Thursday, October 27, 2011

The End Of Beatlemania?



The "studio years" phase of the Beatles' career began when they reassembled at EMI Abbey Road on November 24th, 1966. With no tour or film commitments booked, they were able to record at their leisure, utilising seven sessions over the next five weeks to perfect a single song, John's "Strawberry Fields Forever".

On November 25th at Dick James's London studio, they recorded their annual Christmas message for Beatles Fan Club members, this one more creative (and bizarre) than any previous:


Two pirate radio stations were also sent slightly saner Christmas greetings for 1966.

By December 20th, ITV News decided to send reporter John Edwards to Abbey Road to see just what the Beatles were up to. His interviews with each Beatle as they entered the studio were broadcast December 29th as part of Reporting '66: End of Beatlemania, a title which indicates his line of questioning to the now fuzzy-faced Fabs.

3 comments:

  1. Wonderful stuff this, Agnes. So I suppose I have only have 57 more shopping days to demand that Apple/EMI release an official Beatles Christmas Album?

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  2. Thanks, John.

    Broadcast on the 29th? Has new info come to light or is that a typo?

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  3. According to Lewisohn, "Reporting '66 was seen all over Britain, although screened by the various ITV regions on different days and times. This
    edition went out on Wednesday 28 and Thursday 29 December (in London, Rediffusion screened it at 6.08–6.35 pm on the Thursday)".

    I used the London transmission date.

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