Fab Four Blog

Studio Nine, Television House, Kingsway, London

The Beatles' debut on the televsion show most synonymous in Britain with the so-called "Swinging Sixties", and equally synonymous - in London, with Friday evenings (The Weekend Starts Here!) - Ready, Steady, GO!

This edition of RSG! like most until March 26, 1965, was broadcast live (although the performers always mimed) from Studio Nine at the Television House headquarters of London's weekday ITV franchise Associated-Rediffusion, situated by the Aldwych. The series had begun on August 2nd although, for the first few months, it was not fully networked around Britain.

Following an afternoon camera rehearsal, the Beatles performed three songs, "Twist And Shout", "I'll Get You", and "She Loves You". Teenagers danced around the Beatles' small podium while they performed. They were also interviewed by show host Keith Fordyce and by singer Dusty Springfield, a decidedly cheeky affair with, at one point, John asking Dusty to reveal her scabs. The program was transmitted form 6:15-7:00 pm.

The November 8th editon of Ready, Steady, GO! carried a repeat of "She Loves You" performance while a special edition on December 31st (subtitled "The New Year Starts Here!), 11:15 pm - 12:15 am, repeated this entire three-song set.

Studio Three, EMI Studios, London

and NEMS Enterprises, Monmouth Street, London

All of the Beatles but George arrived back in England on Wednesday, October 2nd. He returned this day although after this 10:00 am-1:00 pm session at EMI which saw Ringo, overdub a new vocal onto "I wanna be your man" and John and Paul do likewise for "Little Child".

During the mid-afternoon, with George, the Beatles made the 1st of 3 appearances on the BBC radio program "The Public Ear", a spoken-word magazine for which the Beatles' contributions were always of the interview variety. It was a series to which the group listened when on tour.

This interview - taped by the program's features assistant Michael Colley at NEMS' 13 Monmouth Street office - went into the edition transmitted in the Light Programme from 3:00 to 4:00 pm on Sunday, November 3rd, as part of a fascinating, almost 12 minute feature devoted to them and the "Mersey Beat" boom. Interviews with Bill Harry, Pete Best, Millie Sutcliffe (mother of the late Stuart), "beat poet" Royston Ellis (whom the Beatles had backed at the Jacaranda Coffee Bar in Liverpool one night in May 1960) and members of the public were also featured. The item was narrated by broadcaster Tony Hall, a much respected figure in the British record industry and personal friend and central London neighbor of the Beatles.

Note: The Public Ear was considered such an interesting program that some editons were re-broadcast in revised form on the Home Service as "In the Public Ear". The Beatles' interview elements from Colley's feature were included in such a program on January 14, 1964, 9:00-9:30 pm.

Ringo left the NEMS office immediately after the interview was over and drove to Southend to see a package show concert at the Odeon Cinema featuring the Everly Brothers, Bo Diddley and the Rolling Stones.

The Beatles enjoying their last day of Holiday........

The Beatles still on Vacation......................

The Beatles were still away on holidays when a 10:00am-1:15pm editing, overdubbing and mixing session took place this day in Studio Two at Abbey Road. "Little Child" and "Hold Me Tight" were edited, George Martin recorded additional keyboard passages for "Money (That's What I Want)" and "I Wanna Be Your Man", and then "All I've Got To Do", "Don't Bother Me", "Little Child", "Hold Me Tight" and "Not A Second Time" were mixed into Mono.

The Beatles are on VACATION!

Royal Albert Hall, London

The Beatles headed this afternoon show, the annual "Great Pop Prom" promoted by Valentine, Marilyn and Roxy magazines in aid of the Printers' Pension Corporation. Eleven other acts appeared, including the Rolling Stones, DJ Alan Freeman was the compere.

On September 16th, the Beatles took off for holidays, John and his wife Cynthia traveled to Paris, where they were joined by Brian Epstein, George, with his brother Peter, visited his sister Louise in the USA, who had emigrated to Benton, Illinois in 1954, and Paul and Ringo went to Greece.

The Beatles - (Victory) Memorial Hall, Northwich

Public Hall, Preston

After this show, Paul drove 25 miles to the Imperial Ballroom in Nelson, arriving just after midnight, to appear on a panel judging the "Imperial Miss 1963" contest, part of the annual "Young Ones" Ball, sponsored by the local newspaper - the "Nelson Leader".

Studio Two, EMI Studios, London

On July 5th, Brian Epstein verbally agreed to the group undertaking a June 1964 concert tour of Australia, and on December 2nd the contract was formally signed. Now though, to satisfy demands from Australian radio, the group recorded four messages for broadcast there, three addressed directly to Bob Rogers (a DJ at the Sydney station 2SM) and one "open-message", to be used by any station. These semi-scripted, semi-spontaneous lines consisted of typically witty Beatles chatter and were the first of a number of speech items the group taped at EMI over the years.

The recordings were made between 2:30 and 6:30 pm along with ten takes of a re-make of "Hold Me Tight", first attempted for "Please Please Me" on February 11th, but completed more successfully this time around.

