Long-Lost Beatles ‘Top Of The Pops’ Performance To Be Screened For The First Time In 50 Years

A long-lost clip of The Beatles performing ‘Paperback Writer’ on Top Of The Pops in 1966 is to be screened this weekend at Birmingham’s City University.

Only 11 seconds of the appearance was believed to exist previously, but the full 92 second clip is now set to be shown on Saturday, 1 June.

It was unearthed as part of a drive by the British Film Institute and Kaleidoscope, who launched a campaign in April last year to find the top 100 lost TV shows.  No. 2 on the list was Top Of The Pops, and more than 200 lost performances have since been donated, including the Beatles clip from music fan David Chandler.

This weekend’s screening will feature talks from professionals and will showcase the unseen performances to an audience of industry experts and music and TV enthusiasts.

Along with the footage of The Beatles, other performances to be screened from Top Of The Pops in 1966 include The Troggs’ ‘Anyway That You Want Me’, The Hollies’ ‘Bus Stop’, The Small Faces’ ‘My Mind’s Eye’ and a promo film of ‘A Love Like Yours’ by Ike and Tina Turner.

Other previously thought lost shows due to be screened on the day include an episode of Ready Steady Go from March 1964, another episode of Top Of The Pops from November 1969 featuring Fleetwood Mac, Jethro Tull, Nancy Sinatra, The Beatles and The Archies and another Top Of The Pops from February 1975 including performances from Showaddywaddy, The Stylistics, Slade and Bachman-Turner Overdrive.

In addition a May 1984 episode of Tyne Tees’ Razzmatazz featuring Eddy Grant, Spandau Ballet and Deniece Williams, with The Who’s Roger Daltrey as one of the show’s guest presenters, also features in the day’s programme.

The event will run at the university’s Parkside Building between 10am and 6pm and advance tickets can now be booked.

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Format: UK English