All language subtitles for It.Was.Fifty.Years.Ago.Today....Sgt.Pepper.And.Beyond1

AUGUST 1966
THE BEGINNING OF AN EXTRAORDINARY YEAR ...

It was easy to forget that London
had experienced the war 22 years earlier.

There was this England
that we recognize

thanks to black and white photos
and images

and there was this new era,
the multicolored one,

and the Beatles were at the forefront.

- Are you looking forward to going on tour?
- Yes.

This religious controversy,
you don't want to talk about it too much

but do you worry
in the USA ?

Yes, that worries me,
but I hope everything will go well.

Do you think it will be
a controversial tour

as in the Philippines?

- No.
- Not really.

It will be alright.

- What makes you say that ?
- It will be fine. You will see.

The Klan, we are going to demonstrate

in different ways
to end this concert.

COME HOME

In front of the Coliseum,
a small group of protesters ...

HUNT
THE COMMUNISM

... was the only visible sign.

Let's not forget that the Beatles
were a planetary phenomenon.

The Beatles were also important
a meeting of heads of state

or state leaders
in one room.

What does it do ?

You can say "hello"?

Hello.

Say hello".

Hello !

John, are you sorry
for your words?

Yes.

I think it's true.

This group was much more popular.

JOURNALIST

I'm not going to use the two words,
"J.C.",

but they were much more popular
than the Church of England and religion.

Without a doubt.

This is where the trouble started,

in this tiny studio
on the top floor of WAQY Station,

the "wacky radio" of 750,000 inhabitants
from Birmingham, Alabama.

The disc jockey and manager,
Tommy Charles,

read in Datebook,

John Lennon's remarks
on Christianity,

remarks that had gone unnoticed
when they came out in England.

If we think about it
to the impact of Jesus in the great era,

300 people
must have heard of him.

In terms of industry, even to this day,

in what it represents for society,

and especially in Europe,
the Beatles are more important.

But you know,

America was, at that time,
obsessed with Jesus.

JESUS IS DEAD FOR YOU,
JOHN LENNON

Regarding the objective of this meeting,

I thank God.
Jesus Christ matters to me,

because he saved me 31 years ago.

All the people here
for whom it matters, say "Amen".

Amen!

They weren't qualified to speak

of the price of milk,
let alone the state of the world.

They were sponges.
They absorbed things ...

BEATLES SPECIALIST

... emotions in such a way

they felt
to age twice as fast.

I know Brian was worried ...

SECRETARY OF BRIAN EPSTEIN

... before they leave
for the United States.

But it was so innocent for John.

They were so large.

More people wanted to see
the Beatles that go to church.

Are you worried
of what could happen

to the Beatles over there?

AUGUST 1966

- I'm worried.
- What about ?

Security.

What do you suggest to protect them?

There is not much we can do.

They have always benefited, in this country,

maximum security
and tours have always been

very well organized

and I hope everything will be fine.

They burned albums in Memphis ...

AUTHOR / JOURNALIST

... and these singers were afraid
to get killed.

We say to ourselves: "Something is happening
which escapes me. "

Most critics
came from the Bible Belt

and we wonder if you are going
change the Beatles route

to avoid areas where radios

burn their albums and photos.

It's unlikely.

I met several promoters,
this morning,

and, after this conference,
I meet others

who think
that no concert will be canceled.

In fact, if one of the promoters
was very worried

and wanted to cancel a concert,

I would not object.

Besides, the Memphis concert,

closest to ...

from where it all started,

apparently sold more tickets
yesterday, than he had done to date.

Tony Barrow alerted Datebook

of the existence of these interviews.

He contacted Art Unger, the publisher,
and he said ...

AUTHOR OF THE BEATLES '66

... "You'll love these interviews.
They will please you. "

But Art Unger had the idea to send them

to some animators
followers of controversies.

He knew it would annoy some DJs.

He sent them to these DJs
in Birmingham, Alabama

and it annoyed them well
and this is where it all started.

WASHINGTON DC, AUGUST 15, 1966

They hate you. Did you see that ?

I saw a similar version
of what you talk about in the article.

If it makes other people happy,
so it makes me happy.

But there are not as many people
upset as I thought.

And not so upset as that.

Brian Epstein wanted to cancel the tour,

but they decided to continue
if John apologized

and he did so reluctantly.

Forced apologies.

In fact, I was referring
to England ...

CHICAGO, AUGUST 11, 1966

... where we count more than Jesus
or religion for children.

I was not tapping on it
or to belittle it.

I was just exposing a fact, and that's more
true for England only here.

I am not saying that we are better
or larger,

I don't compare us to Jesus Christ
as a person

or to God as an entity
or whatever it is.

I said what I said and I was wrong.
Or it has been misinterpreted.

And George said, "I don't care.
They will buy new albums

to replace the ones they burned. "

What do you think

of this group that gives their point of view?

Is it possible in their position?

Absolutely.

I never suggested to them
to do otherwise.

Did you suggest John apologize?

We discussed it
and it was a mutual feeling.

I never gave orders to boys,

whether it's musical,
artistic or on positions.

They...

We all have our opinion
and I contribute a fifth.

It happened in the end
of a very long world tour

where horrible things
had arrived at the Beatles.

Death threats in Japan,
rowdy in the Philippines ...

BACK FROM THE PHILIPPINES, JULY 1966

... for apparently snubbing
the First Lady, Imelda Marcos,

by not going to a ceremony
she was giving.

It was too much.

WE LOVE YOU LENNON

They were afraid of being murdered.

This is what was germinating

in people's minds.

What happened
at Manila Airport?

We were jostled
and heckled by some monkeys

and we were very scared.

Really scared?

We were terrified.

Yes it was...

It was serious. There were approximately

five weird and beefy guys

with weapons and all the equipment.

- Who heckled us.
- They were there...

Yes, it was obvious.

They were there to make us pass
a dirty quarter of an hour

before our departure.

So we hurried.

Personally, I avoided them.

They were the only ones
to look for trouble.

There were five of them.
The rest were calm.

Did you have to carry your luggage
in the airport ?

Our hand luggage, yes.

Our managers took the bags.

- Because they know ...
- They turned off the escalator

and we had to wear them.

- To top it all.
- Very clever.

How many people were involved?

About thirty.

I say 30 and George says five.

It looked like a small army
who came to beat us.

There were ten other people
behind the crowd

who were booing us
and we were looking for them to see them

and there were only young people
all smiles, about 18.

All these guys basically like the Gestapo
booing us.

The real protesters.

It was an ambush

where they were just waiting to fight.

They jostled us.
If we had done something ...

- That's enough.
- Yes.

Apart from the Philippines,
did you like this trip?

Yes, a great tour.

Except this morning.

- Yes.
- Japan was wonderful.

- And Delhi was good.
- Yes.

Wonderful people in Japan,
all our meetings.

They took possession of Manila
during the war.

Will you be playing in the Philippines?

- No.
- I will never go again.

I will no longer board a plane
for Manila. Never.

When they left Manila
for Delhi,

they spoke for the first time

to give up touring.
Brian was very upset,

because he saw that it would be useless

if they just stayed in the studio.

What would be its place?
It existed mainly in the tours

to prepare and accompany the Beatles.

And he liked show biz.

He loved the theater. He had been to RADA,
so he liked the theatrical side.

Passing directly from their lodges
to the security zone,

the Beatles appeared
for their second concert,

every step carefully watched
by Captain Barney Hicks police,

82 men working overtime
paid 30 shillings an hour.

There was pure madness and this
for years around the Beatles.

The most surprising,
is that they were playing the game.

They did what was expected of them.

When you think
temperament and ego

of today's small rock bands,

what the Beatles endured

for the common good,
because they were told to do it,

including John, was extraordinary.

While the Beatles' private plane
is coming ...

MEMPHIS, AUGUST 19, 1966

... it draws away hundreds of fans

and goes to a deserted area
reserved for the National Guard.

Some teenagers managed to pass
the safety cords.

Worried about their visit to the south,

the Beatles could at least console themselves
with the success of this tour.

Halfway through the concerts,

they had already cashed
over $ 500,000

and their latest single "Yellow Submarine"
sold for a million.

Your first trip here?

No, we have been to Texas before.

Where are you going next?

Cincinnati, I believe, yes.

How long are you staying
in the USA ?

About two weeks.

- Two more weeks ?
- Yes.

What did you eat?

Not much.

Not much.

- I have to go. It's hot.
- Okay. Thank you so much.

BEATLE STREET
FOUR BOYS WHO MOVE THE WORLD

They came out of the lodges
making the head.

John said:
"We should never have done that.

- Never. "
- They had two numbers one.

Return to a tiny club ...

But they promised to do
another concert. Well, good luck.

One lodge.

Big as a phone booth.

We were in it.
The Beatles too

and someone else too and ...

They were not delighted.

But they held on.

John was crying with laughter.

There was a piano on stage
with a blanket over it.

"Why are you laughing?"
"King Size Taylor has left his mark."

The Beatles are mounted,
the girls were screaming

and, there, power failure.

Except a very small bulb.

A small light bulb on the stage,
Do you remember ?

- Yes.
- No power, nothing at all.

We all said to ourselves:
"And now ?"

So, Paul, it looks like him,
jumped on the piano

and started singing this little
song with John in acoustics.

We could hear the acoustic guitar a bit.

For years, it was believed that Paul

had taken over an old song
from his father

from the 20s,
because that was what it reminded us of.

