CHAPTER THIRTEEN: Meeting the Beatles.

     Friday March 25th 1966 we were broadcasting from the Cheeta II, while M.V Mi Amigo was being repaired and outfitted with a new more powerful transmitter. I received a message to call Ronan on the ship's radio. “What's going on?” I asked him.

Caroline South's temporary home, the Cheeta II.

“Come ashore as fast as possible!” he said.
“Is something wrong?”
“No, it's an important assignment” Ronan stressed.
“An important assignment?”
“A special secret meeting” Ronan said. “I can't explain it now. Come right away. Bring a microphone and tape recorder. The tender is on its way to get you. Someone will pick you up on shore. Don't ask any more questions. Just come.”
“OK Ronan. 'Bye.”
     Docking in Harwich, there was a black limousine and chauffeur waiting. “Hi Tom” the chauffeur said.
“Where are we going?” I asked.
“It's top secret” he smiled as we raced off down the highway. I could see we were heading in the direction of London so I decided to relax and enjoy the comfort and the soft leather of the vehicle.
     My driver started to chat. “You guys are really doing a fantastic job out there.”
“Yeah! We're having a ball! You know I can't believe how this country is so total in their support for us“ I said.
“Well, you know Tom” he said, “millions and millions of people can't be wrong. My admiration goes out to you guys. This is one of the best things that has happened to this bloody country in a long time.”
“Yes, thanks. We are really lucky, you know. The British people are very special. Without their support, we'd have been off the air a year ago.”
     In London we headed for Chelsea. I watched the street names, still wondering where we were going. In Chelsea we drove down the Kings Road and turned into a mews. I just caught the name. The Vale. “This is it” said the driver. “Through that door.”

Tom with the Fab Four.

     There was a plain black door in a brick wall. I entered a large white studio and was met by Tony Barrow, Brian Epstein's publicist. “So what's this all about?” I asked him. “Who am I interviewing?”
“That's top secret” Tony smiled. “Set up your interview material here.”
     An attractive woman entered and Tony introduced me to Nancy, a CBC reporter. We chatted about Radio Caroline and the CBC while I set up my equipment for the interview. Suddenly we were interrupted by laughter and voices. I turned as the door opened and in walked four guys in black suits. For a split second I thought they were some visitors passing through the room. Then it hit me. They were the Beatles. “Wow!” I said. “Hi guys! What a knock out! Fancy meeting you here! I thought I was going to interview the Queen but I guess you'll do.” They laughed and we all shook hands.
     While I sat on a stool with two on each side, I turned on the tape recorder. They were crazy, unpredictable and fun.
“It's nice to be here in the actual captain's kitchen” said John, “and the captain himself is stirring up a right old brew.”
They were being zany so I fell into their crazy mood. “Is it true, Paul and John, that you have ghost writers to write your songs for you?”
“Oh yeah” said Paul, “ghost writers.”
John added “We got ghost Willen Trotsky. They write the first four.”
And Paul carried on “And Lenin and Blavatsky. They write the lyrics. The two best selling lyric writers in the country.”
“We just do the PR for the boys, you know” said John.
“Yeah” said Paul. “We just do the appearance in our mop-tops, you know.”
I loved this nutty side of the Beatles. I responded “Yeah. It's a hard life, isn't it?”
“Yeah” said John. “It's very hard but we just wander around. We've got doubles for most of that as well.”
     Wanting to bring Ringo into the jibing, I said “What's it like being a father, Ringo?”
“It's great” he said.
“When are you going to be a father?” I asked George.
“I don't know.”
“You don't know?” I insisted.
“I don't know.” Everyone laughed. And then, looking me straight in the eye, George said with great sincerity “Who do you fancy for the National?” Again we laughed.

An edited version of Tom's Beatles interview appeared on ‘Sound Of The Stars’ a 7” vinyl record given away to promote the launch of ‘Disc & Music Echo’ magazine.

     Maybe it was time to bring the interview back on track so I turned to John and asked “When are you going to write another book, John?”
But there was no way they were going to let this interview be serious. “Oh well” John replied, “people have come up to me and said ‘When are you going to write another book John?’ and I have said ‘I don't know.’”
     George suddenly piped in “Give the pop stars a fairer share of the country's wealth!”
     Maybe I could get some of their thoughts about the Caroline battle with the government. So I asked “What is your attitude towards commercial radio on land?”
John was quick to reply. “I don't mind where it comes from, you know, as long as it's there.”
“Yes, I think I'd go along with that” added Paul. “I think you might as well have it in the middle...”
George interrupted “Get the local angle, you know.”
“Yeah, get the local angle” Paul agreed.
I really wanted them to speak about the whole commercial radio debate that was buzzing the country. So I asked “You'd like to see local commercial stations?”
And John came back with “I wouldn't like to see them. I'd just like to hear them.”
I turned to Ringo. “Yeah, I would. The more stations the merrier I always say. You've heard me say that before.” Everyone laughed.
“Paul?” I asked.
“I think if the BBC can be legal on land, then so can everybody else. That's how it should be. They either have nobody doing it or they have everybody doing it.” Again we all laughed.
     The bantering went on for a while. A photographer came by and took some pictures of us and then Tony came back and said it was time to go.

©Tom Lodge 2002