The seventh date of The Beatles’ final tour took place at the Suffolk Downs Racetrack in Boston, Massachusetts, where they gave one concert before 25,000 people.
The concert began at 8pm. The Beatles had previously played in Boston on 12 September 1964 at the Boston Garden. This time they were in the middle of a horse racing course.
The support acts during The Beatles’ final tour were The Remains, Bobby Hebb, The Cyrkle and The Ronettes. The group’s set consisted of 11 songs: ‘Rock And Roll Music’, ‘She’s A Woman’, ‘If I Needed Someone’, ‘Day Tripper’, ‘Baby’s In Black’, ‘I Feel Fine’, ‘Yesterday’, ‘I Wanna Be Your Man’, ‘Nowhere Man’, ‘Paperback Writer’ and ‘Long Tall Sally’.
After the show The Beatles and their entourage stayed at a Boston hotel. They left the city at 11.30am the following morning and flew to Memphis, Tennessee.
Also on this day...
- 2019: Ringo Starr and his All-Starr Band live: The Rooftop at Pier 17, New York City
- 2016: Paul McCartney live: Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland
- 2010: Paul McCartney live: Consol Energy Center, Pittsburgh
- 2001: Ringo Starr and his All-Starr Band live: Billy Bob’s Texas, Fort Worth
- 1998: Ringo Starr and his All-Starr Band live: Expo 98, Lisbon
- 1995: Ringo Starr and his All-Starr Band live: Greek Theatre, Los Angeles
- 1992: Ringo Starr and his All-Starr Band live: Starplex Amphitheatre, Dallas
- 1989: Ringo Starr and his All-Starr Band live: Buffalo Memorial Auditorium, Buffalo
- 1969: Recording, mixing: Golden Slumbers, Carry That Weight, The End
- 1965: The Beatles live: Atlanta Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia
- 1964: Travel: London to San Francisco
- 1963: The Beatles live: Princess Theatre, Torquay
- 1963: Television: Summer Spin
- 1962: The Beatles live: Hulme Hall, Port Sunlight – Ringo Starr’s first official show as a Beatle
- 1961: The Beatles live: Aintree Institute, Liverpool
- 1961: The Beatles live: Cavern Club, Liverpool (lunchtime)
- 1960: The Beatles’ second day in Hamburg
Want more? Visit the Beatles history section.
My father took me to this concert, I was 11 yrs old. I remember screaming and a little bit of music in the backgroud.
I was there and I was the 1 who outsmarted cops/security — ran/jumped on stage during last song – touched John and Paul — Jon in Vegas!!!!
I crashed the gate with my sister and a cousin. I was 19. Drove to Suffolk Downs in my 1964 yellow Mustang convertible. I’ll never forget that night.
I was there, too, and I remember you, Jon, I always include you in my stories of that concert. I remember when you went up to touch them, I think two of them were jumping as if it were part of their show, though it obviously wasn’t. The cops who chased you were typical Boston cops of the time with big pot bellies, trying to chase you around the field, and you like a rabbit running around them in circles.
Wow Jon, I was there at age 9 and remember you.
Chris
I was there too. Me and my 2 sisters. We were on vacation from California and dad bought us the tickets. It was just like the news reports…complete pandemonium. Congrats getting to the stage!?
I remember you getting on stage. I think i also remember you tried to jump over the fence from the stage and didn’t make it. I cant remember if there was an opening act. It was a great night. Allot of police there that night. I remember a girl running up the track trying to get to the stage and a policeman on a motorcycle caught up to her and grabbed her by her pony tail.
My dad took my sister and me that night. I was 15, she was 13. We screamed along with everyone else. My dad put kleenex in his ears! I was thinking of that night because I took my granddaughter to a Shawn Mendes concert in Washington DC last night. She screamed, and I put kleenex in my ears!!
