Disastrous Baetles concert in Peterborough

50 years ago on Sunday 2 December 1962 The Beatles performed at the Embassy Cinema in Peterborough (located between Cambridge and Nottingham).

But it turned out to be a less than satisfying experience. They had been booked to play two shows that night as an opener for the Frank Ifield show, but they were not well received by the crowd.

Other groups that night included Susan Cope, Tommy Wallis and Beryl, The Lana Sisters, The Ted Taylor Four, and Frank Ifield.

p.s. I will write a short biography of the other groups shortly, but one of them merits a bit more info. It was Ted Taylor (from the Ted Taylor Four) who introduced the Beatles to make-up!
He showed them how to make their skins less pale, and also how to blacken their eyes.
From that moment onwards the Beatles always tried to touch up their faces before going on stage or appear on TV.

The Beatles appeared a second time on stage, on March 17, 1963. But by then the crowd had learned to appreciate their new beat, and the concert was a success.

1972 NME Awards

At the end of 1972 NME published its annual awards

1972

World Male Singer: Elvis Presley
World Female Singer: Diana Ross
World Musical Personality: Elvis Presley
World Vocal Group: T Rex
British Male Singer: Cliff Richard
British Female Singer: Cilla Black
British Vocal Group: T Rex
British Vocal Personality: Cliff Richard
British New Group: New Seekers
British Instrumental Unit: C.C.S
TV or Radio Show: 'Top Of The Pops'
Disc Jockey: Jimmy Savile
New Disc Singer: Rod Stewart
Best 1971 Single Disc: George Harrison - 'My Sweet Lord'
Best 1971 Album: A tie between T Rex's 'Electric Warrior' and John Lennon's 'Imagine'

Paul McCartney rocks Edmonton, Canada

On 29 November 2012, Paul McCartney performed his last concert of the On The Run tour in Edmonton, Canada

McCartney's band was Paul 'Wix' Wickens (vocals, keyboards, guitar, percussion, harmonica), Brian Ray (vocals, guitar, bass), Rusty Anderson (vocals, guitar) and Abe Laboriel Jr (vocals, drums)

The setlist contained two unusual songs: Wonderful Christmastime and Mull Of Kintyre, both in the encore sections. For Wonderful Christmastime the band was joined by North Pointe Children's Choir, while the Edmonton Police Pipe Band made an appearance for Mull Of Kintyre.

Hello, Goodbye
Junior's Farm
All My Loving
Jet
Drive My Car
Sing The Changes
The Night Before
Let Me Roll It
Paperback Writer
The Long And Winding Road
Nineteen Hundred And Eighty-Five
My Valentine
Maybe I'm Amazed
Things We Said Today
And I Love Her
Blackbird
Here Today
Dance Tonight
Mrs Vandebilt
Eleanor Rigby
Something
Band On The Run
Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da
Back In The USSR
I've Got A Feeling
A Day In The Life/Give Peace A Chance
Let It Be
Live And Let Die
Hey Jude

Lady Madonna
Wonderful Christmastime
Day Tripper
Get Back

Yesterday
Mull Of Kintyre
Golden Slumbers
Carry That Weight
The End

The Beatles in Prestatyn

Saturday 24 November 1962 (exactly 50 years ago) was the day that The Beatles performed a 30-minute set at the Royal Lido ballroom in Prestatyn, North Wales. Also appearing that night were Jack Ellis and the Autocrats.

The Royal Lido was once called "the finest ballroom in North Wales" and opened in 1960 and later became The Nova Centre. Many famous Sixties bands played here, including Gerry and the Pacemakers, Billy J. Kramer, Freddie and the Dreamers, The Rolling Stones...

From the contract it appears that The Beatles were paid £30 and got a plate of jam sandwiches. It was also Ringo Starr's first Wales concert since joining the Beatles. Of course Ringo knew Wales very well, because he performed at the Butlins holiday camp in Pwllheli in July 1960 with Rory Storm and the Hurricanes.

Beatles Remastered on Vinyl

Today Apple Records released the complete remastered Beatles catalogue on 180 gram vinyl.

The box includes all 14 remastered albums, including the definitive versions of 12 UK albums and both "Past Masters" and the US version of Magical Mystery Tour. There is a limited edition box with a 252-pages book.

Somewhere in 2013, Apple will also release the mono versions of the albums, which should please fans of the earlier albums like Please Please Me and Beatles For Sale

Ken Michaels Radio dot com

It was 30 years ago that Ken Michaels first started his Beatles radio show in March 1982. And he is still going strong, co-hosting a new Beatles talk-show called "Things We Said Today" together with Beatles expert Steve Marinucci. Do you wanna know a secret? Just surf to Ken Michaels' website and Things We Said Today.

Last call for the Beatles on the Royal Iris River boat

On 28 September 1962, The Beatles performed for the third (and last) time aboard the Royal Iris.

The boat left Liverpool Pier Head at

In total the Beatles played a River Boat Shuffle 3 times on the Royal Iris. Appearing with them on this occassion were Lee Castle & The Barons, and Freddy (the Teddy) Fowell, who became better known as Freddie Starr. I guess he must have found some inspiration in Ringo's surname.

Price for a ticket was five shillings.

 At a Liverpool Beatles auction an unused ticket was estimated to fetch £1,200


Copyright info for the poster from beatlesauction

1. It's a low resolution copy of an advertising poster.
2. It doesn't limit the copyright owner's rights to sell the poster in any way.
3. Because of the low resolution, copies could not be used to make illegal copies of the poster.
4. The image is itself a subject of discussion in the article or used in the infobox.
5. The image is significant because it was used to promote a performance that has not been well documented.
6. There is a link to the owner's website where the poster can be bought: www.beatlesauction.co.uk

Produced by George Martin is now in the shops

Today, Tuesday 11 September 2012 you can go out and buy "Produced by George Martin", a new DVD that tells the story of the rise to fame of George Martin, probably one of the most famous music producers of all times.

The DVD contains material that was first transmitted by the BBC in 2011 for its "Arena" series. It features interviews with Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Cilla Black, Michael Palin, T-Bone Burnett and many more

Sir Paul McCartney receives the Legion of Honour

Great news from Paris, France today when Sir Paul McCartney received the highest honour a foreigner can receive: The "Légion d'Honneur" or Legion of Honour.

Macca received this honour because of his contributions to music from the hands of the French President, mr. François Hollande.

Other famous people who received this award are Clint Eastwood, Liza Minelli and Barbra Streisand.

John Lennon Live in Madison Square Garden

40 years ago, on Thursday 30 August 1972, John Lennon performed two sessions at Madison Square Garden.

It was a live benefit show for the pupils of Willowbrook School in New York City. This school was the center of a major controversy when a Geraldo Rivera report on ABC TV documented the physical and sexual abuse of children with physical disabilities.

The first session started at 2:00 pm and the setlist was:
- Power To The People,
- New York City,
- It's So Hard,
- Move On Fast,
- Woman Is The Nigger Of The World,
- Sisters, O Sisters,
- Well Well Well,
- Born In A Prison,
- Instant Karma,
- Mother,
- We're All Water,
- Come Together,
- Imagine,
- Open Your Box,
- Cold Turkey,
- Don't Worry Kyoko (Mummy's Only Looking For Her Hand In The Snow),
- Hound Dog. 

