21 August 1963: Live: Gaumont Cinema, Bournemouth

21 August 1963 was the third of The Beatles’ six consecutive dates in the English seaside town of Bournemouth.

They played two houses on each night. Also on the bill were Tommy Quickly and Billy J Kramer and the Dakotas.

One of the shows was recorded on this night by the Gaumont Cinema’s chief technician, who wanted to record a show to check the venue’s sound system. The 25-minute tape reel was sold by Christie’s auction house on 10 December 1998 for £25,300. According to the seller, Lennon introduced ‘She Loves You’ by saying it was the first time The Beatles had performed it live.

While it is believed to be of good quality, the recording has yet to reach wider circulation. The songs performed were: ‘Roll Over Beethoven’, ‘Thank You Girl’, ‘Chains’, ‘From Me To You’, ‘A Taste Of Honey’, ‘I Saw Her Standing There’, ‘Baby It’s You’, ‘Boys’, ‘She Loves You’, and ‘Twist And Shout’.

The Beatles stayed at the Palace Court hotel on each night of their Bournemouth residency.