The Beatles Live at Montfort Hall, Leicester

On Sunday 31 March the tour with Tommy Roe and Chris Montez came to an end in Leicester.

The Beatles appeared three times here, the second time was on December 1, 1963 and the last time on October 10, 1964

The Beatles live at the Guildhall in Portsmouth

In total The Beatles performed 21 times with Tommy Roe and Chris Montez. On March 30, 1963, they played the one but last gig at the Guildhall in Portsmouth.

They would play here once more on December 3, 1963 (after the concert which was planned for 12 November got cancelled because Paul McCartney had been taken ill with gastric flu.

Beatles Fest in New Jersey on April 5, 2013

If you live near Secaucus, NJ, then why not check out the Beatles Fest on April 5 - 7 2013 there?

They have a great line-up of guests, including:
- Peter Noone (Herman's Hermits)
- Billy J. Kramer (managed by Brian Epstein and singer of hit singles written for him by The Beatles)
- Tom Scott (Horn player with George Harrison, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr)
- Ken Scott (Beatles Recording Engineer)
- Mark Hudson (Ringo's producer)
- Chas Newby (one-time Beatle)
and many many more

A Complete List of the 1963 Beatles/Roe/Montez tour

Here is a complete list of all the concerts that The Beatles played during their Tommy Roe - Chris Montez tour of 1963

TOMMY ROE/CHRIS MONTEZ TOUR, 19639 March     Granada Cinema, East Ham (London)
10 March     Hippodrome, Birmingham
12 March     Granada Cinema, Bedford
13 March     Rialto Theatre, York
14 March     Gaumont Cinema, Wolverhampton
15 March     Colston Hall, Bristol
16 March     City Hall, Sheffield
17 March     Embassy Cinema, Peterborough
18 March     Regal Cinema, Gloucester
19 March     Regal Cinema, Cambridge
20 March     ABC Cinema, Romford
21 March     ABC Cinema, Croydon
22 March     Gaumont Cinema, Doncaster
23 March     City Hall, Newcastle-upon-Tyne
24 March     Empire Theatre, Liverpool
26 March     Granada Cinema, Mansfield
27 March     ABC Cinea, Northampton
28 March     ABC Cinema, Exeter
29 March     Odeon Cinema, Lewisham
30 March     Guildhall, Portsmouth
31 March     De Montfort Hall, Leicester

The Official UK Charts of 30 March 1963

The Official UK Charts of 30 March 1963

1. Foot Tapper - Shadows (2)
2. Summer Holiday - Cliff Richard and the Shadows (1)
3. Like I've Never Been Before - Billy Fury (4)
4. From a Jack to a King - Ned Miller (13)
5. Island of Dreams - Springfields (7)
6. Charmaine - The Bachelors (8)
7. Please Please Me - The Beatles (5) 
8. That's What Love Will Do - Joe Brown (3)

9. Rhythm of the Rain - Cascades (14)


10. How Do You Do It - Gerry and the Pacemakers (39)

Record price for a Beatles Album

Up till now, the most expensive Beatles Record was a signed copy of "Meet The Beatles" which was sold at auction for 150,000 dollars.

But from today onwards an anonymous buyer from the American Midwest can call himself the proud (and poor?) owner of a copy of Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band that was signed by all four Beatles and acutioned for a staggering 290,050 dollars!

The Beatles live at the Odeon Cinema in Lewisham

Lewisham is a small suburb of London and on 29 March 1963 The Beatles played the local Odeon Cinema as part of their tour with Tommy Roe and Chris Montez.

Unfortunately, the cinema no longer exists. It went under different names (Gaumont Palace, Odeon Cinema) and also under different venues (bingo hall, cinema, pool club, night club...)

The Beatles would play the cinema once more, on December 8, 1963

The Beatles live in Exeter

On Thursday 28 March 1963 The Beatles went up the stage at the ABC cinema in Exeter in Devon.

They were still on the UK tour with Tommy Roe and Chris Montez (day 18) and they played 6 songs from their first LP.

