17 February 1963
Television recording:
Thank Your Lucky Stars
Teddington Studio Centre, Broom Road, Teddington, Middlesex
(rehearsal: 11.00 am; recording: 8.00 pm; broadcast: ABC/ITV, 5.50 - 6.30 pm, 23 February)
Please Please Me (mimed)
Morning rehearsals
The Beatles with fellow guest artist Billy Fury
Telesnaps by Mike McCartney
"A set of notebooks containing Beatles autographs from February, 1963 has sold for £3,500, unsurprisingly trouncing their pre-sale estimate of just £200-300.
The autographs were collected by a cameraman working on ITV's legendary 1960s pop programme Thank Your Lucky Stars, and signed by the Fab Four a mere month after their first-ever UK TV performance.
John Rees, the cameraman, also collected the signatures of a host of other famous '60s names including Gerry and the Pacemakers, The Crickets, Rolf Harris and Cliff Richard & the Shadows.
Fascinatingly, the notebooks were not consigned by Mr Rees but by the former owner of a local delicatessen, over the road from where Thank Your Lucky Stars was filmed.
Mr Rees apparently had a habit of running up debts at the eatery, and would use his prized autographs in place of cash payments.
The owner of the delicatessen also collected his own signatures directly from stars; either when they ate there, or when his company made deliveries to the studios throughout the show's legendary heyday as a rival to the BBC's Juke Box Jury.
It's not known exactly how large a debt John Rees built-up in the '60s, but it was perhaps less than the £3,500 the signatures are worth today."
Source: Paul Fraser Collectibles
"A grey page from an autograph book signed by The Beatles in blue pen. John, George and Ringo have signed in blue ballpoint pen and Paul has signed in blue fountain pen. John has added the words 'love to Sandra love from the Beatles' above his name. The signatures were obtained on February 17th 1963 at Teddington Studios, Teddington, Middlesex when The Beatles were performing on ABC television's 'Thank Your Lucky Stars'. The Beatles were called for rehearsal at 11.00am and recorded the programme later in the afternoon, miming to one song , 'Please Please Me'. Comes with an e-mail from the recipient stating that her Grandmother worked at Teddington studios. Measures 10cm x 7.5cm (4 inches x 3 inches). Apart from a tiny bit of ink bleed on the first 'G' in George the signatures are in mint condition"
Source: Tracks eBay auction, June 2010
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