Around the Beatles

This is a rare piece of nostalgia that features the Beatles starring in their own 1964 British TV special. It portrays them as musicians, music fans, and stage performers, as well. The show opens with them singing some of their hits. But the bulk of the next part of the hour consists of performances by artists the Beatles are fans of, though not all of the stars on this special were known in America. So while Millie Small sang her hit, "My Boy Lollipop", Cilla Black, who was known more as a Brian Epstein client than a chart-maker in the US of A, sang a number, as did John Baldry, who was still several years away from fame over here with his "Boojie Woojie" music. The instrumental group, Sounds Incoporated, became more well-known later on as the horn players on "Good Morning, Good Morning", and as a warm-up act on many of the Beatles tours. PJ Proby was, indeed, from the states, but made the charts in England a few years later. A less-knowing British music fan might have asked why Billy Fury and Cliff Richard weren't invited on this show, ditto Adam Faith. The answer is simple- though the Beatles might never had publicly stated it, they had little use for the Brit-pop idols listed above who were making the British charts while the Fab Four were still paying their dues in Hamburg dives. The boys chose, instead, the artists that they genuinely admired. The surprise to me was seeing Baldry here. I had known he had been a blues pioneer in England, along the lines of John Mayall, and that he would later sell a ton of records as a crooner, but I had never before seen him appear as a pop star. Having done so, I'm glad he grew a beard later on; he looks kind of nerdy and awkward here.

The highlight of the evening, besides seeing them play live, was the Moptops' appearance in a skit that featured themselves- plus the British comedy team of Morecomb and Wise- doing a lampoon of Romeo and Juliet, played, respectively. by Paul and John. It was wonderfully dopey and silly, and allowed them to ham it up like crazy.

TV specials like this are worth watching still, some forty-plus years later, because they don't exist anymore, at least in 21st century America. You'll never again see a group featuring young men such as these performing in prime-time for a whole hour. Their audience today would watch them on VH1, the chat shows, and "Saturday Night Live". So "Around The Beatles" is a rarity, and worth searching out by anyone curious to find out what all the fuss was about back in the days of the Invasion. It would illuminate the viewer who is learning about the Beatles, the 60s' most vibrant and influential group, by showing him or her that, yes, they were musicians, but they were also pop fans just like everyone else who, once in a while, also liked to dress up and act silly on stage just for their own amusement- and yours.

This was the first time the Beatles themselves were given a chance to do a variety show. They chose their favorite entertainers, many of whom were struggling Liverpool musicians themselves.

The Beatles themselves were perched up on a scaffold that surrounded the stage, along with audience, dancers, etc., introducing each act with much gusto, whilst the musicians took center stage.

Sounds Incorporated, featuring dancing numbers whilst playing saxophones, toured with the Beatles, and can be heard on Revolver Lp ( Got To Get You Into My Life), and Sgt.Pepper (Good Morning), and can be spotted dancing away on the scaffolding.

P.J. Proby is probably known mostly in Canada these days. A powerful voice, very powerful indeed.

And Cilla Black, who was almost as popular in Liverpool as the Beatles. She was also managed by Brian Epstein.

The bit from Midsummer's Night Dream is funny. Curious that there were no more shows like this done by the Beatles.

The Beatles finish the show, performing their hits, including a rare medley. Curious thing: the music was live, but pre-recorded, and all the musicians are miming to their songs. John Lennon didn't have a harmonica to play the opening harmonica riff from "Love Me Do", so he just mimed playing one.

The "Shout!" number was a standard Mersey Beat audience participation song.

So, this is indeed an historic record that any Beatles fan, or 60's music fan should own.