Beatles

The Beatles are a successful and influential 1960s British guitar band formed in 1960 at Liverpool, UK. The lineup comprised John Lennon (vocals, guitar, keyboards), Paul McCartney (bass, guitar, vocals), George Harrison (guitar, vocals), and Ringo Starr (drums, vocals). Following an initial period as a straightforward Mersey-beat group, later recordings saw them experiment with psychedelia, incorporating innovative production techniques involving tape loops and other effects. Although the group split in 1970, they have continued to influence many artists and bands.

Links to Peel
John Lennon (1940-1980), Paul McCartney (b.1942), Ringo Starr (b.1940) and George Harrison (1943-2001) were all born and brought up in Liverpool and were of the same generation as Peel. Yet their paths did not cross; Peel was born in 1939, was sent to boarding schools, was one of the last intake of National Servicemen, and moved to the USA in 1960. The Beatles were beginning their career at this time and remained little-known beyond Merseyside until their commercial breakthrough in 1963.

Peel's career was transformed by "Beatlemania" in the US, as by emphasising his Liverpool origins he was able to find work in radio as a "Beatles expert" on KLIF in Dallas. He later attended a Beatles Press Conference while working for KOMA in Oklahoma City.



On his return to Britain in 1967, the Beatles were at the height of their creativity, having just released the single "Penny Lane/Strawberry Fields Forever". They were revered by many, including Peel's Radio London colleague Kenny Everett, and were regarded as far ahead of their pop contemporaries. The release of "Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" in June 1967 intensified this adulation and drew even more critical acclaim. The LP was previewed on Radio London (reportedly its first play reduced Peel to tears) and became an essential part of the Perfumed Garden playlist; its atmosphere, a mixture of psychedelic strangeness and images drawn from everyday British life, was reflected in Peel's presentation style, alternately dreamy and down-to-earth. As a Liverpudlian, he sought to distance himself from the fashionable cliques of "Swinging London", hoping that his programme, its ethos expressed in the Beatles' song "All You Need Is Love", would appeal to a wider audience.

The Beatles were also involved with the London underground scene, whose newspaper International Times was supported financially by Paul McCartney, at the time a friend of IT editor Barry Miles. In a column Peel wrote for the paper in January 1968 there is a mysterious "Memo to J.L.", which may hint at the friendship Peel developed with John Lennon (which he only revealed years after Lennon's death). Later, Lennon was a guest on Night Ride on 11 December 1968 and provided financial backing for a relaunch of IT in 1974, although by then Peel was no longer writing for the paper.

Throughout the late 1960s Peel retained his high opinion of the Beatles, playing their new records as they appeared, and after the band split up in 1970 their solo records also featured in his playlists. Yet in the course of time his attitude towards them began to change, perhaps because of their position in what was becoming an established canon of rock history - which, after the mid-1970s, began to be challenged. Much of their solo work was disappointing after the heights they had reached during their heyday as a band. In addition, as Peel got older he returned more and more to the key listening experiences of his youth, which had occurred in the 1950s when he discovered skiffle and early rock'roll. Despite the fact that he lived through the Beatle era, in his final years he saw Lonnie Donegan as a more important influence on his musical taste.

Festive Fifty Entries
1976 Festive Fifty


 * 'Strawberry Fields Forever (LP-Magical Mystery Tour)' (Parlophone) #17
 * 'Hey Jude (LP-Hey Jude)' (Apple) #14
 * 'A Day In The Life (LP-Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band)' (Parlophone) #9

2000 Festive Fifty (All-Time)


 * 'I Am The Walrus (LP-Magical Mystery Tour)' (Parlophone) #45

Peelenium

 * 'I Saw Her Standing There (LP-Please Please Me)' (Parlophone) (Peelenium 1963)
 * 'And Your Bird Can Sing (LP-Revolver)' (Parlophone) (Peelenium 1966)
 * 'I Am The Walrus (LP-Magical Mystery Tour)' (Parlophone) (Peelenium 1967)

John Peel's Record Box

 * Come Together / Octopus's Garden / Something (Melodica) 1969 (USSR release)

Sessions

 * None, although Peel claimed his show had tried to book them but were turned down. (See 03 July 1992.)

Other Shows Played
(The list below is compiled only from the database of this site and Lorcan's Tracklistings Archive and is far from complete. Please add further information if known.)


