Swinging Sound '63

I met Jane asher when she was sent by the Radio Times to cover a concert we were in at the Royal Albert Hall – we had a photo taken with her for the magazine and we all fancied her. We’d thought she was blonde, because we had only ever seen her on black-and-white telly doing Juke Box Jury, but she turned out to be a redhead. So it was: ‘Wow, you’re a redhead!’ I tried pulling her, succeeded, and we were boyfriend and girlfriend for quite a long time.

Paul McCartney – From “The Beatles Anthology” book, 2000

Now these I could scream for . . .

P O P S for everyone
The final concert in the Light Programme series
from the Royal Albert Hall

TONIGHT the Royal Albert Hall will be filled to capacity for the third and final Light Programme pop concert. And when the last echo of electric guitar has died away twenty-seven soloists, six vocal and instrumental groups, seven bands, and two BBC orchestras will have performed in the series. Frankie Vaughan is the compere for this show and he will be introducing, among others, the bands of Bilk and Ball, and Susan Maughan who have all appeared in previous concerts. Joe Brown and the Bruvvers, Christine Campbell, and Bert Weedon are a few of the new faces.

As a result of my reactions to the first pop concert I was accused of being – horror of horrors! – square and not with it. Just to prove that my heart is in the right place I invited a girl – who is anything but square – to accompany me to the second concert – for her impressions of the show.

Jane Asher, a favourite Juke Box Jury panelist (David Frost, I am told, has to be dragged away from the set when she is on), has very definate views on pp music and speaks her mind with disarming frankness. As we sat in the stalls (a football-pitch length from the stage) I took down her comments – those I could hear above the roar.

After a few minutes Jane turned to me; ‘It’s weird how the sound fills the entire hall, seeing the singers at such a distance. It gives you a funny feeling.’ Or as the Vernons Girls put it vocally, ‘Funny All Over.’ Jane studied the faces around her: ‘It seems only the girls are enjoying themselves. It really is a girl’s show.’

The Beatles bounded on stage and the noise of their reception reached the threshold of pain. ‘Now these I could scream for,’ said Jane – with a little prompting from our photographer she did, and felt better for it. (Listen tonight for the response to Gerry and the Pacemakers.) ‘Isn’t that fantastic (Rolf Harris’s wobble board) – it sounds like bath water running out.’ And as the bath water ran out, the Sun Arose.

Of the show in general, Jane said: ‘It ran very smoothly. It’s fabulous to see all those singers together.’ And in a word? ‘Noisy.’ Which all goes to prove that the sentiments of a square equal the sum of the sentiments of the non-square on my left. TONY ASPLER

From RADIO TIMES Magazine, May 2, 1963

Royal Albert Hall

This was the 1st concert played at Royal Albert Hall.

A total of 11 concerts have been played there • 1963 • Apr 18th • Apr 18th • Sep 15th • 1995 • Oct 16th • 1997 • Sep 15th • Oct 14th • 1999 • Apr 10th • 2002 • Nov 29th • 2006 • Nov 3rd • 2009 • Nov 12th • 2012 • Mar 29th

Setlist for the concert

1. Twist And Shout

   Written by Phil Medley, Bert Russell

   Album Available on The BBC Archives Volume 2

   Album Available on The Beatles At The Beeb - Volume 1

2. From Me To You

   Written by Lennon - McCartney

   Album Available on The BBC Archives Volume 2

   Album Available on The Beatles At The Beeb - Volume 1

Going further

• https://www.beatlesource.com/savage/1963/63.04.18%20albert%20hall/63.04.18alberthall.html