Radio: From Us To You

On this day The Beatles recorded a two-hour radio special, to be broadcast on the BBC Light Programme service on Boxing Day 1963.

The show had the working title Beatletime, although by the time it was transmitted at 10am on 26 December it had been renamed From Us To You. The session took place at the BBC Paris Studio in London, from 7-10.30pm, including rehearsal times.

The first song to be recorded was a version of ‘From Me To You’, with the lyrics changed to suit the programme’s title. They taped a 55-second version to open the show, and a fuller one for the end.

The other songs recorded were ‘She Loves You’, ‘All My Loving’, ‘Roll Over Beethoven’, ‘Till There Was You’, ‘Boys’, ‘Money (That’s What I Want)’, ‘I Saw Her Standing There’ and ‘I Want To Hold Your Hand’.

The host of From Us To You was Rolf Harris, who the following week became part of The Beatles’ Christmas Show in Finsbury Park, London. During the recording The Beatles joined Harris for a version of his 1960 hit Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport, with lyrics amended to refer to The Beatles and their long hair.

The other guests in the show were Susan Maughan, Jeanie Lambe, Kenny Lynch, Joe Brown and the Bruvvers, The Kenny Salmon Seven, and Alan Elsdon’s Jazzband with Mick Emery.

The success of From Us To You ensured that four other bank holiday specials were recorded by The Beatles for the BBC over the next 18 months.