I was in the Navy and my ship was in the yards in Chelsey Mass. Myself and 2 of my buddies went into Chelsey to Stanleys Bar to celebrate one my friends birthday. Old Stanley would serve anyone in uniform. He mentioned he thought we would be out at the track watching the Beatles. We new nothing of them being in town. Went rode the train out to the track but found no tickets were available and we could not get in to the show. We were leaving feeling down because we could not get in. A policeman saw us and asked what the problem was? We told him we couldn’t get tickets to get in. He saw we were in uniform and he said he would get us in. He took us down toward the front and asked people to slide down the bench style seats and make room for us. They did and we got to watch the show. When the Beatles entered they came down the track in 4 Limo’s and one Beatle got out of each Limo to go to the small stage. Numerous people tried to cross the track to touch the band or whatever and police on horseback would run them down and collar them and lead them off the track. It was very hard to hear them over the screams ofthe girls in the audience. My wife and I just returned from the Paul McCartney “Band on the Run” tour at Wrigly field 10/1/2011. and it was great to see Paul again 45 years later. What a change in the soundstage and performance 45 years later. Great Show thanks Paul.
Wow, great story. I hope get to see Paul if he comes back to Boston (area).
Nice story – my dad and Uncle Frank were the producers – the black limos were supposed to look like hearses so nobody would recognize them as the Beatles. There were close to 50,000 people that night.
The Beatles played Long Tall Sally at this concert, according to the tape I’ve heard.
I doubt they ever played I’m Down on the ’66 North American tour. They certainly played it in Germany and Japan (and presumably The Phillipines) but there’s no indication it was played on any of the North American dates and the setlist famously taped to Paul’s ’63 Hofner has “Long Tall” as the final song.
It makes sense – they struggled with I’m Down in Germany. It’s nice to think they played Long Tall Sally instead of I’m Down at the final show but I suspect that’s just a myth.
There is footage of them playing “I’m Down” at Shea Stadium.
One of my best friend’s mum was at this show. I plan on asking her to write down her memories of the gig.
I was there….hard to hear anything over the screaming, or to see them, they were so far away. But it was thrilling! The highlight of my life.
I was there with 4 friends and had front row tickets. The girls were screaming so loud ti was hard to hear the music. A few girls hyperventilated and passed out behind us. A couple of people jumped the fence between the track and the seats and got to the stage but not quite to them. At 14 years old it was quite something. I had no idea why it was so crazy bit I loved the Beatles and knew all their songs and words back then,
I was there too. It was hard to hear them, but I think the sound system was not appropriate, inasmuch as I don’t believe a concert was ever played there. Plus, all the screaming did not help at all. I was 15 and could not believe I was even in the same arena as the Beatles. I lived 2 streets up from the race track. I didn’t have a ticket but knew how and where to jump the fence. So, I can say, I saw them when.
The Beatles as a live performing band was before my time by at least half a dozen years but I do know this. For a larger outdoor rock ‘n’ roll show in 1966, it’s doubtful that an appropriate PA or “sound” system even existed as such systems of the day were so very primitive when compared to what’s available today and has been for the last few decades or so. And even if a system with enough wattage to cover an area the size of Suffolk Downs did exist back in the day, the amplifiers would most likely have been overdriven to the point of distortion (at that time, such high-wattage amplification was rare and didn’t approach the power ratings of today’s gear, so in this scenario, the PA most probably would have been pushed to the max) while everything happening onstage would have “bled” into other onstage elements. As such, the actual sounds coming out of the main speakers, which also weren’t as advanced as they are now, would have been little more than a cacophony of distorted yet barely, if at all, discernible white noise.
“I’m Down” is the song I remember best from the show. I was pretty close, something like 22nd row, but that didn’t matter much with everybody standing on their benches and screaming. It was my first rock concert. It was great, though at the time I thought they should sound just like their records. A friend who came with us got kicked out for handing out flyers supporting John, who had just made his famous Jesus quote.
They most decidedly did not play “I’m Down”. I was there with my girlfriend Beth, 3 of her girlfriends, and 2 of my guy friends. We had seats on an aluminum bench, though we actually never sat on them. We were all 15 or 16 years old.
I remember 6 things distinctly:
1. It was very hot and very humid, made worse by the crowd surging all around us, mostly surging towards different limos on the infield that folks thought the Beatles were in.
2. I remember Barry and the Remains, Bobby Hebb, and Cyrcle did “Red Rubber Ball” very well. Unlike comments above, I could gave swore Them with a young Van Morrison played that night.
