The Beatles on Our World: All You Need Is Love

For the live performance, which took place at 9.36pm GMT, The Beatles played along to their pre-recorded backing track. The vocals, bass guitar, guitar solo, drums and 13-piece orchestra were live. To reduce the chances of on-air errors, the event was carefully arranged, although care was taken to make it seem spontaneous.

The Beatles perform All You Need Is Love on Our World, 25 June 1967

Photo © David Magnus (davidmagnus.com)

The live sequence began with reporter Steve Race introducing the group as the backing track played. The director Derek Burrell-Davis then cut to the studio control room, from where George Martin announced that the orchestra should be brought in.

The Beatles then performed ‘All You Need Is Love’, seated – apart from Ringo Starr on high stools, and surrounded by various friends including Mick Jagger, Keith Richard, Marianne Faithfull, Keith Moon, Eric Clapton, Pattie Harrison, Jane Asher, Graham Nash and Hunter Davies. All were dressed in colourful clothes, and were surrounded by flowers, balloons and placards.

The musicians were: Sidney Sax, Patrick Halling, Eric Bowie and Jack Holmes (violin); Rex Morris and Don Honeywill (tenor saxophone); Evan Watkins and Harry Spain (trombone); Jack Emblow (accordion); and Stanley Woods and David Mason (trumpet). Stanley Woods also played flügelhorn on the recording.

After the broadcast ended and the studio guests had left, John Lennon re-recorded some of his vocal parts. The session ended at 1am the following morning.

‘All You Need Is Love’ was mixed on 26 June 1967, after Ringo Starr had added a drum roll to the introduction. The single was rush-released on 7 July with ‘Baby You’re A Rich Man’ as the b-side.

Last updated: 7 June 2022
Recording: All You Need Is Love
Recording, mixing: All You Need Is Love
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