Fab Four Blog

Played at Museum Hall, Henderson St. Bridge of Allan, Stirlingshire

Played at the Town Hall, High St. Dingwall, Ross and Cromarty

At last the tour got under way at the TWO SHOES BALLROOM, South College St. Elgin, Morayshire

This ballroom was slightly L-Shaped, which meant that some of the dancers could not see the Beatles on the stage....

The opening night of a five-date booking in Scotland and the Beatles' first proper tour, also a return visit to the town played as support to Johnny Gentle on May 25, 1960 - was cancelled owing to the terrible weather conditions which had the whole of Scotland in an icy grip. Snowdrifts made virtually all of the Highlands roads impassable, and the Beatles hadn't a chance of getting through to Keith in time to fulfill the engagement.

The tour had got away to a bad start even before this setback. Thanks to the inclement weather, the Beatles' flight from London to Edinburgh during the morning of January 2, (the group had flown to London from Hamburg on January 1st, and spent the night there) was switched at the last moment to land at Aberdeen.

Star-Club, Hamburg, West Germany

The Beatles grudgingly left England and their chart record, radio, TV and increasingly prestigious live bookings, for an undesirable 5th and final club trip to Hamburg, playing for 13 nights. Despite the increased fee of 750DM (67 pounds) per man, per week, all four Beatles could think about was getting back to capitalize on their success.

Their only night off was on Christmas Day, December 25th, and their final performance on New Year's Eve, were taped on amateur equipment and released for the first time in 1977 - against the Beatles' own wishes. Though extremely low-fidelity, they are fascinating recordings, and have been reissued extensively.

The Beatles' final 42 hours on the Star-Club stage brought the group's grueling Hamburg experience to a total of approximately 800 hours. Quite how valuable the work tied up in this remarkable statistic was to prove was, at this point, beyond comprehension. The Beatles had served their apprenticeship, and served it the hard way. They were now ready to take on whatever the world could throw at them.

Studio Four, Granada TV Center, Manchester

The Beatles 3rd appearance on the Granada television program, "People & Places", transmitted live this time between 6:35 and 7:00 pm.

They peformed 2 numbers, "Love Me Do" and "Twist and Shout", as rehearsed from 3:00 to 4:00 pm and again from 4:15 to 6:00.

Night: Cavern Club, Liverpool

Majestic Ballroom, Birkenhead

Two entirely separate engagements in one night. During the evening, the Beatles performed a standard Majestic booking. Then, at midnight, the first ever Mersey Beat poll awards show (for 1962) began. As winners of the poll, the Beatles closed the show at 4:00 pm and were also presented with a beautiful plaque.

The poll runners-up, on stage immediately prior to the Beatles, were Lee Curtis and the All-Stars, so there was another encounter with Pete Best.

Music Hall, The Square, Shrewsbury, Shropshire

A major booking with promoter Lewis Buckley. Most top acts of the day played here.

Another southern engagement, arranged following the withdrawal of Joe Brown, originally advertised to appear.

LOVE ME DO, PARLOPHONE RECORDING

THE BEATLES ALSO ROBIN HALL AND JIMMIE MACGREGOR WITH SUPPORTING GROUP

CORN EXCANGE, BEDFORD

December 13, 8:00 to 11:30 pm Admission 3

Lunchtime: Cavern Club, Liverpool

Night: Cavern, Club, Liverpool

La Scala Ballroom, Runcorn

The Beatles' second Runcorn date, although - unlike the first - this was a NEMS presentation.

Lunchtime: Cavern Club, Liverpool

George Martin and his assistant, Judy Lockhart-Smith attended the performance, a year less four days after Decca's Mike Smith had done the same.

Oasis Club, Manchester

Lunchtime:Cavern Club, Liverpool

Nighttime: Tower Ballroom, New Brighton, Wallasey

The Beatles headed a seven-group line-up at the Tower.

Club Django, Queen's Hotel, Promenade, Southport, Lancashire

As the name implies, Club Django was a jazz venue, but its management was too aware of the Beatles' escalating prominence to pass up an opportunity of booking the group.

Lunchtime: Cavern Club, Liverpool

Nighttime: Cavern Club, Liverpool

Studio Four, Wembley Studios, Wembley Park Drive, Wembley, Middlesex

The Beatles made their London-area television debut with this spot on the children's program Tuesday Rendezvous, transmitted by the the capital's weekday ITV Station, Associated-Rediffusion.

It was a live appearance, broadcast from the company's Wembley Studios, just along the road from the Empire Pool arena where the Beatles would perform in concert on four occasions, 1963-1966. The program went out from 5:00 to 5:55 pm, the Beatles miming to all of "Love Me Do" and 45 seconds of "PS I love You". They also took part in rehearsals, 1:30-5:00 pm.

Among the other acts appearing in this edition of the weekly series, co-hosted, as was Radio Luxembourg's The Friday Spectacular, by the lovely Muriel Young - were guitar virtuoso Bert Weedon, folk singer Wally Whyton (formerly a member of the Vipers Skiffle Group, produced by George Martin) and glove puppets Fred Barker and Ollie Beak.

TWW Television Centre, Bath Rd, Bristol, Somerset

Another ITV appearance, produced by TWW (Television Wales and the West) and seen only in that and other nearby regions.

