Beatles history - 1963 December
Previous / Next month
Date Event
1
Sunday
Concert at the De Montfort Hall, Leicester (`The Beatles Autumn Tour').
2
Monday
The contract for the 1964 Australia tour is signed.
2
Monday
Studio C, ATV studios, Borehamwood, Hertfordshire. Recording for ATV's `The Morecambe and Wise Show'. Brian Epstein, Brian Sommerville and Dezo Hoffmann attend. Live performance, performance of `On Moonlight Bay' with Morecambe and Wise, and sketch. Evening: Performance at the Grosvenor House Hotel, London, for the Stars Organization for Spastics. Last cabaret performance. Brian attends.
3
Tuesday
Concert at the Guild Hall, Portsmouth (`The Beatles Autumn Tour') (postponed 12 November).
4
Wednesday
`She Loves You', 14th week in the Top 10 (UK New Musical Express chart). `Please Please Me' LP, 37th week in the Top 10 (UK New Musical Express chart). `With The Beatles' number 1, 2nd week (UK New Musical Express chart). `I Want To Hold Your Hand' number 1, 1st week (UK New Musical Express chart).
6
Friday
The members of the Beatles Fans Club receive the first Christmas record.
7
Saturday
`With The Beatles' number 1, 1st week (UK Record Retailer chart).
7
Saturday
BBC's `It's The Beatles' filmed at the Fans Club Convention.
7
Saturday
Concert at the Empire, Liverpool.
8
Sunday
Concert at the Odeon, Lewisham (`The Beatles Autumn Tour'). 2 shows.
8
Sunday
End of 1st tour promoted jointly by Brian and Arthur Howes, with Billy J. Kramer and the Dakotas, and support acts, at the Capitol Cinema, Cardiff.
9
Monday
Concert at the Odeon, Southend (`The Beatles Autumn Tour').
10
Tuesday
Concert at the Gaumont, Doncaster (`The Beatles Autumn Tour').
Read the interview on this day
11
Wednesday
`She Loves You', 15th week in the Top 10 (UK New Musical Express chart). `Please Please Me' LP, 38th week in the Top 10 (UK New Musical Express chart). `With The Beatles' number 1, 3rd week (UK New Musical Express chart). `I Want To Hold Your Hand' number 1, 2nd week (UK New Musical Express chart).
11
Wednesday
The Beatles go by train to Liverpool. Appearance on BBC TV's `Juke Box Jury', at the Moss Empire, Liverpool. Photographer Dezo Hoffmann present.
11
Wednesday
Concert at the Futurist, Scarborough (`The Beatles Autumn Tour').
12
Thursday
Concert at the Odeon, Nottingham.
13
Friday
Concert at the Gaumont, Southampton. End of `The Beatles Autumn Tour'.
13
Friday
The Beatles have singles number 1 and 2; EPs number 1, 2 and 3; and LPs number 1 and 2 (UK Record Retailer chart).
13
Friday
The club `Ad Lib' opens at 7 Leicester Place, London.
14
Saturday
`With The Beatles' number 1, 2nd week (UK Record Retailer chart). `I Want To Hold Your Hand' number 1 (UK Record Retailer chart [?]).
14
Saturday
Southern Area Fan Club Convention, Wimbledon Palais, Wimbledon, London. Afternoon. Beatles greeting each fan attending, at the bar. Evening. Concert. Photographer Dezo Hoffmann present. 1st time crowd barriers are used for a Beatles concert.
15
Sunday
Merseybeat performance for 'Thank Your Lucky Stars' with host Cilla Black.
17
Tuesday
Being an hour early for today's BBC session, the Beatles buy clothes at Simpson's, 203 Piccadilly, London. [18 December?]
17
Tuesday
The Playhouse Theatre, London. 3.00-6.30pm. Recording for BBC's `Saturday Club': `All I Want For Christmas'; `All My Loving'; `This Boy'; `I Want To Hold Your Hand'; `Till There Was You'; `Roll Over Beethoven'; `She Loves You'; `Crimble Medley'. Christmas special edition.
