It was 60 years ago Friday, that the Beatles came to town to play.
It was their only appearance in Baltimore.
America was in the grip of Beatlemania — and on September 13, 1964, Charm City was the epicenter, as screaming kids packed Baltimore’s Civic Center.
Those who were there remember it like it was, well, Yesterday.
First, let’s set the Beatlemania scene 60 years ago.
The Beatles’ first movie, A Hard Day’s Night, was released in the U.S. in August. They were on their first U.S. tour. Seven months had passed since their legendary appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show in February.
Scott Freiman, who hosts the series Deconstructing the Beatles on public television, said in January of 1964 hardly anyone knew who they were.
“In 1964 by the fall of that year, they were worldwide superstars,” Freiman said.
“A Hard Day’s Night the movie had come out and had been a massive, massive hit,” Freiman said. “Their singles kept coming out and kept hitting the top of the charts. So they were on an all time high.”
Then they land in Baltimore.
An estimated crowd of around 5,000 teens was outside the Civic Center, known these days as the CFG Bank Arena. The late Gilbert Sandler, a renowned teller of Baltimore tales on WYPR, told the story of 16 year old Eleanor Livingston, who dressed like a hotel maid and tried to convince Police Inspector Leo Kelly to let her in.
“She says that she’s the Beatles’ personal maid and must, must get into their dressing room at once,” Sandler said. “She says she is late. The Beatles are waiting inside for her to help them get ready. Kelly gives her a ‘you don’t say’ look but is not amused and tells her to get back in line.”
Then the show began.
“And the pandemonium, the screams, and the flash cameras going off that were like strobe lights,” said WYPR producer Bob White. He was there. He got the tickets for his 11th birthday the day before. His mom took him.
“We all went nuts,” White said. “I’m going crazy. I’ve got girls in back of me pulling on my hair and wiggling me going ‘there they are, there they are’ you know and my mother turns around and goes ‘don’t do that to him.’ Oh thanks mom I needed that.”
28,000 tickets were sold for two shows. White was at the evening show. His cousin Karen Garthe caught the one in the afternoon.
“It was really mad female hormones,” Garthe said. “All my girlfriends, everybody was an insane Beatlemaniac.”
The Beatles played for about 30 minutes. Fans like Cathy White Nichols had to wait through several warm up acts. She called the wait to see them, especially her favorite Beatle Paul McCartney, excruciating.
“Of course because it was so chaotic and everyone was screaming I didn’t really get to hear him,” Nichols said.
For the record, here’s the set list: 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, Boys, A Hard Day’s Night and Long Tall Sally.
“12 songs, 30 minutes, bye bye,” said Freiman. “It was amazing.”
The day after the concert Nichols had another close Beatle encounter while in class at Mercy High School.
“I could see there were some stirrings going on in the hallway,” Nichols said.
George Harrison wanted to see a modern American high school and was getting a tour. School President Mary Beth Lennon — no relation — said the founding principal, Sister Michelle Carroll, showed him around.
“Sister Michelle, in her full habit as a Sister of Mercy, glided through the halls, with Mr. Harrison, passed classrooms,” Lennon said.
The entry for September 14, 1964 in the Chronicle of Mercy High School states, “Very few girls saw him as they were in class (first period); he thought Mercy High was a very nice school.”
There is a plaque about the visit over a 1960s water fountain, where it’s believed George stopped for a drink. The fountain no longer works.
It’s now a Baltimore monument to Beatlemania.
Note: Scott Freiman will be giving a talk on the Beatles’ album Abbey Road at Maryland Public Television on October 19.
