Fab Four Blog

The Beatles - Winter Gardens, Fort Crescent, Margate, Kent

ABC Theatre, Church St. Blackpool, Lancashire

The following four Beatles engagements at this venue over the next two months.

(Victory) Memorial Hall, Northwich

Prior to this performance, all four Beatles attended and brought chaos to the annual Northwich Carnival at Verdin Park, Northwich. Paul even crowned the new carnival queen. All good PR.

Plaza Ballroom, Old Hill

The Beatles' second appearance at this venue, and a long-arranged date which Brian Epstein would have preferred to cancel but would not renege upon.

Also on the bill was local combo Denny and the Diplomats, led by Denny Laine, future member of the Moody Blues and, eventually, Paul's post-Beatles group, Wings.

Studio Two, EMI Studios, London

Mono mixing by George Martin of "She Loves You" and "I'll get you," 10:00 am to 1:00 pm. The Beatles were probably absent, although they were certainly in London in the evening, popping along to the Scene Club in Soho for a second view of the RollingStones in live performance. They were accompanied this time by Peter Asher, brother of Jane and, later, half of the successful duo Peter and Gordon.

Playhouse Theatre, Manchester

This BBC radio session, for the Light Programme's "The Beat Show", was recorded at the Playhouse Theatre in Manchester, scene of the Beatles' first session for "Here we go in 1962". In fact, "The Beat Show" featured much the same content as "Here we go," the BBC Northern Dance Orchestra directed by Bernard Herrmann, and the Trad Lads. Only the presenter and producer were different, the host being Gay Byrne, also the affable link-man on the Granada TV programme "Scene At 6:30" on which the Beatles had featured.

After a 4:00 pm rehearsal, the programme was recorded live, in front of an audience, between 8:00 and 9:00, the Beatles performing "From Me To You", "A Taste Of Honey", and "Twist and Shout". It was broadcast the next lunchtime, 1:00-1:30 pm on Tuesday, July 4th.

Perhaps fearing over-exposure for the Beatles, and certainly now in a position to pick and choose their appearances, Brian Epstein cancelled several BBC radio contract at this time. This spot on "The Beat Show" only came about after he turned down June 17, June 18 and July 3rd recordings for "Here we go"; three more "Side by Side" sessions were cancelled too, to have taken place on July 2nd, July 10th, and August 23rd.

Studio Five, Maida Vale Studios, London

The four week trial of "Pop go the Beatles" had been a success, and the BBC booked another run, a further 11 programs, making 15 in total. These additional shows ran after only a two-week absence and featured a new host, Rodney Burke, replacing Lee Peters. The Beatles' disregard for names continued. Off air they had called Lee Peters "Pee Litres", on air at the start of the program, when the host said, "My name is Rodney Burke", John piped up "That's your fault!"

The Beatles taped their contribution to the fifth edition on this day, to be broadcast in the Light Programme on Tuesday, July 16th, between 5:00 and 5:29 pm. Rehearsal and recording took place at Maida Vale Studios between 6:30 and 9:30 pm. From the standpoint of musical versatility, no other Beatles session for BBC radio could match this, they began with a cover of Elvis Presley's "That's All Right (Mama)" and followed with their own "There's a Place", Chuck Berry's "Carol", Arthur Alexancer's "Soldier Of Love (Lay down your arms)", Carl Perkins' "Lend me your comb" and the Jodimars' "Clarabella". Yet more songs were recorded but not broadcast: the Coaster's "Three cool cats", Chuck Berry's "Sweet little sixteen" and their own "Ask me why". The Beatles' guest act in this edition was Duffy Power with the Graham Bond Quarter.

Studio Two, EMI Studios, London

Compose in Newcastle-upon-Tyne the previous Wednesday, "She Loves You" - which was to become the Beatle's first million-selling single, yielding the "Yeah, yeah Yeah" catchphrase so loved by the media was recording during a 345-minute session the day at EMI, as was it's B-side "I'll get you" (known at this point by it's working title, "Get you in the end".

The session was arranged for 2:30-5:30 pm, instead it ran from 5:00-10:45, however, existing EWI paperwork does not document the number of "takes" it took for the two songs to be recorded.

