Sixty years after the Beatles’ first U.S. visit, the band still holds the record for most No. 1 songs on the Hot 100 chart and the record for most No. 1 albums (19) in Billboard history.
Sixty years on, previously unseen footage from their February 1964 visit is now available on Disney+. The documentary, Beatles ’64, produced by Disney, showcases rare film of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr, and their enthusiastic—screaming—fans, captured by documentarians Albert and David Maysles.
Much of this footage shows the Beatles relaxing between a hectic schedule of radio, TV, and concert appearances. Viewers will see McCartney feeding seagulls, Harrison drinking water and playing guitar, and Harrison even relaxing in a train’s overhead compartment.
“Their success was so new to them; they loved it,” says Beatles ’64 Director David Tedeschi. “They were having the time of their lives, a dream realized after many years.”
Filming coincided with a Brooklyn Museum exhibit of candid photos McCartney took during the ’64 visit, enabling Tedeschi to interview the Beatle and gain behind-the-scenes insights. McCartney shares many anecdotes, including writing “She Loves You” with Lennon in Liverpool, and his father suggesting a more polite “she loves you yes, yes, yes” instead of the famous “She loves you, yeah, yeah, yeah.”
The previously unseen footage in Beatles ’64 includes interviews with fans enduring freezing temperatures to glimpse the Beatles. The documentary highlights the fervent devotion of these fans. One describes buying a piece of a towel supposedly used by the Beatles at the Plaza Hotel; another acquired his Shea Stadium seat as a souvenir.
Fans followed the Beatles everywhere. Ronnie Spector, lead singer of the Ronettes, recounts helping the band escape the Plaza Hotel for a Harlem excursion in a limousine. They enjoyed excellent food and dancing. “They loved it because nobody recognized them, nobody paid them any attention,” Spector recalls.
Tedeschi found it revealing to see the normally professional Beatles slightly uncomfortable with the publicity, as shown in a scene where Lennon questions the cameramen’s filming, believing it was a radio segment. It’s a very human moment.
“On the plane, amongst themselves, they worried no one would be at the airport,” Tedeschi explains, “Despite two number-one hits, they had no idea they would become a phenomenon.”
