Another year, another Beatles archival project. And, once more, another Beatles doc.
You’ll probably be aware that the US albums that the group released between 1964 and 65 are being reissued next month. Now it’s been announced that to accompany these, a new documentary - Beatles ‘64 - will be released on November 29, to be streamed exclusively on Disney+.
The film, produced by Martin Scorsese and directed by David Tedeschi focuses on the game-changing affect the Fab Four’s arrival in the US had on American music and culture. For the baby boomer generation, it was a seismic event, the ripples of which are still being felt decades on.
Beatles ‘64 is set to cover all that, as well as the group’s performance on the Ed Sullivan show, seen by a record-breaking 73 million viewers, as well their first Stateside tour in summer 1964. The film includes rare footage filmed by pioneering documentarians Albert and David Maysles, as well as unseen archive material from the band’s first US gig at the Washington DC Coliseum and newly-filmed interviews with fans and, of course, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr.
It’s the first time Scorsese has been involved in a Beatles archival project, though the iconic director won much praise for his 2011 documentary about one member - George Harrison: Living In The Material World – and also has a Stones’ concert film, Shine A Light, and the Bob Dylan documentary No Direction Home elsewhere on his illustrious CV.
A week before the documentary, on November 22, those reissues land. These are Meet The Beatles!, The Beatles' Second Album, the original soundtrack for A Hard Day's Night, Something New, The Beatles' Story, Beatles '65 and The Early Beatles. They’re currently available to pre-order, either individually or in a new box set, entitled The Beatles: The 1964 US Albums in Mono.
There’s no news yet on whether the documentary will eventually get a DVD release. Until then a Disney+ subscription would appear to be the only way to see it.
