Fab Four Blog

Nothing really happened today.

Studio One, BBC Piccadilly Studios, London

In a little over three years since their initial broadcast, the Beatles had had outgrown the desire or need to record music sessions exclusively for broadcast on BBC Radio, and this, their 52nd music program contribution - was also the last. Transmitted in the Light Program as a "bank Holiday" special on Whit Monday, June 7 (10:00 am-12:15 pm, 15 minutes longer than usual), it went under the new title The Beatles (Invite You To Take A Ticket To Ride). From Us To You was no longer an appropriate name considering the progression of the group's music since spring 1963, and the Beatles had offered to think of a replacement. Their final unimaginative decision indicates the degree of importance they now attached to this type of engagement.

The session took place between 2:30 and 6:00 pm (inclusive of rehearsal time) during which they taped seven numbers, "Ticket To Ride", (used twice in the prorgam, faded end), "Everybody's Trying To Be My Baby", "I'm A Loser", "She's A Woman". They also engaged in idle jocularity with the host, musician and broadcaster Denny Piercy, but the general feeling among listeners when surveyed later by the BBC was, after all, their own show. (As usual, there were a host of guest artists to pad out the 135 minutes.)

During a meeting with BBC radio executives on March 12, 1965 Brian Epstein promised that the group would record more "bank holiday" specials during 1965.  Brian Epstein promised that the group would record more "bank holiday" specials during 1965, principally for August 30 and December 26 (Boxing Day). However, despite an announcement to this effect over BBC airwaves, Epstein failed to meet his promise - listeners on August 30 did still hear an exclusive Beatles program, however.

Cannes, France

At some point during the day John gave a brief interview to US television reporter Martin Ogronsky, screened a week later - June 1st (Tuesday) on the CBS program The Merv Griffin Show. The interview was filmed close to the sea-front in Cannes during a short and scarcely publicized visit that John and his wife Cynthia made to the town's annual film festival. In fact, this was their last day on the Riviera and they returned to England during the afternoon.

The Beatles took a break today.

Brian debuts on ABC-TV's live programme `The Eamonn Andrews Show', from Teddington Studios. During the programme he reveals that his greatest ambition is to act in a play.

Beatles' "Ticket to Ride," single goes #1

The #1 song in the US on May 21, 1965

Ticket to Ride - The Beatles

Lennon’s at the Cannes Film Festival

May 20, 1965 - John and Cynthia walked hand-in-hand across the tarmac at London’s Heathrow airport accompanied by director Richard Lester to board their flight to the south of France to attend the annual Cannes Film Festival. Richard Lester’s new film, The Knack and How To Get It, was in competition at Cannes (and won the Grand Prix du Festival International du Film award). John & Cynthia socialized with actor Michael Caine, whose new film The Ipcress File, was also in competition at Cannes. John and Cynthia rarely danced in public - but Cannes was one of those rare happy occasions!

The number one song in the US on May 16, 1965 was Ticket to Ride by The Beatles.

Twickenham Film Studios, St. Margaret's, Twickenham

A great deal of post-sync work was required of the Beatles during post-production of Help!, overdubbing speech (clear as well as plenty of incoherent muttering and "ho-hos"). For the sequence (shot May 9th) in which John and Ringo were filmed on their way to a post-box they even overdubbed an extract from "I Sat Belonely", one of the pieces in John's first book In His Own Write.

Source: The Complete Beatles Chronicle - Mark Lewisohn

The Beatles are taking a break.

The number one song in the US on May 16, 1965 was Ticket to Ride by The Beatles.

The Beatles are taking a break

Resting after the filming of "Help!"

Filming is completed for Help! and the Beatles get a little break.

The film crew wraps up work on "Help!" The movie has its world premiere in London in July.

Cliveden House, Cliveden, Maidenhead

Not only the conclusion of filming at Cliveden but also the last shooting done by the Beatles for their second film. The unit concluded filming the following day, May 12, with location shots all over London for which the Beatles' presence was not required.

At one point during their two days at Cliveden, the Beatles were challenged to a relay running-race around part of the splendid gardens. The contest was filmed with an 8mm home-movie camera by a member of the Help! film crew and the footage still exists. They competed against three other teams from the unit-the electricians, the carpenters and the camera operators - and each team had six runners, the Beatles augmented by Neil Aspinall and their chauffer Alf Bicknell. (To the surprise of many, because they were considered unfit, the Beatles' team won the race).

Source: The Complete Beatles Chronicle - Mark Lewisohn

Cliveden House, Cliveden, Maidenhead, Berkshire and Studio Two, EMI Studios, London

The outside view of Buckingham Palace was seen in Help! (filmed on May 12) but there was, of course, no way that permission could be obtained for the Beatles to film inside the real edifice. Instead, the Beatles went to the sumptuous Cliveden House, situated by the River Thames in leafy Berkshire, built in 1850-51 and presently owned and preserved by the National Trust.

The Beatles filmed here over two days, looking out of a window on the east side of the house, playing cards in the "French" dining room, also shooting the brief but fascinating "Intermission" sequence in Bluebell Wood, in a section of the extensive Cliveden grounds.

During the evening the Beatles returned to London for a recording session at EMI, where - taping especially for the US record market - John steered the group through two of his favorite songs by the American rocker Larry Williams: "Dizzy Miss Lizzy" and "Bad Boy". Both were completed between 8:00 am and 11:30 pm and 1:15 in the morning. George Martin took away the mix tapes and dispatched them by airfreight the next day to Hollywood, and within five weeks they were in the record stores, on the Capitol-compiled LP Beatles VI.

