"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'
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'
