Since taking over management of The Beatles, Brian Epstein had his sights set further afield from shows in the clubs of Liverpool. He wanted the group to perform in more reputable ballrooms and theatres, to appear on television and radio, and to secure a recording contract.
On 10 January 1962 he visited the BBC’s Manchester headquarters to complete a three-page “Application For An Audition By Variety Department”. The hope was that he could get The Beatles an audition before radio producers, who would then call on them to perform on their shows.
Epstein’s application was approved, and The Beatles travelled to the Playhouse Theatre in Hulme, Manchester, on 12 February 1962 to play before Peter Pilbeam, a producer for radio shows aimed at teenagers, made in the north-west of England but broadcast throughout the nation.
The Beatles played four songs: ‘Like Dreamers Do’, ‘Till There Was You’, ‘Memphis, Tennessee’ and ‘Hello Little Girl’. The first two were sung by Paul McCartney, with John Lennon taking vocals on the latter two.
Pilbeam’s brief assessment of the group, written on the back of Epstein’s application, included a “No” for McCartney and a “Yes” for Lennon. His overall view of The Beatles was: “An unusual group, not as ‘Rocky’ as most, more C&W with a tendency to play music”.
Crucially, however, his assessment included the words: “Yes. Booked for TT’s 7 March 1962.” TT’s was Teenager’s Turn, which was recorded on 7 March at the Playhouse Theatre. A contract for their appearance was issued by the BBC on 20 February.
Also on this day...
- 2012: Band On The Run wins Grammy award for Best Historical Album
- 1999: Ringo Starr and his All-Starr Band live: Etess Arena, Atlantic City
- 1990: Paul McCartney live: Riverfront Coliseum, Cincinnati
- 1970: Recording, mixing: Let The Rest Of The World Go By by Ringo Starr
- 1966: John Lennon and Ringo Starr visit Scotch Of St James nightclub, London
- 1964: The Beatles live: Carnegie Hall, New York City
- 1963: The Beatles live: Astoria Ballroom, Oldham
- 1961: The Beatles live: Casbah Coffee Club, Liverpool
Want more? Visit the Beatles history section.
Being picky, but the place on the map where Broadcasting House (unnamed now) still stands is further along Piccadilly, just before the junction with Oldham Street.
Thank you. I think I’ve got it right now, but please let me know if it’s still not correct.
Are you sure they only played four songs? The audition memo mentions Take Good Care of My Baby, sung by George Harrison.
12/2/62 – Peter Pilbeam (my father) auditioned the Beatles in the Playhouse Theatre, Hulme – the same place he recorded first session on 7/3/62 (broadcast 8/3/62). In fact all five programmes he did with the Beatles were recorded there, not at the BBC’s Manchester HQ.
Thanks John – I’ve amended the article.
It’s a shame that there’s no recording of this audition. In fact, it’s a shame that the earliest BBC broadcasts that do still exist (‘62 to early ‘63) are in such bad sound quality.
They’re not quite as bad as Elvis Presley’s live 1955 radio broadcasts from KWKH’s Louisiana Hayride, though. Many of those were taken from home-made acetate discs recorded directly off the air, and their sound quality is atrocious. In fact, those acetates were in such bad shape that when they were transferred to a digital format for mastering, many of the original acetates were actually destroyed in the process.