A rare piece of music history has come back into view after footage of a long-missing television performance by The Beatles was found more than 60 years after it was recorded. The discovery involves an original 35mm film reel from the group’s appearance on Top of the Pops in March 1964.
Details released about the find indicate that the recovered footage includes performances of Can’t Buy Me Love and You Can’t Do That. The material had been considered lost for decades, largely because many television broadcasts from the era were not routinely archived or preserved.
The performance took place during a pivotal period in the band’s career, as Beatlemania was rapidly spreading across the United Kingdom and beyond. While audio recordings and photographs from that time have survived, complete video footage from some early television appearances remains difficult to find.
The newly recovered reel is expected to undergo restoration work. Once preserved, it will provide a clearer visual record of one of the group’s early television appearances and offer fans, researchers, and music historians a valuable look at a significant moment in popular music history.