Eight Days A Week - Inside The Beatles' Final World Tour

This lavish book, containing many previously unpublished photographs, documents the tempestuous journey that began in Germany and included a visit to Hamburg, scene of the group's legendary early performances. After playing their last-ever European concert there, The Beatles made an unscheduled stop-over in Alaska before arriving in Japan, where they were confined to their hotel between shows for their own security. Their final destination, Manila in the Philippines, turned into a nightmare after unintentional offence was given to Imelda Marcos, wife of the country's dictator.

Whitaker's intimate view of John, Paul, George and Ringo highlights their characteristic humour, even under the strain of touring, and documents the more serious inner world of The Beatles at a turning point in their career.

Robert Whitaker was The Beatles' official photographer from 1964 to 1966, accompanying them around the world and taking pictures that appeared on numerous album sleeves. When The Beatles stopped touring Whitaker co-created the notorious satirical magazine Oz. He later photographed the Vietnam and Indo-Pakistani wars, and collaborated with such diverse personalities as Mick Jagger and Salvador Dalí.

Marcus Hearn is a journalist and documentary-maker. He has previously written authorised biographies of filmmakers Gerry Anderson and George Lucas, and compiled photographic books about The Who, Pink Floyd and The Jimi Hendrix Experience.

Robert Whitaker at Beatle Week

Robert Whitaker was one of the guest speakers during Convention Day at Beatle week. Poppy reports:

Robert gave an engrossing talk despite slightly difficult circumstances at the Adelphi Hotel -- crackly microphone and lots of background noise from the convention hall. He spoke about his time spent with The Beatles during the period covered in his new book Eight Days A Week -- the time during their final world tour, in Japan when they were basically prisoners in their own hotel, kept inside the Tokyo Hilton for their own safety. He spoke of the huge collaborative painting that they worked on. Each Beatle worked on one quarter of the painting and there was a large lamp standing in the centre to give them light to work by. All of them signed their quarter of the painting. Robert said that it was while they were working on the painting that they were the calmest he ever saw them together. Even though they were confined to their hotel they spent quite a lot of money during their stay, as traders were brought in to show them the wares that they couldn't get out to see.

Robert Whitaker & interviewer Spencer Leigh, 25th August 2008
Photo by John Wright

Robert says he tried to capture the spirit and take candid pictures but would never take anything that he considered 'indecent'. The boys were very tolerant of him being around snapping pictures and wouldn't ever swear at him or anything like that. John would sometimes pull funny faces for the camera and play up to it. One time in the Tokyo Hilton John was playing around with one of Robert's cameras (which had a long lens on it) and held it at his crotch like a big penis -- Robert caught the moment on another camera. These pictures are in the book Eight Days a Week and are amongst the previously unseen photos in the book -- Brian Epstein would never have allowed them to be used at the time.

The Beatles did not mind him being around -- they encouraged him to go on tour with them knowing that it was something they would probably never do again. He was documenting the events. This is why most of his photographs are in black & white -- b&w film was quicker in low light (in those days) and more appropriate to take candid pictures in situations at the spur of the moment where the lighting might not be good.

Robert did not go to the Candlestick park gig. He thought that Ringo was the most witty. He said that their experiences in the Philippines really shook them up and upset them.

He talked about his famous "Butcher" pictures and how they were used on Yesterday And Today. He said that the picture was used by the American record company without himself or the Beatles being consulted and it was used on the record completely out of context -- it lost all its meaning. He was trying to produce an image that was contrary to the way they had always been protrayed until that point -- very produced and clean-cut and smiling.

He said he got on so well because he was not in awe of the Beatles and they not of him. He was keen to express himself in his photographs as well as document events. Robert first became involved with the Beatles when in 1964 he took a photograph of Brian Epstein on the Beatles' first Australian tour (Robert was based in Melbourne). He embelished the photograph with peacock feathers to express that Brian was like an emperor. Brian liked the pictures and invited Robert back to England to work for him. Robert was the only photographer Brian ever managed. Robert says Brian most of all wanted the Beatles to play in front of Royalty.

Robert said he once saw the Beatles in the song writing process -- it was 1964 and they were all in a car on the M1 listening to the radio and John heard a riff in another song which inspired him to write Paperback Writer.

Marcus Hearn & Robert Whitaker at Beatle Week, 25th August 2008
Photo by Sharon Ankin

Eight Days A Week: Inside The Beatles' Final World Tour covers the time period of June to early July 1966, only a short section of the time Robert was with the Beatles. He is already working on another book of more Beatles photos and memories.

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