Beatles – The Beeb’s Lost Beatles Tapes Vol. 1 & Vol. 2 (Righteous Rodent Records)

 

The Beeb’s Lost Beatles Tapes Vol. 1 (Righteous Rodent Records) 

Disc 1: 

Part 1: A Tendency To Play Music. TX: 1 October 1988.01: Pop Go The Beatles, 02: From Us To You / Richard Skinner, 03: Excerpts: Brian Matthew: George Interview / Listeners Requests / Soldier Of Love, Pop Go The Beatles #5 / 2 July 1963 / 16 July 1963 / BBC Light Brian Matthew: Paul Interview / She Loves You Easy Beat / 16 October 1963 / 20 October 1963 / BBC Light, Brian Matthew: Ringo Interview / I Wanna Be Your Man, From Us To You / 28 February 1964 / 30 March 1964 / BBC Light, John Dunn: John Interview / I Got A Woman, Pop Go The Beatles #13 / 3 September 1963 / 10 September 1963 / BBC Light Brian Matthew: Interview / Long Tall Sally, Pop Go The Beatles #13 / 3 September 1963 / 10 September 1963 / BBC Light Rolf Harris: Tie Me Kangaroo Down Sport, From Us To You / 18 December 1963 / 26 December 1963 / BBC Light, I Feel Fine, Top Gear / 17 November 1964 / 26 November 1964 / BBC Light, 04: Peter Pilbeam Interview, 05: Dream Baby (How Long Must I Dream), Teenager’s Turn – Here We Go / 7 March 1962 / 8 March 1962 / BBC Light, 06: Richard Skinner, 07: Peter Pilbeam Interview, 08: Please Mr. Postman, Pop Go The Beatles #7 / 10 July 1963 / 30 July 1963 / BBC Light, 09: Richard Skinner, 10: Side By Side Theme Tune, Side By Side / 1 April 1963 / 24 June 1963 / BBC Light, 11: Richard Skinner, 12: John Dunn Intro / Too Much Monkey Business, Side By Side / 4 April 1963 / 24 June 1963 / BBC Light, 13: John Dunn: Interview John, Paul, George & Ringo, 14: Thank You Girl, Side By Side / 1 April 1963 / 24 June 1963 / BBC Light, 15: John Dunn: George Interview, 16: From Me To You, Side By Side / 4 April 1963 / 24 June 1963 / BBC Light, 17: Richard Skinner, 18: I’ll Be On My Way, Side By Side / 4 April 1963 / 24 June 1963 / BBC Light, 19: Richard Skinner, 20: Pop Goes The Beatles

Part 2: Bill Toppers. TX: 8 October 1988.21: Richard Skinner, 22: Brian Matthew: Intro / I Saw Her Standing There, Saturday Club / 21 May 1963 / 25 May 1963 / BBC Light, 23: Richard Skinner, 24: Brian Matthew: Interview, 25: Richard Skinner, 26: Brian Matthew / Long Tall Sally, Saturday Club / 21 May 1963 / 25 May 1963 / BBC Light, 27: Richard Skinner, 28: Bernie Andrews Interview, 29: Richard Skinner / Some Other Guy, Easy Beat / 19 June 1963 / 23 June 1963 / BBC Light, 30: Brian Matthew: Paul Interview, Easy Beat / 19 June 1963 / 23 June 1963 / BBC Light, 31: A Taste Of Honey, Easy Beat / 19 June 1963 / 23 June 1963 / BBC Light, 32: Brian Matthew, 33: Richard Skinner, 34: Boys, Saturday Club / 21 May 1963 / 25 May 1963 / BBC Light, 35: Richard Skinner, 36: Bernie Andrews Interview, 37: Brian Matthew: John Interview, 38: Memphis, Tennessee, Saturday Club / 24 June 1963 / 29 June 1963 / BBC Light, 39: Happy Birthday Saturday Club, Saturday Club / 7 September 1963 / 5 October 1963 / BBC Light 40: Richard Skinner, 41: Saturday Club / Brian Matthew, 42: I’ll Get You, Saturday Club / 7 September 1963 / 5 October 1963 / BBC Light, 43: Brian Matthew / She Loves You, Saturday Club / 7 September 1963 / 5 October 1963 / BBC Light, 44: Brian Matthew / Lucille, Saturday Club / 7 September 1963 / 5 October 1963 / BBC Light, 45: Saturday Club / Brian Matthew

