The Beatles in Paris: Behind Their Iconic 1964 Residency (Part 1)

As the world’s eyes again turned to Paris for the grand spectacle of the Olympics, I couldn’t help but remember that 60 years ago, the City of Light was the center of global attention for another reason: the Beatles. During frequent walks on Champs-Élysées, turning to Avenue George V, it seemed as if the numerous photos of the Beatles came alive. Long before athletes would captivate the world this summer, John, Paul, George, and Ringo brought their magic to Paris, sparking a musical revolution still echoing through the city's streets today. The love for the Beatles is still very strong in Paris, with their music played in public places and during cultural events.

During their first visit to Paris, The Beatles held a residency in the L'Olympia hall from January 16 to February 4, playing two shows almost every day for three weeks. This wasn’t John and Paul's first time in the city, but we’ll get to that in a bit.

Let’s travel back to the moment when Paris was not only the home of art and culture but also the epicenter of Beatlemania.

L’Olympia Hall and Bruno Coquatrix

Opened in 1893 by one of the founders of the Moulin Rouge, the Olympia Hall initially hosted a variety of opera, ballet, and music hall performances. However, by the late 1920s, the popularity of theatrical performances declined, leading to its conversion into a cinema. In 1954, the Olympia was revived as a performance venue under the direction of Bruno Coquatrix, and since the 1960s, it has become a renowned venue for rock bands. By the summer of 1963, The Beatles had already released their singles “Love Me Do,” “Please Please Me,” and “From Me To You,” as well as their first album, also titled “Please Please Me,” had 3 nationwide tours as well as a great number of single performances. Their popularity has spread beyond the UK.

Coquatrix was keen on bringing the Beatles to Paris as Beatlemania started sweeping Europe. Epstein, recognizing the importance of expanding the band's popularity beyond the UK, saw this as a valuable opportunity. Coquatrix and Epstein negotiated the terms, and the 3-week-long residency was booked for January 1964.

The correspondence between Brian Epstein and Bruno Coquatrix has been preserved, from which we can see that Epstein initially foresaw a shorter tour. Here is a part of a letter Brian Epstein sent on July 17th, 1963:

However, in the letter from July 23, Epstein says:

In the letter from July 31, he shares his concerns with Coquatrix about “the boys playing for twenty-one days without a break.” Initially, it wasn’t a concern, as Epstein had anticipated that they would play for fourteen days; however, after agreeing to a three-week residency, he requested that they be given two days free.

Arriving in Paris

On the afternoon of January 14, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, and George Harrison flew from London Airport to Le Bourget in Paris. Brian Epstein, Mal Evans, and several press representatives accompanied them.

Ringo Starr was unable to join them in London due to dense fog in Liverpool. Still, he arrived the following day, just in time for their warm-up performance at the Cinema Cyrano in Versailles, Paris.

Upon their arrival in Paris, John, Paul, and George were met by 60 enthusiastic fans and the French press. More fans awaited them at the George V Hotel, where they would stay throughout their residency. That evening, they were joined at the hotel by Bruno Coquatrix and a representative from Odeon, The Beatles' record label in France.

John and Paul shared a suite at the George V Hotel, where they needed to compose several new songs: six for their upcoming film, one for Billy J. Kramer, and another for Tommy Quickly. A piano was set up in their suite, and they immediately began working on their new material.

On January 15, Ringo Starr arrived at the Le Bourget Airport. Rally driver Stuart Turner takes him to the George V Hotel on his red Mini Cooper, which competed in the Monte Carlo Rally 1964.

The Hotel George V, named for King George V of the United Kingdom, opened in 1928. By the time the Beatles stayed at the George V Hotel in Paris, it had already established itself as a historic landmark in the city’s hospitality scene. Renowned for its elegance and opulence, the George V was a favored retreat for royalty, celebrities, and dignitaries.

The residency

The Beatles played a warmup at the Cinema Cyrano in Versailles on January 15, 1964. The concert took place in a small, intimate venue, an old cinema converted into a performance space, which allowed the band to prepare and adjust to the French audience before their main performances at the Olympia Hall.

Seeing the “beetle” logo used on the affiches is amusing, especially when written as “Les Beatles.”

From January 16 to February 4, The Beatles played 2 sets of shows at the Olympia Hall. A matinee show at 3 PM and an evening show at 9 PM. The exceptions were January 21 and 28, when the band took a rest.

