George Harrison wanted to drop an H-bomb on it

Vic Lewis, the Beatles 'advance man' on their world tour in 1966, has died. Here is his obituary:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries.../Vic-Lewis.html

the Asian segment of the tour included two concerts in the Philippines, and three at the Budokan in Tokyo. The Philippines was in those days the only South East Asian country that the Beatles' management would have thought to include on the itinerary. All the others were far too poor and non-westernised then to be considered a market for western music. The Philippines were head and shoulders above the rest then (the Beatles did also play Hong Kong in 1964, but that was only a short stop on the way to Australia and New Zealand).

here's some excerpts from 'The Beatles Anthology' about their experiences in the Philippines :
http://www.squidoo.com/beatlesinphilippines

Ringo: I hated the Philippines. We arrived there with thousands upon thousands of kids, with hundreds upon hundred of policemen, and it was a little dodgy. Everyone had guns and it was really like that hot/Catholic/gun/Spanish Inquisition attitude.

George: There were tough gorillas, little men who had short-sleeved shirts and acted very menacingly.

George: They took us away and drove us down to Manila harbour, put us on a boat, took us out to a motor yacht and put us in this room. It was really humid, Mosquito City, and we were all sweating and frightened. For the first time ever in our Beatle existence, we were cut off from Neil, Mal and Brian Epstein. There was not one of them around and, not only that, but we had a whole row of cops with guns lining the deck around this cabin that we were in. We were really gloomy, very brought down by the whole thing. We wished we hadn't come. We should have missed it out. As soon as we got there, it was bad news.

Ringo: The Philippines was really frightening. It's probably the most frightening thing that has happened to me.

George: It was "Beatles Snub First Family" - that's how they decided to present it. It was quite likely it was the promoter or the agent who had done a deal; brown-nosing Mrs Marcos, probably. She was later quoted as saying: "Oh, I never liked them anyway - their music is horrible!" The whole place turned on us. We had people yelling and screaming when we tried to get to the airport. Nobody would give us a ride. We couldn't get any cars. There was nothing available. Finally somebody managed to get a car or two and they put our baggage in one and we got in the other. We were driven to the airport. Two things were happening simultaneously: there were all the government officials or police, who were trying to punch us and yelling and waving fists at us, and then underneath that were the young kids who were still around doing the mania.

John: No plane's going to go through the Philippines with me on it. I wouldn't even fly over it.

On asked if he intended to return to the Philippines, George said : If I do, then it will be with an H-bomb to drop on it.

Oddly enough my whole family loves them.


Well at that time everybody was racist. Plus McCartney has been there several times.

John Lennon Sucks and he deserves to be assasinated. It was also John Lennon who quoted that he is even more popular than Jesus.

LOL! Macoy manhandled the Beatles back in '66.

^^^

only macoy can do that and get away with it too...

i like most of the beatles songs though.

and that's a valid reason to be knock off?

George Harrison is into Hinduism and I hope that when he dies he reincarnates into a cockroach so if the H Bomb would be dropped on him, he will still survive since the cockroach can survive in a Nuclear Holocaust.

George Harrison died in 2001 so your weak attempt at humour doesn't quite work

The Philippines was just a little bit behind Japan back then, only 20 years after independence.

Macoy had the vision, but his execution was flawed. Gave his wife too much power.

He could've been a great leader.

Did he reincarnate into a cockroach?

I lived through this-- I ACTUALLY SAW THE BEATLES PERFORM IN MANILA IN 1966 !!! THEY INTRODUCED PAPERBACK WRITER & TAXMAN!!

BAH... FILIPINOS OVER-REACTED BEC THEY DIDN'T SHOW up for Imelda's tea party at the Palace. Then, the nation was still totally in the grasped of Imelda( Marcos just got in office) Now, if anyone knew anything about the Beatles... they NEVER went to any of these functions.The Beatles were on this yacht.,as it was at the height of Beatlemania-- & Brian Epstein & the rest of their crew were staying at t he Manila Hotel.

no, Martin.. John Lennon NEVER said they were more popular than Jesus-- I read the original internview by Maureen Cleave for the Evening Standard--then it was republished in the Manila times sunday supplement. The essence of what John said was true anyway..so what's the big deal?

