A Day in the Life Blog

The Beatles filmed walking on the top deck of a ferry boat travelling between Liverpool Pier Head and Wallasey, signing autographs and looking over the bow. Then they shot footage at Speke Airport, South Liverpool, where they acted out an airport arrival, descending the steps of an airplane.

Again from 9:30 am, the Beatles filmed in a dressing room at the BBC's Dickenson Road premises in Manchester, frankly discussing their past and their aims and hopes for the future, considering that the present boom probably couldn't last much longer. They were also filmed applying theatrical make-up, as if they were about to go on stage for the previous day's "concert" shoot, and intently walking around backstage with their guitars, as if they were about to make a BBC television appearance.

Location filming in Southport, Manchester and Liverpool

A six-night residency - two "houses" per night in Southport, just up the coast from Liverpool. The Beatles' repertoire comprised "Roll Over Beethoven", "Thank you Girl", "Chains", "A Taste of Honey", "She Loves You", "Baby, It's You", "From Me To You", " Boys", "I Saw Her Standing There", and "Twist and Shout".

From Tuesday to Friday, the Beatles filmed a number of contributions to a 30 minute sociological documentary being made by Manchester-based BBC TV producer Don Haworth, aiming to capture the essence and atmosphere of the "Mersey Beat" boom. After initial talks with Brian Epstein, Haworth had met the Beatles on July 21st and discussed the production, promising them the opportunity of being able to discuss themselves more seriously than in the somewhat flip fashion typical of the usual pop TV programs. After a meeting with the Beatles' contract, which also precluded them from appearing in "Beat City", a documentary on the subject being made at the same time by ITV company Associated-Rediffusion.

The Beatles first filming took place at 9:30 am today. Requiring live action footage of the group, Don Haworth booked time at the Little Theatre in Hoghton Street, Southport, where the group played on stage without an audience. The film was then intercut with hysterical audience footage shot the previous night at the Beatles' Odeon show. This morning the Beatles performed "Twist and Shout" and "She Loves You", dressed in grey collarless suits. Then, in black collarless suites and with a different curtain behind them, they played "Love Me Do", although the EMI disc recording was later dubbed onto the film, replacing the live music performance.

The Beatles - Odeon Cinema, Southport

The Beatles - ABC Theatre, Blackpool

Southern Independent Television Centre, Northam, Southampton, Hampshire

Six nights in Bournemouth, two shows each. It was during this week, athe their hotel in town, the Palace Court, that photographer Robert Freeman took the "half-shadow" cover photo for their next album, "With The Beatles".

On Wednesday, editing and mono mixing for the new LP took place back at EMI Studios, of songs (There's a devil in her heart), "Money (That's all I want)", "You really got a hold on me", "Please Mister Postman", "Till there was you", "Roll Over Beethoven", "All my Loving", and "It won't be long". The work was carried out from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm and 2:00-5:30 pm, although the Beatles may have been present during the first session and part of the second, but they would have left by mid-afternoon to be back in Bournemouth by the evening.

On Thursday (lunchtime), the Beatles (again with Freeman) drove across to the Southampton studios of Southern Television, where - miming to "She Loves You", they taped an appearance on Southern's local news-magazine program, "Day By Day", broadcast that same evening between 5:55 and 6:40 pm.

Studio Three, EMI Studios, London

Gaumont Cinema, Westover Rd. Bournemouth, Hants

Alpha Telivision Studios, Aston, Birmingham

and Princess Theatre, Torbay Rd. Torquay, Devonshire

The Beatles drove south from Llandudno to Torquay, where they played two shows this evening, by way of the Alpha Television Studios in Aston, Birminham. Here, they rehearsed and taped an appearance on ABC Television's Lucky Stars (Summer Spin), hosted by Pete Murray and transmitted across most of Britain on Saturday, August 24, 6:05-6:45 pm. They mimed to both sides of their forthcoming single, "She Loves You" and "I'll Get You".

Studio Four, Granada TV Centre, Manchester

Six nights in concert on the north Wales coast, two "Houses" each. After the 2nd show on Tuesday, the Beatles returned to Liverpool and the next morning drove out across to the Granada TV Centre in Manchester, where - dressed not in suits but, unusually, in black polo-neck sweaters and jeans, they taped 2 separate song performances for broadcast in Granada's north-area news-magazine program "Scene At" 6:30. The first, "Twist and Shout", was transmitted this day (6:30-7:00 pm). The 2nd, "She Loves You", was retained for broadcast on Monday, August 19th at the same times.

Following the taping, the Beatles went back to Wales for the first Llandudno "House" of the evening.