Their setlist consisted of 8 songs:

1. From Me To You

2. Roll Over Beethoven

3. She Loves You

4. This Boy

5. Boys

6. I Want To Hold Your Hand

7. Twist And Shout

8. Long Tall Sally

Trini Lopez and Silvie Vartan were the support acts during the residency. Trini Lopez was a dynamic performer known for his vibrant blend of rock and Latin rhythms. Sylvie Vartan was a prominent artist and a leading figure in the French yé-yé music scene. Known for her glamorous image and catchy pop hits, Vartan was a beloved star in France and played a key role in the vibrant music scene of the early 1960s. Her presence at the Beatles’ Paris residency added a touch of French pop flair to the performances, showcasing the cultural blend that defined the event.

And thanks to Mickey Jones, the drummer for the support act Trini Lopez, we can see an 8mm footage of The Beatles first show at the Olympia. The audio however is not the original, but was synced from “It’s The Beatles” show from December 7, 1963.

Some of the days had agendas different from the regular 2 shows a day schedule.

January 19

On Sunday, January 19, 1964, the Beatles performed an unusual triple set at Paris' Olympia Theatre. Their afternoon show was broadcast live on the radio program Musicorama on Europe-1, between 1 PM and 2 PM. The broadcast featured performances by Trini Lopez and Sylvie Vartan, followed by five Beatles songs: "From Me to You," "This Boy," "I Want to Hold Your Hand," "She Loves You," and "Twist and Shout."

January 20

The following day, January 20, a brief interview with the Beatles was aired on Europe-1, following their previous day’s matinée performance at the Olympia. The interview was part of the Robert Marcy show, broadcast from 12 PM to 12:30 PM.

January 23

On January 23, John Lennon and Paul McCartney recorded a basic demo of "One and One Is Two," a song written for Billy J. Kramer. The recording took place in the bathroom of their suite at the George V Hotel. Lennon quipped, “Billy J is finished when he gets this,” after completing the demo.

January 24 and 25

The Beatles gave an interview to the American Forces Network on January 24, which was broadcast on the show Weekend World on January 25.

January 27

On January 27, the band was scheduled to re-record German versions of their hits "She Loves You" and "I Want to Hold Your Hand" at the request of EMI’s German division, Electrola Gesellschaft. Despite the band and producer George Martin deeming the session unnecessary, a translator from Cologne, Camillo Felgen, had been sent to teach them the new lyrics phonetically. However, the Beatles did not show up for the session. After waiting for an hour, Martin called their hotel, but the band declined to speak with him and instead had their roadie, Neil Aspinall, inform Martin of their decision.

January 28

On January 28, John Lennon and George Harrison returned to London for a brief overnight break. That evening, they attended a party hosted by influential DJ Tony Hall, where they met Phil Spector and The Ronettes. Harrison and Starr would meet Spector again on subsequent occasions at Hall’s home.

February 3

Finally, on February 3, before their two performances that day, the Beatles visited the American Embassy in Paris to obtain visas and work permits for their upcoming U.S. tour, marking the beginning of their conquest of America.

Here are some photos of The Beatles enjoying their time in Paris. Note the cameras they carry. Some great pictures from their Paris trip are in Paul McCartney’s recently released book “1964: Eyes Of The Storm”.

Just For Fun

You can often find this photo when looking up Beatles’ pictures from Paris. It was taken around the time of their visit (the summer of 1964), and the tower behind them tricked some people into thinking it was the Eiffel Tower. Sometimes you can find this photo captioned “The Beatles in Paris.” In reality, it is a picture taken in Blackpool, and the tower in the background is the “Blackpool Tower.”

John and Paul’s first visit to Paris in 1961

For John Lennon and Paul McCartney, the visit in January 1964 wasn’t the first time in Paris. On October 9, 1961, John received £100 before his 21st birthday, and he and Paul planned a holiday in Spain. However, their journey never extended beyond Paris.

Initially, they had hoped to hitchhike to Spain, wearing bowler hats to attract drivers' attention. They also took the train for certain segments of their trip. Despite their original destination, Lennon and McCartney ultimately chose to stay in France.

During their time in Paris, John and Paul were influenced by the "exi" (short for existentialist) look popular in the Left Bank's bohemian circles. They were particularly struck by the hairstyle worn by Jürgen Vollmer, a friend they met during their time in Hamburg who was living in Paris at the time. This hairstyle would later evolve into the famous "mop-top" look that became synonymous with The Beatles.

Thank you for reading, and I hope you have discovered something new about the Fab Four. If you aren’t a subscriber yet, subscribe to receive part 2 of this article when it comes out.