The Beatles made just one television appearance in Britain to promote the Help! album; other shows had to run pre-recorded clips instead.
Blackpool Night Out was made by ABC TV, and was filmed at the ABC Theatre in Blackpool. It was shown by all but one of the ITV companies across the UK, in a live broadcast between 9.10pm and 10.05pm.
The Beatles performed ‘I Feel Fine’, ‘I’m Down’, ‘Act Naturally’, and ‘Ticket To Ride’, before Paul McCartney sang ‘Yesterday’ on his own. It was the first time the song had been performed on British television.
The group closed with ‘Help!’, following John Lennon’s tongue-in-cheek announcement to McCartney: “Thank you Ringo, that was wonderful”.
The full show is believed to be lost, but the audio survives.
The other guests on the show were Pearl Carr and Teddy Johnson, Johnny Hart, and Lionel Blair. The compères were Mike and Bernie Winters. After the show Ringo Starr and Brian Epstein flew back to London, while the other Beatles were driven in their Rolls-Royce.
Epstein’s decision to grant just one UK television appearance to promote the Help! single drew much criticism in the press. The Beatles had steadily reduced the amount of promotion undertaken throughout 1964 and 1965.
Four songs from Blackpool Night Out – ‘I Feel Fine’, ‘Ticket To Ride’, ‘Yesterday’, and ‘Help!’ – appeared on Anthology 2 in 1996.
Also on this day...
- 2011: Paul McCartney live: Wrigley Field, Chicago
- 2009: Paul McCartney live: FedEx Field, Washington
- 1971: Live: The Concert For Bangla Desh
- 1969: Recording: Because
- 1968: Recording: Hey Jude
- 1967: George and Pattie Harrison fly to Los Angeles
- 1966: Interview: David Frost At The Phonograph
- 1963: Radio: Pop Go The Beatles
- 1962: Live: Cavern Club, Liverpool (evening)
- 1962: Live: Cavern Club, Liverpool (lunchtime)
Want more? Visit the Beatles history section.
Does anyone know if the string part on “Yesterday” was performed by live musicians off stage? Or was it perhaps a Mellotron or Chamberlain?
George Martin provided the score for strings – the string quartet performed live with Paul in the Orchestra Pit unlit – Mellotrons were not fitted for stage use until 1967.
Absolutely sounds like an excellent reading of George Martin’s original charts. Plus, did you notice the orchestra playing them off with an A major chord after the end of “Help”?
Someone Had Posted The Full Show With Video Online And There Are Now Several Copies Floating Around
A much better Beatles live performance of Act naturally than Ed Sullivan or Shea Stadium. Haven´t come across or read about any other performances of it, contrary to the rumour that it was played in USA 1965.
The show definitely isn’t lost. Footage of the entire show can be found online and colourised footage of Help! can be found in the Eight Days A Week movie. I think this is one of the Beatles strongest concerts with the Fabs very much on top form.
One thing about this performance stands out to me: the lack of screaming. Some girls scream when the band announces the next song, but for the most part they are quiet during the songs. I wonder what made this audience less hysterical and more respectful? The Beatles probably appreciated being able to hear themselves.
I think this might have been preformed like how they did at the ed sullivan show where they probably had signs saying “be quiet” or something like that since the show was intended to promote the album and to be broadcasted
I was at that performance and we were told, before the recording began, that screaming was not allowed. In those days we did as we were told.
I was in the front row of the balcony (circle) stage right (i.e. left side from my viewpoint). There were screaming girls but nothing like seen on the classic b+w films of non televised concerts.
I had been in the stalls much of the morning during the rehearsals by the Beatles and the other acts. The fab 4 sat about in the stalls waiting their turn in rehearsals. The was my opportunity to get the autographs. I so remember John wearing what my memory tells me was a brown courdory jacket. Fair to say I knew how priveledged I was to be present as a 12 year boy.
Hey John I was there at rehearsals too and I was lucky enough to get their autographs as well. Do you remember them smoking and when on stage they would stick their cigarettes somehow on the end of their guitars as they played? That was something that stuck in my mind all these years. I wasn’t there on that Sunday Morning – didn’t get there until about half one but like you say they sat in the stalls near the front during breaks and that’s when I got their autographs too. Glad you have such a marvellous memory as I do.
HI , I was 13 at the time of their performance and was there in the ABC theatre during rehearsals. [My dad was an electrician at the show – that’s how I got to see them rehearsing] I also managed get their autographs when they sat down in the stalls during a break. I was so nervous with my book and pen in hand as I approached them [ Ringo first , then he passed my book to the others and they all signed it. So polite too, they all said thanks to me as they passed my book back to me. Wow – I was so excited !!!!
They were on stage from about 2pm that afternoon for at least two hours, just playing their songs. I recall John singing It’s been a Hard Boiled Egg instead of a Hard Days Night during rehearsals. They were all brilliant during rehearsals, in fact it was just like at proper performance – they were that good!!! Such a great memory for me, something I will never forget.