It was the summer of 1966, and the Beatles were making what was to be their last North American tour. As the “Fab Four” made their way across the United States, they took a quick detour north into Canada—Toronto’s Maple Leaf Gardens to be exact—for a concert on August 17. Among the 16,000 or so fans in attendance that day was a corporate attorney from Ontario, who packed his family and a battery operated, UHER 4000 REPORT-L reel-to-reel tape machine to watch … and record … the last appearance of John, Paul, George, and Ringo in Canada.

Offered is an amateur recording—a previously unknown audio example of the Toronto show—that amounts to a 2 hour and 20 minute documentary detailing one family’s experience at the final concert appearance of the Beatles in Canada. And “detail” is the name of the game here, as the tape begins with its narrator introducing his family to an unseen audience as they drive to the venue. The family spent the first few minutes discussing what they think the concert will be like, with succinct and sometimes prophetic observations offered, as well as checks on the time, weather conditions, and the overall pre-concert atmosphere. The sound of the crowd, traffic, program vendors … it’s all here. The original owner can be heard later in the tape spending his time interviewing anxious fans anticipating the appearance of the Beatles.

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Posted: 08|10|08 at 8:56 am. Filed under: Auction News.