Hospital Radio: When the Beatles played in Torquay

One band has a very special place in the history of UK music and world music for that matter. They of course are the Beatles and on Sunday August 18, 1963, they made their only concerts appearance in Torquay at the Princess Theatre. 

They played at 6pm and 8.30pm and the top tier tickets were 10/6. Their catalogue of songs forms a large section in the Torbay Hospital Radio Library, as do the solo tracks of the fab four.

If we fast forward to April 1970, with Paul McCartney due to release his first solo album, there were rumours that the band was finished as was his partnership with John Lennon. Both proved to be true. This was a prolific period for music from the individual members and some were written whilst they were still a four piece. They had produced the White (double) album in 1968 and many journalists have  talked about The Black Album an unofficial compilation album of solo material.

Potentially that album would have contained some classic tracks, such as, George’s “My Sweet Lord,” “Maybe I’m Amazed” by Paul McCartney and Lennon’s “Imagine.” Not to be outdone Ringo had some cracking songs out about that time including “It Don’t Come Easy” and “Back off Boogaloo,” which like his band mates’ efforts were huge hits all around the world. 

Since the early seventies there has been a continual stream of classic tracks, that would sit well as solo tracks, but equally would have fitted the Beatles MO, despite Harrison and Lennon not being with us anymore.

The songs still continue in 2025 as former Beatle Ringo Starr has a new album out which is different to any of his previous releases. 

‘Look Up’ is his homage to country music, containing 11 new country-influenced tracks. Ringo who is now 84, claims to have been influenced by the “Cunard Yanks" - Liverpool's merchant sailors who sailed to America in the 1950s and 60s and when they returned they did so with exotic records, many of which were country influenced. 

In the main the tracks were written by T Bone" Burnett who was a guitarist in Bob Dylan's band during the 1970s. It is an easy to listen to album and not like anything he has put out before.

 George Harrison’s last sole album was Brainwashed which came out in 2002 a year after his death and 15 years after his previous studio album, ‘Cloud Nine’. Recordings began over a decade before his death. 

The album was completed by his son Dhani and longtime friend and collaborator Jeff Lynne of ELO.  The instrumental "Marwa Blues" received a Grammy award for Best Pop Instrumental Performance in 2004, showing the quality of his work in his time since the breakup. We should also not forget that George was a member of the Traveling Wilburys perhaps the biggest supergroup of all-time who with   Bob Dylan, Jeff Lynne, Roy Orbison and Tom Petty were formed in 1988

Of course, Lennon and McCartney were the two best known Beatles and some might argue that John’s output whilst less than Paul’s was of superior quality. 

One only needs to consider Imagine to give that argument some credence as well as "Give Peace a Chance", "Instant Karma!", and "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)". I am not sure I agree as McCartney has  a huge solo catalogue of work, including US or UK number-one hits, such as "My Love", "Band on the Run",  Pipes of Peace", and "Mull of Kintyre". Plus of course", ""Ebony and Ivory" (with Stevie Wonder), and "Say Say Say" (with Michael Jackson). 

Both John Lennon and Paul McCartney have been inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. Paul McCartney was inducted in 1987. John Lennon also received this honour, acknowledging the significant role both played in shaping modern pop music with their legendary song writing partnership. They are all quite important I would say.