Video footage of the Beatles’ only live Top of the Pops appearance has been unearthed in Mexico.
The 11-second silent clip shows the legendary Merseyside band miming along to Paperback Writer during their 1966 appearance on the chart show.
It was previously thought that all video records of the performance had been lost, as the BBC did not keep the original tapes.
However, the show was captured by a family in Liverpool, who filmed their TV set with an 8mm camera, BBC News reports.
The footage eventually reached a collector in Mexico, who contacted Birmingham-based company Kaleidoscope, who specialise in finding missing TV footage.
“I think if you’re a Beatles fan, it is the holy grail,” Kaleidoscope’s Chris Perry told the BBC.
“People thought it was gone forever because videotape wasn’t kept in 1966. To find it all these years later was stunning.”
Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison and Ringo Starr pre-recorded a number of hits for Top of the Pops, but only performed live on June 16, 1966.
As a result, this episode of the show has been an ongoing point of discussion for devoted fans of the group.
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| The Beatles performed at Top of the Pops in June 1966 |
The band also mimed along to Rain, the B-side to Paperback Writer, during the performance, which marked one of their last live TV appearances together.
Discussing the lost footage in 2000, a BBC spokesperson said: “We don’t know whether or not this particular piece of Top of the Pops history has disappeared forever, but unfortunately there was a time when BBC programmes were not archived as carefully as they are today and some programmes were sadly lost.”
The ‘lost’ clip will be screened at the BFI as part of the Music Believed Wiped programme on April 20.
Hosted by Kaleidoscope, the screening will also feature footage of Elton John, T-Rex and Nina Simone.
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The Fab Four
The Beatles are regarded as the most famous band in the world. The four lads from Liverpool revolutionized popular music, and in the 10 years they performed as a group were responsible for creating some of the most innovative and ground-breaking hits ever recorded.
Here are a few fascinating facts about one of the most popular bands of all time.
How much do you know about John, Paul, George, and Ringo?
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The Beatles on film
The Beatles were the first to produce music "videos" of their songs. Tired of performing on endless TV shows, the band started to record their songs as a film package, which was distributed to TV networks.
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Playback
The band were the first to experiment with tape reversal production techniques, both with vocals and instruments. Listen to tracks like 'Tomorrow Never Knows,' 'Rain,' and 'Strawberry Fields Forever.'
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What's in a name?
The group considered more than five names before adopting their moniker. The idea came from original bassist Stuart Sutcliffe, who suggested The Beetles in honor of Buddy Holly's band, The Crickets. The name was later altered to The Beatles.
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Cartoon characters
Between 1965 and 1969, the group appeared on television every Saturday morning in cartoon form. The animated show chronicled the adventures of the Liverpool quartet.
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First American TV appearance
The group's first appearance on American TV was on 3 January 1964, on the Jack Paar Program.
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Innovative
'Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band' was the first record to feature lyrics on the sleeve. It also came with a booklet and cut-out figurines.
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Record sales
To date, nearly 2 billion CDs, records, and tapes of The Beatles have been sold.
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Fiasco in the Philippines
When the band declined Philippine First Lady Imelda Marcos's dinner invitation, the group was mobbed by angry fans as they made their way to the airport.
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Two bites of the apple
Apple Records was founded by The Beatles in 1968. Apple Computer Company was created a decade later, and the two became embroiled in a legal dispute surrounding the trademark of the name. The eventual settlement was confidential, but it is rumored that the computer company bought the rights for $500 million.
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Cavern Club
Between December 1960 and August 1963, the group made 294 appearances at Liverpool's Cavern Club.
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Double act
John Lennon and Paul McCartney were the band's main songwriters, and they used the credit "Lennon and McCartney" on all tracks, even if it was a solo creation.
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Age differences
Born in 1940, Ringo is the oldest Beatle. George Harrison, born in 1943, was the youngest.
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Ringo's ill health
As a child Ringo suffered from various health problems. At age six, he was in a coma for several weeks, and when he was 13, he contracted pleurisy.
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'Yesterday'
'Yesterday' has been covered by more artists than any other track in popular music history.
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Nicknames
Early in their career, when the band was known as Silver Beatles, John Lennon was called Johnny Silver, Paul McCartney went by Paul Ramon, and George Harrison called himself Carl Harrison.
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Glued to the television set
In 1964, during the first five minutes of The Beatles' appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show in the US, there were no recorded incidents of homicide or assault across the entire nation.
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Number 1, again
Amazingly, 30 years after they split, The '1' compilation, released in 2000, became the group's best-selling album. It contained their 27 greatest hits.
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Top ranking
The band still holds the record for the highest number of albums in the US charts, with 19. This is more than Elvis Presley and the Rolling Stones.
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Dynamic duo
In 1960, Lennon and McCartney made an appearance as the Nerk Twins at the Fox and Hounds in Caversham, a pub in England. This was the only time they went on stage as a double act.
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Long hours in the studio
The Sgt. Pepper's sessions saw the group spend 30 days in the studio, around 700 hours!
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Mop tops
The Beatles' iconic hairstyle was created by Astrid Kirchnerr, original member Stu Sutcliffe's girlfriend at the time.
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The end
By 1969, and the recording of 'Abbey Road,' the band had imploded and were just weeks away from splitting up. In fact, many of the tracks were recorded individually. They never recorded again as a group.
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Early talent
McCartney composed his first song, called 'I Lost My Little Girl,' in 1955, when he was only 14 years old.
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Ringo walks out
During the 'White Album' sessions, Starr was at odds with McCartney and left The Beatles for two weeks.
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Music rights
Sony/ATV owns part of the Beatles music catalogue after purchasing 50% of the late Michael Jackson's share.
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The Beatles and the Stones
'I Wanna Be Your Man' was a hit for the Rolling Stones. The track was given to the band by the writers, John Lennon and Paul McCartney.
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The best drummer
Starr replaced The Beatles's original drummer Pete Best, a move that proved unpopular with some.
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Music on film
During an interview included in 'The Beatles Anthology' documentary, Harrison quips that the band invented MTV.
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Hey Jude
Paul McCartney wrote 'Hey Jude' for John Lennon's son Julian, after the youngster endured the separation of Lennon and his wife, Cynthia.
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