Paul McCartney surprise appearance at Amoeba Music in Hollywood 2007. Courtesy of Amoeba Music.

From Liverpool to Los Angeles:
A Magical Mystery Tour with The Beatles

By Stacey Gualandi

It is commonly known that Liverpool, England, is the birthplace of the Beatles, but who knew the lovable lads also had a hallowed history in Los Angeles? (I lived in LA for over 20 years, and I certainly didn’t!)

From Burbank to Malibu and all the way to the Sunset Strip, the mop tops made their mark in La La Land with enough (mis)adventures and memorable moments to fill a book!

Cut to: The Beatles in Los Angeles: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow, a painstakingly-researched book that takes Fab Four fans on a magical mystery tour through Tinseltown with John, Paul, George, and Ringo.

The Beatles in Los Angeles is the brainchild of veteran television producer Jeremy Louwerse, with a little help from his friend and fellow award-winning producer, Tom Weitzel.

“The idea popped into my head about ten years ago, but I needed somebody to collaborate with and bounce ideas off,” admits Louwerse. “Tom had just retired, and I thought he’d be perfect for this.”

(Full disclosure: I’ve known both Jeremy and Tom for many years while working in Hollywood and couldn’t be more proud of their collaboration!)

For years, the LA-based journalists literally worked side-by-side at Entertainment Tonight, and both are self-described Beatle maniacs. “I would say [our love for the Beatles] is equal, but our experiences are so different. Tom was alive when they were doing their thing; I was not.”

In fact, Weitzel has interviewed four presidents and two Beatles but admits, “I wish it were the other way around.”

He says the idea to come together and document the fascinating LA events that happened to the Beatles post-British invasion was a no-brainer.

“The only reason I am the co-author of this book is Jeremy,” says Weitzel. “We became friends at work, and I have tremendous respect for him as a person, as a broadcaster, and as a student of pop culture. So, when he invited me to lunch a couple of years ago and said, ‘Hey, I’m thinking of doing this book about the Beatles in Los Angeles, would you be interested in being my co-author?’ It was like an immediate ‘Yes!’”

After a long and winding four years, these two paperback writers (actually hardcover) were able to detail dozens of stories through interviews with people who are and were truly inside the Beatles’ private circle.

“I think those stories needed to be documented, and the record needed to be straight and accurate,” says Louwerse. “We know there are two sides to every story, but we’ve really fought for accuracy.”

Adds Weitzel, “At this point, there is virtually nothing about the Beatles that has been unreported, but there are blessedly still things that are underreported.”

Not to give away too much because you really need to read the book, but there are several exclusives, including Louwerse unearthing never-before-seen photographs of the monumental meeting between the Beatles and the King.

“We’re not gonna tell the story of Elvis meeting the Beatles; everybody knows that story because it’s been told a thousand times,” says Louwerse. “But there were photos out there, and I didn’t know where we could get them, and I don’t know how we can find them, but let’s find them and tell the story of how they were uncovered because that moment was never, ever, supposed to be photographed, and nobody ever thought it was.”

There is also the story of a pre-Newlywed Game fame host Bob Eubanks mortgaging his San Fernando Valley home in order to promote the Beatles’ history-making Hollywood Bowl show in 1964.

“Sure, why not mortgage your house for the Beatles, you know?” jokes Weitzel. “But they could have been one-hit wonders.”

Weitzel says uncovering the story of John Lennon driving a car in Malibu was his proudest moment.

“Everybody knew about that famous interview he did on the beach in Malibu [with Elliot Mintz], but few, if any, knew that he had gotten behind the wheel on the Pacific Coast Highway and tried to drive.”

According to The Beatles in Los Angeles, Lennon had never driven after being severely hurt in a car accident years before.

Since the book’s recent release, Louwerse says more stories have come to light.

“A friend of mine pointed out that there is a plaque on a booth at Bob’s Big Boy in Burbank where the four lads—in their twenties on tour—once went for a burger. Apparently, that plaque is still there.”

While both Sir Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr didn’t participate in the retelling of these classic tales, there’s something in the way the authors made the book feel unique.

“We’ve created a place where fans can read about Beatles adventures in Los Angeles,” says Louwerse. “I feel like we’ve cornered that market. It deserves even more, you know? It deserves a Volume Two!”

Which begs the question: any plans to get back together for a sequel? The talented two say they’ll let it be for now. But in the meantime, they hope to hear from Sir Paul and Ringo. If not, they’re still in love with them, and they feel fine.

“It’s such a tribute and such a love letter to them,” says Louwerse of the book. “I just want both Paul and Ringo to smile.”

Adds Weitzel, “I hope that they would say, ‘My word, we had a good time.’”

I can’t twist and shout out about this book enough! I hope to get back to LA soon and take my own Instagram tour!

To learn more about the authors and to get a signed copy of The Beatles in Los Angeles, go to thebeatlesinlosangeles.com

Also, to find Tom Weitzel’s audiobook version visit Audible here.