In total The Beatles performed 3 times at the ABC in Exeter. The other two times were November 14, 1963 and October 28, 1964

Two McCartneys and One Rolling Stone on stage

Yesterday on Wednesday 27 March 2013 spectators at the Ambassador Theatre (London) were in for a real surprise.

James McCartney (the only son of Paul McCartney) was scheduled to perform at a warm-up for his pending American tour, but he was joined on stage by his dad (Paul McCartney) and Ron Wood (Rolling Stones).

Paul played piano on three songs, and Ron Wood apparently played acoustic guitar on six songs.

The Beatles perform live at the ABC Cinema in Northampton

On March 27,1963, the Beatles played another concert with Tommy Roe and Chris Montez, this time at the ABC cinema in Northampton (between Coventry and Cambridge).

In total the Beatles appeared twice at the ABC. Their second performance was on November 6, 1963 during their Autumn tour of England and Ireland.

If you compare both setlists, then there was only one song that appeared on both concerts: I Saw Her Standing There: a clear sign that their material was getting better all the time...

The Beatles at the Granada, Mansfield

On 26 March 1963 The Beatles performed at the Granada cinema in Mansfield, near Nottingham.

They opened for Tommy Roe and Chris Montez, and it was actually their second gig in Mansfield since they had appeared there together with Helen Shapiro on 23 February 1963.

The Granada was Mansfield’s first luxury cinema and was first called Plaza. It opened in 1930 and could seat over 5000 visitors.
In 1936 a Wurlitzer was installed and in 1942 the name changed to Granada.
The Granada was also home to the award winning Harvey Smith Dance Orchestra.

In the 1960 all over England many cinemas were being used to stage rock’n’roll concerts:  The Granada played host to many major stars, mostly on hastily-convened package tours, with each act given only two or three songs to make their mark. A typical bill was 1961’s All-Stars Show, featuring Gene Vincent and Screaming Lord Sutch. February 1962 saw the Beatles share the billing with Helen Shapiro. Within a year they were conquering the world. But by 1973 the Granada had reached the end of its useful life: demolition began in May

The Beatles in Q

Q magazine is out today in the UK (a bit later in other countries) and it's FAB. Yes, it's chockerblock-full of pictures, stories, interviews and much much more about our favourite four likely lads from Liverpool.

The magazine puts special stress on the fact that Please Please Me was released 50 years ago, and talks to Paul McCartney about those 10 hours of magic during which The Beatles recorded almost every single track of the songs on the LP.

Stella McCartney is honoured by the Queen

On Tuesday 26 March 2013, Stella McCartney, the second child of Beatle Paul McCartney and Linda Eastman, received her OBE medal from Queen Elizabeth II.

OBE stands for "Order of the British Empire", and it is the same award or distinction that her father received in 1965. On that occasion some angry war veterans sent back their medals...but it is extremely unlikely that anyone will send theirs back now that Stella has one.

41-year-old Stella McCartney received the medal as a distinction for her service in the fashion industry, and probably also for her work during (and before) the British Olympic Games in London 2012.

The Beatles Return to Liverpool at the Empire Theatre

The Beatles hadn't played a gig in Liverpool for over a month, and when they came back to their hometown on March 24, 1963...it was a triumph!

They appeared together with Chris Montez and Tommy Roe at the Empire Theatre, a venue that is still popular 50 years later. The Beatles returned to play the theatre in 1965.

Incidentally, there will be a show on June 13, 2013 about the life of that other Liverpudlian prodigé, Billy Fury. The name of the show is aptly called "Halfway to Paradise"

Beatles Pictures Fetch Loads of Money at Auction

Beatles memorabilia is fetching high prices around the world.

Yesterday 61 black & white pictures of The Beatles at Shea Stadium on 15 August 1965 were sold for 35,000 euro at an auction.

The pictures were taken by an amateur photographer, Marc Weinstein, who had talked his way backstage by using a fake press card.

At the same auction a further collection of 65 unpublished colour slides of The Beatles (taken by physicist Dr Robert "Bob" Beck in 1964) sold for 32,000 euro

The Beatles in Newcastle

The Beatles had never been to Newcastle-upon-Tyne, but on 23 March 1963 they played a gig at the City Hall in Newcastle.