In the evening the setlist was changed, omitting many Yoko Ono songs:

- Power To The People,
- New York City,
- It's So Hard,
- Woman Is The Nigger Of The World,
- Sisters, O Sisters,
- Well Well Well,
- Instant Karma, Mother,
- We're All Water,
- Come Together,
- Imagine,
- Cold Turkey,
- Hound Dog,
- Give Peace A Chance.

Tickets cost $5, $7,50 and $10

Magical Mystery Tour Released on DVD and BluRay

According to the Beatles website, the 1967 TV-movie "Magical Mystery Tour" will be released very soon on DVD and Blu-Ray.  The film has been completely remastered by George Martin's son (Giles Martin) and will include many new scenes and edited promo clips.

Roll up! Roll up! A splendid time is guaranteed for all!

In September 1967, The Beatles loaded a film crew onto a bus along with friends, family and cast and headed west on the A30 out of London to make their third film, this time conceived and directed by The Beatles themselves.
"Paul said 'Look I've got this idea' and we said 'great!' and all he had was this circle and a little dot on the top - that's where we started."

A second trip on the Royal Iris River Boat Shuffle

On Friday 24 August 1962 The Beatles boarded the M.V. Royal Iris for a second time. Billed as "The Merseyside Top Group" they appeared with the Four J'S and the Zodiacs.

If you look carefully at the ticket you can see that there was a mix-up with the day. August 24 1962 was not a Saturday, but a Friday.

In total the Beatles appeared 3 times aboard the Royal Iris:

- Friday 6th July 1962
- Friday 24th August 1962
-  Friday 28th September 1962

Copyright info for the ticket:

1. It's a low resolution copy of an advertising poster.
2. It doesn't limit the copyright owner's rights to sell the poster in any way.
3. Because of the low resolution, copies could not be used to make illegal copies of the poster.
4. The image is itself a subject of discussion in the article or used in the infobox.
5. The image is significant because it was used to promote a performance that has not been well documented

John Lennon marries Cynthia Powell

Today, 50 years ago on Thursday 23 August 1962, John Lennon marries Cynthia Powell at Mount Pleasant Register Office in Liverpool.

Cynthia was born on September 10, 1939 in Blackpool, England. John met Cynthia Powell at art school in Liverpool in 1957. Cynthia and John were married on August 23, 1962 at the Mount Pleasant Registry Office in Liverpool.

Brian Epstein was Best Man, and George Harrison and Paul McCartney were also in attendance.

According to Cynthia, the ceremony was very unceremoniously, as there was a pneumatic drill that drowned out almost all of the words.

After the ceremony they all went to Reece's, a restaurant in Clayton Square. The restaurant was demolished when they built the Clayton Shopping Centre. Funnily, this is the same place where Alfred Lennon (John's father) took Julia Stanley after they got married.
Brian Epstein picked up the bill, and they all ate a set menu of soup, chicken and trifle.

Because the public image of the Beatles had to be one of 'available' young men (and ideal sons-in-law), teir marriage was kept a secret for awhile by Brian Epstein, the manager of the Beatles.

Ringo Starr plays his first official Beatles Show

On Saturday 18 August 1962, exactly 50 years ago, Ringo Starr played together with John, Paul and George at Hulme Hall in Birkenhead. They first rehearsed for 2 hours, and then appeared together on stage at 10pm. The occassion? The local horticultural society's 17th annual dance.

After Pete Best was sacked two days earlier, The Beatles approached Ringo Starr to replace Best. They had known Ringo already for a couple of years. The first time they appeared together, was at the opening of the Morgue Skiffle Cellar in Liverpool on 13 March 1959.

Ringo played in a group called Al Caldwell's Texans (maybe that is where he got his love for westerns?). Caldwell would later become famous as Rory Storm. On the same bill were the Quarry Men.

Over the years (leading up to August 1962) Ringo had helped The Beatles out when they needed a temporary drummer, for example in Hamburg and in the Cavern.

Pete Best is sacked

50 years ago, on 16 August 1962, Pete Best was sacked from The Beatles. Brian Epstein had called him into his office and told him the bad news.

Till this day it is not 100% sure why he was fired. There have been many reasons and rumors, but I guess we will never know.

Some of the reasons why Pete Best was kicked out of the Beatles were:

- he was unsociable, rarely smiled, didn't want to be a Beatle, didn't want to wear the Beatles Style hairdo
- he was not a very good studio drummer
- he was too popular with the public, thus putting the other Beatles in the shades

Luckily for Pete Best, the Anthology 1 album contained quite some songs where he is drumming. This allegedly made him between 1 and 4 million pounds from royalties.

The Beatles perform for just 5 people in Crewe

Imagine being at the Majestic Ballroom in Crewe, Chesire on Monday 13 August 1962. You would have been able to see the Beatles in concert, together with 5 other people. Because that was the number of spectators in the audience.

Since they got paid, they still did the two shows :)

Incidentally, they also had a lunch concert at the Cavern

Paul McCartney at the Velodrome

Amazing images yesterday (Saturday August 4 2012) when Paul McCartney joined thousands of sport fans at the Velodrome for the Women's Cycling Pursuit Race at  London 2012. Of course Sir Paul McCartney was proud that his daughter Stella designed all the track suits for the British team, but he must have been equally proud to see the British Women's Team to win Gold.

The audience even joined him in a singalong version of Hey Jude. Yes, you know you want to join in as well, so here we go: nah nah nah nanananah Hey Jude!

Here Comes the Sun tops Apple iTunes Store

Do you ever wonder which Beatles Songs are the most popular at the moment? Just take a look at the Apple iTunes most downloaded songs, and you have the answer. And no, it is not Yesterday...

Top Songs by The Beatles on the Apple iTunes Store

1. Here Comes the Sun
2. Hey Jude
3. Let It Be
4. Come Together
5. Blackbird
6. Twist and Shout
7. In My Life
8. Yesterday
9. Revolution
10.While My Guitar Gently Weeps

25th Beatles Day in Mons, Belgium

On Saturday October 13th, the city of Mons will be the venue of the 25th Beatles Day at the Lotto Mons Expo.

You can expect many Beatles Tribute bands and lots more. All the info can be found on www.Beatlesday.be

The Beatles at Victora Hall, Bebington

On Saturday 4 August 1962 the Beatles went back to Birkenhead (Wirral) on the other side of the Mersey.

They played their first and last gig at Victoria Hall in Village Road, Bebington (Wirral). Even Brian Epstein had never been there, so it took them some time to find it.

The Beatles at Grafton Rooms

The Grafton Rooms was a club in Liverpool, and no stranger to The Beatles. As the Quarrymen they had already performed there, and on Friday 3 August 1962 they appeared on stage for the first time there as The Beatles.

In total they would appear 4 times there as "The Beatles". The last time would be almost one year later, on 2 August 1963.

