The Beatles in Australia

Sixty years ago The Fab Four toured Australia for the first and last time. Greg Armstrong is the co-author of When We Was Fab - Inside The Beatles' Australasian Tour 1964. He takes us behind the scenes of the tour— the promoters who lucked out by signing the band up before the height of their fame, the late inclusion of the Adelaide shows, the band's unprecedented reception in the streets, and how Australia's music scene was left permanently changed when it was all over. 

Our thanks to all of the listeners who got in touch with us about their memories of the 1964 Australian tour. In this episode we hear from Gillian, Maggie, Jane, Paul, Robert, Geoff, Geraldine, Dianne, Pauline and Chris.

Music heard in the show:

Title: It Won't Be Long
Artist: The Beatles
Composer: Lennon-McCartney
Album: With The Beatles
Label: Parlophone PMCO 1206

Title: I Want To Hold Your Hand
Artist: The Beatles
Composer: Lennon-McCartney
Album: (Single)
Label: Parlophone A8103

Title: Misery
Artist: The Beatles
Composer: Lennon-McCartney
Album: Please Please Me
Label: Parlophone PMCO 1202

Title: Roll Over Beethoven
Artist: The Beatles
Composer: Chuck Berry
Album: With The Beatles
Label: Parlophone PMCO 1206

Title: Can't Buy Me Love (Live in Melbourne 1964)
Artist: The Beatles
Composer: Lennon-McCartney
ABC Recording

Title: (Let's Have A) Party
Artist: Johnny Chester
Composer: Jessie Mae Robinson
Album: Rocker 1961-1966
Label: ScreenSound Australia CD/SSA/3C0026

Title: Long Tall Sally
Artist: The Beatles
Composer: Enotris Johnson, Robert Blackwell, Richard Penniman
Album: (Single)
Label: Parlophone GEP 8913

Title: She Loves You
Artist: The Beatles
Composer: Lennon-McCartney
Album: (Single)
Label: Parlophone A8093

Title: Lotus
Artist: The Twilights
Composer: Terry Britten
Album: The Way They Played
Label: Raven Records RVCD-364

Title: Twist And Shout (Live in Melbourne 1964)
Artist: The Beatles
Composer: Bert Berns, Phil Medley
ABC Recording

The Music Show is made on Gadigal and Gundungurra Country.

Technical production by Simon Branthwaite