"IT'LL NEVER FLY"

THE BEATLES NEVER APPEARED ON AMERICAN BANDSTAND . .

In my last post I posed the question:

"Why had he (Dick Clark) missed the boat with the Beatles?"

 I followed up that question and closed the post with:

"Well, it wasn't that he hadn't had the chance"

ALLOW ME TO EXPLAIN

By early 1963 'Beatlemania' was rapidly gaining momentum in the U.K. 

"Love Me Do" reached #17 on the British charts in the fall of '62, and was followed by, "Please, Please Me," which climbed to #1 on the UK charts in February, 1963.



GEORGE MARTIN (far right) WITH THE BEATLES


In January, 1963 - George Martin, who'd signed The Beatles to EMI in 1962, forwarded a copy of "Please, Please Me" to EMI's U.S. subsidiary; Capitol Records, and suggested they might distribute The Beatles' records in America. 

Capitol execs passed on Martin's offer saying,
"We don't think The Beatles will do anything in this market."  Consequently, the door was opened for other labels to obtain the rights to distribute The Beatles' music.

The first U.S. label to bite was Chicago's Vee-Jay Records which released "Please, Please Me" in February of '63 with the band's name misspelled on the label. 

The song is played locally (Chicago's WLS radio station) and reaches #35 on the WLS music survey, but does nothing nationally.

In May of '63 Vee-Jay released "From Me To You," and by August it had peaked at a dismal #116 on the Billboard charts.


Here's where Dick Clark enters the picture

Swan Records was a small, independent label out of Philadelphia which had been formed in 1957. 
Their biggest star was Freddy 'Boom Boom' Cannon.

Dick Clark had originally held a 50 percent stake in Swan
with co-owners Bernie Binnick and Tony Mammarella each
owning 25 percent. 
After the Payola, 'pay for play' scandal of 1959, Clark; although not found guilty of any wrong doing, decided to avoid any conflict of interest issues and divested himself of his interest in Swan - selling his portion to Binnick and Mammarella.



SWAN RECORDS' BERNIE BINNICK WITH RINGO STARR & GEORGE HARRISON

While vacationing in England during the summer of 1963, Binnick witnessed the phenomena of 'Beatlemania,' and seized the opportunity to secure the American rights to The Beatles' record, "She Loves You" for Swan. 

Once back in the states, Binnick contacts his ol' buddy Dick Clark (hoping for some American Bandstand action) and asks for his opinion of the song. 

Clark was less than impressed and stated that he thought it sounded like, “Buddy Holly & the Crickets and Chuck Berry and a lot of other early American songs sort of mixed together.” 

Binnick suggested that The Beatles' novel look might be a selling point and showed Clark a photograph of the group.

Clark took one look at the photo and replied,

"You're absolutely insane . . it'll never fly."

Despite Dick Clark's lack of interest, Swan released "She Loves You" in September of '63, but the record went nowhere.



In the weeks following its release, Clark played the record on American Bandstand and had it reviewed on a 'rate-a-record' segment of the show.



DICK CLARK WITH TEENAGERS AT THE BANDSTAND RECORD REVIEW TABLE



Rate-a-record was comprised of a group of selected teenagers listening to new records and then rating them on a numeric scale.  Most people remember the classic comment, "Its got a good beat and you can dance to it," which was often used during this segment.

"She Loves You" was rated a 71 out of a possible 98 points which
was considered a mediocre score.

When asked about this years later Clark added, "Then I pulled a picture of the group out and the audience just giggled.  I figured these guys were going nowhere.” 

It was around the same time Dick Clark played "She Loves You" on American Bandstand that Ed Sullivan (as I mentioned in an earlier post) was held up at Heathrow Airport (10/31/63) due to the screaming crowd of Beatles' fans awaiting their arrival from a concert tour of Sweden which set the wheels in motion toward their appearance on Sullivan's show the following February.

And, it was only a few days after Sullivan's experience that Jack Paar watches The Beatles perform at The Royal Variety Show in London and then manages to purchase from the BBC film of the band performing "She Loves You," which he would later air on his show, The Jack Paar Show, January 3, 1964 - which, by the way; caused the demand for the record to soar, and forced Swan Records to immediately re-release "She Loves You" and work overtime to meet the sudden overwhelming demand. 

