This Day in Beatle History

November 17

2003 (Nov 17) - 'Let It Be - Naked' Released

Let It Be… Naked, a stripped-down version of The Beatles’ Let It Be album, is released. Phil Spector produced the original, and the new release removed his lavish strings and other accoutrements.

2008 (Feb 20) - Beatles' Autographed Rolling Stones Album Auctioned

A 1976 Rolling Stones album bought for £2 at a car boot sale sold for £4,000 at an auction. The ‘Black and Blue’ LP was signed by John Lennon, Yoko Ono, Paul and Linda McCartney and George Harrison as well as members of the Rolling Stones. The seller obtained the album after haggling the cost down from £3.

November 18

1962 (Jun 6) - First Beatles Recordings at What Will Become 'Abbey Road'

The first Beatles recording session took place at EMI studios. The group recorded four tracks, one of which was ‘Love Me Do’ the four musicians received payments for the session of £7.10 ($12.07) each.

1963 (Nov 18) - Beatles Get Silver Discs

The Beatles received silver LP discs for ‘Please Please Me’ and ‘With the Beatles’ at a ceremony held at EMI House in London. They also received a silver EP for ‘Twist and Shout’ and a silver single for ‘She Loves You’. The band then attend a cocktail party and a formal lunch in the EMI boardroom with company executives and invited guests. Also on this day, the US NBC news program “The Huntley-Brinkley Report” was the first to air footage (albeit pre-recorded) of The Beatles in concert.

1963 (Nov 18) - No More Jellybabies!!

Beatles manager Brian Epstein asks the group’s fans to please refrain from pelting the group with “jellybabies” (jellybeans) at their concerts. (The Beatles had made the mistake of remarking how much they liked them.)

1964 (Nov 18) - Beatles in an Elvis Movie?

Beatles press officer Brian Sommerville informs Paul Nathan, an associate of Elvis Presley film producer Hal Wallis, that the group are huge fans of the King and would love to appear at the end of Elvis’ next Paramount picture (which would turn out to be 1966’s Paradise, Hawaiian Style). The deal is never finalized.

1966 (Feb 18) - Brian Wilson Finishes 'Good Vibrations'

Beach Boy Brian Wilson finished recording the future classic song ‘Good Vibrations’, which went on to become the band’s third US number-one hit. As a child, his mother told him that dogs could pick up “vibrations” from people, so that the dog would bark at “bad vibrations” Wilson turned this into the general idea for the song.