This Day in Beatle History

August 29

2006 (Aug 29) - 'Sgt Pepper' Voted Best Album of All Time

The Beatles’ ‘Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band’ was voted the best No.1 album of all time by the British public. The album released in 1967, topped the poll to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the UK album chart. The Beatles had a total of four albums in the top 10, with Revolver at six, Abbey Road at eight and The Beatles The White Album at 10.

August 30

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.

1969 (Aug 30) - John, George, Ringo Attend Isle of Wight Festival

Two weeks after the Woodstock festival, the second Isle Of Wight festival took place. Over 150,000 turned up over the two days to see Bob Dylan, The Band, Blodwyn Pig, Blonde On Blonde, Bonzo Dog Dooh Dah Band, Edgar Broughton Band, Joe Cocker, Aynsley Dunbar, Family, Fat Mattress, Julie Felix, Free, Gypsy, Richie Havens, The Moody Blues, The Nice, Tom Paxton, Pentangle, The Pretty Things, Third Ear Band and The Who. Tickets 25 shillings, ($3.00). Celebrities who attended include Keith Richards, Charlie Watts, John & Yoko, George Harrison, Ringo Starr, Jane Fonder, Liz Taylor and Richard Burton.

1972 (Aug 30) - John & Yoko Play Madison Square Garden

Photographed August 30 1972

John Lennon and Yoko Ono played Madison Square Gardens to raise money for the One to One charity. Stevie Wonder, Sha Na Na and Roberta Flack also appeared at the event. Lennon personally bought $60,000 worth of tickets which were given to volunteer fund-raisers. Several of the performances were later included on Lennon’s, Live in New York City album.

2013 (Aug 30) - Autographed 'In His Own Write' Auctioned

A signed copy of John Lennon’s whimsical 1964 book ‘In His Own Write’ sold for more than $5,600 after a flurry of 47 bids on eBay. Filled with cheeky quips and kaleidoscopic imagery — the author note was titled ‘About the Awful’ — Lennon’s ‘In His Own Write’ featured short stories, poems and drawings.

2016 (Aug 30) - Ringo's 'White Album' Most Expensive Album Ever

The 2017 edition of Guinness World Records said that Ringo Starr’s copy of The Beatles’ White Album was officially the most expensive LP ever sold at auction. Guinness confirmed that a December 2015 sale at Julien’s Auction House set a new high for album prices when the first-edition copy with the catalog number 0000001, which was kept in a vault in perfect condition by Starr for more than 35 years, sold for $790,000.