 * The Beatles - I Saw Her Standing There -2009 Stereo Remastered HD-
 * 12 May 1967: Premier play of the Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band album

All You Need Is Love (7") Parlophone Fixing A Hole (LP - Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band) Parlophone The Word (LP - Rubber Soul) Parlophone (JP: “Those are the Beatles and “the word is love” – which is exactly right. That sums it all up really. I keep saying that, but it really does.”)
 * 01 July 1967: Within You, Without You (LP - Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band) Parlophone ("for the prophet Paul")
 * July 1967 (Radio London): (JP: “Tell everybody to absorb the message of the next record from our leaders.') (Pete Drummond (over song intro): “Absorb the message. Love.”)
 * 12 July 1967: All You Need Is Love (single) Parlophone (JP: “That’s number one this week, and it should be for every week too.”)
 * 12 July 1967: (JP: “This is the Sergeant Pepper track that has been glittering in my mind.”)
 * 16 July 1967: Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds / Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (reprise) / A Day In The Life (LP - Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band) Parlophone PMC 7027 (three tracks run together in a "Peelian construction")
 * The Beatles - And Your Bird Can Sing - 2009 Remaster (Stereo) July 1967: Being For The Benefit Of Mr. Kite (LP - Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band) Parlophone
 * 17 July 1967: All You Need Is Love (single) Parlophone
 * 18 July 1967: I'm Only Sleeping (LP - Revolver) Parlophone (JP: “I spent most of the day actually going back and listening to earlier Beatles LPs, and sort of listen to them develop while I was sitting there. And it just sort of flooded over me in the most extraordinary fashion. Beautiful it was too.”)
 * 19 July 1967: Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise) / A Day In The Life (LP - Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band) Parlophone
 * 22 July 1967: Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds (LP: Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band) Parlophone
 * 22 July 1967: Norwegian Wood (LP: Rubber Soul) Parlophone
 * 02 August 1967 (or 11 August 1967): Day Tripper (single) Parlophone ("revived 45" from "the masters of love")
 * 06 August 1967: I Want To Tell You (LP: Revolver) Parlophone
 * 06 August 1967: Baby, You're A Rich Man (single - b-side of All You Need Is Love) Parlophone
 * 13 August 1967 (Radio London): Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise) / A Day In The Life (LP-Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band) Parlophone ((JP: “And we have to regrettably interrupt the Beatles because it's 9.30 and time for the news.”)
 * The Beatles - I Am The Walrus 2014 Remaster August 1967 (final Perfumed Garden)
 * Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band / With A Little Help From My Friends (LP - Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band) Parlophone
 * And Your Bird Can Sing (LP - Revolver) Parlophone (JP: "Sparrows, no doubt. And I think I’ll just run on into the next track.")
 * For No One (LP - Revolver) Parlophone
 * Getting Better (LP - Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band) Parlophone (JP: “It certainly is. Even the hang-ups are straightening out. You’ll find out.”)
 * She's Leaving Home (LP - Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band) Parlophone
 * Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds (LP - Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band) Parlophone (JP: "Oops, all kinds of feedbacky things there.")
 * (JP: “Here was the first indication we ever had from the Beatles that they were becoming more aware of what was going on around.”)
 * 19 November 1967: Hello, Goodbye (7") Parlophone
 * 31 December 1967: Blue Jay Way (EPs: Magical Mystery Tour) Parlophone (JP criticises the negative press reaction to the first showing of the Magical Mystery Tour film on BBC TV. It is due to be repeated on BBC2 on the following Friday, but Tommy Vance remarks that there are 20,000 owners of colour TV sets in the whole country)


 * THE BEATLES - Strawberry Fields Forever 1960s
 * 22 September 1968: Revolution (single - Hey Jude b-side) Apple
 * 24 November 1968: While My Guitar Gently Weeps (2xLP - The Beatles) Apple
 * 05 March 1969: Your shoes are dry(?)
 * 21 September 1969: I Want You (She’s So Heavy) (LP – Abbey Road) Apple
 * 11 October 1969: Come Together (LP – Abbey Road) Apple
 * 27 December 1969: Mean Mr. Mustard (LP: Abbey Road) Apple

