Fab Four Blog

Gaumont Cinema, Westover Rd. Bournemouth, Hants

Alpha Telivision Studios, Aston, Birmingham

and Princess Theatre, Torbay Rd. Torquay, Devonshire

The Beatles drove south from Llandudno to Torquay, where they played two shows this evening, by way of the Alpha Television Studios in Aston, Birminham. Here, they rehearsed and taped an appearance on ABC Television's Lucky Stars (Summer Spin), hosted by Pete Murray and transmitted across most of Britain on Saturday, August 24, 6:05-6:45 pm. They mimed to both sides of their forthcoming single, "She Loves You" and "I'll Get You".

Studio Four, Granada TV Centre, Manchester

Six nights in concert on the north Wales coast, two "Houses" each. After the 2nd show on Tuesday, the Beatles returned to Liverpool and the next morning drove out across to the Granada TV Centre in Manchester, where - dressed not in suits but, unusually, in black polo-neck sweaters and jeans, they taped 2 separate song performances for broadcast in Granada's north-area news-magazine program "Scene At" 6:30. The first, "Twist and Shout", was transmitted this day (6:30-7:00 pm). The 2nd, "She Loves You", was retained for broadcast on Monday, August 19th at the same times.

Following the taping, the Beatles went back to Wales for the first Llandudno "House" of the evening.

The Beatles appeared August 12 to August 17th at The Odeon Cinema, Gloddeath Ave. Llandudno, Caernarvonshire

ABC Theatre, Blackpool

Springfield Ballroom, St. Saviour, Jersey

Back to Jersey for the last two nights of the Tuesday to Saturday Channel Islands engagement.

Auditorium, Candie Gardens, Candie Rd. St. Peter Port, Guernsey, Channel Islands

The Beatles made the 30 mile journey across from Jersey to Guernsey in a 12 seater plane while their equipment was transported by ferry.

Springfield Ballroom, Janvrin Rd., St. Saviour, Jersey, Channel Islands

These nights were played in Jersey, promoted by John Smith. The Beatle's five nights in the Channel Islands earned them £1,000.

Urmston Show, Abbotsfield Park, Chassen Rd. Urmston, Lancashire

An interesting engagement - The Beatles headed a four act bill playing inside a huge marquee at this annual South Manchester "Bank Holiday" event, compered by David Hamilton.

Queen's Theatre, Blackpool

There were so many fans outside the Queen's, blocking all entrances front and back, the Beatles had to go through a builder's yard, up and across scaffolding, and across to the roof of the theatre, from which they were lowered into the wings through a trap in the roof.

Night Cavern Club, Liverpool

After close to 300 Beatles appearances at the Cavern Club, spanning two and a half years, this was the last! The venue had played perhaps the vital role in preparing them for "The Big Time" and now that time had come. Bob Wooler, the Cavern Club compere, remembers Brian Epstein promising that one day the Beatles would be back, but it was not to be.

Tickets for the performance went on sale on July 21st at 1:30 pm and by 2:00 pm were sold out. The Beatles fee was £300 - The first time they played at the Cavern it was £5.

Grafton Rooms, Liverpool

The Beatles returned to Merseyside after a 7-week absence to play for the last time at Grafton.

Playhouse Theatre, Manchester

Two more sessions for Pop Go The Beatles - editions 11 and 12 - broadcast in the BBC radio Light Programme on Tuesdays, August 27th and September 3rd between 5:00 and 5:29 pm. (The Beatles guests were Cyril Davie's Rhythm & Blues All-Stars featuring Long John Baldry, and Brian Poole and the Tremeloes.)

The recordings were made at the Playhouse Theatre in Manchester (without an audience, like all the shows in the series). They arrived at 12:00 noon for a rehearsal and then taped Program 11 between 1:30 and 4:00 and Program 12 from 4:00 to 6:00 pm.

In the eleventh show the Beatles performed "Twist and Shout". "Ohh! My Soul", "Don't Ever Change", "She Loves You", "Anna (Go to him)" and "A Shot of Rhythm and Blues".

For Program 12, the group taped "Lucille", "From Me To You", "I'll Get You", "Money (That's What I Want)", "Baby It's You", "There's a Place", "Honey Don't (John singing lead vocal) and "Roll Over Beethoven". "Lucille" and "Baby It's You" were omitted from the broadcast, however.

The Beatles at the Imperial Ballroom, Nelson

Another riotous appearance in Nelson

Studio Two, EMI Studios, London and Playhouse Theatre, London and Studio Two, EMI Studios London

The Beatles spent the morning and evening at EMI recording more material for their second LP, either side of an afternoon's work at the BBC.

The morning session began at 10:00 and saw the group first tape a cover of the Marvelette's "Please Mister Postman", completed in nine takes, and then tackle the first Lennon-McCartney song for the LP, the superb "It won't be long". Ten takes were recorded but it remained unfinished when the session halted at 1:30 pm, half an hour later than scheduled.

The Beatles taped two BBC radio recordings during the afternoon, the first an interview for the "Pop Chat" section of the show "Non Stop Pop", broadcast, again in teh Light Programme, from 10:00 am to 12:00 noon on Saturday, August 24th.

The short interview for "Non Stop Pop" was conducted by bandleader Phil Tate and was recorded just after 2:30 pm, when the Beatles arrived at the Playhouse Theatre to rehearse and record the "Saturday Club" session.

The "Saturday Club" recording took place immediately afterwards (much earlier than the contracted time of 5:30-6:30), the Beatles taping six numbers, "Long tall Sally", "She loves you", "Glad All over", "Twist and Shout", "You really got a hold on me", and "I'll get you." The last three of these fell within the final 29 minutes of the domestic broadcast, simultaneously aired by the BBC's General Overseas Service.

