 1.4 million in the Urban area of Copenhagen, urban area. The city is situated on the islands of Zealand and Amager, separated from Malmö, Sweden, by the ...

Denmark Denmark is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe. It is the metropole and most populous constituent of the Kingdom of Denmark,, . also known as the Danish Realm, a constitutionally unitary state that includes the Autonomous a ...

; Nicol played nine shows across six cities until Starr rejoined the band in Melbourne, Australia, on 14 June. Nicol, a very shy person, did not say goodbye to the group and left at night while they were sleeping. At the airport, Brian Epstein gave him £500 and a gold watch with the inscription "From The Beatles and Brian Epstein to Jimmie - with appreciation and gratitude". On the return journey on the plane he was very sad, feeling "like a bastard child rejected by his new family".

Tour dates

Typical set list

The typical set list for the shows was as follows (with lead singers noted): #" I Saw Her Standing There" (

Paul McCartney Sir James Paul McCartney (born 18 June 1942) is an English singer, songwriter and musician who gained global fame with the Beatles, for whom he played bass guitar and the piano, and shared primary songwriting and lead vocal duties with John ...

) #"

I Want To Hold Your Hand "I Want to Hold Your Hand" is a song by the English rock music, rock band the Beatles, written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney. Recorded on 17 October 1963 and released on 29 November 1963 in the United Kingdom, it was the first Beatles recor ...

" (

John Lennon John Winston Ono Lennon (born John Winston Lennon; 9 October 19408 December 1980) was an English singer-songwriter, musician and activist. He gained global fame as the founder, co-lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of the Beatles. Lennon's ...

and Paul McCartney) or " You Can't Do That" (

) #" All My Loving" (Paul McCartney) #"

She Loves You "She Loves You" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles, written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney and released as a single in the United Kingdom on 23 August 1963. The single set and surpassed several sales records in the United Kingdom c ...

" (John Lennon, Paul McCartney and

George Harrison George Harrison (25 February 1943 – 29 November 2001) was an English musician, singer and songwriter who achieved international fame as the lead guitarist of the Beatles. Sometimes called "the quiet Beatle", Harrison embraced Culture ...

) #" Till There Was You" (Paul McCartney) #"

Roll Over Beethoven "Roll Over Beethoven" is a 1956 song written by Chuck Berry, originally released on Chess Records, with "Drifting Heart" as the A-side and B-side, B-side. The lyrics of the song mention rock and roll and the desire for rhythm and blues to be a ...

" (George Harrison) #" Can't Buy Me Love" (Paul McCartney) #" This Boy" (John Lennon, Paul McCartney and George Harrison) #" Twist and Shout" (John Lennon) #" Long Tall Sally" (Paul McCartney)

Notes

External links

*The Beatles tour New Zealand.

References

Sources

''The Spectator'', Volume 213, 1964
* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Beatles' 1964 World Tour 1964 concert tours 1964 World Concert tours of Australia Concert tours of New Zealand June 1964 July 1964 August 1964 June 1964 in Australia 1964 in New Zealand June 1964 in Oceania