The Complete BBC Sessions is a bootleg 9 CD box set from Great Dane
Records, Italy. Total running time is approximately 10 hrs. 16 min. It
is comprised of all the available recordings (from private collectors)
of The Beatles appearences on BBC radio from March '62 to June '65. (All
of these recordings couldn't have been recorded off the air because a
couple from '64 are clearly the working recording sessions.) There were a
total of 52 known appearences (not counting interviews), of which this
collection has 44 (complete and partial).
I have compiled a track listing of the 9 CDs plus the unavailable
performances. Since the source is from the tapes of collectors, the sound
quality ranges from very poor to excellent. I've made an attempt to
grade each song: P (poor), G (good), VG (very good), E (excellent)
To keep my sanity, I didn't try to be that precise with the grading. I
just used my intitial reaction to each song. So some would undoubtably
rate some "G"s as "P"s, "VG"s as "E"s, and so on. I just wanted to give
an idea of how much the sound quality varies. Of course this reflects
just the sound not the performance (which IMO is excellent throughout).
I highly recommend this box set to anyone who wants all the BBC
broadcasts (especially if one doesn't already have many BBC bootlegs).
Others may find this overwhelming and repetitious. Some may want to seek
out a good compilation. And (finally!) there is the new "Live at the
BBC" from EMI.
One last note: I have heard that Great Dane is to release a 2 CD update
to the box set this coming February.
The Complete BBC Sessions
Disc 1 (71:58)
Show Trk Song Qlty
1 Teenager's Turn NA Hello Little Girl (not broadcast)
(Here We Go) 1 Dream Baby P
r 3/7/62 a 3/8/62 2 Memphis P
3 Please Mr. Postman P
2 Here We Go 4 Ask Me Why P
r 6/11 a 6/15 5 Besame Mucho P
6 A Picture Of You P
3 Here We Go NA Sheila (not broadcast)
r 10/25 a 10/26 NA Love Me Do
NA A Taste Of Honey
NA P.S. I Love You
4 Talent Spot NA Love Me Do
r 11/27 a 12/4 NA P.S. I Love You
NA Twist And Shout
5 Here We Go NA Chains
r 1/16/63 a 1/25/63 NA Please Please Me
NA Ask Me Why
NA Three Cool Cats (not broadcast)
6 Saturday Club 7 Some Other Guy P
r 1/22 a 1/26 8 Keep Your Hands Off My Baby P
9 Beautiful Dreamer P
NA Love Me Do
NA Please Please Me
7 Talent Spot NA Please Please Me
r 1/22 a 1/29 NA Ask Me Why
NA Some Other Guy
8 Parade Of Pops NA Love Me Do
r 2/20 a 2/20 NA Please Please Me
9 Here We Go NA Misery
r 3/6 a 3/12 NA Do You Want To Know A Secret?
NA Please Please Me
NA I Saw Her Standing There
(not broadcast)
10 Saturday Club 10 I Saw Her Standing There P
r 3/16 a 3/16 11 Misery P
12 Too Much Monkey Business P
13 I'm Talking About You P
14 Please Please Me P
15 The Hippy Hippy Shake P
11 On The Scene NA Misery
r 3/21 a 3/28 NA Do You Want To Know A Secret?
NA Please Please Me
12 Easy Beat NA Please Please Me
r 4/3 a 4/7 NA Misery
16 From Me To You P
13 Swingin' Sound 17 Twist And Shout P
r 4/18 a 4/18 18 From Me To You P
14 Side By Side NA Side By Side Theme
r 4/1 a 4/22 NA I Saw Her Standing There
NA Do You Want To Know A Secret?
