Beatles

September 4, 2025

1962

The Beatles’ debut single, “Love Me Do,” received its first radio airplay on Radio Luxembourg on October 5, 1962, the same day the record was released. The Beatles manager, Brian Epstein, had a limited run of 250 demo copies pressed, which he sent out to DJs and promoters.

Three days after their debut record was played for the first time, The Beatles were interviewed on the station as part of The Friday Spectacular, a show recorded by EMI to promote their own artists. These pivotal broadcast helped launch the band’s career.

A copy of the demo remained part of the Radio Luxembourg record archive for three decades, before being inherited by DJ Tony Prince when the station closed down in 1992.

The 7″ record subsequently signed by Paul McCartney on the A-side, and comes with a message from him to Prince confirming its authenticity as a significant piece of Beatles history.

A fax dating from 1994 reads “Dear Tony, I’m happy to confirm that I first heard ‘Love Me Do’ (our first release) on Radio Luxembourg. Did I ever thank you for playing it? If not, I do now. Cheers, All the very best”.