Between 7:00 and 11:30 pm, which meant running 90 minutes over the blocked time of 10:00, the Beatles set about another re-make, of George's Don't Bother Me", with ten takes needed to complete the recording, and then resumed work on two songs began the previous day, taping 16 more takes of "Little Child" and six more of "I Wanna Be Your Man".

Studio Two, EMI Studios, London

Back to EMI for more work on the second album, to be released as "With The Beatles". From 2:30 to 6:00 pm the group recorded three new Lennon-McCartney numbers: one take of "I Wanna Be Your Man", Ringo's vocal vehicle on the album (the previous day, John and Paul had also given it to the Rolling Stones, they taped their version on October 7th, released it on November 1st and it was their first top 20 hit within a month), two takes of "Little Child" and 15 takes of "All I've Got To Do".

In the evening session, 7:00 to 10:15 pm, nine takes were recorded of another Lennon-McCartney song, "Not A Second Time", and the first seven of "Don't Bother Me", George Harrison's debut as a composer.

The Beatles had a day off.

The Beatles had a day off.

The Beatles - ABC Theatre, Blackpool

Before traveling to Croyden for their evening's work, the Beatles stopped off at the Playhouse Theatre in London to record a BBC radio session for Saturday Club - a special edition, it's fifth birthday show, 262 shows after the first broadcast on October 4, 1958, to be transmitted in the Light Programme on October 5th between 10:00 am and 12:00 noon. Quite apart from the world audience during the program's last 29 minutes, recent editions in the series had acheived a British audience of around nine million, a remarkably high figure.

Including rehearsal time, this session took place from 1:00 to 4:00 pm, the Beatles performing "I saw her standing there", "Memphis, Tennessee", "Happy Birthday Saturday Club", "I'll Get You", "She Loves You", and "Lucille". "Happy Birthday Saturday Club" was the group's short through appropriate ode to the anniversary, the composer details being officially noted on the program report as "Trad arr Lennon". The last three of the six songs were included in the broadcast by the BBC's General Overseas Service, 11:31-11:59 am.

After the Saturday Club recording, Paul gave a short solo interview to BBC Radio producer Rosemary Hart for a program in her Home Service Series "A World Of Sound". It was broadcast on Thursday, November 21st, 4:30-5:00 pm., in an edition sub-titled "Liverpool: A Swinging City".

The Beatles - Odeon Cinema, Dunstable Rd. Luton, Bedfordshire

The Beatles - Gaumont Cinema, Taunton

The firts of a four-night run promoted by John Smith. Brian Epstein granted him this mini-tour because of the earlier cancellation of several "Mersey Beat Showcase" dates. The Beatles' fee was £250 per night.

Studio Two, Aeolian Hall, London

Recordings for the final three editions of the 15-part BBC Light Programme radio series "Pop Go The Beatles", taped in one long session. The first of the three was produced, as usual, by Terry Henebery, but the final two were handled by Ian Grant.

Including rehearsal time, Program 13 was recorded between 2:00 and 4:00 pm, the Beatles performing "Too Much Monkey Business", "Till THere Was You", "Love Me Do", "She Loves You", "I'll Get You", and "The Hippy Hippy Shake". During later editing, "A Taste Of Honey" (taped while making Program 14) was additionally inserted after "I'll Get You", making a total of seven Beatles performances in this show rather than the usual six. It was broadcast between 5:00 and 5:29 pm on Tuesday, September 10th, with separately taped guest act Johnny Kidd and the Pirates.

After a half-hour break, the 14th edition was recorded between 5:00 and 7:30 pm, the Beatles performing "Chains", "You Really Got A Hold On Me", "Misery", "A Taste Of Honey", "Lucille", "From Me To You", and "Boys". This show was broadcast between 5:00 and 5:29 pm on Tuesday, September 17th, with guests the Marauders.

After another 30-minute breather, the Beatles launched into the 3rd part of the session, for Program 15. Songs recorded were "She Loves You", "Ask Me Why", "There's a Devil in her Heart", "I saw her standing there", "Sure to fall (In love with you)" and "Twist and Shout". This final program in the series was broadcast between 5:00 and 5:29 pm on Tuesday, September 24th, with guests Tony Rivers and the Castaways, the nucleus of what would later become the Beatles Apple Publishing group Grapefruit, who contributed such old country numbers as John Loudermilk's "Abilene", a contemporary US hit for George Hamilton IV.

The Beatles took a break today.

A Sunday TV taping for ABC Television, but not this time for "Thank your lucky stars" - this appearance was on the variety show "Big Night Out", hosted by Mike and Bernie Winters. (It was the first of four Beatles TV engagements with the comedian brothers)

Fellow guests in this edition included Billy Dainty, Patsy Ann Noble and Lionel Blair. Following daytime rehearsals, the show was taped during the evening on the main stage at ABC's Manchester Studio, before an audience of 600, the Beatles miming to three songs "From me to you", "She loves you", and "Twist and Shout". It was transmitted across most of the ITV network, 7:40 to 8:30 pm. on Saturday, September 7th.

Note: The Beatles had originally been requested to tape their "Big Night Out" debut on Sunday, August 18th, for Saturday, August 24th transmission, but their diary could not accommodate this.

