John Lennon and Paul McCartney Return from Promoting Apple in New York ā 16 May 1968
Thursday 16 May 1968 | John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Travel
On 16 May 1968, John Lennon and Paul McCartney returned to London after a four-day promotional trip to New York on behalf of Apple Corps. The two Beatles had flown out on 11 May, accompanied by 'Magic' Alex (Alexis Mardas), Neil Aspinall, Mal Evans, and Derek Taylor. The trip had consisted primarily of press interviews at hotels, introducing Apple Corps to the American media and setting out the company's ambitions to a transatlantic audience.
The Apple Corps Promotional Trip
Apple Corps had been formally incorporated in January 1968, and by May the company was beginning to take shape as a multi-division enterprise. The Beatles envisioned Apple as a vehicle for creative people who couldn't get their work made through conventional channels ā a record label, a film division, an electronics division, a publishing arm, and a retail operation, all run on idealistic principles that would, in theory, put artists first.
The New York trip was one of the first major public-facing efforts to introduce Apple to the American market. Lennon and McCartney were the obvious ambassadors: the two most prominent Beatles, the principal songwriting partnership, and the faces most likely to generate press coverage on both sides of the Atlantic. The interviews they gave during the four days in New York were wide-ranging ā covering Apple's philosophy, The Beatles' plans, and the broader cultural moment of 1968.
Nat Weiss's Apartment: 181 East 73rd Street
Lennon and McCartney stayed at the Manhattan apartment of Nat Weiss, The Beatles' American lawyer and a close associate of Brian Epstein. Weiss had been involved with The Beatles' US business affairs since the mid-1960s and was one of the few people in the American music industry who had a genuinely personal relationship with the group. His apartment at 181 East 73rd Street, on the Upper East Side, provided a private base away from the hotels where the press interviews were conducted.
The choice of Weiss's apartment rather than a hotel reflected the informal, personal nature of The Beatles' approach to business at this stage ā and the degree to which their professional and personal lives remained intertwined with a small circle of trusted associates.
The Entourage: Magic Alex, Aspinall, Evans, Taylor
The trip brought together several of the key figures in The Beatles' inner circle in 1968. Neil Aspinall, The Beatles' road manager since 1961 and by 1968 the managing director of Apple Corps, was the operational backbone of the enterprise. Mal Evans, the group's personal assistant and road manager, had been a constant presence since 1963. Derek Taylor, who had been The Beatles' press officer in 1964 before moving to California, had recently returned to London to become Apple's head of press.
'Magic' Alex ā Alexis Mardas, a Greek electronics engineer who had become part of John Lennon's circle in 1967 ā was head of Apple Electronics, the division tasked with developing new technology for the company. His presence on the New York trip reflected his prominence in Lennon's life at this period, though Apple Electronics would ultimately produce little of substance and Mardas's technical claims would later be widely disputed.
May 1968: Apple and the White Album
The New York trip took place at a pivotal moment in The Beatles' story. Brian Epstein had died in August 1967, leaving the group without a manager for the first time in their career. Apple Corps was, in part, a response to that loss ā an attempt to take control of their own business affairs and to build something that reflected their values rather than conventional music industry practice.
At the same time, recording sessions for what would become The White Album were about to begin. The first session had taken place on 30 May 1968, just two weeks after Lennon and McCartney returned from New York. The album would be recorded across a fractious summer and autumn, with the tensions within the group increasingly visible in the studio.
The Apple Boutique ā the company's most visible public venture ā had had its exterior mural whitewashed the day before Lennon and McCartney left for New York, on 15 May 1968, following legal pressure from the Portman Estate. The boutique itself would close entirely on 31 July 1968.
Key Facts: 11ā16 May 1968
- Departure from London: 11 May 1968
- Return to London: 16 May 1968
- Duration: Four days
- Purpose: Promotional interviews for Apple Corps
- Base: Nat Weiss's apartment, 181 East 73rd Street, New York
- Interviews: Conducted at hotels in New York
- Travelling party: John Lennon, Paul McCartney, 'Magic' Alex (Alexis Mardas), Neil Aspinall, Mal Evans, Derek Taylor
- Apple Corps incorporated: January 1968
- Apple Boutique mural whitewashed: 15 May 1968 (day before departure)
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did Lennon and McCartney go to New York in May 1968?
They travelled to New York on 11 May 1968 to promote Apple Corps to the American media, conducting press interviews at hotels over four days before returning to London on 16 May.
Where did Lennon and McCartney stay in New York?
They stayed at the Manhattan apartment of Nat Weiss, The Beatles' American lawyer, at 181 East 73rd Street on the Upper East Side.
Who travelled with Lennon and McCartney to New York?
'Magic' Alex (Alexis Mardas), Neil Aspinall (Apple managing director), Mal Evans (personal assistant), and Derek Taylor (Apple head of press).
What was Apple Corps in 1968?
Apple Corps was The Beatles' multi-division company, formally incorporated in January 1968, encompassing a record label, film division, electronics division, publishing arm, and retail operation. It was conceived as a creative enterprise that would support artists on idealistic rather than conventional commercial terms.
What happened to the Apple Boutique around this time?
The Apple Boutique's exterior mural at 94 Baker Street was whitewashed on 15 May 1968 ā the day before Lennon and McCartney flew to New York ā following legal pressure from the Portman Estate. The boutique closed entirely on 31 July 1968.
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