On this day in 1963, The Beatles set off on their first tour of the UK

The group, still relatively unknown, were asked to join Helen Shapiro on a short one month tour of the UK. They were paid approximately £30 per night and appeared fourth on an eleven act bill, though they still gladly accepted the opportunity. 

It was during this tour that the band were able to focus on recording, and laid down ten songs that would all appear on their debut album, Please Please Me. This album would be released just after the tour, giving the band  a chance to practice their live performances and to gain some new fans in time for the release.

The Beatles also created their first logo to coincide with the tour, to be featured on Ringo Starr’s bass drum. Paul McCartney drew initial sketches that features the bands name in cursive writing with a stylised set of insect antennae on the ‘B’. These sketches were taken to a Liverpool signwriter named Tex O’Hara who finalised the design, which was then printed onto a piece of linen and stretched across the drum during the band’s set.