The Music of Lennon & McCartney is a 1965 British television special honouring the Lennon–McCartney songwriting partnership of John Lennon and Paul McCartney of the English rock band the Beatles. It was produced by Granada Television and aired on that station on 16 December 1965 before receiving a national broadcast across the entire ITV network, of which Granada was a part, the following evening. The programme mainly consisted of other artists miming to their recordings of Lennon–McCartney songs, interspersed with scripted commentary from Lennon and McCartney. In addition, the Beatles performed both sides of their current single, "Day Tripper" and "We Can Work It Out". Peter Sellers performed a comedic interpretation of "A Hard Day's Night", in the style of stage actor Laurence Olivier's portrayal of Richard III.
The special served as further recognition for the Beatles, particularly Lennon and McCartney, outside the usual parameters of pop music. It followed the band members being presented with their MBEs in late October 1965 and led to a surge in the number of cover versions of Lennon–McCartney songs. The special was not shown again until December 1985, when it aired as part of Channel 4's celebration of 30 years of Granada Television.
Background and filming
The Music of Lennon & McCartney was a project initiated by Johnnie Hamp, who had championed the Beatles on Granada Television in 1962, a year before the band achieved national fame. Hamp intended the 1965 special to be a tribute to the Lennon–McCartney songwriting partnership. Negotiations to ensure the Beatles' participation were held for two months. The format was a variety special. Paul McCartney later said that the show "wasn't really our thing", and that he and John Lennon only agreed to participate out of loyalty towards Hamp. While the band committed to the Granada project, they turned down an invitation to perform at the Royal Variety Show and refused to reprise the Beatles Christmas Shows they had held over the 1963–64 and 1964–65 holiday seasons.
Filming took place at Granada's studios in Manchester on 1–2 November 1965. The Beatles interrupted the recording sessions for their album Rubber Soul, which they were under pressure to complete for a pre-Christmas release, in order to appear on the programme. Lennon and McCartney's contributions included delivering the scripted links between other artists' performances of their songs. George Harrison and Ringo Starr joined their bandmates to film mimed performances of both sides of the Beatles' forthcoming single, "Day Tripper" and "We Can Work It Out". The set design featured scaffolding around the walls, and steps and ladders. The harmonium played by Lennon during "We Can Work It Out" was the same instrument seen in Granada's popular soap opera Coronation Street. The Pamela Devis Dancers provided the choreography for some of the musical segments.
Peter Sellers filmed his contribution in advance at a studio in London, due to his other film commitments. The Beatles admired R&B singer Esther Phillips and had her flown over from America to give her first performances in the UK.
Programme content
All information per John Winn's book Way Beyond Compare: The Beatles' Recorded Legacy, Volume One, 1962–1965, unless otherwise noted.
Part 1
The George Martin Orchestra, medley including "I Feel Fine" – ends with a cut to Lennon and McCartney playing a cymbal with drumsticks Peter and Gordon, "A World Without Love" – introduced by Lennon and McCartney after the pair have listened to some cover versions of their songs played on set props such as a Victrola, a reel-to-reel tape machine, and a transistor radio Lulu, "I Saw Him Standing There" Alan Haven and Tony Crombie, "A Hard Day's Night" Fritz Spiegl's Barock and Roll Ensemble, medley including "She Loves You" – introduced by Lennon and McCartney; the ensemble members wear Baroque-era costumes and powdered wigs, and are surrounded by a crowd of women dressed in contemporary Mod fashions The Beatles, "Day Tripper" – accompanied by a group of go-go dancers
Part 2
Paul McCartney/Marianne Faithfull, "Yesterday" – starts with McCartney miming to the Beatles' 1965 track and cuts abruptly, at the start of the second verse, to Faithfull miming to her recent recording, which she sings in a different key Antonio Vargas, "She Loves You" – preceded by Lennon and McCartney walking around the set while they discuss foreign-language interpretations of their songs Dick Rivers, "Ces Mots Qu'on Oublie un Jour (Things We Said Today)" Billy J. Kramer & the Dakotas, "Bad to Me" Cilla Black, "It's for You"