Concert promotor for this show was Albert Kinder (he regularly booked artists of the calibre of Chris Barber and Lonnie Donegan at the Empire and Pavilion Theatre) and The Big Tree and Gerry and the Pacemakers also appeared on the bill 

The Beatles at Grafton Rooms, Liverpool

On Friday August 3 1962 The Beatles played their first gig (out of a total of 4) at the Grafton Rooms in Liverpool. Also known as The Grafton Ballroom, this venue was opened on February 2nd, 1924. The dance-hall could accommodate up to 1,200 dancers and was built next to the Locarno Ballroom.

Incidentally, it was not the first time that John & Paul had appeared at the Grafton. The Quarrymen used to play there in the late 1950's.

Apart from The Beatles other famous artists who appeared at The Grafton Rooms include Dizzy Gillespie, Joe Loss, Victor Silvester and Henry Hall.

Nowadays it is a Comedy Club

p.s. a very nice side-note: The Joe Loss Orchestra contained amongst its members a certain Ross MacManus...father of Elvis Costello!

Copyright notice for picture: Creative Commons Attribution Share-alike license 2.0 - owner Sue Adair

The Beatles with Joe Brown and The Undertakers

On Friday July 27, 1962, The Beatles appeared again at the prestigious Tower Ballroom in New Brighton. It was a Bob Wooler Show (of course!) and The Joe Brown Show with his "Bruvvers" were the headline.

Also starring with The Beatles were The Statesmen, The Undertakers, Steve Day and the Drifers, and The Four Jays

The Beatles at Cambridge Hall, Southport

On 26 July 1962 The Beatles performed at Cambridge hall, Lord Street, Southport (North of Liverpool). They appeared together with Joe Brown & The Bruwers, The Dakotas with Peter Maclaine, Gerry & The Pacemakers, Billy Kramer with the Coasters and The Four Jays.

Copyright notice: the poster (as published on fincharie.com) is presented here under the fair use copyright law

1. It's a low resolution copy of an advertising poster.
2. It doesn't limit the copyright owner's rights to sell the poster in any way.
3. Because of the low resolution, copies could not be used to make illegal copies of the poster.
4. The image is itself a subject of discussion in the article.
5. The image is significant because it was used to promote a performance that has not been well documented.

Tomorrow Never Knows - New Beatles Album

Today, Tuesday 24 July 2012 sees the release of a new Beatles record, exclusively on the Apple iTunes Store. This compilation record attempts to bring together some of The Beatles' most influential rock songs.

The question is of course who will buy this "record", since it will not be released in any physical form. Real Beatle fans have of course these songs already in their posession, and non-Beatle fans will have to be convinced that these songs really represent what the Beatles are.

The choice of songs are sometimes very peculiar. Some were already releases on the "Rock 'n' Music" compilation from 1976, and others were not really "rock" but more "psychedelic". If the idea was to show how influential the Beatles were, then surely songs like "Savoy Truffle" or even "Paperback Writer" could easily have been replaced by "Taxman", "Rain" or "She's a Woman".


All songs written by Lennon–McCartney, except where noted.

 1."Revolution" – 3:25
 2."Paperback Writer" – 2:19
 3."And Your Bird Can Sing" – 1:59
 4."Helter Skelter" – 4:31
 5."Savoy Truffle" (George Harrison) – 2:54
 6."I'm Down" – 2:32
 7."I've Got a Feeling" (Let It Be... Naked version) – 3:38
 8."Back in the U.S.S.R." – 2:44
 9."You Can't Do That" – 2:35
 10."It's All Too Much" (Harrison) – 6:26
 11."She Said She Said" – 2:36
 12."Hey Bulldog" – 3:11
 13."Tomorrow Never Knows" – 2:59
 14."The End" (Anthology 3 version) – 2:52



Copyright info : This image is of a cover of an audio recording, and the copyright for it is most likely owned by either the publisher of the work or the artist(s) which produced the recording or cover artwork in question. It is believed that the use of low-resolution images of such covers

• solely to illustrate the audio recording in question,

is acceptable as "fair use". The picture is presented in a low resolution and altered so that it can not be used as a a copy of the real image. People wishing to buy this record should visit the Apple iTunes Store.

Tomorrow Never Knows released on iTunes

Tomorrow Never Knows is a compilation album by The Beatles that was released on 24 July 2014.

It tries to group some songs that are considered "groundbreaking" or "original".

Tracklist "Revolution" – 3:25 "Paperback Writer" – 2:19 "And Your Bird Can Sing" – 1:59 "Helter Skelter" – 4:31 "Savoy Truffle" (George Harrison) – 2:54 "I'm Down" – 2:32 "I've Got a Feeling" (Let It Be... Naked version) – 3:38 "Back in the U.S.S.R." – 2:44 "You Can't Do That" – 2:35 "It's All Too Much" (Harrison) – 6:26 "She Said She Said" – 2:36 "Hey Bulldog" – 3:11 "Tomorrow Never Knows" – 2:59 "The End" (Anthology 3 version) – 2:52

Beatles Musical to hit LA and Broadway

2013 will be a big year for The Beatles Musical 'Backbeat'. It will first make a last stop in LA at the Ahmanson Theater, before moving on to Broadway.

The musical is set in 1960 and focuses on Stu Sutcliff (bassplayer of the Beatles and often referred to as "the Fifth Beatle") and his relationship with the Hamburg artist Astrik Kirchherr.

The musical has so far toured the world:
- Glasgow (Citizen's Theater - 2010)
- London West End (2011)
- Toronto (Royal Alexandra Theatre - 2012)

No cast has yet been announced for the LA shows, but bookings can be made. The Shows are scheduled from January 16 till February 24 2013

Jon Lord dies aged 71

Jonathan Douglas Lord, beter known as Jon Lord was an English musician who founded Deep Purple in 1970. He is also the keyboard player on Deep Purple's most famous song "Child in Time".

Deep Purple's first LP "Shades of Deep Purple" contains a Lennon/McCartney track "Help". The re-issue on CD contains an alternate version of "Help"

Beatles perform a fourth time in St Helens

On Monday 16 July 1962 The Beatles went for the last of their 4-gig commitments at the Plaza Ballroom in St. Helens. They received £25 for this gig. A year later, they would receive £100 for their April 10, 1963 concert.

At lunchtime they also played a set at the Cavern in Mathew Street

The Beatles in the Nation's Favourite Singles List

On Monday July 16 2012 The Official Charts Company published the top 10 of their search for "The Nation's Favourite Number 1 Single.

2012 marks the 60th anniversary of the Official UK Charts. 60 years ago the first "tops" and "flops" were recorded.
ITV set out to conduct a nation-wide poll to find out which Number Ones were the favourites among the British public. And the results are to say...quite peculiar... to say the least. A top ten of 60 years that contains Kylie Minogue, Whitney Houston and Britney Spears???
Luckily there is also The Beatles and John Lennon.


