Current:Home > reviewsRediscovering Paul McCartney's photos of The Beatles' 1964 invasion -Quantum Capital Pro
Rediscovering Paul McCartney's photos of The Beatles' 1964 invasion
View
Date:2025-04-18 09:55:39
Paul McCartney used his Pentax camera the same way he used his guitar: with total freedom. And in early 1964, the 21-year-old took his new camera on perhaps the most momentous musical journey of the 20th century: The Beatles' invasion of America.
Hundreds of his photographs from that trip were recently rediscovered in McCartney's archive: "It was really nice," he said, "because I thought they were lost."
An exhibition of the images, collected in the book, "1964: Eyes of the Storm," originated at the National Portrait Gallery in London. The show is now on view at the Brooklyn Museum in New York.
He offered a tour of the exhibit to correspondent Anthony Mason.
McCartney explained his process: "Taking photographs, I'd be just looking for a shot. And so, I'd aim the camera and just sort of see where I liked it, you know, oh, that's it. And invariably, you pretty much take one picture.
"We were moving fast. So, you just learned to take pictures quickly."
One picture was taken as the group arrived at the Deauville Hotel in Miami. Mason said, "I think your quote in the book was, 'I can almost hear her scream.'"
"Yeah, you can!" McCartney laughed. "The cop is going to restrain her, you know?"
"I also love the cop in the foreground who just sort of looks puzzled by everything," said Mason.
"I like the architecture of that hotel," said McCartney. "But, you know, as we were saying before, that had to be taken really quickly, just to snap that."
"But, you have to have an eye to take that."
"It's my left one!"
The Beatles had started their trip in Paris. "And it was in Paris that we got the telegram, 'Congratulations, boys, number one in the U.S. charts.'"
In America they played "The Ed Sullivan Show." Seventy-three million people would tune in. It was, McCartney writes, "the moment all hell breaks loose."
Mason said, "To look at those pictures, it's kind of you looking at the world, looking at you. You seemed very comfortable with it."
"Yeah. I mean, you know, you got to think about it: We're kids from Liverpool. And we're trying to get famous, and it's not easy. And we were like stars in America, and people loved us. So, we loved it. And having that number one was really the secret – because, if the journalists, you know, New York journalists, 'Hey, Beatle! Hey, Beatle! Why you are here?' whatever. We say, 'We're number one in your country!' Bingo!"
From New York, The Beatles travelled by train to Washington, D.C. McCartney's camera took the ride, too.
So many of McCartney's pictures were taken on the move, including shots from his car of a policeman in Miami who'd pulled up next to him: "And that was basically what I saw. And we'd never seen policemen with guns. We just didn't have that in England."
But in Miami, McCartney broke out the color film. "For us, it was like going on holiday," he said.
The Fab Four even had a few days off.
Mason said, "There are some great shots of all of you with, like, it looked like terry-cloth jackets."
"Yeah, the hotel supplied them," McCartney said. "You normally get, like, a robe, but this place, because it was Miami, had these little cool, little short things – and hats! We lived in them for days. Even Brian [Epstein], our manager. We thought they were really cool items of clothing."
He caught George relaxing with an anonymous admirer: "In that picture, yeah, I don't think I was trying to protect her identity," McCartney said. "I love her bathing costume. So great. And, you know, there is George, like I keep saying, living the life. He's got a drink which is probably a scotch and Coke. He's got a tan, the girl in the yellow bikini. For lads from Liverpool, that was exceptionally wonderful!"
The band went back home to England in late February. By early April, The Beatles had the top five songs on the U.S. charts. McCartney writes, "We spent the months and years after holding on for dear life."
Mason asked, "Did you remember all these when you saw them?"
"Kind of," McCartney replied. "It was a very memorable period, you know?"
"But there was so much going on, I'm amazed you could process it and keep it all."
"Yeah, so am I!" McCartney said. "For me, it is like a little slice of American history. And it's my history, it's the Beatles' history. So, it was great to rediscover these pictures."
An earlier version of this story was originally broadcast on June 18, 2023.
For more info:
- "1964: Eyes of the Storm" by Paul McCartney (Liveright), in Hardcover, eBook and Spiral-bound formats, available via Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Bookshop.org
- Exhibition: "Paul McCartney Photographs: 1963-64: Eyes of the Storm" at the Brooklyn Museum (through August 18)
- Paul McCartney
Story produced by Ed Forgotson. Editor: Joseph Frandino.
- In:
- Beatles
- Paul McCartney
Anthony Mason is a senior culture and senior national correspondent for CBS News. He has been a frequent contributor to "CBS Sunday Morning."
Twitter InstagramveryGood! (8543)
Related
- Angelina Jolie nearly fainted making Maria Callas movie: 'My body wasn’t strong enough'
- The Best Beauty Advent Calendars of 2023: Lookfantastic, Charlotte Tilbury, Revolve & More
- Man shot and wounded at New Mexico protest over installation of Spanish conquistador statue
- Tampa Bay Lightning goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy will miss two months after back surgery
- Rylee Arnold Shares a Long
- Georgia Republicans suspend state senator who wants to impeach DA for indicting Trump
- Leaders of European Union’s Mediterranean nations huddle in Malta to discuss migration
- Lizzo's lawyers ask judge to dismiss former dancers' lawsuit, deny harassment allegations
- Why members of two of EPA's influential science advisory committees were let go
- 'I'm happy that you're here with us': Watch Chris Martin sing birthday song for 10-year-old on stage
Ranking
- Head of the Federal Aviation Administration to resign, allowing Trump to pick his successor
- Wisconsin Senate committee votes against confirmation for four DNR policy board appointees
- Inaugural People's Choice Country Awards hosted by Little Big Town: How to watch, who's nominated?
- Kaitlyn Bristowe Suffers Panic Attack and Misses People's Choice Country Awards Red Carpet
- How to watch new prequel series 'Dexter: Original Sin': Premiere date, cast, streaming
- Another Taylor Swift surge? Ticket prices to Chiefs matchup against Jets in New York rise
- 16-year-old male arrested on suspicion of felling a landmark tree in England released on bail
- Judge sentences a woman who investigators say burned a Wyoming abortion clinic to 5 years in prison
Recommendation
Moving abroad can be expensive: These 5 countries will 'pay' you to move there
Man arrested in shooting at Lil Baby concert in Memphis
5 Things podcast: GOP debate, possible government shutdown, firing of Mel Tucker and more.
Trump's legal team asks to delay deadlines in special counsel's election interference case
Backstage at New York's Jingle Ball with Jimmy Fallon, 'Queer Eye' and Meghan Trainor
Tampa Bay Lightning goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy will miss two months after back surgery
People's Choice Country Awards 2023 Winners: The Complete List
Putin orders former Wagner commander to take charge of ‘volunteer units’ in Ukraine