Following the success of The Beatles’ Christmas Show in December 1963 and early 1964, Brian Epstein decided the group should repeat the trick, this time at the Hammersmith Odeon in London.
The formula was much the same as the previous year’s, with music, pantomime sketches, comedy and a number of special guests. These included Freddie And The Dreamers, Sounds Incorporated, Elkie Brooks, The Yardbirds, Michael Haslam, The Mike Cotton Sound and Ray Fell. The compère was Jimmy Savile.
On each night, apart from the opening night and 29 December, there were two shows. There were no performances on 25 and 27 December or 3 and 10 January 1965. The final shows took place on 16 January 1965.
The show opened with The Mike Cotton Sound’s performance of Georgie Fame’s current single Yeh Yeh, before singer Michael Haslam joined them to sing Scarlet Ribbons.
The Yardbirds took to the stage next, followed by a pantomime sketch featuring The Beatles dressed as Antarctic explorers searching for the Abominable Snowman. They reportedly grew to hate this section so much that they vowed never to undertake anything similar again. The first half closed with Freddie And The Dreamers performing Rip It Up, Bachelor Boy and Cut Across Shorty.
Elkie Brooks opened the second half, followed by a short set from Sounds Incorporated. Jimmy Savile then introduced The Beatles, who closed the show with performances of 11 songs: ‘Twist And Shout’, ‘I’m A Loser’, ‘Baby’s In Black’, ‘Everybody’s Trying To Be My Baby’, ‘Can’t Buy Me Love’, ‘Honey Don’t’, ‘I Feel Fine’, ‘She’s A Woman’, ‘A Hard Day’s Night’, ‘Rock And Roll Music’ and Long Tall Sally.
The programme featured a festive drawing by John Lennon on the back cover.
Also on this day...
- 2015: I want to stream your band: The Beatles’ music made available on streaming services worldwide
- 1969: John Lennon and Yoko Ono visit Rochester Cathedral
- 1963: The Beatles’ Christmas Show begins
- 1962: Live: Star-Club, Hamburg
- 1960: Live: Grosvenor Ballroom, Wallasey
Want more? Visit the Beatles history section.
Wow, the setlist for these shows sounds really interesting!
I wish there was any footage or audio from them would surface
I was lucky enough to have been there and saw them twice on Xmas eve but I foolishly kept no memorabilia from the show. I would love to see some archive footage but I don’t remember seeing any cameras there at all.
I have a programme to sell, in reasonable but not perfect condition
Dear Diana
Do u still have the memorabilia ?
So what was the cost of the tickets in british currency?
Does anyone remember a massive Xmas tree on stage and Beatles coming down from tree in a motorized wrapped up present.
Also Beatles joined together with fabric with BEATLES across the front ?
Yes I remember the tree coming down and it stopped halfway and we all screamed . Then it went up and down a bit before it landed and the Beatles came out
Been trying to recall my experience but so long ago not sure I can trust my memories. Does anyone recall seeing the Beatles in London, Jimmy Savile was the compare and the Beatles came down on stage from a helicopter gradually descending to the stage. I think Cilla Black was also on the list of performers but can’t be sure. I do know there was a lot of artists appearing and that we couldn’t hear anything the Beatles sang for the screaming girls. Can anyone recall any of this?
I’m not sure if it was this show or another, but I seem to remember the Beatles descending to the stage in a lift…but maybe it was from a helicopter. All other acts were booed, and the screams drowned out the Beatles.
If it wasn’t this show, I’d like to know which one. I’m sure The Mike Cotton Sound performed. I was about 13 or 14.
The factory in Letchworh, Herts, where my father worked had bought tickets for about 30 kids of employees, and organised a coach.
I was there. My memory is sketchy. I seem to recall there was a strip of scenery front centre of stage onto which subtitles were projected during the comedy sketches as you couldn’t hear the lines for all the screaming. I also remember them coming on stage wearing a communal sweater with four neck holes and one arm each end.
My parents saw them too. They came to pick me and my sister up at the end and told us that as they arrived, they saw four young men rush out of a side door, leap into a limo and vanish into the night. A couple of minutes later, us plebs emerged.
I was there for one of these Hammersmith Odeon shows. We were Yardbird fans from the Crawdaddy…they were their usual raucous selves…as were Sounds Incorporated…Freddie and the Dreamers were extremely good and funny.
I don’t have any memory of the other acts, apart of of course from The Beatles.
They were brilliant and, surprisingly, nobody screamed during their songs, only between numbers…so we could hear how good they were live…And they were, as I said before…brilliant!