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Tony Blackburn looks back to an incredible music story in Bradford’s history...

It was February 1963, and a concert in Bradford that marked the start of what was to officially become known that year as ‘Beatlemania!’ In 1962, The Beatles had only reached No. 17 in the charts with Love Me Do, followed by Please Please Me reaching No. 15 in January 1963. Then, following a performance on the TV show Thank Your Lucky Stars, the band were booked by promoter Arthur Howes to join an upcoming tour – the band’s first in this country - with Kenny Lynch, Danny Williams and Helen Shapiro. Their first show on that tour was at The Gaumont Cinema in Bradford, and just four days later, Please Please Me shot up the charts to No.2... Beatlemania had begun!

The group returned to The Gaumont Cinema that December before returning for a third, and final, concert in October 1964 on what was also John Lennon’s 24th birthday. That same venue was saved from demolition and has now been fully restored, bringing it back to its former glory as a live music venue and entertainment hub for the city and Bradford LIVE, opening later this year.

Additionally, Bradford-based The Black Dyke Band is one of the oldest and most well-known brass bands in the world. In September 1968, they were signed by The Beatles to their Apple Records label. Their debut single was a Lennon-McCartney composition called Thingumybob which was used as the theme tune to the LWT sitcom of the same name. Paul produced the recording in what marked the beginning of a long working relationship with The Beatles and members of The Black Dyke Band. They released three further singles on Apple Records before being recruited again by Paul in the 1970s to perform on the Wings album Back To The Egg.