21 May in Beatles History
21 May in Beatles History
From the Silver Beetles' second night in Scotland in 1960 to Paul McCartney's Got Back Tour in 2022, 21 May is one of the richest dates in Beatles history. Here is everything that happened on this day.
1960
The Silver Beetles live: Northern Meeting Ballroom, Inverness – 21 May 1960
Night 2 of the seven-date Scottish tour with Johnny Gentle. The Silver Beetles travelled 150 miles north from Alloa to Inverness. In the hotel afterwards, John Lennon contributed four lines to a song Johnny Gentle was writing — 'I've Just Fallen For Someone', later released on Parlophone (R4919) in August 1962 without a Lennon credit.
1961
The Beatles live: Top Ten Club, Hamburg – 21 May 1961
Night 51 of 92 at the Top Ten Club, Reeperbahn — a Sunday, meaning 8pm to 4am on stage. Owner Peter Eckhorn paid 35DM per Beatle per day. The residency totalled 503 hours on stage. Stuart Sutcliffe had left the group; McCartney was on bass. Tony Sheridan and Bert Kaempfert recording sessions also took place during this residency.
1962
The Beatles live: Star-Club, Hamburg – 21 May 1962
Night 38 of 48 at the Star-Club, Grosse Freiheit — owned by Manfred Weissleder. The Beatles had signed to EMI on 9 May; their first Abbey Road session was 6 June. Stuart Sutcliffe had died on 10 April, three days before the residency began. Little Richard, Gene Vincent, and Ray Charles also on the bill that season.
1963
Radio: Saturday Club and Steppin' Out – 21 May 1963
Two BBC radio sessions at the Playhouse Theatre, London. The Beatles headlined Saturday Club for the first time (broadcast 25 May), performing six songs for presenter Brian Matthew. After a 45-minute break they recorded Steppin' Out (broadcast 3 June), performing another six songs before a live audience. Twelve songs in total across the day.
1964
US single release: Sie Liebt Dich – 21 May 1964
The German-language version of 'She Loves You', recorded in Paris on 29 January 1964, released in the US on the Swan label (Swan 4182). Peaked at number 97 during a one-week chart run from 27 June 1964. Swan's claim to the rights was legally questionable. The only occasion The Beatles recorded in a language other than English.
1970
Travel: John Lennon – Los Angeles to San Francisco – 21 May 1970
Lennon and Yoko Ono flew from LA to San Francisco during their primal therapy sessions with Dr Arthur Janov. Travelled as 'Mr and Mrs Ghurkin'; the limousine driver recognised them. Carey Systems placed a ban on future Lennon bookings. Dinner with Jann Wenner that evening — the beginning of the Lennon Remembers (1971) relationship.
1971
UK album release: Ram by Paul and Linda McCartney – 21 May 1971
The only album credited to Paul and Linda McCartney, released four days after its US edition. UK number one; US number two (held off by Carole King's Tapestry). Hostile reviews from Rolling Stone and Lennon's 'How Do You Sleep?'. US single 'Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey' became McCartney's first post-Beatles US number one.
1973
Wings live: Guild Hall, Preston – 21 May 1973
Night 9 of 18 on the Wings 1973 UK Tour, with Brinsley Schwarz in support. Fan Michael Dagge's account in the Wings Fun Club newsletter describes meeting the band outside the Bull and Royal Hotel and Paul arriving with Stella in his arms. The ceiling cracked, cutting the set three songs short. 15 songs performed.
1976
Wings live: Nassau Coliseum, Uniondale – 21 May 1976
Night 40 of 65 on the Wings Over The World Tour. The 'My Love' performance from this night appears on Wings Over America (1976, US number one). McCartney's first US tour since The Beatles' final US dates in August 1966 — a gap of almost ten years. 29-song set with full brass section.
1993
Paul McCartney live: Winnipeg Stadium – 21 May 1993
Night 26 of 77 on the New World Tour. 37,430 fans; broke a stadium record set by David Bowie's Serious Moonlight Tour (1983). First ever North American performance of 'Mull Of Kintyre', with the Heatherbelles Ladies Pipe Band. The Winnipeg Free Press: 'He came, he sang, he conquered.' 34-song set.
1997
Ringo Starr and his All-Starr Band live: Wolf Trap, Vienna – 21 May 1997
Night 18 of 30 on the fourth All-Starr Band's US tour. Filene Center, the only US national park dedicated to the performing arts. Band: Ringo Starr, Peter Frampton, Jack Bruce, Gary Brooker, Mark Rivera, Simon Kirke. 24-song set.
2000
Ringo Starr and his All-Starr Band live: Icenter, Salem – 21 May 2000
Night 8 of 32 on the sixth All-Starr Band's North American tour. Band: Ringo Starr, Dave Edmunds, Jack Bruce, Eric Carmen, Mark Rivera, Simon Kirke. 23-song set including 'Boats Against The Current' — Eric Carmen's 1977 single whose title references the closing line of The Great Gatsby.
2003
Paul McCartney live: AOL Arena, Hamburg – 21 May 2003
Night 29 of 33 on the Back In The World Tour. McCartney returned to the city where The Beatles served their musical apprenticeship. Three days later: Red Square, Moscow — the first rock concert ever held there, 100,000 people, live Russian TV. 38-song set.
2022
Paul McCartney live: Truist Field, Winston-Salem – 21 May 2022
Night 8 of 80 on the Got Back Tour, which ran from April 2022 to November 2025. 36-song set including 'In Spite Of All The Danger' (The Quarrymen, 1958 — the earliest known Beatles-related recording). The tour included a Glastonbury headline on 25 June 2022, where McCartney — aged 80 — became the oldest solo headliner in the festival's history.