Forty-five years ago today, The Beatles would make television, music and technological history — performing live to over 400 million people in 26 countries via satellite during a worldwide, television broadcast.

On June 25, 1967, the BBC put on a program called Our World, which was made up of five different segments from five different continents. It seems commonplace now, but what they were able to pull off (technologically speaking) was quite the feat in 1967.

Selected countries were to produce two features that best represented their life and culture. The BBC chose The Beatles as their United Kingdom representative, and asked them to create a special song for the occasion for all the world to see.

John Lennon wrote “All You Need Is Love” — the perfect summertime love song that encapsulated the hippie movement taking place around the world.

45 years ago to the day, The Beatles showed up at EMI’s Studio One and played live to a pre-recorded backing track, surrounded by a 13-piece orchestra and fellow musicians Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Marianne Faithfull, Keith Moon, Eric Clapton, Pattie Harrison, Jane Asher and Graham Nash taking part in the groundbreaking event.

The “All You Need Is Love” single went straight to #1 on the U.K. and U.S. charts, proving that the venture was both worthwhile and successful.

Manager Brian Epstein was quoted in The Beatles Anthology as saying: “It could hardly have been a better message. It is a wonderful, beautiful, spine-chilling record.”

Check out the performance below!

Andrew Celani — WZLX.com

See also:

• Rock N’ Roll Diary: June 25
• The Beatles Immortalized In Wax At Madame Tussauds
• Happy Birthday Paul McCartney: 70 Facts About The Beatles Legend
• Beatles Museum To Close Due To ‘Lack Of Interest’
• Paul McCartney To Close Olympics’ Opening Ceremony