The Beatles

Released: November 30, 1994

Songwriter: The Beatles

Producer: George Martin

[Speech]

[Rodney Burke] Uh, George is just coming up here with a letter in his hand, you're looking very serious about it, what is it, George?

[George] It's a letter from Cathy of Newport, Isle of Wight, who says: "Paul's been to to the Isle of Wight, why haven't I?" Well, I haven't got the passport, huh. And, and she says, would you please sing a song, uh, for the 5th of St. Teresa [?] Isle of Wight? So we'd like to feature John shouting: "Soldiers of Love."

[Rodney] Alright

The Beatles are arguably the most famous, critically-acclaimed, and successful rock band of all time—certainly the preeminent group of the 20th century. They started out as four teenagers playing grimy basement clubs in Liverpool and Hamburg, but they progressed to become world-beating rock stars who are still influential to this day.

John Lennon first formed a skiffle group called The Quarrymen in March 1957. A fifteen-year-old Paul McCartney joined shortly thereafter, eventually inviting his friend George Harrison to audition for the band. After finally impressing John with his guitar skills, George was asked to join—but this juncture would be short-lived as John’s departure to college signaled the other quarrymen to go their separate ways.

By 1960, Lennon, McCartney, and Harrison had re-branded from ‘Johnny & the Moondogs’ to ‘The Silver Beetles’ at the behest of their new bass player, Stuart Sutcliffe. The name would eventually evolve into ‘The Silver Beatles’ by July of that year, before settling on ‘The Beatles’ come August—just in time for their trip to Hamburg with new drummer, Pete Best. Though club residencies in Germany would prove fundamental to the group’s progress as a whole, the tour turned out to be a blessing and a curse, following the deportation of a then-seventeen-year-old George Harrison, and the eventual tragic death of Stuart Sutcliffe.

more tracks from the album

Live At The BBC

From the album

Live At The BBC (1994)

The Beatles popular songs

What Is It, George? (Live at the BBC for “Pop Go The Beatles” / 16th July, 1963)The Beatles

The Beatles

Live At The BBC