"She Loves You" was issued by EMI on Friday, August 23rd; British sales passed the half-million milestone on November 27th. The single also achieved the very rare feat of enjoying two separate spells at number one, originally occupying the summit for four weeks, spending a further seven in the top three and then returning to the top for two more.

ABC Cinema, Regent Rd. Gt Yarmouth, Norfolk

The first date in a ten-week run of engagements at seaside resorts. On this night, the Beatle's repertoire comprised "Some other guy", "Thank you, Girl", "Do you want to know a secret", "Misery", "A taste of honey", "I saw her standing there", "Love me do", "From me to you", "Baby, it's you", "Please Please me", and "Twist and Shout". The compere was Ted Rogers.

Today, the Beatles took a break.

Queen's Hall, Sovereign St. Leeds, Yorkshire

Three thousand, two hundred people crammed into the vast Queen's Hall to see the Beatles share the bill with Acker Bilk and his Paramount Jazz Band.

The Beatle's decided to take off today.

Majestic Ballroom, Newcastle-upon-Tyne

The Beatle's last performance in a Top Rank ballroom, although they were to continue utilizing the company's extensive cinema and theatre network.

After the show, in their Newcastle hotel room, John and Paul wrote the A-side of the Beatle's next single, "She loves you".

The Beatles - Astoria Ballroom, Wilson St., Middlesbrough, Yorks

Playhouse Theatre, London

Another recording for "Saturday Club", broadcast in the BBC radio Light Programme between 10:00 am and 12:00 noon on Saturday, June 29th. After a 2:30 pm rehearsal, the Beatles taped this sesssion between 5:30 and 6:30 at the Playhouse Theatre in London, performing "I got to find my Baby", "Memphis, Tennessee", "Money (That's what I want), "Till there was you", "From me to you", and "Roll over Beethoven". The last two songs were included in the final 29 minutes of the programme, broadcast simultaneously by the BBC's General Overseas Service.

Alpha Television Studios, Aston, Birmingham

In February 1964, the sensational success of the Beatles would open the floodgates of the North American record market, allowing scores of other British groups from Liverpool. They were dominating the UK charts at the time. Gerry and the Pacemakers, Billy J. Kramer with the Dakotas, the Fourmost, the Searchers and others, with people like Cilla Black waiting in the wings. To celebrate the "Mersey Beat" boom, and entire edition of ABC Television's "Lucky Stars" (Summer Spin) - the summer title of "Thank your Lucky Stars" - was given over to Liverpool acts. Hosted by Pete Murray, it was taped during this afternoon and transmitted on Saturday, June 29th, between 6:05 and 6:45 pm on most of the ITV network. More than 6 million people tuned in, although Beatles fans had a dilemma in that the last 10 minutes overlapped with John's appearance on the BBC's Juke Box Jury.

The Beatles topped the bill, and closed the show miming to "From me to you" and "I saw her standing there"

Television Theatre, London and Ballroom, Town Hall, Cross St. Abergavenny, Monmouthshire

While George, Paul and Ringo travelled to Wales in the van with road manager Neil Aspinall, John stayed on in London to tape an appearance on the BBC Television show Juke Box Jury, and extraordinarily popular program at this time, in which new singles came up for "Hit" or "Miss" judgement, signified, respectively, by either the pinging of a bell or the sounding of a klaxon.

This particular edition was transmitted the following Saturday, June 29th, from 6:35 to 7:00 pm, hosted by DJ David Jacobs. The four-person "jury" was usually chosen to represent different walks of show business so along with John Lennon on this occasion there was TV personality Catherine (Katie) Boyle, actor Bruce Prochnik and actress Caroline Maudling.

John's appearance caused something of a stir, in that he openly stated negative views of every single one of the discs up for review, whereas panel members customarily kept any comments in non-offensive terms. The records reviewed in this edition were "Southend" by Cleo Laine, "So much in love", by the Tymes, "Devil in disguise" by Elvis Presley (John said of his former idol that he now sounded like Bing Crosby), "The click song" by Miriam Makeba, "On top of spaghetti", by Tom Glaser, "Flamenco" by Russ Conway, "First Quarrel" by Paul and Paula and "Don't ever let me down" by Julie Grant. Thanks to John's influence, the panel voted every one of them a "Miss" except for the Presley single. (Three other songs were taped but omitted from the broadcast, "Lies", by Johnny Sandon and the Remo Four, "Too late to worry" by Richard Anthony, and "Just one look" by Doris Troy. Sandon and the Remo Four were Liverpool contemporaries of the Beatles, and Doris Troy would one day be signed to their Apple record label.)

