This Day in Beatle History

1964 - 'Top of the Pops' Debuts (Beatles on film)

Top Of The Pops debuts, broadcast from an old church in Manchester, England.  The Beatles appear on film during the show, performing ‘I Want To Hold Your Hand’.  Live acts miming to their latest releases included The Rolling Stones, (I Wanna Be Your Man), The Dave Clark Five, (Glad All Over), The Hollies, (Stay), and The Swinging Blue Jeans, (Hippy Hippy Shake). The first song played was Dusty Springfield’s ‘I Only Want To Be With You’. Also featured on disc and film, Freddie & the Dreamers, Cliff Richard and the Shadows and Gene Pitney.

1965 - 'I Feel Fine' is #1 in the UK

1965 - Beatles Continue Holiday Show at Hammersmith Odeon

1966 - Rubber Soul Enters the Billboard Album Charts

1969 - Marmalade #1 in the UK with 'Ob-La-Di Ob-La-Da'

The song was originally featured on ‘The Beatles’.  (The White Album)

2007 - Queen Beats Out The Beatles in BBC2 Poll

Queen beat The Beatles to be crowned greatest British band of all time by BBC Radio 2 listeners in the UK.  Only 20,000 votes were cast by email, text and phone.  The bands were judged on song-writing, lyrics, live performances, originality and showmanship.  Other finalists included The Rolling Stones and Oasis.  

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.

1963 - Beatles Tour Heads To Scotland

On this day, The Beatles fly to Scotland.  Their plane is diverted from Edinburgh to Aberdeen causing their first gig, (in Keith) to be cancelled.   Tour ends on January 8th with a live performance on Scottish TV.

1969 - 'Two Virgins' Shipment Seized by New Jersey Authorities

The entire shipment of John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s album ‘Two Virgins’ was seized by authorities in New Jersey due to the full frontal nude photograph on the cover. The album was eventually sold in plain brown paper in record stores.  (Click title for uncensored version.)

1969 - Filming Begins on 'Let It Be' Album Rehearsals

Filming began at Twickenham studios in England of The Beatles rehearsing for the ‘Let It Be’ album.   There were multiple problems including George Harrison walking out on the group eight days in.