But when the album came out
Sgt. Pepper ...

It was incredible.

We heard this song
in 1963.

It doesn't matter if people don't like
our albums, our style

or our words.

They have the right not to love us

and we have the right
not to want to rub shoulders with them

if we don't want to.

We all have rights.

Towards the end, it was madness.

They could be anywhere.
They were in a room ...

FAN CLUB SECRETARY

... and this piece
could be in Wales or Tokyo.

They didn't know it.
It was just a hotel.

It's hard to believe
but the songs of Revolver

that could be played
on stage these days,

they never imagined playing them

and they played few titles
from Rubber Soul on stage.

They didn't play anything Revolver
even if it was their last album

- during their last tour.
- In addition to rock 'n' roll,

they have developed their own melody

and they needed to hear
the tangles of songs.

And when they were playing,
they heard nothing.

I was in New York for the Yardbirds

when the biggest tour
of the Beatles was in New York.

Brian was there.

I did not work with him
but I knew what was going on,

and Brian and the group wanted
a maximum of 15,000 spectators

for sound problems. They wanted
be able to play and be heard

and not be stifled by screams.

But the police didn't believe it.

They knew there would be
between 100,000 and 200,000 people,

even if it was a room
10,000 places.

Very dangerous to have 10,000
people inside and 90,000 outside.

So it was not a promoter,
of a greedy group or manager.

It was the police and their authorization.

They were captive.
Imprisoned by the tour.

They freed themselves when they returned.

They went around the world by plane.

People were screaming.

They didn't even get along.
They said to themselves:

"We didn't start this for that.

We started this for fun.
No more fun. "

John told me about it in detail
at a dinner in New York in 1980.

He told me that,
when they were playing "Twist and Shout",

he had changed the words
in an insult,

what he found hilarious.

First, because it was funny and also
because no one heard it.

The first row was filled
children in wheelchairs.

John, in particular, was panicked.

He had a terrible phobia
physical disability

but these poor children
were taken to their lodges

after the concert as if they were
saints who could heal people.

Sometimes worse, some people
grabbed an armchair

when they did not know the child
to go to the lodges.

It was a horrible scene

and they were doing with it. It was amazing.

They were obedient.

George said a lot
that they weren't progressing musically,

because they were still progressing
playing in front of an audience

with whom they had an intimate return

and, to date,
they no longer saw their audience.

At Candlestick Park,
they were in a cage,

literally in a cage on stage.

We are far from the Cavern, right?

We were working with machines
which regulated the volume, the tone ...

and the bass, those three buttons.

We didn't have all these buttons

and all these computers,
those flashing lights.

The Beatles contract said

that the promoter had to provide
two or three microphones

and adequate lighting.

Songs like "Eleanor Rigby",
even if they had played them

would not have had an answer
from the public.

It was not a song
that makes you jump or dance

and the critics said
that it was too dark a subject:

churches, single women,
death and all that.

Not in the Beatles style.

For a long time, the Beatles were able,

thanks to their immense popularity
in the whole world

and especially among young people,

say what they meant

without giving importance

at judgment, at maturity
or the wisdom of the words.

He is just honest.

His answers are light

and his attitude is very strange,
sometimes.

we never know
whether he is honest or not.

How did this tour, because
of this fuss, is it different?

Is it?

Paul?

Not really.
It’s just more hectic.

Press conferences
are a little meaner.

When we last came, we said

that our responses were light.

They are not this time?

Apparently the questions
are more serious this time.

It had no impact on sales.

Sales are ...
People who come to concerts

were the same
except for the Memphis concert

which was a little less full
but whatever...

There was an interesting change
in the music industry

in 1966 and 1967.

It was the beginning of use
of the word "rock".

Never heard before.

In 1967, the event of the year
was the Monterey Pop Festival.

"Pop" was a buzzword
and who was at this festival?

People we would call
rock stars.

Little by little, that year,

the press has started
to use the word "rock"

and they applied it to all groups

who did not depend
by authors of Tin Pan Alley

and groups that played their own
music with real musicians.

Most bands like this

wanted to give themselves
a reputation as protesters

letting hair grow

and the Stones were the first.

Then the Who knew how to pass
from pop to rock.

Will you iron albums
Beatles?

The people of Capitol Records
who distribute these albums

in this country asked me to.
Brian Epstein wanted to know

when the ban would be lifted,

because everyone
expect a gesture from us

and wanted to know what to do.
I have no price.

I don't ask the Beatles anything.

I do not know.

I want them to make me change my mind
on them.

I want to see them...

I do not know,
I want to see them grow a little.

Disc jockey Tommy Charles
at the origin of this protest said

that he would no longer play your albums
until you grow up.

What do you think ?

I do not care
that he no longer passes our titles.

Here is the problem :

when we say things like that,

we are accused of being childish.

We don't say something like that
unless you're an idiot child.

Do you feel that the Americans

transform this
in a witch hunt?

Do you agree to talk about Vietnam
in America ?

- Is it really useful?
- I do not know.

If we can say that war is useless

and let a few people believe us,
then it is useful.

But we cannot say it too much.
Pity.

It's stupid to be in America

and not to talk about Vietnam.

But why you?
You are there to entertain us.

Americans always ask
to the stars what they think.

Like the English.

It's show biz.

You can't shut up
on what's going on

in the world
unless you are a monk.

My apologies to the monks!
But I think so ...

They took the reins
of what had already started ...

SISTER OF JOHN LENNON

... the adolescent revolution
as a full human being.

The Swinging London
was a huge movement.

Based on the counter-culture:

everyone had long hair,
beards and mustaches

and everything else. They were going to the UFO
Club and other places like that.

All the psychedelic stuff
with the Pink Floyd.

There were mini skirts,
new trends, boutiques

and everything else
and it was changing all the time.

I was a model for Foale and Tuffin

but we also had a store
and, when I was not wearing the clothes ...

SISTER OF PATTI BOYD

... I worked there

and the boys from the shops
from Carnaby Street came

and we shared the albums.

We were not interested
to music and style.

It all started
when Paul had his motorcycle accident

and broke the front tooth
and opened her lip

the day before the clips were filmed
from "Rain" and "Paperback Writer".

He let his mustache grow
not to be embarrassed

by his broken tooth.

He didn't think about going to the dentist.

He used chewing gum
to hide it

and he let his mustache grow
to cover his war wound.

The others thought it was cool

and they did the same.

Suddenly, the whiskers
and stuff like that,

drugs
and a different vision of the world ...

Everything you do
as a musician,

it comes out in your songs,
in one way or another.

There is always a link with your experience.

We were smoking weed at the time

and it changes your perception.

It makes it fall
a number of walls.

We protested against the state

and we stayed in touch
with our creativity.

They were constantly trying
to detach from this image

of the four well-groomed fluff.

It was one of the reasons behind all this:

to be different, to dress differently,
look like adults.

Will the Beatles split up?

Absolutely not.

In the article of the day, is it true

that they plan to separate?

Not at all.

Why is there not
of planned tours

for Christmas and America
next year ?

They are involved in several projects.

John Lennon is making a film.

Paul writes music
for a new Hayley Mills film.

And...

I do not...

They will be in this country

at the end of December ...
November.

They will record other albums and ...

They are working on the next film.

Will there be any changes
in their work ?

Will there be fewer tours?

It's possible.

As I have said,
there will be no significant changes

but the Beatles have always progressed

and to progress, you have to change.

They had a nice antenna.
They could bounce back quickly.

It's a way of doing things

and it was part of their education.

And they were ...

They were...

Apart from "Penny Lane"
and "Strawberry Fields",

they did not get caught
for Americans.

They were no longer pseudo-Americans.

They did not have an American accent.

Paul's father said:
"Why say 'yeah'?

Why not 'yes'? "

They used their own culture,

what is interesting
and "Penny Lane" is ...

These are two fantastic songs.

In fact,
the real tragedy of Sgt. Pepper,

is that these songs are not there.

PENNY LANE
BARBER

It would have been a fantastic album.
They should have

add them by saying:
"Two songs from before."

And these are the best.

"Penny Lane"
and "Strawberry Fields Forever".

A very specific: the very precise image
by Paul McCartney on the 1950s

in a district of Liverpool
that they knew well.

Another slightly more surreal
from John

but which gives an impression
likelihood.

John's surreal vision
from a place he knew as a child.

When they stopped touring ...

OFFICIAL BIOGRAPHER

... they were responsible for themselves.

They did Sgt. Pepper in their own way

and they started to ignore
Brian Epstein who no longer controlled them.

They started
to work with George Martin.

George looked after
technical aspects.

He gave his opinion
but they did what they wanted.

George Martin said it very quickly.

When the tours ended,
Brian felt helpless.

On tour,
he didn't do much.

He was with them. Everything was organized

by the local promoter

but he was traveling with them.

He had the impression
to be part of the group.

After that, he couldn't find his place

in the studio.

He never helped create a song.

He was not George Martin

and he felt completely neglected
at once.

And that wiped it out.

He started taking more drugs,
to play more

and he felt that their relationship

had been deeply damaged.

Brian’s role, like theirs,
had changed

but for me,
he will always be the fifth Beatle.

He drove them from the Cavern
to world scenes.

In early 1967, as they ...

As they had made pieces
played during the rave at Roundhouse,

and, as far as I know,

only Mark Lewisohn heard them

but apparently
they just hit

loudly ...
a kind of tin can,

a table, anything in the studio
for seven minutes ...