Disc two: Part 3: The Something-Something Show. TX: 15 October 1988.  01: Introduction / Pop Goes The Beatles 02: Richard Skinner, 03: J: Interview, 04: I Got To Find My Baby, Pop Go The Beatles #2 / 1 June 1963 / 11 June 1963 / BBC Light, 05: Terry Heneberry Interview, 06: Pop Goes The Beatles, Pop Go The Beatles #4 / 17 June 1963 / 25 June 1963 / BBC Light, 07: Lee Peters Intro, 08: A Shot Of Rhythm & Blues, Pop Go The Beatles #4 / 17 June 1963 / 25 June 1963 / BBC Light, 09: Terry Heneberry Interview, 10: Money, Pop Go The Beatles #3 / 1 June 1963 / 18 June 1963 / BBC Light, 11: Richard Skinner, 12: Lee Peters, 13: Youngblood, Pop Go The Beatles #2 / 1 June 1963 / 11 June 1963 / BBC Light, 14: Lee Peters Interview, 15: Baby It’s You, Pop Go The Beatles #2 / 1 June 1963 / 11 June 1963 / BBC Light, 16: Richard Skinner, 17: Lee Peters: Paul Birthday Interview, Pop Go The Beatles #3 / 1 June 1963 / 18 June 1963 / BBC Light, 18: Sure To Fall (In Love With You), Pop Go The Beatles #3 / 1 June 1963 / 18 June 1963 / BBC Light, 19: Richard Skinner, 20: Lee Peters: Paul Birthday Interview II, Pop Go The Beatles #3 / 1 June 1963 / 18 June 1963 / BBC Light, 21: Anna, Pop Go The Beatles #4 / 17 June 1963 / 25 June 1963 / BBC Light, 22: Lee Peters: The Beatles Postcards, 23: Twist And Shout, Pop Go The Beatles #4 / 17 June 1963 / 25 June 1963 / BBC Light, 24: Richard Skinner, 25: Lorn Gibson Interview / Pop Goes The Beatles

Part 4: With These Haircuts? TX: 22 October 1988.  26: Pop Goes The Beatles / Richard Skinner, 27: Rodney Burke Intro / Sweet Little Sixteen, Pop Go The Beatles #6 / 10 July 1963 / 23 July 1963 / BBC Light, 28: Richard Skinner, 29: Keith Bateson Interview, 30: That’s All Right Mama, Pop Go The Beatles #5 / 2 July 1963 / 16 July 1963 / BBC Light, 31: Richard Skinner, 32: Rodney Burke Intro / Carol, Pop Go The Beatles #5 / 2 July 1963 / 16 July 1963 / BBC Light, 33: George: Listeners Request / Soldier Of Love, Pop Go The Beatles #5 / 2 July 1963 / 16 July 1963 / BBC Light, 34: Rodney Burke Intro / Lend Me Your Comb, Pop Go The Beatles #5 / 2 July 1963 / 16 July 1963 / BBC Light, 35: John: Listeners Request / Clarabella, Pop Go The Beatles #5 / 2 July 1963 / 16 July 1963 / BBC Light, 36: Richard Skinner, 37: Terry Heneberry Interview, 38: John: Intro / Lonesome Tears in My Eyes, Pop Go The Beatles #6 / 10 July 1963 / 23 July 1963 / BBC Light, 39: Paul Interview, 40: Nothin’ Shakin’ (But The Leaves On The Trees) / Richard Skinner, Pop Go The Beatles #6 / 10 July 1963 / 23 July 1963 / BBC Light, 41: Richard Skinner 42: So How Come (No One Loves Me), Pop Go The Beatles #6 / 10 July 1963 / 23 July 1963 / BBC Light 43: Richard Skinner / Pop Goes The Beatles

CD Three:

Part 5: We’re Ready to Pop! TX: 29 October 1988.  01: Pop Goes The Beatles / Richard Skinner, 02: Rodney Burke Intro / I’m Gonna Sit Right Down And Cry (Over You), Pop Go The Beatles #8 / 16 July 1963 / 6 August 1963 / BBC Light, 03: Richard Skinner, 04: Hippy Hippy Shake, Pop Go The Beatles #7 / 10 July 1963 / 30 July 1963 / BBC Light, 05: Rodney Burke Intro / To Know Her Is To Love Her / Richard Skinner, Pop Go The Beatles #8 / 16 July 1963 / 6 August 1963 / BBC Light, 06: Richard Skinner, 07: John Andrews Interview, 08: Ringo Intro / Matchbox, Pop Go The Beatles #7 / 10 July 1963 / 30 July 1963 / BBC Light, 09: Rodney Burke Intro / Please Mr. Postman, Pop Go The Beatles #7 / 10 July 1963 / 30 July 1963 / BBC Light, 10: George Harrison Intro / Do You Want To Know A Secret?, Pop Go The Beatles #7 / 10 July 1963 / 30 July 1963 / BBC Light, 11: Richard Skinner / Rodney Burke Intro / Crying, Waiting, Hoping, Pop Go The Beatles #8 / 16 July 1963 / 6 August 1963 / BBC Light, 12: George Harrison Intro / The Honey Moon Song, Pop Go The Beatles #8 / 16 July 1963 / 6 August 1963 / BBC Light, 13: Richard Skinner, 14: Rodney Burke Intro / Please Please Me, Pop Go The Beatles #9 / 16 July 1963 / 13 August 1963 / BBC Light, 15: Rodney Burke Intro / I Got A Woman, Pop Go The Beatles #9 / 16 July 1963 / 13 August 1963 / BBC Light, 16: Richard Skinner, 17: Pop Goes The Beatles