The Mercy Sound was well received as a sharply-observed documentary by critics and public alike, and at least 2 requests for copy prints were received, and complied with one being presented to the Lord Mayor of Liverpool for preservation in the city archive, the other going to what has siince become known as the National Film Archive, in London. Extracts have also been fed into numerous subsequent programs and documentaries around the world. And sound-only excerpts from the Beatles' speech element were also broadcast on radio - in the home service program "Pick of the week" on Friday, October 11, 1963.

One further extract transmission from "The Mersey Sound" as made in January 1964, a very important one, for it served as the Beatles' television debut in the USA, outside of news coverage.

The Beatles filmed outside Ringo's house, 10 Admiral Grove, Liverpool S. Ringo was filmed coming out through the front door, battling his way through a horde of kids (most of whom loooked around seven-years-old and seemed to have been put there by the television crew) and getting into George's open-top sports car, which then sped away with kids hanging onto the back. (Paul and John were at this shoot too, but did not participate in the sequence used). Ringo then shot a solo scene, in which - to realize his oft-stated long-term aspiration to become a ladies' hairdresser - was filmed walking along a line of women sitting under hair dryers in the salon situated within Horne Bros. clothing store in Lord Street, Liverpool City Centre.

During production, the documentary went under the working title "The Beatles", but this was altered before transmission to "The Mersey Sound", a more accurate reflection of its content, which also featured footage of an interview with many other groups and participants in the local beat scene. The first broadcast of Don Haworth's film was on Wednesday, October 9, 1963, between 10:10 and 10:40 pm, although it was screened only in London and the north on this occasion. A national transmission then took place on Wednesday, November 13, 1963 between 7:10 and 7:40 pm. Executives of the commercial station ATV were upset at the scheduling of the October 9th broadcast, being only four days before the Beatles would star in that comany's live variety show "Val Parnell's Saturday Night At the London Palladium", and they made their anger clear to Brian Epstein.

The Beatles filmed walking on the top deck of a ferry boat travelling between Liverpool Pier Head and Wallasey, signing autographs and looking over the bow. Then they shot footage at Speke Airport, South Liverpool, where they acted out an airport arrival, descending the steps of an airplane.

Again from 9:30 am, the Beatles filmed in a dressing room at the BBC's Dickenson Road premises in Manchester, frankly discussing their past and their aims and hopes for the future, considering that the present boom probably couldn't last much longer. They were also filmed applying theatrical make-up, as if they were about to go on stage for the previous day's "concert" shoot, and intently walking around backstage with their guitars, as if they were about to make a BBC television appearance.

Location filming in Southport, Manchester and Liverpool

A six-night residency - two "houses" per night in Southport, just up the coast from Liverpool. The Beatles' repertoire comprised "Roll Over Beethoven", "Thank you Girl", "Chains", "A Taste of Honey", "She Loves You", "Baby, It's You", "From Me To You", " Boys", "I Saw Her Standing There", and "Twist and Shout".

From Tuesday to Friday, the Beatles filmed a number of contributions to a 30 minute sociological documentary being made by Manchester-based BBC TV producer Don Haworth, aiming to capture the essence and atmosphere of the "Mersey Beat" boom. After initial talks with Brian Epstein, Haworth had met the Beatles on July 21st and discussed the production, promising them the opportunity of being able to discuss themselves more seriously than in the somewhat flip fashion typical of the usual pop TV programs. After a meeting with the Beatles' contract, which also precluded them from appearing in "Beat City", a documentary on the subject being made at the same time by ITV company Associated-Rediffusion.

The Beatles first filming took place at 9:30 am today. Requiring live action footage of the group, Don Haworth booked time at the Little Theatre in Hoghton Street, Southport, where the group played on stage without an audience. The film was then intercut with hysterical audience footage shot the previous night at the Beatles' Odeon show. This morning the Beatles performed "Twist and Shout" and "She Loves You", dressed in grey collarless suits. Then, in black collarless suites and with a different curtain behind them, they played "Love Me Do", although the EMI disc recording was later dubbed onto the film, replacing the live music performance.

The Beatles - Odeon Cinema, Southport

The Beatles - ABC Theatre, Blackpool

Southern Independent Television Centre, Northam, Southampton, Hampshire

Six nights in Bournemouth, two shows each. It was during this week, athe their hotel in town, the Palace Court, that photographer Robert Freeman took the "half-shadow" cover photo for their next album, "With The Beatles".

On Wednesday, editing and mono mixing for the new LP took place back at EMI Studios, of songs (There's a devil in her heart), "Money (That's all I want)", "You really got a hold on me", "Please Mister Postman", "Till there was you", "Roll Over Beethoven", "All my Loving", and "It won't be long". The work was carried out from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm and 2:00-5:30 pm, although the Beatles may have been present during the first session and part of the second, but they would have left by mid-afternoon to be back in Bournemouth by the evening.

On Thursday (lunchtime), the Beatles (again with Freeman) drove across to the Southampton studios of Southern Television, where - miming to "She Loves You", they taped an appearance on Southern's local news-magazine program, "Day By Day", broadcast that same evening between 5:55 and 6:40 pm.

Studio Three, EMI Studios, London