The Beatles Street Team Comes Through

November 23, 1962

The interview recorded a week ago is broadcast over Radio Luxembourg's "The Friday Spectacular" show today.

Also, today a very early example of fan engagement.  A Beatle fan from Preston, named David John Smith, has written to the BBC asking them to feature the band on some of their TV "programmes".  He must have written a pretty convincing letter because the BBC assumes he is a member of their management team and writes back to offer him an audition for them.  Smith has passed the offer to Clive Epstein, Brian's brother. Brian was with the boys in Hamburg when the offer came through, but Clive stood in for him and made the arrangements.  Today, they perform the audition at St James Church Hall in London.behind the closed curtain, then drive back the 200 miles to play yet another big rock show at the Tower Ballroom in New Brighton, near Liverpool.

The Beatles did not "pass the audition" on this occasion and Brian gets a "don't call us, we'll call you" letter from BBC TV.  Of course, it won't be too long before they are calling furiously!

St James Church Hall, London

Next time you're in London, look up St James Church Hall.  It's in Gloucester Terrace, just north of Hyde Park, Lancaster Gate.  I took this snapshot in about 1998.  (I absolutely love these rather obscure Beatle related venues.)  You can just see the stage curtain in this photo.