Based on interviews with Paul Anka and A&R executive Patrick Clifford. This episode examines claims that The Beatles began as a cover band and explores John Lennon’s own doubts to ask the controversial question: Did The Beatles write their own music?
Comment from Mike Williams: The Beatles' first performance as a band in France was on January 15, 1964, when they played a warm-up show at the Cinema Cyrano in Versailles (just outside Paris). There are no records of the Beatles (in any lineup, including with Pete Best) performing in France before 1964. The band's first major French engagement was this 1964 Paris residency, which ran from January 16 to February 4, 1964 and included 18 days of concerts at the Olympia Theatre. Their Paris trip was just before their Ed Sullivan appearance on February 9, 1964. The Paris dates mean that Please Please Me and With The Beatles were already released. This adds to the intrigue of Anka's comment.