NA Baby It's You
NA Please Please Me
NA From Me To You
NA Misery
15 Side By Side 19 Side By Side Theme VG
r 4/1 a 5/13 20 Long Tall Sally VG
21 A Taste Of Honey VG
22 Chains VG
23 Thank You Girl VG
24 Boys VG
NA From Me To You
16 Saturday Club 25 I Saw Her Standing There G
r 5/21 a 5/25 26 Do You Want To Know A Secret? G
27 Boys G
28 Long Tall Sally G
29 From Me To You G
30 Money G
17 Steppin' Out 31 Please Please Me P
r 5/21 a 6/3 32 I Saw Her Standing There P
NA Roll Over Beethoven
NA Thank You Girl
NA From Me To You
NA Twist And Shout (not broadcast)
Disc 2 (77:55)
Show Trk Song Qlty
18 Pop Go The 1 Pop Go The Beatles
Beatles NA From Me To You
r 5/25/63 a 6/4/63 2 Everybody's Trying To Be My Baby G
3 Do You Want To Know A Secret? G
4 You Really Got A Hold On Me G
5 Misery P
6 The Hippy Hippy Shake P
7 Pop Go The Beatles G
19 Pop Go The Pop Go The Beatles+
Beatles 8 Too Much Monkey Business VG
r 6/1 a 6/11 9 I Got To Find My Baby VG
10 Young Blood VG
11 Baby It's You VG
12 Till There Was You VG
13 Love Me Do P
Pop Go The Beatles+
20 Pop Go The Pop Go The Beatles+
Beatles 14 A Shot Of Rythm And Blues G
r 6/1 a 6/18 15 Memphis P
16 A Taste Of Honey VG
17 Sure To Fall VG
18 Money VG
19 From Me To You P
Pop Go The Beatles+
21 Easy Beat 20 Some Other Guy G
r 6/19 a 6/23 21 A Taste Of Honey VG
22 Thank You Girl G
23 From Me To You G
22 Side By Side Side By Side Theme+
r 4/4 a 6/24 24 Too Much Monkey Business VG
NA Love Me Do
25 Boys G
26 I'll Be On Way VG
27 From Me To You G
23 Pop Go The Pop Go The Beatles+
Beatles 28 Anna G
r 6/17 a 6/25 29 I Saw Her Standing There G
30 Boys G
31 Chains G
32 P.S. I Love You G
33 Twist And Shout G
Pop Go The Beatles+
NA A Taste Of Honey (not broadcast)
Disc 3 (70:55)
Show Trk Song Qlty
24 Saturday Club 1 I Got To Find My Baby VG
r 6/24/63 a 6/29/63 2 Memphis VG
3 Money P
4 Till There Was You P
5 From Me To You G
6 Roll Over Beethoven G
25 The Beat Show NA From Me To You
r 7/3 a 7/4 7 A Taste Of Honey P
8 Twist And Shout P
26 Pop Go The Pop Go The Beatles+
Beatles 9 That's All Right (Mama) G
r 7/2 a 7/16 10 There's A Place G
11 Carol VG
12 Soldier Of Love VG
13 Lend Me Your Comb VG
14 Clarabella VG
Pop Go The Beatles+
NA Three Cool Cats (not broadcast)
NA Sweet Little Sixteen (not broadcast)
NA Ask Me Why (not broadcast)
27 Easy Beat 15 I Saw Her Standing There P
r 7/17 a 7/21 16 A Shot Of Rythm And Blues P
17 There's A Place P
18 Twist And Shout P
28 Pop Go The Pop Go The Beatles+
Beatles 19 Sweet Little Sixteen G
r 7/10 a 7/23 NA A Taste Of Honey
20 Nothin' Shakin' VG
21 Love Me Do P
22 Lonesome Tears In My Eyes VG
23 So How Come No One Loves Me VG
Pop Go The Beatles+
29 Pop Go The Pop Go The Beatles+
Beatles 24 Memphis VG
r 7/10 a 7/30 25 Do You Want To Know A Secret? G
26 Till There Was You VG
27 Matchbox G
28 Please Mr. Postman G
29 The Hippy Hippy Shake VG
Pop Go The Beatles+
Disc 4 (66:57)
Show Trk Song Qlty
30 Pop Go The Pop Go The Beatles+
Beatles 1 I'm Gonna Sit Right Down VG
r 7/16/63 a 8/8/63 And Cry Over You
2 Cry, Waiting, Hoping VG
3 Kansas City/Hey Hey Hey Hey G
4 To Know Her Is To Love Her VG
5 The Honeymoon Song VG
6 Twist And Shout G
Pop Go The Beatles+
31 Pop Go The Pop Go The Beatles+
Beatles 7 Long Tall Sally G
r 7/16 a 8/13 8 Please Please Me G
9 She Loves You VG
10 You Really Got A Hold On Me VG
11 I'll Get You VG
12 I Got A Woman VG
Pop Go The Beatles+
32 Pop Go The Pop Go The Beatles+
Beatles 13 She Loves You G
r 7/16 a 8/20 14 Words Of Love G
15 Glad All Over G
16 I Just Don't Understand G
17 Devil In Her Heart G
18 Slow Down P
Pop Go The Beatles+
33 Saturday Club 19 Long Tall Sally P
r 7/30 a 8/24 20 She Loves You P
21 Glad All Over P
NA Twist And Shout
NA You Really Got A Hold On Me
22 I'll Get You P
34 Pop Go The Pop Go The Beatles+
Beatles 23 Ooh! My Soul P
r 8/1 a 8/27 24 Don't Ever Change G
25 Twist And Shout G
NA She Loves You
26 Anna P
27 A Shot Of Rythm And Blues G
Pop Go The Beatles+
Disc 5 (71:13)
Show Trk Song Qlty
35 Pop Go The Pop Go The Beatles+
Beatles 1 From Me To You P
r 8/1/63 a 9/3/63 NA I'll Get You
2 Money P
3 There's A Place G
