The Complete Beatles Chronicle

368 Pages·1992·30.76 MB·english

by  Mark Lewisohn

the
complete
Beatles
chronicle

Mark Lewisohn
Harmony Books / New York
A U T H O R ' S A C K N O W L E D G E M E N T S
This book being the result of, in effect, 12 years' research,
there are a huge amount of people to thank for information,
assistance and the like. So without any more ado . . .
Text from EMI's The Complete Beatles Recording Sessions EMI For assistance in the research and reporting of the Beatles' live For assistance from 1988 to 1991 regarding research into the
Records Limited 1988. appearances, thanks to John Askew (Johnny Gentle), Neil Aspinall, Beatles' radio, television, film and video work, thanks to John
All other text © Mark Lewisohn 1992. Tony Barrow, Art Barry, the late Mona Best, Rod Bleackley, Albert Bauldie, David Bellan, Roy Benson, Tony Bilbow, Billy Blaney,
Design Reed International Books Limited 1992 Bonici, Brian Bowman, Johnny "Guitar" Byrne, Roy Carr, John Tony Bramwell, Jack Breckon, Richard Buskin, Ed Butcher, Adrian
Cochrane, Ray Coleman, Joe Collins, Mark Cousins, Pat Daniels. Cairns, Richard Carraro, Ray Coleman, Roy Corlett, Ivor Cutler,
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be Hunter Davies, Rod Davis. Harry Dickinson, Peter Doggett, Tony Peter Doggett, Jo Durden-Smith, Frank Elliott, Naomi Fairbairn,
reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any Elwood, Walter Esmond, Jack Fallon, Stan Fishman, Dave Forshaw, Michael Fentiman, Nicholas Ferguson, Denise Fraser, Rune Hallberg,
form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, Neil Foster, Bill Fraser Reid, Danny Friedman, Bob Gannon, Debbie Tommy Hanley, Andy Hitchcock, Kevin Howlett, Philip Jones 013E
recording, or otherwise, without the permission of the Geoghegan, Nigel Greenberg, Jim Gretty, Johnny Gustafson, Amo (the TV executive), Shelagh Jones, Julia Kent, Dave Lee, Richard
copyright holder(s). Guzek, Maurice Haigh, Colin Hanton, Roger Howell, Li: and Jim Lester, Michael Lindsay-Hogg, Mike Lowson, Jennie McClean-
Hughes, Douglas Jenkins, Hilary Kay, Leslie Kearney, Fred Keight, Cooke, Joe McGrath, Barrie MacDonald, George and Judy Martin,
Published by Harmony Books, Brian Kelly, Spencer Leigh, Monty- Lister, Charlie McBain Jr, Mike Stephen Maycock, Andrew Milton, Desmond Morris, Denis 0' Dell,
a division of Crown Publishers Inc., McCartney, Eric MacKenzie, Tony Meehan, David Moores, Chas Staffan Olander, Stuart Payton, Wally Podrazik, Clive Reed, Mark
201 East 50th Street, New York, New York 10022. Newby, Jos Nicholl, Jimmy Nicol, Jos Remmerswaal, Geoff Rhind, Rigby, Tim Ritchie, Susan Rolling, Norman Rossington, Brian
Member of the Crown Publishing Group. Mike and Elizabeth Robbins, Charles Roberts, Brian Roylance, Roylance, Neil Shand, John Sheppard, Roger Simons, Adam Smith,
Eileen Ruane, Sir Jimmy Savile OBE. the late Roger Scott, Helen Jim Smith, David Stark, Harry Storey, Caroline Tipple,
Originally published in 1992 in Great Britain Simpson, Keith Sluchansky and Eddie Suarez, David J Smith, the JacquesVolcouve, Jeff Walden, Carey Wallace, Scott Wheeler, Mary
by Pyramid Books an imprint of late John Smith, Peter and Coral Stringfellow, Pauline Sutcliffe, Wilcock, Muriel Young.