It was still part of the Tommy Roe - Chris Montez tour, and it would not be their last vist. In 1963 they would come back two more times (June 8 & November 23) and once more in 1965 (December 4).

If you were present on one of these occasions, we'd love to hear from you!

The Official UK Charts of 23 March 1963

The Official UK Charts of 16 March 1963

1. Summer Holiday - Cliff Richard and the Shadows (1)
2. Foot Tapper - Shadows (9)

3. That's What Love Will Do - Joe Brown (3)
4. Like I've Never Been Before - Billy Fury (4)
5. Please Please Me - The Beatles (2)
6. The Night Has a Thousand Eyes - Bobby Vee (5)
7. Island of Dreams - Springfields (6)
8. Charmaine - The Bachelors (11)
9. Hey Paula - Paul and Paula (8)
10. The Wayward Wind - Frank Ifield (7)

20. How Do You Do It - Gerry and the Pacemakers (39)

Please Please Me hits #17 in Rolling Stone's Greatest Debut Albums

Rolling Stone magazine, famous for making lists about practically anything music-related, have compiled a list of the 100 Greatest Debut Albums of All Times.

And The Beatles are at #17 with (what else!) Please Please Me

The Top 20 looks like this

1. Licensed to Ill - Beastie Boys
2. Ramones - The Ramones
3. Are You Experienced - Jimi Hendrix Experience
4. Appetite for Destruction - Guns 'N Roses
5. The Velvet Underground & Nico - The Velvet Underground
6. Straight Outta Compton - N.W.A.
7. Never Mind the Bollocks - The Sex Pistols
8. Is This It - The Strokes
9. Music from Big Pink - The Band
10.Horses - Patti Smith
11.Illmatic - NAS
12.The Clash - The Clash
13.Pretenders - The Pretenders
14.Reasonable Doubt - Jay-Z
15.Funeral - Arcade Fire
16.The Cars - The Cars
17. Please Please Me - The Beatles
18.Murmur - R.E.M.
19.The College Dropout - Kanye West
20.Unknown Pleasures - Joy Division

What are your thoughts?

Paul McCartney releases new European dates

Paul is coming back to Europe (has he ever left LOL) and has scheduled the first dates for his "Out There" tour of 2013.

June 22, 2013: National Stadium, Warsaw, Poland

June 27, 2013: Happel Stadium, Vienna, Austria

Watch this space for upcoming venues.

Amazon.com Celebrates 50 years Please Please Me

If you go to Amazon.co.uk today, you will be transported back to 1963.

They updated (or should that be "retrograded" their look and all the music and movies on the front page are reminiscent of the period when The Beatles released their first LP.

And the funny thing is that all the songs that were in the charts on 22 March 1963 are on sale for 10 pence.

Take a look as long as this nostalgic page is online.

Paul and Ringo on Record Store Day

If you like to collect limited editions, then you should definitely head over to your independent record store, because both Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr will release special versions of their work.

Paul McCartney will release a 12" vinyl edition of "Maybe I'm Amazed", the live version that was originally serviced as a radio-only promotional 12” vinyl single back in 1976 to herald the release of “Wings Over America.”

SIDE A: Maybe I'm Amazed - Short Version (Mono) / Maybe I'm Amazon - Album Version (Mono)
SIDE B: Maybe I'm Amazed - Short Version (Stereo) / Maybe I'm Amazed - Album Version (Stereo)

Ringo Starr will release a 7" boxed vinyl set called simply "Ringo" and contain three 45", original picture sleeves in Apple Records Lift top box, that comes with a Record Store Day spindle.

Photograph b/w Down And Out
It Don’t Come Easy b/w Early 1970
(It's All Down to) Goodnight Vienna b/w Oo-Wee

Record Store Day is held every third Saturday of April, and this year it will be on April 20, 2013

The Beatles return to the Gaumont in Doncaster

On 22 March 1963, on the same day that their first LP Please Please Me was released in the UK, the Beatles returned to the Gaumont Cinema in Doncaster (Yorkshire) for a gig on the Chris Montez and Tommy Roe UK tour.

