Martin Freeman-hosted Beatles podcast to feature rediscovered interview
BBC archivist Elliot Gibson found the Radio Newsreel report which has been unheard for almost 60 years.
Actor Martin Freeman is presenting a new podcast about The Beatles to celebrate the band’s upcoming new track release.
Now And Then, written and sung by John Lennon, has been redeveloped featuring the other band members for a release next month.
Freeman, known for The Hobbit film series and BBC show Sherlock, has recorded the podcast series in Liverpool and the first five episodes have been released to BBC Sounds.
Eras: The Beatles features an interview with George Harrison, Sir Paul McCartney and Sir Ringo Starr – unheard for almost 60 years – as they land in London Airport, now Heathrow Airport, after playing in France.
Recorded on February 5 1964 for former BBC programme Radio Newsreel, this interview took place shortly before the Liverpool-formed band travelled to New York and appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show.
BBC archivist Elliot Gibson said: “I found this interview which was originally on a physical reel of tape which contained news clips whilst undertaking a project to digitise 30,000 quarter-inch reels from the BBC archive.
“There’s often something surprising to be found in old archive material when you scratch the surface, but I never expected to find something of this quality – a complete Beatles interview by reporter Reg Abbiss.
“Initially, I assumed it was a copy of an interview that was widely known, so when I checked and discovered it was unique and hadn’t been heard since its broadcast – almost 60 years ago – I was amazed.
“It’s extremely rare to unearth material this valuable in the archive.
“What makes it truly great is that it shows The Beatles on top form – playful and quick-witted – and captures them just before their first visit to America, which would turn out to be a pivotal moment in their career. Who knows what I will find next?”
The BBC Radio 2 and BBC Sounds series also charts the history of The Beatles from decisions they made in the beginning to British Beatlemania, their arrival in the US, break-up and solo careers.
The final episode, available on BBC Sounds from 2pm on November 2 when the new track is released, features a new interview with Sir Paul and Sir Ringo as they discuss the making of Now And Then and reflect on their lives.
It also features insight on the new track from Lennon’s son with Yoko Ono, Sean Ono Lennon, Harrison’s widow Olivia Harrison and The Hobbit trilogy director Peter Jackson.
Jackson’s 2021 documentary, The Beatles: Get Back, used audio restoration technology that allowed for vocals, music and conservations by the band to be isolated.
This technology helped the creation of the new track as Lennon’s voice could be isolated.
BBC Two will also release a new documentary, which explores the relationship between the corporation and The Beatles, on November 4.
The Beatles And The BBC features a performance of Ticket To Ride on a 1965 William Hartnell episode of Doctor Who, an interview with Sir Paul on A Degree Of Frost in 1964 in which he discusses early retirement plans and writing with Lennon and a six-minute version of All You Need Is Love from an Our World live broadcast across Europe in June 1967.