I can understand why the Beatles ended up 'loathing' the Phil-- unfortunately, those guards were hideous! it was NOT a fine moment for Filipinos!

the upshot was-- leaving Manila-- they made a stopover to India.. & THIS WAS WHEN GEORGE & THE REST BECAME ENAMOURED WITH that culture.. The Beatles were never the same again.

THEY RELEASED REVOLVER-- THEN AFTER.. SGT PEPPERS..

yeah, the date was: 4 JULY 1966.. Beates were only there for like 2 & half days...at most..arriving mid-day to perform next day-- why they were asleep on this yacht-- whilst Imelda was expecting them at the Palace before their concert. Brian Epstein was livid.. yet he was the proper Englishman trying to explain the situation on TV.. I loved it.. I WAS SO GLAD THEY STOOD UP IMELDA.. I was never a fan of hers.

I went to concert with my Aunt.. the stadium was mostly empty-- I DIDN'T CARE.. I had a better chance to see them!!! I was a Huge Paul then..
I was in school with Imelda's neice ... when I saw her in school I just laughed my head off.. as she was there at the Palace waiting..LOL..she knew what I thought about her aunt. mind you, we still remained 'good friends'!

The story I know was that when the Beatles arrived in the airport in Manila, they asked "where's your president". They want the Philippine president to personally fetch them at the airport since they are very popular. The people were so enraged with it. The police had to protect them from the people who were throwing stones bottles and anything to hurt them. Had the police not able to protect them, they would have been hurt badly or even died. The beatles, just like most celebrities, who want media attention, were just trying to make news by blowing another eye-opening remark, were successful in getting it, but it almost cost their lives. "We're more popular than Jesus " is another one that was very effective in making news.

this is rubbish! when the Beates 'arrived' in Manila they even didn't know 'who' Marcos was. Remember, this was 1966. Marcos just got into office-- HE NOR IMELDA WEREN'T EVEN NOTORIOUS-- YET.

they came just to do a concert-- then LEAVE, as they were only there for only one concert. If I remember correctly, they arrived late at night from Japan. why, they were sleeping till noon THEN AS IT TURNED OUT-- IMELDA WAS WAITING FOR THEM.. like a ROYAL COMMAND PERFORMANCE.


The Beatles weren't expecting much from the Phil.. I know-- I was an avid Beatles fan, I follewed their career.

the incident with people threw bottles at them was WHEN THEY WERE LEAVING & AFTER THIS IMELDA INCIDENT..

i WATCHED IT ALL ON TV-- NOT A PRETTY PICTURE.. NOT CIVILIZED.. THAT WAS NOT GOOD PR FOR PHIL,EITHER.. SORRY..

In this stance-- I side with the Beatles-- I did then & I still do. They have/had good reason for their prejudice.



by the way, then in the 60's-- THE BEATLES DID NOT NEED TO DO ANYTHING TO MAKE NEWS-- UNLIKE PRESENT DAY CELEBS.. THEY WERE THE NEWS-- THEY HAD TO HIDE.. TO KEEP THE PRESS AWAY FROM THEM.

In Japan though, they were feted & was there for 5 days-- a week, they were enthralled with that culture.. It must have made a great impression on John ,this was before he met Yoko.. it was a prologue for that love affair... as it was after returning to London... he met her at the Indica Gallery.

Yeah, reading some the new bios of individual Beatles-- amazing what they finally said about Phil-- even decades later.. I don't blame them.. they had/have good cause & reason.

PS: I came across John & Yoko at a West Hollywood restaurant in LA... funny, John immediately noticed me.. he certainly had an eye for Exotic females.. I'm mixed. In those days, Asians weren't rampant in these places.

I used to see Ringo & George on Rodeo Drive.. another time.. I was moonlighting working as receptionist for NBC daytime chat show-- John Davidson show.. ha... those were the days! the brother of Brian Epstein phoned.. Clive calling from Liverpool.. he was flushed I knew who he was, & I already had lived in London for 2 yrs... he was looking for Ringo who just got together with Barbara Bach. BOY! we had a long gossipy chat... he even invited me to see him in Liverpool when I returned to London.. Nice man.

shoot! In London when I lived in Primrose Hill-- I'd take this bus & it'd stop right in front of Paul's house in St John's wood.. had a great kick out of that. by then,though, Paul & Linda w/ their kids moved to Sussex.. & this is the House that 'praying mantis' Heather wanted to g et from the divorce.. she didn't succeed.

to explain: ringo & Barbara apeared on Davidson show to promote 'THE CAVEMEN" where they met. why clive phoned.

