On Saturday May 11, 1968, John Lennon and Paul McCartney flew together to the USA for the first time since the Beatles' final concert tour in August 1966. Their purpose this time, though, was quite different. Staying in New York and wearing their businessmen hats, they went to officially unveil the group's Apple Corps venture via a series of interviews with the "serious" press (all day at the St. Regis Hotel on Monday the 13th), a press conference (1:30pm at the Americana Hotel on Tuesday the 14th) and an appearance on NBC-TVs "The Tonight Show" (later this same day). They also had an Apple business meeting aboard a Chinese "Junk" sailing around the Statue Of Liberty (the afternoon of Sunday the 12th).

John and Paul's appearance on "The Tonight Show" was taped in Studio 6B at NBC's 30 Rockefeller Center early on Tuesday evening May 14th for screening a few hours later. In New York it went out from 12:00 midnight to 1:00am, and the two Beatles watched it back at their residence for these few days in New York: the apartment of lawyer Nat Weiss, Brian Epstein's principal business partner in the United States, at 181 East 73rd Street.

In the absence of the famous host of "The Tonight Show" Johnny Carson, this edition was hosted by the retired major league baseball player Joe Garagiola, who was somewhat surprisingly at a loss for questions to put to the two Beatles in what was, after all, the first appearance either had made on a U.S. television talk show. And the situation wasn't exactly helped along by the shared presence on the "Tonight" sofa of Tallulah Bankhead, the 66-year-old gravel-voiced actress who didn't seem too kindly disposed to being upstaged by the young men at her side. (She was the show's first guest, before John and Paul came on). All in all, it was a somewhat disappointing appearance, reportedly watched in stony silence by John and Paul a few hours later back in the comfort of Nat Weiss's apartment.

John and Paul flew back to London during the night of Wednesday May 15th, arriving early morning on Thursday the 16th. It was an important time for The Beatles. The group had just returned from meditation in India, they were currently announcing their new company Apple Corps, and upon John and Paul's return to London from New York, would soon begin the recording sessions for "The White Album".

The first few seasons of Johnny Carson's "Tonight Show" no longer exist in the NBC vaults. Unfortunately, many videotapes were 'reused' by NBC in the fifties and sixties, including Carson's earliest seasons. Therefore this 1968 Lennon and McCartney appearance is truly a lost interview.

Presented here is the only autographed item to have ever surfaced from the Lennon and McCartney May 1968 "Apple Promotion" visit to New York City (other than their autographs found on the office door of Nat Weiss along with many other rock musicians). The signatures are on an original May 14, 1968 NBC "The Tonight Show" Program Production Sheet (page two, segments 11 through 19)listing the schedule of the show, the Guests (including that of comedian Soupy Sales who had appeared on the same bill with The Beatles for the August 1965 live taping of "The Ed Sullivan Show") and the commercial sponsors breaks.

Measuring 8½" X 7", (original size of the page was 8½ X 11" prior to being excised at the bottom) John and Paul have signed boldly in graphite pencil, ON THE BLANK "NOTES" LEFT SIDE PAGE, DIRECTLY ADJACENT FROM THEIR NAMES BEING LISTED ON THE SHOW LIST. John HAS addED "To Jo an", for whom the page was signed (HER friend was one of the NBC cameramen for "The Tonight Show") and whose very detailed Letter of Provenance accompanies the Production Sheet. The Sheet is in very fine condition, remaining bright and white with simply two spots of aging that do not hinder or interfere with the excellent, crisp autographs.

Reproduced photographs from this actual program, are included. And as an added bonus is a copy of the transcribed text of this lost American network television appearance from May 14, 1968 of John Lennon and Paul McCartney on NBC's "The Tonight Show".

ACCOMPANIED BY LIFETIME LETTER OF AUTHENTICITY FROM FRANK CAIAZZO.