Part 6: Brackets! TX: 5 November 1988.  18: Pop Goes The Beatles / Richard Skinner, 19: Rodney Burke Intro / Chains, Pop Go The Beatles #14 / 3 Sept 1963 / 17 Sept 1963 / BBC Light, 20: Richard Skinner 21: Rodney Burke / George: Brackets, 22: Glad All Over, Pop Go The Beatles #10 / 16 July 1963 / 20 Aug 1963 / BBC Light, 23: Rodney Burke Intro / I Just Don’t Understand, Pop Go The Beatles #10 / 16 July 1963 / 20 Aug 1963 / BBC Light, 24: Richard Skinner, 25: Rodney Burke Interview / Don’t Ever Change Pop Go The Beatles #11 / 1 August 1963 / 27 Aug 1963 / BBC Light, 26: Phil Tate: Pop Chat Interview Non Stop Pop / 30 July 1963 / 30 August 1963 / BBC Light, 27: Richard Skinner, 28: Honey Don’t Pop Go The Beatles #12 / 1 August 1963 / 3 Sept 1963 / BBC Light, 29: You Really Got A Hold On Me Pop Go The Beatles #14 / 3 Sept 1963 / 17 Sept 1963 / BBC Light, 30: Rodney Burke Intro / Lucille Pop Go The Beatles #14 / 3 Sept 1963 / 17 Sept 1963 / BBC Light, 31: Richard Skinner, 32: Rodney Burke Interview / Twist And Shout, Pop Go The Beatles #15 / 3 Sept 1963 / 24 Sept 1963 / BBC Light, 33: Richard Skinner, 34: Rodney Burke, 35: Pop Goes The Beatles

Disc four:

Part 7: The Show Business Jackpot. TX: 12 November 1988.  01: Richard Skinner, 02: Brian Matthew / I Saw Here Standing There, Easy Beat / 16 October 1963 / 20 October 1963 / BBC Light, 03: Richard, Skinner, 04: Brian Matthew / Love Me Do, Easy Beat / 16 October 1963 / 20 October 1963 / BBC Light, 05: Brian Matthew: Paul McCartney Interview, Easy Beat / 16 October 1963 / 20 October 1963 / BBC Light Richard Skinner, 06: Michael Colley Interview with The Beatles, The Public Ear / 3 October 1963 / 3 November 1963 / BBC Light, 07: She Loves You, Easy Beat / 16 October 1963 / 20 October 1963 / BBC Light, Richard Skinner, 08: Interview, The Public Ear / 3 October 1963 / 3 November 1963 / BBC Light 09: Richard Skinner, 10: U.S. Report: Malcolm Davis, Saturday Club / 7 February 1964 / 8 February 1964 / BBC Light, Richard Skinner, 11: Brian Matthew U.S. Interview with The Beatles, Saturday Club / 7 February 1964 / 8 February 1964 / BBC Light, Richard Skinner, 12: Johnny B. Good, Saturday Club / 7 January 1964 / 15 February 1964 / BBC Light, 13: Brian Matthew Interview with The Beatles, Saturday Club / 7 February 1964 / 8 February 1964 / BBC Light, 14: I Want To Hold Your Hand, Saturday Club / 7 January 1964 / 15 February 1964 / BBC Light, 15: Richard Skinner, 16: From Us To You

Part 8: From Fluff to You. TX: 19 November 1988.  17: From Us To You / Richard Skinner, 18: Alan Freeman Intro, 19: All My Loving, From Us To You / 28 February 1964 / 30 March 1964 / BBC Light, 20: Alan Freeman, 21: Alan Freeman Interview With Paul / Till There Was You, From Us To You / 28 February 1964 / 30 March 1964 / BBC Light, 22: Alan Freeman Interview With George / Roll Over Beethoven, From Us To You / 28 February 1964 / 30 March 1964 / BBC Light, 23: Ringo Intro / I Wanna Be Your Man, From Us To You / 28 February 1964 / 30 March 1964 / BBC Light, 24: Alan Freeman: John Interview 25: Can’t Buy Me Love / From Us To You / Alan Freeman Interview From Us To You / 28 February 1964 / 30 March 1964 / BBC Light 26: Richard Skinner 27: Alan Freeman Intro / Honey Don’t From Us To You / 1 May 1964 / 18 May 1964 / BBC Light 28: Alan Freeman Intro / I Forgot To Remember To Forget From Us To You / 1 May 1964 / 18 May 1964 / BBC Light 29: You Can’t Do That From Us To You / 1 May 1964 / 18 May 1964 / BBC Light 30: Richard Skinner 31: From Us To You

The Beeb’s Lost Beatles Tapes Vol. 2 (Righteous Rodent Records)