There was this idea
that everything they did,

especially when it wasn’t forced,

was worth gold, artistically speaking,

but this was not always the case.

Just a problem.
They said to themselves, "Now what?"

They had been better group
on tour, best pop group.

They had written
the biggest songs,

still leading the charts.

Where to go now?

The only way to progress,
is to make great art.

"We have to experience something else,
go higher.

If we can't become
a rock band,

we could make pop a great art,

great music, a big painting. "

This is what they must have said to each other.

"No need to do anything else.

No need to release a new one Revolver
full of pop.

We have to do something
breathtaking. "

And they did.

I listened to "Strawberry Fields"
and I was amazed.

And I told my editor.

The Beatles are still progressing

and I thought it was incredible.

A huge jump
from "Love Me Do" or something else.

No one could say

if "Penny Lane" were to pass
"Strawberry Fields" but it was likely,

because John had taken the plunge in
writing a title on Liverpool and Paul ...

There was a magnificent
competitive spirit between John and Paul.

They were pulling themselves up.

In all friendship, they said to themselves:

"I want to have the A side of the single."

Or "He did that. I'm going to do that."
It was fantastic.

Without any animosity ...

They were trying to be the best.

The plan was to start over
and write a whole album on Liverpool.

They had considered
to do something,

maybe an album related to Liverpool.

Of course, they had "Penny Lane"
in reserve and "Strawberry Fields"

and "A Day in the Life".

And George Martin said:

"You are silent
for too long."

They gave him that

insisting on having a double face A.

As a double face A,
it divided the sales

and they were only number two.

Meanwhile, in Liverpool,

there was a group, the Hillsiders,

and the manager, Spencer Lloyd Mason,

had noticed that one of the members
had found a fabulous title

that they wanted to record.

They sent it to their manager AandR
at Decca, Noel Walker,

who also came from Merseyside,
and said:

"We want to record this
with an orchestra. "

It was a title called "Release Me".

Instead of saving it
with the Hillsiders,

he passed the title on to someone
for whom it was the ideal title,

at Engelbert Humperdinck

and it became number one

and he prevented the Beatles
to be in the lead

for the first time
from several albums.

The fault of a group from Liverpool.

The Liverpool themed album,

there was enough with
"Strawberry Fields" and "Penny Lane"

for more than one album.

They did it with a single.

They did it in a magnificent
single double-sided A.

ABBEY ROAD STUDIOS
DECEMBER 1966

- A word, please?
- Yes.

Will the Beatles split in 1967?

They can work
solo or together.

We are linked to each other
whatever we do.

Is there a moment
where you haven't worked together?

It happened during a period

but we end
always by coming together.

You need others
to get ideas

and we get along very well.

Are you going to make movies
on your side next year?

I don't want to make a career out of it.
I did it because I liked it

and that I accepted
Dick Lester's proposal.

I would not have done it
if it hadn't pleased others.

They said, "Okay."
We were on vacation.

Do others have this kind of ambition?

No, nobody is really interested.

I am not so interested.

- What do you want to do ?
- No idea.

I want to do a few things.

You haven't decided what yet?

I will try several things

but I learned more about the movies
by doing this.

Collaborating to write,

you will continue?

Yes, we will continue to write
all of our lives,

whatever happens,
because you can't stop.

We end up writing,
whether we want it or not.

Do you think the tours,
like those in America

or the one in England, the fans ...

There comes a time when it doesn't work anymore,

because it no longer fits
to our recordings or our films.

They knew they were taking
big risks in 1966 and 1967.

They did not know
if people would follow them,

if it would work
and they calculated:

"We risk losing
a big market share.

We are too daring. "

HOW I WON THE WAR

Then they decided it would become

what's called a concept album

like Frank Zappa
had made one, Freak Out,

and McCartney was enthusiastic
to this idea.

As Ringo said later,
they made two other pieces

and they said to themselves:
"Forget the concept album.

Let's make other pieces. "

But, of course,
they have been strangely articulated.

It was a mix of Beatles adventurers

and sentimental at the same time.

These different elements are in the album.

And John, weirdly,
is the one who associated them

not only with his masterpiece ...

His masterpiece "A Day in the Life"

but he also provided small pieces

who seem to be part
from "A Day in the Life"

and Paul's "Lovely Rita".

So, that sounds like a concept

even if they didn't think
make a concept album.

- Paul.
- Yes ?

- Good evening.
- Good evening.

- Don Edwards, ITN.
- It's okay ?

A word ? Stop touring,
do you worry?

I do not know.

- I do not think so.
- Really ?

In fact, for us, it's a performance

and this performance has declined.

We are not progressing
if nobody hears us.

You understand ? So, for us,

giving a concert is difficult.
More and more each time.

They don't listen to you
then you want to stop.

We want to continue
but if we are not listened to

and if we don't get along,

we cannot improve,
you can't get better.

We try to improve with others
things like recording.

It took months and months
and an astronomical sum.

Again, that was part ...

It wasn't just Sgt. Pepper.
The other great albums of the time

turned the market upside down saying that

the single was the only thing that mattered

and then the album served as a backdrop.

There was the single
and a few things

with the name of the single
like Please Please Me.

At the moment,
the album started to become

the point of concentration
groups and pop groups.

They were making albums
and singles were born from it.

- Hello.
- Merry Christmas !

- It's okay ?
- Good.

- Some questions ?
- Yes.

- This side.
- Which side ?

- This one.
- Good evening.

- You are very handsome.
- Thank you. I took a bath.

Why are the Beatles going
less work together this year?

We don't ...

If we do things together,
every four,

it will be as usual.

- You don't want to?
- We don't want to redo what we did.

With the film,

there is no decent script
or we’re looking for one.

If we don't succeed,

we will do something different.

- Alone ?
- Yes, but...

It is not a separation.
We will always meet again.

- Thank you very much.
- Thank you.

- You will work ?
- It depends on the others.

It's tea time, I hope.

Paul had started to work
on the idea of a ghost group.

It consists of inventing a group:
"We are this group.

And not the Beatles. "

How are you ?

- I...
- A word ?

- Yes.
- Just a question :

do you think that this year

are you going to separate?

- No.
- No ?

No. Not at all.

And another word?

These are already your words.

They were tired of being the Beatles.

They were not tired

to exist as a Beatles

but the name "Beatles"
was starting to oppress them

and they had the idea
to create an alter ego

who would be called Sgt. Pepper

and that matched the trend
military tunics.

It was in the mid-1960s.

If you look closely,

there is a photo of Paul's father,
Jim McCartney,

who had a small group
in the 20-30s in Liverpool.

He played the piano by ear
in the Jim Mac Jazz Band.

There is a photo of them
at the end of the 1920s

and they surrounded a bass drum

and it sounds like the concept of Sgt. Pepper,

without marijuana.

They became the precursors of a
joke in the world of rock 'n' roll.

How long can we spend
in a studio for a project

and how much can we spend?

The Beatles were in the studio
for Sgt. Pepper

and everyone said:
"It must be super exciting."

The most boring period
in all my life.

We used to record
in a few days, sometimes a week.

Revolver took a few weeks

but Sgt. Pepper dragged on,

because they hadn't written it together.

The only one who was prepared
for the studio, it was Paul.

When they were in the studio,
no woman was allowed,

not even the wives.

You know, they ...

Even during tours.
It was like that.

The boys were leaving.

I think it's Chris O'Dell
who had the guts to say:

"Can I come to a session?"

We never imagined

be able to attend a recording.

People wonder why groups
have more time to record.

It's not
record label money.

An advance on the group's royalties.
So the record company doesn't care.

Often, the record company worries.
"We give them time.

If they don't make a tube,
we will pay for them. "

A successful group, we give them
all the time they want.

They pay.
It's taken from their royalties.

It is not explained to the groups.

They think to use
record label money

and, meanwhile,
they have enough money

to buy drugs
and do stuff in the studio

that don't make them move very quickly
and the recordings are lying around.

Paul was leading the boat.

George and John took care of it
when it was

of their compositions
but it was Paul at the helm.

He said, "Like that." And they were doing

dozens and dozens of takes

and I thought:
"It was good the first time.

Why didn't they take it?
I would like to go back. "

Even experienced engineers

were surprised
by the Beatles' demands.

Nobody had ever done that.

In a sense, Abbey Road was
a blessing for them.

They were enthusiastic
and teeming with ideas

and these are the best times
of life,

in my twenties.
They could do whatever they wanted.

They had the nerve to say:
"We want to do things."

The first time they came,

they had gone through the entrance
on the side. There, in front.

"Whatever you want to do,
we are following you. "

The Beatles tore to pieces
what we took for granted

like spending three months in the studio.

We don't tick when U2 goes by
two years making an album.

The Beatles were the first.

The Beatles were the first
to make such an ambitious album,

an album far from pop albums,

not just pieces
to dance or listen in the car.

I think John was a genius.

There is no doubt about it.

ON THE ROAD TO GREECE
JULY 1967

How many geniuses
can there be in a group?

But, without Paul, I don't think John
would have done what he did with his life.

I called them the dream team.

Paul had lost his mother
at the age of 14.

He spent a lot of time
with us.

My mother said, ironically:

"Poor boy, he lost his mother."

When our mother died,

a real link
instantly woven between them

and I think this relationship
was the basis of the Beatles.