(JP: "It's very difficult putting this programme together to decide which records to put in and which ones to leave out. For example, I was very wounded because I couldn't get And Your Bird Can Sing into the programme, but I didn't manage it.") (JP: "We're going to end this series of programmes with the Beatles' best record in my view: a prejudiced view of course, but this is....") (JP: “John Walters and meself were talking recently to a girl who works at the BBC called Veronica, and discussing the Beatles, and she said, ‘Oh yes, I can just remember them.’ Amazing when you think about it.”) Hey Jude! (LP-Hey Jude!) Apple FF#14 (JP: “My own favourite Beatles track didn't make it, unfortunately, which was And Your Bird Can Sing, but I'd like to thank the one person who did vote for it. Nice of them to try because it's a good record.”) Helter Skelter (2xLP – The Beatles) Apple
 * 1970s
 * Beatles - Hey Jude - Anthology version with original promo film Luxembourg Tracklistings 3: I Saw Her Standing There (7" single - I Want To Hold Your Hand b-side) Capitol
 * Radio Luxembourg Tracklistings 5: Do You Want To Know A Secret (LP – Please Please Me) Parlophone
 * 18 February 1972: Long Tall Sally (LP - )
 * 31 March 1972: I'm A Loser (LP - Beatles For Sale) Parlophone
 * 21 April 1972: Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds (LP – Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band) Parlophone
 * 18 July 1972: I Saw Her Standing There (LP – Please Please Me) Parlophone
 * 24 April 1973: I’m Down (single Help b-side, 1965) Parlophone
 * 21 August 1973 (A Touch Of The Moon): Eight Days A Week
 * 04 September 1973 (A Touch Of The Moon): Money
 * 20 August 1976 (Beatles retrospective)
 * I Want To Hold Your Hand (LP-A Collection Of Beatles Oldies) Parlophone
 * Love Me Do (LP-Please Please Me) Parlophone
 * I Saw Her Standing There (LP-Please Please Me) Parlophone
 * Roll Over Beethoven (LP-With The Beatles) Parlophone
 * If I Fell (LP-A Hard Day's Night) Parlophone
 * The Beatles - A day in the lifebody's Got Something To Hide Except Me And My Monkey (2xLP-The Beatles) Apple'
 * Here Comes The Sun (LP-Abbey Road) Apple
 * Hey Jude (LP-Hey Jude) Apple
 * 30 December 1976: Strawberry Fields Forever (LP-Magical Mystery Tour) Parlophone FF#17
 * 03 January 1977: A Day In The Life (LP - Sgt Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band) Parlophone FF#9
 * 16 August 1977: Hey Jude (LP-Hey Jude) Apple
 * 03 August 1978: My Guitar Gently Weeps (2xLP - White Album) Apple
 * 03 October 1978: (JP: “The only track on the Siouxsie & The Banshees LP that isn’t a group composition is Helter Shelter and it occurred to me that you might not have heard the original from 1968 from the Beatles’ ‘White Album’.”)
 * 01 February 1979 (Paul Gambaccini): Crying, Waiting, Hoping (album - The Decca Audition Tapes)
 * 19 March 1979: Do You Want To Know A Secret [LP – Please Please Me) Parlophone
 * 16 April 1979: I Want To Hold Your Hand
 * 18 September 1979: I Should Have Known Better (LP-A Hard Day's Night) Parlophone
 * 30 October 1979: Mr Moonlight


 * 1980s
 * 02 January 1980: I'm Down
 * 16 January 1980: Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds (JP: “Back in 1967 and on the Pirate Ship Radio London I was the first to play this in the whole world, you know.”)
 * 21 April 1980: Slow Down
 * 21 July 1980: And Your Bird Can Sing


 * 1990s
 * 15 May 1993: (Peel describes yesterday as grim. He had the unpleasant task, along with his brother, of going through his mother’s things at her house in London to decide what to keep. She had died the previous year and they were having to sell her property. He did find a press cutting, which his mother had kept, of an article written by him when he was working in Dallas about the Beatles. John reads some of it out.)
 * 23 July 1994: Only A Northern Song (LP - Yellow Submarine) Apple
 * 04 July 1999 (BFBS): And Your Bird Can Sing (LP - Revolver) Parlophone
 * 31 August 1999: And Your Bird Can Sing (LP - Revolver) (60th birthday special)
 * 26 October 1999: I Saw Her Standing There (LP-Please Please Me) Parlophone (Peelenium 1963)
 * 02 November 1999: And Your Bird Can Sing (LP-Revolver) Parlophone (Peelenium 1966)
 * 03 November 1999: I Am The Walrus (LP-Magical Mystery Tour) Parlophone (Peelenium 1967)


 * 2000s
 * 05 January 2000: I Am The Walrus (LP-Magical Mystery Tour) Parlophone ATFF#45


 * Other
 * 14 October 1982 (TOTP): Love Me Do (14) (video) (“This one’s for you, Pig.”)
 * 05 May 1983 (TOTP): All You Need Is Love (‘Our World’ clip)
 * 05 January 1984 (TOTP): All You Need Is Love (‘Our World’ clip)
 * 14 December 1995 (TOTP): Free as a Bird (video) (2)
 * Peeling Back The Years: I Saw Her Standing There
 * John Peel Remembers 1967: Hello Goodbye
 * Staying Single: Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band
 * Partners In Dispute: She Loves You
 * Pepper Forever!: Tracks from the Sgt Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band LP

Covered
(The Beatles were probably the most covered of all artists on Peel's programmes; German band FSK even did a full session of Beatles covers. The list below was compiled from the Cover Versions page of this site and features only covers of original Beatles songs, NOT songs that the Beatles themselves covered. Please add further information if known.)