They had already played there with Helen Shapiro on February 5, 1963. The Gaumont Cinema unfortunately no longer exists, having been demolished in 2009. The cinema could seat about 2,000 people and many famous British and international acts appeared on stage: The Rolling Stones for example, and even Buddy Holly.

They would return there later that year, on 10 December 1963

Vlaamse Radio2 zoekt de beste songs van de jaren 80

The following post is in Dutch as it concerns a competition to find the best single of the '80s (that's 1980-1989).

Since you need to be subscribed to the Radio2 website, it will be quite difficult for non-Belgian or non-Dutch-speaking people to cast a vote. That's why the explanations that follow will be in Dutch.

If however you feel tempted to give it a go, just contact me and i'll guide you through the signup process.

Dus, even in het Nederlands, jullie hebben tot 10 April 2013 de tijd om te stemmen op de beste single van de periode 1980 - 1989. Er staan heel wat liedjes van The Beatles (solo) in de lijst, dus aarzel niet om er 3 mooie van de Fab Four uit te kiezen.


Stap 1: surf naar Radio2: Vinyl 80
http://tops.radio2.be/80/stem/


Stap 2: zoek op artiest:Paul McCartney, George Harrison, John Lennon (geen Ringo helaas)

Stap 3: Selecteer uw 3 favoriete songs door op "+" te duwen. Hieronder een overzicht van de Beatles-related songs:

John Lennon



Paul McCartney


George Harrison




 


 Stap 4: u ziet nu uw 3 favorieten, en klikt op "volgende stap"


Stap 5: U hebt nog de mogelijkheid om uw volgorde aan te apssen, en klik dan op "volgende stap"

Stap 6: Vul uw email en paswoord in (als u al geregistreerd bent op Radio2.be) of klik op "registreer" om u te registreren.

Veel succes!

Please Please Me is released

50 years ago to this date, The Beatles released their first LP.

BBC Radio 4 critic Mike Diver wrote a brilliant review of the album, which he released under a Creative Commons Licence. Enjoy!


While neither their best-selling nor most critically celebrated long-player (take your pick from Revolver, Abbey Road, the white album...), Please Please Me marks a vital moment in the career of The Beatles. Their debut album set in motion the wheels that would carry them to the very peak of public recognition, and subsequently into realms of sonic experimentation that would create a template for so much rock and pop music since.

Producer George Martin was, in Paul McCartney’s words, unsure of the band’s musical abilities when he invited them to Abbey Road to record songs they’d spent months perfecting live. In that environment they regularly shined, but studio experiences were still comparatively alien. What Martin recognised was a focus, a desire for more than their present lot. He listened beyond the music of the moment, hearing a future that these four young men would shape for themselves. The self-contained pop group was born, and quicker than either band or producer envisioned.

The recording of Please Please Me was fast, the band committing ten of these tracks to tape in just a single day – “a straightforward performance of their stage repertoire,” was how Martin summarised the sessions. Previously released single tracks and b sides completed the set. Featuring more originals than not, Please Please Me saw the McCartney-Lennon songwriting partnership blossom – from the title track to Love Me Do, There’s a Place to I Saw Her Standing There, the collaboration was incredibly productive, and would continue to bear fruit until the group’s Let It Be swan song of 1970.

The immediacy that these songs carry remains irresistible, and Please Please Me’s lengthy reign at the top of the UK albums chart proved the perfect response to Decca’s rebuttal that guitar groups were “on the way out” when the label turned down the opportunity to sign the band. Lennon’s vocal on the climactic Twist and Shout is perhaps the most wonderfully loose, ragged-edged element of the entire record, and the essentially ‘as live’ recording showcases a group with their feet still very much in the clubs and theatres, performance just preceding actual arrangement. Their way with composition is relatively simple; effective, but black and white nonetheless, playing exclusively to recognised strengths.

What followed made The Beatles the inspirational band they’re regarded as today. But the grandest oak begins as the tiniest acorn, and Please Please Me is just that: perfectly formed for what it is, and ready to split when promise is realised.