1    Queen     Bohemian Rhapsody
2    Michael Jackson     Billie Jean
3    Adele     Someone Like You
4    Oasis     Don’t Look Back In Anger
5    The Beatles     Hey Jude
6    John Lennon     Imagine
7    Britney Spears     …Baby One More Time
8    Abba     Dancing Queen
9    Whitney Houston     I Will Always Love You
10    Kylie Minogue     Can’t Get You Out Of My Head

Paul McCartney and Bruce Springsteen rock London

On Saturday 14 July 2012, Bruce Springsteen performed with the E-Street Band in Hyde Park, London. After 3 hours of non-stop performing, he had a giant treat in store for the 65,000 people in the public: he realized a dream he had had for "50 years" and call one Sir Paul McCartney to the stage.

Together they played "I Saw her Standing There" and "Twist and Shout", but unfortunately the London City Council decided that the concert curfew (which goes in at 10:15 pm on a Saturday) was breached and they cut off the sound system.

Great work, London! I hope you don't cut off the lights in the Olympic Stadium next month during the final of the high jump :)

The Beatles at the Tower Ballroom in New Brighton

On Friday 13 July 1962 The Beatles played at the Tower Ballroom in New Brighton, located to the North of Liverpool. No reports have come in about this gig being unlucky :)

The history of the Ballroom is very interesting.

The Tower got its name form a huge iron tower that stood just outside and that was patterned on the Eiffel Tower in Paris. It took them 4 years to build it (from 1896 till 1900). At that time it was the highest structure in Britain (567ft). From the top you could see as far as the Isle of Man, parts of the Lake District and the Welsh hills.

After the war it was dismantled in 1919.

The Tower building itself was one of the biggest ballrooms in the North of England and about 5,000 people could get in!

It's also worth noting that at a certain moment George Harrison's grandfather was a commissionaire at the ballroom.

Cavern and Birkenhead

Thursday July 12 1962 saw the Beatles drive between Liverpool (a lunchtime engagement at the Cavern) and Birkenhead (an evening session at the Majestic Ballroom).

The Beatles appear at the Cavern

Wednesday 11 July 1962: The Beatles on stage at the Cavern for an evening session

Noontime at the Cavern

Tuesday July 10 1962 saw the Beatles perform yet another lunchtime concert at the Cavern. In total they played an amazing 292 concerts in The Cavern!

Short Timeline of the Beatles in Hamburg

The Beatles (John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Stuart Sutcliffe and Pete Best) regularly performed in Hamburg, Germany, from August 1960 until December 1962.

1st trip: 17 August 1960 - 9 December 1960

- 17 August 1960: Their first German concert at the Indra Club (Grosse Freiheit 64)
- 3 October 1960: Their last gig at the Indra
- 4 October 1960: The Beatles appear at the Kaiserkeller (Grosse Freiheit 36)
- October 1960: They meet Ringo Starr who is drumming for Rory Storme and the Hurricanes at the Kaiserkeller
- 15 October 1960: Ringo Starr plays on a recording with The Beatles (minus Pete Best) when they back Lou 'Wally' Walters at the Akustic Studios in Hamburg
- 30 November 1960: The last gig at the Kaiserkeller
- 8 December 1960: George Harrison is deported for working underaged at a nightclub
- 9 December 1960: Paul McCartney and Pete Best are arrested for arsony
- They probably played about 100 performances

2nd trip: 28 March 1961 - 1 July 1961

- 27 March 1961: The Beatles arrive in Hamburg for their second season. Top Ten Club & Star Club
- 28 March 1961: Their first gig at the Top Ten Club (Reeperbahn 136)
- 1 April 1961 sees the start of a Residency at the Top Ten Club
- 22 June: The first of several recording sessions with Tony Sheridan at the Frederich-Eberts-Halle
- Approximately 85 performances


3rd trip: 13 April - 31 May 1962

- 13 April 1962: The Beatles appear at the Star Club
- About 45/50 performances

4th trip: 30 October - 15 November 1962

- 1 November 1962: Start of their 4th Hamburg Season, again at the Star Club
- 15 November 1962: they return by plane to England

5th trip: 17 December - 31 December 1962

- 18 December 1962: Start of the 5th (and last) season at the Star Club
- The Beatles play 14 times in the Star-Club
- 31 December 1962: Final show at the Star Club, recorded by Ted 'Kingsize' Taylor 

The Beatles Timeline

So much has been written about the Beatles that it seems almost pointless to publish on this blog. And yet, every time we research a new little bit of information, it turns out it leads to a mass of data that can be found on records, personal accounts, interviews, books, magazines, hearsay and much much more.

So to make the division in "periods" more easy, we have decided to use a 4-part Period Analysis

1. The Early Years: this runs from the prehistory (birth of Pete Best's mother for example) all the way up to the dismissal of Pete Best on August 17, 1962. This includes growing up in Liverpool, going to Hamburg, recording with Tony Sheridan, getting famous in Northern Engeland and touring extensively with

2. Beatlemania: this runs from the day Ringo Starr joined the Beatles (August 18, 1962) till the day the Beatles stopped touring (29 August 1966). In this period the Beatles released several albums, toured the world, received an MBE for their services to the world and met Elvis, Bob Dylan and started nibbling from the illegal fruits. They also made movies.

3. The Studio Years: this runs from September 1966 till the official breakup of the Beatles (April 10th, 1970). A very creative process without touring, and they released their most ambitious albums (Revolver, Sgt.Peppers) and songs (A Day in the Life, Strawberry Fields Forever)

4. The Solo Years: from April 1970 till present day. Ringo, Paul, John & George making classic albums. The deaths of John and George, and the refound energy of Ringo and Paul.

Dislcaimer: This image only consists of simple geometric shapes and/or text. It does not meet the threshold of originality needed for copyright protection, and is therefore in the public domain.

Beatles Back at the Plaza Ballroom

50 years ago on Monday 9 July 1962, The Beatles returned to the Plaza Ballroom for their third consecutive Monday (out of a total of 4)

Evening Session in the Cavern

On Sunday 8 July 1962 The Beatles performed one of their many evening sessions at the Cavern Club

Paul McCartney is writing music for a video game

Guess what? Paul McCartney is exploring yet another area to show the world just how brilliant he is. We had already known that he was interested in working for the video game industry, but now part of the mystery is revealed.

Apparently, Sir Paul is writing music for Bungie, the video game developer who is best known for the HALO-franchise. We are not yet sure what game Paul is working on, but changes are it is DESTINY, a game being developed for Activision.

We are looking forward to seeing this game, possibly in early 2013

Happy Birthday Ringo!

72 years ago on 7 July 1940, Richard Starkey was born in Madryn Street, The Dingle, Liverpool.

Ringo Starr first met The Beatles (John, Paul, George, Stu and Pete) in Hamburg when he was drumming for Rory Storme and his Hurricanes.

When Pete Best was replaced, Ringo took his place to become one of the most important and famous drummers.