CD Five:  Part 9: Fab Gear, Top Gear. TX: 26 November 1988.  01: Top Gear Trailer Top Gear / 14 July 1964 / 16 July 1964 / BBC Light 02: Richard Skinner 03: I Got A Woman Saturday Club / 31 March 1964 / 4 April 1964 / BBC Light 04: Brian Matthew / The Beatles: Listeners Requests 05: Sure To Fall Saturday  Club / 31 March 1964 / 4 April 1964 / BBC Light 06: Brian Matthew Interviews Saturday Club / 31 March 1964 / 4 April 1964 / BBC Light 07: Richard Skinner 08: Top Gear Trailer Top Gear / 14 July 1964 / 16 July 1964 / BBC Light 09: Long Tall Sally Top Gear / 14 July 1964 / 16 July 1964 / BBC Light 10: Brian Matthew Intro / Things We Said Today Top Gear / 14 July 1964 / 16 July 1964 / BBC Light Richard Skinner Top Gear / 14 July 1964 / 16 July 1964 / BBC Light 11: Brian Matthew 12: Brian Matthew  Interviews 13: A Hard Days Night / Brian Matthew Top Gear / 14 July 1964 / 16 July 1964 / BBC Light Richard Skinner 14: Brian Matthew Interviews Top Gear / 14 July 1964 / 16 July 1964 / BBC Light 15: And I Love Her / Richard Skinner Top Gear / 14 July 1964 / 16 July 1964 / BBC Light 16: Richard Skinner 17: Sound check / I Feel Fine: False Start 18: I Feel Fine Top Gear / 17 November 1964 / 26 Nov 1964 / BBC Light

Part 10: Automatic Pier. TX: 3 December 1988.  19: Beatle Intro 20: Brian Matthew Intro / I’m A Loser Top Gear / 17 November 1964 / 26 Nov 1964 / BBC Light 21: Richard Skinner 22: George Harrison & Ringo Starr Public Ear / 18 March 1964 / 22 March 1964 / BBC Light 23: Richard Skinner 24: Tony Hall 25: George Harrison & John Lennon Public Ear / 18 March 1964 / 22 March 1964 / BBC Light 26: Honey Don’t Top Gear / 17 November 1964 / 26 Nov 1964 / BBC Light 27: Richard Skinner 28: Wilfred De’Ath: John Lennon Interview World Of Books 16 June 1965 / 3 July 1965 /Home service 29: I’ll Follow The Sun Top Gear / 17 November 1964 / 26 Nov 1964 / BBC Light 30: Richard Skinner 31: Brian Matthew: John Lennon Interview Pop Profile / 30 November 1965 / March 1966 / BBC Transcription Service 32: Richard Skinner 33: Brian Matthew Interviews The Beatles 34: Studio Talkback 35: She’s A Woman / Richard Skinner Top Gear / 17 November 1964 / 26 Nov 1964 / BBC Light

CD Six:  Part 11: Green with Black Shutters. TX: 10 Dec 1988 01: Brian Matthew / Ringo Saturday Club / 25 Nov 1964 / 26 Dec 1964 / BBC Light 02: Richard Skinner 03: Rock And Roll Music Saturday Club / 25 Nov 1964 / 26 Dec 1964 / BBC Light 04: Richard Skinner 05: Brian Matthew Interviews The Beatles Saturday Club / 25 Nov 1964 / 26 Dec 1964 / BBC Light 06: Everybody’s Trying To Be My Baby Saturday Club / 25 Nov 1964 / 26 Dec 1964 / BBC Light 07: Richard Skinner 08: Brian Matthew Interviews The Beatles Saturday Club / 25 Nov 1964 / 26 Dec 1964 / BBC Light 09: Kansas City / Hey-Hey-Hey-Hey-Hey! Saturday Club / 25 Nov 1964 / 26 Dec 1964 / BBC Light 10: Brian Matthew Interviews The Beatles 11: Ticket To Ride  The Beatles (Invite You To Take A Ticket to Ride) / 26 May 1965 / 7 June 1965 / BBC Light 12: Richard Skinner 13: Keith Bateson 14: Richard Skinner 15: MBE Interview Twickenham Film Studios / 12 June 1965 16: Dizzy Miss Lizzy The Beatles (Invite You To Take A Ticket to Ride) / 26 May 1965 / 7 June 1965 / BBC Light 17: Richard Skinner 18: Brian Matthew: Paul McCartney Pop Profile / 2 May 1966 / May 1966 / BBC Transcription Service

Part 12: They Could Almost Hear Us. TX: 17 Dec 1988 19: Brian Matthew Interviews The Beatles The Beatles Abroad / 15-20 Aug 1965 / 30 Aug 1965 / BBC Light 20: Help! Hollywood Bowl / 30 August 1965 21: Richard Skinner 22: Brian Matthew Interviews The Beatles The Beatles Abroad / 15-20 Aug 1965 / 30 Aug 1965 / BBC Light 23: Richard Skinner 24: Brian Matthew: Ringo Pop Profile / 2 May 1966 / May 1966 / BBC Transcription Service 25: Keith Fordyce Interviews John & Paul – Plus Excerpts Of… She Love’s You – The Band Of The Irish Guards A Hard Day’s Night – Peggy Lee All My Loving – Matt Monroe And I Love Him – Lena Horne Wait – Frankie Vaughn The Lennon And McCartney Songbook / 6 August 1966 / 29 August 1966 / BBC Light Richard Skinner

