Saturday, April 3, 1965
Thank Your Lucky Stars
TV Show • By The Beatles • Recorded Mar 28, 1965
Last updated on July 15, 2026
Saturday, April 3, 1965
TV Show • By The Beatles • Recorded Mar 28, 1965
Last updated on July 15, 2026
Previous TV show Mar 28, 1965 • Filming of Thank Your Lucky Stars
Article April 1965 • Photo shoot of the "Help!" cover
Session Apr 02, 1965 • Mixing "You're Going to Lose That Girl"
TV show Apr 03, 1965 • Thank Your Lucky Stars
Article April 5-6, 1965 • Filming “Help!” at Twickenham • Days 9 and 10
Article Apr 06, 1965 • The Beatles receive a Radio Caroline award
Next TV show Apr 10, 1965 • Filming of Top Of The Pops
On March 28, 1965, The Beatles took a break for filming their second feature film, “Help!”, to travel to Birmingham for their last appearance on “Thank Your Lucky Stars“.
They mimed three songs for the programme, including their forthcoming single “Ticket To Ride“, which would be released on April 9, 1965, along with its B-Side “Yes It Is.” Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr were also interviewed by the show’s host, Brian Matthew.
This edition of “Thank Your Lucky Stars” was broadcast on ITV on April 3, from 5:50 pm to 6:35 pm.
From Wikipedia:
Thank Your Lucky Stars was a British television pop music show made by ABC Weekend TV, and broadcast on ITV from 1961 to 1966. Of all the show’s presenters, Brian Matthew is perhaps the best remembered. Many of the leading pop groups of the time performed on it. As well as featuring British artists, it often included American guest stars.
It would appear from the surviving footage that the bands mimed their latest 45. Occasionally a band was allowed to do two numbers (possibly the A-side and B-side sides of their latest single or an EP or LP track); bands of a higher status such as The Beatles or The Rolling Stones would sometimes play up to as many as four numbers.
A typical 1961 programme listing included The Dale Sisters, Adam Faith, John Leyton, The Brook Brothers, Geoff Goddard and Dion.
Audience participation was a feature of Thank Your Lucky Stars, and the Spin-a-Disc section, in which a guest DJ and three teenagers reviewed three singles, was a feature of the show. Generally, American singles were reviewed. It was on that segment that Janice Nicholls appeared. She was a former office clerk from the English Midlands who became known for the catchphrase “Oi’ll give it foive” which she said with a strong Black Country accent. After she was dropped from the show she trained as a chiropodist and ran a practice in Hednesford in Staffordshire. Billy Butler was another reviewer.
The Beatles’ second national television performance was on the programme, the first being on children’s programme Tuesday Rendezvous on 4 December 1962. The first theme song was by Peter Knight & The Knightriders and, later on, “Lunar Walk” by Johnny Hawksworth was used.
The show ended on 25 June 1966, after two thousand artists appearances. The Musicians’ Union was not in favour of such shows because, until the change of policy in 1966, the songs were mimed.
The vast majority of Thank Your Lucky Stars shows are lost. Only a small handful are known have survived in full, as well as incomplete segments from other shows. […]
THE BEATLES BOOKED FOR THREE TV SHOWS
THE Beatles headline ABC-TV’s “Thank Your Lucky Stars” on April 3 and they are to film two, possibly three, appearances for screening in BBC-TV’s “Top Of The Pops” series early next month. Tomorrow (Saturday) BBC Light Programme listeners will hear them chatting to Brian Matthew on the telephone from Austria on “Saturday Club.”
The new TV and radio appearances are to introduce their first single of 1965 “Ticket To Ride,” which is another Lennon-McCartney composition, as is the coupling, “Yes, It Is.” The disc is released on April 9.
Both sides of the record feature John as the lead singer— Paul sings with him on “Ticket,” and Paul and George on “Yes It Is.” “Ticket,” a mid-tempo number, introduces Paul instead of George on lead guitar.
