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Beatles American Tours
(1965)

NORTH AMERICAN TOUR (August 15-31, 1965)

The Beatles second visit of the U.S., and unlike the first tour was shorter in duration. During this visit, their second movie titled Help! premiered in New York, adding more fuel to an already frenzied U.S. version of Beatlemania. On the bill with the Beatles during this tour was Brenda Holloway, The King Curits Band, Cannibal and The Headhunters, and Sounds Incorporated (with a troupe of disco dancers). The Beatles song list for this tour:

• Twist And Shout
• She's A Woman
• I Feel Fine
• Dizzy Miss Lizzie
• Ticket To Ride
• Everybody's Trying To Be My Baby
• Can't Buy Me Love
• Baby's In Black
• Act Naturally**
• A Hard Day's Night
• Help!
• I'm Down

(**- NOTE: For some shows, the Beatles would drop Act Naturally, and play I Wanna Be Your Man instead)

• August 13-14: The Ed Sullivan Show New York City, New York (taped broadcast): The start of the Beatles 1965 tour found themselves where they were a year before: performing on the Ed Sullivan Show. However, instead of "live" performances, this time the Beatles would tape their performance in front of screaming teenagers to be shown a month later on Sept. 12, 1965. On August 13, The Beatles landed at JFK airport, and stayed at the Warwick Hotel.The following day, The Beatles would rehearse for the show most of the day, as the band wasn't satisfied with their sound check. At 8:00 p.m. The Ed Sullivan Show began taping, with the Beatles performing I Feel Fine, Act Naturally, and I'm Down for the first half, and then Ticket To Ride, Yesterday, and Help! for the second half of the show.
  
  
• August 15: Shea Stadium, Flushing, Queens, New York City: The first (and considered best) Beatles concert of the 1965 tour. The stadium is the home of baseball's New York Mets, and on August 15th, The Beatles played here to a crowd of 55,600 fans with hundreds more being turned away. The Beatles were flown to the stadium via helicopter to a Wells Fargo security van, and from there to the stadium. Disc jockey Murray the K (along with another Disc Jockey Cousin Brucie) was the emcee for the show with Ed Sullivan introducing the Beatles as they walked across the field to a chorus of screaming fans. The concert was filmed to be shown in England in 1966, and in the U.S. in 1967. The performance of Everybody's Trying To Be My Baby was cut from the film, and the song Act Naturally was synched to the original studio recording for the film.
  
  
• August 17: Maple Leaf Gardens Toronto, Canada: The next stop on the tour would be a return visit to Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto for two shows. For both shows, the attendance was 36,000 fans. This would be their only Canadian show of the tour.
  
  
• August 18: Atlanta Stadium Atlanta, Georgia: Almost 30,000 fans attended this Beatles' concert at Atlanta Stadium, which was newly built for the Atlanta Braves baseball team. The Beatles arrived at the airport at 2:00 p.m. and they were transported to the stadium for a 5:00 p.m. press conference. Mayor Ivan Allen Jr. attended the conference, and presented them with keys to the city. The Beatles went onstage at 9:37 p.m., and thirty minutes later were driven back to the airport.
  
  
• August 19: Sam Houston Coliseum Houston, Texas: The Beatles performed two shows here with all 18,000 seats for both shows sold out. When the Beatles arrived at the airport at 2:00 a.m. their plane was surrounded by fans as they were taxing to the terminal. The Beatles were imprisioned inside the aircraft until a forklift could get the Beatles and Brian Epstein out of the plane. At the coliseum, there were no dressing rooms available, so the Beatles had to be rushed back to their hotel between shows in an armored van.
  
  
• August 20: Comiskey Park Chicago, Illinois: Another baseball venue, Comiskey Park was the home of baseball's White Sox. The Beatles performed two shows (one at 3:00 p.m. and one at 8:00 p.m.) to a total crowd of 52,000 for both shows.
  
  
• August 21: Twin Cities' Metropolitan Stadium Minneapolis, Minnesota : The Beatles appeared here in front of 25,000 fans during a single show on August 21st (The show wasn't a sellout, as the stadium seats 45,000).
  
  
• August 22: Memorial Coliseum Portland, Oregon: Two shows by The Beatles were performed here in Portland before a total audience of 20,000. During the flight to Portland, one of the engines on the plane caught fire and blew smoke, but nobody on the plane was hurt. Backstage at the concert, Mike Love and Carl Wilson of The Beach Boys visited The Beatles.
  
  
• August 28: Balboa Stadium San Diego, California: The Beatles played one show here at San Diego's Balboa Stadium with 20,000 fans in attendance. Prior to this concert in San Diego, The Beatles had six days off from the time they landed in Los Angeles on August 23rd. Brian Epstein had rented a mansion in the North Hollywood Hills, and on August 27, The Beatles went to meet the King, Elvis Presley for a visit and also a impromptu jam session.
  
  
• August 29-30: Hollywood Bowl, Los Angeles California: From San Diego, The Beatles traveled north by luxury bus to Los Angeles to play two shows at the Hollywood Bowl (no attendance figures given).The August 30th concert was taped for possible record release in the U.S. (the August 29th concert was to have been taped, but microphone problems prevented any of the show from being used).
  
  
• August 31: Cow Palace San Francisco, California: The last stop on the Beatles 1965 North American Tour would end up being the first show on their 1964 American Tour. The Beatles would play two shows here at the Cow Palace with the matinee show drawing 11,700 fans and the evening show drawing 17,000 fans.