21 January 1963
"Picked up George at about 10.45 then picked up John, Paul & Ringo... George bought me dinner at Whitchurch and took over the driving up to about 20 miles before the M1... My only wish was for better headlights on the van otherwise admirable to drive, and I could not have wished for better company. They [The Beatles] made me feel at home with them at once. After steady 70-75 miles down the M1, entered London via Finchley... The boys seemed to know their way and... took us to the door of EMI house. There we met Kenny Lynch, Jess Conrad & Carol Deene all nice people."
Source: Mal Evans's diary
Publicity photos taken by Angus McBean at EMI House in London.
Radio recording:
The Friday Spectacular
EMI House, Manchester Square, London
(broadcast: Radio Luxembourg, 10.00 - 11.00 pm, 25 January)
interview
Please Please Me (from disc)
Ask Me Why (from disc)
The Beatles were interviewed by hosts Shaw Taylor and Muriel Young in front of an audience of 100.
"It was during the recording of a Radio Luxembourg programme in the EMI Friday Spectacular series that I was finally convinced that The Beatles were about to enjoy the type of top-flight national fame which I had always believed that they deserved. The teen-audience didn't know the evening's line-up of artists and groups in advance, and before Muriel Young brought on The Beatles she began to read out their Christian names. She got as far as John ... Paul ... and the rest of her introduction was buried in a mighty barrage of very genuine applause. I cannot think of more than one other group - British or American - which would be so readily identified and welcomed by the announcement of two Christian names. To me, this was the ultimate proof that The Beatles (and not just one or two of their hit records) had arrived at the uncommon peak-popularity point reserved for discdom's privileged few. Shortly afterwards The Beatles proved their pop power when the by-passed the lower segments of the hit parade to scuttle straight into the nation's Top Ten with their second single, PLEASE PLEASE ME."
Source: Tony Barrow's sleeve notes for Please Please Me.
Dick James acetate dated 21 January
Vee-Jay president Ewart Abner's telegram to lawyer Joe Vigoda
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