THE BEATLES WITH TONY MAMMARELLA & BERNIE BINNICK (SWAN RECORDS)

"She Loves You" would eventually reach #1 in the U.S., and sell over 1 million copies - vindicating Bernie Binnick beyond his wildest dreams.

S O ,

why had Dick Clark missed the boat with The Beatles?  Well, I have a theory about that:

1.  What had Binnick, Sullivan and Paar seen that Dick Clark had not?  Answer: They'd witnessed, first hand, the hysteria generated by The Beatles while visiting England.

2.  Neither Binnick, Sullivan nor Paar were impressed by The Beatles' songs or musical abilities, but they were fascinated by the chaotic pandemonium that surrounded these four young lads.  All three viewed The Beatles as nothing more than a peculiar looking novelty act that, for some reason, the very sight of caused thousands of young girls to scream like raving lunatics.

3.  Dick Clark, on the other hand; with his years of experience in the rock & roll music business, based his judgement of The Beatles ("It'll never fly") on his keen eye and ear for what young people liked.  And it was probably only as a favor to his friend, Bernie Binnick, that he even played "She Loves You" on his show and  allowed it to be judged by the very teenagers it was being marketed to, which only served to bolster his initial assessment of the song and the band itself.  The kids didn't think much of the song, and they thought the band was funny looking!

So why did the same kids that absolutely rejected

The Beatles and their music for all but the last couple of weeks of 1963, suddenly fall head over heels into unbridled adulation and hysteria for them by February, 1964?

Many believe it was in reaction to the shock and disillusionment brought about by the assassination of President Kennedy, and a subconscious grasping by the youth of America for something new, different and distracting. 

If that's true; I would have to say that Dick Clark can't really be blamed for "missing the boat" with The Beatles. 

When it comes to the story of The Beatles' success in America there were obviously elements of dumb luck and great good fortune blended with profound misfortune (Kennedy's assassination) that Clark could have never foreseen when he rendered his judgement of The Beatles in the summer of '63. 



PERHAPS THE MORAL OF THIS STORY IS BEST SUMMED UP BY THE TITLE OF CHUCK BERRY'S 1964,
TOP 20 HIT,

"YOU NEVER CAN TELL"



TO LISTEN TO "YOU NEVER CAN TELL" click this link:
http://youtu.be/RoDPPgWbfXY



COMPARE & CONTRAST

Immediately after their arrival at JFK on Friday, February 7, 1964 - The Beatles were brought before the American media for their first U.S. press conference.







Take a moment to watch the video of this press conference as America gets its first introduction to The Beatles in their own words . .       CLICK THIS LINK: http://youtu.be/hgU6foVr-wY



Now, I invite you to take a look at interviews of a few established  American recording stars from the same year:




DICK CLARK INTERVIEWS BOBBY VINTON (1964)

TO WATCH THIS INTERVIEW CLICK THIS LINK:
http://youtu.be/bmwLlVp13Ck

(This is a little off topic) Bobby Vinton's follow-up to "There! I've Said It Again" was "My Heart Belongs To Only You," which entered the Billboard Top Ten around the time The Beatles arrived in the U.S.

TO LISTEN TO "MY HEART BELONGS TO ONLY YOU" click this link:

http://youtu.be/gJN0swj_fno



DICK CLARK INTERVIEWS SAM COOKE (1964)

TO WATCH THIS INTERVIEW CLICK THIS LINK:
http://youtu.be/5WfkO0fE31I

Again, a little off topic - I encourage you to listen to a 1964 recording by Sam Cooke. 

"When A Boy Falls In Love" didn't chart well for Sam Cooke (#52 Pop) and is rarely heard these days, but it would be a shame to miss it - it's a sweet, simple, melodious tune. 

TO LISTEN TO SAM COOKE'S "WHEN A BOY FALLS IN LOVE" click this link:

http://youtu.be/ANW4jnrBN8o 

Co-written by Cooke himself, "When A Boy Falls In Love" was originally released in 1963 by Mel Carter. 

 Carter's version actually charted better (#44 Pop, #30 R&B) and, I must admit; is my favorite version of the two.

