Saturday 14 August 1965 | Television, The Beatles
| Venue | CBS-TV Studio 50, New York City |
| Rehearsals | 11am–2pm; dress rehearsal 2.30pm (700 studio audience) |
| Recorded | From 8.30pm, 14 August 1965 |
| Broadcast | 12 September 1965, 8pm EST |
| Audience share | 60% of night-time audience; estimated 73 million viewers |
On 14 August 1965, The Beatles recorded their fourth and final appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show at CBS-TV’s Studio 50 in New York City. They had first appeared on the show in February 1964 during their landmark first American visit, when their three appearances drew audiences of up to 73 million viewers and transformed popular culture.
The group were driven to the studio in a convoy of limousines. Rehearsals ran from 11am to 2pm, with The Beatles unhappy with the initial sound balance and continuing work until satisfied. A dress rehearsal took place at 2.30pm in front of a studio audience of 700, and the show was recorded from 8.30pm.
Songs performed
- ‘I Feel Fine’
- ‘I’m Down’
- ‘Act Naturally’
- ‘Ticket To Ride’ (with lengthy introduction; cameras panned to each member)
- ‘Yesterday’ (Paul McCartney solo, with pre-recorded string trio backing)
- ‘Help!’ (John Lennon forgot some lyrics)
There was a short break after ‘Act Naturally’, after which The Beatles returned with a different stage set to perform the remaining three songs. After McCartney’s solo performance of ‘Yesterday’, John Lennon remarked: “Thank you Paul, that was just like him.”
Paul McCartney on performing Yesterday alone
“The audience was out there, and we were kind of very new to America – loving it, but a little bit scared, and I had to do Yesterday, my song, on my own, and I’d never done this, I’d always had the band with me, but suddenly they said, ‘You’re doing Yesterday,’ so I said, ‘OK’. So I was standing there – ‘come on, get it together, it’s OK’ – and the floor manager, the guy on the curtain, came up to me and said, ‘You nervous?’ I said, ‘No.’ He said, ‘You should be, there’s 73 million people watching.’”
— Paul McCartney, The Late Show with David Letterman, July 2009
The Beatles — officially licensed merch
The Beatles Unisex T-Shirt: Help! Album Cover (Black) — celebrating the album at the heart of this performance.
The broadcast
The edition of The Ed Sullivan Show was screened on 12 September 1965 at 8pm EST, receiving a 60% share of the night-time audience. Other acts appearing on the show were Cilla Black, Soupy Sales, Allen and Rossi, and Fantasio the Magician.
Despite this being their final live appearance on the show, The Beatles subsequently provided a number of promotional film clips to be debuted on The Ed Sullivan Show in future years.
The Beatles on The Ed Sullivan Show
| First appearance | 9 February 1964 (live, Studio 50) |
| Second appearance | 16 February 1964 (live, Deauville Hotel, Miami) |
| Third appearance | 23 February 1964 (pre-recorded, Studio 50) |
| Fourth and final appearance | 14 August 1965 (recorded, Studio 50; broadcast 12 September 1965) |
Key Facts
| Date recorded | Saturday 14 August 1965 |
| Date broadcast | 12 September 1965, 8pm EST |
| Studio audience | 700 (dress rehearsal) |
| TV audience | Estimated 73 million; 60% night-time share |
| Songs performed | 6 |
Frequently Asked Questions
How many times did The Beatles appear on The Ed Sullivan Show?
The Beatles made four live or recorded appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show: 9 February 1964, 16 February 1964, 23 February 1964, and 14 August 1965. They also provided promotional film clips for the show in later years.
What songs did The Beatles perform on the Ed Sullivan Show on 14 August 1965?
The Beatles performed six songs: 'I Feel Fine', 'I'm Down', 'Act Naturally', 'Ticket To Ride', 'Yesterday' (Paul McCartney solo with pre-recorded strings) and 'Help!'.
When was the 14 August 1965 Ed Sullivan Show broadcast?
The show was broadcast on 12 September 1965 at 8pm EST, receiving a 60% share of the night-time audience.
→ The Beatles live: Odeon Cinema, Llandudno – 13 August 1963
→ August in Beatles History
→ The Beatles Knowledge Hub
→ On This Day in Beatles History
Shop The Beatles merch: Help! Album Cover T-Shirt (Black) | Help! Album Cover T-Shirt (Red) | The Beatles collection
0 comments