Television: Drop In, Stockholm, Sweden

Despite having completed their concert tour of Sweden the night before, The Beatles returned to Stockholm to record an appearance on the Sveriges Television music show Drop In.

The recording took place in front of a studio audience at the Arenateatern (arena theatre), a small theatre in Stockholm’s Gröna Lund amusement park. Also on the bill were Gals & Pals and the singer Lill-Babs.

The Beatles arrived for camera rehearsals in the afternoon, before taking lunch at a restaurant in nearby Solliden. They were joined by Mal Evans, Neil Aspinall, producer Klas Burling, presenter Kersti Adams-Ray and a some photographers. John Lennon and Paul McCartney are said to have played a piano in the restaurant.

One of the photographers, Bo Trenter, took a number of widely-used shots of The Beatles, one of which was used on the Swedish version of the ‘All My Loving’ EP in January 1964.

All My Loving EP artwork – Sweden

Back at the Narren-teatern, The Beatles performed an acoustic version of ‘I Want To Hold Your Hand’ for Klas Burling, who later said he immediately knew it would be a hit.

Before filming began at 7pm, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr went shopping in Burling’s Fiat car. They went to Stockholm’s largest department store, NK, where McCartney bought perfume for Jane Asher.

The Beatles on Drop In, Swedish TV, 30 October 1963

The Beatles had intended to perform ‘She Loves You’ and ‘Twist And Shout’ on Drop In, but Klas Burling persuaded them to keep the audience happy and play one more song. They launched into ‘I Saw Her Standing There’, after which Kersti Adams-Ray attempted to start up the show’s theme tune.

The Beatles weren’t finished, however. Burling managed to talk them into playing one more song to round off the show. They played ‘Long Tall Sally’, after which they joined in with handclaps for the Drop In closing theme. Afterwards The Beatles were driven in a green police car to Stockholm’s Continental Hotel.

The edition of Drop In was first shown on 3 November 1963. Apple Corps later bought the rights to the footage, and included ‘I Saw Her Standing There’ and ‘Long Tall Sally’ in the Anthology series.

Page last updated: 14 October 2022

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10 thoughts on “Television: Drop In, Stockholm, Sweden”

  1. Joe, if you want to view more pictures of the Beatles, visit “Bilder i Syd”, a Swedish website, and search for Beatles. At the bottom of the first page click on –sista– to get to the second page. These photos include ones of Paul and George visiting Malmo in October 1967.
    Enjoy.

  2. The correct name of the recording place is Arenateatern. Teater Narren was the name of the theatre group that used to performe there.

  3. It was Kjell Eriksson, who was copresenter of “Drop in” with Kersti Adams-Ray.
    Klas Burling (in the last minute) wanted the Beatles to play an encore. Kjell and Kersti thought they had already played the last number and thought it was time for the “Drop in” end theme.

  4. I should be mentioned that the Swedish dance band “The Telstars” also took part of the show. They were officially the studio group of the TV-series “Drop In”. As you can see on the You Tube-clip Beatles performing together with them at the short outro with Ringo drumming in the background.

    Their performance in the TV show got them their absolute break through in Sweden when it was showed on on the only one Swedish television channel some weeks after.

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