Resuming at EMI on time at 5:00 pm, George Martin overdubbed a piano track onto the previously taped "Money (That's what I want). They taped a 5-take remake of "Till there was you" and an eight-take recording of Chuck Berry's rock classic "Roll over Beethoven". They resumed work on "It won't be long", moving it on to take 23, and, finally, recorded Paul's "All my Loving", certainly his best and most complex piece of songwriting yet - this was completed in 13 takes. The session ended at 11:00 pm, an hour later than scheduled.

The Beatles took a break today, it seems.

The Beatles - ABC Cinema, Great Yarmouth

Odeon Cinema, The Centre, Weston-super-Mare, Somerset

Visiting from London, Dezo Hoffmann spent one of these six days with the Beatles, taking photographs and color (mute) 8mm home movies of the group at their hotel and on location on the beach at nearby Brean Down, where they dressed in Victorian bathing-costumes and also went go-karting.

The Beatles - Queen's Theatre, Bank Hey St. Blackpool, Lancashire

Ritz Ballroom, Promenade, Rhyl, Flintshire

Two sold-out nights by the Beatles in North Wales, a year after their Rhyl/Wales debut in the ballroom above Burton's tailor shop. The group returned to Liverpool immediately after the 2nd of the Saturday "Houses".

Studio Two, EMI Studios, London

Originally booked for 6:00 to 10:00 pm, the Beatles recorded in EMI studio Two from 7:00 to 10:45, beginning sessions for their 2nd album with the taping of four songs, all cover versions - "You really got a hold on me" (11 takes), "Money (That's what I want) (seven), "(There's A) Devil in her heart" (six) and "Till there was you" (three).

Such sessions for this 2nd album revealed the maturity which the Beatles had already gained inside the recording studio, the cover of "Smokey Robinson and the Miracles", "You really got a hold on me" being a superb reading of another artist's work.

Playhouse Theatre, London

Yet another BBC radio recording, this time for the Sunday morning pop show East Beat, transmitted in the Light Programme on July 21st between 10:31 and 11:30 am.

The program was taped between 8:45 and 9:45 pm before it's usual teenage audience. The Beatles performed four songs, "I saw her standing there", "A shot of rhythm and blues", "There's a place", and "Twist and shout".

BBC Paris Studio, London

The Beatles taped three editions of their Light Programme radio series "Pop Go the Beatles", in this one day.

Working at the Paris Studio, they rehearsed and recorded Program 8 between 3:00 and 5:30 pm, Program 9 between 6:00 and 8:30 pm, Program 10 between 8:45 and 10:30, transmissions were on August 6th, 13th, and 20th, each between 5:00 and 5:29 pm. (Guest groups in the three shows were the "Swinging Blue Jeans, "The Hollies", and "Russ Sainty and the Nu-Notes.)

The Beatles failed to meet the appointed time of 10:30 am for the first recording (which would have been at the Playhouse Theatre in London) and then opted to make three shows this day than rather leaving the recording of Program 10 until the 17th, for when it had been scheduled at the Playhouse between 10:00 am and 1:00 pm.

In Program 8, they performed "I'm gonna sit right down and and cry (over you)", "Crying, Waiting, Hoping", "Kansas City/Hey-Hey-Hey-Hey", "To Know her is to love her", "The Honeymoon Song", and "Twist and Shout". In the 9th show they featured, "Long Tall Sally", "Please Please Me", "She Loves You", "You Really got a Hold on me", "I'll Get you" and "I Got a Woman".

In Program 10, the Beatles played "She Loves You", (although broadcast actually repeated the version from the 9th show), "Words of Love", "Glad All Over", "I Just Don't Understand", "There's a Devil in her Heart", and "Slow Down".

The Beatles February 1963 recording session at EMI has gone down in popular music history, the group taping all ten new tracks for the debut album in one day. But on this day, July 16th, in less time, the group actually taped 18 new tracks, with only one repetition, and considerable on-mike conversation, too. A remarkable feat!

The Beatles took off today.......

The Beatles at ABC Theatre, Blackpool

The Beatles at the Winter Gardens, Fort Crescent, Margate, Kent all week

The Beatles at the Winter Gardens, Fort Crescent, Margate, Kent all week

The Beatles at the Winter Gardens, Fort Crescent, Margate, Kent all week

Studio Two, Aeolian Hall, London

Six consecutive nights in Margate, two "houses" each, for which the Beatles repertoire comprised "Roll over Beethoven", "Thank You Girl", "Chains", "Please Please me", "A taste of honey", "I saw her standing there", "Baby, It's you", "From me to you", and "Twist and Shout".

With the commitment of their BBC Light Programme radio series, "Pop go the Beatles", the group were obliged to return to London early in the morning of Wednesday, July 10th to record two shows, for transmission on Tuesdays (July 23th and July 30th) respectively, both from 5:00 to 5:29 pm. Program six was rehearsed and recorded from 10:30 am to 1:30 pm, Program seven from 1:30 to 3:30 pm. After that, the group made a mad dash back to Margate, in order to appear in the first "house" of the evening at the Winter Gardens.

In Program six, the Beatles performed "Sweet Little Sixteen", "A Taste of Honey", "Nothin' Shakin' (But the leaves on the tree), "Love me Do", "Lonesome Tears in my Eyes", and "So How Come" (No One Loves Me).

In the seventh show they played "Memphis, Tennessee", "Do you want to know a secret", "Till there was you", "Matchbox", "Please, Mister Postman", and "The Hippy Hippy Shake".

The Beatles guests in these two programs were Carter-Lewis and the Southerners and the Searchers, respectively.

The Beatles all week performing at the Winter Gardens, Fort Crescent, Margate, Kent