Eric Clapton listens to Sgt Peppers, with the Beatles

"I used to hang out a lot at a club called the Speakeasy, in Margaret Street. This was a musicians' club run by Laurie O'Leary, who had previously managed Esmeralda's Barn for the Krays, and his brother Alphi. Everybody went there and jammed with whoever was the resident band that night. It was at the Speakeasy, around this time that I had my first LSD trip. I was in the club with my girlfriend Charlotte, when the Beatles came in with an acetate of their new album, Sgt Peppers' Lonely Hearts Club Band. The Monkees arrived and shortly afterwards someone in the club started handing out these pills, which he said were called STP. I had no idea what that was but somebody explained that it was superstrong acid, which would last for several days. We all took it, except for Charlotte, who we both agreed should stay straight in case of any emergency, and shortly after that, George gave the DJ the acetate to play. Even though I was not overawed in the least by the Beatles, I was aware that this was a very special moment in time for anyone that was there. Their music had been gradually evolving over the years, and this album was expected by everybody to be their masterpiece. It was also supposedly written under the influence of acid, so it was an amazing experience to be listening to it in the condition we were in. They also begun to explore Indian mysticism, perhaps as a result of George's influence, and at some point the chanting of 'Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare' began to be heard in the club. The acid gradually took effect, and soon we were all dancing to the sounds of 'Lucy In The Sky' and 'A Day In The Life'. I have to admit I was pretty moved by the whole thing.
At about six in the morning we piled out into the street, where there was a huge gathering of policemen waiting on the other side of the road. There seemed to be hundreds of them. Maybe someone had tipped them off that the Beatles were inside getting stoned, who knows. The point was, they seemed frozen, unable to move. John came out of the Speakeasy with Lulu on his arm and as he did so, his beautiful hand-painted Rolls-Royce came around the corner. It pulled up outside the club, and as he got into it, he gave the police the V-sign, and it was as if there was a force field all around them. They stood there paralysed, and we all just took off. I stayed high for three more days."
- in 'Eric Clapton: The Autobiography'

Eric Clapton meets The Beatles

"Hanging out backstage of the Odeon was where i had my first meeting with the Beatles. Paul played the ambassador, coming out to meet us and saying hello. I remember him playing us the tune of 'Yesterday', which was half written and asking everyone what they thought. He didn't have the words. He was calling it 'Scrambles Eggs', and singing, 'Scrambled Eggs... Everybody calls me scrambled eggs'. George and I hit it off right away. He seemed to like that I did, and we talked shop a lot. He showed me his collection of Gretsch guitars, and I showed him my light-gauge strings which I always bought from a shop called Clifford Essex on Earlham Street. I gave him some, and this was the start of a long friendship; although not for a while, since the Beatles were then in another world to us. They were stars who were climbing fast.
My meeting with John was a little different. One night I was on the Tube, travelling to Hammersmith for one of the shows, and I got talking to an elderly American woman. She was lost and was asking me for directions. She asked me what I did and where I was going, and I told her I was going to play guitar in a concert with the Beatles. 'The Beatles?' she said, astonished, and asked, 'Can I come along?' 'If you want to, I'll try and get you in', I replied. When we arrived at the Odeon, I told the stage manager she was a friend of mine and took her off to the Beatles' dressing room, which was on the same level as the stage. They were getting ready to go on but they took a moment and were really friendly and polite to her. But when we got to John, and I introduced her, he made a face of mock boredom and started doing wanking movements inside his coat. I was really shocked, and quite offended, because I felt responsible for this harmless little old lady, and in a sense of course, he was insulting me. I got to know John quite well later in our lives, and we were friends I suppose, but I was always aware that he was capable of doing some pretty weird stuff."
- in 'Eric Clapton: The Autobiography'