77516607007 The nightElvis Presleyplayed withThe Beatlesis fondly remembered as the most epic jam in the history of rock 'n' roll. That is, if it actually happened. What is certain is that Elvis politely hosted the Fab Four at his Bel Air home on Aug. 27, 1965, whenJohn Lennon,Paul McCartney,George HarrisonandRingo Starrwere in Los Angeles to perform two shows at the Hollywood Bowl. Elvis, looking every inch a rock god, greeted the quartet with his future wifePriscilla Beaulieuand his "Memphis Mafia" inner circle at his side. "The Beatles were in awe, and I can say that because they told me that the next day,"Jerry Schilling, Elvis' longtime friend, tells USA TODAY, while discussingthe new Elvis collection "Sunset Boulevard,"which spans Presley's LA studio sessions from 1970 to 1975. "But it got kind of quiet" after they were ushered into the den. Elvis sat on the couch, holding his Fender bass guitar, as the four shaggy-haired Beatles stood and sat uneasily. Then Elvis announced, "If you guys are going to look at me all night, I'm going to bed," Schilling, 83, recalls. "Everyone burst out laughing and that broke the ice. Not that there was any cold ice at all. I don't care what anyone says, I was there, it was a great night." By all accounts,Charlie Rich's "Mohair Sam,"one of Elvis' favorite songs of the moment, was playing on repeat. George went off with Larry Geller, Elvis' hairstylist, and "there was probably some grass going on," Schilling says, pausing for a beat. "Let me be honest, there was." Starr and Schilling took on Beatles roadie Mal Evans and Elvis' cousin Billy Smith in a game of pool. But what happened next is hotly debated. Did The Beatles jam with Elvis? Lennon later claimedthey did,as did PriscillaandBeatles press officer Tony Barrow, who recalls everyone playing The Beatles'"I Feel Fine,"among other songs. Music journalist Chris Hutchins,who witnessed the meeting, wrote that McCartney gave Elvis tips on bass as Presley played along withCilla Black's "You're My World." The day after the encounter, Harrison told radio reporter Larry Kane, "We were playing electric guitarsand playing records and watching TV," while McCartney described a pleasant evening spent "rock 'n' rolling, playing the instruments, a bit of billiards, a bit of roulette." Bafflingly, 30 years later, in "The Beatles Anthology" documentary, Harrison, McCartney and Starrcouldn't recall playing with Presley. Joe Esposito, Elvis' road manager, who also believed the jam session took place, acknowledged in an interview with "Elvis Australia" that recollections of the night vary. "We've all gotten older.All our memories are different.And maybe when you read things or believe certain things you read, which you know are not true, eventually they become real." As for Schilling, "I feel pretty strongly about what happened and what didn't happen," he tells USA TODAY. "If there was a jam session, I would have been the first one to look at it," he says, but acknowledges it may have taken place. "Maybe there was something I didn't see. I would say it would be the worst mistake I ever made if I said it didn't happen." 3176503001 The evening ended with Lennon extending an invitation to Presley and his entourage to visit The Beatles at the house where they were staying. Schilling dropped by, where Lennon introduced him toJoan Baezand famously asked Schilling to tell Elvis that he would have been nothing without him, because Lennon "didn't have the nerve" to share the sentiment with Elvis the night before. Schilling recalls Presley receiving the heartfelt message with "that same little boy smile" of pride he had after recording "How Great Thou Art." In the end, Schilling spent two more days with The Beatles and rode with them to the Hollywood Bowl when "I realized, uh-oh, I'm really not doing my job with Elvis. So I get a car and go back home. I'm probably the only guy in history who goes as a guest of The Beatles and didn't see the show." Was Elvis upset that his friend disappeared to hang out with The Beatles? "He had to know," Schilling figures. "I don't care how nice or how great artists are, they all have a certain survival ego that's probably understandable. He never questioned me on it, never brought it up, never was angry about it. "Quite contrary to everybody, Elvis did like The Beatles and recorded (a number) of their songs," he says, including "Yesterday," "Hey Jude" and "Something." And perhaps more tellingly, the King of Rock 'n' Roll also covered"Never Been to Spain,"which includes the lyric, "I kinda like The Beatles," Schilling points out. "He went on tape with that." This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Did Elvis jam with The Beatles in 1965? The answer is complicated