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The Beatles 1964 world tour was the Beatles' first world tour, launched after their 1964 UK tour. The reception was enthusiastic, with The Spectator 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 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 Brian Epstein and producer George Martin 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, Denmark; 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):

1. "I Saw Her Standing There" (Paul McCartney)
2. "I Want To Hold Your Hand" (John Lennon and Paul McCartney) or You Can't Do That" (John Lennon)
3. "All My Loving" (Paul McCartney)
4. "She Loves You" (John Lennon, Paul McCartney and George Harrison)
5. "Till There Was You" (Paul McCartney)
6. "Roll Over Beethoven" (George Harrison)
7. "Can't Buy Me Love" (Paul McCartney)
8. "This Boy" (John Lennon, Paul McCartney and George Harrison)
9. "Twist and Shout" (John Lennon)
10. "Long Tall Sally" (Paul McCartney)

See also

• The Beatles' 1964 tour of Australasia
• The Beatles' 1964 North American tour
• List of the Beatles' live performances
• Beatles '64, a 2024 documentary film

Notes

1. As Ringo Starr was hospitalized in the UK, Jimmie Nicol was temporarily hired to stand in for Ringo as a drummer for the shows from 4–13 June until Ringo rejoined the group in Melbourne.
2. As Ringo Starr was hospitalized in the UK, Jimmie Nicol was temporarily hired to stand in for Ringo as a drummer for the shows from 4–13 June until Ringo rejoined the group in Melbourne.
3. As Ringo Starr was hospitalized in the UK, Jimmie Nicol was temporarily hired to stand in for Ringo as a drummer for the shows from 4–13 June until Ringo rejoined the group in Melbourne.
4. As Ringo Starr was hospitalized in the UK, Jimmie Nicol was temporarily hired to stand in for Ringo as a drummer for the shows from 4–13 June until Ringo rejoined the group in Melbourne.
5. Two shows were staged on this day; 7.30 and 9.30 pm. Backing for the 7.30 pm show was by the Maori Hi Five and Sounds Incorporated. Tickets wrongly said 10 June and were overstamped 9 June.
6. As Ringo Starr was hospitalized in the UK, Jimmie Nicol was temporarily hired to stand in for Ringo as a drummer for the shows from 4–13 June until Ringo rejoined the group in Melbourne.
7. Two shows were staged on this day.
8. As Ringo Starr was hospitalized in the UK, Jimmie Nicol was temporarily hired to stand in for Ringo as a drummer for the shows from 4–13 June until Ringo rejoined the group in Melbourne.
9. Two shows were staged on this day.
10. Two shows were staged on this day.
11. Two shows were staged on this day.
12. Two shows were staged on this day.
13. Two shows were staged on this day.
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External links

• The Beatles tour New Zealand.

References

1. The Press (Christchurh), 10 July
2. "Jimmy Nicol". beatlesbible.com. 23 October 2023.
3. Armstrong & Neill 2024, pp. 85–91.
4. Armstrong & Neill 2024, pp. 157, 167.
5. "Het mysterieuze verhaal van Beatles-invaldrummer Jimmie Nicol" [The mysterious story of Beatles substitute drummer Jimmie Nicol]. 3voor12.vpro (in Dutch). 23 April 2014.
6. "The Beatles Bible - Television: Treslong, Hillegom, Netherlands". 5 June 1964.
7. On 5 June 1964 VARA organized a Beatles concert in Café Restaurant Treslong in Hillegom as part of their three day visit to the Netherlands as part of their world tour, which got a television registration. On 8 June 1964 a complete summary of the Beatles' visit to the Netherlands was broadcast.
   The visualization of the three day visit showed:
   * arrival at Schiphol Airport – young women wearing Volendam folk costumes welcoming, offering tulips and traditional Dutch hats.
   * the concert at Treslong.
   * a roundtrip by boat through the canals of Amsterdam. The Beatles visiting the red light district De Wallen was not shown.
   * arrival at De Doelen Hotel in Amsterdam.
   * the concert at the Veilinghallen in Blokker.
   * Waving goodbye while entering an airplane at Schiphol Airport heading for the next destination Hongkong.
8. "The Beatles - You Can't do That [Festival Hall, Melbourne, Australia]". YouTube.
9. "The Beatles in New Zealand". New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Archived from the original on 12 March 2008. Retrieved 2 April 2008.

Sources

• The Spectator, Volume 213, 1964
• Armstrong, Greg; Neill, Andy (2024). When We Was Fab: Inside the Beatles Australasian Tour 1964. Woodslane Press, Warriewood NSW, Australia. ISBN 978-1-922800-68-8.
• Baker, Glenn A (1982). The Beatles Down Under: the 1964 Australia & New Zealand tour. Glebe, NSW Australia: Wild & Woolley.
• Baker, Glenn A (1985). The Beatles Down Under: the 1964 Australia & New Zealand tour (2 ed.). Ann Arbour, Michigan: Pierian Press. ISBN 0-87650-186-2.
• Hutchins, Graham (2004). Eight Days a Week:the Beatles' tour of New Zealand 1964. Auckland, NZ: Exisle. ISBN 0-908988-55-9.

• 1964 concert tours
• The Beatles concert tours
• Concert tours of Australia
• Concert tours of New Zealand
• June 1964 events
• July 1964 events
• August 1964 events
• June 1964 events in Australia
• June 1964 events in New Zealand