by Robert Wilkinson
Every October 9 we celebrate the birthday of the one who gave the world "All You Need is Love," composed as Britain's "Peace Offering" in the first global broadcast, and wrote "Give Peace A Chance," the rallying cry that united millions in ending a useless war (yes, "useless war" IS a redundancy!) A tough kid with a bad attitude who lost his mom when young and abandoned by his father, his life was a miracle journey of ego to the peak of absolute fame, power, and wealth, the crash that inevitably follows, and the redemption of a life through love, appreciation, and respect for inner and outer peace. Musician, author, caricaturist, movie star, hell raiser, rabble rouser, troubled genius and sometimes not a very nice guy, nonetheless he was one of the best of all time. Today we have a LOT of videos of this remarkable man for the ages who would have been 83 today.
Today we build on the canon. The second link has always been to the original live global broadcast, and this year we have the broadcast video courtesy of Spiritual Brother and Friend of the site Alexei. IMHO, it should be available globally forever as it is a possession of the world, and should be available to any of us at any time for free. The first link is to the original studio version of the song. All You Need Is Love. Give Peace A Chance. John Lennon was the real deal.
In case you were on Uranus in the 60s, not yet born, or raised in a culturally deprived environment, a little backstory. The world was changed when a drunken Sir John met Sir Paul when they were both teenagers in 1957 post-war Britain. They started making music together, quickly bringing in young Sir George to form the nucleus of a band that was remarkable in that it was BOTH a) the best at what they did, and b) the most loved for what they did. Beatlemania was truly a global phenomenon unlike anything before or since.
For an example check out this live performance of ”She Loves You” from 1963. Those screams are real! (For the record, I believe this is one of the truly perfect songs ever written.)
This year check this out while it’s still up! It’s an example of Beatlemania at its height, their 32 minute live performance in Shea Stadium in 1965. You can hear from the constant screams that the noise level was 131.35 decibels, 28 db louder than a jumbo jet 100 feet above you and 11 db louder than a crack of thunder! For your amazement, a singular point in space-time, “the top of the mountain” as John put it.
The Beatles Live at Shea Stadium - 1965
(The concert at Shea perfectly captured the pandemonium of their live shows, where it is said no one could hear any of the music over the screaming, including the Beatles themselves. That was the main reason they quit touring in 1966, along with death threats and getting roughed up overseas.)
Even when John Lennon (9 October 1940 – 8 December 1980) had moved on from the Beatles while the world wanted more, more, more, he still let his creativity hang out, giving us the concept of "bagism," using his honeymoon as a media event to focus on peace, individually and collective. Persecuted for years by J. Edgar Hoover and Republican party lowlifes for his political antiwar muscle, he never lost his acid wit.
While he was no paragon of virtue, fatherhood, or much else one could admire except for his musical genius when younger, he redeemed it all in amazing ways in his final years of life. A man on a quest, after the Beatles he spent the rest of his way too short life getting beyond the chains of the philosophical rope-a-dope or superficial dedication to a cause that so many celebrities indulge in today. This man walked his walk and let it all hang out for all the honest world to feel.
A while back John Lennon.com had videos of "Working Class Hero," "Give Peace A Chance," "Imagine," "Happy X-Mas (War Is Over)," "Watching The Wheels," "Starting Over," "Woman," "Love," "Mother," "Stand By Me," "Mind Games," and "Cold Turkey." It seems they’re just the place where you can buy pretty much any John Lennon product. But no videos of any sort.
And now, as Ed Sullivan used to say, "On with the shew!"
We begin with the first recording by The Quarrymen, featuring John, Paul, and George pre-Ringo set to a bunch of still photos of "the Lads" at very young ages. From 1958, here's "That'll Be The Day."
Here’s a real score from January 1962! Here’s 24 minutes of their audition tape for Decca Records with Pete Best on drums! This is prototypical Beatles at their early best performing all covers! ”Money,” “To Know Her Is To Love Her,” “Memphis,” “Till There Was You,” “Sure To Fall In Love With You,” “Besame Mucho,” Love of the Loved,” “September in the Rain,” “Take Good Care of My Baby,” and “Crying, Waiting, Hoping.” (The actual recording order is different, as per wiki.)
We now go to “Some Other Guy”
Here are two takes of very early Beatle footage Live at the Cavern Club August 1962 performing “Some Other Guy,” followed by some Cavern Club footage on top of the rest. "Some Other Guy," “I Saw Her Standing There,” “One After 909,” and “Kansas City.” and "Cry For A Shadow."
Here are the Beatles in a Cavern Club rehearsal of "One After 909" set to stills.
Another early hit performance was this February 1963 Morecambe & Wise Show where they do an 11+ minute set of "This Boy," "All My Loving," and "I Want To Hold Your Hand," with a comedy gag harmony bit at the end. This is a great performance.
