Shapiro spent a week in Poland. According to the archival article in "Przekrój", she was sick during that time so doctors told her not to smoke, which apparently she had been doing since the age of thirteen. Apparently twice during concerts in Warsaw she had to flee from youngsters who stormed the stage dancing. Fragment of the interview Lucjan Kydryński conducted with the singer:
- (Shapiro) (...) What surprised me the most in Poland was the fact that boys and even men around twenty years of age show such a hot, well, temperament. In our country, even at the loudest concerts - e.g. the Beatles' - all these hysterical screams and laps around the stage are made by girls aged 13-14. The boys are calmer, more mature.
- (Kydryński) Many older people who came to your concerts complained that both bands played too loudly and that the shouting in the hall made it impossible for them to listen to the concert.
- (Shapiro) Their complaints are certainly valid! I'm just surprised that older people are interested in this type of events at all. After all, we are focused solely on the repertoire and youth style; what we do on stage - we do for young people. In England, older people generally don't come to the Beatles', Cliff Richard's or even my concerts. They have their favorite artists who in turn bore or irritate the youth.
As for the shouting and squealing? For many young people, that's what the fun is all about, they just come to have a good time that way.
Link to the article:
przekroj.pl/archiwum/artykuly/31412
Songs in the film: "Walking Back To Happiness" and "You Don't Know".
Clip taken from the Polish Film Chronicle: 35mm.online/en/vod/chronicles/polish-film-chronicle-64-42b
The same footage published by British Pathé without commentary: • Helen Shapiro In Polan...
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