San Diego Union-Tribune (Sunday)
MORE MEMORIES OF BEATLES SHOW IN 1965: ‘I COULDN’T HEAR THE MUSIC’
The Beatles’ only San Diego concert took place 55 years ago; our readers remember that night like it was only yesterday
In the Union-tribune’s Aug. 23 edition of Arts+ Culture, I wrote about The Beatles’ 1965 concert at Balboa Stadium and asked readers who attended to share their memories. Last Sunday, we published seven of the more than two dozen responses, which we follow today with eight more. Even more of our readers’ Fab Four Balboa Stadium experiences can be read at sandiegouniontribune.com/ entertainment/music.
‘I was shaking, crying’
I was thrilled that I was going to see The Beatles at Balboa Stadium! My boyfriend wouldn’t go with me because he knew I loved George Harrison. So my buddy, Denny Moore, went with me instead. It was so loud and crazy. I couldn’t hear the music because the screaming was neverending. During the entire concert, girls were jumping over the fence and barricades to try to reach The Beatles onstage, but they were all tackled by security. I was shaking, crying, and trying to figure out if I should jump over the fence to see my idols, especially George Harrison. It was my first “real” concert, which I’ll never forget. I was 18. A few months later, I bought a oneway ticket and moved to San Francisco for fun and adventures. Elena Gastelum Oceanside
‘Paul shook my hand’
I was in my junior year at St. Augustine High School in 1965 and growing up in the “Western Hills” section of Clairemont. Three or four of us decided to try to “sneak in” to Balboa Stadium for The Beatles. We were Rolling Stones fans but thought we’d give it a try, especially since we’d gotten into every Chargers game free since 1961 by jumping the fence. But not that night! The joint was locked down tight. We could hear some of the music over the screaming from a little hillock on the west side, probably 50 yards from the stage.
My highlight: As the 90 percent female crowd was leaving, I said loudly: “Paul shook my hand!” A small pod of girls screamed and started after me (for what, I’m not sure). We ran off into the night, laughing. All in all, a good time was had by all, and certainly worth the price of admission. Tom Miller Carlsbad
P.S.: Sadly, I missed sending you a list of my favorite concerts. I have numerous candidates, especially at the old San Diego “Sports Aroma,” where we saw the Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix and many others, for free, due to a removable screen on an A/C tunnel. But my personal favorite was seeing The Mick Taylor Band, at a club in Sacramento in 1992. Ten feet from the stage, $12 for my ticket, a great night.
‘Why was everybody screaming?’
My best friend and I attended The Beatles’ concert at Balboa Stadium. We were 15 and her dad treated me. I was raised in a musical family (my dad played in the San Diego Symphony), so I was used to listening to music and looked forward to hearing my favorite band. However, I was not prepared for the volume of the screaminng girls that filled the stadium. It was very disappointing, as I couldn’t hear The Beatles’ music well at all! Why on earth was everybody screaming and not listening? But I still had a good time and it’s a fond memory.
Thank you for your nice story about their visit. The bit about the buckets of Kentucky Fried Chicken The Beatles insisted on having backstage, but didn’t eat, was very funny. Patti Moe La Mesa
‘Handfuls of grass’
I was 17 when I and two of my neighbors went to see The Beatles. We ordered tickets at the same time, but our seats were not together. I remember all the yelling and screaming (I am not a screamer), trying to hear the singing over all the noise, fans rushing the stage and The Beatles threatening to stop the concert if it happened again. After the concert, fans were grabbing handfuls of grass cause The Beatles had stepped on it. Crazy, but fun. I had a great time. I was living in Linda Vista and still am. I also remember seeing the Dave Clark Five at Westgate Ball Park, which used to be where The Container Store on Friars Road is now. Sandy (Simmons) Coker Linda Vista
‘Jump over the fence’
I was 15 years old on Aug. 28, 1965, when me, my two brothers and my father attended The Beatles’ concert at Balboa Stadium. One of my brothers had won two tickets to the concert from radio station KGB. But since there was another brother involved, my father decided all his sons would go, or none, so he bought tickets for our other brother and himself.