Beatlemania at its height in the UK in 1963! This one's a rare color clip called The Beatles Come To Town, features several minutes of news coverage of Beatlemania before they break into a fantastic live performance of "She Loves You" and "Twist and Shout" in Manchester 1963 where the screams are a trip unto themselves, as they were at ALL Beatle concerts! If you want to cut straight to the songs, here’s ”She Loves You” and "Twist and Shout"
We also have one of the most famous Beatle performances ever, a rare moment where you can hear them at their early best, including John's famous cheeky on-stage request to the audience, which included British royalty. "For our last number, I'd like to ask your help. Would the people in the cheaper seats clap your hands. And the rest of you if you'd just rattle your jewelry."
This year I found it on one clip. For your enjoyment, The Royal Variety Show Live at in 1963! “The Royal Variety Performance - 1963
Because these are all good links to the individual songs, I’ll leave them in. “From Me To You,” then ”She Loves You,” followed by “Till There Was You,” and finished by John tweaking the royals then performing “Twist and Shout.”
Written in early 1963 and released as the "B" side to "From Me To You," here's a perfect example of John and Paul in a perfect collaboration! They wrote this for their female fans everywhere. For you enjoyment, the studio version of "Thank You Girl."
Last year I had the March 1963 Beatles performance on the BBC Saturday Club of their first big hit, but it’s gone. However, they came back in August for Pop Goes the Beatles and delivered their first big hit live! "Please Please Me." And from October, on the BBC Saturday Club, they knocked out a perfect live performance of one of their greatest tunes, ”She Loves You.”
I found them again! Here are some VERY young Beatles in September 1963 in a tv lip-synched performance on Live On Big Night Out of four early hits! “From Me To You,” “She Loves You,” “Twist and Shout,” and “I Saw Her Standing There.”
They came back to lip-synch another set of performances on Live On Big Night Out on Leap Day 1964. Here’s the whole show with a bunch of gags, clowning around, and the usual studio dance numbers of that time period. “All My Loving,” “I Wanna Be Your Man,” “Till There Was You,” “Please Mr. Postman,” and “I Want to Hold Your Hand.”
From that show, a gag bit with the Beatles clowning about their hair! The Beatles Live on Live On Big Night Out
From the 1963 BBC sessions, another early fave! "Please Mister Postman"
I found it again! This is a great 4 song set done live in October 1963 for Drop In, a Swedish television show. Paul really rocks out in this clip. "She Loves You," "Twist and Shout," "I Saw Her Standing There," and "Long Tall Sally."
From Liverpool in December 1963, the Beatles live performing a medley of ”I Want To Hold Your Hand,” “Money,” “Twist and Shout,” and “From Me To You.”
Written in 1963 and released in 1964, a tune John wrote also done by the Mamas and the Papas! More cowbell! "I Call Your Name"
From early 1964 at their Live at the BBC sessions, the only time they did this live! Written by Buddy Holly, here’s the beautiful "Words of Love”
Here's an early version of an unreleased John Lennon tune, "Bad To Me." Brian Epstein figured it would be a hit for Billy J Kramer and the Dakotas, which it was! Here’s that version of "Bad To Me."
The Beatles break out in 1964-1965!
Here's the Ed Sullivan appearance that blew America's collective mind, and introduced a new era in music! From February 9, 1964, the historic "I Want To Hold Your Hand." Though they recorded this on February 9, Ed waited two weeks to broadcast it. Also from the "shew," "Twist and Shout."
Their Washington DC Coliseum show is was their first concert in 1964 when they blew the doors down here in the US! Here are a few clips of individual songs from that Washington DC concert, so enjoy pure Beatlemania, with pandemonium in the audience!
First, Chuck's classic! “Roll Over Beethoven”
“I Wanna Be Your Man” (I wish the video were better, but it’s the only one I could find.)
“I Saw Her Standing There” (audio only)
Here's one of my personal faves, the Fab Four nailing "Please Please Me," a masterpiece of a song. (George Martin is said to had opined that the song had "good atmosphere" - do ya think?)
The DC performance of this song is nowhere to be found, so instead here’s a live performance from March 1964 at Wembley Pool. “Twist and Shout”
This gem reappeared! For your enjoyment, the entire show! The Beatles Live at the Washington DC Coliseum - 1964
An early live rehearsal! “It Won’t Be Long.” From the same rehearsal, “I’m A Loser” and this gem he cowrote, “There’s A Place” We finish this rehearsal set with a great version of a Motown megahit with John on lead vocals! “Please Mister Postman”
From a live 1964 performance, the title song from the 1964 movie A Hard Day's Night! "A Hard Day's Night,"
From the 1964 movie A Hard Day's Night, the Beatles performing in clips from the movie of "If I Fell," followed by “I’m Happy Just To Dance With You” and John’s "I Should Have Known Better."
Also from A Hard Days' Night,, an awesome video from the Scala Theater in London of a screaming performance of "Tell Me Why," “If I Fell,” and "I Should Have Known Better."