John had that reputation.

THE DISSENTORS

He was the one who attracted others,
because he had a bitter mind

and he had a rebellious side

which doesn't matter much.

Paul was very polite

and people are usually
attracted to the rebel,

as I immediately was.
That's what drew me to his place.

Paul was an avant-garde.
It was very important.

No idea was too far-fetched for him

and he read a lot,

went to exhibitions,

listened to avant-garde composers

and developed along this path
very significantly.

John ...

John read a lot
and wrote a lot of songs

home because he had
family responsibilities.

Paul was ahead of him
in exploring London,

in the forefront,
in the underground movement.

John was ...

He liked it but he didn't ...

He was not daring enough
to do it himself.

But, in November, he meets Yoko Ono

at the opening of a gallery ...

YOKO ONO, LONDON, AUGUST 1966

... and we know where it got him.

One of the great myths

annoying Paul McCartney
still today,

because it tends to be tenacious,

is that John was hungry for experiences.

And that Paul was a brave slipper
who was not taking a risk.

It is not true.

As Tony Bramwell said,

John was a big slacker
who was staying in his suburban lodge.

Paul lived in the heart of London.

Paul has always sought to improve.

He bought books on modern art
when he was 13

and he was interested in the whole avant-garde
from London

and especially to complex music,
brave and very contemporary,

nothing to do with pop,
like John Cage,

Luciano Berio and the others.

He knew all this.

Endless soundtracks.

Paul was a leader.

There was a bookstore and a gallery

and Paul had given the order
that we send him all the news

and then he talked to John about it.

So Paul was talking to John about it:

"Relax, turn off your mind
and let yourself be carried by the current. "

John read the book
and he wrote "Tomorrow Never Knows"

and John was the avant-garde.

They were more involved
in modern art

and in modern classical music
than they let it appear.

Remember they were in high school.

And, for its part,
John went to art school.

Unlike other rock stars ...

I have to choose the names ...

... who left school at 15
and barely knew how to read and write.

The Beatles, apart from Ringo
who never went to school ...

The Beatles were high school kids
who had read Shakespeare in class,

who had read novels
and poems.

John and George lived in the countryside.

Paul lived in the heart of London.

They no longer passed
all their time together.

Until 1966, they were still
with each other.

They were that four-headed hydra.

They were never seen alone.

Paul was the most musical

and trained John.

So it was much more nuanced than that.

The idea that Paul was a straight man

in charge of press relations,

this was partly true,

but he was also extremely gifted.

There were rumbles ...

different music
who came back from before,

who came back from Revolver.

The wait was high
for Rubber Soul and Revolver

but it was at its peak
for Sgt. Pepper.

Largely because of the weather
spent in the studio.

It was constantly highlighted
in the articles:

all the money spent,
the time it took.

There were these four geniuses
with George Martin.

If they spent that much time
on something, it was going to be amazing,

because it couldn't be otherwise.

SGT PEPPER EXHIBITION
THE HISTORY OF BEATLES

We have to come back
at the time of its release.

People have no idea of the difficulties.

It has been done
with a four track recorder.

George Martin said
it was very difficult.

Nowadays, we see
all the studios can do

and yet this album, designed with a
four track recorder, remains magic.

I remember the day they decided
words on the cover.

For all albums released before,

we had exchanged sharply
on words.

We did not know...

One of the great joys brought
by the Beatles,

it's their Liverpool accent.

A great story for me ...

I worked at Stafford Street

and George came to see me:

"I have these lyrics. Could you type them in?

Because they are illegible. "

He said to me, "I sit by your side

and I'll read it to you so you can type it. "

So I did it.

When the page was finished, he handed it to me

and I threw it in the trash.

All songs from Sgt. Pepper
were in the trash.

If I had known...

The EMI group was very shocked

by the amount spent on coverage

and they also wanted
bring up all the lyrics.

The Beatles held out the stick
to be beaten

because once the audience
would have read the lyrics he might

interpret them

and impute meaning to them
which probably didn't exist.

They had a pocket
produced by The Fool group

psychedelic style.

Robert Fraser, their advisor

and owner of a gallery,
said to them:

"It won't look good,
because it will age quickly. "

They decided to keep this concept
and Paul said:

"We are going to write a list of all our heroes
and that will make the cover,

heroes and people that
we admire will be on this album. "

Brian Epstein was in New York,
during that time,

and he was horrified at the news.

He said to himself, "All these people.
Only the Beatles count. "

He had decided to return to London

but he had a vision
where his plane crashed.

So he left a message
to Nat Reese's lawyer:

"A brown blanket
for the album Sgt. Pepper. "

The public expected them
let them be ahead in everything.

We said to ourselves: "The Beatles first

and the others follow. "

Of course,
it was the time of military tunics

that Sgt. Pepper kissed.
Then it was the hippie era.

As you would expect,
John Lennon wanted

Jesus Christ, Hitler.

Hitler is on the board
but it is hidden.

When Sir Joseph Lockwood of EMI
arrived

and saw Gandhi, he was struck down.

"Impossible. We sell well in India."

So he was dismissed.

But...

Peter Blake had succeeded
to get nine wax dummies

from Madame Tussauds:

four of the Beatles and other people

like Sonny Liston and Diana Dors.

I told them very early:

"You have all your heroes,
your actors and your musicians.

But no footballer? "

They replied that none of the four
was not interested in football

even if they had grown up
in Liverpool.

During teenagehood,
they had not attended matches.

They weren't very fans.

They were too busy
to play guitar in the Quarrymen.

Paul later said he was coming
from an Everton family

but he never said it in front of me

and his parents, his father, either.

So they said:
"It's a good idea."

They added a footballer
at this meeting:

Albert Stubbins.

John had chosen Albert Stubbins,
because his name amused him.

If it had been another year,

there would have been Ravi Shankar
and the Maharishi.

There were a lot of Americans ...

At that time, there was no Internet.

You had to write to them
to have their permission

and, if they were dead,

you had to ask their families.

I have a file of this thickness

matches for Sgt. Pepper.

Chertsey.

Ready to go to Weybridge,
a bohemian caravan.

A gift for a four year old child
who already has everything.

His name: Julian Lennon,
son of John Lennon.

Who else but the Beatles?

£ 4,000 for this vehicle entirely
renovated and brightly colored,

a great toy for a little boy.

She was escorted by the police

but not all fathers spend
so much money for their children.

It's in this kind of occasion
that money can buy love.

And if he decides to leave the house,
which seems unlikely,

he will be the best equipped gypsy
on the roads.

I was visiting a friend of mine
on King's Road.

We were many,
sitting around the table,

to listen to good music
and smoke weed

and no one was talking.

There were books on this table.

Very interesting spiritual books.

I took one, Karma and Rebirth,

written by a certain
Christmas Humphreys.

I was leafing through the book
and I saw this sentence:

"Life goes on with you and without you."

I thought to myself, "This is very special."

I called Patti and George

and George answered.
I said, "Listen to this:

'Life goes on with you and without you.' "

He loved it and he made it

the song "Within You Without You".

George Martin told me later,
after the death of George Harrison:

"If it's the first song

from the second side of Sgt. Pepper,

it is so that the listeners go
directly to the second song.

I hadn't imagined
that it would work.

The sitar in the songs,
in rock or psychedelic music,

it was dominant in the album Sgt. Pepper.

Nobody had ...

We saw Elvis and Little Richard

but we never would have imagined
see a sitar

in a popular group at that time.

Paul rightly said,
growing up,

that the album booklet
was very important,

as important as the colors of the label
and that smell of the album.

He was aware
tactile and visual aspects

an album and all the details
that a child absorbs

and even Garrod and Lofthouse,

impressions at the bottom.

He wanted it to be filled with elements:

illustrations, small gifts.

The Fool had done ...

Like a spot of color
on the inside page.

It was up to par.
It was breathtaking.

You opened and they were there,
in this Sgt. Pepper

and you open the booklet
and you said to yourself:

"We can detach the mustache."

There is Sgt. Pepper.
You can detach it and stand it up.

The dilemma was:

"I leave it intact
so as not to damage it? "

That's what I did
because you will not go far

with the paper mustache, right?

Especially at ten but ...

But I still have it. Intact.

And there was something
who grabbed you in the booklet.

It was Paul's idea.

I had seen his drawings.
I had heard discussions.

About the title.

I had heard
how they would arrange it.

I came by one day and he said:
"We are taking pictures this evening."

So I jumped into his Mini Minor

and we went to the studio
by Michael Cooper on Flood Street.

Leaving Paul’s house,
that he still has, right around the corner,

he said, "We will need
of objects to decorate the front. "

I had seen drawings
and they kept changing their minds.

I had seen the costumes.
They had tried them and said:

"No ... I want another one."

There he said, "Take something
to put it at the bottom of the photo. "

I looked around
and I took a statue from his shelf.

I had no idea what it was.

It looked like that.

Like a rocket we gave them
a few years earlier.

John had given his own to a fan
who had come to his house.

He had given it to her.

So i took it
from in front of his Magritte.

He adored Magritte.

He had bought Magritte's painting
with an apple,

used by Apple.

And Linda bought her

the palette of paint and the easel
from Magritte

and he wanted Magritte on it
but not the old ...

Robert Fraser's people
thought he was an agent.

To me, it was a disaster.

It could have been a wonderful concept,

all heroes and men
who influenced them,

which would have given
a beautiful image of the Beatles.