18
Wednesday
`She Loves You', 16th week in the Top 10 (UK New Musical Express chart). `Please Please Me' LP, 39th week in the Top 10 (UK New Musical Express chart). `With The Beatles' number 1, 4th week (UK New Musical Express chart). `I Want To Hold Your Hand' number 1, 3rd week (UK New Musical Express chart).
18
Wednesday
Being an hour early for today's BBC session, the Beatles buy clothes at Simpson's, 203 Piccadilly, London. [17 December?]
18
Wednesday
BBC Paris Studio, London. 7.00-10.30pm. Recording for BBC's `From Us To You' (1st edition): `From Us To You'; `She Loves You'; `All My Loving'; `Roll Over Beethoven'; `Till There Was You'; `Boys'; `Money (That's What I Want)'; `I Saw Her Standing There'; `Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport'; `I Want To Hold Your Hand'; `From Us To You'.
21
Saturday
`With The Beatles' number 1, 3rd week (UK Record Retailer chart).
21
Saturday
First `Christmas Show', at the Gaumont, Bradford, with various artists managed by Brian.
21
Saturday
10.00-12.00am. BBC's `Saturday Club' broadcast (recorded 17 December 1963).
22
Sunday
Christmas concert at the Empire, Liverpool.
22
Sunday
ABC-TV broadcasts the concert at the Ardwick Apollo, Manchester (recorded 20 November 1963). Recording of Christmas edition of `Thank Your Lucky Stars'.
23
Monday
Radio Luxembourg's `It's The Beatles' series begins.
24
Tuesday
Start of the daily `Beatles Christmas Shows', at the Astoria Cinema, Finsbury Park, London, with Billy J. Kramer with the Dakotas, Tommy Quickly, Cilla Black, and the Fourmost, plus the Barron Knights with the Duke D'Mond, and Rolf Harris as compere. Photographer Dezo Hoffmann attends. After the show, Brian hires a night flight to take most of the bill to Liverpool for Christmas.
24
Tuesday
Start of Christmas pantomime `Babes In the Wood', with Gerry and the Pacemakers, at the Gaumont, Hanley.
25
Wednesday
The flight hired by Brian takes the Christmas Show bill back from Liverpool, in time for this day's performance. `Beatles Christmas Show' at the Astoria, Finsbury Park, London.
25
Wednesday
`She Loves You', 17th week in the Top 10 (UK New Musical Express chart). `Please Please Me' LP, 40th week in the Top 10 (UK New Musical Express chart). `With The Beatles' number 1, 5th week (UK New Musical Express chart). `I Want To Hold Your Hand' number 1, 4th week (UK New Musical Express chart).
26
Thursday
US single release: `I Want To Hold Your Hand'/`I Saw Her Standing There'.
26
Thursday
`Beatles Christmas Show', at the Astoria Cinema, Finsbury Park, London.
26
Thursday
10.00-12.00am. 1st BBC's `From Us To You' broadcast (recorded 18 December 1963).
27
Friday
London `Times' critics award Lennon and McCartney as the best composers of the year.
27
Friday
`Beatles Christmas Show', at the Astoria Cinema, Finsbury Park, London.
27
Friday
UK single release: `Love Of The Loved', with Cilla Black.
28
Saturday
`With The Beatles' number 1, 4th week (UK Record Retailer chart).
28
Saturday
`Beatles Christmas Show', at the Astoria Cinema, Finsbury Park, London.
28
Saturday
`New Yorker' publishes a Brian Epstein interview. 1st serious article about the Beatles or Brian in the US.
29
Sunday
12.50am. New York WMCA broadcasts `I Want To Hold Your Hand' for the first time in the USA.
29
Sunday
The `Sunday Times' critic Richard Buckle praises the Beatles as the greatest composers since Beethoven.
30
Monday
`Beatles Christmas Show', at the Astoria Cinema, Finsbury Park, London.
31
Tuesday
`Beatles Christmas Show', at the Astoria Cinema, Finsbury Park, London.
Category Description Link
Year by Year One or several years on a page. History includes interviews, album links.
Month by Month One month on a page. History includes pictures, interviews, album links.
Day by Day See what happend on a specific day and month in different years. History includes pictures, interviews, album links.
Help needed
If you have any questions, suggestions or events that aren't in this database please feel free to post. Your help is very appreciated!