The Beatles 1963 Cardiff, England Handbill w/First Two #1 Singles Listed....

Description

The Beatles 1963 Cardiff, England Handbill w/First Two #1 Singles Listed. An original paper advertising flyer for the Fab Four playing two shows at the Capitol Theatre in Cardiff, the capital and largest city in Wales, U.K. The date for the 6:15 and 8:30 PM shows was Monday, May 27, 1963.

On this particular three-week tour, the Beatles shared the stage with Gerry and the Pacemakers - having a pretty boffo year themselves - Roy Orbison from America and other assorted U.K. talent. The home run on this piece is the display of the Beatles' first two #1 singles, "Please Please Me" and "From Me to You." Their floating heads are pretty cool, too, along with Gerry's and Roy's. And the booking form is complete, intact and not written on.

Can you believe a Beatles concert piece from a tour in which they opened their set with "Some Other Guy"? Are you kidding?

Fab fans, of course, cherish that song because of its ties to the only known film footage of the boys playing at the Cavern Club. There it is, grainy black-and-white footage from the summer of '62 right after Ringo joined... the Beatles performing "Some Other Guy" for less than a minute or whatever. (The song was co-written by Lieber & Stoller and Richie Barrett, the latter of whom released it as a single in '62.)

So that's how young & naïve the Beatles still were at this moment. That would all vanish when John & Paul wrote "She Loves You" in a Newcastle, England hotel room a month later.

However, even before then, based on the strength of their two #1 singles and skyrocketing popularity, the Beatles quickly took Roy Orbison's place in headlining/closing the shows on this tour, which ran from May 18 to June 9.

According to Mark Lewisohn's The Complete Beatles Chronicle, their set listed consisted every night of "Some Other Guy," "Do You Want to Know a Secret," "Love Me Do," "From Me to You," "Please Please Me," "I Saw Her Standing There" and "Twist and Shout." You just can't beat the Beatles in spring 1963 for youthful innocence. Even though they currently had, yes, the #1 album and single in the country, the rule rather than the exception in 1963.

As mentioned, Gerry & the Pacemakers, under Brian Epstein's guidance, were also having a gear 1963. They racked up three #1 singles in the spring, summer and fall, respectively: "How Do You Do It?" (more Beatles irony), "I Like It" and "You'll Never Walk Alone."

As for the American legend that is Roy Orbison, he was doing just fine on the British charts as well: three Top 10 singles in the year of '63: "In Dreams," "Falling" and "Blue Bayou." This fun flyer also plugs three other Orby UK top-tenners above his name: "Only the Lonely," "Dream Baby" and "Running Scared."

Measures 10" x 7" and grades to Good condition. Handbill was once folded down into 8ths, and the creases weaken its structure. They also result in three half-inch edge tears along the top, none of which reach the yellow. There are two more at the bottom, however, which do, and the middle crease tears through the "6" in "8/6." The left one creates tiny holes around the "Y" in "Roy." And notice there's a brown spot on the "5/6." There are plenty of other handling creases to this glossy handbill, which again is now a bit weak and floppy - but nothing in danger of falling apart. Some dirt and grime present, especially on the verso. At least the booking form is fully intact and not written on. COA from Heritage Auctions.

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