John Lennon noticed you? .......oh boy......and what did Yoko say?....was she jealous?.....and you're mixed? what's your other half?...latina? are you the same person as Latinoheat?

I'm so put the 'cue' in my comp is busted-- I really need to get this fixed.

moving right along.. to answer your -uestions..

we're going like 1973. funny, I was watching John & Yoko as they were in LA to promote their new album,those were early days of public television.. it was shot in Malibu & LIVE-- being interviewd by Eliot Mintz. this background is important.


after I watched this my bf asked me to go to Brasserie.. our usual hung-out on sunset by Sunset Plaza--( too bad this restaurant is now gone) I used to meet & see an awful LOT of celebs there. Around 9:30-- I was bored.. I wanted to leave, I stood by the entrance door, waiting for him to finish his beer...

THEN THE DOOR WIDELY OPENED-- I JUST STOOD NOT THINKING MUCH OF IT-- THIS CLOUD OF BLACK WID HAIR ALL IN WHITE ENTERED.. i THOUGHT... WAIT A MINUTE, i THOUGHT TO MYSELF.. IT'S YOKO.. MY HEART STOPPED. SOON FOLLOWED BY ELIOT.. THEY WERE TALKING... BOTH JUST IGNORED ME-- BY NOW, I WAS NAILED TO THE FLOOR.. HA.. HA... WAS THINKING... OH IT CAN'T BE... YES IT WAS..

JOHN LENNON.. ALSO ALL IN WHITE-- IN FACT THEY WERE BOTH WEARING CLOTHES THEY WORE ON TV.. & HE TURNED AROUND TO LOOK AT ME.. I forgot my BF.. as they went to back dining room.. overlooking Hollywood... there was a private room by the side.. so I saw my waitress pals. & i said.. DID YOU SEE WHO JUST WALKED IN??? we all giggled... agog.. by then, I was blase' with most celebs-- but this was different... I remembered being a kid in Manila w/ nuns telling me 'I'LL NEVER MEET NOR COME ACROSS THESE PEOPLE'..

AND HERE WE WERE.. we've only been..IN LA 3 yrs.9THEN). so the owner's wife let me hide in the private room.. as we sneaked peEks at t hem--I thought I was clever-- each time I looked.. John Was looking straight at me.. I'd go behind the curtain.. HE PLAYED PEEK A BOO..YOKO & mINTZ.. WERE STILL TALKING, IGNORING jOHN.. ha.. He's very funny... doesn't miss a trick. HE'D DO THIS EXAGERATED LOOK STRETCHING HIS NECK LOOKING ..& HIDING BEHIND THE MENU..

then after half hour of this-- I gave up--as they ordered their food.. enough playing peek a boo with John.. so I returned tot he bar where my bf was.. HE WAS LAUGHING HIS HEAD OFF.. SAID i SAW JOHN LENNON-- I FORGOT GOING HOME.. THEN HE ASKED.. WHERE WERE YOU?? TOLD HIM WHERE.. SAID RANDY WOODS CAME IN TO SAY HELLO TO JOHN..(WOODS OF VJ RECORDS WAS THE FIRST RECORD LABEL THAT RELEASED THE FIRST BEATLES LP IN US.. BEFORE CAPITAL RECORDS TOOK OVER-- HE RELEASED THE PLS PLS ME lp) & HE TOLD HIM... GET '(MY NAME) OUT OF MY MISERY-- INTRODUCE HER TO jOHN.. BUT HE COULDN'T FIND ME..

BOY! WAS I PISSED. HA....BF THOUGHT IT WAS ALL A JOKE.. I WAS NOT AMUSED. HE KEPT SAYING... WELL RANDY WAS LOOKING FOR YOU, ASKING WHERE IS SHE?? HE HAD TO LEAVE.. SO I MISSED OUT..

Oh I'm mainly Spanish with Chinese.. & Filipino. no, I'm not that person you mentioned.

ah, when he died.. that whole vignette came back to me-- & his silliness playing peek-a-boo..

soon after-- he & Yoko broke up-- what's known as his LOST WEEKEND.. CANOODLING WITH MAY PANG.. yoko chose her..

PS: this meeting was the start of a deep friendship between Mintz & the Lennons. He gave up his job-- became their publicist.. he was the one who announced outside the DAKOTA John got shot, then when he passed away.