Octopus Illustrated Publishing Derek Taylor, Chas Tranter, Rene van Haarlem, John Walker, Ron
Michelin House, 81 Fulham Road, Watson CBE, Bob Woodward, Graham Wootton, and all those who Without wishing to appear to undervalue those who kindly rendered
London SW3 6RB wrote offering nuggets of new information after publication of The special assistance with the Live.' and Sessions aspects of the overall
part of Reed International Books Limited Beatles Live' in May 1986. work — but who've already had merit mentions in those previous
publications — here is the "special thanks to" bit for the radio,
HARMONY and colophon are trademarks of For assistance in the research and reporting of the Beatles' recording television, film and video element of this book, and for other
Crown Publishers Inc., sessions, thanks to Malcolm Addey, Terri Anderson, Kenn Baker, noteworthy help in recent years: to George Martin for his lovely
the late John Barrett, Norman Bates, Martin Benge, Pete Best, Anil foreword; to Jon Keeble at ITC Library Sales for finding and
Printed in the United States of America Bhagwat, Leo Birnbaum, Chris Blair, Peter Blake. John Blocher, enabling use to view rare film; to Bill Parker at Thames Television,
Bob Boast, Peter Bown, Jerry- Boys, Tons Bramwell, Alan Brown, preserver of the ABC/Thames written archive and optimist that it
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Jack Brymer, John Burden, Barrie Cameron, Jenny Caswell, Clem goes to a safe home come January 1993; to Sylvia Cowling, film and
is available upon request. Cattini, George Chkiantz, the late Alan Civil, Tony Clark, Frank tape librarian at Granada Television and the remarkably patient
Clarke, Peter Coe, Ray Coleman, Terry Condon, Hunter Davies, Denise Carlin in Granada's written archive; to Ruth Edge, Jenny
ISBN 0-517-58100-0 Malcolm Davies, Bryan Dunn, Ruth Edge, Stuart Eltham, Geoff and Keen and Sarah Hobbs at EMI for always friendly help, tea, and
10987654321 Nicole Emerick, Kenneth Essex, Jack Fallon, Eric Ford, Jim Foy, uncovering a bulging boxfile of hitherto unseen recording sessions
Francisco Gaharro, Brian Gibson, Tony Gilbert, Laurie Gold, Keith documents; to Jamie Leasing for sleuthing the addresses of so many
Grant, Richard Hale, Dave Harries, Derek Healey, Mike Heatley, long gone US concert venues; to Pier Schreuders for inspiration,
Sarah Hobbs, Alan Holmes, David Hughes, Ted Huntley, Bill information and much, much else; to Allan Kozinn for always being
Jackman, Jeff Jarratt, Philip Jones OBE (the musician), Jenny Keen, at the end of a fax line at 3.00 am New York time, audio/video tapes,
Harry Klein, Bobby Kok, John Kurlander, Richard Langham, advice and, with lovely wife Johanna, fine hospitality; to Fred
Richard Lush, Paul McCartney MBE, Phil McDonald, Linda Vincent for untold help and answering hundreds of questions before I
Mallarkey, George Martin CBE, David Mason, Peter Mew, Mo even needed to ask; and to Nell Burley at Apple Corps for being a
Miller, Barry Morgan, Rex Morris, Harry Moss, Sarah Murgatroyd, friendly and helpful aide, and for sharing the fruits of her marvellous
Mitch Murray, Piers Murray Hill, Cris Neal, Alan Parsons, Ron research, soon to he seen on a video machine near you. Grateful
Pender, Bill Povey, Ron Richards, Christine Russell, Mike Sammes, thanks go to my agent, Bill Hamilton of A M Heath & Company, and
Sidney Sax, John Scott, Ken Scott, Mike Sheady, Stephen Shingles, to Piers Murray Hill, David Heslam, Mike Evans, Anna Smith, Bryan
Kenneth Sillito, John Skinner, Keith Slaughter, Norman Smith, Dunn and Ashley Western (a real Fixer Upper) at Octopus Illustrated
Tracie Smith, Brian Southall, Bob Street, Derek Taylor, Chris Publishing.
