BBC News Online: Entertainment

Unique Beatles recording lost

The legendary band appeared live just once on Top Of The Pops but the recording of the show may have been one of those wiped clean in a clear-out in the 1970s.

The group were on the long-running show to mime along to both tracks of their double A-side Paperback Writer and Rain on 16 June, 1966.

However, no copies have ever come to light and BBC officials are hoping that a fan may have hoarded away a pirate copy or even a cine film made from the programme.

'Sadly lost'

A BBC spokeswoman said: "We don't know whether or not this particular piece of Top Of The Pops history has disappeared forever, but unfortunately there was a time when BBC programmes were not archived as carefully as they are today and some programmes were sadly lost."

The performance in Studio 2 of London's BBC TV Centre came just two months before The Beatles effectively gave up live appearances.

They turned up for the recording in John Lennon's Rolls-Royce.