3. I remember decoy limos, not 4 limos, until the Beatles all jumped out if the same car.
4. The sound was very poor due to clipping of overdriven amps, small speakers, and lack of on-stage monitors. Technology simply had not caught up to the new paradigm of large venues and increased attendance.
5. Girls were hyperventilating and passing out, and the crowds were passing the girls to the rails where the cops would lay them down on the track, giving them some fresh air. Some enterprising young ladies feigned illness, hit the track, and headed for the stage.
6. The most poignant moment: during the Beatles performance, a fan made it to the stage and was trying to just touch one of the four, I believe it was Paul. I was on the rail at that time because one of our girls was laying on the track from the heat, so I was pretty close to the stage. I remember how petrified they all looked. When John Lennon was killed, that’s one of the images I recalled.
Great memory, my first concert
I was in the army stationed at Ft Devens at the time and a buddy and I went to this concert which was my first ever concert. As other posters have mentioned, the PA was completely inadequate in light of the non-stop screaming of the girls. We really only heard the first few notes of each song.
The stage was set up on the infield with the track as a buffer. As Dana mentioned above, one fan did actually make it to the stage and, the way I remember it, he touched the three Beatles in front and was going for Ringo when he was grabbed and tossed headfirst off the stage. I also recall one girls being run down on the track by a cop on a motorcycle which I thought was uncalled for.
After the concert we went back to Boston and were walking around somewhere near Fenway Park when we came to a hotel surrounded by hundreds of young people, mostly girls, trying to get into the hotel because the Beatles were staying there. We wandered around the back of the hotel and discovered about ten guys trying to pull the steel security screens off windows so they could get inside. We weren’t that interested in getting inside so we left and went to our own hotel.
I, too, attended this concert. It was something I’ll never forget. The way I remember it, all the opening acts came out of limos from the front. When it was time for the Beatles to play, four limos pulled up in front of the stage and the crowd went crazy and some fans touched the limos. The Beatles were not really in the limos. The cars were decoys. While everyone was focused on the cars and the melee, the Beatles were all of a sudden on the stage. I always suspected the helicopter that had landed on the field behind the stage. The girls were crazy loud but I heard all the songs. Great show!
You’re right about most of this, but I remember there was some kind of tent shelter in the middle of the field, behind the bandstand, and it was out of this that the Beatles came after the opening acts. All of the limo’s were decoys.
Tomorrow is the 50th anniversary of the Suffolk Downs concert, so I thought I would leave a memory here. I also attended this concert. I was 19 at the time, and a struggling drummer in some college bands around Wash DC. I was on summer vacation from school. My sister saw the ad for the concert in a local newspaper. She was 12 at the time, obviously a frantic Beatles fan. She asked if I would take her to the show. Believe it or not, at first, I said no. The reason is related to a little remembered fact about the Beatles in 1966. The truth is, most teenage boys, by that time, including me, did not “like” the Beatles, who were at the time considered a lollipop band only suitable for young girls. It occurred to me that if I took Joyce to the show, I would probably have to admit to my band mates back at college that I had attended, and it would have led to a few snickers. At the time, for teenage boys, the cool bands were the Stones, the Animals, the Byrds, etc. And of course Bob Dylan. But NOT the Beatles. Of course this was before Sgt Peppers, The White Album, Abbey Road, Let it be, and the singles Hey Jude, Yesterday and Yellow Submarine, etc. etc. etc. Little did we suspect all that legendary music was heading toward us like a tsunami. I relented and took Joyce to the concert. She spent the whole time on my shoulders, and of course, we could not hear a single note of music because of the insane screaming. Joyce took a photo of the bandstand as she sat on my shoulders. We still have the photo. It shows only the back of some guy’s head, illuminated by the flash from her camera. Nothing beyond three feet in front of us is visible. Mike Adams
I was hanging out at Go Go Bowling in Beverly on 18 Aug 1966. My buddies and I asked, how we might get a ride to at least stand outside of Suffolk Downs to listen. None of us had a drivers license at the time, never mind a car. Suddenly in came a another friend, a girl who was part of the Go Go Bowling gang. She had a license and her fathers station wagon. She was interested in going and we loaded into the wagon, about 7 of us. We were walking around the facility, kept out by 10 foot chain link fence, I think barb wire at the top as well. The Cyrkle were playing and we settled for a spot to stand outside a section of fence without being able to see a thing but it seemed best for listening. Out of the clear blue, a guard came by, as if from heaven, and asked, you guys want to get in? He opened the pad lock gate and we ran onto a cement tier separating a slope of seats from another higher slope of seats. We stopped directly in front of the stage that was set up on the grass or track. It did not matter that we were standing, everyone was standing. We were probably 200 feet directly in front of the stage. There was only the one sloping section of seats in front of us separating us from a short open area with security and then the stage. The Beatles came on stage and with the crowd so constantly loud, the music was difficult to hear. What an unbelievable opportunity and set of circumstances that lead to our admission. For some reason, the main remembrance besides the attempts of those to get on stage and security was the fact the Beatles were wearing Forest Green suits and a yellow shirt. What a night to look back on.
