Video: 'The Beatles - Christmas Record 1963'

(Friday, December 6, 1963) — The Beatles Christmas Record, the first of seven annual spoken and musical messages on flexi disc by the English rock music group, was mailed today to members of their official fan club in the United Kingdom.

Conceived as a means to appease fan-club members whose letters, due to their sheer volume, were not always being answered in a timely manner, the records included the Beatles’ messages of thanks to “loyal Beatle people,” along with skits, Christmas carols, and original compositions.

The first Christmas message from The Beatles, recorded Oct. 17, 1963, in London, featured several renditions of the traditional carol “Good King Wenceslas” and individual messages from the four, ending with a closing chorus of “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Ringo.”

The record was scripted by Beatles’ press officer Tony Barrow, who had instigated the Christmas message program.

An edited version of this recording would be sent to members of the Beatles’ American fan-club in December 1964.