16 April in Beatles History

From Hamburg club residencies in the early 1960s to landmark Abbey Road sessions, television appearances, and Paul McCartney world tours, 16 April is a richly documented date in Beatles history.

16 April 1961 – The Beatles at the Top Ten Club, Hamburg

The Beatles performed their 16th night of their 92-night Top Ten Club residency — part of an engagement where owner Peter Eckhorn paid each member 35 Deutsche Marks per day for sets running up to 8 hours on weekends.

16 April 1962 – The Beatles at the Star-Club, Hamburg

The Beatles performed their fourth night at the Star-Club — the start of a 48-night residency at the newly opened venue on Große Freiheit. This was their third major Hamburg residency, following the Indra, Kaiserkeller, and Top Ten Club.

16 April 1963 – The Beatles on Scene At 6.30, Granada TV

The Beatles appeared on Granada Television's Scene At 6.30 in Manchester, miming to 'From Me To You'. The broadcast clashed with their first national TV appearance on The 625 Show, splitting audiences across regions.

16 April 1964 – The Beatles record 'A Hard Day's Night' at Abbey Road

The Beatles recorded the title track of their first feature film during an evening session at Studio Two, EMI Studios. The song was completed in nine takes, with Norman Smith contributing bongos and George Martin playing piano on the iconic closing chord.

16 April 1964 – Filming A Hard Day's Night: Chase scenes in London

The Beatles filmed the outdoor chase sequences for A Hard Day's Night around Clarendon Road and Heathfield Street in Notting Hill. The Heathfield Street dead-end scene became one of the film's most iconic images, later used on the cover of The Beatles: Rock Band.

16 April 1965 – The Beatles on Ready Steady Go!

John Lennon and George Harrison appeared on ITV's Ready Steady Go! at Wembley Studios for an interview-only appearance to promote 'Ticket To Ride' — a rare promotional visit without a live performance.

16 April 1966 – The Beatles record 'Rain' at Abbey Road

The Beatles completed 'Rain' during an intensive 11-hour session at Abbey Road — featuring one of the first uses of backwards vocals in popular music. John Lennon accidentally discovered the reverse tape effect at home and brought it to the studio the next day.

16 April 1969 – The Beatles record 'Old Brown Shoe' and begin 'Something'

The Beatles recorded George Harrison's 'Old Brown Shoe' at Abbey Road — the B-side to 'The Ballad Of John And Yoko' — and began early work on 'Something'. The initial recordings of 'Something' were abandoned and remade in May 1969.

16 April 1971 – Mixing Ram – Paul McCartney, Los Angeles

Engineer Eirik Wangberg completed final mixing sessions for Paul and Linda McCartney's Ram album at Sound Recorders Studio, Los Angeles. Paul and Linda were largely absent, with Wangberg overseeing the technical completion of the record.

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16 April 1973 – Wings Over Europe Tour Mixing Sessions, EMI Studios

The first of three consecutive days of mixing Wings' 1972 European tour recordings took place at EMI Studios, London. The material was intended for a planned film project, The Bruce McMouse Show, engineered by Alan Parsons.

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16 April 1973 – John Lennon & Yoko Ono Interview with Elliot Mintz, Beverly Hills

John Lennon and Yoko Ono were interviewed by broadcaster Elliot Mintz at the Beverly Hills Hotel, discussing Yoko's album Approximately Infinite Universe, the possibility of a Beatles reunion, and personal topics.

16 April 1993 – Paul McCartney Earth Day Concert, Hollywood Bowl

Paul McCartney headlined the Earth Day benefit concert at the Hollywood Bowl, Los Angeles. k.d. lang joined for 'Hope Of Deliverance' and Ringo Starr appeared for the 'Hey Jude' finale alongside multiple supporting artists.

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16 April 2002 – Paul McCartney live at Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia

Paul McCartney performed the eighth date of the Driving World Tour at the Wells Fargo Center (then First Union Center), Philadelphia, to 15,536 fans — a 37-song set spanning his Beatles, Wings, and solo catalogue.

Read more → | Paul McCartney Hub

16 April 2021 – McCartney III Imagined released

Paul McCartney released McCartney III Imagined — a remix and covers companion to his 2020 self-recorded album McCartney III — digitally on 16 April 2021, with six vinyl editions including a limited splatter vinyl exclusive.

Read more → | Paul McCartney Hub

16 April 2024 – Restored Let It Be Film Announced for Disney+

It was announced that The Beatles' restored 1970 film Let It Be would debut on Disney+ on 8 May 2024 — its first official release in over 50 years, following restoration by Peter Jackson's Park Road Post Production team.