4 Honey Don't (John) G
5 Roll Over Beethoven G
Pop Go The Beatles+
NA Lucille (not broadcast)
NA Baby It's You (not broadcast)
36 Pop Go The Pop Go The Beatles+
Beatles 6 Too Much Monkey Business VG
r 9/3 a 9/10 7 Love Me Do G
8 She Loves You G
9 I'll Get You G
10 A Taste Of Honey VG
11 The Hippy Hippy Shake VG
Pop Go The Beatles+
37 Pop Go The Pop Go The Beatles+
Beatles 12 Chains VG
r 9/3 a 9/17 13 You Really Got A Hold On Me VG
14 Misery VG
15 Lucille VG
16 From Me To You VG
17 Boys VG
Pop Go The Beatles+
38 Pop Go The Pop Go The Beatles+
Beatles 18 She Loves You* G
r 9/3 a 9/24 19 Ask Me Why VG
20 Devil In My Heart G
* from 9/10 21 I Saw Her Standing There G
PGTB 22 Sure To Fall G
23 Twist And Shout G
Pop Go The Beatles+
39 Saturday Club 24 I Saw Her Standing There E
r 9/7 a 10/5 25 Memphis E
26 Happy Birthday Saturday Club E
26 I'll Get You E
27 She Loves You E
28 Lucille E
Disc 6 (72:41)
Show Trk Song Qlty
40 Easy Beat 1 I Saw Her Standing There G
r 10/16/63 a 10/20/63 2 Love Me Do G
3 Please Please Me G
4 From Me To You G
5 She Loves You G
41 Ken Dodd Show 6 She Loves You P
r 10/9 a 11/3
42 Saturday Club 7 All I Want For Christmas
r 12/17 a 12/21 NA All My Loving
8 This Boy G
9 I Want To Hold Your Hand G
10 Till There Was You VG
11 Roll Over Beethoven VG
*from 10/5 12 She Loves You* G
Sat Club 13 Crimble Medley G
43 From Us To You 14 From Us To You G
r 12/18 a 12/26 15 She Loves You G
16 All My Loving G
17 Roll Over Beethoven G
18 Till There Was You VG
19 Boys VG
20 Money G
21 I Saw Her Standing There G
22 Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport G
23 I Want To Hold Your Hand VG
24 From Us To You G
44 Saturday Club 25 All My Loving G
r 1/7 a 2/15 26 Money G
27 The Hippy Hippy Shake G
*From 12/21 28 I Want To Hold Your Hand* G
Sat Club 29 Roll Over Beethoven G
30 Johnny B. Goode G
31 I Wanna Be Your Man G
Disc 7 (65:35)
Show Trk Song Qlty
45 From Us To You 1 From Us To You G
r 2/28/64 a 3/30/64 2 You Can't Do That G
3 Roll Over Beethoven VG
4 Till There Was You VG
5 I Wanna Be Your Man G
6 Please Mr. Postman G
7 All My Loving VG
8 This Boy G
9 Can't Buy Me Love VG
10 From Us To You G
46 Saturday Club 11 Everybody's Trying To Be My Baby P
r 3/31 a 4/4 12 I Call Your Name P
13 I Got A Woman VG
14 You Can't Do That P
15 Can't Buy Me Love P
16 Sure To Fall VG
17 Long Tall Sally G
47 From Us To You 18 From Us To You G
r 5/1 a 5/18 19 Whit Monday To You G
20 I Saw Her Standing There G
21 Kansas City/Hey Hey Hey Hey P
22 I Forgot To Remember To Forget G
23 You Can't Do That P
24 Sure To Fall P
25 Can't Buy Me Love P
26 Matchbox P
27 Honey Don't (John) P
Disc 8 (51:20)
Show Trk Song Qlty
48 Top Gear 1 Top Gear Spot
r 7/14/64 a 7/16/64 2 Long Tall Sally E
3 Things We Said Today E
4 A Hard Day's Night E
5 And I Love Her E
6 I Should Have Known Better G
7 If I Fell P
8 You Can't Do That P
49 From Us To You 9 From Us To You P
r 7/17 a 8/3 10 Long Tall Sally G
11 If I Fell G
12 I'm Happy Just To Dance With You G
13 Things We Said Today G
14 I Should Have Know Better G
15 Boys G
16 Kansas City/Hey Hey Hey Hey G
17 A Hard Day's Night G
18 From Us To You P
49a From Us To You 19 From Us To You P
recording session 20 From Us To You P
7/17 21 I'm Happy Just To Dance With You P
22 I Should Have Known Better P
23 I Should Have Known Better P
Disc 9 (67:37)
Show Trk Song Qlty
50 Top Gear 1 I'm A Loser VG
r 11/17/64 a 11/26/64 2 (Chat)
3 Honey Don't E
4 She's A Woman E
5 Everybody's Trying To Be My Baby E
6 I'll Follow The Sun E
7 (Chat)
8 I Feel Fine E
51 Saturday Club 9 Rock And Roll Music G
r 11/25 a 12/26 10 (Chat)
11 I'm A Loser* VG
* same as 11/26 12 Everybody's Trying To Be My Baby* E
Top Gear 13 I Feel Fine* E
14 Kansas City/Hey Hey Hey Hey E
15 She's A Woman* E
51a Sat Club/Top Gear 16 I Feel Fine VG
recording session 17 She's A Woman E
52 Invite You To Take 18 Ticket To Ride (short) G
A Ticket To Ride 19 Everybody's Trying To Be My Baby G
r 5/20/65 a 6/7/65 20 I'm A loser G
21 (Chat)
22 The Night Before G
23 Honey Don't G
24 Dizzy Miss Lizzy E
25 She's A Woman G
26 Ticket To Ride (long) VG