Thomas, Eddie Thornton, John Timperley, Ken Townsend, Kathy
Varley, Peter Vince, Tony Wadsworth, Nick Webb, Andy White, Most of all, infinite love and thanks to Tarja, Oliver and Thomas,
and all those who wrote offering information after publication of The who have so patiently put up with a stressed, tired, pre-occupied and
Complete Beatles Recording Sessions in September 1988. all too rarely present husband/father.
This book is dedicated, with love, to my late mother, who
instilled in me a keen appreciation of talent and all the other fine
things in life – especially the Beatles.
PICTURE CREDITS

The Abergaeenny Chronicle: 113 bottom Apple/Hulton- Jon Keeble: 131 right C O N T E N T S
Deutsch Collection: 193 left, 199 right, 200 bottom, 204 Allan Kozinn: 145 top right, 216 top left
right, 206 right, 207, 210, 211 top, 221, 222, 223, 225 Richard Langham: 12 3
bottom, 226, 239 bottom, 243, 262 bottom, 264 left, 264 Richard Lester: 137 bottom, 190 top
bottom right, 265 top right, 267 top, 267 bottom. 271 Liverpool Echo: 15 right, 16 top, 41. 42, 43, 49, 63 right,
Apple/Walter Shenson Films: 138, 149, 150 top left, 185 64 right, 75 bottom, 81 right, 163 bottom right, 197, 213 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ...........................4
right, 186, 192 left, 230 left
Aquarius Picture Library: 9 bottom right. 11 bottom and Liverpool Weekly News: 52 right, 58 left FOREWORD ............................................................6
bottom centre London Features International: 9 top left, centre and
Art Barry: 50 right centre right, 11 top, 110 bottom, 145 top, 145 bottom INTRODUCTION ..............................................8
Laurie Asprey: 336 right, 156 bottom, 178, 179 top right, 183 top
BBC Photo Library: 107, 119, 120, 133. 134, 177 Linda McCartney: 314 top, 324, 329 bottom, 330 bottom, GUIDANCE NOTES ................................... 10
Beatle City: (letter) 13 top The Maidenhead Advertiser: 193 right
Ken Beaton/John Askew collection: 19 bottom Manchester Evening News: 17 top 1957—1959 .....................................................12
Bedford Record: 86 The Manila Chronicle: 212
Albert Bonici: 95 Albert Marrion/Mark Lewisohn collection: 37 bottom,
1960. ............................................................... 18
Bootle Times: 26 52 left
Tony Bramwell: 284 Dick Matthew: 34, 44, 45 top, 50 top, 50 bottom left
1961 .................................................................30
Johnny Byrne: 58 bottom right The Melbourne Age: 163 left
Camera Press: 7 top right. 106, 211 centre, 227 bottom, Mersey Beat: 55 centre
236, 246 bottom, 312, 346 Graham Moyle: 163 top right 1962 .................................................................52
Camera Press/Apple: 331 New Musical Express: 225 top, 238 bottom, 275 right
Cheniston Roland/Mark Lewisohn collection: 19 top Staffan Olander: 126 top 1963 .................................................................88
Christie's: 9 bottom left, 32 top, 35 top left, 45 bottom, 62 Peterborough Standard: 85
top, 63 left, 90 top, 97, 151, 155 left. 201 centre, 213 Phillips: 39, 51, 80 right, 88 1964 ...............................................................136
right, 245, 265 left, 291 left, 319 bottom Radio Times: 239 top, 268 top
The Cincinnati Enquirer: 140 top, right of centre Record Retailer/Spotlight Publications: 60, 61 bottom 1965 ...............................................................180
The Cleveland Press: 140 top, left of centre right
Colorific!: 194 Relay Photos: 264 right, 276 right, 339 top 1966 ...............................................................210
Commonwealth United Films: 314 bottom, 319 right The Reporter Group (South Lancashire Newspapers): 101