this was the greatest day of my life.we lived on NORTH SHORE RD the straight away to suffolk downs track.my dad was a horse trainer and i’ve been there a few times.the day they were there we could hear them from where we lived my cousin and i bugged the heck out of my mom to take us to the park.she did i love her needless to say when we got there my cousin and i left her in the dust took off and ran to the fence where you went in.there was a police officer there and he looked at us and said there’s only ten fifteen more minutes of the show and then he said go on in girls ohhhh my gosh it was unreal moment.we took off and ran around the corner to the stands and there was the BEATLES and i don’t know how many screaming crying people it was wonderful.we got about five rows in from the stage and wormed our way over and under legs arms and we finally got to a spot in the middle in front of the stage.we couldn’t see a thing needless to say so we climbed on the back of the chairs and there they were yaaaaaahhhh.the girl that was in front of me i grabbed her because i almost fell i said i’m sorry she said i don’t care just kill me now she was hysterical crying and screaming well i took on the screaming with her it was surreal .i was fifteen i will never forget it.the next day we walked down to the track and went in nobody cared and i remember picking up confetti from the ground i think i might still have a piece or two till this day in my little treasures over the years i saved.im sixty-six years old and that day is in my mind like yesterday.we the BEATLE PEOPLE will always remember these days as the best ever in our life.
The promoters of the show rented the house next door to ours in Framingham Mass. The evening of the show they came home and told our parents that they had free tickets to the show, if we didn’t mind sitting in the press box. Within an hour we had three station wagons full of kids and adults from the neighborhood, loaded up in those cars and heading to the show…!
The promoters ended the summer with a back yard block party that included an new band from Boston… They called themselves, Aerosmith…
Dude,that’s a GREAT story. But, However ,but actually, facts are stubborn things. AEROSMITH did not exist until 1970. Seriously. The Toxic Twins didn’t meet until 1967. Huge Beatles fan, wish your story was true.
my friend bruce and I decided that evening in 1966 to go to the beatles concert. we were 20 years old. we were able to buy tickets at suffolk downs (can’t remember if it was at the box office or scalpers.) the tickets were for far-far-far to the left of the stage but we didn’t go to those seats. we stood on chairs straight in front of the stage, maybe 10 or so rows back. the noise from the crowd was so loud you couldn’t hardly hear anything from the beatles. the stage was on the other side of the track so there was a space between the audience and the stage.
I’m taking a storytelling class and am going to tell my story about seeing the Beatles at Suffolk Downs. All of your great comments are helping me to remember the details and will definitely help with my story! Thank you! My uncle won tickets to the concert on the WMEX radio station in Boston. I’m pretty sure the actual ticket price was below $5.00.
The best thing was that I got to see them up close at Logan Airport the next day since my best friend’s aunt worked for the airlines and got us within 50 feet of the Beatles plane! I remember that Paul had on a royal blue blazer. Of course, he was my favorite. I am so mad that I didn’t have a camera! Those pictures would have been priceless.
We paid $2.35 for our tickets to see the Beatles in person. I recently found the newspaper add for the concert, with the price listed. It was a great night! What stands out in my memory is the roar of the crowd. Music? What music??? Who could hear anything but the screaming? But it was a thrill to be there, to see the band I idolized far away in the distance, and later to have bragging rights. I’ll never forget it!
