A DAY IN THE LIFE OF THE BEATLES : JAN, O1

• 1962: The Beatles audition for Decca Records (READ MORE: HERE)   
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• 1964: Live: The Beatles' Christmas Show
• The Beatles' first performances of 1964 were a continuation of The Beatles' Christmas Show, the variety night which ran from 24 December 1963 until 11 January 1964.
  

  The shows took place at the Astoria Cinema in London's Finsbury Park. The Beatles normally did two performances on each night, to cope with popular demand for tickets. This was the seventh date of the residency, which lasted until 11 January 1964.

  The first act on stage was the Barron Knights and Duke D'Mond. Next came short sets from Tommy Quickly and The Fourmost, and Billy J Kramer and The Dakotas closed the first half. Following the interval there was a return from the Barron Knights and Duke D'Mond, then Cilla Black, and Rolf Harris. The Beatles were the final act of each show, with a performance lasting just 25 minutes.

  The group performed nine songs: Roll Over Beethoven, All My Loving, This Boy, I Wanna Be Your Man, She Loves You, Till There Was You, I Want To Hold Your Hand, Money (That's What I Want) and Twist And Shout.

  
  
• 1965: Live: Another Beatles Christmas Show
• The Beatles' first performances of 1965 were a continuation of The Beatles' Christmas Show, the variety night which ran from 24 December 1964 until 16 January 1965.

  The shows took place at the Hammersmith Odeon in London. The Beatles normally did two performances on each night, to cope with popular demand for tickets.

  The guest performers included Freddie And The Dreamers, Sounds Incorporated, Elkie Brooks, The Yardbirds, Michael Haslam, The Mike Cotton Sound and Ray Fell. The compère was Jimmy Savile.

  The Beatles appeared in two sketches, one with Freddie Garrity of Freddie And The Dreamers, and another with Jimmy Savile. They closed the shows with an 11-song set: Twist And Shout, I'm A Loser, Baby's In Black, Everybody's Trying To Be My Baby, Can't Buy Me Love, Honey Don't, I Feel Fine, She's A Woman, A Hard Day's Night, Rock And Roll Music and Long Tall Sally.

  Also on this date, Radio Luxembourg began a weekly series dedicated entirely to The Beatles, with music and interviews. The series, called simply The Beatles, ran from this date until 17 October 1965, every Sunday from 8.45-9pm, and was presented by Chris Denning.

  The episodes contained snippets of interviews, recorded during Another Beatles Christmas Show, and on 20 March, 29 April and 20 June 1965, along with news items, request dedications and studio recordings of The Beatles' songs.
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• 1963: Travel: Hamburg to London
  In preparation for their impending Scottish tour, The Beatles flew back from Hamburg to London on 1 January 1963.

  The group spent the night in London before flying to Scotland the following day.

  1963 was, in many ways, The Beatles' annus mirabilis. Although they didn't know it at the time, by the end of the year their lives would be turned upside down. They would be famous all across the United Kingdom and elsewhere, and their singles and albums would have sold in their millions.

  
  
• 1959: Live: Wilson Hall, Liverpool 
• This was the last known performance by the Quarrymen at Wilson Hall. Unlike the previous three, it wasn't promoted by Charlie 'Mac' McBain, and there were no Teddy boys causing trouble.
  The event was a late Christmas party for the Speke Bus Depot Social Club. George Harrison's father Harry was the club's chairman, which helped the Quarrymen land the booking. Harry was the club's MC, and his mother also ran a learners' ballroom dancing class at the venue.
  This event saw the end of drummer Colin Hanton's tenure with the group. During the interval the members of the Quarrymen drank some of the party refreshments, doubtless excited by the news that a local cinema manager was in the audience and considering offering them further bookings. Colin Hanton carried his drums off the bus, despite it not being his stop, and played no more in the Quarrymen.