Day By Dayquil

The Beatles arrived in Portsmouth on November 12th, 1963 for two concerts at The Guildhall. Both shows would end up being postponed until December 3rd thanks to a flu virus that got the best of Paul.

After arriving but before canceling, the ailing Beatle and his bandmates filmed a TV interview with Jeremy James for airing on Southern Television's Day By Day that evening.

Beatlegmania Volume Four is here!

The new book arrived here this morning, and it looks amazing! The printers did their usual superb job reproducing my photos and image scans, and everything looks crisp, clean, and colorful.

For those of you who pre-ordered: THANK YOU, and your copies will begin shipping Monday.

If you haven't ordered yet, you can find details and sample pages on the Multiplus Books website:

http://www.multiplusbooks.com

Feel free to e-mail me at dinsdalep@aol.com with any questions or feedback on the finished book.

First United States Performance

King Kong, 1975

A minor upgrade (at the time) of the Washington DC kinescope, substituting "Shout!" for the truncated "Twist And Shout".

Side 1:

- Roll Over Beethoven

- From Me To You

- I Saw Her Standing There

- This Boy

- All My Loving

Side 2:

- I Wanna Be Your Man

- Please Please Me

- Till There Was You

- She Loves You

- I Want To Hold Your Hand

- Shout!

God Bless Graham Bell

The Beatles' sole touring visit to Ireland kicked off November 7th, 1963, as they flew from London to Dublin for a performance at the Adelphi Cinema. After they deplaned, reporter Frank Hall filmed an interview with the group for In Town, broadcast that evening on RTE.

The following day, they drove to Belfast for concerts at the Ritz Cinema. Somewhere along the route, they pulled over and met Ulster Television reporter Jimmy Robinson, who filmed a brief roadside chat with the pop combo for airing on that night's local newscast.

Beatles '66

Smilin' Ears, 1977

Another iteration of the June 30, 1966 Tokyo concert, this one lifted straight from Tobe Milo's double EP of the same title.

Side 1:

- Rock And Roll Music

- She's A Woman

- If I Needed Someone

- Day Tripper

- Baby's In Black

- I Feel Fine

Side 2:

- Yesterday

- I Wanna Be Your Man

- Nowhere Man

- Paperback Writer

- I'm Down

- interview w/EH Eric

This Week

On November 5th, 1963, the morning after their Royal Variety Show performance, The Beatles sat for an interview conducted in an unusual fashion. While driving around London, they were filmed two at a time in the back seat of a limo, first George and Ringo together, then John and Paul.

The result was nine minutes of discussion about their popularity, love lives, and hairstyles, less than two minutes of which are circulating, although the entire segment has survived. The footage was aired November 7th on Associated-Rediffusion's This Week.

That'll Be The Day

King Horn, 1986

By request, here is a double-LP of pirated "songs The Beatles covered", interspersed with interview excerpts of the group talking about their musical inspirations.

Side 1:

- That'll Be The Day/Love Me Do/Words Of Love

- Words Of Love

- Ain't She Sweet

- Long Tall Sally

- Boys

- Everybody's Trying To Be My Baby

- You Really Got A Hold On Me

Side 2:

- Roll Over Beethoven

- Chains

- Mr. Moonlight

- Bad Boy

- Honey Don't

- Twist And Shout

- A Taste Of Honey

Side 3:

- Matchbox

- Money (That's What I Want)

- Rock And Roll Music

- Baby It's You

- Dizzy Miss Lizzy

- Till There Was You

Side 4:

- Act Naturally

- Kansas City/Hey Hey Hey Hey!

- (There's A) Devil In His Heart

- Anna (Go To Him)

- Please Mr. Postman

- Slow Down

Beatlemania Begins

October 1963 was a pivotal month for The Beatles; already firmly ensconsed atop the British pop scene, their appeal began to expand to other arenas and markets.

On the 13th, they performed live on the prestigious ATV series Sunday Night At The London Palladium. Backstage prior to the show, ITV News interviewed them about their remarkable popularity.

Just two days later, it was announced that they would perform for the Queen Mother and Princess Margaret at the Royal Variety Show in November.

By the time they returned from a successful Swedish tour on October 31st, interest in The Beatles was at a new high. There to greet them at London Airport were hundreds of fans, in the first of many hysterical airport scenes. Also present were BBC Radio's Reg Abbis, who filed this report, and ITV News, who interviewed fans about The Beatles' appeal. Another witness to the airport mayhem that evening was Ed Sullivan, but that's a story for another day...