Coventry Evening Telegraph: 82 Rex Features: 2, 3 all pictures, 11 top centre, 124 bottom, 1967 ...............................................................236
The Daily Cinema: 165 top, 198 181, 214 right
Daily Herald: 92 bottom, 94 top Geoff Rhine) 14 right 1968 ...............................................................276
Daily Mail: 241 right Rhyl Journal and Advertiser: 73
Darwen Advertiser: 98 top Richmond, Twickenham and Barnes Herald: 189
1969 ...............................................................306
Hunter Davies: 70 top Charles Roberts: 14 right
Robert Ellis: 308 right The San Francisco Chronicle: 201 right
EMI: 7 top left, bottom left and right, 54, 55 (all except The San Francisco Examiner: 140 top left 1970 ...............................................................340
centre picture), 61 bottom left, 70 bottom, 77 left, 79, 80 Scope Features: 114 top, 165 bottom, 166, 187,
left, 90 bottom, 91, 92 top, 94 bottom, 99 bottom, 102, Keith Sluchansky at Revolver: 48 left, 145 centre left,
APPENDICES
103, 104 bottom, 115 (all pictures), 117, 129, 146, 147, 167 right, 182 left, 182 centre, 201 top left, 227 top, 229
148 top, 148 centre, 168 left, 168 right, 170. 172, 174, David J Smith: 24 left, 32 bottom
A Discography, 1962—1970 .........................350
175 right, 180, 183 bottom, 184. 195 left, 204 left, 209, Somerset County Gazette: 265 bottom right
216 bottom, 217, 218, 219, 224, 233, 234, 235, 238 top, Sotheby's: 18, 23, 24 right, 25,28 bottom, 29, 31 top, 31
242 bottom, 244, 246 top, 248, 249, 250, 251, 252 top, bottom right, 35 bottom right, 37 top, 48 right, 56, 57, Peak Chart Positions, 1962—1970 ................351
253 left, 256, 257, 259, 260, 262 top, 288, 289, 191 right, 65, 69 left, 69 right, 71 right, 88, 89 top, 116, 132 top
292, 293, 294 right, 299, 300, 303, 308 left, 313, 315 left, right, 136 left, 154 right, 220, 237 right. 286 left, 332 top Date/Composer Index Of
319 left, 321, 322, 325. 327, 330 top, 330 right, 332 Southport Visiter: 64 left
bottom, 334, 339 bottom, 342, 343, 344, 345, 349 left Stroud News and Journal: 68 EMI © Recordings ....................................352
Paul Fender: 36 Times Newspapers: 122, 127 bottom
Dave Forshaw: 67 right TV Times: 127 top Chronology Of UK Radio Appearances.........354
Granada Television: 59, 130 Don Valentine: 82
Nigel Greenberg: 76 right Victoria and Albert Theatre Museum: 108 bottom Chronology Of UK TV Appearances.............355
Maurice Haigh: 96 Wallasey News: 20, 27 bottom right, 28 top
Richard Hale: 294 left, 295 West Derby Reporter: 16 top Session/Live Performance Recordings
Heswall and Neston News and Advertiser: 19 right, 27 The West London Observer: 155 right
top right Yorkshire Evening Post: 114 bottom
Broadcast By BBC Radio .........................356
Hong Kong Tiger Standard: 162
Home Counties Newspapers: 140 bottom Other illustrations courtesy Mark Lewisohn, with
David Hughes/Mark Lewisohn collection: 13 bottom grateful thanks to Apple Corps Ltd for their assistance in Other Engagements Played............................357
Hulton-Deutsch Collection: 9 top right, 22 right, 22 left, providing a number of the pictures used in this book.
89 bottom, 100, 131 left, 132 top left, 135 right, 136 Engagements Not Played ...............................358
right, 137 top, 142 bottom, 143, 159, 161 left, 167 left, Every effort has been made to acknowledge correctly and
169, 188, 232, 237 bottom, 252 bottom, 261, 263, 266 contact the source and/or copyright holder of each Where They Played .......................................359
bottom, 277 top, 279, 298, 305 bottom, 317, 318 illustration, and Pyramid apologises for any unintentional
Inverness Courier: 27 errors or omissions, which will be corrected in future What They Played .........................................361
The Japan Times: 211 right editions of this book.