After the break-up of the Beatles, Ringo published a lot of records, played in movies and travelled around the world with his Ringo & his All Starr Band

Discography

• Sentimental Journey (1970)
• Beaucoups of Blues (1970)
• Ringo (1973)
• Goodnight Vienna (1974)
• Ringo's Rotogravure (1976)
• Ringo the 4th (1977)
• Bad Boy (1978)
• Stop and Smell the Roses (1981)
• Old Wave (1983)
• Time Takes Time (1992)
• Vertical Man (1998)
• I Wanna Be Santa Claus (1999)
• Ringo Rama (2003)
• Choose Love (2005)
• Liverpool 8 (2008)
• Y Not (2010)
• Ringo 2012

the Beatles at Hulme Hall, Port Sunlight

In 1962 The Beatles performed at least 4 times at Hulme Hall in Port Sunlight (Birkenhead):

- 7th July, 
- 18th August, 
- 6th October 
- 27th October

For many people Hulme Hall is the place of the Birth of the Beatles, because on August 18 1962 this was the location where Ringo played his first "official" Beatles set (he had of course already played with them before in Hamburg and in Liverpool as a temporary replacement for Ringo.

It was 55 Years ago Today: Paul meets John

55 years ago on this very day (6 July 1957) was probably one of the most important ones in the history of the Beatles: it was the weekend of the St. Stephen's Parish Fête in Woolton, Liverpool.

John Lennon and his Quarry Men played that day and Ivan Vaughan introduced Paul McCartney.
Amazingly, a recording of that day exists, made according to many sources by Bob Molyneux. Molyneux discovered the reel-to-reel tape (made on a Grundig) in 1994 and put it up for auction at Sotheby's. It fetched £78,500 and will probably never be released due to the apparently very bad quality (even after remastering)

On the set list were:
- Baby, Let's Play House
- Putting on the Style
- Come and Go with Me
- Cumberland Gap
- Railroad Bill
- Maggie Mae

Paul McCartney impressed John Lennon with his versions of "Twenty Flight Rock" and "Be-Bop-A-Lula"


The Quarry Men line up was: Eric Griffiths, Colin Hanton, Rod Davis, John Lennon, Pete Shotton & Len Garry

The Beatles on the River Boat Iris

The Beatles have appeared 4 times on the Royal Iris River Boat for concerts. Some were called "A Riverboat Shuffle", others just "A Grand River Cruise"

They appeared on the following dates:

- 25 August 1961
- 6 July 1962
- 10 August 1962
- 28 September 1962

Some sources also talk of a fifth performance on 24 August 1962, and (fake?) tickets exist with a wrong day (Saturday instead of Friday).

On July 6th 1962 The Beatles shared the bill with Acker Bilk's Jazz Band. Acker Bilk is sometimes called the "Great Master of the clarinet".

The Beatles again at the Majestic Ballroom in Birkenhead

The Beatles performed a total of 17 appearances at the Majestic Ballroom in Birkenhead. Birkenhead is situated close to Liverpool on the other side of the Mersey and it was an ideal location for the Beatles to spread their fame west (to Wales)

Another Evening Session with The Beatles

On Wednesday 4 July 1962 The Beatles performed at the Cavern Club (nighttime session)

Paul McCartney will sing Hey Jude at the Olympics

Beatle fans from around the world should definitely tune in to the coverage of the opening ceremony of the 2012 London Olympics on July 27 2012.

Paul McCartney will close the ceremony with a rendition of that old-time favourite Beatles song "Hey Jude", supported by 60,000 spectators.

Around 1,000,000,000 (yes, that's one billion) viewers are expected to tune in to Danny Boyle's £27,000,000 extravaganza.

Real fans had already known that Hey Jude would be played, since Sir Paul refused to play the song at Queen Elizabeth's Diamond Jubilee party.

But Paul McCartney will not be the only Beatle-related topic at the ceremony, because Danny Boyle plans to recreate the history of Britain, which will include performers dressed in Sgt.Pepper's uniforms.

The Beatles in the Squido.com Top 100

Squidoo.com made a list of the 100 Greatest songs of all times. In their disclaimer they quite rightly say that it is virtually impossible to make such a list, as it depends on too many parameters: personal taste, memorability, greatness and much much more.

Here are the "Beatles" in his top 100:

1.   Imagine - John Lennon
6.   Let It Be - The Beatles
10. Hey Jude - The Beatles
14. Yesterday - The Beatles
28. In My Life - The Beatles
42. While My Guitar Gently Weeps - The Beatles
57. A Day in the Life - The Beatles
75. Norwegian Wood - The Beatles


The complete list can be found on Squidoo

Ferry Cross the Mersey

When Gerry Marsden wrote "Ferry Cross the Mersey" for his group Gerry and the Pacemakers, he was embodying the feeling that all Mersey Beat rock groups had: proud to be Liverpudlian and always eager to leave shore.

The Beatles themselves played "on the Mersey" on a number of occassions, playing at a Riverboat Shuffle concert aboard the M.V. Royal Iris.

You can't do that anymore, but you can still take a Mersey Ferry from Birkenhead and Seacombe on the Wirral. Not on the Royal Iris, unfortunately, but on its sister ship The Royal Daffodil.

In 1957 The Cavern Club started a tradition that would last 40 years: "The Riverboat Shuffles". In fact, it was a 4-hour dance cruise with Fish & Chips and music from local groups such as The Beatles, Gerry and the Pacemakers, the Four J's, The Zodiacs, Acker Bilk's Paramount Jazz Band and Freddy Starr

Copyright info for the poster from maximumrnb

1. It's a low resolution copy of an advertising poster.
2. It doesn't limit the copyright owner's rights to sell the poster in any way.
3. Because of the low resolution, copies could not be used to make illegal copies of the poster.
4. The image is itself a subject of discussion in the article or used in the infobox.
5. The image is significant because it was used to promote a performance that has not been well documented.
6. There is a link to the owner's website where the poster can be bought: www.maximumrnb.com

The Beatles at the Cavern - noontime

It was 50 years ago today (July 3 1962) that the Beatles had a noontime concert at the Cavern in Mathew Street.

At the top of the charts in England were:

1.Picture of You, Joe Brown (Piccadilly)2.I Can’t Stop Loving You, Ray Charles (HMV)3.Come Outside, Mike Sarne (Parlophone)4.Good Luck Charm, Elvis Presley (RCA)5.Ginny Come Lately, Brian Hyland


At the top of the charts in USA were:


1.The Stripper, David Rose
2.Roses Are Red, Bobby Vinton
3.I Can’t Stop Loving You, Ray Charles
4.Palisades Park, Freddy Cannon
5.It Keeps Right on a-Hurtin, Johnny Tillotson

Love by The Beatles: a review

I recently bought "Love", the 2006 compilation album that George and Giles Martin made for the Cirque de Soleil show "Love". The album consists of over 130 songs, outtakes and alternative versions by The Beatles, mixed up as a so-called "mashup".

Although I was very sceptical when I first heard about the concept, I am amazed at how well the remixes worked. It is a giant puzzle, and although it sounds really good even for people who don't know The Beatles, it is awesome for the real fan.

I have a nice bootleg collection with outtakes from the Abbey Road sessions and it is great to hear some of those tracks being used to recreate a totally different experience.

