Another Channel

June 21, 1962

Brian Epstein is developing a new strategy that starts today for bringing his band, The Beatles, to the top of mind of British music consumers.  He's going to book some A-list acts (especially American), so the Beatles can be seen to be sharing the stage with them.  Today, a Thursday evening, is their first foray into this arena.

The headliner is Bruce Channel and his harmonica player, texan Delbert McLinton.  The friendly McLinton shares the finer points of rock and roll harmonica with John Lennon.  Lennon, who is working on Beatles songwriting arrangements, borrows the musical  hook to Channel's "Hey, Baby" and inserts the result into their "Love Me Do".  The harmonica (along with hand claps) is soon to become a prominent (and catchy) feature of early Beatle arrangements.

The show is hosted by Liverpool jive hall impresario, Bob Woller at the Tower Ballroom.  And it's just one more example of how Brian Epstein, with his upper class manners, can open doors that are closed to most Liverpudlians.