The program was a weekly pop music show with the very 1960's (and aptly Welsh sounding) title Discs A Gogo, supposedly set - using the original meaning of the word - in "the gayest coffee bar in town". The Beatles appeared on it just this once, miming to "Love Me Do" from TWW Television Centre in this live 7:00-7:30 pm broadcast.

The Monday, July 26, 1965 edition of this series screened the promotional film for "Help!"

Embassy Cinema, Broadway, Peterborough, Northants

This fine piece of Eptstein opportunitism backfired disastrously when the Beatles bombed on this Frank Ifield package bill, and in both the "houses" too. The experience may have been good, but damage to the group's collective ego was extensive. About the only positive aspect of these Peterborough concerts was the Beatles' dressing-room discovery of theatrical make-up, showed to them by genial guitar-player Ted Taylor, leader of the much admired Ted Taylor Four. (The Beatles went on to teach the art of stage make-up to Mick Jagger who used it more liberally than ever before and whose own influence in this area has been widespread. Ted has a lot to answer for.) Ray McFall at the Cavern Club graciously waived his contracted Beatles engagement for this night.

(Victory) Memorial Hall, Northwich

and Tower Ballroom, New Brighton, Wallasey

The Beatles were added to the New Brighton bill a day before the show in order to boost flagging ticket sales. It meant a hurried journey up from Northwich and a very late-night spot on stage.

Cavern Club, Liverpool (lunch time)

Town Hall, Market St. Earlestown (night)

Newton-le-Willows, Lancashire

The Earlestown engagement, billed as "The Big Beat Show No. 2" was presented by T&T Vicars Sports and Social Club (Football Section)

Mono mixes of "Please Please Me" and "Ask Me Why" for the Beatles' second single were produced this day at Abbey Road by George Martin (session time unknown). The Beatles' themselves weren't present; apart from a few isolated incidences, they only began to attend and participate in mix sessions much later, around 1965/66. The new single was issued by EMI on Friday, January 11, 1963.

Majestic Ballroom, Birkenhead

Night Cavern Club, Liverpool - and 527 Club, Lewis's, Ranelagh Street, Liverpool

Two engagements in one night, the second of which was a "Young Idea Dance", for the staff of Lewis's, the premier department store in Liverpool, held on the top floor of the shop.

BBC Paris Studio, Regent Street, London

The Beatles' first radio session in London. It took place at the Corporation's confusingly named "Paris Studio" - situated not in France, but just south of Piccadilly Circus in the heart of the West End.

The recording was for the Light Programme Show, "The Talent Spot", broadcast on Tuesday, December 4th, between 5:00 and 5:29 pm. Rehearsals ran from 4:00 pm and recording before a live studio audience from 7:00 to 8:00 pm. Among the other acts appearing on this programme - "who make our guests for today and stars for tomorrow," as Programme host Gary Marshal announced at the start of the show - was Elkie Brooks, who also went on to achieve fame , albeit several years hence.

The Beatles performed three songs on this programme, "Love me do, PS, I Love you, and Twist and Shout".

Studio Two, EMI Studios, London

With the modest success of "Love Me Do", the Beatles were invited to return to EMI to record a second single. "Please Please Me", first aired in the studio on September 11th, was completed during this session, booked for 7:00-10:00 pm, but was finished 15 minutes ahead of time - 9:45. The group arrived at Abbey Road at 6:00 pm and had a short rehearsal prior to the session proper.

Including overdubs of John's distinctive harmonica wailing, "Please Please Me" was recorded in 18 takes and was chosen as the A-side. Then, after a short break, six takes of a re-make of "Ask Me Why" were taped (the first version having been recorded on June 6th) and the best was selected for the B-side. The Beatles also played to George Martin a third Lennon-McCartney number, "Tip Of My Tongue", but George was unhappy with the arrangement and said that it would have to be held over for another time. In fact, the Beatles never revived it, and it wasn't until July 1963 that it was recorded - by another Epstein artist, Tommy Quickly.

Night Cavern club, Liverpool

Royal Lido Ballroom, Central Beach

Prestatyn, Flintshire

Only the Beatles' second engagement in Wales, following the debut in nearby Rhyl four months earlier.

The Lunchtime slot at the Cavern Club this day was played by the Remo Four because the Beatles were in London for an audition with BBC Television, arranged so that their TV potential could be assessed.

Surprisingly, the audition came about not through the endeavours of Brian Epstein, but through two persuasive letters sent to the Corporation by one of the the Beatles' fans, David John Smith of Preston, who wrote asking for the group to be featured on BBC programmes. Assuming that Smith managed the group, the BBC wrote back to him offering them an audition in London on November 6th. Smith passed on the letter to NEMS Enterprises, from where Clive Epstein (brother Brian was with the Beatles in Hamburg) re-arranged this November 23rd date.

The 10 minute audition took place at 12:20 PM in a central London church hall. Four days later, Brian Epstein received a non-committal "Don't call us, we'll call you" letter from Mr. Ronnie Lane, Light Entertainment Auditioner. It would only be when the Beatles had enjoyed a number one record that they would make their BBC TV debut.

After the audition, the Beatles sped back to Merseyside for an unusual engagement at the Tower Ballroom, the 12th annual "Lancashire and Cheshire Arts Ball". Sharing the bill with the Beatles were Billy Kramer and the Coasters (prior to Epstein's signing Kramer to a management contract, adding the spurious middle initial J and severing the Coasters link in favor of Manchester group the Dakotas) the Llew Hird Jazz Band and the Clan McCLeod Pipe Band.