I found them again! Here are two of John’s truly great rockers from that album! For your enjoyment, the studio versions of “Anytime at All” and “Not A Second Time" Also from the album, John's "When I Get Home" and his country shuffle "I'll Cry Instead"
Here's an excellent live performance of John's cowbell rocker, "You Can't Do That" More cowbell!
In past years I had various videos of the Beatles at the Hollywood Bowl in 1964, and one resurfaced this year. For your enjoyment, 23 minutes of The Beatles Live at the Hollywood Bowl.
Here’s the audio-only album that autoloads the clips in order. The Beatles Live at the Hollywood Bowl
From that show, an early Larry Williams fave! "Dizzy Miss Lizzy"
This clip picks up on the set they were performing the Summer of 1964. It was compiled from other shows around the US.
“She Loves You,” “Things We Said Today,” and “Roll Over Beethoven”
This almost completes the set! “Can’t Buy Me Love,” “If I Fell,” “I Want To Hold Your Hand,” and “Boys”
Here’s 15 minutes of the Beatles live in the Netherlands in 1964. Audio-only this year. The Beatles in the Netherlands - 1964 (“I Saw Her Standing There,” “I Want To Hold Your Hand,” “All My Loving,” “She Loves You,” “Twist and Shout,” and “Long Tall Sally”)
A GREAT score! Here’s 30 minutes of their 1964 tour down under! “The Beatles Live in Melbourne 1964
From Ready Steady Go, a live performance in 1964 of "Can't Buy Me Love."
From the 1964 NME show, a live performance of "She Loves You,” “You Can’t Do That,” “Twist and Shout,” “Long Tall Sally,” and “Can’t Buy Me Love."
From 1964, "Things We Said Today."
John took lead vocals on one of their most popular rave up tunes written by Larry Williams (who John was a HUGE fan of!), "Slow Down." Here's their August 1963 Live at the BBC recording of "Slow Down."
Here’s a great audio-only 31 minute set at the Indiana State Fair in September 1964! The Beatles Live in Indianapolis - 1964 (Set list: “Twist and Shout,” “You Can’t Do That,” “All My Loving,” “She Loves You,” “Things We Said Today,” “Roll Over Beethoven,” “Can't Buy Me Love," “If I Fell,” “I Wanna Be Your Man,” “Boys,” “Hard Day’s Night,” and “Long Tall Sally” clipped)
It’s back! This year we’ll close 1964 with a fantastic 52 minute television special featuring the Beatles and some guest performers called Around The Beatles – 1964 Television Special (Set list below)
From that show, a 9 minute somewhat bizarre part featuring the Beatles doing a pseudo-Shakespearean act! Around the Beatles – 1964 Television Special Here’s a 9 minute clip compiling their best moments and performances from that show! Around the Beatles – A medley of “Love Me Do,” “Please Please Me,” “From Me To You,” “She Loves You,” “I Want To Hold Your Hand”
Two written by John on the Beatles 65 album, "No Reply” and "I’ll Be Back”
This year, I found this 33 minute audio-only clip of their 1965 Paris concert. For your enjoyment, The Beatles Live in Paris 1965 – Early Show
The full video is gone, but here are two from that show!
More audio only clips from this historic concert!
Here are 12 clips of the late show. The Beatles - Live At The Palais Des Sports - June 20th, 1965.
Two from that performance! “Baby’s In Black” and “She’s A Woman”
This year, “Long Tall Sally” and “I Feel Fine” are gone.
From August 1965, here’s a 36 minute audio-only clip of their Houston show! The tickets were 5 bucks. The Beatles Live in Sam Houston Coliseum – 1965. (The set list was “Twist And Shout,” “She's A Woman,” “I Feel Fine,” “Dizzy Miss Lizzy,” “Ticket To Ride,” “Everybody's Trying To Be My Baby,” “Can't Buy Me Love,” “Baby's In Black,” “I Wanna Be Your Man,” “A Hard Days Night,” “Help,” and “I'm Down.”)
That year also saw John singing lead on a couple of Larry Williams classic rock and rollers! I always loved these two back in the day, since "Junior, behave yourself!" was what a lot of us heard! From the Help and Beatles '65 era, "Bad Boy" and Dizzy Miss Lizzy"
I found the original promo videos by the Beatles for “Ticket To Ride” and "Help."
We'll close the early years with The Beatles live performance at the NME Poll Winners Concert on April 11, 1965! "I Feel Fine," “She’s A Woman,” “Baby’s in Black,” “Ticket to Ride,” and “Long Tall Sally”
For our encore, a gem from Blackpool Night Out, performed in August 1965! Here’s the clip of one of the rarest performances ever, Paul playing acoustic guitar to a string backing track giving us a live performance of "Yesterday."
And now that historical August 1965 performance! "I Feel Fine," "I'm Down," "Act Naturally," "Ticket To Ride," "Yesterday," and "Help!"
Because John created such an incredibly large body of work, we’ll pick up on the rest of John’s career beginning with 1966 in part 2!
© Copyright 2023 Robert Wilkinson
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