CD Seven:  Part 13: A Chrimble Mudley. TX: 24 December 1988 01: Beatles Ad-Lib Saturday Club / 29 Nov 1965 / 25 Dec 1965 / BBC Light 02: Richard Skinner 03: John Reads Listeners Requests Saturday Club / 17 Dec 1963 / 21 Dec 1963 / BBC Light 04: This Boy Saturday Club / 17 Dec 1963 / 21 Dec 1963 / BBC Light 05: Richard Skinner 06: All I Want For Christmas Is A Bottle / Beatles Request Saturday Club / 17 Dec 1963 / 21 Dec 1963 / BBC Light 07: Roll Over Beethoven Saturday Club / 17 Dec 1963 / 21 Dec 1963 / BBC Light 08: The Beatles Chrimble Medley Saturday Club / 17 Dec 1963 / 21 Dec 1963 / BBC Light 09: Richard Skinner 10: From Us To You Intro / Rolf Harris: Beatle Chat From Us To You / 18 Dec 1963 / 26 Dec 1963 / BBC Light 11: She Loves You From Us To You / 18 Dec 1963 / 26 Dec 1963 / BBC Light 12: Richard Skinner 13: Tie Me Kangaroo Down Sport From Us To You / 18 Dec 1963 / 26 Dec 1963 / BBC Light 14: Richard Skinner 15: Beatle Intro / I Want To Hold Your Hand From Us To You / 18 Dec 1963 / 26 Dec 1963 / BBC Light 16: Richard Skinner 17: The Beatles Ad Lib / Saturday Club Theme Tune Saturday Club / 29 Nov 1965 / 25 Dec 1965 / BBC Light 18: Saturday Club Intro / Richard Skinner 19: Brian Matthew: The Beatles Studio Chat Saturday Club / 29 Nov 1965 / 25 Dec 1965 / BBC Light 20: We Can Work It Out [7″ Version] / Richard Skinner 21: Richard Skinner 22: Beatle Box Jury Saturday Club / 29 Nov 1965 / 25 Dec 1965 / BBC Light 23: Drive My Car [LP Version]

Part 14: No More She Loves You’s TX: 31 December 1988.  24: John Lennon: Kenny Everett Intro The Kenny Everett Show / 6 June 1968 / 9 June 1968 / BBC Radio 1 25: Richard Skinner 26: Penny Lane / Brian Matthew: John And Paul 20 March 1967 / BBC Transcription Service 27: Richard Skinner 28: Scene And Heard: Johnny Moran 29: Miranda Ward: George Harrison Interview Scene and Heard / 13 September 1967 / 30 September & 7 October 1967 / BBC Radio 1 30: Flying [LP Version] Richard Skinner Chris Denning & Kenny Everett: John Lennon Interview Where It’s At / Unknown Recording Date / 25 November 1967 / BBC Radio 1 31: Richard Skinner 32: Brian Matthew: George Harrison Interview Pop Profile / 30 November 1965 / March 1966 / BBC Transcription Service If I Needed Someone [LP Version] 33: Kenny Everett: John Lennon Interview The Kenny Everett Show / 6 June 1968 / 9 June 1968 / BBC Radio 1 34: Richard Skinner 35: George Harrison Interview Crying Waiting Hoping Pop Go The Beatles #8 / 16 July 1963 / 6 August 1963 / BBC Light Richard Skinner
36: Pop Go The Beatles

CD Eight: Bonus Beeb Cuts  01: Top Of The Pops Introduction 02: Dizzy Miss Lizzy 03: Brian Matthew Interviews The Beatles 04: Everybody’s Trying To Be My Baby 05: Ticket To Ride The Beatles (Invite You To Take A Ticket to Ride) / 26 May 1965 / 7 June 1965 / BBC Light Top Of The Pops #23 – BBC Transcription Service 06: Penny Lane / Brian Matthew: John & Paul Interview 20 March 1967 / Top Of The Pops #127 / BBC Transcription Service 07: Brian Matthew Intro / Get Back Top Of The Pops #234 / BBC Transcription Service 08: Brian Matthew Intro / David Wigg: Paul McCartney Interview Scene And Heard / 19 Sept 1969 / 21 Sept 1969 / BBC Radio 1 Top Of The Pops #256 / BBC Transcription Service 09: Andy Peebles 10: Long Tall Sally 11: Things We Said Today 12: Brian Matthew Interviews 13: A Hard Day’s Night Top Gear / 14 July 1964 / 16 July 1964 / BBC Light 14: Andy Peebles The 60s At The Beeb #1 /1988 / BBC Transcription Service 15: Andy Peebles 16: I’m A Loser 17: Everybody’s Trying To Be My Baby 18: Brian Matthew Interviews 19: She’s A Woman / Andy Peebles Top Gear / 17 November 1964 / 26 Nov 1964 / BBC Light 20: I Feel Fine / Brian Matthew Interviews Saturday Club / 17 Nov 1964 / 26 Dec 1964 / BBC Light 21: Rock & Roll Music / Brian Matthew Interviews 22: Kansas City / Hey-Hey-Hey-Hey-Hey! Saturday Club / 25 Nov 1964 / 26 Dec 1964 / BBC Light 23: I’ll Follow The Sun / Andy Peebles Top Gear / 17 Nov 1964 / 26 Nov 1964 / BBC Light The 60s At The Beeb #2 /1988 /BBC Transcription Service 24: Cliff Michelmore: John Lennon Interview Tonight / 18 June 1965 / BBC1 TV

