Today in Beatles History: October 30

[B] 1961
Two days after Beatles fan Raymond Jones asked for The Beatles'
German single "My Bonnie" (recorded with Tony Sheridan) at Brian
Epstein's NEMS record store, two girls ask for the same record.
Brian Epstein begins to search foreign record company import lists
to find the single. Since Epstein had already sold at least 12
dozen copies of Liverpool's "Mersey Beat" magazine (and had written
a column for it), it is highly unlikely that he doesn't already
know who The Beatles are. Still, Epstein's difficulty in locating
the record is probably due to his not knowing that the record was
released, not by The Beatles, but by Tony Sheridan and 'The Beat
Brothers' ('Beatles' resembles a vulgar slang word in German, so
The Beatles' name was changed for this historic single).

[B] 1962
The Beatles fly to Hamburg for their fourth engagement, this one to
last a mere 14 nights (at the Star-Club).

[B] 1963
Before returning to England following the conclusion of their
Swedish tour, The Beatles travel to Narren-teatern, Grona Lund,
Stockholm, Sweden, to tape an appearance for the Sverige Television
program "Drop In". Taping is done before a live audience.
Originally scheduled to perform only two songs, The Beatles are
asked by the promoter (Klas Burling) to perform four songs. They
record "She Loves You", "Twist and Shout", "I Saw Her Standing
There", and "Long Tall Sally". The Beatles very clearly had a
great time during this session. Broadcast on November 3.

[B] 1964
The Beatles, on a tour of Britain, perform two shows at the Gaumont
Cinema in Bournemouth.

[O] 1964
UK release of Alma Cogan single "It's You/I Knew Right Away"
(Columbia). Paul McCartney plays tambourine on the B-side. Not
released in the US. [Note: one source gives Sept. 30 as the
release date and claims that it is the A-side on which McCartney
plays tambourine.] Cogan was Britain's top female singer of the
fifties, and she was a close friend of Brian Epstein's (at one time
it had been rumored that they would marry). She became good
friends with The Beatles, and in 1965 Cogan released two singles
with cover versions of Beatles songs: "Yesterday" and "Eight Days a
Week/Help!" She died of cancer at the age of 34 on October 26,
1966.

[B] 1965
"Yesterday" is the #1 single in the US for the 4th week in a row.

[P] 1967
Paul McCartney and cameraman Aubrey Dewar fly to Nice, France, to
film the "The Fool on the Hill" sequence. They spend Oct. 31
filming a variety of random scenes with a "daydream sequence"
approach. They return to England on November 1.

[J] 1971
John Lennon's "Imagine" LP reaches #1 in the US charts.

[B] 1989
UK re-release of Beatles single "Something/Come Together"
(Parlophone). 20th anniversary reissue. Released as a regular
single and also as a picture disc.

[J] 1990
Release of John Lennon posthumous compilation 4-CD box set "Lennon"
in the US (Capitol) and the UK (EMI). Issued in commemoration of
Lennon's 50th birthday. Issued only in CD format. Contains 73
songs.

[G] 1990
US release of Traveling Wilburys CD, LP and cassette "The Traveling
Wilburys Volume 3" (Wilbury/Warner Brothers). This is the
Wilburys' second album - there was no volume two. The members'
pseudonyms were changed to Spike Wilbury (George Harrison), Muddy
Wilbury (Tom Petty), Clayton Wilbury (Jeff Lynne), and Boo Wilbury
(Bob Dylan). The album is dedicated to Lefty Wilbury (the late Roy
Orbison). Songs: "She's My Baby", "The Devil's Been Busy", "Where
Were You Last Night?", "Wilbury Twist", "If You Belonged to Me",
"Inside Out", "Seven Deadly Sins", "Poor House", "Cool Dry Place",
"New Blue Moon", and "You Took My Breath Away".