John: "If I had said television is more popular than Jesus, I might have got away with it, but I just happened to be talking to a friend and I used the words "Beatles" as a remote thing, not as what I think - as Beatles, as those other Beatles like other people see us. I just said "they" are having more influence on kids and things than anything else, including Jesus. But I said it in that way which is the wrong way."

Reporter: "Some teenagers have repeated your statements - "I like the Beatles more than Jesus Christ." What do you think about that?"

 

John: "Well, originally I pointed out that fact in reference to England. That we meant more to kids than Jesus did, or religion at that time. I wasn't knocking it or putting it down. I was just saying it as a fact and it's true more for England than here. I'm not saying that we're better or greater, or comparing us with Jesus Christ as a person or God as a thing or whatever it is. I just said what I said and it was wrong. Or it was taken wrong. And now it's all this."
Reporter: "But are you prepared to apologize?" John (thinking that he just had): "I wasn't saying whatever they're saying I was saying. I'm sorry I said it really. I never meant it to be a lousy anti-religious thing. I apologize if that will make you happy. I still don't know quite what I've done. I've tried to tell you what I did do but if you want me to apologize, if that will make you happy, then OK, I'm sorry."

 

Brian talks to the press about possible tour date cancellations.

The press generally printed that Lennon had apologized, a planned second bonfire of records was called off, and no Beatles performances were cancelled. But the whole episode left a dark cloud over the public as far as the Beatles were concerned, and the upcoming tour would be their last.

 

John talks about his fear of touring again.


Postscript: Radio Station KLUE in Longview, Texas, one of the stations which organised the public bonfires of Beatles records on August 13, was knocked off the air the next morning when a bolt of lightning struck their transmission tower, causing extensive damage to their radio equipment, and according to the book Beatles In Their Own Words edited by Pearce Marchbank, knocking their news director unconscious.

In Skywriting by Word of Mouth, John writes:

"My life with the Beatles had become a trap… I always remember to thank Jesus for the end of my touring days; if I hadn't said that the Beatles were 'bigger than Jesus' and upset the very Christian Ku Klux Klan, well, Lord, I might still be up there with all the other performing fleas! God bless America. Thank you, Jesus."

What's funny right now to me is that little does porkmarras realize that this very incident could be played up and incorporated into his own prime directive that Americans are idiots.

When Lennon first made his comments to The Daily Mirror, Brits took no notice of them; it was only after the remarks were republished in the Teen DATEbook magazine that the anti-Beatles furor in (primarily) the southern United States began.

let's see

US government kept detailed surveillance on John lennon a musician and activist.
They kept detailed srveillance on Martin Luther King Jr., a minister and social activist
They keep an open FBI file on my mom and dad for being members of the Puerto Rican nationalist party, a socialist party. My mopm was a professional secretary, and my father was an Episcopal Reverend. They would harrass my parents, showing uyp at our house in Puerto Rico, anytime they had more than 4 or 5 people over. I saw them with my own eyes stop and harass my mom for having a Bingo game with the naighborhood ladies. we have had our phones tapped and mail searched.

hell FUCK yeah the FBI kept close tabs on John lennon.