TO LISTEN TO MEL CARTER'S "WHEN A BOY FALLS IN LOVE" click this link:

http://youtu.be/JmqNN_J6nPE



DICK CLARK INTERVIEWS THE BEACH BOYS (1964)

TO WATCH THIS INTERVIEW CLICK THIS LINK:
http://youtu.be/rWxj0UadXIY

In fairness to The Beach Boys I'll go off topic one more time. 

Around the time The Beatles arrived in the U.S. The Beach Boys were 
climbing the Billboard Top Ten with their latest release, "Fun, Fun, Fun."

TO VIEW THE BEACH BOYS' MARCH, 1964 'LIVE' PERFORMANCE OF, "FUN, FUN, FUN" click this link:

http://youtu.be/OIcuOJ2AieY

* * * * * * * * *

OKAY! 

Now let me get back on topic.

If you took the time to view The Beatles' press conference and the interviews of the other recording artists - you may have noticed a distinct difference in tone and demeanor between the American stars and these newcomers from 'across the pond.'



THE BEATLES



These boys . . these Beatles were brash, cocky, 'long-haired foreigners' who (seemingly) came out of nowhere.  They were a radical departure from what America was used to when it came to popular recording stars.


LET'S STEP BACK A MOMENT FOR A LITTLE PERSPECTIVE . .

Rock & Roll had weathered some major storms over the past 8 to 9 years, and thanks in large part to this man - it had managed to survive . .



DICK CLARK



Dick Clark's influence and impact upon Rock & Roll music is absolutely inestimable.
 
When he assumed the helm of American Bandstand in 1956, Rock & Roll music was in its infancy; and when the show was syndicated nationally in '57, two things quickly became clear:

1.  A performance on the daily 'teen dance'
  show could profoundly affect the sales
of a record the following day.

2.  Mr. Dick Clark wielded an enormous
amount of power in the industry.

Rock & Roll was not without its enemies and detractors. 

Parents feared that this new music was leading young people to delinquency and rebellion. 

There were people who were angry that black, or 'race music' was being played on white radio stations.

Some religious leaders claimed that Rock & Roll was the 'Devil's music,' and the Payola scandal of 1959 drew even greater negative attention.


DICK CLARK TESTIFIES BEFORE A HOUSE SUBCOMMITTEE INVESTIGATING 'PAYOLA' (1960)

30 year old Clark squeaked through the Payola scandal nearly unscathed due to the fact that he was smart, agreeable and (according to the New York Times) "smooth, slim and youthful on the witness stand."

"Obviously you're a fine young man," is how committee chairman, Representative Oren Harris (D-Arkansas), concluded the hearings on May 2, 1960. 

********************************************

By 1960, Rock & Roll had changed greatly. 

With the death of Buddy Holly the year before, Elvis Presley's induction into the military, Jerry Lee Lewis' decline due to his marriage scandal, and Little Richard's turn from Rock & Roll to ministry; the music became less raucous, and began to evolve into more of a 'teenage pop' sound, which was far less threatening to adults. 

Clark was keenly aware of perceptions, and he saw to it that his Bandstand audience always consisted of well dressed young people, and this; along with Clark's own clean-cut, youthful, All American good looks and low key charm, helped make 'young people's music' far more palatable to those who had once feared it.

To many of the young recording artists of the day Clark was a mentor and teacher; encouraging them to behave and conduct themselves in a wholesome, respectable manner (a manner quite unlike that of The Beatles in their first U.S. press conference).

Although it was obvious that he genuinely liked young people - Clark himself would later admit that he pursued a career in the music business because of the money; and when it came to where to put your money - there was no one in the business with a better track record at picking (or creating) the 'next big thing' than Dick Clark.



THE BEATLES NEVER PERFORMED ON AMERICAN BANDSTAND



So then . .

why had he missed the boat with The Beatles? 

Well,

it wasn't that

 he hadn't had a chance . . .

LBJ, GITMO, ISLAM & BEATLE NUT(S)!

Friday, February 7, 1964; President Johnson was forced to share the front page with the newly arrived Brits.

Interestingly enough; Johnson was dealing with a Guantanamo Bay issue on the day The Beatles arrived at JFK. 