Written by Mike Diver: The full original review can be found on the BBC website.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Licence. If you choose to use this review on your site please link back to this page.

The Beatles Live at the ABC Cinema in Croydon

Ever heard of West Croydon? Well, neither did I, but it is a suburb of London where The Beatles played one show during the Chris Montez and Tommy Roe concert series.

The venue for the concert on Thursday 21 March was the ABC cinema (previously called The Savoy). It was a popular place where other great artitsts from Liverpool and the rest of the world performed (the Everly Brothers, Bill Fury, Cliff Richard, The Shadows...to name but a few)

The cinema later changed its name to "Cannon" and "Safari". Unfortunately it was demolished at the beginning of the 21st century.

It must have been exiting times for the Beatles, because one day later their first "real" LP was released (not counting the Tony Sheridan LP).

The Beatles On The Scene

Exactly 50 years ago to the very minute, The Beatles arrived at the Piccadilly Studios in London (which belonged to the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) for a rehearsal for the BBC radio show "On The Scene".

A couple of hours later (between 1pm and 2pm) the recorded and performed three songs: Misery (John & Paul), Do You Want to Know a Secret  (George) and Please Please Me (John & Paul)

Exactly one week later (Thursday 28 March 1963 at 5pm) the show was broadcast on the BBC Light Programme service.

p.s. For address hunters: the studios were located at 201 Piccaddilly in London (City of Westminster, W1J, UK)

Who appeared with The Beatles in March 1963

During March 1963 The Beatles toured the UK with Chris Montez and Tommy Roe.

But there were other acts during these tours:

- America's Exciting Chris Montez
- America's Fabulous Tommy Roe
- The Terry Young Six
- Glamorous Debbie Lee
- Tony Marsh
- The Viscounts
- Britain's Dynamic Beatles

American Idol takes on The Beatles!

It was Beatles night at "American Idol" and not everybody did the Fab Four from Liverpool justice.

Let's have a look at the contestants and their performances.

1. Lazaro Arbos picked "In My Life" and didn't manage to hit the right key. The song is known for its warmth and  pathos, but Lazaro just didn't connect with it. He would have been much better having picked "Yellow Submarine" or "Something"

Mariah Carey tried to be positive but said "It was a little bit low for you".
Nicki Minaj was more straight-forward: "You are still not the Lazaro I remember. ... You used to be ownin' it! Now it's like ... I don't know. ... Something is bothering you, babe."
But the worst reaction come from Randy Jackson: "That was your worst performance ever, It was out of tune from beginning to end!

My points? 3/10 for bravery

2. Paul Jolley took on "Eleanor Rigby", and that was also a mistake. He should have taken "Help" or "Get Back" in my opinion.

Nicki Minaj was clear: "I like that jacket and I like that shirt, and I like them skinny jeans but did not like your performance, Jol. You know why? Very very safe. Very bland and forgettable."

My points? 4/10 for trying

 3. Candice Glover performed much, much better with her rendition of 'Come Together'

My points? 7/10 for being the rock chick we want her to be

4. Janelle Arthur tried her luck with "I Will" and managed to convey part of the tenderness that goes with the song.

My points: 8/10

And the others?
Well, there was Angie Miller with "Yesterday," Kree Harrison's "With a Little Help From My Friends" and Burnell Taylor's version of "Let It Be." Devin Velez sang "The Long and Winding Road" and Amber Holcomb tried her hand at "She's Leaving Home"

The Beatles Back in Peterborough

A couple of months after their disastrous concert at the Embassy Cinema in Peterborough, The Beatles came back as part of the Tommy Roe and Chris Montez tour.

And luckily they were much better received on Sunday 17 March 1963.

If anybody who is reading this, remembers the concert, we'd love to hear from you.

On March 17 2013, The Heritage Foundation unveiled a blue placque outside the former Apple Boutique shop, honouring John Lennon and George Harrison.

The reason why Ringo and Paul were not included? Because they are still alive and blue placques rarely include names of living persons.

The placque reads: "John Lennon, MBE, 1940-1980, and George Harrison, MBE, 1943-2001, worked here."