He still works for Yoko.. boy, he looks so different now.Distinguished,even.

. When I saw him-- as he's short-- he wore the thickest platform shoes imaginable. ha.. & the widest bell-bottoms.. ha..

martin_nuke, you need to stfu

Ate Alexandra, maaari na kayong gumawa ng aklat tungkol dyan sa dami ng nalalaman nyo.

LOL.. BELIEVE IT OR NOT-- a lot of people have told me to do this. It even started when I lived in London. BUT.. I have reservations about it-- ONE CANNOT WRITE WITHOUT SEEMING A c@ck-EYED EGOMANIAC-- WHICH IS BORING! there's enough of those books around..I used to love reading those when a teen daydreaming-- now, I find those an utter bore.

But yes! I do have some stories-- I have met pretty much all my heart throbs as a kid in Manila.. big finger to those horrid nuns!!!

As soon as I rrived from Manila--I met Janis Joplin, smothers Bros.. I was screaming at this guys ear-- THAT'S NOT JIM MORRISON.. turned out HE WAS! I realized it when I saw film THE DOORS-- he was fat & bloated & so very drunk... just as well-- I was screaWOOD ming.. he just looked at me senseless.. I was competing with the jukebox. oh well, I was expecting the ROCK god.. slim ,in leather & oh so slim-- HE WASN'T.. few mos later?? HE WAS DEAD.

Yeah.. I do have a ot of stories-- I've been very lucky-- we came to LA at the right time, there were still of the OLD GUARD TRUE HOLLYWOOD STARS AROUND.. NOW MOST OF THEM ARE GONE.

A few yrs ago this woman came up to me at the supermarket-- we struck up a chat & told me-- I really want you to meet my husband... he turned out to be PETER FONDA.. she introduced me-- eyed my Hilary for Prez t-shirt( I just did d my walkies)-- this was in 1998-- & he drawled 'you're my kind of gal' geez, I thought-- how funny was that?!

I don't take these things seriously.. I just laughed!

Past is Past... quit b!tching! It was the 60's man...

John and George are dead... Paul's love life is a mess and Ringo is a hermit...

So what if they snubbed the first family... that family is pretty much fu-ked up anyway!... The Philippines was one of the richest asian countries back then until those fu-kers take hold of the seat... it was like a dynasty that influenced the next generation to fu-k up!...

If you looked into the past... don't just b!tch on it (or cry)... LEARN FROM IT!...

Hendrix Rocks Beatles Suck

bravo.. BREGO.

I have this bio on the Marcoses' 'THE MARCOS DYNASTY' wh I got as soon as it was published.. written by STERLING SEAGRAVE an American with great knowledge & experience with Phil-Am politics. Such interesting 'reading.. I TELL YOU-- NOT A PRETTY PICTURE. WITH AMERICA Nor Phil officials-- not just Marcos. I like this book as it's objective-- I find when written by a filipino- their emotions get n the way.

YES, TRUE-- PHIL WAS A FAIRLY PREGRESSIVE SO EASTERN COUNTRY when I grew up there-- it started to 'fall apart' when Marcos took power.. WE ALL KNEW( my family anyway) HE WAS AFTER ABSOLUTE POWER even during his first term.That family & their cronies did enormous harm to that country-- THEY BROUGHT IT BACK TO THE STONE AGES! ( I can't believe the same shanty towns have gotten worst & most with no improvement since we left-- & that was decades ago!)

gosh, can you just imagine--IF ALL THAT US REPARATIONS WERE INDEED SPENT TO IMPROVE THAT COUNTRY??! IT'LL GIVE BALI, THE CARIBBEAN ETC A RUN FOR THEIR TOURISTS DESTINATIONS! it'll even be as modern as Japan!!!

AS FOR THE BEATLES??/ THEIR LEGACY LIVES ON... IT'S THE MUSIC.........THEIR PLACE IN POPULAR 20TH CENTURY WILL BE FOREVER...

as for Marcos?? what??? A DESPOT! WITH HIS NEUROTIC WANNABEE WIFEY SINGING AWAY-- JUst Like CARLOTTA WHEN MAXIMILIAN MET HIS FIRING S-UAD.. In Mexico. only a footnote in a long list of despots..

the worst thing Phil did was-- ALLOW THE MARCOSES' RETURN TO PHIL.. after that--IT'S BE A LAUGHINGSTOCK on the world stage.

ps: I saw Ninoy A at Manila Airport the afternoon we left-- at VIP lounge-- they ( him with the rest of his Party) were sitting at the next table .

shoot: sorry..

progressive

20th century popular culture..

