Mersey beaucoup: the Beatles in Paris – archive, January 1964

18 January 1964: The group receives a strong but not hysterical ovation after performing the first of 18 days of concerts at the Olympia music hall

Following hard on the heels of Père Duval – who, the previous night, had a sedate audience singing popular religious songs – Les Beatles made their entry to Paris on Thursday at the Olympia music-hall. “There are too many hairdressers invited to Parisian galas these days for such badly combed people to have a triumph,” sniffed the critic of Le Figaro. But he did appreciate what he described as “an exhibition of English boxe staged in the wings by a gros commando of journalists direct from Fleet Street.”

The audience for the premiere were for the most part highly varnished members of tout-Paris nightclub and entertainment life. Ringo Beatle complained gloomily that the house was full of old people and not much heat could be expected to be generated. He spoke just a moment too soon.