The Beeb’s Lost Beatles Tapes Vol. 1 & Vol. 2is an eight cdr set documenting the BBC series from the 1980’s.  The discs are spread out over two seperate four disc sets, but belong all together since it presents the episodes in order.  The sound quality of the actual broadcasts is flawless.  The source tapes used by the BBC vary from very good to excellent.  In the liner notes, Righteous Rodent replicates an article from the February 1995 edition of Audio Media magazine, published at the time of the release of the BBC sessions officially and which gives an excellent summary of the origin of these tapes.  

“The Beatles Live At The BBC – Compiling The ‘Lost” Tapes

“Indeed, in the case of the recently released Beatles radio sessions, we were informed by news reports on the BBC itself that the vaults in which the tapes were actually ‘dust-encrusted’, which doesn’t say too much for the work of the BBC archivists. Furthermore the tapes were miraculously all found to be in pristine condition, and they contained songs which nobody could recall the Beatles ever performing. Well, to all this I will say just one thing – and, being my usual diplomatic self, I will do so in a typically restrained manner – what a pile of tosh.

“Of the 275 Beatles recordings broadcast by the BBC between March 8, 1962 and June 7, 1965, various were in fact re-broadcast by the network in a two hour special entitled The Beatles At The Beeb in 1982. A three hour version was subsequently syndicated in other countries, and in 1988, there was a series of 14 half hour shows entitled The Beeb’s Lost Beatles Tapes. What is more, the fans have had bootleg recordings of many of these sessions since the early 1970’s. during the past year, an Italian company has even put out a nine CD boxed set containing every single number the band committed to tape in the BBC studios. The only reason for the delay was the protracted legal wrangling between the BBC, EMI Records (to whom the Beatles were contracted from 1962 onwards), and the group’s own company Apple Corp. So let’s not talk about the mass rediscovery of long lost masters.

“BACK TO THE ARCHIVE

“”Over the years, it’s been a process of putting the Beatles archive back together really, as more and more stuff has come to light,” says Howlett. “For the series The Beeb’s Lost Beatles Tapes, which included a lot of speech interviews from the times as well as the tracks, we turned up quite a few things. One of the most exciting finds came from the BBC Transcription Department, which was originally set up to distribute programmes to far flung corners of the British Empire.”

“During the 1960’s, there was a radio show called Top Of The Pops – not to be confused with the television programme of the same name – hosted by Brian Matthew. This fitted onto two sides of a long playing disc and it featured Matthew presenting session tracks that had been recorded for various BBC programmes by groups such as the Hollie, The Swinging Blue Jeans…. and The Beatles.

“”The transcription discs were utilised as the source for some of the 1964 material on the Live At The BBC album,” explains Howlett. “On ‘Things We Said Today’, for instance, you can hear Brian Matthew voicing-over some sort of introduction, and that’s actually taken from a Top Of The Pops disc, because the original version without the voice-over doesn’t exist.

“”There can be no doubt that the shows were well recorded at the time. So it’s just a question as to how well the material has lasted over the years and in what form. I can remember George Martin (the album’s Executive Producer) saying to me that a disc is quite a good storage medium and that he was quite happy to master from it. In fact when I was working on a series called Paul Simon’s Songbook a few years ago I talked to (producer) Roy Halee about his re-mastering of the Simon and Garfunkel material and how the original master tapes were in a bad condition, having been played over and over again and not looked after. he was appalled at the state they were in, and said, ‘if only they could find me a decent mint copy of ‘Bridge Over Troubled Water’, at least I would be able to master from that!”

“So much for disc storage, yet within the BBC Transcription Department there is also a tape library, and it is here that the most exciting find was made for the 1988 series The Beeb’s Lost Beatles Tapes. “We came across two ten-inch reels with ‘The Beatles’ on the spine,” recalls Howlett. “One of these was a half-hour reel featuring them larking around for the ’65 Christmas Show, (an edition of Saturday Club on which the group did not perform any songs). They were being interviewed by Brian Matthew and doing a send up of (the then influential TV pop show) Juke Box Jury, and obviously another version was eventually edited down from this.

“”At the same time, the other half-hour reel was similar in that it had been left running while the session was in process, but it also included them performing ‘I Feel Fine’ and ‘She’s A Woman’. It had false starts, takes which broke down half-way through, and talk back between the group and the control room. It was fascinating, and that was quite a find, because it’s sort of a pre-master really. From it, a master would have been made – a track would have been dubbed down, edited or whatever”.