Peter Kaye: 62 bottom
Leslie Kearney/Mark Lewisohn collection: 15 left, 58 Name Index ...................................................366
top right
F O R E W O R D
Normally I do not wallow in nostalgia; life is too short to keep looking back. But a recent reappraisal of old
Beatles masters at Abbey Road has enabled me to delve into the past without too much of a guilt complex. I
have listened again to the original tapes that we made all those years ago. Can it really be 30 years since I intro-
duced the Fab Four to the strange and wonderful world of recording at EMI Studios in London? Even in 1962
they were experienced performers, although their genius for creating brilliant music and songs had yet to
emerge. Certainly they were no strangers to hard work, and the years that followed saw them plunge into a
whirlwind of concerts, broadcasts, feature-films, TV appearances, press conferences and photo calls that would
have broken lesser men. Make no mistake about their lives then; there was little glamour in their goldfish bowl,
and far too many demands were made on them.
As one of those behind the scenes urging them on, I had to stake my claim on their time for recording, which
they fortunately enjoyed. In the studio their inventiveness and quest for new sounds is well known. They were
quick learners, and in no time the master found himself becoming the student. Once the studio became their
priority – from 1966 on – their horizons were limitless. Always curious, they insisted on finding new sounds and
newer ways of achieving them.
Of course, there were moments when I could cheerfully have strangled one or other of them, and no doubt the
feeling sometimes was reciprocated, but my enduring memory of those times is the enormous fun it all was. We
really did not think about material success and the fortunes that they were earning. Our only consideration was to
achieve the very best that we could, and we were completely united in that aim. If I inwardly believed we were
developing an art form that would last for decades I kept it to myself. The value of what we were doing was
never discussed. But we all knew that something really worthwhile was emerging.
Of all the chroniclers who have studied the lives of John, Paul, George and Ringo, Mark Lewisohn stands
supreme. His dedication in getting all the true facts and cataloguing them, coupled with a style of writing that
is most readable, leaves him with no rival. Time and again he has proven that he knows far more about what
we did and when we did it than any of us. His book on the Beatles' recording sessions is an authoritative
journal that I find invaluable. So many other books have been written about the lives of the Beatles that are
less than truthful and a great deal of misinformed rubbish has been avidly devoured. We are fortunate to have
Mark's scholarship. We need have no fears about his latest work, The Complete Beatles Chronicle; it will be as
accurate as it is detailed.
G E O R G E M A R T I N

I N T R O D U C T I O N
During a recent visit to the United States I was struck by just how much company's entire collection of Beatles recording session tapes, then to
the Beatles have become a part of everyday popular culture. Barely a few interview virtually everyone involved in their making and write a book
hours went by without their name coming up in the news, in a film or about it all, published in 1988 as The Complete Beatles Recording Sessions.
television script, in advertisements, in conv ersation or, more obliquely, No one was more astonished than me to see it enter the best-seller lists
via some quote or headline (so and so "has got his ticket to ride"; will this and shift something over 150,000 copies. I should have remembered the
or that country "give peace a chance"?). Although perhaps less so, the power of the Beatles.
same can also he said for Britain, my home country. As a group they split Shortly before publication of Recording Sessions the Live!! book went
up more than 20 years ago but interest in the Beatles remains remarkably out-of-print and no copies were around to meet renewed demand. While I
high and their image and music continue to illustrate not only the 1960s was considering a reprint edition it was suggested that I combine the live
but the latter half of the 20th century. performance material with a condensed version of Recording Sessions and
Of course, no one could possibly have predicted this — least of all the all-new research and text- covering the Beatles' work in radio, television,
Beatles themselves who, as this book shows, began humbly and never film and video.