OH RINGO IS NOT A HERMIT.. NOT AT ALL!!! I'm so amazed he & barbara are still married. they live in tax-free MONTE CARLO. His son with Maureen, Zak their eldest-- is drummer to the WHO..
Now, his first wife Maureen have passed away from some awful illness.. She remarried to Peter Morton the founder of the HARD ROCK CAFE'.


gEORGE'S W IDOW OLIVIA W/ THEIR SON DHANI STILL Live AT THAT 16TH CENTURY MONASTERY IN KINGSTON.. She's busy with her charity work. Her main work are for those displaced children in bosnia & other Baltic states.

Yoko is now positively distinguished.. still busy... she recently went to Liverpool to unveil John's childhood home as a National Trust treasure. It's now a museum.She also preserves the 'real' STRAWBERRY FIELDS'.

PAUL IS PAUL.. who now composes classical music... the last time he was conducting the Royal Phil Orchestra. HE STILL CANNOT 'READ' MUSIC!

of all the Beatles-- Ringo is the least rich bec he never really did any composing.

then there's 1970... a portentious year in the POP-Rock world-- 3 MAJOR DEMIGODS MET THEIR UNTIMELY DEATHS..

JANIS(who I saw & even briefly spoke to night before she died) Jim Morrison.. (BOTH i CaME ACROSS AT BARNEY'S ON STA MONICA)
THEN jIMI hENDRIX..

interesting........ then Rolling Stone was some cheap,inky newspaper from San Francisco.. they descended at Barney after Janis died. I kept seeing them. who would have known then-- it'll become such an institution?! crikey!

Janis.. she was a character & a half-- at first I was deathly afraid of her.. she cussed like a drunken sailor.. & here I was newly arrived from Phil.. just escaping the duh grasped of those nuns to the dives of Hollywood... I still have a huge laugh out of that one. what a dichotomy of opposites-- if there's ever one. yet there was still an 'innocence'-- compared to today?? we were babes & innocents..

so my bf-- introduced me.. she just ignored me, barely looked at me..she was cussing, slurping these glasses of southern comfort.. my bf was buying the drinks! & his eyes popping at the bar tab.. he poked me to speak to her.. so haltingly.... i slowly spoke to tell how much My pals & I loved her LP KOZMIC BLUES.. & we did,too.. she forgot this bf who s tood her up(hence the cussing & she all fresh & bathed,too-- ha... she usually looked so funky) etc.. she FOCUSED AT ME.. & GAVE ME A HUGE BEAR HUG MY BF ALMOST FELL OFF THE BAR STOOL.... Just like that.. JANIS WAS A SWEETIE. she wanted to know all about me-- so I told her, we loved her in Phil & how we played hookey to listen to her songs.. she loved that.. then she said-- she's recording a new album.. PEARL.. & I'll love it.. she's so proud of this.

ah... Janis... when it came to her music-- she forgot everything. my Bf was duly impressed... he said.. geez! why I chased her when I saw her leaving Barney's for that one last time......... she remembered my name... she yelled out... hiya... my name assured me all was well with Pearl.


Janis... I will always remember her standing by the entrance of Barney's when she heard me calling out her name..& stopped... looking so alone.. vulnerabe...

You're right Brego. I hope I was born before Marcos and experienced the glory days. He institutionalized corruption and is still widely followed up to today. His descendants are still in politics and people still vote for them. They never learn. Now I'm here in America to survive. If I could only do something, but I don't have a talent.

Yeah, have to step on them many times.

He he... here's a story I remembered from my father. When he was younger, he used to be a supervisor on the grounds of NAIA for an international carrier; and has frequent brushes with famous artists back then:

At the airport (I can't remember if arrival or departure), the group snubbed the garlands being placed on them. Finding the gesture arrogant, my father and his colleagues (although Beatles fans, even up to now) decided to throw things (bottles, etc., I can't remember as well) at them. And thus started the furor - riot rather - at the airport with the Beatles.

It's hard to tell they all look alike.

Actually George Harrison eventually became a Christian and was a really nice person. I always thought of him as the spiritual Beatle.