Being well versed at performing such material from their pre-fame stage days, the Beatles played both songs live in the studio, with minimal overdubbing. "Dizzy Miss Lizzy" was perfected in seven takes, using only three of available four tracks. "Bad Boy" was recorded in just four takes.

At best, so the music press reported at the time, the songs might turn up on a British EP later in the year. In fact, "Dizzy Miss Lizzy" was included on the upcoming Help! album but "Bad Boy" wasn't issued in the UK until the December 1966 compilation A Collection Of Beatles Oldies.

Source: The Complete Beatles Chronicles- Mark Lewisohn

London and St. Margret's Locations

Out and about in London, Sunday certainly being the best day of the week for location-hopping with the minimum of fuss and bother. The first stop was New Bond Street where the Beatles were filmed walking past a Watches of Switzerland jewellers shop and then dashing into Asprey's directly over the road. (The interior footage was shot on April 30th on a set at Twickenham.)

Next on the agenda was the exterior of the "Rajahama" Indian Restaurant, actually the Dolphin Restaurant in Blandford Street, close by EMI Record's headquarters at 20 Manchester Square. (Interior scenes shot at Twickenham on April 5-6).

John and Ringo then travelled to the familiar St. Margaret's area, near to Twickenham Film Studios and just yards from the Turk's Head Public House, scene of a A Hard Day's Night shooting. Together they were filmed walking along South Western Road, Ringo posting a letter in a mailbox, and then Ringo alone filming "Attempt Number Three" on a weighing scale, almost getting his hand chopped off while waiting for a print-out of his weight. This scene was shot outside a grocery store in Winchester Road.

The Complete Beatles Chronicle - Mark Lewisohn

The Beatles had a day of rest.

Twickenham Film Studios, St. Margaret's, Twickenham

Back to Twickenham for the filming of Paul's main solo scene in HELP!, when he has been accidentally injected with reducing fluid and enjoys "exciting adventures" on the floor amid everyday but seemingly giant-sized objects.

Source: The Complete Beatles Chronicle - Mark Lewisohn

A little break in between filming on location.

Filming continued in Wiltshire, while Ticket To Ride by The Beatles was in the top 5 hits.

Knighton Down, Larkhill, Wiltshire

Considerable filming was done at this location, including an open-air (mimed) performance of "I Need You", shot amid troops from the real-life 3 Division (which used Salisbury Plain for exercises), gunners, machine-gunners and even a troop of horse-artillery.

Knighton Down, Larkhill, Wiltshire

The start of three days filming to this location on cold and windswept Salisbury Plain, the Beatles arrived at their local hotel (Antrobus Arms in Amesbury) at 11:20 pm tonight.

Today the Beatles were still enjoying their break from filming.

Today the Beatles had a break from filming.

Twickenham Film Studios, St. Margaret's, Twickenham

Shooting of the scene with Asprey's jeweller (Peter Copley), who examines and then unsuccessfully attempts to remove Ringo's ring. Also filmed this day was the "Attempt Number One" to rid Ringo of his ring, he and John riding in a lift which suddenly becomes magnetised, attracting all metal objects (except for the ring, of course) to the walls and ceiling.

Most of the day, however, was spent filming "Attempt Number Five", in which the Beatles, in a film-set re-creation of EMI Studios, are supposedly recording "You're Going To Lose That Girl", Ringo working quite oblivious to the fact that the floor area around his drum kit is being cut, following which he tumbles through the hole to an underneath storeroom (filmed the previous day)

Source: The Complete Beatles Chronicle - Mark Lewisohn

Twickenham Film Studios, St. Margaret's, Twickenham

A re-shooting of the nightclub bathroom scene, in which a hot-air hand-drier sucks rather than blows, tampered with by Clang's "thugs" no doubt, in yet another attempt to wrest the sacrificial ring from Ringo's finger. It was first filmed on April 8th, but a re-shoot was obviously necessary.

Another scene shot this day had Ringo restrained on a table in a storeroom underneath the Beatle's recording studio, with Clang powering up a chainsaw to remove his entire finger, and free the ring. Ringo is rescued by the temptress Ahme, however, and she quickly effects his escape along a neighbouring corridor.

Radio Luxembourg DJ Chris Denning, host of the weekly Sunday night series The Beatles, came to Twickenham this day to record new interviews with the Beatles, taping John, Paul, and George together (while Ringo was filming the above scene), and Ringo separately (when he finished). None of the interviews was very noteworthy, however, the Beatles sounding distracted and distanced, as if they rather regretted any involvement in a series which was more appropriate, perhaps, to 1963 than 1965.

Source: The Complete Beatles Chronicle - Mark Lewisohn

Twickenham Film Studios, St. Margaret's, Twickenham

Filming of the drama-school sequence with the Beatles, Frankie Howerd, Wendy Richard, Leo McKern and Eleanor Bron was completed during the morning, the best part of two working days having been spent on a scene which ended up on the cutting room floor.

Shot in the afternoon was the interior pub scene that follows on from the City Barge location shooting the previous Saturday, concluding with Ringo falling through a trap-door.

While on the "Pub" set, filming for a different purpose also took place: Peter Sellers arrived at Twickenham to present the Beatles with a prestigious Grammy Award (he called it a "Grandma Award") on behalf of the US National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, "A Hard Day's Night" having won the "Best Performance by a Vocal Group" category for 1964. In a brief though amusing (and certainly pre-arranged) item, John began speaking nonsense French, something like "Izza longois", the others joined in with singing a verse from "It's a long way to Tipperary".

The item was networked on US television by NBC on May 18th, 1965 in the Grammy Awards Program The Best On Record, and was followed in the show by a clip from "A Hard Day's Night", of "I'm Happy Just To Dance With You".

Source: The Complete Beatles Chronicle - Mark Lewisohn