The site of the former Apple Boutique clothing store can be found at 94 Baker Street, London

The Official UK Charts of 16 March 1963

The Official UK Charts of 23 March 1963


1. Summer Holiday - Cliff Richard and the Shadows (2)
2. Please Please Me - The Beatles (3)
3. That's What Love Will Do - Joe Brown (5)
4. Like I've Never Been Before - Billy Fury (6)
5. The Night Has a Thousand Eyes - Bobby Vee (4)
6. Island of Dreams - Springfields (9)

7. The Wayward Wind - Frank Ifield (1)
8. Hey Paula - Paul and Paula (11)
 9. Foot Tapper - Shadows (25)

10. Tell Him - Billy Davis (14)
39. How Do You Do It - Gerry and the Pacemakers (New)
40. A Taste of Honey - Mr. Acker Bilk (28)

The Beatles without John Lennon in Wolverhampton

On March 14, 1963, John Lennon missed a third performance due to his cold. This time The Beatles performed in Wolverhampton at the Gaumont Cinema.

During their career The Beatles played the Gaumont cinema twice, returning there later that year on November 19.

Who was Chris Montez?

During the month of March 1963 The Beatles appeared on stage with Chris Montez. But who was he, and what is his link with The Beatles?

Chris Montez was born Ezekiel Christopher Montanez on January 17, 1943 in California. When Ritchie Valens had his first successes with latino-flavered music (La Bamba, Donna,...), Montez decided to try a similar carreer.

In 1962 he had a big hit with "Let's Dance" and he came over to England to perform together with Tommy Roe and The Beatles. Initially he did not have a high opinion of the Beatles, as can be deducted from the following quote: "Who are these guys The Beatles? I try to keep up with the British scene, but I don't know their work"

Later he would work with Herb Alpert, the same producer who worked with Tony Sheridan and The Beatles in 1961 in Hamburg.

At the Fest for Beatles Fans in 2010 (Secaucus, New Jersey) Chris Montez previewed his documentary "El Viaje Musical de Ezekiel Montanez: The Chris Montez Story"

The Beatles minus John at the Rialto

John Lennon was still recording his harmonica part for Thank You Girl in London when the other Beatles were travelling from Bedford to York as part of the Tommy Roe and Chris Montez tour.

It was not the first time they played at the Rialto Theatre. During their last tour with Helen Shapiro on 27 February 1963 they had received a very good feedback from the crowd and tonight would not be different, even if they only appeared as a trio.

As was custom on this tour they played 6 songs: Love Me Do, Misery, A Taste of Honey, Do You Want to Know a Secret, Please Please Me and I Saw Her Standing There.

It would not be their last appearance either, because they would play The Rialto Theatre two more times: 29 May 1963 and 27 November 1963.

John Lennon overdubs Thank You Girl

During the later Beatles years (especially when working on The White Album, Let it Be and Abbey Road, it was not rare for John Lennon to work on his own in the studio.

But in 1963 it was something of an exception. On 13 March 1963 John went to the Abbey Road Studios to conduct some harmonica overdubs on Thank You Girl, which would be the B-side of From Me To You.

John was suffering from a cold, and had therefore not appeared on stage in Bedford the previous night, but he felt better on Wednesday and met up with George Martin and Norman Smith to play his harmonica part. It took him 15 takes and George and Norman finished editing and mixing the song that day.

The other Beatles used the day to travel from Bedford to York for an evening session at the Rialto.

Paul McCartney appears on the new Eric Clapton record

On 12 March 2013 Eric Clapton released his 20th studio album. The record contains all-time favourite songs and 2 new songs.

Paul McCartney plays  bass and sing on the cover of All Of Me.

