ON THIS DAY IN 1963, THE BEATLES SET OUT ON ONE OF THEIR EARLY TOURS ALONGSIDE THE LEGENDARY ROY ORBISON

Orbison was originally slated as the headline act of the tour, with the Beatles opening, but after the reaction to the band early on, the boys were promoted to co-headliners, making this tour the first where the band was the featured act.

The tour ran through 21 dates throughout England, Wales and Scotland, continuing until the 9th June. The band played a number of tracks, including early hits like “Love Me Do”, “Twist and Shout” and “Please, Please Me”. These early tours were instrumental and building The Beatles popularity at home before they hit the US for the British Invasion in the mid-60’s.

Interestingly, years later in 1988, Orbison and Beatle George Harrison would be reunited to perform in the supergroup known as The Traveling Wilburys alongside Jeff Lynne, Tom Petty and Bob Dylan.

ON THIS DAY IN 1963, THE BEATLES WERE PREPARING TO SET OUT ON ONE OF THEIR EARLY TOURS ALONGSIDE THE LEGENDARY ROY ORBISON

Orbison was originally slated as the headline act of the tour, with the Beatles opening, but after the reaction to The Beatles early on, the boys were promoted to co-headliners, making this tour the first where the band was the featured act. The band also played a set in Norwich today without Orbison, which was an enthusiastic success as over 1700 people arrived to see the concert.

The tour ran through 21 dates throughout England, Wales and Scotland, continuing until the 9th June. The band played a number of tracks, including early hits like “Love Me Do”, “Twist and Shout” and “Please, Please Me”. These early tours were instrumental and building The Beatles popularity at home before they hit the US for the British Invasion in the mid-60’s.

Interestingly, years later in 1988, Orbison and Beatle George Harrison would be reunited to perform in the supergroup known as The Traveling Wilburys alongside Jeff Lynne, Tom Petty and Bob Dylan.

ON THIS DAY IN 1963, THE BEATLES ICONIC DEBUT ALBUM REACHED THE TOP OF THE UK CHARTS

After a slew of successful singles throughout early 1963, Parlophone hastened to organise and release the bands debut album, Please, Please Me on the 22nd March, 1963 in order to bolster the early success of singles like Love Me Do and Please, Please Me.

The album contained 14 songs, eight of which were written by Lennon and McCartney. Rolling Stone magazine later called this evidence of the band’s invention of the self-contained rock band concept, musicians in a band writing and performing their own compositions with their own instruments, an idea certainly taken for granted nowadays. George Martin originally intended to record the band playing live at their favourite haunt, The Cavern Club, but technological restraints led him to take the band to EMI studios in London, where the album was recorded in record time.

The album’s cover photograph was also shot in record time, with the original plan of shooting in front of the insect house at the London Zoo being scrapped in favour of the distinctive shot of the band looking down the stairwell at EMI studios. The cover was shot by theatre photographer legend Angus McBean, who after being contacted sped to the studio to shoot the cover.

Despite the hurried nature of the recording, design and release of this album, the debut shot to the top of the UK charts, where it remained for an astonishing 30 weeks, before being replaced by their next album, With The Beatles. Though the release was too early to be recognised by the US, it was later picked up and appreciated by the country, quickly going platinum and being recognised by publications like Rolling Stone, who listed it at #39 on their list of the 500 Greatest Albums Of All Time, slightly behind other Beatle’s releases like Abbey Road and Revolver. 

ON THIS DAY IN 1963, BOB DYLAN PLAYED HIS FIRST EVER SOLO CONCERT IN NEW YORK

Performing at New York’s Town Hall, Dylan had only headlined at small clubs and bars, and the 200 seat Carnegie Recital Hall, at which he drew less than 70 people. After releasing his second solo LP, “The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan” solidified his artistic prowess and he quickly grew into the incredible performer we know today. Though the album wasn’t yet released, Dylan played mostly songs from it, choosing only 3 tracks from his solo debut.

The concert he held has since become a staple in the history of popular music, and drew incredibly positive reviews. Many reviewers claim it is the concert that solidified Dylan into a star, as he played an extensive 23 song set, and concluded with a long poem, titled “Last Thoughts on Woody Guthrie”. Recordings of the concert are available here.

ON THIS DAY IN 1963, THE BEATLES RELEASED THEIR HIGHLY ACCLAIMED DEBUT ALBUM IN THE UK

The album, “Please Please Me” was rush released by Parlophone to capitalise on the immense success of the groups early singles “Love Me Do” and “Please Please Me”. The release shot to number one in the UK charts and later went gold and platinum in four countries, including Australia.

Rolling Stone magazine has highly praised the album a number of times, crediting it with the early invention of the “idea of the self-contained rock band, writing their own hits and playing their own instruments.” Eight of the album’s fourteen tracks were written by Lennon-McCartney and the group played instruments on all tracks. In 2012, Rolling Stone went on to list the album at number thirty nine on the list of “500 Greatest Albums of All Time”.

George Martin, who produced the album, claimed that it was a simple recording of the band’s live set, made at EMI Studios in Abbey Road and recorded in three sessions throughout one day. This whole day’s session cost around £400 (equivalent to £7,700 in 2016).

THE 19TH OF JANUARY MARKS YET ANOTHER IMPORTANT DAY FOR THE BEATLES, AS A NUMBER OF IMPORTANT EVENTS OCCURRED ON THIS DAY.

Firstly, all the way back in 1963, a show called Thank Your Lucky Stars featured a performance of a song called “Please Please Me” by a new band from Liverpool called the Beatles. This would be the bands first televised appearance in the UK, and it’s success was obvious as within a few weeks the Beatles were performing on US television shows. The song also cemented their status as Britain’s top musicians and Parlophone immediately sent a request for a full album.