My favourite track is "Get Back", where the intro of "A Hard Day's Night" and the drum solo of "The End" is combined with the percussion of "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" and the orchestra ouverture of "A Day in the Life". And I can tell you: it rocks!

This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported, 2.5 Generic, 2.0 Generic and 1.0 Generic license: Author := Brocken Inaglory

Happy Birthday Sir Peter Blake

A star-studded group of rock musicians turned up to celebrate Sir Peter Blake's 80th birthday. Blake is an English pop artist who is best know to Beatle fans as the designer of the famous cover sleeve of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.

He also designed (in a similar style) the Greatest Hits album of Oasis (Stop the Clocks)

At the birthday party he was joined by Paul McCartney, Eric Clapton, Ronnie Wood and Roger Daltrey

To mark Peter Blake's 80th birthday, an exhibition will be held at Pallant House Gallery in Chichester celebrating the artist's long associations with music called "Peter Blake and Pop Music" (23 June to 7 October 2012)

Unreleased recording of The Beatles at the Cavern

In July 1962 The Beatles performed approximately 17 times in the Cavern.

On one of those nights, a fan taped a complete concert on a home recorder. Here is the list of the set The Beatles played that night:

- Hey! Baby
- If You Got to Make a Fool of Somebody
- The Hippy Hippy Shake
- Please Mr. Postman
- Roll over Beethoven (sung by John, not George)
- Ask Me Why
- Sharing You
- Your Feet's Too Big
- Words of Love
- Till There Was You
- Dizzy Miss Lizzy
- I Forgot to Rembember to Forget You
- Matchbox
- Shimmy Shake (?) or maybe Shimmy Like My Sister Kate
- Memphis, Tennesee
- Young Blood
- Dream Baby

The Beatles at Plaza Ballroom at St. Helens

On Monday 2 July 1962, The Beatles performed (again) at the Plaza Ballroom at St. Helens. They had already had a succesful concert on June 25th 1962, and they appeared for 4 consecutive Mondays.

The people responsible for booking the Beatles were The Whetstone Enterainment Company. They would be so impressed with The Beatles that they would go on to book them for 4 Thursday night sessions at the Riverpark Ballroom in Chester. The first concert was on 16 August 1962

List of songs The Beatles played in July 1962

When talking to Beatle Fans who attended Beatles' concerts in July 1962, we get a good idea of their repertoire:

List of songs that The Beatles played during their concerts in July 1962

- Words of Love
- What's Your Name
- Roll over Beethoven
- Ask Me Why
- Hippy Hippy Shake
- Till There was You
- Hey! Baby
- If You Gotta Make a Fool of Somebody
- Please Mr. Postman
- Sharing You
- Your Feet's Too Big
- Dizzy Miss Lizzie
- I Forgot to Remember to Forget
- Matchbox
- Sister Kate a.k.a. Shimmy Like Kate
- Memphis
- Young Blood
- Dream Baby

The Beatles with Gene Vincent at the Cavern

It was 50 years ago on this day (1 July 1962) that The Beatles performed together with Gene Vincent in the Cavern in Liverpool.

A famous picture was taken at that concert of John and Paul looking backwards with Gene Vincent. The picture was taken by Mike McCartney.

The Beatles had met Gene Vincent before during their 1961 tour of Hamburg, and they were thrilled to meet up with him again.

There exists a tape of Gene Vincent playing "What I'd Say" together with The Beatles at the Cavern on July 1st 1962. The song apparently has some wicked guitar playing and Pete Best on tom-toms.

The Beatles in Heswall Jazz Club

On Saturday 30 June 1962, The Beatles performed in the Heswall Jazz Club, which was actually located in Barnston's Women's Institute on Barnston Road.

They appeared together with The Big Three and were announced as "Parlophone Recording Artists"

Copyright info for the poster from maximumrnb

1. It's a low resolution copy of an advertising poster.
2. It doesn't limit the copyright owner's rights to sell the poster in any way.
3. Because of the low resolution, copies could not be used to make illegal copies of the poster.
4. The image is itself a subject of discussion in the article or used in the infobox.
5. The image is significant because it was used to promote a performance that has not been well documented.
6. There is a link to the owner's website where the poster can be bought: www.maximumrnb.com

The Beatles at the Tower Ballroom in New Brighton

It was 50 years ago today (29 June 1962) that the Beatles performed at the Tower Ballroom in New Brighton, a seaside resort in Wallasey, Merseyside.

New Brighton was a very popular resort in the 19th century and during the first part of the 20th century, but after WWII it last quite some appeal, but the Tower Ballroom became famour in the '50s and '60s for hosting numerous concerts with local Liverpool bands (for example The Beatles) and international stars.

On 29 June 1962 The Beatles appeared at the Tower Ballroom together with The Fourmost. One day later (30 June) Brian Epstein would sign The Fourmost to NEMS. The line-up at that time was Mike Millward, Billy Hatton, Brian O’Hara and Dave Lovelady.

The Fourmost released three singles composed by Lennon/McCartney: 'Hello Little Girl', 'I'm in Love' and 'Here, There and Everywhere'

Other groups appearing with them were at this "Operation Big Beat 3" were:
- The Big 3,
- The 4 Jays,
- Kansas City 5
- Kingsize Taylor and the Dominoes
- The Undertakers
- The Searchers
- Johnny Templars Hi-Cats
- Lee Curtis & The Detours


p.s. Some sources also claim that The Beatles played a lunch session at the Cavern Club.

Temple Bar Beatles Fest 2012

On Friday 13 July, Saturday 14 July and Sunday 15 July 2012 all Beatle fans should jump in their airplane and fly over to Dublin, Ireland where they will organise the first ever Temple Bar Beatles Fest.

The organisers have a nice list of bands, guests and speakers:

- Tribute Bands: Beatles For Sales, The Rockets, Macca Paul, Big Dog and the Beatles Blues Band
- Special Guests: Pete Best, Julia Baird, Tony Bramwell, Gail Renard
- Art Fair with Georgina Flood

Beatles perform at the Majestic Ballroom, Birkenhead

Birkenhead is a town near Liverpool where on June 28, 1962 The Beatles performed at the Majestic Ballroom.

The Majestic opened in June 1916 as a cinema, seating 730 patrons. It was renamed Birkenhead Super in 1924 and converted in a "Top Rank Luxury Ballroom" and by 1962 it was a Majestic Ballroom (closed down in 1969) and now a Chinese restaurant.

The Beatles performed here 17 times, the last time on 10 April 1963 (receiving £100)

Copyright notice: the poster (as published on fincharie.com) is presented here under the fair use copyright law

1. It's a low resolution copy of an advertising poster.
2. It doesn't limit the copyright owner's rights to sell the poster in any way.
3. Because of the low resolution, copies could not be used to make illegal copies of the poster.
4. The image is itself a subject of discussion in the article.
5. The image is significant because it was used to promote a performance that has not been well documented.

22nd Annual Liverpool Beatles Auction

Do you have some spare cash lying around? And are you a Beatle fan? Then head over to Liverpool where on 25 August 2012 they will have their 22nd Liverpool Beatles Auction. During the International Beatle Week a nice collection of Beatles memorabilia will be auctioned off.

