Imelda claims she had nothing to do with the Beatles fiasco.

1966 was the year the English rock band The Beatles made a promise to never return to the Philippines. And they have remained true to their word.

But what really transpired during the Beatles’ Manila concert tour?

Actually, there are two versions of the story, and we’ll start with the one that most people, including Beatles historians, believe.

Flashback to July 3, 1966, the Beatles had just arrived in the Philippines, the second stop of their World Tour.

Prior to that, promoter Ramon Ramos of the Cavalcade International Promotions sent a wire to the Beatles’ manager Brian Epstein while the group was still in Tokyo. Ramos informed them about the courtesy call on Mrs. Marcos that would take place as soon as they arrive in the Philippines.

He received no reply, but assumed acceptance so he finalized the schedule of the said courtesy call. And this is when all the horror started.

First Lady Imelda Marcos prepared well for the luncheon, expecting that the rock band would attend the event. She even invited hundreds of people including senators, congressmen, cabinet secretaries, and other VIPs. But everything ended in disappointment when the Beatles refused to show up.

The Beatles composed of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr performed Live in Manila on July 4, 1966 at the Rizal Memorial Football Stadium. Front Acts: Reycard Duet, Wing Duo, Lemons Three, Eddie Reyes and D’Downbeats, Dale Adriatico and Pilita Corrales. Source: www.philippineconcerts.com

The next day, July 4, 1966, the Beatles had their two concerts at the Rizal Memorial Stadium. Nothing unusual happened, although the group performed only 10 songs which lasted for less than 30 minutes.

All hell broke loose when they were about to leave Manila the next day. Irked by the seemingly cold response of the group to her invitation, Imelda Marcos reportedly turned the Beatles’ departure into a total chaos. When the group reached Manila Airport, no one bothered to help them with their luggage, the escalator was turned off, and all VIP privileges were removed.

Worse, the Beatles and their entourage was “jostled, kicked and punched as they made their way to the departure gate for their KLM flight to London.” Their manager was also forced to surrender $17,000 cash to the Bureau of Internal Revenue before they were able to leave.

Needless to say, it was a traumatic experience for the “Fab Four.” Such was the impact of the 1966 Manila tour that they decided to terminate all of their live performances afterwards, paving the way for their ‘studio years.’

But Imelda Marcos begs to differ.

In a statement published in the Philippine Star, Marcos points out that the Beatles fiasco was a result of miscommunication, and that she and the First Family had nothing to do with it. She also claims that when she heard that the group was being mishandled by disappointed Filipinos at the airport, “I immediately ran to the airport to have it stopped.”

“I would never dream of hurting the world’s No. 1 band”, she added. “Whatever motivated the people to treat them that way was not my doing. They could have done it out of sympathy and I think it was wrong. I abhor violence.”