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The Beatles and Me On Tour: 60th Anniversary Edition
Foreign correspondent Ivor Davis was embedded with the Beatles on their triumphant l964 North American tour—as the only daily newspaper reporter to travel with them from start to finish. Rock and Roll history was writ large. Criss-crossing North America on their private jet, in limo number two, Davis sped from airport, to hotel, to venue and was given astonishing, 24/7 access to John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. He was George’s ghostwriter, and in his award winning, 60th Anniversary book, “The Beatles and Me on Tour,” Davis dishes up new, riveting, funny, behind the scenes stories that only an insider knows. When King Elvis Presley met the Beatles in l965—Ivor was in the room where it happened. When Bob Dylan introduced them to high grade pot, Davis was there. Joan Baez, Mick Jagger, Charles Manson, Tom Jones, The Beach Boys and Muhammed Ali all play walk-on roles in this unprecedented true story.
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About the author
Ivor Davis
12 books13 followersIn the summer of 1964, the Beatles embarked on a record-breaking pandemonium-inducing tour of America and Canada. The Beatles and Me on Tour presents the first chronicle of that tour told by an insider: author/journalist Ivor Davis, then a young British reporter for the London Daily Express. Ivor was the only British newspaper writer invited on the entire tour.
Through thirty-four days and twenty-four cities, Davis traveled with the Beatles watching them make rock history. He enjoyed unrestricted access to the four boys fresh from Liverpool—from their hotel suites to backstage at concert arenas to their private jet. He fended off excited girls, and their insistent mothers, attempts to hook up with the band. Ivor played all night games of Monopoly with John Lennon, became the ghostwriter of a newspaper column for George Harrison, and witnessed the night Bob Dylan “deflowered” the young marijuana virgins.
London-born Ivor Davis first came to America in the early sixties and was appointed West Coast correspondent for the 4-million-a-day circulation London Daily Express in l963.
Over more than four decades as a writer for the Daily Express and the Times of London, Ivor covered major events in North America. He penned a weekly entertainment column for the New York Times Syndicate for over 15 years, interviewing some of the biggest names in show business, from Cary Grant to Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton to Tom Cruise and Muhammad Ali.
In 1962 he was smuggled onto the campus of the riot-torn University of Mississippi when James Meredith was enrolled and three years later was in the front lines as Los Angeles’ Watts riots erupted.
Ivor covered Robert Kennedy’s 1968 presidential bid and was in the Ambassador Hotel the night Kennedy was assassinated. He was one of the Boys on the Bus chronicling the life of actor-turned-politician Ronald Reagan, first in his campaign for governor of California, then for president.
He was a co-author of the l969 political book Divided They Stand, which chronicled the Presidential election; and witnessed some of the biggest trials in American history: Sirhan Sirhan, convicted of killing Bobby Kennedy in 1969; black-power militant Angela Davis, acquitted of murder in l972; a year later, Daniel Ellsberg’s trial for leaking the Pentagon Papers, and, in 1976, he was in San Francisco to see heiress Patty Hearst convicted of robbery after being kidnapped by the Symbionese Liberation Army.
In l969 he co-wrote Five to Die, the first book ever published about the Sharon Tate murders. (The book was updated in 2011.) As a foreign correspondent, he traveled throughout the western hemisphere covering riots, floods, earthquakes and politics. As Editor at Large for Los Angeles Magazine, he and his late wife Sally Ogle Davis wrote over 100 major magazine and cover stories. He has reported on four World Soccer Cups for CBS radio.
He currently lives in Southern California and is working on two new books: one about movies the other a true crime story.
Through thirty-four days and twenty-four cities, Davis traveled with the Beatles watching them make rock history. He enjoyed unrestricted access to the four boys fresh from Liverpool—from their hotel suites to backstage at concert arenas to their private jet. He fended off excited girls, and their insistent mothers, attempts to hook up with the band. Ivor played all night games of Monopoly with John Lennon, became the ghostwriter of a newspaper column for George Harrison, and witnessed the night Bob Dylan “deflowered” the young marijuana virgins.