Don't Pass Me By

CBM, 1972

Some of the Xmas flexis, the Yellow Matter Custard BBC tracks, a Tony Sheridan single, and "Dig It".

Side 1:

- Dig It

- The Beatles' Third Christmas Record

- Pantomime: Everywhere It's Christmas

Side 2:

- The Beatles' Third Christmas Record

- Christmas Time (Is Here Again)

- The Beatles' Sixth Christmas Record

- The Beatles' Seventh Christmas Record

Side 3:

- The Saints (When The Saints Go Marching In)

- Glad All Over

- I Just Don't Understand

- Slow Down

- Don't Ever Change

- A Shot Of Rhythm And Blues

- Sure To Fall (In Love With You)

Side 4:

- My Bonnie

- I Got A Woman

- Nothin' Shakin' (But The Leaves On The Trees)

- Lonesome Tears In My Eyes

- So How Come (No One Loves Me)

- I'm Gonna Sit Right Down And Cry (Over You)

- Crying, Waiting, Hoping

- To Know Her Is To Love Her

- The Honeymoon Song

Sometimes I Play The Fool

Another BBC Radio interview, this one recorded October 3rd, 1963 for The Public Ear and broadcast November 3rd. The interviewer is Michael Colley.

Shea The Good Old Days (CBM)

contra-band music, 1970

This was the earliest bootleg to bear a "Contra Band Music" imprint; however, it bore no relation to the well-known CBM label which thrived from 1972 through 1976. The content was taken from the Beatles At Shea Stadium TV special, unlike the other Shea The Good Old Days title.

Side 1:

- I'm Down

- Twist And Shout

- I Feel Fine

- Dizzy Miss Lizzy

- Ticket To Ride

Side 2:

- Can't Buy Me Love

- Baby's In Black

- A Hard Day's Night

- Help!

- I'm Down

Hold Me Kangaroo Tight Sport

The Beatles spent September 12th, 1963 at Abbey Road Studio 2, taping songs for their second LP, With The Beatles. The only reel to have survived from the album's sessions contains several takes of "Hold Me Tight" and "Don't Bother Me", but it opens with some messages taped specifically for broadcast in Australia.

By the release of "She Loves You", Beatles music had broken through Down Under, thanks to deejays like Bob Rogers of 2SM in Sydney. Reading from a prepared script while gobbling down canteen chow, the Fabs sent greetings to Rogers and Australian fans in general.

Bob Rogers - take 1

Bob Rogers - takes 2 + 3

Open Message - take 1

Man Of The Decade

Togah, 1980

A 1-sided Tobe Milo LP; that is to say, side B is blank. It's not a 2-dimensional disc.

Most of the content is the soundtrack of a December 1969 TV special, Man Of The Decade, featuring John Lennon being interviewed by Desmond Morris. The side concludes with a sampler tape of Twickenham rehearsals from January 3rd, 1969, which were new to bootleg at the time.

Side 1:

- Man Of The Decade

- Three Cool Cats

- Blowin' In The Wind

- Lucille

- I'm So Tired

- Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da

- Third Man Theme

- "Negro In Reserve"

- Don't Let Me Down

- One After 909

A Boy Sounding Like What?

The Beatles' summer of 1963 wound down with a six-night residency at the Gaumont Cinema in Bournemouth. Between shows on August 23rd, they were interviewed by Swedish radio producer Klas Burling, fast becoming a big Beatle booster in his home country.

During the interview, Ringo says they won't have time to visit Sweden until 1964, but within weeks, a short tour was arranged for the end of October. Burling would introduce the group's Swedish radio and TV performances, and interview Paul and Ringo again at the end of the visit.

A Paris

Neon, 1986

A sumptuously-packaged double LP of French Beatle concerts, with the bootleg debut of the January 1964 show, and major upgrades of the June 1965 shows, complete with opening acts and related interviews.

Side 1:

- Le Bourget airport interview

- If I Had A Hammer

- From Me To You

- This Boy

- I Want To Hold Your Hand

- She Loves You

- Twist And Shout

- From Me To You

Side 2:

- I'm A Loser

- Can't Buy Me Love

- I Wanna Be Your Man

- A Hard Day's Night

- Rock And Roll Music

- I Feel Fine

- Ticket To Ride

- Long Tall Sally

Side 3:

- Jacques Ourevitch interviews

- I'm All Right

- Memphis, Tennessee

- Joy, Joy, Joy

- Les Copains D'Abord

- I Wish You Would

- MBE interview

Side 4:

- Twist And Shout

- She's A Woman

- Can't Buy Me Love

- I'm A Loser

- I Wanna Be Your Man

- A Hard Day's Night

- I Feel Fine

- Baby's In Black

- Rock And Roll Music

- Everybody's Trying To Be My Baby

- Ticket To Ride

- Long Tall Sally

Pop Chat

July 30th, 1963 was perhaps the busiest day yet in an already hectic summer for The Beatles.

