More blasts from the past.... Stamp Out The Beatles

[ralpht]

From Fred Saxon..As Fred points out..its cheesy..but we did it anyway.

https://youtu.be/ZRslUXSVbGs

[marv2]

Oh that is great! Ralph did you buy the book?

[ralpht]

It runs about $125.00, Marv. I guess I don't need to see my picture in it.

[marv2]

The song got radio play?

[marv2]

It runs about $125.00, Marv. I guess I don't need to see my picture in it.

I love you guys, but I'll pass and check out someone's copy! LOL! Al Abrams final book is coming.

[ralpht]

Marv, I really don't know how much radio it got. This is why we called ourselves The Hi Riders. In case the whole deal backfired the Sunliner name was preserved.

[ralpht]

The irony of this deal was, we were, as a band, big fans of the Beatles. Prior to them it was the era known as "The Bobby Singers" Bobby Reidell, Bobby Curtola, Bobby Vinton, Bobby Darin and probably thirty or more that I can't think of right now. During this time it was very difficult for a band to get airplay. The Beatles changed all of that and opened the door for bands. All of us that played in bands at that time owed them a huge debt of gratitude. As far as Stamp Out The Beatles...all show biz gang.

[marv2]

The irony of this deal was, we were, as a band, big fans of the Beatles. Prior to them it was the era known as "The Bobby Singers" Bobby Reidell, Bobby Curtola, Bobby Vinton, Bobby Darin and probably thirty or more that I can't think of right now. During this time it was very difficult for a band to get airplay. The Beatles changed all of that and opened the door for bands. All of us that played in bands at that time owed them a huge debt of gratitude. As far as Stamp Out The Beatles...all show biz gang.

Although I was very young during "Beatlemania", I remember their music was everywhere on the radio around the clock. I know what you are talking about. Do you remember when Vee-Jay records I think tried to position the Four Seasons as America's answer to the Beatles?

[ralpht]

Not sure I remember that, Marv. That would be quite a stretch.

[marv2]

Not sure I remember that, Marv. That would be quite a stretch.

I am going to research that, because I do remember something like that "Beatles vs Four Seasons" etc.

[ralpht]

It wouldn't surprise me though, Marv. The record business back then was unpredictable.

[arr&bee]

Hehehehehe,that was fun.

[StuBass1]

I remember this story and actually remember the SOTB "protests" LOL...I don't know about The Beatles v The Four Seasons since The Beatles were a band and the Four Seasons were a vocal group, however, it ultimately came down to The Beatles v The Beach Boys [[or more specifically Brian WIlson). When The Beatles took America by storm virtually overnight, The Beach Boys left the U.S. for a tour as the #1 band in the U.S.A...When they returned, the found themselves overshadowed by The Beatles and the British Invasion virtually overnight. The ultimate showdown came in the mid 60's when upon hearing The Beatles groundbreaking album Rubber Soul...a new concept of a theme album without filler material...Brian Wilson, who became enamored with Rubber Soul, almost to a obsession, came up with the concept of his Pet Sounds project as a way to try to one up The Beatles in the format they introduced with Rubber Soul. The history of this is illustrated in Brians recent biographical film, Love and Mercy...and I was fortunate to attend a screening of that film with Brian, his wife, and the films producers doing a Q&A where he once again explained how it was The Beatles that inspired Pet Sounds. Brian also says his favorite album of all time is The Beatles Sgt Peppers...Brian and Paul in particular went on to become close friends...and Paul was even invited to participate in a couple of sessions for Brians later Smile project...

[StuBass1]

I also believe that the JFK assassination in November of 1963 had something to do with The Beatles immediate popularity when they arrived in the U.S. in early 1964. True, The Beatles had risen in popularity throughout Europe and particularly in the U.K in 1963 where they suddenly replaced The Shadows [[led by Cliff Richard) who had a virtual lock on British rock band popularity in the early 60's, but the fanfare associated with the arrival of The Beatles with something culturally different allowed a release of pent up emotion to help forget the uncertainty of the tragic events of the past year...Just a thought...

[marv2]

Ok, this is what I was trying to remember :

Attachment 11099

[StuBass1]

That was during the period that Vee Jay had distribution rights to The Beatles after EMI and it's subsidiaries [[Capital) refused to distribute The Beatles recordings which initially suffered from sluggish U.S. sales as Vee Jay picked up the rights. Motown was even at that time was reportedly offered a deal to distribute Beatles recordings. Ewat Abner already had the Four Seasons under contract, so while this "dual" made sense for Vee Jay, it was quite short lived as Abner ran into personal financial difficulties and had to dump the label, owing EMI royalties which were not paid. The Beatles went off to Swan and Capital, and The Four Seasons signed with Phillips and sued Abner for unpaid royalties.

[marv2]

Then things just got a little weird............

Attachment 11100

[StuBass1]

Then things just got a little weird............

Attachment 11100

LOL...If not for the shaggy flop tops...that could have become reality...

[marv2]

I'm just sayin'...................hehehehehehehehehehehehe!

[robb_k]

Do you remember when Vee-Jay records I think tried to position the Four Seasons as America's answer to the Beatles?

Not sure I remember that, Marv. That would be quite a stretch.

Especially because VJ was trying to sell all their BEATLES' records at that very same time!

[marv2]

Do you remember when Vee-Jay records I think tried to position the Four Seasons as America's answer to the Beatles?


Especially because VJ was trying to sell all their BEATLES' records at that very same time!

You are right Robb

[StuBass1]

Do you remember when Vee-Jay records I think tried to position the Four Seasons as America's answer to the Beatles?


Especially because VJ was trying to sell all their BEATLES' records at that very same time!

This occurred at the time that Abner had huge gambling debts and tried to milk his entire distribution roster in a marketing ploy for all the bucks he could rake in in the shortest period of time knowing that he was going to abscond with all the money and not pay royalties...His last Hail Mary...I don't believe it had anything to do with trying to create any sort of continuing rivalry...

[marv2]

This occurred at the time that Abner had huge gambling debts and tried to milk his entire distribution roster in a marketing ploy for all the bucks he could rake in in the shortest period of time knowing that he was going to abscond with all the money and not pay royalties...His last Hail Mary...I don't believe it had anything to do with trying to create any sort of continuing rivalry...

I wonder how and why they brought him to Motown in the 70s.

[StuBass1]

I wonder how and why they brought him to Motown in the 70s.

Good question...Abner was by most accounts a talented and credible record industry executive. At Vee Jay he had the key to the company vault and gambled it away, and in the end, created almost what I'd consider a Ponzi scheme [[explaining projects like the one you opened this discussion with)...generating as many dollars as he could with record releases he cheated everybody out of their royalties with, and took the money to pay off his massive Vegas debts. I'm sure Berry Gordy utilized Abners industry talents without giving him access to any Motown finances or funds. His reign as President lasted just a couple of years, as he then became more of a personal manager to artists and consultant to Berry Gordy.

[marv2]

Good question...Abner was by most accounts a talented and credible record industry executive. At Vee Jay he had the key to the company vault and gambled it away, and in the end, created almost what I'd consider a Ponzi scheme [[explaining projects like the one you opened this discussion with)...generating as many dollars as he could with record releases he cheated everybody out of their royalties with, and took the money to pay off his massive Vegas debts. I'm sure Berry Gordy utilized Abners industry talents without giving him access to any Motown finances or funds. His reign as President lasted just a couple of years, as he then became more of a personal manager to artists and consultant to Berry Gordy.

Thanks Stu. As I recall, many of the major defections from Motown occurred during the reign of Abner the first! LOL!