November 26 In Radio History

In 1962…At EMI's Abbey Road studios in London, the Beatles recorded "Please Please Me" and "Ask Me Why." "Please Please Me" was a re-recording of the song in a more uptempo style after producer George Martin told the band that their original ballad version was "too bloody boring for words."


In 1969…At EMI's Abbey Road studios in London, John Lennon spent the afternoon mixing the Beatles songs "What's The New Mary Jane" and "You Know My Name (Look Up The Number)" with the intention of releasing them as the two sides of a Plastic Ono Band single. When this plan fell through, "Number" was released as the b-side of the Beatles' "Let It Be" single, making this the last time John Lennon was in the studio working on a Beatles song.

In 1970...George Harrison became the first Beatle to earn a #1 solo hit as "My Sweet Lord" climbed to the top.  The 5th Dimension was second with "One Less Bell to Answer".  The previous #1 "The Tears of a Clown" from Smokey Robinson & the Miracles was third, followed by Dawn's "Knock Three Times" and "Black Magic Woman" from Santana.

The rest of the Top 10:  The former #1 "I Think I Love You" from the Partridge Family, the Supremes remained at #7 with "Stoned Love", Chicago wouldn't budge with "Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?", Brian Hyland was still at #9 after 17 weeks with "Gypsy Woman" and Badfinger finished the list with "No Matter What".


In 1973…Elton John released the single "Step Into Christmas."


In 1979...Dan Ingram did his first morning show at 77 WABC after many years as the afternoon drive personality.


In 2003...longtime Washington, D.C. Radio broadcaster, Eddie Gallaher, died at age 89. He worked at stations including WTOP-AM, WASH-FM, and WWDC-AM.

Gallaher (dcrtv photo)

Gallaher's career in Washington began on WTOP-AM in 1947. Gallaher stayed on the air in one market for 53 years, working at two other stations before retiring in 2000.

"Eddie Gallaher was certainly one of the premier, if not the premier disc jockey, here in Washington," said Ed Walker. Walker and "Today"show weatherman Willard Scott were the "Joy Boys" on a rival morningprogram that ran on WRC-AM in Washington from 1955-1972.

Gallaher spent 21 years at WTOP, where celebrities passing through the  nation's capital made sure to stop by his studio.

When WTOP switched to a news and talk format in 1968, Gallaher moved to WASH-FM, then, in 1982, to WWDC-AM where he stayed until retiring in December 2000.


In 2009…Paul McCartney told a BBC interviewer that his concerts are a way of helping him "revisit" other members of the Beatles and his late wife Linda. "If I'm doing songs by the Beatles, I obviously remember the sessions when we recorded. Similarly with John and Linda - in a way you're kind of in contact with them again and it's sad, it's emotional."