Tour Program: BEATLES 1963 PROGRAM SIGNED FOR THE TOUR HEADLINER CHRIS MONTEZ AND... Lot 89278

Beatles 1963 Program Signed for the Tour Headliner Chris Montez and from His Personal Collection (UK, March 1963). A sixteen-page souvenir book of 8" x 10.25" for a tour of England between March 9 and March 31, 1963, with Chris Montez and Tommy Roe as headliners and the Beatles closing the first act. The back cover features four individual Astrid Kirchherr photos of the Beatles seated in chairs. Each member of the Fab Four signed his respective photo in blue ink to their tour mate as follows: "To Chris/ Lots of luck from your/ mates - The Beatles/ George Harrison", "Ringo Starr", "Paul McCartney", and "John Lennon". They have drawn "word balloons" with the following personal messages: "Oh Yeah!" [George]; "Yeah Baby" [Ringo]; "God save The Queen Chris!" [Paul]; and "Remember Mansfield Chris!!" [John]. We're not sure what prompted John to mention the March 26th date at the Granada in Mansfield (it might be interesting to find out). A number of the other tour acts have also signed. Page three finds five ink signatures from members of the Terry Young Six including future Shadows bassist John Rostill who writes: "Sincere best wishes/ for the future to/ a 'real swell guy'/ Johnny". The full page photos of Chris and Tommy Roe are both signed and page twelve is signed by the compere Tony Marsh: "Its been my pleasure knowing you Chris/ Many thanks/ Tony". Signed tour books are always popular and it is difficult to imagine one more desirable than this unique example directly from an important figure in the history of Rock and Roll. It would be the centerpiece of even the most advanced Beatle collections. Very Good condition with general wear and a corner crease on the back page. Included with a LOP written and signed by Chris Montez himself, outlining how he obtained this piece. The Chris Montez/ Tommy Roe tour was only the Beatles' second British tour and followed immediately on the heels of the Helen Shapiro tour February 2 to March 3. This tour had them playing in twenty-one cities in twenty-three days, often two shows a day. They closed out the first act, generally playing a six-song set consisting of "Love Me Do,", "Misery," "A Taste of Honey," "Do You Want To Know A Secret," "Please Please Me," and "I Saw Her Standing There"; Chris Montez then closed the show. There are some events of note from the tour. March 12-14: John Lennon missed these three dates due to a sore throat and cold. They performed as a three-piece band with George taking John's place on vocals. March 22: their first LP album, Please Please Me, was released while they were in Doncaster. It had been recorded in one day-long session the month before during a break in the Shapiro tour. March 24: This is a date that could be easily overlooked as significant in Beatle history. The tour was playing a date at the Empire Theatre in the lads' hometown of Liverpool. Because of this, Chris Montez graciously gave them his slot to close the show. This would essentially be the first major tour show that the Beatles actually headlined. His kind gesture ended up backfiring on him, though. The tour management decided that the Beatles should close all the remaining dates on the tour. Paul is quoted as saying, "It was embarrassing as hell for him. I mean, what could you say to him? Sorry, Chris? He took it well." On their next tour, they shared equal billing with American superstar Roy Orbison and, after that, they were never again an "opening act." Chris Montez grew up Hawthorne, California, a big fan of Ritchie Valens and the Latino music he heard in his community. As a teenager, he went to see Valens perform at a local hop but was stuck in the back of the sold out venue. He looked over to the side and there was his idol standing next to him! This chance meeting made a lasting impression on Montez and he determined right then that, "...if I ever become an artist, I'm going to treat people the way he treated me." At Hawthorne High School, his circle of friends included Brian Wilson and his brothers; he jammed at times with these future members of the Beach Boys. Ironically, Montez was the true surfer in this crowd, not the Wilson boys; he was always in the water at Redondo and Hermosa. After a couple singles failed to chart, Montez hit the big time in 1962 with "Let's Dance," a song with an infectious "easy to dance to" beat that mentioned the teen dance crazes of the day- "We'll do the Twist, the Stomp, the Mashed Potato, too." That song made him a star and he toured the U.S. with a number of Soul acts before British tour producer Arthur Howes booked him to headline (with Tommy Roe of "Sheila" fame) a U.K. tour. Among the acts on the bill was a Liverpool band called the Beatles. At the time, he said, "Who are these guys The Beatles? I try to keep up with the British scene, but I don't know their work." He can be forgiven for that comment as they were not known outside England and Germany at the time. Montez did get to know them soon enough, though; they closed the first act, just after Tommy Roe, and he closed the show. Montez had other hit singles after "Let's Dance" (which charted in the U.K. three times- 1962, 1972, and 1979) including "Some Kinda Fun," "Call Me," and "The More I See You." He still performs today. Your cataloguer, having seen him recently at a live concert, can attest to the fact that he has not lost a step and is still a fabulously entertaining performer. HID04901242017

Payment:
The buyer is responsible for paying the seller directly after winning the item. Details on accepted payment methods and where to send payment are provided in an invoice from the seller.

Additional payment details from the seller:
All sales are strictly for cash in United States dollars (including U.S. currency, bank wire,
cashier checks, travelers checks, eChecks, and bank money orders, and are subject to all
reporting requirements). All deliveries are subject to good funds; funds being received in
Auctioneer's account before delivery of the Purchases; and all payments are subject to a clearing
period. Auctioneer reserves the right to determine if a check constitutes "good funds": checks
drawn on a U.S. bank are subject to a ten business day hold, and thirty days when drawn on an
international bank. Clients with pre-arranged credit status may receive immediate credit for
payments via eCheck, personal or corporate checks. All others will be subject to a hold of 5
days, or more, for the funds to clear prior to releasing merchandise. (ref. T&C item 7 Credit for
additional information.) Payments can be made 24-48 hours post auction from the My Orders
page of the Heritage Auctions website.

Shipping:
The buyer is responsible for paying all shipping costs and arranging for shipping and delivery with the seller.

Additional shipping details from the seller:
Buyer is liable for shipping and handling. Please refer to Auctioneer's website for the latest charges or call Auctioneer. Auctioneer is unable to combine
purchases from other auctions or affiliates into one package for shipping purposes. Lots won will be
shipped in a commercially reasonable time after payment in good funds for the merchandise and the
shipping fees is received or credit extended, except when third-party shipment occurs. Buyer agrees
that Service and Handling charges related to shipping items which are not pre-paid may be charged
to the credit card on file with Auctioneer.

For more information

Knowing when to bid: An event can last a few hours. To help figure out when an item will come up for auction, watch the pace of the event and keep in mind that items usually come up in lot order.