aspired to be the world leaders and mighty voice they became. Their This is that book. It's called The Complete Beatles Chronicle because
talent and personalities took them right to the top, though, and now their that's what it is: a complete, chronological summary of the group's entire
place in history is not only assured but already a fact: pick up any modern oeuvre — their live performances from 1957, their sessions and other
encyclopedia or reference book and you'll find a potted history of the recording studio activities, their appearances on the small and large
Beatles. screen and on radio. I'm happy to report that the Live! and Recording
Strangely for such a recent event, however, the story of the Beatles' Sessions aspects of the story incorporate all of the relevant new informa-
career is frequently mis-reported, with errors of all kinds creeping in and tion that came to light following those previous publications, helping to
distorting the truth. In 1979, with a vague plan of sifting fact from fiction, I make the account as accurate as possible.
set about establishing a complete list of the group's live appearances, So watch those videos, play those discs, read the book and savour the
from the Quarry Men skiffle era of the late 1950s through to 1966, when experience, once again, of a 20th century phenomenon that we now know
the Beatles stopped giving concerts. To my surprise there was no existing will run and run and run.
catalogue and no short cut: the research rook seven long years and the
result was published in 1986 as the book The Beatles Live! Mark Lewisohn
Soon afterwards I received the invitation of a lifetime from EMI Hertfordshire,
Records: to be the only person outside of the Beatles, George Martin and a England,
handful of studio staff to go into Abbey Road and listen to the
December 1991

G U I D A N C E N O T E S Shea Stadium and Magical Mystery Tour is shown with the clapperboard
symbol; filming by the BBC for its documentary The Mersey Sound is
A live performance before a paying audience. It is important to denoted by a TV symbol.)
recognise that few such performances until 1963, and not even all of
them in that year, could he classified as concerts. In those pre-
AN IMPORTANT NOTE
discotheque days the Beatles were mostly booked to provide music for
ABOUT MIXING
dancing, and to entertain, in ballrooms or other venues without seating.
Despite the thoroughness with which staff noted the details of the
A Beatles recording session, or recording audition, or an occasion Beatles' work at EMI Studios, there is no possible means of proving the
when an overdub was taped onto one of their recordings, although per-
participation, or lack of it, of the group in their mixing sessions.
haps without their personal involvement.
Generally, it is true that the Beatles attended few mix sessions during
their early years at EMI, from 1962 through to and including, say, mid-
A mix session, in which a Beatles recording was mixed down from a
1965. Indeed, engagements elsewhere often prevented their direct
multi-track tape to a two-track, quarter-inch tape whether for reference
involvement even if they desired it. George Martin and his balance
purposes or the cutting of acetate discs or mastering. (See also adjacent
engineer, or just the latter, would he left alone to oversee this important
note.)
element in the recording process.
From mid-1965, and especially from 1966, however, through to 1970,
An engagement for the purposes of a radio broadcast, either live or
the Beatles took a much greater personal interest in mix sessions. Even
recorded for subsequent transmission.
still, one cannot say for certain which ones they attended (or which of
the group was present) and which sessions they were content to leave
An engagement for the purposes of a television broadcast, either live
solely in the hands of the EMI balance engineers and George Martin.
or filmed/taped for subsequent transmission.
During the production of Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, for exam-
ple, the Beatles are said to have taken a hands-on approach with the
A formal rehearsal with a TV crew which takes place on a day differ
ent from the actual filming/taping/live transmission. Rehearsals taking mono mixing yet left the task of stereo mixing almost entirely to others.
place immediately before filming/taping/live transmission are not sub- Because of the importance of this ill-defined area this book will detail
jected to a separate symbol. most mixing sessions with the appropriate symbol and address, assuming
the presence of one or more of the group.
Only where their non-involvement is beyond doubt – if they were
An activity expressly connected with filming or video-taping –
either the actual shooting or post-production work – that leads to a short known to be elsewhere at the time, for example – will the symbol and
or feature-fiim, promotional video/film clip, or an independently made address not show at the head of a diary entry.
film/video for subsequent television broadcast, but not, however, filming
expressly for or by a TV company. (Example: filming of The Beatles At