Four years later in 1967, following a number of successful albums and now the most successful and well-known pop band in the world, the band began recording “A Day in the Life”, the finale of their Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band album. This album experienced huge success and is now remembered as one of rock music’s most important albums.

By 1970, John Lennon had met and married Yoko Ono and the Beatles had begun to go their seperate ways, leaving Lennon to found a successful solo career while attempting to keep the Beatles break-up a secret as agreed with Allan Klein and the rest of the band. Frustrated, he set out on the peace campaign in December, focussing on Canada, which was documented by our own Ritchie Yorke. A vast amount of the time Lennon and Yoko spent with Ritchie on Ronnie Hawkins farm had to be spent preparing and signing lithographs intended to be sold in London the following month and planning the future of the peace campaign, although the couple also enjoyed a number of activities and gatherings with friends. The show in which the lithographs were sold ended up being raided and closed down by the British police on the 16th if January, on the grounds of “offensive material”. When asked to comment on the situation, John stated “I don’t care what they do. It’s all a big laugh.” His calmness about the event may also have had something to do with the skyrocketing sales of the lithographs following the raid.

(For more about the peace campaign and the lithographs, click here)

Also on this day, in 1984, Yoko Ono released her new album with John Lennon, Milk and Honey, four years after Lennon’s murder. The project was intended for release many years earlier but was shelved after the death. This would be the eighth and final studio album featuring Lennon’s contributions and the album surged to number 3 in the UK and number 11 in the US, where it went gold.

In 1994, a ceremony was held to induct John Lennon into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame alongside Elton John, The Animals, The Grateful Dead and Bob Marley and his Band. Lennon became the second person in the Hall of Fame to be inducted both with his band and as a solo artist. Paul McCartney gave a speech that was emotional and heartfelt, written as a letter to John and recounting their extensive history together as lifelong friends and occasional enemies. The speech is available to be viewed below:

ON THIS DAY IN 1962, THE BEATLES ISSUED THEIR DEBUT SINGLE, “LOVE ME DO”

Written by McCartney several years earlier, before the formation of the band, and later reworked with the help of John Lennon, “Love Me Do” became one of the most recognisable songs in the groups repertoire, going on to be included in their debut album. The song quickly hit #7 in the UK charts, and #1 in the US in 1964, during the ‘British Invasion’.

“Love Me Do” took three recording sessions to get right as the band and producer George Martin were unsatisfied with the initial song. Each session featured a different drummer, and interestingly, the selected take features session drummer Andy White instead of Ringo Starr, although Ringo’s version can be found on a number of Beatles collection albums. The song also marked the first time the group worked with producer George Martin, who was full of praise, stating that their personalities greatly impressed him, as did their musical talent.

The song itself is also part of the Beatles monumentally successful year in 1964, becoming the fourth single of seven to reach #1 in the US n the same calendar year, a new record for the Billboard charts. This record, for most #1 songs written in one year has yet to be surpassed.

Performing for the show “Teenager’s Turn – Here We Go”, the band arrived at the Playhouse Theatre in Manchester early and started rehearsing from 3:45pm. Later in the evening between 8 and 8:45pm, The Beatles donned suits for the very first time and performed three cover songs, “Dream Baby (How Long Must I Dream)”, “Memphis, Tennessee” and “Please Mister Postman”.

Interestingly, the band also reportedly performed an early McCartney-Lennon original “Hello Little Girl” but while the covers were broadcast, “Hello Little Girl was absent”. It is also worth noting that at this point in time, Ringo Starr had not yet joined the group, so the line-up featured John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Pete Best.

The show was broadcast the following day on the BBC Light Programme, between 5 and 5:30pm. The recording is available above.

ON THIS DAY IN 1961, THE BEATLES PLAYED A VALENTINE’S SHOW AT TWO SEPERATE VENUES IN LIVERPOOL

Firstly they attended the Cassanova Club, where advertisements credited them with the creation of a foot-stomping dance called “The Atom Beat”, though it is unsure if anyone actually performed the dance on the day.

Next, the band headed to Litherland Town Hall for another set, this one specifically more Valentines themed. During the show, Paul McCartney performed a cover of Elvis Preley’s, Wooden Heart, with a very literal wooden heart pinned to his coat. The heart was covered in sequins and embroidered with the names John, Paul, George and Pete, and would later be raffled off after the show.

The winner of the heart also won a kiss from Paul, an apparently much coveted prize, as when the winner took the stage to claim her prize, dozens of other girls followed her on stage, squealing, in what some call an early display of Beatlemania. John Lennon was actually knocked to the floor and bouncers had to close the curtain, putting the show on hold until order was restored.

ON THIS DATE IN 1961, THE BEATLES PERFORMED THEIR REGULAR SET AT THE CAVERN CLUB IN LIVERPOOL

The shows would be relatively standard, apart from one spectator. Mike Smith, an assistant A&R for Decca Records attended the bands second showing of the day, and was reportedly unimpressed.

Brian Epstein had just begun to manage the band and was using his position to attempt to sign a deal for the group. A friend and music reviewer, , declined to write about the band but agreed to mention them at Decca Records, where he worked writing album liner notes. Mike Smith was then sent out to have dinner with Epstein and watch the group perform.

The group was rejected on the day, but a future recording audition was set up with Decca for New Years Day, 1962. After this audition, Smith was asked to choose between The Beatle’s or Brian Poole and the Tremeloes by Decca’s head of A&R, Dick Rowe. Rowe then became infamous as the man who turned down The Beatle’s, one of the biggest mistakes in the music industry. Paul McCartney later said in a press interview, “I bet he’s kicking himself” to which John Lennon added, “I hope he kicks himself to death.”