The great Jelly Baby mystery

[valerieinthegallery]

Well, did George and the other Beatles really like Jelly Babies or didn't they? This handwritten letter from George to a lucky fan suggests that his notorious reference to the sweets, which resulted in the band being pelted with Jelly Babies (or the much harder jelly beans in the USA), was just a joke...

http://beatlesautographs.com/george_harrison.htm

*I'm eating Jelly Babies as I type this, but the modern ones are very different from the 1960s version!*

More info here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jelly_baby

[beatlebangs1964]

Hey Val, please quote the letter as well.

Thanks for posting this!

Jelly Babies were shaped like little humanoids and were soft. Their American counterpart, jelly beans were hard. Any time a Beatle said he liked something, he could count on his fans giving it to him in excess.

[valerieinthegallery]

Here's the text of George's letter, written on the notepaper of the Palace Court Hotel, Bournemouth, in August 1963:

"Dear Boote,

Thanks for your letter. I'm glad you like "She Loves You" (we hope you buy it!)

Actually I, or any of the others for that matter, dont like Jelly Babies, and the press must have made it up themselves!

I think we are in London more than Liverpool these days, because of Radio and Recording etc...

We dont mind girls screaming in the noisy numbers, but I think we would prefer them to be quieter in the slow songs.

I dont think you are too old to write fan letters.

As far as I know, we are not on the State Kilburn, but we are on the Albert Hall.

I am sorry I have got to write this letter like "Question Time", but I haven't enough time to answer properly, so I hope you dont mind.

Cheerio for now,

Love from

George Harrison XXX"

We'll probably never know who "Boote" was, or indeed how old he/she was, but I think that's a very sweet letter!

[the ninth walrus]

one of my trading cards did say the U.S jelly babies were harder than the ones from the U.K so maybe they liked the U.K ones

[beatlebangs1964]

Thank you, Val! :smile1: :thumbu2:

You bring such joy to Crackerbox Palace, we've been expecting you.... :smile1:

[george_on_cloud9]

So he didn't like Jelly Babies???


Hm...

[valerieinthegallery]

I know. Another illusion brutally shattered.

:cry3:

[beatlebangs1964]

I never liked jelly beans of any kind and now I see I am in good company.

Give me a good Snickers any day!

[valerieinthegallery]

More evidence that neither George not the other Beatles liked Jelly Babies! It comes in the form of a 1963 letter from George to fan Lynn Smith:

Dear Lynn

Your boyfriend’s wrong isn’t he...

The easiest thing for me to do, is to write all the answers to your questions altogether.

First of all, we have ALL got leather overcoats!

The version of the story of how John, Paul and I met, which you have read, (buses and chips and Germany), is the real one.

I sing in the chorus, and on every other line of ’She Loves You’, i.e. I saw her yesterday - and she told me what to say, etc. and the harmony which suddenly appears in the middle part of ’I’ll Get You’ (singing wrong words, if you listen closely).

The general public always seems to think that John, Paul and I shove Ringo at the back, don’t let him sing, smile, or do anything, which is not very true, as we are always telling him to sing and talk on Radio & stage, and we even suggested him singing and dancing (as he can do all the dances) at the front of the stage, and either Paul or I would drum for one number, but Ringo wouldn’t do it, as I think he was a bit scared.

We wear as much make up on stage as is required, depending on the size of the Theatre and the lights, etc..

Anyway I must finish now so cheerio, thanks for your letter.

Love from George Harrison

P.S. We don’t like jelly babies, or fruit gums for that matter, so think how we feel standing on stage trying to dodge the stuff, before you throw some more at us. Couldn’t you eat them yourself, besides it is dangerous. I was hit in the eye once with a boiled sweet, and it’s not funny!"

:laugh5:

[beatlebangs1964]

Yeah, I read that in 1963 at a concert in Leeds, England some over-enthusiastic kook threw an apple and hit poor George in the eye. No wonder George didn't like it when people acted a fool at their concerts! It could get positively dangerous!

[valerieinthegallery]

BB, I was in Leeds yesterday. The Odeon cinema, where the Beatles played on 3rd November 1963, closed down in 2001. The building it occupied is now a clothing store - I actually bought a couple of items in the same physical space once occupied by the Fab Four!

http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd293/AliceShortcake/leedsbeatles.jpg

http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd293/AliceShortcake/oldleedsodeon.jpg

They also played two gigs at the Rialto Cinema - now sadly demolished - here in York.

[beatlebangs1964]

What a cool story, Val! Thanks for the info and update of the former Odeon!

11/3/63 was a Sunday.