London-born Ivor Davis first came to America in the early sixties and was appointed West Coast correspondent for the 4-million-a-day circulation London Daily Express in l963.
Over more than four decades as a writer for the Daily Express and the Times of London, Ivor covered major events in North America. He penned a weekly entertainment column for the New York Times Syndicate for over 15 years, interviewing some of the biggest names in show business, from Cary Grant to Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton to Tom Cruise and Muhammad Ali.
In 1962 he was smuggled onto the campus of the riot-torn University of Mississippi when James Meredith was enrolled and three years later was in the front lines as Los Angeles’ Watts riots erupted.
Ivor covered Robert Kennedy’s 1968 presidential bid and was in the Ambassador Hotel the night Kennedy was assassinated. He was one of the Boys on the Bus chronicling the life of actor-turned-politician Ronald Reagan, first in his campaign for governor of California, then for president.
He was a co-author of the l969 political book Divided They Stand, which chronicled the Presidential election; and witnessed some of the biggest trials in American history: Sirhan Sirhan, convicted of killing Bobby Kennedy in 1969; black-power militant Angela Davis, acquitted of murder in l972; a year later, Daniel Ellsberg’s trial for leaking the Pentagon Papers, and, in 1976, he was in San Francisco to see heiress Patty Hearst convicted of robbery after being kidnapped by the Symbionese Liberation Army.
In l969 he co-wrote Five to Die, the first book ever published about the Sharon Tate murders. (The book was updated in 2011.) As a foreign correspondent, he traveled throughout the western hemisphere covering riots, floods, earthquakes and politics. As Editor at Large for Los Angeles Magazine, he and his late wife Sally Ogle Davis wrote over 100 major magazine and cover stories. He has reported on four World Soccer Cups for CBS radio.
He currently lives in Southern California and is working on two new books: one about movies the other a true crime story.
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August 9, 2024
It was 60 years ago today. Well, almost.
Around this time back in 1964, the Beatles embarked upon the second stage of their British Invasion, with a two-month whirlwind tour of North America (which included three stops in Canada: Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal), which ran from August 18 to September 21.
Ivor Davis, a British-born journalist who at the time was based in Los Angeles as the West Coast correspondent for the London Daily Express, which then boasted a daily circulation of four million. In the summer of 1964, Davis had the enviable (or at that time, somewhat unenviable) assignment of being one of the few journalists to be embedded with the Fab Four throughout this landmark tour and report from each stop on a regular basis. As well, he also had the task of being the ghostwriter for the “Quiet Beatle” himself, George Harrison, for a column in the Daily Express that would chronicle the tour from his unique point-of-view.
From his journalistic perch, Davis got to witness the phenomenon of Beatlemania in America, not only the fun things on and offstage, but also the hazards and pitfalls of such widespread superstardom on such a massive scale, and all the frustrations, errors, mismanagement and egos that went along with it.
Nearly 20 years ago, Davis wrote a book that told his story about being part of the Beatles’ world during their 1964 North American tour called The Beatles and Me On Tour, which has just been revised and reissued on the occasion of its 60th anniversary.
In a breezy, highly anecdotal style, Davis takes us along every stop of this freneticically-paced tour in this all access look of how touring was both a blessing — and a curse — during those exciting Beatlemania years. It was mostly an unending stream of airplane flights, limo rides, hotel suites, parties (both planned and unplanned), and 30-minute sets in which the same songs were played as part of their playlist at every stop, starting with Twist and Shout and ending with Long Tall Sally (with some idle chatter in between provided mostly by Paul, which that and their songs were practically drowned out by the endless screams of their fans).
That’s when the ice was broken, the guitars were brought out and the rest of the visit took up a more relaxed atmosphere. Although John was delighted to meet his music idol, he later quipped “It was just like meeting Englebert Humperdinck.”
