The Beatles In Cleveland
CLEVELAND
Scene
Arts & Entertainment
Paperback Writer
New
book documents the time the Beatles came to town
By Cris Glaser
Author
Dave Schwensen recounts his brush with the Fab Four in The Beatles in
Cleveland. The book chronicles the band's 1964 concert at Public Hall
(where police stopped the show after fans got out of control) and a
follow-up gig two years later at the old Municipal Stadium, when thousands
of teens rushed the field. "One guy jumped over the rail, and 2,500
kids immediately followed," recalls Schwensen, whose parents took him
to the concert when he was 13. "When Justin Timberlake comes to town,
you don't mess with his security guys. Back then, they didn't have this
kind of protection."
Schwensen taps folks like disc jockey Jerry G. Bishop, retired Plain Dealer scribe Jane Scott, and rocker Bobby Hebb (who opened the 1966 show) for insight. Plus, Ron "The Ghoul" Sweed talks about an informal news conference that took place in the Beatles' hotel suite before the '66 performance. Working for WJW-TV 8, Sweed was the only cameraman in the room. "He overheard John and George say that they weren't going to tour ever again, because the hysteria was too much," says Schwensen. "This is the first time anyone has documented them saying it was their final tour." Schwensen recalls "dressing like a dork" at the stadium show. He also remembers folks protesting the group outside the venue, in wake of John Lennon's statement that the Beatles were more popular than Jesus. But more than anything, Schwensen will never forget the throngs of screaming fans. "Even Elvis didn't perform on this scale," he says. "There was no other concert like it."