25 May in Beatles History
25 May in Beatles History
From the Silver Beetles' first professional tour of Scotland in 1960 to Ringo Starr's All-Starr Band in Las Vegas in 2024, 25 May is one of the richest dates in Beatles history. Here is everything that happened on this day.
1960
The Silver Beetles live: St Thomas' Hall, Keith, Scotland β 25 May 1960
Night 6 of 7 on the Johnny Gentle Scotland Tour β the Silver Beetles' first professional engagement. The group played St Thomas' Hall in Keith, Banffshire, the day after a rest day to allow drummer Tommy Moore to recover from a road accident. George Harrison later recalled the tour in The Beatles Anthology: "Our shoes were full of holes and our trousers were a mess, while Johnny Gentle had a posh suit." Lineup: Lennon, McCartney, Harrison, Sutcliffe, Moore.
1961
The Beatles live: Top Ten Club, Hamburg β 25 May 1961
Night 55 of 92 at the Top Ten Club, Reeperbahn β The Beatles' longest Hamburg residency. Owner Peter Eckhorn paid 35DM (Β£3) per Beatle per day. Weekday hours: 7pmβ2am; weekends: 8pmβ4am. The residency totalled 503 hours on stage. Stuart Sutcliffe left the group during this residency to remain in Hamburg with Astrid Kirchherr; McCartney took over on bass.
1962
The Beatles live: Star-Club, Hamburg β 25 May 1962
Night 42 of 48 at the Star-Club, Grosse Freiheit 39 β the opening night of which was also the Star-Club's opening night (13 April 1962). Stuart Sutcliffe had died three days before the residency began. Pete Best's final Hamburg engagement with the group; he was replaced by Ringo Starr in August 1962. Gene Vincent and Little Richard on the same bill. The 6 June Abbey Road session with George Martin followed six days after the residency ended.
1963
The Beatles live: City Hall, Sheffield β 25 May 1963
Night 7 of 21 on the Roy Orbison/Beatles UK Tour β the third of four Beatles appearances at this venue. The billing had been reversed within days of the tour opening: The Beatles closed the show. 'From Me To You' was at number one; Please Please Me was at the top of the album chart. Seven-song set: 'Some Other Guy', 'Do You Want To Know A Secret', 'Love Me Do', 'From Me To You', 'Please Please Me', 'I Saw Her Standing There', 'Twist And Shout'.
1965
John Lennon interviewed in Cannes β 25 May 1965
John Lennon and Cynthia Lennon made a brief visit to the Cannes Film Festival. Lennon was interviewed on the seafront by CBS reporter Martin Agronsky for The Merv Griffin Show, broadcast from 11pm on 1 June 1965. The couple returned to England the same day. Agronsky β a veteran of the McCarthy hearings and WWII coverage β was one of America's most respected broadcast journalists; his presence reflected how seriously US television was treating The Beatles as a cultural phenomenon.
1967
Recording: It's All Too Much β 25 May 1967
The Beatles recorded the backing track for George Harrison's 'It's All Too Much' β destined for the Yellow Submarine soundtrack β at De Lane Lea Studios, 129 Kingsway, London. Session: 7pmβ2.30am. Engineer: Dave Siddle; tape operator: Mike Weighell. Neither George Martin nor Geoff Emerick were available. Four takes recorded; working title 'Too Much'. Two days before the release of Sgt. Pepper. Further sessions: 31 May and 2 June 1967.
1969
Travel: John Lennon β the Bahamas to Toronto β 25 May 1969
John Lennon and Yoko Ono abandoned their planned second bed-in at the Sheraton Oceanus Hotel in Freeport, Bahamas β too far from the US media market, too hot. Derek Taylor booked a direct flight to Toronto at 5pm. Lennon strummed his guitar and sang "Good old Air Canada!" Held at Toronto airport for over two hours by immigration. Spent the night at the King Edward Sheraton Hotel. Flew to Montreal the next day, where 'Give Peace a Chance' was recorded on 1 June 1969.
1971
Recording: Gimme Some Truth, How?, Oh Yoko! β 25 May 1971
Fifth session for John Lennon's Imagine album at Ascot Sound Studios, Tittenhurst Park. Producers: Lennon, Yoko Ono, Phil Spector. Engineers: Phil McDonald, Eddie Klein. Four takes of 'Gimme Some Truth' (master: take 4; Spector's "It's getting there" prompted Lennon's deflated "Oh, wasn't that it?"); 40 takes of 'How?' (master: take 40); one take of 'Oh Yoko!'. George Harrison added slide guitar to 'Gimme Some Truth' on 28 May. Musicians: Klaus Voormann, Alan White, Nicky Hopkins, John Tout, Rod Lynton, Andy Davis.
1972
John Lennon and Yoko Ono attend BMI Pop Music Awards dinner β 25 May 1972
John Lennon and Yoko Ono attended the BMI Pop Music Awards dinner at the Americana Hotel, New York. Lennon was photographed with music publisher Don Kirshner and Lee Eastman β Paul McCartney's father-in-law β despite having described Eastman in Lennon Remembers (January 1971) as "a fuckin' animal". Lennon was under active threat of deportation by the Nixon administration. He returned to the Americana Hotel on 4 September 1972 to perform a three-song set.
1973
Wings live: Hammersmith Odeon, London β 25 May 1973
Night 12 of 18 on the Wings 1973 UK Tour β the first of three consecutive Hammersmith Odeon nights. Support: Brinsley Schwarz (featuring Nick Lowe). No Beatles songs in the set β a deliberate policy. Red Rose Speedway had just been released; 'My Love' was at number one. Henry McCullough and Denny Seiwell left Wings in August 1973, weeks before the Band on the Run Lagos sessions. 15-song set.
