Roll up for the Magical Memory Tour

Participants signing on at www.magicalmemorytour.com should think about the first thing that comes to mind from their life that is related to the Beatles.

Was it a song, a special album, a concert they saw or maybe something that happened to their favourite Beatle -- like where you were when you heard the news of John Lennon's murder.

"The key thing is to respond with the first memory that comes to mind," said Conway. "Don't try and edit -- just let it happen." He did make one plea: "We are happy to hear about your personal recollections but please spare us any graphic details."

Most memory studies look at "flash-bulb" events -- where were you when President Kennedy was assassinated? Where were you when man first walked on the moon? -- but this, thanks to the universality of the Beatles, is designed to be much wider.

Take the different reactions of Conway and Morrison.

"I remember my mother doing the ironing while I was listening to the album Revolver," said Conway.

For Morrison, the first memory is more unsettling.

"Mine was Yellow Submarine at my auntie's house. I was about three or four years old. It definitely wasn't a happy memory. I didn't understand this strange adult world. The whole song was weird," she told Reuters.

For her, the Beatles are the perfect choice to unearth a whole treasure trove of memories, both happy and sad.

"They are global cultural icons that people can relate to in lots of different ways. The Beatles had an important role to play in defining how people shaped themselves."

(Editing by Tim Pearce)