And it was rejected.
So do not imagine

that it's the real, the authentic
cover because it isn't.

There was a deductive logic:

"Who have they left out?

Why them? "

These are the personalities of the time,

the biggest.

We never knew
if they were going to parody them

or say, "They are our heroes."

To me it was very ironic.

I said to myself :

"They laugh a lot about it."

They staged these people
in one way,

saying, "These are all our friends."

And the charming little attention:
"Welcome to the Rolling Stones."

It was incredibly expensive.

At EMI,
we thought they were crazy.

"Why do all this
for a pop album

who will be replaced in six months
by another?

It's ... "They didn't understand.

The Beatles had ambition.

Ambition, talent and ego.

"We want to do something special
and it will be good. "

There are also the medals.
Pete Best's father

organized boxing fights
in Liverpool, at the Liverpool Stadium,

and he had ...

He had a kind of cup
who was to come back to him in Liverpool

and Neil Aspinall grabbed it
to use it on the cover.

My mother’s family,
even if they were English,

they were born during the Raj,
a military family in India.

His father, my grandfather,

was an officer in the Lancers.

She was very proud
that his father has a lot of medals.

On many occasions,
when she welcomed them,

she was showing the four of them,
these medals.

Brian had returned in 1967

when they were gathering business
for Sgt. Pepper.

John remembered the medals.

He said, "They would be great
for Sgt. Pepper.

Could you ask Mona
if I can borrow them? "

She turned to Neil and said,
"You have my blessing.

But tell John to give them back to me. "

Neil took them to London.

When deciding,

facing medals and other objects,

John decided that the medals
he would wear

belonged to this collection.

So, we see them on Sgt. Peps.

Which is wonderful,
is that he kept his word.

He asked Neil
to bring the medals back to Mona.

This is how the family ended up
involved in Sgt. Pepper.

The album was expected
as the best-selling album in the world

and...

They were there.

For years, no one has known.

Chas and Jimi were friends of mine

and I had an Sgt acetate. Pepper

and I gave it to Chas
who played it to Jimi

and Jimi immediately jumped on it.

He repeated and appropriated it.

I heard him play at the Saville Theater

the Sunday after the release of Pepper

and he played it.

McCartney agreed and loved it.

He was deeply flattered,

because he was a very big rock star

who was playing his creation
and he was a composer.

He liked that the others
play his compositions.

When Sgt. Pepper is out
June 1, 1967,

he was expected
for so long.

The anticipation was enormous.

We read NME and Melody Maker
while waiting for its release.

Anywhere on King's Road,

the shops, the stores
were playing this album.

It was an event.

The album, when I saw the cover,
that alone was an event.

It said, "We're not kidding.

It is special."

A huge presentation.

When we were shooting the clip
from "Strawberry Fields",

at Sevenoaks in Kent,

we had a small hotel,
Bright's Hotel,

and an antique shop

The poster was on the wall.

It cost half a pound.

It was :

"For the benefit of Mr. Kite"
and a whole list of acts.

Pablo Fanque's circus,
and all these things ...

CIRQUE ROYAL PABLO FANQUE

... the dancing horse.

He had it framed and he displayed it
in his living room in Weybridge

and, right after, he wrote the song ...

The evening of the season!

FOR THE BENEFIT OF MR. KITE

... from this poster.

He made it a poetry.

Then George Martin added
these wonderful funfair effects.

A masterpiece.

He was inspired by other horizons.

As in the album Sgt. Pepper,

or in the Daily Mail article
on her friend Tara Browne

killed in a road accident.

And the same with Paul
and the idea of the Daily Mail

for "She's Leaving Home"
on Melanie Coe ...

MISSING ...
THE GIRL WHO HAS EVERYTHING

... who ran away with a man.

Paul talked about a man
of the automotive world.

Everyone believed
that it was Terry Doran

but Paul denied.

Terry Doran was their friend
who managed the cars.

Chertsey.

One of the wheels of John Lennon's Rolls.
An essence.

At over 80, it's fabulous.

A 1965 Phantom for £ 6,000,
wonderful interior and exterior.

As much as the other

now that she's been pampered.

Even a Beatle
could not have asked for better.

When Paul spoke publicly about LSD,

he was chatting with a journalist

and it was published.

I remember it made
the front page of the Daily Mirror

and, of course, the news,
TV news flocked.

John was upset

that he and George were the first
to take LSD

and that Paul, a novice,

was the first to say:
"I took LSD."

They thought it was unfair,

because they were the pioneers.

Paul, how often did you take LSD?

INTERVIEW TV, JUNE 1967

Four times.

Where did you get it?

As if I was going to tell you.

It's illegal. It would be foolish to say so.

I prefer to keep quiet.

Don't you think this is a subject
who should have stayed private?

In fact, a reporter asked me
a question

and I had to decide between lying or ...

tell the truth.

I decided to tell the truth

but I didn't want to talk about it.

If it was up to me,

if I could have decided,
I would not have told anyone.

Because I don't want it to be known.

But this reporter
is the man of mass media.

I would not have said anything
if he hadn't said anything, if he had been silent

But he wanted to say it.

It is his responsibility, not mine.

You are a public figure
and you said it.

You should have known
that it would appear in the newspapers.

Yes, but I only told the truth.

I tell the truth.

I don't understand this anger.

Do you think you encouraged
your fans on drugs?

It won't make any difference.

I don't think my fans will
take drugs because I did.

But this is not the question.

I was asked if I had ever taken drugs.

Now,
the proportions that it will take,

The number of people
that it will encourage,

it's up to the newspapers and to you,
on television, to decide it.

You are broadcasting this message.

This message enters homes

and I would have preferred that it did not happen.

But you ask me.
I want to be honest.

I'm honest.

But, as a public figure,
you have the duty ...

No, it's your duty.

You have the responsibility
not to spread the word.

I'm ready to keep this confidential
if you are too.

If you are silent, I will be silent.

The emergence of LSD, remember,

at the very beginning,
it was not illegal in this country

and there was
the International Psychedelic Center

where you could go get it.

You could have
on a piece of bread.

It quickly became illegal

and there have been several debates
very plausible

that it was wonderful
to take it.

John always said that
"Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds"

was talking about his son Julian
who had returned from school

with a drawing of a certain Lucy,
a girl from her school,

in the sky with diamonds.

He always denied that it was LSD

and he said so.

In my opinion, that spoke of that.

John should have been blind

to not see that "Lucy in the Sky
with Diamonds "was L-S-D

and we know it was not.

Even John said:
"It was an accident."

We can appeal
to artistic freedom here,

but I think it's more
just a coincidence.

The initials "LSD" were pure coincidence.

They ...

There was no code anywhere.

However,
for titles like "I Am the Walrus",

people said:
"What does it mean ?

It could be clearer, right? "

John was deliberately answering
nonsense.

I have a quote in my book
about :

"Let them think.
It will disturb them. "

He didn't really send messages.
He was a diversion.

The Beatles have a good story

which explains that "Lucy in the Sky
With Diamonds "is not LSD

but it was probably written
by Brian Epstein.

In my opinion, they were talking about LSD,

but we told them
that it was better to avoid.

However, the BBC was convinced
that it was that

and they wrongly prohibited it,
because it was part of youth.

In Sgt. Pepper,
they knew what they were doing.

They distilled little jokes.
There were before

in "Penny Lane"
with "Fish and finger pie".

They did it on purpose.

A bit vulgar, it's true.

Obscenities of high school students.

They banned "A Day in the Life".
They had misinterpreted it.

"Too many holes to fill the Albert Hall"

which was inspired by an article ...

The holes in our roads

... on the holes at Blackburn

and they believed it was
holes made with syringes

so they banned it.

This is the attitude that reigned at the time.

Obviously, in this album,
they took all the risks.

They took all the risks

when they made the long cry
of "I'd like to plug you in."

LONDON, APRIL 1967

They knew what they were doing

and they managed to get by
there often

they thought they could get away
with that too.

They opened the world

to psychedelia
and psychedelic drugs.

They had the platform.

There was a lot going on
in America,

drugs and Timothy Leary.

To arrive at the superb replica
from Bardo Thödol:

"She said, 'I know death.'"

Which was revolutionary.

Suddenly, from "She Loves You" to that.

It was a spectacular statement.

In general, it was Mick, Keith
and their group of troubadours

who were known
for having a bad influence

and to be men
to whom one would not entrust one's daughter

but the Beatles weren't saints.

Besides, they would have admitted it.

It was not seen as drugs

who terrified the English,

like cocaine
that has always existed.

Lady Diana Cooper,
a woman of the great world,

lived in the 1920s.

Later, when meeting pop stars,

she said, "In the 1920s,
we used to sit at dinners

and there were silver salt shakers
filled with cocaine. "

So it was not new.

Lennon was reading Lewis Carroll and others

and they were absorbed by this universe.

At that time,
drugs were seen as progressive:

"You could find
your inner light

and interpret it differently. "

Music has a spiritual side.

They went to the bathroom.

They weren't doing that in the studio.

Or they were hiding behind an enclosure

to quickly pull on a joint.

One day John had to go up to the roof.

This again reveals the proximity
between them.

Paul brought him home to St John's Wood.

Neil Aspinall was there too.

They took care of John,
because he had used LSD.

When we take acid,

everything that happens during your trip,

you know it was there

and you have to live with this information

rather than repress it.

