The negotiations between Robert Kerridge of Kerridge Odeon in Auckland, Aztec Services (Kenn Brodziak) in Melbourne, their London agent Cyril Berlin of The Grade Organisation and Brian Epstein were by telegram (many reproduced in the 2024 book).
[1] On the morning of 3 June 1964, the day before the tour was to begin, Ringo Starr fell ill during a photo session.
During rehearsals, when the Beatles asked Nicol how he was doing, his answer was always "It's getting better"; this phrase later inspired McCartney's song "Getting Better" from the 1967 album Sgt.
Years later, Nicols said that he would have done the tour for free, but Epstein offered him £2,500 per performance and a £2,500 bonus.
On the return journey on the plane he was very sad, feeling "like a bastard child rejected by his new family".