Paul McCartney said 'as if that wasn't enough' after Beatles apologised

The Beatles' meteoric rise to fame was nothing short of dramatic. After becoming the biggest band in Liverpool in 1962, they took the UK by storm in 1963, securing their first official number one single with 'From Me to You', followed by their debut album 'Please Please Me' topping the charts after its release in March.

By 1964, they were a global sensation. The Fab Four were in the midst of a 19-date concert residency in Paris on January 25, 1964, when their manager Brian Epstein informed them that they had achieved their first number one in America with 'I Want to Hold Your Hand' topping the US's Cashbox charts.

The song reached number one on the USA's main chart - the Billboard Hot 100 - by February 1 and remained there for seven weeks. At this point, Epstein decided it was time to capitalise on international markets.

Given The Beatles' early success in the clubs of Hamburg, Berlin-based Odeon Records suggested to Epstein and producer George Martin that singing in German would boost record sales in West Germany. Consequently, The Beatles were ushered 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 provided, but John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr and George Harrison were not particularly enthusiastic about the idea. They would have preferred to stay in their hotel, reports the Liverpool Echo.

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'.

Source: Dan Haygarth/uk.news.yahoo.com

Read More<<<