I've read a million times about the Beatles' Christmas records they recorded every year for their fan club members
(in my mind they only made them up til like, 1965, but they made one for each Xmas from 1963 to 1969 and, shockingly, up until 1968 were still fun, funny, energetic and warm affairs), but I've never actually seen or heard one, or known anyone who has. I suppose in the age of the Internet it's a lot easier to find, but I've kind of thought of those records as something like unicorns and leprechauns, ie things that
make me sooooo fucking horny don't really exist. Meanwhile,
here's a nice little summary of each year's record. Enjoy!
Thus, for the next seven years (from 1963 to 1969), the boys would record a 7-inch flexi-disc of them singing and talking, which would be mailed directly to their U.S. and U.K. fan club members.
The first few Christmas records were written as scripts, but it’s the boys’ ad-libs that make them so interesting. The records give a glimpse into the boys’ Monty Python-esque humor, a humor which is, at it’s best, hilarious and which was a key ingredient in the band’s incredible success and popularity. A popular British radio show, “The Goon Show,” featuring Peter Sellers, had a definite influence on the Beatles’ Christmas recordings. John Lennon, especially, was a devoted, inveterate fan of the show.
PS - hey,
whaddya know. That dang internet's really something, eh?
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