50 YEARS SINCE THE BEATLES ROCKED BIRMINGHAM's ODEON CINEMA

It was 50 years ago today that the fab four played the Odeon in Birmingham. Danny Friar takes a look back

The Beatles in November 1963 signing autographs for Birmingham policemen, who helped sneak the band into the back of the Hippodrome

 

Fresh from their record-­breaking tour of the States, The Beatles were on the second stop of their fifth UK tour when they came to Birmingham in October 1964.

They had first come to the city a year earlier – playing the Ritz Ballroom in York Road in February 1963 and later returned in November that year, playing at the Birmingham Hippodrome. On that occasion they arrived at the venue in a police van wearing police helmets over their long locks.

They also popped here in October 1963 to record an episode of ABC’s Television show Thank Your Lucky Stars at Alpha Studios in Aston. The Beatles’ Birmingham fan club secretary, Jane Blewitt, was lucky enough to meet the Fab Four on that occasion.

Fans camped out overnight at the Odeon box office to buy tickets for the October 11, 1964 show.

The Beatles were the biggest group in the world at the time. They had played in Leicester the night before but had travelled to London for the night. The next morning, their new chauffeur Alf Bicknell drove them from London to Birmingham in their famous Austin Princess.

When they arrived in Birmingham on Sunday afternoon they didn’t go directly to the Odeon Cinema in New Street but instead they made their way to Digbeth Police Station.

They were then taken into the back of a police van which drove them the wrong way up a one way street, almost knocking an unsuspecting motorcyclist from his bike. The van dropped them off at the Exchange pub in Stephenson Place. They then walked down a long passage, through the cellar and over a wall.

Beatles members Paul, Ringo and George, with the band's Birmingham fan club secretary Jane Blewitt at the Alpha Studios in Aston in October 1963. They were doing rehearsals for their appearance on 60s pop show Thank Your Lucky Stars, made at the studios by ABC Television, which shared the facilities with ATV

This was the only way they could avoid the crowd of 2,000 fans. The fans had been waiting outside in the pouring rain all afternoon, singing Beatles songs and screaming at any vehicle that just might contain four loveable moptops.

The first of two shows, promoted by Arthur Howes and The Beatles’ manager Brian Epstein, began at 5pm, earlier than the usual 6.15pm. Tickets, depending on where you sat (or stood), cost between 10s 6d and 5s 6d.

For that, pop fans would not only get to see The Beatles but Motown star Mary Wells. The Queen Of Motown, as she was known, had just had an international hit with My Guy.

Crowds in Birmingham where the Beatles were recording a performance for Thank Your Lucky Stars on October 20,1963

The other support acts were all managed by Brian Epstein’s company NEMS. They were Sounds Incorporated, The Remo Four, Michael Haslam and The Rustiks. Tommy Quickly was another of the support acts but he was absent that day. The compère for the evening was comedian Bob Bain.

The show started quietly and it was hard to believe that this was a Beatles concert at all. Then, four lads from Liverpool stepped onto the stage and there was a massive explosion of screams.

The teenagers, both girls and boys, leapt from their seats and rushed to the front of the stage.

In Birmingham on Sunday,Oct 11,1964,for two concerts at the Odeon,Birmingham as part of their 1964 Autumn UK Tour

The Beatles played for half an hour, performing ten songs in total. They began with two rocking covers, Twist And Shout and Money (That’s What I Want). They then played Can’t Buy Me Love, Things We Said Today, I’m Happy Just To Dance With You, I Should Have Known Better and If I Fell, all of which came from their latest LP and first movie, A Hard Day’s Night.

For their next song Ringo took the mike and sang I Wanna Be Your Man before the group finished off with their latest chart­-topper, A Hard Day’s Night and the Little Richard number Long Tall Sally.

Ringo mobbed by female fans as the band film their final appearance on Thank Your Lucky Stars at Alpha Television Studios in Aston, Birmingham, on March 28, 1965

The boys played a second show at 7.45pm, an hour earlier than the rest of the tour. After playing Long Tall Sally the curtain went down and the National Anthem was played. Most fans were expecting an encore but when the curtains opened again only guitars were on the stage. The Beatles had already left the cinema and were on their way back to the police station. They were paid £850 (the equivalent of £13,000 today) for their appearance in Birmingham that night.

The Beatles returned to the city to film their final appearance on Thank Your Lucky Stars at Alpha Studios in Aston in March 1965 and performed on one other occasion at the Odeon Cinema in December 1965, one of their last performances in the UK. After that George Harrison made a rare appearance at Birmingham Town Hall in December 1969 while backing American duo Delaney and Bonnie.