MARCH 11: ON THIS DATE IN BEATLES HISTORY!

On this date in 1964, THE BEATLES spent the day filming their first film, "A HARD DAY'S NIGHT," at venerable Twickenham Studios in London. 

They filmed on a soundstage set made to look like a train's baggage car, where they acted at playing cards and mimed to "I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN BETTER." 

Looking on in the scene directed by Yankee transplant Richard Lester are Paul's "very clean" grandfather (played by the great Wilfrid Brambell) & schoolgirls Prudence Bury, in her only film appearance & Patti Boyd, who he met on this film & who later became Mrs. George Harrison in January 1966 & later still, Mrs. Eric Clapton in 1979. 

In 2005, Time mag listed "A HARD DAY'S NIGHT" as one of the 100 all-time great films. In 2004, the UK's Total Film magazine named it the 42nd greatest British film of all time. Roger Ebert described the film as "one of the great life-affirming landmarks of the movies."

Hugely regarded British film critic Leslie Halliwell, whose film guide was considered the film Bible for many years, described AHDN as a "comic fantasia with music; an enormous commercial success with the director trying every cinematic gag in the book." He also wrote that, "it led directly to all the kaleidoscopic swinging London spy thrillers and comedies of the later sixties." Halliwell gave it his highest rating: a full four stars, designating it a classic.

The film took 7 weeks to shoot on a $500,000 budget. AHDN directly influenced "The Monkees" TV show and untold music videos. It was nominated for two Academy Awards; for Best Screenplay (Alun Owen), and Best Score (Adaptation) (George Martin).

AND...

Also in 1964:, Their 2nd UK album, "With The Beatles," remained at #1 on the British album chart for a 16th consecutive week. 

1967: The Beatles' music publisher, Dick James, announced that 446 different cover versions of Paul McCartney's "Yesterday" had been recorded so far. 

Flash forward to 2012: The Guinness Book of World Records lists "Yesterday" as the most covered song in music history, with more than 3,000 version on record. 

Paul wrote the song during the Fab's 20-night stand at the Olympia Theatre in Paris in January 1964. The single was finally released 20 months later, in September 1965. 

The single went #1 in the US & Norway, #2 in Australia & #8 in Britain. It was re-released in the UK in 1976, where it again hit #8. In Poland in 2010, it was released yet again where it got to #5 on that country radio station Airplay chart. 

Paul, who sang & played his Epiphone Texan steel-string acoustic guitar, was the only Beatle to play on the record, backed by a string quartet. 

Also in 1967: John, Paul, George & Ringo took home 3 Grammy Awards, for "Eleanor Rigby," the "Revolver" album & for "Michelle." 


1970: The Lads from Liverpool released "Let It Be" as a single in the US. 

The B-side was great fun, ""You Know My Name (Look Up the Number)," most of which was recorded in May & June 1967, and featured John & Paul having a fine old time larking it up in the tradition of Peter Seller, Harry Secombe & Spike Milligan's zany '50s radio comedy show, "The Goon Show." 


1997: Paul McCartney was knighted by Queen Elizabeth.