That's why it was easy
for the Maharishi.

Everyone was ready.

The Maharishi era has started
with George's wife, Patti Boyd,

who had heard of him.

The Maharishi came to London
for years.

I remember a photo of him
in the metro,

long before the Beatles
don't find out.

They were in the situation
where wealth, luxury and fame

are starting to tire.
They were looking for something else.

Something superior, spiritual

and the Maharishi had a fast lane

towards inner bliss
and spirituality.

It was enough to practice
half an hour a day,

perfectly compatible
with their ability to concentrate.

One evening Michael McCartney called me:

"There is going to be an evening."

There were always in the 60s.

A simple hamburger and a Coca-Cola

and we called it an evening.

He said:
"They're leaving for Bangor tomorrow."

I said, "Where?"

"See the Maharishi."
"Who?"

"They met him yesterday."

They went to his party at the Hilton

and they had listened to him

and they were ...

George was already interested
to Indian mysticism,

to spiritual awareness
and Indian music.

EUSTON STATION, LONDON, AUGUST 1967

I took the train with the four Beatles

and I sat in a compartment.

It was in 1967.

A first class compartment

and, at that time, there was a corridor

and a closed compartment.
You could lower curtains.

I sat down with the four Beatles,

Mick Jagger and Marianne Faithfull

and we went to Bangor.

During the trip,
we stopped

twice, notably in Chester.

There were young people on the quay
screaming,

asking for autographs.
The windows could open.

They had three Beatles but not John.

John said:
"I won't sign. It gets me drunk."

And there would have been tears.
So, I signed for him.

The Maharishi was on the train. here
why we had to take this one.

We went in his wagon.

He gave us a mantra
that I will not reveal.

The Beatles are among your followers.

What do you think ?

It's a big promise
for the younger generation,

because if the Beatles are using
Transcendental Meditation,

they are ideal
for energy and intelligence

in the younger generation

and it will lead youth

at a good level
of understanding and intelligence.

I am very happy
we have met

and they talked to me for an hour
after our meeting.

They seem to be smart
and honest.

If the Beatles
adopt your teachings,

they can spread them
among the youth?

Yes, and not only in England
but around the world,

because the word "Beatle" has traveled
on all continents

and all the young people
are fascinated by this name.

What do you think of the Beatles?

Very intelligent young boys
with great potential.

And their music?

I do not know her

but as it is much appreciated
in the whole world,

she must have something gracious.

Cynthia was the candid of the Beatles,
always left behind.

When they went to see the Maharishi
in Wales,

it was left on the platform.
She missed the train.

They all boarded.
She was crying on the platform.

The Maharishi was intelligent
and he knew how to make people talk about him.

AUTHOR THE BEATLES '66

Previously, other people

had done the same
and targeted wealthy and celebrities,

because they knew that if ...

If their ideas
were adopted by high society,

they could escape
from the ordinary.

So it was not written
but that's what he did

like the people of Hare Krishna,

because they felt things
around Apple

and got a record deal.

And if someone knew
the Hare Krishna movement,

he was necessarily the link

with the popularity gained
thanks to the Beatles.

But, given their experience

and seeing what I went through

at a lower level than they

but I still experienced things
with the group,

you want to find more.

Play on stage,

make music,
have incredible experiences,

spice up your life

and then you have to manage it all.

They must have said to themselves:

"We will carry spirituality
on another level. "

Yes, the Maharishi was intelligent.
He had a wealthy American

who praised his merits in America

and his son became Bungalow Bill

in the song on The White Album.

He was aware of the value
advertising of these four boys

the most famous in the world,
probably,

of this most popular group in the world

even if he didn't know their music.

He had knowledge
of their incredible value

to spread his message.

The Maharishi was
a gifted businessman

who had studied physics.

He had studied physics in college.
He had a scientific side

and an advertising side

and also a spiritual side.

We have arrived in Bangor.

The technicians hadn't arrived.

I went to town

with the four Beatles for dinner.

We went to Chinese.

An addition of ten pounds

and I only had five.

I said, "I'm sorry.
These are the Beatles. "

In front of me,
servers from Hong Kong

surely arrived the day before

who only heard
a Liverpool accent.

It was quite common,
Saturday evenings,

that the people of Liverpool
come here,

have a big meal
and run away

and they thought ...
They closed the doors

and they sharpened their knives

and I said:
"I am a reporter for the Sunday Times.

I wrote books. Here's my card.
I'm coming back tomorrow with the money. "

It was starting to get worse

when George put his foot on the table.

He was wearing Indian sandals.

He asked for a knife
and cut his shoe.

In fact, the Beatles were famous
for four years and,

like the royal family,
they never had money on them.

The technicians had the money.
They never paid.

George cut out his sandal

and took out a £ 20 bill.

In the space of four years,

they had become famous

and multimillionaires on paper

and wore no more money on them.
He said to himself:

"One day, I will need money.

Or I could be in trouble. "

And it was that evening.

Brian Epstein organized a party
to celebrate Sgt. Pepper.

The Beatles originally wanted

make a promotional film
or a concert

which would correspond to the output
but it didn't happen.

Brian started playing a lot

and take too many pills

and all the rest
and he was starting to get lost.

Even Cilla Black and her husband

had said:
"Cilla wants another manager.

You don't pay attention to anything anymore. "

He had cried
and had begged her to stay.

Brian was ...

homosexual.

And the people in the know had accepted it.

What was weird was that ...

Everyone was thinking
that he pinched for Paul,

because Paul was the handsome kid
of the Beatles.

But not at all. He was pinching it for John,
because he preferred machos.

When he went hunting in London,

he was hitting on the boys
who weren't gay.

He made them drink, he ...

I found out later.

He brought them back to his pretty house

to try to sleep with them

and there they beat him up

and it was his pleasure.

A masochist. He liked to be hit.

Then they stole things

often acetates
and send them to Radio Luxembourg

and there was panic

they don't steal jewelry
or money

but unpublished tapes of the Beatles.

There was nothing to do for Brian.

But don't forget
that his company,

NEMS,

had become the biggest
entertainment agency in the world.

She represented everyone.

The Beatles, Andy Williams,
the Bee Gees, Cream, Donovan,

Tony Bennett and all this
in the space of three or four years.

If the Beatles had stopped touring,
which was the case,

and their registration contract

was signed, sealed and delivered,

just like their advertising contract,

the manager had nothing more to do,
nothing left to negotiate.

And they were looking at another
for personal advice,

how to live,
how to spend their free time,

how to use their mind.

He felt more and more abandoned.
He was taking drugs more and more.

He was looking for more partners

and became fickle.

He was moving away from them

as far as they were from him.

They joined his movement
of Transcendental Meditation

and have agreed to take these courses
in Bangor in North Wales.

It was a real circus
when they got off the train

for this improbable environment

for training.

This is where they learned
the death of Brian Epstein.

He was found dead in his room

around 2 p.m. by his cleaning lady.

LONDON, AUGUST 27, 1967

She said he often sleeps late

especially when he had passed
a tiring week at work.

Yesterday he would have spent the day at home

as well as the evening,
which is quite unusual.

M. Epstein was sick
for a few months

and he used to
to take sleeping pills to sleep.

Recently, just a month ago,

he was upset
by the sudden death of his father.

Friends tried to persuade him
to take a few days off.

But yesterday, he still said:
"I'm on top of the world."

Half an hour ago, a friend ...

Friends spent the day here.

They came to visit his lawyer,
M. David Jacobs.

One of them left and said to us:

"It was an accident."

He was an unhappy man.

He never had real partners.

He had had several,
some of whom worked for Apple,

but it never changed
into a real relationship.

And when it happened, he had the boys
and it had gone wrong.

He was depressed.

He took pills
thinking of suicide.

He did not commit suicide but ...

He had attempted suicide
before.

And that depressed him.

Would you like to pay tribute
to Mr. Epstein?

We are speechless.
We loved it. He was one of us.

- You can't ...
- Not a tribute with words.

What do you plan to do?

Go back to London and be useful.

Do you have a comfort message?

Yes, we ...

Meditation has given us enough
confidence to endure such an ordeal

even in such a short time.

We learned that ...

Death doesn't really exist.

It's a death on a physical level but ...

Life goes on
and we have to move on.

But ...

It's not as disappointing as ...

It is and it is not.

which is comforting,
is knowing that he's okay now.

I see you have discussed it
with the Maharishi this afternoon.

What are the tips
that he gave you?

He told us ...

not to let us overwhelm
by grief and ...

To make our memories with Brian
happy times,

because all our thoughts for him
will travel to him.

He had met Mr. Epstein?

No, but he couldn't wait to do it.

- Tomorrow?
- Yes.

Thank you very much.

In this interview,
we can see that John is in shock.

They were really fascinated
by the Maharishi.

It was not another diversion.

They believed it.

They were immersed
in this chaotic world.

Brian was dead.

And it was ...

EPSTEIN (THE MAN WHO MADE THE BEATLES)
IS DEAD AT 32

There is always a moment in our lives
where we turn to religion

as a lifestyle, as a philosophy,
looking for answers.

And that's what they did.

A friend called me very early.

I couldn't believe it.

And I said to myself:
"Where are we going now?"

It was a terrible shock for everyone.

Where were we going now?

The Maharishi said to them:

"Don't worry, he ...

He took the next step.

Do not be sad.

He left
and it will turn into that.