“It’s weird how some things turn up. For instance, I’ve done a programme about the Rolling Stones’ work at the Beeb. Some of their sessions are still missing, but one of those that is still around is probably the most interesting of all. In 1964, they performed tracks in front of a live audience that they never recorded for Decca. it was an experimental stereo broadcast for the BBC, whereby they would broadcast one side of the stereo on the radio and the other side on the television (ie. stereophony). Then there were no television programmes in the early morning, and so they broadcast one side of the stereo on TV only and you would have to position your radio and your TV to get the stereo image! Now, that tape survived because it was of interest technically. You know, some engineer kept it because it was one of the first stereo broadcasts and not particularly because it featured the Rolling Stones”.

“ALTERNATIVE SOURCES

“Meanwhile, with regard to The Beatles’ radio performances, contact with the original session producers yielded some more tapes, but there were still quite a few gaps to be filled. It was for this reason that contact also had to be made with some…. ahem, ‘alternative sources’. Indeed, since the transmission of the 1988 series, the most recent and valuable discovery has been a recording that a member of the public made off his radio back on January 26, 1963. Now it should be pointed out that this kind of practice was, of course, highly illegal, but in the case of The Beatles sessions, the BBC have had to behave in a manner which could more aptly be described as bloody grateful rather than terribly annoyed, for it is thanks to some eager listeners – and not the hallowed vaults – that certain lost gems have been retrieved.

“”The 1988 radio series was virtually completed just before it went out on the air”, says Howlett, “but then when it did go out, some people phoned up and said that they has more tapes. Out of all of them one appeared to actually have some stuff that we didn’t have, recorded all those years ago on his little Grundig. While it was too late for the series, I nevertheless kept his letter on file and got back in touch with him when this album project was imminent. he journeyed down to London with his five-inch reels, we went through them, and that’s how ‘Keep Your Hands Off My Baby’ appeared on the album”.

“Certainly, a good number of shows were originally broadcast by the BBC in what was then known as VHF, and so, if someone had a half-decent domestic tape recorder and took a direct feed from his radio, the result of his or her endeavours could well be usable, especially with the digital technology now available to clean up such recordings. Peter Mew has been utilising the SonicSolutions computer enhancement system for the past 5 years at Abbey Road. He first became involved in the Beatles project when work on the album started in earnest around the middle of 1992.

“SONIC ENHANCEMENT

“”After George Martin had chosen the tracks that would go on the record, they were passed over to me for de-noising, EQing, and all the rest of it,” he says. “Over the peiod of two and a half years, the album went through various changes – running order changes, title changes and things like that. At each stage I had to re-edit and make adjustments, so that it still sounded OK. In fact, overall it must have gone through seven different versions, and so I can now sing almost every song off by heart!

“The masters that the BBC had were in pretty reasonable shape, and they therefore needed much the same treatment that old studio tapes would need. From there, however, things went down the scale in terms of sound quality and some items required a lot more work. Coming from so many different sources, each track had its own problems, and so it wasn’t like a normal studio job where you had a number of studio reductions which basically required noise reduction. Everything had to be approached as a separate entity, and then, having done that, it was a matter of trying to get continuity of sound, and that worked in some cases and probably not in others!”

“Undoubtedly, the greatest attraction of the 56 song Live At The BBC album is the 30 numbers which the band never recorded; mostly old rock’n’roll covers from their Hamburg and Cavern Club days, as well as a few contemporary hits and even one of their own compositions, ‘I’ll Be On My Way’, which was a hit for Billy J. Kramer with the Dakotas. Again, as with Little Eva’s ‘Keep Your Hands Off My Baby’, several of these performances returned the BBC’s way courtesy of private recordings, yet in a good number of cases they also came from the Transcription Library at Kensington House, but from Bush House, where the World Service programmes are broadcast.

“”The show, Pop Go The Beatles, was broadcast in the summer of 1963 on the domestic service,” explains Kevin Howlett. “It featured a guest group and and a presenter and The Beatles reading requests, but it was then re-made for the BBC World Service and put out in ’64 featuring just the songs and an announcer, and so that material went over to Bush House. Now, somebody over there made a tape of the more unusual songs, and due to this I was able to get hold of some of the most interesting tracks”.

“Still, there are half a dozen Beatles performances of ‘unreleased’ numbers which George Martin deemed as unsuitable for the album: Roy Orbison’s ‘Dream Baby (How Long Must I Dream)’, from their very first radio broadcast on March 8, 1962 (featuring Pete Best on drums); The Coasters’ arrangement of ‘Besame Mucho’ and Joe Brown’s ‘A Picture Of You’, both from June 15, 1962 (still with Best on drums); Slim Whitman’s ‘Beautiful Dreamer’ from January 26, 1963; Chuck Berry’s ‘I’m Talking About You’ from March 16, 1963; and Carl Perkins’ ‘Lend Me your Comb’ from the broadcast of July 16, 1963.