Among the items are :
- a rare ticket of the last appearance of The Beatles at the Cavern on Saturday 3 August 1963
- a signed copy of the first Beatles Monthly
- an autographed postcard of George Harrison that also includes autographs of Tommy Quickly and Les and Freddie from the Pacemakers
- rare promotional posters
- handwritten notes by Bob Wooler
- Cavern Club memorabilia
- a Beatles photo signed by all 4 Beatles and containing a reference to Aunt Mimi
- lots of original pictures

The auction will be held on Saturday 25th August, from 10am.


The 2012 Liverpool Beatles Auction will be held at The Paul McCartney Auditorium at The Liverpool Institute for the Performing Arts.

Entry is by catalogue. These will be available in advance from the The Beatles Shop on Mathew Street or on the door on the day (and the viewing day)

A viewing day for the items for sale in the auction will be held on Friday 24th August from 11am to 4pm at The Paul McCartney Auditorium.  Entry to this is free.

In Pictures: Revolution 9

Revolution 9, often mistakenly referred to as "Revolution Number 9", is a sound collage by John Lennon and Yoko Ono (but credited as always to Lennon/McCartney) and appears on "The Beatles" (a.k.a. The White Album).

Paul McCartney was not in favor of including this "song" on the album, but lost out. At over eight minutes, this is the longest song on any Beatles album (8'22 in total)

"Revolution 9" was not the first experimental song by The Beatles. "What's the New Mary Jane" and "Carnival of Light" already contained a sound collage, and John said he was inspired by musicians John Cage and Karlheinz Stockhausen.

Revolution 9 always brings out strong feelings among Beatles fans.

Up Your Legs Forever by John Lennon and Yoko Ono

In 1970 John Lennon and Yoko Ono made an experimental film called "Up Your Legs Forever", which consisted of a camera panning around different legs for 70 minutes. It was essentially a remake of their previous movie "Nr. 4 (bottoms)" where the bottoms were substituted with legs.

The Beatles with the Big Three

On Wednesday 27 June The Beatles appeared at the Cavern together with The Big Three, a local Liverpool Mersybeat group who are best remembered for their 1963 hit "Some Other Guy"

They evolved out of Cass & the Cassanovas and primarily consisted of three fixed members: Brian Casser, Adrian Barber and Johnny Hutch. They were locally know as "one of the loudest, most aggressive and visually appealing bands around". Adrian Barber was famous for his giant amps which were called "coffins". Legend has it he also built one for Paul McCartney.

Many senior patrons of the Cavern still believe that The Big Three were the best live act, even better than the Beatles. And Johnny "Hutch" Hutchinson sometimes replaced Pete Best when he was unavailable to play with The Beatles.

They were signed to Brian Epstein's agency and sent over to Hamburg, where Barber was responsible for taping a Beatles show that was later released as "The Beatles Live! at the Star Club in Hamburg"

Copyright info for the poster from maximumrnb

1. It's a low resolution copy of an advertising poster.
2. It doesn't limit the copyright owner's rights to sell the poster in any way.
3. Because of the low resolution, copies could not be used to make illegal copies of the poster.
4. The image is itself a subject of discussion in the article or used in the infobox.
5. The image is significant because it was used to promote a performance that has not been well documented.
6. There is a link to the owner's website where the post can be bought: www.maximumrnb.com

The Rutles!

I just saw the Beatles tribute mockumentary "The Rutles: All You Need is Cash" and "Can't Buy Me Lunch" and it was hilarious! The way Eric Idle spoofs the Beatles Anthology (22 years before the latter was published) and how he prepares the way for Spinal Tap is just fabulous.

And it's great to see George Harrison as an interviewer at Rutles Corp. Anybody who knows about the Beatles will love the way Beatlemania and the Apple debacle are put into a humorous context. Don't forget to listen to the songs, especially those on The Rutles Archeology :)


Copyright disclaimer of the The Rutles cartoon: Greg Williams published it under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.5 Generic licence

Take it Away/I'll Give You a Ring

30 years ago on 26 June 1982 Paul McCartney released the single "Take it Away/I'll Give You a Ring", taken from his his 1982 album Tug of War. The single reached #10 in the USA and #15 in the UK.

The video shows Ringo Starr and George Martin (who played on the record) and actor John Hurt.

There is also a 7" record which includes "dress me up as a robber".

Interesting for collectors: The 7" Japanese version is on yellow vinyl

Carlton Brook Management was founded

On this day 50 years ago, Joe Flannery founded Carlton Brook Management, a concert promotion company. He is considered by many to be the first real booking manager for the Beatles (although Mona Best would probably disagree).

Flannery was the manager of Lee Curtis and The Detours, and he first met the Beatles when The Detours played The Cavern Club and they had a problem with a bass amp. The Beatles (who were performing together with them) kindly lend them their amplifier. Incidentally, Lee Curtis was the stage name of Peter Flannery (Joe's brother).

When Pete Best was sacked by The Beatles, he joined Lee Curtis and the All-Stars.
 
Joe Flannery was also the driving force behind the project to place commemorative plaques outside famous concerthalls in Wales where The Beatles performed in their early days. The plaques can now be found everywhere around Wales, for example in Prestatyn, Mold, Rhyl etc...

Joe Flannery also claims that the Beatles' hairstyle was based on his mum's hairstyle. Allegedly John Lennon visited Joe at his Aintree flat and saw a picture of Agnes Flannery.

Copyright info for the poster

1. It's a low resolution copy of an advertising poster.
2. It doesn't limit the copyright owner's rights to sell the poster in any way.
3. Because of the low resolution, copies could not be used to make illegal copies of the poster.
4. The image is itself a subject of discussion in the article or used in the infobox.
5. The image is significant because it was used to promote a performance that has not been well documented.

NEMS Enterprises

On Tuesday 26 June 1962, Brian Epstein formed NEMS Enterprises, a management company that would take care of the artists that were signed under Brian's Management. Directors and shareholders were Brian and Clive Epstein

List of Artists managed by Brian Epstein

- The Beatles
- Cilla Black
- Gerry & The Pacemakers
- Billy J. Kramer & The Dakotas
- The Fourmost
- The Cyrkle
- Tommy Quickly
- Sounds Incorporated

On the same day as the creation of NEMS, Ron White, an EMI marketing executive congratulated Epstein with securing a recording contract with George Martin. Ron White had personally contacted some EMI producers (Norrie Paramor, Norman Newell, Walter Ridley) to tell them about the Beatles but they all refused. The only one he couldn't reach (because he was on holiday) was George Martin.

In Pictures: All You Need is Love

Our rendition of one of the Beatles' most powerful songs: All You Need is Love

Specifically chosen for today, 25 June, which marks the 45th anniversary of the "Our World" transmission.

Happy Global Beatles Day

We have International Beatles Day on July 10.
There is a National Beatles Day on February 7.
Of course there is International Beatles Freak Day on June 6.
And then there is even a whole Beatles week at the end of August...

...so why do we need a Global Beatles Day?