What makes Davis’ book a cut above many of the books that have been published about the Fab Four is not only his close to the fame premise, but how he managed during this two-month period to penetrate the veneer of celebrity. By using a lot of the travel and down time to chat with John, Paul, George and Ringo, he discovered the human face of each Beatle, their strengths, weaknesses and vulnerabilities during this historic period, in which international fame and fortune were suddenly thrust upon them at such a young age (which ranged between 21 and 24). This makes for a much more introspective, honest portrait of four young lads from Liverpool on an incredible journey from a rock group to enduring rock legends.
And with extra features for the 60th anniversary edition such as a new introduction and epilogue, additional photos, and an addendum in which Davis answers 50 Beatles-related frequently asked questions (FAQs) in his inimitable way on a variety of topics such as who was the most sexually active Beatle during the tour, if the Beatles were interested about the American political scene in 1964, and what kind of businessman Brian Epstein really was, The Beatles and Me On Tour is the ultimate Beatles fan all access backstage pass, circa 1964.
Around this time back in 1964, the Beatles embarked upon the second stage of their British Invasion, with a two-month whirlwind tour of North America (which included three stops in Canada: Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal), which ran from August 18 to September 21.
Ivor Davis, a British-born journalist who at the time was based in Los Angeles as the West Coast correspondent for the London Daily Express, which then boasted a daily circulation of four million. In the summer of 1964, Davis had the enviable (or at that time, somewhat unenviable) assignment of being one of the few journalists to be embedded with the Fab Four throughout this landmark tour and report from each stop on a regular basis. As well, he also had the task of being the ghostwriter for the “Quiet Beatle” himself, George Harrison, for a column in the Daily Express that would chronicle the tour from his unique point-of-view.
From his journalistic perch, Davis got to witness the phenomenon of Beatlemania in America, not only the fun things on and offstage, but also the hazards and pitfalls of such widespread superstardom on such a massive scale, and all the frustrations, errors, mismanagement and egos that went along with it.
Nearly 20 years ago, Davis wrote a book that told his story about being part of the Beatles’ world during their 1964 North American tour called The Beatles and Me On Tour, which has just been revised and reissued on the occasion of its 60th anniversary.
In a breezy, highly anecdotal style, Davis takes us along every stop of this freneticically-paced tour in this all access look of how touring was both a blessing — and a curse — during those exciting Beatlemania years. It was mostly an unending stream of airplane flights, limo rides, hotel suites, parties (both planned and unplanned), and 30-minute sets in which the same songs were played as part of their playlist at every stop, starting with Twist and Shout and ending with Long Tall Sally (with some idle chatter in between provided mostly by Paul, which that and their songs were practically drowned out by the endless screams of their fans).
That’s when the ice was broken, the guitars were brought out and the rest of the visit took up a more relaxed atmosphere. Although John was delighted to meet his music idol, he later quipped “It was just like meeting Englebert Humperdinck.”
What makes Davis’ book a cut above many of the books that have been published about the Fab Four is not only his close to the fame premise, but how he managed during this two-month period to penetrate the veneer of celebrity. By using a lot of the travel and down time to chat with John, Paul, George and Ringo, he discovered the human face of each Beatle, their strengths, weaknesses and vulnerabilities during this historic period, in which international fame and fortune were suddenly thrust upon them at such a young age (which ranged between 21 and 24). This makes for a much more introspective, honest portrait of four young lads from Liverpool on an incredible journey from a rock group to enduring rock legends.
And with extra features for the 60th anniversary edition such as a new introduction and epilogue, additional photos, and an addendum in which Davis answers 50 Beatles-related frequently asked questions (FAQs) in his inimitable way on a variety of topics such as who was the most sexually active Beatle during the tour, if the Beatles were interested about the American political scene in 1964, and what kind of businessman Brian Epstein really was, The Beatles and Me On Tour is the ultimate Beatles fan all access backstage pass, circa 1964.
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