Performing Artist | Song | First Known Play


 * Anfield Kop 1964: She Loves You 08 January 1993
 * A Witness: Tomorrow Never Knows 07 July 1991
 * Balsara & His Singing Sitars: Let Me Hold Your Hand 10 July 1993
 * Better Beatles: I'm Down 07 July 1991
 * Better Beatles: Penny Lane 22 September 1982
 * Breeders: Happiness Is A Warm Gun 04 August 1991
 * Emi Bonilla Y Su Caudro: Ella Te Quieres (‘She Loves You’) 19 June 1993
 * Ted Chippington: She Loves You 07 July 1991
 * Joe Cocker: She Came In Through The Bathroom Window 08 November 1969
 * Joe Cocker and The Grease Band: With A Little Help From My Friends (session) 14 July 1968
 * Cornershop: Norwegian Wood 17 April 2002
 * Cristina: Drive My Car 26 June 1980
 * Damned: Help 20 September 1978
 * Dé Danann: Hey Jude 13 October 1980
 * Dickheads: (S)he Loves You 03 July 1980
 * Dino e I Kings: I Should Have Known Better 05 June 1993
 * Derek Enright (MP): Eleanor Rigby (in Latin) 04 June 1993
 * Fall: A Day In The Life 14 July 1991
 * Feelies: Everybody's Got Something To Hide (Except Me And My Monkey) 20 February 1980 (BFBS)
 * Fred Banana Combo: She Loves You 08 July 1980
 * Freshies: Everybody's Got Something To Hide (Except Me And My Monkey) 28 February 1980 (Mike Read)
 * FSK: Birthday (session) 24 June 1987
 * FSK: Don't Pass Me By (session) 24 June 1987
 * FSK: Girl (session) 24 June 1987
 * FSK: Komm Gib Mir Deine Hand ('I Wanna Hold Your Hand') (session) 24 June 1987
 * Godfrey Daniel: Hey Jude 16 August 1977
 * Groovycide: Help 23 January 2003
 * Gumball: Strawberry Fields Forever 11 April 1992
 * Jimi Hendrix: Day Tripper (session) 24 December 1967
 * Human Jangle: Day Tripper 25 August 1978
 * Husker Du: Ticket To Ride 13 July 1991
 * Laibach: Two Of Us 25 October 1988
 * Levellers 5: Eleanor Rigby 13 July 1991
 * Los Mustang: Please Please Me 02 July 1993
 * Love Sculpture: The Inner Light (session) 02 February 1969
 * Low: Long, Long, Long 28 April 1998
 * Metropolitan Police Male Voice Choir: When I'm 64 25 June 1993
 * Parasites: Paperback Writer 31 August 1991
 * Pastels: And Your Bird Can Sing 15 September 1999
 * Wilson Pickett: Hey Jude 11 September 1973 (A Touch Of The Moon)
 * Martin Pig: Lovely Rita 13 July 1983 (BFBS)
 * Pink Fairies: I Saw Her Standing There 30 June 1972
 * Pixies: Honey Pie (session) 16 May 1988
 * Punkles: Komm, Gib Mir Deine Hand ("I Want To Hold Your Hand") 10 June 2003
 * Quests: Aku Kembali Lagi ('I'll Be Back') 24 July 1993 (BFBS)
 * Red Beards From Texas: I Saw Her Standing There (session) 01 July 1985
 * Rolling Stones: I Wanna Be Your Man 13 August 1976
 * Brian Sewell: Her Majesty 11 June 1993
 * Sham 69: With A Little Help From My Friends 06 February 1979
 * William Shatner: Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds 12 December 1992
 * Shockabilly: Day Tripper 05 June 1983 (BFBS)
 * Siouxsie & The Banshees: Dear Prudence 28 December 1983
 * Siouxsie & The Banshees: Helter Skelter (session) 23 February 1978
 * Sonic Youth: Within You, Without You 13 July 1991
 * Soundgarden: Everybody's Got Something To Hide (session) 07 June 1989
 * Teenage Fanclub: The Ballad Of John And Yoko 06 July 1991
 * Teenagers In Trouble: With A Little Help From My Friends (session) 12 August 1994
 * Thirty Five Summers: Come Together (Shankly Mix) 13 December 1990 (Radio Mafia)
 * Tomorrow: Strawberry Fields Forever (session) 04 February 1968
 * Trash: Golden Slumbers/Carry That Weight (The Beatles) 04 October 1969
 * Triffids: Good Morning Good Morning 09 February 1988
 * Wedding Present: Getting Better Peel 080 (BFBS)
 * Yeah Yeah Noh: She Said She Said 22 October 1985
 * 60ft Dolls: Paperback Writer (session) 21 April 1998