Beginning at 10am, they taped "Please Mr. Postman" and "It Won't Be Long" for their second LP at EMI Studios in London. At 1.30, they grabbed a quick meal and travelled across town to the Playhouse Theatre.

Just after 2.30, they taped a short interview for BBC Radio's Non Stop Pop, chatting with Phil Tate for the show's regular "Pop Chat" feature. The episode was aired on the Light Programme August 30th.

With that out of the way, they recorded six songs and banter with Brian Matthew for their fourth Saturday Club appearance. From 5 to 11pm, it was back at to work at Abbey Road, improving upon "It Won't Be Long" and completing "Till There Was You", "Roll Over Beethoven", and "All My Loving" for the album. All in a day's work for "one of the top recording artists".

Get Back To Toronto

Contra Band Music, 1972

CBM's copy of an earlier bootleg, one of the first containing "Get Back" outtakes, plus a peace message and Christmas flexi.

Side 1:

- John & Yoko's Peace Message

- Get Back

- Teddy Boy

- Two Of Us

- Dig A Pony

Side 2:

- I've Got A Feeling

- Let It Be

- Don't Let Me Down

- For You Blue

- Get Back

- The Walk

- Christmas Time (Is Here Again)

Beatles Bible Lessons

From July 22nd through 27th, 1963, The Beatles shared the bill with Gerry and the Pacemakers at the Odeon in Weston-Super-Mare. When not performing or soaking up the sunshine, the boys passed the time playing with a portable tape recorder.

John, George, and Gerry Marsden spent one afternoon in a room at the Royal Pier Hotel with a Holy Bible, passing the mic around to read the following passages in increasingly nonsensical and garbled fashion:

1 Kings 17

1 Kings 18

Psalm 23

Psalm 24

The trio (and Ringo) also indulged in a bit of "Candid Microphone" foolishness, asking passersby for directions to a local golf course and recording their bewildered reactions to Gerry's clueless attempts to follow along.

Beatlegmania Volume Four is coming!

HAVE YOU HEARD THE WORD?

Volume Four of the amazing Beatlegmania series is now available for pre-order!

The newest installment is packed with full-color illustrations, facts and stories behind dozens of vinyl bootlegs, including the Deccagone singles, Get Back Journals box, Lost Lennon Tapes series, and much more.

See sample pages from the book and ordering details at the Multiplus Books website:

http://www.multiplusbooks.com

The files are at the printer now and the books should be ready to ship in a few weeks, so guarantee PEACE OF MIND and reserve your copy now!

JL-YO-EC

By request, here is the earliest Beatles-related bootleg, a mega-obscure LP containing an audience recording the Plastic Ono Band's performance at the Toronto Rock And Roll Revival, September 13th, 1969.

I don't have the actual LP, but here's a rip of a CDR that has been circulating from a needle-drop. Although it was produced in very limited quantities, it apparently inspired Apple to release the official concert album, Live Peace In Toronto.

Side 1:

- Blue Suede Shoes

- Money (That's What I Want)

- Dizzy Miss Lizzy

- Yer Blues

- Cold Turkey

Side 2:

- Give Peace A Chance

- Don't Worry Kyoko (Mummy's Only Looking For Her Hand In The Snow)

- John, John (Let's Hope For Peace)

Pierre Cardin!

On June 30th, 1963, The Beatles started a summer season of seaside resort concerts, at the ABC Cinema in Great Yarmouth. Backstage before the show, they filmed an interview with Gianni Bisiach for Italian TV. The finished piece was aired in a report on the RAI show TV7 December 23rd of that year, with an Italian voice-over translating The Beatles' responses, but the original English audio has also survived.

Recorded Live In Australia, 1964

Crocodile/Bulldog, 1988

A double-picture disc set containing the Adelaide concert (sides 1 and 2), the Beatles Sing For Shell Melbourne telecast (remainder of side 2), a Melbourne radio broadcast (sides 3 and 4), and three repeated Melbourne numbers in superior sound (end of side 4).