What I remember most was being surrounded by lots of screaming girls, with some of them literally trying to pull my binoculars off from around my neck so they could get a better look at The Beatles. The stage was mid-field and we were sitting in the stands, about halfway up. Several girls tried to jump over the fence to get to the stage, but were rebuffed by the security guards around the fences. One girl did make it as far as the stage, but was tackled by a security guard just as she reached it. The Beatles only played for about a half-hour. You could barely hear the music above the screams, but they were actually there.
I was the music critic and columnist for The San Diego Evening Tribune in the early ’70s. I was also good friends with sportswriter Nick Canepa. He was just starting out with the paper back then and covered high school sports. I enjoy reading your stories, especially the columns you wrote a few weeks ago on your favorite albums and concerts. Just thought I’d tell you that I was you back in the day! Joe Cromwell El Cajon
‘A state of hysteria’
I attended The Beatles’ 1965 Balboa Stadium concert. I turned 15 that August and my grandmother bought me the tickets for my birthday. Mostly, I remember the girls screaming and a couple of them throwing their arms around me in a state of hysteria. I guess I remember that more than The Beatles’ performance.
I attended the Chargers’ 51-10 victory over the Boston Patriots for the 1963 AFL Championship in Balboa Stadium. I played Pop Warner football there at halftime for one of the Chargers games in 1962. My family attended every one of the Chargers’ games there . ... I have fond memories of Balboa Stadium. Jeff Quinn Mission Hills
‘Buy The Beatles some tea’
When The Beatles came to Balboa Stadium in 1965 my dad was working a second job as an usher at Chargers football games. He was often assigned to checking field passes, which was great for him because he got to watch the games from the sidelines ...
So, before The Beatles came out to play, my dad was working field level at the stadium. The band’s manager came up to him, gave him a $20 bill and asked if he could go buy The Beatles some hot tea. My dad thought to himself: “Were the heck am I going to get hot tea?” This was long before Starbucks. So he walked over to the Chinese restaurant that was across from City College (I can’t remember the place’s name). He ordered a pot of tea and brought it back in short time. The Beatles’ manager told him to keep the change.
Learning the concert was not sold out, I should have been upset that my dad didn’t call me and tell me there were still tickets available. But I was only 12 and couldn’t drive yet. David Schug La Jolla
‘Monumental event’
My journey to the The Beatles’ Balboa Stadium concert in 1965 started in Palm Springs. I was 13 and my sister, who was 18, surprised me and bought us tickets to the concert. We drove from my home in Palm Springs and it seemed like it took forever to get to San Diego because I was so excited.
We arrived at Balboa Stadium and I can still remember the excitement in the air. People were laughing and singing Beatles tunes. It was such a happy time. Once we entered the stadium and got to our seats, it seemed like an eternity before The Beatles arrived. I can’t even remember the warmup bands because all I wanted to hear was The Beatles. And then it happened: The Beatles ran up to the stage, the music began, and it was magic. The thrill of seeing my Beatles, the four guys I loved and admired, there in front of me, live.
The screaming was so loud and lasted through the entire concert. But it didn’t matter. Watching The Beatles onstage, singing and waving at us, is a memory I will treasure forever. The happiness that rocked the entire stadium was amazing. There was joy in everyone’s heart that night. To be 13 years and experience this monumental event with my sister is one of our greatest memories together. It was the best gift she could give me.
Years later, I moved here and became a San Diego police officer. I worked out of the Central Division of the department, which included the Balboa Park area. One Sunday afternoon in 1998, I was patrolling the area of Balboa Park and San Diego City College. I was flagged down by a couple on Park Boulevard. The male of the couple, who appeared to be close to my age, asked me where Balboa Stadium was located. I told him the stadium had been torn down years ago. He seemed surprised to hear this. He then began to tell me that he was at The Beatles’ concert in 1965 at Balboa Stadium and wanted to show his wife where he saw The Beatles. At that point, I told him my story and that I was there that night also.
My newfound Beatles fan friend looked so disappointed he couldn’t return to Balboa Stadium, so I told him I could show him where the stadium once was. He followed me to the San Diego City College/san Diego High School area where the stadium had been. It was there we connected with our love of The Beatles and that magical night, the music that made our youth so special.
Two great memories over 30 years apart. That is what The Beatles are all about. Memories. Debby Burger Oceanside