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Beatles Browser One
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(cont.)
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There were ten records played on the show: 1. ‘I Could Write A Book’, the Chants. 2. ‘Kiss Me Quick’, Elvis Presley. 3. ‘Hippy Hippy Shake’, the Swinging Bluejeans. 4. ‘Did You Have A Happy Birthday?’ Paul Anka. 5. ‘The Nitty Gritty’, Shirley Ellis. 6. ‘I Can’t Stop Talking About You’, Steve Lawrence and Edie Gorme. 7. ‘Do You Really Love Me’, Billy Fury. 8. ‘There, I’ve Said It Again’, Bobby Vinton. 9. ‘Love Hit Me’, the Orchids. 10. ‘I Think Of You’, the Merseybeats.
The Beatles were remarkably accurate in their predictions, voting that records 1.2.3.6.7. and 10 would be hits. They got five out of six: 2.3.6.7. and 10 were hits.
Their one prediction that failed was by the Chants, the black vocal group from Liverpool who the Beatles once backed at the Cavern. They were a popular group locally and the Beatles liked them.
There were three other records by Liverpool artists played – all became hits – by the Swinging Bluejeans, the Merseybeats and Billy Fury.
No copy of the Beatles appearance on the programme is known to exist as the BBC destroyed a great deal of their programmes recorded in the 1960s. However, here are some of the comments made:
The Chants: ‘I Could Write A Book.’
John: “It’s gear, Fabulous, fab. It’s it.”
Paul: “I talked to the Chants recently about the disc. They said it’s powerful. It is.”
Ringo: “I’ll buy it.”
George: “It’s great. Enough plugs and they’ve got a hit.”
David Jacobs: “Are they being to generous?”
It was voted a unanimous hit.
Elvis Presley: ‘Kiss Me Quick.’
Paul: “What I don’t like about Elvis are his songs. I like his voice. This song reminds me of Blackpool on a sunny day.”
Ringo: “Last two years Elvis has been going down the nick.”
George: “If he’s going back to old tracks, why not release ‘My Baby Left Me’? It’ll be a number one.”
John: “It’ll be a hit. I like these hats with ‘Kiss Me Quick’ on.”
It was voted a unanimous hit.
The Swinging Bluejeans: ‘Hippy Hippy Shake.’
Ringo: “Good, but not as good as the original by Chan Romero.”
George: “It’s a popular song around Liverpool. We used to do it. Could be a hit.”
John: “The boys nearly made it before. I like Bill Harry’s version as well!”
Paul: “Doesn’t matter about Chan Romero’s disc. Nobody remembers. It’s as good as a new song.”
It was voted a unanimous hit.
Paul Anka: ‘Did You Have A Happy Birthday?’
Ringo: “Not for me. I’ve never bought one of his records.”
George: “Okay. But I wouldn’t buy it. Guitar phrasing is like that on Cliff’s latest.”
John: “Tune’s not bad, but I don’t like gallop tunes.”
Paul: “I quite liked it.”
It was voted a unanimous miss.
Shirley Ellis: ‘The Nitty Gritty Song.’
John: “I like it.”
Paul: “I like this kind of record, but it doesn’t say anything.”
Ringo: “We all like this sort of thing but it won’t be a hit.”
George: “Won’t be a hit in England. We haven’t got around to that sort of thing yet.”
David Jacobs: “You mean British teenagers are behind the Americans?”
George: “We’ve liked this type of thing for years but it hasn’t really caught on.”
It was voted a unanimous miss.
Steve Lawrence and Edie Gorme: ‘I Can’t Stop Talking About You.’
Paul: “People will whistle this one.”
Ringo: “SHE carried him actually.”
George: “It could easily make the twenty. So relaxed.”
John: “They’re relaxed because they’re getting on a bit. I don’t like it.”
Three to one voted it a hit.
Billy Fury. ‘Do You Really Love Me.”
It was voted a unanimous hit.
Bobby Vinton: ‘There, I’ve Said It Again.’
George: “Quite nice, but I don’t think the public will buy it.”
John: “Get and old song and everybody does it again at the same time.”
Paul: “Secretly, teenagers don’t want old songs brought back.”
Ringo: “Nice and smooth, especially if you’re sitting in one night – and not alone.”
It was voted a unanimous miss.
The Orchids: ‘Love Hit Me.’
John: “Just a big con – a pinch from the Crystals and Ronettes.”
Paul: “It’s good for a British record.”
Ringo: “It’ll sell a few, but not many.”
George: “I’d rather have British groups pinch from the Crystals than the other stuff.”
It was voted a miss by three to one.
It was then revealed that the Orchids were actually in the audience.
John: “A lousy trick.”
The Merseybeats: ‘I Think Of You.’
The Beatles were told that there was no time to discuss the record; they just had to make a straight vote.
They voted it a unanimous hit.
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