He charged them all this nonsense.

Unfortunately,
the Beatles were interviewed

just after.

The Maharishi had told them
all these nonsense

and they passed
for insensitive beings.

Brian's mother and brother Clive,

were furious because of that.

The impression it gave.

The week Brian thought
go to Bangor,

in fact, he stayed at home.

That weekend,
Robert Stigwood invited me

to have a drink.

When I got there, Brian was at home

and we sat down to watch ...

We watched sport on TV
and we had a few drinks.

Then we went to Battersea Fun Fair

and we had fun for two hours.

We had to smoke,
because we laughed a lot.

I remember I was laughing

and one was not without the other.

Then we went to dinner.

At the end of the dinner, Brian said to me:
"I would like us to do that again.

You are free ?"
And we organized a dinner the next day.

The next day, I found Brian at his house

and we went to Fredericks
for dinner.

We went home
to have a few drinks.

And I understood after a few drinks
brandy

that Brian wanted me to stay.

But I didn't mean to.

So I said to him, "I'm going."
Brian pouted.

I said, "Sorry. I'm leaving.
It's like that."

And he told me ...
I was leaving and he said to me:

"Can you stay all weekend?"

And so what ?

I knew he wanted me to stay
and I didn't want to stay.

I said, "We'll see later."
The next day, on the phone, he said to me:

"You come to spend the weekend
in the countryside ?"

"No, I'm going to Ireland."

What do we know
on Brian's end of life?

Not much.

And we will never know anything.

I spoke to Jo the next day and she ...

They could not...

They didn't know he was at home.

He was supposed to be
to his country house.

And she got this call

from the driver saying to him:
"I can't open the door."

She went there
and she found it.

I said, at that time:

"I do not understand.
He was so happy there.

Why did he come back?

Right in the middle of the weekend? "

But no one will know
what happened. Never.

So...

You know about Brian and me.
I continue ?

- Yes.
- Okay.

While I was in Ireland,
I got a call from a friend

saying:
"Brian Epstein is dead."

I immediately looked at the newspapers

and they said he was found
that morning died of an overdose.

I had at home
the very first answering machine

that the company had had
specially for me.

They were experimenting
what we could do with it.

I had a sixth sense inside me.

I knew that when I got home
in London i would press the button

and there would be a message from Brian.

I was sure of it.
I came home and I pressed

and there were several messages
from Brian.

He had gone to the countryside
as expected.

He called my house
when I was not there

to say to me, "If you're here,
join me in the countryside. "

Then he said, "I'm going home.

You can pass ?"

I did not hear these messages.
I was in Ireland.

The messages continued.
They were more and more vague.

And it was obvious, by listening to them,

that he had taken pills to sleep.

Each time he woke up, he had to start again
one, forgetting that he had already taken it.

And the last message was very vague.

Said, "I wish you were here."

And other personal things
which I will not repeat.

Then he died.

So I was a little involved.

And I did the stupid thing
what the English do,

I erased the tape.

I couldn't listen to them again.

And There you go.

I didn't know the value of these things.

BRIAN SAMUEL EPSTEIN
SEP 19, 1934 - AUGUST 27, 1967

Brian Epstein was part of it all.

And it was a real shock,

because we said to ourselves:
"Will they recover?

What's going to happen ?"

In hindsight,
it's as if he had played his part.

He left
in this other spirit world ...

They were going elsewhere.

They realized that they had lost
a protective shield.

Like a protective parent.

Brian's negotiations weren't
the best for the Beatles.

Because he was always late,
negotiations already made.

He didn't understand
this new territory.

But despite that, he was entirely
dedicated to their protection.

As...

During the sentence scandal
"more popular than Jesus"

from John.

Brian wanted to cancel the tour
american

he was so worried about them.

But, ultimately, contractually,
he couldn't but he wanted to.

That's what was gone, that shield.
A waterproof shield

that he provided them
as soon as he met them.

He did everything to help them ...

Brian's group.

Pete Brown and the members
from the NEMS office,

they maintained the Beatles.

They paid their bills,

they bought gifts

for their girlfriends
and their wives.

It was said that Brian
was not a good manager.

He had not been the best
when they had become

a mega-group
and to earn money.

But without him,
they never would have existed.

It was his perseverance ...
His affection for them,

his certainty that they would pierce

and that their music was great.

He did other things
what managers do

and he did them well.

How to keep profiteers away from them.

He built a wall between them
and all profiteers.

Which is weird,
for he never succeeded in erecting a wall

between himself
and those who took advantage of him,

who clung to him
and stole money from him.

He knew how to do it with the Beatles.

He kept them away.

So without him ...
Far from his cautious attitude

facing money and finance which has ...
All the profiteers flocked.

Sometimes in a group,
we need a referee.

Few groups are still
agree on everything.

We saw that with Help!

when they all go through the same door
and all live together

but it was only a moment
For the movie.

Everyone knows that in a group,

the characters develop.

And you don't always
the same view

but you have this thing
that makes it work.

A consensus
with which each member of the group

rather agrees and everything is fine.

When Brian left, there was no longer
referee to supervise.

They didn't know how to do anything by themselves.

They had never done anything.

He was still there.

In the group, he was the one
who kept it all together.

They bounced back pretty quickly

if we think about it logically.

And they launched Apple.

Apple was a financial measure
to try to consolidate their fortune ...

INAUGURATION OF APPLE STORE
DEC 1967

... and to try to escape
at huge taxes

by investing in a business.

It was all based on ...
And it was a mistake.

It hadn't been planned
to protect their copyright.

It was a financial measure
in the short term.

It was a music label
with a secondary affair.

The Beatles' influence had spread
to other areas like fashion.

They were going to have a shop ...

They were going to do everything.

But it was also a kind
de Conseil Artistique

where deserving young creators
could find help and support.

Because the Beatles remembered
from the time they were ...

Where they had ...

The Beatles have always been supportive.

It was a legend.

Brian Epstein, George Martin.

Dick James.

Three honest men

who encouraged them
and valued them.

But they had suffered.
So they were going to help

the suffering people
of the creative community.

I interviewed Paul
and he was swarming with ideas

about a communist Mark and Spencer's.

And I said to myself:
"It will never work."

But I also said to myself:
"I'm not so sure."

Because we said:
"It's very interesting but ...

it's Paul"

and they might be right.
It turned out not.

This is how Alice Pollock and Ossie Clark
imagine the girls this summer.

And here are two of the Beatles.

George Harrison ...
His wife Patti Boyd paraded.

And John Lennon.

From the haircut to the dress

or the leather outfit called Baz
which is worth 25 guineas.

Patti Boyd carries the African Queen.

All in crepe
and it's worth nine and a half guineas.

More casual, a white satin jacket
and black pants.

Ten guineas together.

I worked for the Apple Store
from the start.

I had been there for three months
when we went to India.

And it was so different
of everything around us.

To start,
the beautiful Indian jewelry

and Ganesha's posters,
of gods and goddesses.

It was very exciting to work there
and it was so different.

But you always had to stick
to what we felt at that time.

This is...

The world can be colorful.
It is not necessarily in black and white.

Have they seen you before?

- Last night?
- Yesterday.

Yesterday they came to see me for ten minutes.

And, now,
they've been with me for 10 hours.

After their breakfast.

How long did they stay?

From 10 a.m. to now.
About three hours.

What did you do?

Have you meditated or discussed?

Meditation, discussion and meditation.
They are very intelligent.

Will they become
graduate spiritual guides?

- What will be their status?
- I hope so.

what should they do
to achieve this goal?

To reach this goal, they must have
a deep experience of being.

A doctor said to me, even if it was wrong,
that I suffered from angina.

In fact, it was something else.

Different people came to see me.

John and Cynthia came one day,

and John said:
"I made this drawing for you."

It was the drawing of an Indian
with a turban on his head.

He was playing the flute,
sitting on the floor, cross-legged.

A snake was coming out
of a basket placed at his feet.

There was an inscription:

"By the power to bring in
and bring out,

I beg your angina to go away.
Sincerely, John and Cyn. "

George often said, "Take LSD

gave me insights
but it was like climbing a mountain,

look on the other side of the summit
and see that there are others. "

He wanted to continue his quest

but drug free.

And it gave them
a kind of natural break.

It gave them an excuse
to meet elsewhere, in peace.

I do not know how
the Maharishi entered their life

but he was not the first.

I was often with the group.

I saw them every night
at the Scotch of St. James.

We already knew that they saw
another person like that.

The Maharishi came second.

As they went up
the stairs of Indian mysticism,

they realized that their Maharishi
was not as high up as that.

So they went to India
with this Maharishi.

Who, we all knew,
was a bit of an impostor

and who was not so high up.

But he had followed them up
in five star hotels.

It's nice
to adhere to Indian mysticism

and all its ascetic dimension
while doing it in big hotels.

This is a funny story.

When they decided
to go see the Maharishi in India.

Maureen was ... Ringo's wife had
a blue fear of insects.

So she went to Harrods
to buy a sleepsuit

but adult size.

So that they cannot
climb on it.

And Richie, who always had
fragile stomach

because of an illness, child,

said to me: "Can you buy me
from Dr. Collis Browne, several liters,

and white beans in sauce
and put it all in a suitcase?

White beans, Collis Browne. "

So, I obeyed and it was full.

This suitcase full of Collis Browne
and of...

They returned
two weeks later.

I said to Maureen:
"It has been a long stay.

