Beatles 50th Blog

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

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.