TRACK LISTING

1. Further On Down The Road
2. Angel
3. The Folks Who Live On The Hill
4. Gotta GetOver
5.Till Your Well Runs Dry
6. All Of Me
7. Born To Lose
8. Still Got The Blues
9. Goodnight Irene
10. Your One and Only Man
11. Every Little Thing
12. Our Love Is Here To Stay

The Official UK Charts of 9 March 1963

Here is the official UK charts of 9 March 1963

The Official UK Charts of 9 March 1963

1. The Wayward Wind - Frank Ifield (1)
2. Summer Holiday - Cliff Richard and the Shadows (7)
3. Please Please Me - The Beatles (2)
4. The Night Has a Thousand Eyes - Bobby Vee (3)
5. That's What Love Will Do - Joe Brown (6)
6. Like I've Never Been Before - Billy Fury (14)
7. Diamonds - Jet Harris and Tony Meehan (4)
8. Loop-de-Loop - Frankie Vaughan (5)
9. Island of Dreams - Springfields (9)
10. Walk Right In - Rooftop Singers (11)
28. A Taste of Honey - Mr. Acker Bilk (22)

The Beatles perform without John Lennon in Bedford

The final of three performances in Bedford (at the Granada Cinema) was a rare opportunity: The Beatles performed without John Lennon who was suffering from a severe cold.

Paul, George and Ringo arranged the songs in such a way that they could be played just by the three of them. On the evening they performed 6 songs : Love Me Do, Please Please Me, Misery, A Taste of Honey, Do You Want to Know a Secret and I Saw Her Standing There

Other groups to appear on stage that night were Chris Montez and Tommy Roe

The Beatles on Radio Luxemburg

50 years ago on Monday 11 March 1963, The Beatles appeared on the Radio Luxembourg show called "The Friday Spectacular". I don't really understand why it would be transmitted on a Monday, but that's life. Maybe somebody out there knows the answer.

In this period The Beatles were appearing on stage during the a UK show with Tommy Roe ('Sheila' , 'Dizzy') and Chris Montez ('Let's Dance').

The Beatles had a day-off on 11 March 1963 and they appeared on The Friday Spectacular. They did not go to Luxembourg, mind you, no they went to EMI House in London where the interview was recorded. In between the radio station played Please Please Me and Ask Me Why.

More than 2,200 version of Yesterday

At one time the Guinness World Record book claimed that Yesterday was the most covered song, wit more than 2,200 versions known to exist.

Since then, they retracted that claim, saying that "Summertime" from the opera Porgy & Bess hass more than 3,000 recorded performances (although this is quite normal since many of these performances were live recorded.

Even so, 2,200 different versions for Paul McCartney's Yesterday is a huge feat.

Here are some of the best know cover versions:

Ray Charles
Frank Sinatra
Paul McCartney
Wet Wet Wet
Marianne Faithfull
Neil Diamond
Michael Bolton
José Feliciano
Udo Jürgens
Knut Kiesewetter (Gestern noch)
Peter Hofmann
Boyz II Men
Matt Monro
Richard Clayderman
David Essex
James Last
Ricky King
The Seekers
LeAnn Rimes
Dr. John
The Sandpipers
Barry Manilow
En Vogue
P.P. Arnold
Marvin Gaye
Tom Jones
Chris Farlowe
Tammy Wynette
Joan Baez
Wings
Gareth Gates
Horst Jankowski
European Sound Project
Count Basie & His Orchestra feat. Bill Henderson
The Supremes
The Fred Banana Combo
Cilla Black
Deborah Sasson
Christian Anders
Max Greger und sein Orchester
Shirley Bassey
Rolf Harris
Placido Domingo
Billie Jo Spears
Bar-Kays
The New Seekers
The Jay Five
Leon Haywood
Oscar Peterson
Jan & Dean
The King's Singers
Maestro Rolando de Piano
The Moments
Michael Heck (Gestern noch)
The Sylvers
Gladys Knight & The Pips
Michel Legrand
Paul Kuhn & The SFB Big Band
The Impressions
Orchester Anthony Ventura
Hugues Aufray (Je croyais)
Ryan Shaw
Dionne Warwick
Freda Payne
Ferrante & Teicher
Nelson Riddle
Bobby Goldsboro
Will Tura
Luiz Bonfá
Syd Lawrence and His Orchestra
Lou Rawls
Bo Katzman & The Katz Kids
Perry Como
Andy Williams
Liesbeth List (Gisteren)