The Beatles will have their own two-hour radio show on Whit-Monday morning (June 7th), as they did last year. But they will be unable to record a similar show for Easter Monday — instead, they will tape a special interview for use in a programme of similar format which the BBC is planning for that day.
From New Musical Express – March 19, 1965
Cyn’s jumper is a tight fit for Paul
WHEN you see the Beatles on “Thank Your Lucky Stars” tomorrow, take a close look at Paul. You might just see a flash of bare midriff — for he filmed the show on Sunday wearing a poloneck sweater slightly too small. Not surprising, it belongs to John’s wife, Cyn!
Despite many days of preparation by television officials and Birmingham police for B-day in the Midlands, the foursome arrived at the Alpha Studios without a thought of what they were going to wear. Sweaters won (probably because they had no shirts with them), but there weren’t even enough of those. Luckily, John had Cyn’s with him!
This is how the conversation went when they arrived at their dressing-room:
GEORGE: What suits are we wearing?
PAUL: What suits have we got here?
NEIL (their road manager and friend): The ones with the epaulettes. Or these.
RINGO: There’s only two of those.
JOHN: Where are the other two?
MAL (their other road manager): You had them last at Hammersmith.
JOHN: But that was three months ago.
GEORGE: There’s only one answer; we’ll have to wear the ones with the epaulettes.
JOHN: What a drag.
GEORGE: Paul and I haven’t got any black polo-necks with us.
JOHN: I’ve got a couple of spares. One’s Cyn’s and the other one’s mine.
Here you are Paul (handing him Cyn’s sweater).
PAUL: Ta. It’s a great fit. (He turned round to reveal a strip of bare flesh between the sweater and his trousers.)
JOHN: No one’s going to see you with your jacket on top. Look at my hair, I can’t do a thing with it (Struggles with comb and finally breaks it in two).
Just then a hysterical fan broke into the dressing-room, clinging to each one in turn. But she was soon ushered out by the police. John, Paul, George and Ringo didn’t seem bothered.
“Beatles wanted for rehearsals,” boomed a voice over the loudspeaker.
“Did you know that they want us to open with ‘Eight Days A Week’?” said Paul.
“How does that go?” queried John. “I’ve only sung it once before.”
“I’ll tell you the words as we go along,” answered George.
“Got any ciggies left, Ringo?” yelled John.
“You smoked all mine, ask Mal to get us some more.”
Apart from the fact that John wasn’t very sure of his words, rehearsals went quite smoothly.
Returning to their dressing-room Ringo declared: “I’m hungry. Can we have some sandwiches and coke, Mal?”
“I’ve got a headache. Got any aspirins, Mal?” asked John.
While Mal was trying to meet their requirements, they ran through their final numbers—their new single “Ticket To Ride” and the flipside “Yes It Is.”
John looking like a character out of “Midsummer Nights Dream” in green corduroy trousers and boots to match, suddenly remembered: “I can’t go on in these boots. Who can lend me some?” All heads shook a “no.”
Just then Peter and Gordon entered the room.
“Ah, my good friend Gordon,” smiled John. “You take the same size boots as me, don’t you? Can I borrow them?”
“Yeh, sure. But don’t forget to give them back. I need them to go on.”
“Beatles ready to go on the air,” boomed the voice once again.
“Come on George, you’re not even dressed yet,” cried Neil impatiently trying to hurry him up.
You could hear the audience from the dressing-room—they were wild!
The famous four came back sooner than expected.
“We had to run off before the end,” said John. “The kids broke loose. We would have been scalped if we had stayed.”
“That’s the price you pay for being famous,” chirped in Ringo.
“Let’s go,” said Mal.
They made their exit as they did their entrance—out through the back, with just a handful of fans waving goodbye.
From New Musical Express – April 2, 1965
This was the 2nd concert played at Alpha Television Studios.
A total of 2 concerts have been played there • 1963 • Jan 19 • 1965 • Apr 3
Eight Days A Week Mimed
Ticket To Ride Mimed
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