“Of these, the first five are audibly much too poor to bring up to scratch for the album – listeners’ recordings that were evidently not made via direct feed into a good quality grundig, but rather with a cheap microphone placed next to the radio speaker while Mum was told to be quiet. In other words, items of historic importance that are not quite fit for general public consumption. yet the reason for omitting ‘Lend Me Your Comb’, which originates from the BBC’s Bush House archive, is altogether less obvious.

“Officially George Martin’s selection criteria for the material involved both technical quality and the standard of the performance, and on the latter count the number just missed the mark. Unofficially, the powers that be may also wish to keep something in the can, and thus have something in reserve to use as a ‘bonus track’ enticement for some future release along with all of the alternate takes.

“DROPOUTS AND MAGIC WANDS

“”The Rolling Stones only did about 12 sessions, and so the fact that The Beatles did 52 is absolutely phenomenal”, says Kevin Howlett. “They really worked at it, and of course, they were playing live in the studio, although by ’64 they did get a bit more sophisticated. They certainly didn’t have a multi-track machine at their disposal. The first multi-track to come into the BBC was an eight-track, and that was a very long time after The Beatles had stopped doing sessions here. So, the only way that they could overdub was to put down a backing track and then play the tape back through the mixing desk and perform over the top of it. You can occasionally hear examples of this on some of their ’64 recordings.

“30 years later one of the problems which peter mew had to deal with, especially when working on some of the rarer recordings, was that of sound dropouts. For, whilst he was able to repair most of them, a close listen to the album indicates that there were still a few instances where this was just not possible.

“”The art, if you like, of using computer editing systems these days is that they allow you to take very small slithers of sound from elsewhere and patch them in, much like you would with a painting,” mew explains. “But if you can’t find a matching piece of sound from somewhere else in the song, then you just can’t do it, because you obviously don’t want to apply any new paint!

“On ‘A Taste Of Honey’, for instance, there’s an analogue dropout that has bugged me from the word go, but I couldn’t do anything about it, because that piece of sound wasn’t repeated anywhere else in the song. I also couldn’t boost it, because it’s not a particular level that drops for a particular length of time; it might drop a little bit here and then go up and down, and it’s too long to restore using the click removal devices, which work on several milliseconds of sound. This dropout lasts for perhaps half a second and so you can’t use the computer.

“So, at the end of the day, contrary to what some people think, the Sonic Solutions system is not a magic wand. It’s a piece of technology, and if you’ve got absolute garbage going in, then you’ll have something better than absolute garbage coming out, but it ain’t going to be perfect”.

“Anyway, in the case of The Beatles, Live At The BBC album, who really cares? This is vintage stuff and it serves to remind one that, in the final analysis, musical content is of far more importance to the average listener than sheer sonic quality.

“SPOTTING TALENT

“Brian Willey produced the December 4, 1962 and January 29, 1963 editions of The Talent Spot on which the Beatles first performed before a live audience. The first of these, recorded on November 27, 1962 at the BBC’s Paris Theatre in Central London, featured the soon-to-be fab Four at the bottom of a star spangled bill comprising The Ted Taylor Four, Mark Tracey, Elkie Brooks, and Frank Kelly. Still, it served as a showcase for new talent and broke the mould in as much as no audition was required. In effect, therefore, it was like a broadcast audition.

“Willey now recalls that after the first show, Brian Epstein, the Beatles’ manager, “asked me, ‘Do you like them?’ and I said ‘Well, they’re rough, but they entertain me.’ Bearing in mind that it was a live broadcast, a one-take job, they didn’t do too badly. Epstein then asked me if I would have them back on the show. I said ‘Yes’, and by the time that happened, a few weeks later, they had already climbed the charts, and in fact, made a hell of a difference to my audience. This usually consisted of about 30 or 40 people, and now, suddenly, hundreds were packing the Paris and queueing outside on the street”.

“Full-scale Beatlemania was looming just ahead and the band’s phenomenal rise to superstardom was underway. Yet it is only with hindsight that those who were involved in this story can fully appreciate the significance of what they took part in all those years ago. “Looking back they were great days”, says Brian Willey, “but at the time, I was just doing a job, and I’m sure that none of us ever thought we were making a mark on history.

“Oh well, back to the vaults…”

The sound quality on this release is excellent and the production by Righteous Rodent is likewise very professional.  This is an excellent opportunity to not only hear very rare songs and interviews, but to get a good glimpse of the amount of self promotion the Beatles did in their first year of superstardom.  It is striking that a band would not only have their own radio show, but play songs by audience request which they did quite frequently.  There are both historic and contemporary (c.1988) interviews offering insight into the evolution of the band.  Any collector will want both volumes for completeness and listen to more than ten hours of radio shows. 

The BBC programs are grouped by chronology, but they also find thematic links between the shows presented in each episode.  Thus “With These Haircuts?” focuses upon the early fascination with their hairstyles most prevalent in 1963.  Both volumes come complete with a four fold insert with photos, track listing, and liner notes and are packaged in fatboy jewel cases.  This is the second massive set by the Righteous Rodent people, following their twelve disc set on the Rolling Stones released before.  The Beeb’s Lost Beatles Tapes is an excellent way of obtaining these historically significant broadcasts in an attractive edition.