1976
Travel: John Lennon β New York to Los Angeles β 25 May 1976
John Lennon and Yoko Ono flew from New York to Los Angeles for Ringo Starr's Ringo's Rotogravure sessions. Lennon contributed 'Cookin' (In The Kitchen Of Love)', recorded 27 May. All three former Beatles contributed to the album: McCartney ('Pure Gold'), Harrison ('I'll Still Love You'). Produced by Arif Mardin. Lennon was in his househusband period following Sean's birth in October 1975; he would not release another album until Double Fantasy in November 1980.
Wings live: Madison Square Garden, New York City β 25 May 1976
Night 43 of 65 on the Wings Over The World Tour β the second of two consecutive MSG nights. Proceeds donated to Phoenix House (a drug treatment centre that had supported McCartney's US visa application). 'Time To Hide' and 'Silly Love Songs' from this night appear on Wings Over America (US number one, December 1976). 29-song set with full brass section. McCartney's first US tour since The Beatles stopped touring in 1966.
1977
Recording: Don't Let It Bring You Down by Wings β 25 May 1977
Wings continued recording 'Don't Let It Bring You Down' for the London Town album aboard the yacht Fair Carol, anchored off St John, US Virgin Islands. Producer: Paul McCartney. Engineers: Geoff Emerick, Mark Vigars. Three tape reels recorded; McCartney initially declared none satisfactory β one was later identified as the master take. Session ended with an extended jam: 'Wide Prairie' (Linda McCartney), 'Easter Parade', 'Till There Was You', 'You Are My Sunshine', 'The Lady Is A Tramp'.
1977
UK album release: Live! At The Star-Club In Hamburg, Germany; 1962 β 25 May 1977
The unofficial live Beatles album β recorded by stage manager Adrian Barber on a Grundig home tape machine in December 1962 β was released in the UK on 25 May 1977, after Apple Corps failed to obtain a High Court injunction. The tapes had passed from Barber to Ted 'Kingsize' Taylor (who declined Brian Epstein's Β£20 offer) to Allan Williams to Lingasong. Released in Germany in April 1977; US release 13 June 1977 (Atlantic Records).
1997
Ringo Starr and his All-Starr Band live: Six Flags AstroWorld, Houston β 25 May 1997
Night 21 of 30 on the fourth All-Starr Band's US tour. Band: Ringo Starr, Peter Frampton, Jack Bruce, Gary Brooker, Mark Rivera, Simon Kirke. Joe Walsh joined for 'Photograph' and 'With A Little Help From My Friends'. 24-song set. Six Flags AstroWorld operated from 1968 until its demolition in 2005; the site remains undeveloped.
2004
Paul McCartney live: Estadio El MolinΓ³n, GijΓ³n β 25 May 2004
Opening night of the 04 Summer Tour β 14 dates across Europe, closing at Glastonbury on 26 June 2004. 36-song set including 'All Things Must Pass' (George Harrison tribute), 'In Spite Of All The Danger' (The Quarrymen, 1958), and 'Tres Conejos' (a Spanish-language gesture to the GijΓ³n audience). 'Here Today' and 'All Things Must Pass' together honoured both lost Beatles within a single set.
2010
Paul McCartney to perform at Old Vic Theatre fundraiser β 25 May 2010
Announced on 25 May 2010: McCartney to perform at the Old Vic 192 fundraiser at the Boiler House, Battersea Power Station, on 1 July 2010. Hosted by Kevin Spacey and Sally Greene. Tickets Β£500βΒ£10,000. Proceeds to the Old Vic Theatre Trust and Meat Free Monday. The Old Vic 192 was the inaugural annual fundraiser for the theatre trust.
2013
George Harrison memorial garden opens to public β 25 May 2013
The George Harrison Memorial Garden at Bhaktivedanta Manor, Aldenham, Hertfordshire β the ISKCON estate Harrison donated in 1973 β opened to the public on the 40th anniversary of the Krishna temple. Opened by Olivia Harrison and Monty Don. Originally dedicated by Olivia Harrison in November 2011 (10th anniversary of George's death). Previously exhibited as A Garden For George at the 2008 Chelsea Flower Show. Harrison dedicated his autobiography I Me Mine (1980) "to gardeners everywhere".
2022
Paul McCartney live: Hard Rock Live, Hollywood β 25 May 2022
Night 9 of 80 on the Got Back Tour (April 2022βOctober 2025). Hard Rock Live, Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, Hollywood, Florida β approximately 7,000 fans. 36-song set including 'Something' (ukulele tribute to Harrison), 'I've Got A Feeling' (holographic Lennon duet), and 'In Spite Of All The Danger'. Ringo Starr also performed at Hard Rock Live on 17 September 2022 β both surviving Beatles at the same venue in the same year.
2024
Ringo Starr and his All-Starr Band live: Venetian Theatre, Las Vegas β 25 May 2024
Night 3 of 22 on the 15th All-Starr Band's 2024 tour β the second of six non-consecutive Venetian Theatre nights. Band: Ringo Starr, Steve Lukather, Colin Hay, Edgar Winter (absent, Covid-19), Hamish Stuart, Warren Ham, Gregg Bissonette. 20-song set closing with 'Photograph', 'With A Little Help From My Friends', 'Give Peace A Chance'.