Gotta admire the Beatles, I mean takes guts to keep it real and not play humanitarian after you've been mugged and stoned by the public after refusing to play at the dictator's birthday party. Its the Beatles, it'd be hypocritical after they composed the song "Revolution" but end up singing to a tyrant anyway, they're musicians not musician types.

Seriously, this happened so long ago and at the time when the Beatles were still boys at 1964. It was a different time were opinions were strongly advised, and what is considered "Politically correct" didn't exist as a practice to hamper what you had to say to the public, they were young rockstars not statesmen or leaders. Hardly anyone was bothered what they said about the Philippines in the 60's, Filipinos didn't stop listening to their music then why should it bother us today? We all know the Beatles personalities changed drastically and they turned out to be very important peace advocates when they grew older.

the Beatles performed in Manila on 4TH JULY 1966. they were only there for like 2 & half days-- more like a stopover.

The Beatles decided after their first visit in US and the British embassy invited them & they went in 1964-- they Felt like clowns on show-- they hated it.. so they told Brian Epstein... NEVER AGAIN. So I wasn't surprised Epstein would turn down Imelda's invite.. BUT IMELDA DOES NOT T AKE NO FOR AN ANSWER.

As for George-- he became a Hindu-- he was a follower of Hare Krishna.. he had them living with him at his estate in Kingston. He did charity concerts for Bangladesh in the 70's.

here's a fun tidbit:: after this Beatles debacle-- THE ROLLING STONES CAME SOON AFTER(within weeks) & performing at Araneta Col. The Stones were invited or should I say summoned to the Palace-- & the Stones to avoid anymore unpleasantness went-- those were the days when you can do that--- there's a pic of a young Bong2 showing Mick his train set?? mind you--- Imelda didn't make a fuss, having a huge tea like the Beatles.

I remember when Araneta first opened-- we used to go often-- saw Neil Sedaka, Paul Anka, Pat Boone, Peter & Gordon, Dave Clark5.. so many... only the Beatles appeared at a stadium.

Only yesterday I was browsing the "Marcos Revolution" a several hundred page long piece of high quality propaganda. There were no pics of any bands at all, but only of the Mackoy with George Hamilton, Deng Xiaoping and various other dictators. It's from 1980, so probably bit later than your memories. Seagraves is good, you should also read the "Lords of the Rim" and their book on Yama$hita's Gold.

oh an awful lot of BIG WESTERN PERFORMERS came to Manila in mid-60's... as soon as Araneta opened. the only ones who didn't were Elvis & Sinatra.

on the other hand-- Imelda invited the Stones to Palace to prove her point after her self-inflicted slight from the Beatles.

you can tell-- the Stones weren't so Huge yet-- it was front page of Manila Times.. Mick on the floor with Bong2 witht his train set. Bet in hidsight, Mick was later embarrassed by this episode-- why you'll never see this pic in any Stone bio. But I saw it.

an after thought: got that Marcos Dynasty-- luckily, I was in Vancouver at that time visiting my family from London & this book just got released. I think-- this book maybe out of print now, but you can still those out of print book shops easier now with the internet. so try. I also have that Imelda Pedrosa book-- ah.. ok.. nothing great. I find it's hardly objective.

In London during that Marcos ousting. & after-- geez! the British press really wrote in depth reports on Marcos' & Phil politics & the poverty from that era.. NOT pretty. the British press were tough.. & they were brutal ( after all, they do it to themselves) they went into the nitty gritty in such a way the US press didn't even report.. stuff I read in the TELEGRAPH & the London Times.. England have/had like 6-8 daily newspapers & more for sunday-- I read them all. Another that had great reports was the Daily & Sunday Mail.. good read.. juicy!

BBC did several documentaries & one about Pinay Order Brides. following 3 ladies in Phil-- & 3 Brit guys.. before they met.. I kept screaming at telly the 2 Brits were Yabbos.. not good, nasty... sure enough .. those 2 Pinays were hurt & one was passed around. But they stayed on in England to earn for their families-- I hope they're ok now.

the group had some animosity with the Marcoses

The Beatles heard an (earlier) interview of Imelda mentioning that she like the "Rolling Stones" better than them. And Imelda totally forgot about that interview before the Beatle's arrival to the Philippines when she invited them to the palace.

Bad timing and situation for both (pride-hurt) partys, although it did really hurt the Philippine's tourist industry.