<Li> 1966 tour of Germany, Japan and the Philippines </Li> <Li> 1966 US tour </Li> <P> The Beatles staged their third concert tour of America in August 1966, and it was the last commercial tour they would ever undertake . Lasting a total of 19 performances, with 17 shows in American venues and two in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, it was plagued with backlash regarding the controversy of John Lennon's remark about the band being "more popular than Jesus", death threats, and the band's own dissatisfaction with the noise levels and their ability to perform live . Although it was a commercial success, ticket sales had noticeably declined in number . After the tour, they would become a studio band and focused exclusively on record production . </P> <P> In March 1966, Maureen Cleave interviewed John Lennon and the rest of the Beatles as part of a London Evening Standard series on the theme "How Does a Beatle Live?" During the Lennon interview at Kenwood, Cleave noted Lennon's interest in Christianity and religions, to which he replied: </P>

When did the beatles stop touring and why