Because the idea behind the Global Beatles Day (GBD) is different. It is the celebration of 45 years "Our World".

On 25 June 1967 The Beatles participated in "Our World", the first global transmission broadcast ever. The Beatles sang "All You Need is Love" and the whole world watched and sang.

Who was the Fifth Beatle?

Ever since the Beatles made it big (end 1963 - beginning of 1964) there have been numerous reports and articles in the press about who was the Fifth Beatle.

Let's be honest, there is no such thing as the 5th Beatle, certainly not if you mean with "BEATLES" the four lads from Liverpool who rose to stardom in such a short time: John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr

Of course, things are different if you talk about the BEATLES before they made it big. Then Pete Best and Stu Sutcliffe enter in the picture.

Anyway, here is a list of the most likely contenders for the Title of FIFTH Beatle

1. Brian Epstein : he was their manager from 1962 till 1967 and according to Paul McCartney "if anybody is the Fifth Beatle, it should be Brian".

2. Derek Taylor: The Beatles' (and Apple's) Public Relations Manager

3. Neil Aspinall: The Beatles' road manager/personal assistant and later CEO of Apple Corps.

4. Mel Evans: Personal assistant and road manager for The Beatles

5. Stu Sutcliffe: the bassist of the original five-member Silver Beatles/Beatles

6. Pete Best: the original drummer of the Beatles, since he joined last he was a real "5th" Beatle

7. George Martin: the producer of almost all The Beatles records and composer of some songs (notably on Yellow Submarine and on the US editions of A Hard Day's Night and HELP!

8. Jeff Lynne: together with George, Paul and Ringo he produced and contributed on the "Free as a Bird" and "Real Love" projects

9. Billy Preston: the only artist to get joint credit on a Beatles record (Get Back)

Plaza Ballroom, St. Helens

Monday 25 June 1962 (exaclty 50 years ago) The Beatles performed in two completely different locations. First they had a lunchtime appointment in the Cavern Club, and in the evening they were expected to play at the Plaza Ballroom in St. Helens for the "Big Beat Bargain Night" with The Big Three.

A poster still survives of this evening session and gives us a nice insight in the concert. Admission price was 2 shillings and six pence, it was hosted by Bob Wooler (from the Cavern) and there is a mention about the Beatles signing a recording contract with Parlophone.

"They're terrific! You must see them! First performance in St. Helens!"

Copyright info for the poster from fincharie.com

1. It's a low resolution copy of an advertising poster.
2. It doesn't limit the copyright owner's rights to sell the poster in any way.
3. Because of the low resolution, copies could not be used to make illegal copies of the poster.
4. The image is itself a subject of discussion in the article or used in the infobox.
5. The image is significant because it was used to promote a performance that has not been well documented.

George Harrison produces 'Is this what you want?'

On June 24, 1968 George began producing the Jackie Lomax album Is This What You Want? 


The album includes "Sour Milk Sea" which George had written in Rishikesh, India; and which was a likely contender to appear on The White Album. 


"Sour Milk Sea" was released as a Jackie Lomax single on Apple Records, and features George, Eric Clapton, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr (and Nicky Hopkins on piano).

Paul McCartney to appear on Ron Wood TV Show

If you happen to live in the UK you might catch some very good programmes tomorrow Monday 25 June 2012. Just tune in to Sky Arts 1 HD for some great Beatle-related shows

Sky Arts 1 HD - 25 June 2012

- 8:00 pm : "All You Need is Klaus": a documentary about Klaus Voormann, friend, artistic muse and co-musician of The Beatles. You know his "Revolver" Artwork, you heard him play bass on "Concert for Bangla Desh", now meet the man

- 10:00 pm : "The Ronnie Wood Show" with Paul McCartney who talks about his inspirations. Expect some great jammin' of two famous rockers

- 11:00 pm : "Paul McCartney - Good Evening NYC" : Sir Paul McCartney christens the New York Mets' stadium and talks about the famous Shea stadium gig of 1965

International Beatle Week from 22 till 28 August 2012

Roll up all you Beatles fans for the one and only International Beatle Week which will take place this year from 22 till 28 August 2012 in and around Liverpool.

Organised by Liverpool’s leading tour operator Cavern City Tours, International Beatle Week Festival is one of the biggest music events in the world. And it takes place in the city where it all began – Liverpool.


There is so much to do and see that you do not need to be a Beatle fan to enjoy the festival, though it probably helps!


This is truly an international event with bands from over 20 countries and fans from over 40. As well as live gigs, there are exhibitions, memorabilia sales, guest speakers, video shows, sightseeing tours and a convention.


Festival venues include the Cavern Club and Cavern Pub in Mathew Street, the Adelphi Hotel and the Philharmonic Hall.


There will be more than 100 tribute bands and guest speakers performing and attending the Beatle Week, so be sure to check out a more detailed list on www.beatlesfestival.co.uk  and www.cavernclub.org

The Beatles at their Best movie is available for free!

Good news for all Beatle fans who want to learn more about the early days of the Beatles when Stu Sutcliffe and Pete Best belonged to the Beatles and Ringo was till drumming with Rory Storm and the Hurricanes.

From today you can watch a documentary for free on The Ultimate Trip

Join the Beatles Social Network!

Ever heard of a thing called FaceBook? Well, now there is something completely different for all you Beatles lovers everywhere! It's called The Beatles Social Network and it is the perfect place to get to know other Beatlemaniacs, Fab Four freaks, music lovers and back beaters.

Whether you like John, Paul, George, Ringo or are a fan of Wings, The Plastic Ono Band, Dark Horse or Ringo's All Star Band, you will fit in and make great friends.

You can upload pictures, ask questions, explore the Beatles universe and learn new facts about the greatest rock band of all times.

Sign up now, you won't regret it!

And if you do, feel free to add LorettaMartin to your friends' list. A splendid time is guaranteed for all.

The Beatles on the Internet

50 years ago in 1962 if you were a Beatles fan, you had to rely on a lot of old skool communication and a bit of modern technology.

First of all, you could go to a local record shop and ask to listen to the vinyl records in a special listening booth.

Or you could tune in to the radio and hope you caught a teenage radio station on BBC, or try to find Radio Luxemburg.

All the rest was paper-based: signing up for a quarterly newsletter from the Beatles Fan Club, reading all about it in the papers, corresponding with George Harrison's parents (Louise Harrison in particular was known for her kindness in responding in person to the many fans).

But luckily nowadays the young (and old) fans can find enough information on the internet.

List of The Beatles Resources on the Internet

- The Beatles Social Network: Facebook for the Beatle fans

- The Beatles Wikipedia Page: Everything you always wanted to know about the Beatles

- The Beatles Official Page: it's psychedelic, it's fun and it's loud!

- The Rolling Stone Beatles Album-by-Album: an app for iPad that offers commentary on the making of the Fab Four's albums. Of course with juicy anecdotes an images from the premiere rock magazine's archives.

- The Guitar Collection: George Harrison: an app for iPad compiled by Dhani Harrison and if features info on the famous guitars used by his dad. If you purchase this through Apple you will be able to listen to all the riffs in their entirety.