The Beatles Live at the BBC release in '94

The Beatles Live at the B.B.C a Beatle fan's memory
By Sara Schmidt for Meet the Beatles for Real

There are a few events in your life as a Beatle fan that simply just stand out.   You are more likely to remember these events for years after they occurred because they made a huge impact on your life as a fan.    One of those events for me was the release of The Beatles Live at the B.B.C. on double compact disc on December 6, 1994 (in the United States).

This was a big deal for me.  In 1994, I was a Freshman at Eastern Illinois University in Charleston, Illinois.   I had been a die-hard Beatle fan for the past five years.   And  essentially during my lifetime, there had not been a new Beatles album released.   The last time a Beatles album had been released was in May of 1977 with "The Beatles at the Hollywood Bowl."   I was only 7 months old for that release, so I missed out.   This was the first time I got to personally experience a new Beatles album released and hear "new" Beatles songs. 

As I mentioned, I was 18 years old and going to college at EIU, which is located in the middle of a cornfield.    There are very few places in Charleston, Illinois to buy new things, but Cds were the exception.   There is a great little record shop located on the main strip of the town called "Positively 4th street Records (located on the corner of 4th and Lincoln and with a great Bob Dylan reference for a name).   Of course in 1994, there weren't very many "records" to buy there, but a lot of used Cds and a very small amount of beatlegs.

I had read in the Daily Eastern News that the records shop would be selling Pearl Jam's newest album, "Vitalogy" at midnight on Tuesday the 6th.  They were having some big give-away and prizes and things.   But all I really read from that ad was that 4th street records was going to be open at Midnight and they could legally sell the Beatles to me.   I called them up and asked them if they would be selling The Beatles BBC album at midnight.  The guy on the other end of the line said something like, "uh....yeah we have like 5 copies of that.  I don't see why we couldn't sell it."

So at 11:30p.m. I went to the store alone to await midnight.   I did not realize how many college students were Pearl Jam fans in 1994 (I liked Pearl Jam, but not enough to go out on a Monday night at midnight for them), but the line was long.    And sleet began to come down on me as I waited outside.   And it then hit me.   So many fans over the years had awaited the release of a new Beatles album in all sort of weather and now I was one of them. 

It turned midnight and the line started to move, but it wasn't moving quickly.   About an hour later I made it to the front door.   I was handed a Pearl Jam Cd and I said loudly and proudly, "No I am here for the Beatles."   The guy at the door yelled out, "This girl is here for the Beatles."   And I heard a voice go, "Yeah I talked to her on the phone.   Give her one of those discs."     Suddenly Live at the BBC was in my hands.   The line snakes around the small store and I just stared at the front cover.  The sepia colored cover of the guy looking so adorable.    I wrote a check for $34.85 for the 2 disc set.   That was quite a lot of money for a poor college student.

When I got back to my dorm room, I realized that my evil roommate was asleep (it was 1:30a.m.).  And it was too dark for me to try to find my Sony discman to listen to it.  And so I took the Cd and sat alone in the dorm lounge and read the booklet that came along with the disc.  I just stared at it.  And as strange as it seems now, that was a real moment for me.   First thing in the morning, when it  was daylight, I got my Discman and listened to the Cds.   I was amazed!   I think I listened to "Soldier of Love" 50 times that morning.

And now with a lot less fan fair the BBC part 2 is going to be released.    Having had the Purple Chick BBC set for many years, I most likely have heard the majority of the songs.   Yet I am still excited.   A new Beatles Cd.   How often can you say that?