Side 1:

- I Saw Her Standing There

- I Want To Hold Your Hand

- All My Loving

- She Loves You

- Till There Was You

- Roll Over Beethoven

- Can't Buy Me Love

- This Boy

Side 2:

- Twist And Shout

- Long Tall Sally

- You Can't Do That

- All My Loving

- She Loves You

- Can't Buy Me Love

- Twist And Shout

- Long Tall Sally

Side 3:

- I Saw Her Standing There

- You Can't Do That

- All My Loving

- She Loves You

- Till There Was You

- Roll Over Beethoven

Side 4:

- Can't Buy Me Love

- This Boy

- Long Tall Sally

- I Saw Her Standing There

- All My Loving

- Can't Buy Me Love

Waltzing Jury

On April 18th, 1963, The Beatles performed at the Royal Albert Hall in London for the first time, as part of Swinging Sound 63, a multi-artist concert arranged by BBC Radio. Backstage at the Hall, they recorded a message for Australian radio, specifically for disc jockey Barry Ferber of 3DB in Melbourne.

John Lennon made the first solo Beatle TV appearance on June 22nd, 1963, when he sat on the panel of Juke Box Jury. Alongside Katie Boyle, Bruce Prochnik and Caroline Maudling, John reviewed new singles from Cleo Laine, Elvis Presley, Miriam Makeba, Tom Glaser, Russ Conway, Paul and Paula, and Julie Grant. Lennon's characteristic brutal honesty led to him voting every single record a "miss".

Ed'Sullivan Show CBS TV Studio

no label, 1980

ZAP Records' copy of a Melvin bootleg, Ed's Really Big Beatle Blasts, the first bootleg to compile all three legendary Ed Sullivan Show performances from February 1964.

Side 1:

- All My Loving

- Till There Was You

- She Loves You

- I Saw Her Standing There

- I Want To Hold Your Hand

- She Loves You

- This Boy

- All My Loving

Side 2:

- I Saw Her Standing There

- From Me To You

- I Want To Hold Your Hand

- Twist And Shout

- Please Please Me

- I Want To Hold Your Hand

Going Up?

The Beatles performed on BBC Radio on a regular basis throughout 1963, usually bantering with presenters such as Rodney Burke and Brian Matthew. As a rule, I won't be uploading all these chat pieces during musical appearances (they can be found on the excellent Unsurpassed Broadcasts collection).

Here is an exception to that rule. On April 3rd, 1963, The Beatles recorded a live set for Easy Beat at the Playhouse Theatre in London. John and Paul also participated in the show's record review feature, "Going Up?", alongside singer Laura Lee and Clare O'Rourke. Enjoy this previously unbootlegged fragmentary off-air recording of this segment, with the boys reviewing discs by Bert Weedon, Cleo Lane, the Vernons Girls, and tourmate Tommy Roe.

Going Up?

Bactrax Sessions

King Kong Records, 1975

A repackaging of two earlier CBM titles, Supertracks 1 and Supertracks 2.

Side 1:

- You Really Got A Hold On Me

- Have You Heard The Word

- You Really Got A Hold On Me

- What's The New Mary Jane

- Teddy Boy

Side 2:

- Dig It

- L.S. Bumblebee

- Maxwell's Silver Hammer

- Besame Mucho

- Crying, Waiting, Hoping

- Rip It Up/Shake Rattle And Roll

Side 3:

- Paperback Writer

- Rain

- Peace Of Mind

- Let It Be

- Hey Jude

Side 4:

- Get Back

- I Should Have Known Better

- If I Fell

- And I Love Her

- Tell Me Why

- If I Fell

- I Should Have Known Better

From The Top, Johnny!

To kick off the new year, I'm taking a new approach to posting Beatles interviews and spoken recordings. Rather than jump back and forth through history, I'm starting at the beginning, with this recording from October 27th, 1962, and will proceed chronologically through April, 1970.

This earliest surviving Beatle interview recording was conducted by Monty Lister (with assistance from Peter Smethurst and Malcolm Threadgill). It was broadcast on Sunday Spin, an in-house programme for Cleaver and Clatterbridge Hospitals. As he notes, Ringo has only been in the group for nine weeks at this point, and the others have an equally fresh and non-cynical approach to the enterprise of self-promotion. Things would change over the next few years.

First released on a flexidisc with Mark Lewisohn's book The Beatles Live in 1986, I'm proud to present a previously unreleased and unbootlegged source tape for this historic interview, with a couple of extra seconds at the top and tail:

Sunday Spin