I was at this concert. I was almost 15 years old and remember it quite well. My father was on the Revere, MA police department and got us tickets in the fifth row. I always find it misleading when I hear that they were in the middle of a horse racing course. It makes it sound like they were in the infield. They were actually on a stage built right at the finish line in the middle of the track. My friend and I went there early in the morning and helped set up chairs and watched them build the stage. My father worked the concert and they drove by him.
I was there with a friend who’s girlfriends mother would not let her go, so my friend asked me. It was a great show. Glad I had the chance to see them. I also remember the guy getting on stage and the motorcycle cop running down the girl running up the track toward the stage. My friend and I climbed up a beam and sat on it. We had a great view. A month later I was off to Army basic training. It was a nice going away present.
55 years ago today, my fried and I saw the Beatles at Suffolk Downs when we were 14 years old. Our parents didn’t know that we got on the train at Forest Hills Station and rode it all the way to Suffolk Downs. We rushed to the fence that surrounded the stage twenty feet away. When we looked up, there they were!
I’ pretty sure – but not positive – that the boys stayed at The Madison hotel that night as they did when the played Boston Garden in ’64. The Madison was attached to the old Garden. I have an ashtray from The Madison and I tell anyone who will listen that it is from Suite 524 – one of the adjoining suites The Fabs stayed in in ’64.
Not only were the sound systems inadequate – the concert had to deal with flights coming in and leaving Logan Airport ! Ideal spot for an outdoor concert – Not !
Great Memories! I was there as well. A friend and I won tickets on a radio contest “WPTR 1540 AM” Albany, NY. So awesome. Rode a bus with other kids who had won tickets. I believe chaperone was D J “Boom Boom Brannigan”. Like all of you I couldn’t hear the music, but just knowing they were there was so exciting! I saw the boy charging the stage, but couldn’t see where he went. I thought “ all these cops chasing one boy, surprised no one else took advantage and made a run for it too”. If anyone did, we couldn’t see them. Congrats, Jon.
i rode a Peter Pan bus from Springfield ma.i had just turned15 so it was a big deal to travel to Suffolk Downs alone. Ticket cost 5.75 but with the bus ride combo ticket it was 11.50. didnt hear much . so much screaming but i will never forget that concert. the Beatles wore green suits with yellow shirts. i am almost 72 now and still a beatles fan.
After their 1966 concert was announced, tickets were sold by a mail lottery. I was 12 years old. I had to get a money order for my single ticket and include a self-addressed stamped envelope. The envelope would be mailed back to me with a ticket or the money order. I got my ticket.
Before the concert, in one of the other cities on their 1966 US tour, John told the press “The Beatles were more popular than Jesus Christ!” Needless to say, it became a huge controversy. I was seriously worried their Boston concert would be canceled because of it.
Some of my random recollections of the concert:
*The first huge screaming came when roadies were setting up their equipment and microphones. It then became deafening when Ringo’s drum kit was assembled displaying “Ludwig THE BEATLES”.
*4 Cadillac Limos, each presumably driving one of The Beatles, entered from the left toward the stage. Fans ran out on the track and blocked each of the limos. I thought The Beatles would be torn apart. But, the limos were all decoys.
Near the center of the track’s infield was a very small caretaker’s-like white house. The Beatles ran out of that tiny house and ran across the grass toward the stage. As far as I could tell, they had been in that house well before any of the audience were given admittance!
*The Beatles wore dark green suits.
*Sound system was terrible and girls screaming blocked out almost all the music.
*Quietest moment came when Paul asked for quiet to sing a new soft song. I clearly heard a single guitar strum and simultaneously, Paul sings the word “Yesterday”. That was it for sound. The screaming started again and never stopped.
*The Beatles performed for a total of about 35 minutes.
*57 years and hundreds of other huge, great concerts later, seeing The Beatles at Suffolk Downs in 1966 remains the most memorable and treasured concert experience of my life!
My dad bought 4 tickets. I have an older sister so we went and each invited a friend. We could barely hear them over all of the screaming. It was a magical night that I still vividly remember at 71. It’s also wonderful to hear all of your great stories. Hope everyone out there is well.
I lived on Vallar road and walked down to Waldemar with my brother. I was 11 then and loved the Beatles. Stood by the fence to try to hear them but the screaming was loud and could barley hear the music. I do remember the helicopter flying over our heads. Til this day I wish I could of been inside.