The Juke Box Jury session kept John in London until well in the evening, there was a camera rehearsal from 7:45 to 8:00, a sound and vision test between 8:00 and 8:30 and the recording itself ran from 8:30 to 9:15. Immediately after this John was driven to Battersea Heliport from where he flew to Wales in a helicopter especially chartered by Brian Epstein at a cost of £100. He touched down at the Penypound football ground in Abergavenny at 9:50 pm, just in time for the £250 engagement.

The Beatles at Odeon Cinema, Epsom Rd. Guildford, Surrey

The Beatles were traveling today....

Playhouse Theatre, London

The Beatles were busy! After their June 17th BBC session in London the group drove to Liverpool in time for Paul's 21st birthday party the evening of the 18th, held in a marquee in the back garden of an aunt's house in Huyton. A few hours later they were heading south again, to be back in London in time for their second appearance on the BBC Light Programme radio show Easy Beat, taped in front of a screaming audience at the Playhouse Theatre between 8:45 and 9:45 pm.

The recording, broadcast on Sunday, June 23rd, between 10:31 and 11:30 am, featured the Beatles performing "Some other guy", "A taste of honey", "Thank you, Girl", and "From me to you".

Since it was Paul McCartney's 21st birthday today, the Beatles took the day off.

The fourth and final recording in the BBC Light Programme radio series "Pop Go The Beatles". It was taped at the BBC's Maida Vale studios, not far from EMI's studio in Abbey Road. The Beatles rehearsed and recorded their contribution between 10:30 am and 1:00 pm, after which they took lunch in the BBC staff restaurant and then went out into Delaware Road with photographer, Dezo Hoffmann to give the birthday bumps to Paul McCartney, 21 years old the next day.

For this program, the Beatles recorded "I saw her standing there", Anna (Go to him)", "Boys", "Chains", "PS, I love you" and "Twist and Shout". It was broadcast on Tuesday, June 25th, between 5:00 and 5:29 pm, the guest group in this edition being the Bachelors.

Odeon Cinema, South St. Romford, Essex

The final date in the "Mersey Beat Showcase" series, promoted this time by John Smith. Five more dates in the series, planned for June 17th, 20th, and 23rd were scrapped by Brian Epstein.

This was a truly remarkable booking for, in what may be the only time in popular music history, the show's three main acts, The Beatles, Billy J. Kramer with the Dakotas, and Gerry and the Pacemakers occupied number one, two and three in that week's British singles charts.

City Hall, Fisherton, St. Salisbury, Wiltshire

A surprise date with Jaybee Clubs, the promotion which had booked the Beatles into the historically important March 31, 1962 Stroud engagement. This show was arranged in April 1963 for the huge fee of £300, but as the date approached, Brian Epstein began to have serious misgivings about the Beatle's safety in such a venue. He offered Jaybee £200 to cancel the booking, but was turned down. Over 1,500 people crowded into the City Hall.

Tower Ballroom, New Brighton, Wallasey

A sensational final return to an old stamping ground-always one of the Beatles favorite venues-to play another in the "Mersey Beat Showcase" series presented by NEMS Enterprises.

Palace Theatre Club, Turncroft Lane, Offerton, Stockport, Cheshire and Southern Sporting Club, The Corona, Birch St., Hyde Rd., Manchester, Lancashire

A most unusual double booking - two northern variety/cabaret night-clubs, ten miles apart.

Grafton Rooms, Liverpool

A special concert, arranged back in February, in aid of the children's charity NSPCC. The Beatles gave their services free. Jeffrey Archer, later a major Conservative politician and author, helped organise the event.

Today, The Beatles took off!

The Beatles - Pavilion, North Parade, Bridge Rd. Bath, Somerset

King George's Hall, Northgate, Blackburn, Lancashire

The last date in the Roy Orbison package tour began in Slough on May 18th.