Television: Around The Beatles

The Beatles recorded the television special Around The Beatles between 9pm and 10.15pm on 28 April 1964, at Studio 5AB at Rediffusion’s Wembley Studios, London.

The group arrived at the studios at 11am to take part in final rehearsals, although during the day they also gave interviews to Swedish radio, speaking to visiting host Klas Burling.

The Beatles in Around The Beatles, 28 April 1964

The hour-long show featured, along with The Beatles, PJ Proby, the Vernons Girls, Long John Baldry, Millie, The Jets, and NEMS artists Cilla Black and Sounds Incorporated. It was first broadcast in the UK on the ITV network on 6 May from 9.45pm, and in the US by ABC on 15 November.

The Beatles took part in two segments in the show: a musical set and a spoof of Act V Scene I of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. John Lennon, Paul McCartney and George Harrison also mimed a trumpet fanfare at the start of the show, before Ringo Starr appeared with a flag to set off a cannon ball. The group also introduced PJ Proby’s performance.

For the Shakespeare spoof, Lennon took the female role of Thisbe, McCartney played Pyramus, Harrison was Moonshine and Starr played Lion. Incidentally, McCartney later owned a cat he named Thisbe.

The songs performed by The Beatles in the show were ‘Twist And Shout’, ‘Roll Over Beethoven’, ‘I Wanna Be Your Man’, ‘Long Tall Sally’ and ‘Can’t Buy Me Love’, as well as a special medley of their earlier hits – ‘Love Me Do’, ‘Please Please Me’, ‘From Me To You’, ‘She Loves You’, and ‘I Want To Hold Your Hand’ – and finally a version of The Isley Brothers’ 1959 song ‘Shout’.

The music had been pre-recorded at London’s IBC Studios on 19 April 1964, and The Beatles mimed during the show.

Last updated: 7 February 2023
Rehearsal: Around The Beatles
The Beatles are photographed with their Madame Tussauds wax figures
Also on this day...

Want more? Visit the Beatles history section.

Latest Comments

  1. Matt Thursday 31 December 2009
    • Joe Thursday 31 December 2009
  2. Max Thursday 1 April 2010
  3. Ursula Monday 17 May 2010
    • sue m Wednesday 17 November 2010
      • Ursula Thursday 8 September 2011
  4. Duncan Massey Thursday 30 December 2010
  5. Jonas Svensson, Sweden Tuesday 12 July 2016
    • Jonas Svensson, Sweden Sunday 17 July 2016
  6. Jude Quinn Friday 10 February 2017
    • NezMonkee Lover Saturday 11 March 2017
  7. Pauline & Mike Saturday 16 December 2017
    • Ginny Dorrington Saturday 30 December 2023
  8. Jacqueline Thursday 22 March 2018
  9. Charlotte Thursday 27 September 2018

Leave a Reply to Max Cancel reply