You got rid
of all the white beans? "

Obviously the concept of Apple

was born before Brian died.

He was also worried about that,

it would take him away even more.
Because he had not been consulted.

They weren't pushing him out

but it was not a project
who was born at his instigation.

I heard about Apple
a few weeks before his death.

It was one more element
that made him feel

that he was no longer part of the group.

When they launched Apple,

we had lunch at the head office.

We had a chef and everything.

One day Paul came by

and they were losing money.
They were giving too much.

He said, "I brought in a guy
who will tell us where we are wrong

in our business plans. "

It was Beeching.

They invited him to lunch ...

PRESIDENT OF BRITISH RAILWAYS

... to use his brain to
understand what they were doing wrong.

They had lunch

and I took the notes
at the meeting that followed.

He looked at Paul and said,

"I'm not going to help you much.

Because I work for organizations
much larger than Apple. "

And Paul said to himself, "Oh, my God."

I looked at Paul and said,
"Indeed."

They had good ideas
but also eccentric ideas.

They wanted to open a school,
publish books.

A lot of things. Great ambitions.
And they appealed to people:

"Send us your poems,
your stories, your novels. "

They found themselves
with rooms full of stuff

without being able to look at them.
They weren't prepared for it.

And here is another area
where they were the pioneers.

They didn't go all the way
but they started

to have more control
on their products.

Check the album covers.

The appearance of things.

They controlled their equipment.

But not as much as the percentage
that we have today.

Apple's problem
and the Apple Store

and everything
in this building,

was that they had money,
they were free,

they had ideas from India,
ideas of the Maharishi.

And a bunch of profiteers.

Profiteers who were rather ...

Who were rather talented.

Like Magic Alex.

Who thought it was possible to have
a roll of wallpaper with microphones

who would give the best sound?

Magic Alex.

And of all, John was the most convinced
of his magical talents.

They were...

We were all naive.

All of this was a new experience.

But I think it was great

they have not been transformed
by celebrity.

Everyone
who came up with an idea ...

If someone said:
"I'm making spilled cream",

John would have said:
"We will eat it at every lunch."

Anyone could be hired
over there.

So it quickly got crowded.
Second-rate people ...

Very charming but second-rate.

The same thing happened
with the Boutique.

If you designed clothes

which was nothing commercial,
so it was for the Boutique.

Everything they touched at that time

seemed non-commercial.

Neil was incredibly conscientious
and a deeply good man.

And Peter worked hard.

The office was running smoothly and efficient.

I had an office
between Neil's and Peter's.

Neil and Mal were working on the start

from "The Long and Winding Road",
memory of a cassette.

At that time, I was busy ...

mail with America.

All journalists asking:
"Do you have old pictures?"

It's like that
that we have recovered everything.

They were very gifted.

This night,
I was heading for Neil's office.

Neil and Mal were by the fire.
I will never forget him.

And I had to go over ...

I shouldn't say that.

Over Derek Taylor,
who was fucking on the floor

and which prevented me from passing.

The cartoon was making fun
a bit of Maharishi.

does that mean
that you’re done with him

- and you laugh at him?
- We have passed this phase.

It was kind of a phase.

But he's a good man
and everyone is fine

but we don't want any more
hang out with him.

I knew he was an impostor
at first sight.

I thought to myself, "My God."

One of the problems ...
And John was the worst,

because he clung to things.

He clung to things
and was easily influenced.

It can be a problem
from which they have been protected.

They were locked up
in the Beatles for a long time.

They were...

I was like, "This guy is a crook."

I am on
that there is something behind.

Meditation can provide well-being
for those who like it.

But I didn't believe it.
And I still don't believe it.

The Beatles believed
on the spiritual side of things.

And they wanted to spread this.

The Maharishi saw in them

their international celebrity.

They could spread his message.

Originally, their idea was to develop

a school of Transcendental Meditation
in London

and the Beatles would have been one of them.

Patti had dreams of the Maharishi

who were showing it
in a whole different light.

And ...

And there was a connection to Mia Farrow.

There were a lot of people.

But I think
they were miles away

and it was a very different life
and he was there,

to meditate six or seven hours in a row,

sometimes at night,
sometimes for several days.

And it was completely different

what everyone was used to,
especially the Beatles.

In one way,
the Maharishi had a bad reputation

but it was rather harmless.

He was a little strange.

Today you couldn't say that.

His character was ridiculous.

And he said things
which cannot be answered

like "Love each other"
and all that.

It was an extension
of hippie philosophy.

Poor Maharishi has learned
that his best assets were leaving him

and he sat
watching them go

with this man
holding an umbrella above him.

He said, "Why are you leaving?"

He really didn't understand.

I know that
John had a famous reply ...

I don't remember but he said:

"If you were so cosmic,
you should know that. "

And it was over.

CLOSING THE APPLE STORE
JULY 1968

The Beatles' brief excursion
in the trade is over.

According to them,
they are tired of this toy.

I'm all turned upside down.
I don't know what I'm doing there.

I've been here for 7 hours
and I got pushed around.

Upset by the rush?

I have never seen that.

I'm from Canada and ...

- What clothes are you looking for?
- No idea. Everything.

- Anything and everything?
- Stylish.

Why are you here?

No idea.
Because it's free.

would you have come
if it hadn't been free?

It's too expensive for me.

What are you looking for?

Anything and everything.
I'm not fashion.

A dress or pants.

would you have come
if it hadn't been free?

I've been here before.
I bought items.

Not because it's free
but because I like this store.

You had to ask yourself

How long
was going to last the relationship between the group

and the manager?

Then we had to talk to Yoko Ono

with his growing influence,
especially on John.

Then you watched the Beatles
like a deal.

Then you think of Allen Klein.

Which sends you back to perpetual evolution

Of the history
of this brilliant pop group.

For me ...

it's the ultimate album.

It made so much sense
and it still is.

And it continued,
once his time is over.

This is the number one rock album
worldwide.

In my eyes,
no Beatles album is bad.

They're all brilliant.

But this one is my favorite.

My favorite, because it's the one for which

I attended all the stages.

And he was so revolutionary
in its concept and its coverage.

It's my favorite album.

It was huge,
because they had the ability

to promote them
in an extraordinary way.

And everyone was in their grip.

We were all captivated by the Beatles.

No one has ever criticized anything:
their cover was great,

the songs and the presentation too.

For me,
it's a miniature masterpiece.

It was a pop symphony
with wonderful continuity.

The main stage, the title song
at the beginning and at the end.

Everything went perfectly together.

It was an absolute joy.

There is something
for every mood in the Beatles.

For posterity, this is the greatest
album of all time.

It's impressive.

What other group
who disappeared 50 years ago

continues to be listened to
by so many generations?

Listen to the album in mono.
Don't think about stereo.

The Beatles weren't there
during assembly.

They were in India.
Where the four of them used to sit,

and listened to everything and took
decisions. It was mono.

This is the most important thing
to say on Sgt. Pepper.

You have an album and there will be ...

It was years ago.

There were two or three songs
throughout the album

that you really like

and the rest of the album ...
it was on the album.

And you skipped them
when it was still manual.

The Beatles albums were the reverse.

Perhaps
a song you liked less

and you loved everyone else.

They seized the moment.
They grabbed it.

They were perfect

and they shot everyone
like a locomotive.

They pulled everyone with them.

And if they had put

"Penny Lane" and "Strawberry Fields"
on Sgt. Pepper, it would have been different.

It would have been, literally,
the best album of all time.

I contradict myself.

Often, I say to myself:
"I can't believe it."

Then I say to myself, "Yes, because ...
I knew it would be forever. "

This music is eternal.

It's a great window
in an incredible era of change.

If you study the Beatles
from any angle,

-white-> you study the 60s
and you study

the history of the West and its evolution.

But it's endless.

Like people who study
Shakespeare for years.

With the Beatles, there is always -
-white- a feeling of well-being. -

I said to my friends, -If you are
sad, listen to the Beatles. -

It helps you see the world
as a better place.

They have beneficial properties.

Four boys, it worked.

-white- And the talent was there.

I think there will never be
other Beatles.

It reminds of the Liverpool Echo

and an article by Brian Epstein.

He said, -I think the Beatles
will be taller than Elvis. -

Everyone laughed saying:

-How a group from Liverpool
coming out of the Cavern scene,

with all that leather and everything,
could become

taller than Elvis? -

Elvis is on the other side, in America.

The biggest star in the world.

History has proven that he was right.
The largest group of all time.

He had seen something in them.

The Beatles were embarrassed
compared to that,

because there were other good bands
in Liverpool.

-Bigger than Elvis? Let's see ...-

Brian was right.

Still today,
charisma and excitement

caused by the name "Beatles" ...

Not just in Liverpool
but worldwide:

Mexico, South America, Japan,
Germany, everywhere.

A small island in Samoa ...

You mention the name "Beatles"
and it's euphoria.

This is...

This is the legacy they left behind.

Will someone else overtake
this heritage?

Only god knows.

It's a sacred heritage.

And it's wonderful
to have been a small part of it.

538 DAYS AFTER RELEASE
FROM SGT PEPPER,

THE BEATLES ARE GOING OUT
A DOUBLE ALBUM CONTAINING

30 NEW SONGS
IN AN ALL-WHITE POUCH ...

IT BECOME NUMBER ONE
IN THE WHOLE WORLD...

Where's the dog's whistle?