Recovered Ken Dodd Show and more BBC radio shows
Paul, George, Ken Dodd and John.
BBC Radio has released a program that they have recovered after sixty years. The program was first broadcast on the BBC Light Program in November 1963. The program was recorded on John Lennon’s 23rd birthday, 9 October 1963.
In addition to skits and other types of program features, the Beatles perform “She Loves You”. It is performed quite early in the programme, so if you are not very keen on antiquated British humour, we can reveal that they will not appear again later.
Here is the link to this program:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m001mbzv
This is just one of many radio programs that Radio BBC 4 Extra has broadcast and will broadcast to celebrate 60 years since “From me To You”, according to recent history falsification, the Beatles’ first number one in the UK singles charts.
Saturday 27 May
22:00 – Mitch Benn Is the 37th Beatle
Musical satirist Mitch Benn explores his comedy connections to the story of the Beatles
Sunday 28 May
09:00 – The Ken Dodd Show
Recovered Episode with the Beatles (03/11/1963)
Doddy is joined by the Beatles – recorded on John Lennon’s 23rd birthday. From 1963.
Monday 29 May
10:00 – Ray Connolly – Sorry, Boys, You Failed the Audition
What would have happened to The Beatles if George Martin had turned them down?
10:45 – The New Elizabethans
John Lennon / Paul McCartney. James Naughtie assesses the pair at the heart of the Beatles, Lennon and McCartney.
12:00 – One Two Three Four – The Beatles In Time by Craig Brown
1/5. A Day In The Life. Snapshots and glimpses of the Beatles and their legacy.
Tuesday 30 May
10:00 – When Elvis Met The Beatles
One night in 1965, Elvis Presley invited The Beatles to his Los Angeles mansion.
12:00 – One Two Three Four – The Beatles In Time by Craig Brown
2/5. She Loves You. Paul McCartney is welcomed into his girlfriend’s family.
Wednesday 31 May
10:00 – With A Little Help From My Friends (Drama)
The story of Brian Epstein during his hectic, turbulent years of managing The Beatles.
12:00 – One Two Three Four – The Beatles In Time by Craig Brown
3/5. Magical Mystery Tour. The Beatles embark on their American adventure.
20:00 – Celebrating The Beatles
Beatles at the BBC
A rare chance to hear the Beatles as BBC audiences would have originally encountered them
Thursday 1 June
10:00 – Lennon: A Week in the Life (A play by Dick Clement & Ian La Frenais)
When just 40 come to John Lennon’s memorial service, his old friend is forced to act.
10:45 – A Point of View
Beatle Time. Adam Gopnik celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Beatles.
12:00 – One Two Three Four – The Beatles In Time by Craig Brown
4/5. The Word. Lyrics with hidden meanings, the benefits of hiding in plain sight.
21:00 – Great Lives
John Lennon is the life nominated by writer John Harris. Matthew Parris presents.
Friday 2 June
12:00 – One Two Three Four – The Beatles In Time by Craig Brown
5/5. Strawberry Fields Forever. The Beatles hair became a trademark. Locks of it are still available to buy, at a price.
20:00 – The Frost Tapes
The Beatles. This is the story of the world’s greatest band, told to the world’s greatest interviewer.
20:30 – Frankly Speaking
Brian Epstein, manager of the Beatles, discusses his career.
The time slots are U.K. time. You can search for the unlinked programs at BBC Sounds, after they have been broadcast on the radio. They will remain available online for 30 days after the (re) broadcasts.
‘according to recent history falsification’ What do you mean by that? From Me To You has always been their first number one in the official charts
The first U.K. chart of record sales was produced 14th November 1952 by the New Musical Express (N.M.E.) which is therefore the longest established chart. In the N.M.E. chart of 1963 “Please Please Me” was the Beatles’ first single to reach the top spot on 22nd February where it remained for 2 weeks. It also topped two other charts which were the ones people relied on back in the sixties, the Melody Maker charts and the Disc charts.
However, from 10th March 1960, the music industry started to compile its own chart in a publication called “Record Retailer”. This was a trade publication as used by record shops and the music industry which later became “Music Week”. For a couple of years from it’s inception this chart was not the most widely accepted chart and was largely overlooked by the record buying public who, on the whole, still relied on the ever-present N.M.E., Melody Maker and Disc listing. But when Guinness Book of Records started to compile what they were to call the “official” British music charts, they were able to buy the “Record Retailer” charts cheap. In this chart The Beatles reached number 2 on the 2nd March 1963 but were kept off of number 1 by Frank Ifield’s third consecutive chart-topper “Wayward Wind”.
The choice of this chart as the one used for “official” purposes is slightly unfortunate, because in the hit parades of NME, Melody Maker and Disc “Please Please Me” was number 1, and therefore the Beatles FIRST number one. As predicted by George Martin after the recording session.
The spiel they keep reading out on Radio 4 Extra actually says that in 1963 the band had their first number one in the singles chart, and then released their debut album. So they’ve been avoiding strongly associating the season with From Me To You.
A very comprehensive and well-explained account. It is indeed a falsification since it presents the Record Retailer as the ‘official’ chart, which it was not then.
Another reason for Guinness adopting the RR charts from 1960 is that they went slightly deeper to a top 50 and so included more records. Hence, the simple answer is that there was no ‘official’ chart until February 1969 and it is indeed false to claim otherwise.
Each main chart had its strengths and weaknesses, sample size against hyped records, and one result of the decision to follow RR was to ignore the success of high selling EPs. On the flip side Lady Madonna did not make number 1 in all the charts.
If we follow the tenets of ‘historicism’, viewing history from the eyes of the people from the past, that it would be highly inaccurate to pretend that Please Please Me was not a number one as viewed by the Beatles and everyone associated with them.
I’ve always felt the hullabaloo about charts and hits and Number One’s to be beside the point, frankly. So what? Does your regard for a song depend on what a “chart” tells you? or what other people are buying or not buying? And will it matter years down the road?
Record charts are a hype invented by the record biz to keep consumers mesmerized and pliable.
You know, I totally agree with this. Personally, I care nothing for the charts and take very little interest in them. But it is more than a little irritating to find that Tim Rice and Guinness could decide, in 1977, that the Beatles (and other artists like the Rolling Stones) suddenly were not entitled to a number one hit record. It’s like someone retrospectively deciding that the Wanderers did not win the 1876 cup final. As a historian, it annoys me. It’s an approach that falsely tries to impose a presentism on the past…
Just to quickly add that at least we have Mark Lewisohn (amongst others) to point out that Please Please Me was number 1 in most charts. As a 15 year old I read the 1978 reprint of Hunter Davies’ Beatles biography which clearly presented PPM as a number 1, so it puzzled me that Guinness ignored this. I think it was the Beatles Chronicle in 1992 which finally published the Beatles records in all the contemporary charts.
The David Frost interview is not available outside the U.K. Oof.