Tuesday 14 July 1964 | BBC Broadcasting House, Portland Place, London, England
On 14 July 1964, The Beatles appeared on the first edition of BBC Radio’s Top Gear — a weekly late-night pop music programme not to be confused with the BBC television show about motor vehicles. The session took place at Broadcasting House in London between 7pm and 11pm, with the broadcast following two days later on 16 July 1964 on the BBC Light Programme from 10pm.
Top Gear: The Show
Top Gear was produced by Bernie Andrews, who had previously worked on the Saturday Club radio show, and was presented by Brian Matthew. It was a weekly late-night programme dedicated to pop music — a format that gave artists like The Beatles the opportunity to record sessions in a more relaxed environment than the tight schedules of television appearances.
The first edition, broadcast on 16 July 1964, featured The Beatles performing seven songs recorded two days earlier at Broadcasting House.
The Setlist
The Beatles recorded the following seven songs during the session:
- Long Tall Sally
- Things We Said Today
- A Hard Day’s Night
- And I Love Her
- I Should Have Known Better (EMI recording played, not performed live)
- If I Fell
- You Can’t Do That
Of these, ‘Things We Said Today’ and ‘A Hard Day’s Night’ were later released on the 1994 album Live At The BBC, while ‘Long Tall Sally’, ‘And I Love Her’, ‘If I Fell’, and ‘You Can’t Do That’ appeared on the 2013 release On Air – Live At The BBC Volume 2.
And I Love Her: A Unique Performance
This Top Gear session holds a particular distinction in Beatles history: it was the only occasion on which The Beatles performed ‘And I Love Her’ outside EMI Studios. Despite the song’s popularity — it had been released just weeks earlier on the A Hard Day’s Night album and as a single — it never made it into their stage repertoire, and the group never performed it during their other numerous television and radio appearances. The Top Gear recording remains the sole exception.
A Hard Day’s Night: The Missing Piano Solo
George Martin was supposed to have joined The Beatles at Broadcasting House to play the piano solo on ‘A Hard Day’s Night’ — as he had on the studio recording. However, Martin failed to show up for the session. Rather than omit the solo, the production team edited the piano solo from the original EMI studio version into the Top Gear recording.
I Should Have Known Better: The Anomaly
Another curiosity of this session was the inclusion of ‘I Should Have Known Better’ in the programme. The Beatles did not actually perform the song during the Top Gear recording — instead, the original EMI studio recording was played as if it had been recorded for the show. This was an unusual editorial decision that has occasionally caused confusion in discographies of The Beatles’ BBC recordings.
Don’t Pass Me By: An Early Mention
During the session, The Beatles joined host Brian Matthew for some light-hearted banter. While introducing ‘And I Love Her’, Matthew asked Ringo Starr whether he had any plans to write songs. Ringo replied that he had written one — at which point Paul McCartney interjected by singing:
“Don’t pass me by, don’t make me cry, don’t make me blue.”
Ringo had first mentioned ‘Don’t Pass Me By’ to the press in 1963, and McCartney had sung part of it during a 26 June 1964 interview in New Zealand. The song was not recorded until 1968, eventually appearing on The Beatles (the White Album) — making it Ringo’s first sole songwriting credit on a Beatles record.
Paul McCartney’s BBC Interview
Prior to the Top Gear recording session, Paul McCartney gave a 13-minute interview to the BBC’s Michael Smee for the programme Highlight. Five minutes of the interview was broadcast on the General Overseas Service on Saturday 18 July from 11.15am. The interview was also recorded at BBC Broadcasting House in Portland Place.
Key Facts: 14 July 1964
| Date | Tuesday 14 July 1964 |
| Venue | BBC Broadcasting House, Portland Place, London |
| Programme | Top Gear (Episode 1), BBC Light Programme |
| Recording time | 7pm – 11pm |
| Broadcast date | Thursday 16 July 1964, 10pm, BBC Light Programme |
| Producer | Bernie Andrews |
| Presenter | Brian Matthew |
| Songs recorded | Long Tall Sally; Things We Said Today; A Hard Day’s Night; And I Love Her; If I Fell; You Can’t Do That (+ I Should Have Known Better — EMI recording used) |
| Lineup | Lennon, McCartney, Harrison, Ringo Starr |
BBC Broadcasting House, Portland Place, London — where The Beatles recorded the first edition of Top Gear on 14 July 1964.
The Beatles: A Hard Day’s Night Era
Officially licensed Beatles merch from the summer of 1964.
Frequently Asked Questions
What was the BBC radio show Top Gear?
Top Gear was a weekly late-night BBC pop music radio programme — not to be confused with the BBC television show about motor vehicles. It was produced by Bernie Andrews and presented by Brian Matthew. The Beatles appeared on its first edition, recorded on 14 July 1964 and broadcast on 16 July 1964 on the BBC Light Programme.
What songs did The Beatles record for Top Gear on 14 July 1964?
The Beatles recorded Long Tall Sally, Things We Said Today, A Hard Day’s Night, And I Love Her, If I Fell, and You Can’t Do That at Broadcasting House on 14 July 1964. I Should Have Known Better was included in the broadcast but used the original EMI studio recording rather than a live performance.
Why is the Top Gear recording of And I Love Her significant?
The Top Gear session on 14 July 1964 was the only occasion on which The Beatles performed ‘And I Love Her’ outside EMI Studios. Despite the song’s popularity, it never entered their live stage repertoire and was not performed on any other television or radio appearance.
What happened with the piano solo on A Hard Day’s Night at Top Gear?
George Martin was scheduled to play the piano solo on A Hard Day’s Night at the Top Gear session but failed to appear. The production team resolved this by editing the piano solo from the original EMI studio recording into the Top Gear version.
When did Ringo Starr first mention Don’t Pass Me By?
Ringo Starr first mentioned Don’t Pass Me By to the press in 1963. During the 14 July 1964 Top Gear session, Paul McCartney sang part of the song when host Brian Matthew asked Ringo about his songwriting. The song was not recorded until 1968, appearing on The Beatles (the White Album) as Ringo’s first sole songwriting credit.
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→ 14 July in Beatles History
→ July in Beatles History
→ John Lennon: Beatles History, Solo Career, Songs & Legacy
→ Paul McCartney: Beatles History, Solo Career, Songs & Legacy
→ George Harrison: Beatles History, Solo Career, Songs & Legacy
→ Ringo Starr: Beatles History, Solo Career, Songs & Legacy
→ The Beatles Knowledge Hub
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