Paul McCartney said 'as if that wasn't enough' after Beatles apologised for 'refusing' to work
The Beatles' rise to fame was as quick as it was dramatic. After becoming Liverpool's biggest band in 1962, they took the UK by storm in 1963, scoring their first official number one single with 'From Me to You' before their debut album 'Please Please Me' topped the charts after its March release.
By 1964 they were world famous. The Fab Four were on a 19-date concert residency in Paris on January 25, 1964 of that year when manager Brian Epstein told them they had achieved their first number one in America when 'I Want to Hold Your Hand' topped the US's Cashbox charts.
The song hit number one on the USA's main chart - the Billboard Hot 100 - by February 1 and stayed there for seven weeks. From that point, Brian decided they needed to make the most of international markets.
As The Beatles had been big hits in the clubs of Hamburg in their very early days, Berlin-based Odeon Records told Brian and producer George Martin that singing in German would allow the band to sell more records in West Germany. As such, The Beatles were sent into the Pathé Marconi studio in Paris on January 29 to sing in a foreign language.
Translations of 'She Loves You' and 'I Want to Hold Your Hand' were given to but John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr and George Harrison were not too keen on the idea. Instead, they wanted to stay in their hotel.
Mr Martin recalled in 'The Complete Beatles Recording Sessions' by Mark Lewisohn: "I fixed the session for late-morning. Norman Smith, myself, and the translator, a chap named Nicolas, all got to the studio on time, but there was no sign of The Beatles. We waited an hour before I telephoned their suite at the George V hotel.
"Neil Aspinall answered, 'They're in bed, they've decided not to go to the studio'. I went crazy – it was the first time they had refused to do anything for me. 'You tell them they've got to come, otherwise I shall be so angry it isn't true! I'm coming over right now'.
"So the German and I jumped into a taxi, we got to the hotel and I barged into their suite, to be met by this incredible sight, right out of the Mad Hatter's tea party.
Source: liverpoolecho.co.uk/Dan Haygarth
"Jane Asher – Paul's girlfriend – with her long red hair, was pouring tea from a china pot, and the others were sitting around her like March Hares.
"They took one look at me and exploded, like in a school room when the headmaster enters. Some dived onto the sofa and hid behind cushions, others dashed behind curtains.