The day before, Fidel Castro had cut off the fresh water supply to the U.S. military base in protest of the detainment and fining of several Cuban fishermen who were fishing in Florida waters without a license.

Johnson's response: strict conservation of the several million gallons of water reserves on base, and the importing of water by barge until a desalination plant was built which, today, provides over 3 million gallons of water and 800,000 kilowatt hours of electricity for the base daily. 

PROBLEM SOLVED . . .

Baskin-Robbins attempts to capitalize on the growing phenomena of 'Beatlemania' in the U.S. by introducing 'Beatle Nut' ice cream on Friday, February 7, 1964. It's described as, 'pistachio ice cream with a chocolate ribbon and walnuts.'

  Also on this day, Cassius Clay (who would cross paths with The Beatles the following week when they traveled to Miami) 

joins the "Black Muslims" (Nation of Islam), and would be re-named Muhammad Ali by NOI leader, Elijah Muhammad, one month later.

                                                        

BUT,

OF ALL THESE EVENTS - THIS IS THE ONE WE'LL REMEMBER FROM FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 1964

                               

   The Beatles emerge from the plane to the roar of thousands of screaming American fans . .

 

  

The band views the crowd of young people lining the rooftop of the International Arrivals Building.

All fear assuaged - America appears to love The Beatles, and (Baskin-Robbins aside) appears to be filled with 'Beatle Nuts' . .

                       

ARRIVAL . .



"It was so exciting. On the plane, flying into the airport, I felt as though there was a big octopus with tentacles that were grabbing the plane and dragging us down into New York. America was the best. It was a dream, coming from Liverpool."

                         Ringo Starr

JFK AIRPORT



"There were millions of kids at the airport, which nobody had expected. We heard about it in mid-air. There were journalists on the plane, and the pilot had rang ahead and said, 'Tell the boys there's a big crowd waiting for them.' We thought, 'Wow! God, we have really made it.'"

                       Paul McCartney

What McCartney had been told was true.  Thousands of young fans were standing by - waiting for their plane to touch down.

Neil Aspinall, friend and assistant to The Beatles who traveled with them on this trip, provides an explanation for the amazing turn out:

"It has since been reported that their American record company had promised that every person who turned up at the airport would be given a dollar bill and a t-shirt. What really happened was that the receptionists at Capitol Records would answer the phone, 'Capitol Records - The Beatles are coming.' There was a lot of mention on the radio, too: 'The Beatles are coming!' It was the people handling the Beatles merchandise at the time who were offering the free t-shirt. I had no idea about that at the time, and it was nothing to do with the record company."

                      NEIL ASPINALL

The Beatles are coming . .

They're almost here . .

It won't be long now . .

The Beatles are on American soil . .

And things will never be the same . . .

America Awaits . .

As Pan American flight 101

made its way across

the Atlantic

ferrying The Beatles to America . . .



the city of their destination was just beginning to come to life .

Friday, February 7, 1964

SUNRISE OVER NYC 1964

The airport formerly known as Idlewild, which had been renamed John Fitzgerald Kennedy (today often referred to as JFK), on December 24, 1963 in honor of the slain president, was also coming to life.

The Pan American Terminal was open for business, and a few patrons were enjoying coffee and breakfast at the restaurant located inside.

All across New York, teenagers were preparing for school and tuning their transistor radios into their favorite top 40 station.

A FEW SONGS THAT WERE PLAYING:



DIANE RENAY



Renowned record producer, Bob Crewe, co-wrote and produced Diane Renay's, "Navy Blue," which was aggressively climbing the charts and would soon peak at #6.

Diane Renay would never place another song in the top ten.

TO LISTEN TO "NAVY BLUE" click this link:

http://youtu.be/ijtlzZb3bZ4

JOHNNY TILLOTSON

Johnny Tillotson was enjoying his fourth top ten hit with, "Talk Back Trembling Lips."  Released in September of '63, this record had peaked at #7 and was now making its way down the charts.

This would be his last top ten hit.

TO LISTEN TO "TALK BACK TREMBLING LIPS" click on this link:

http://youtu.be/YA288uY6KVo







CHUBBY CHECKER



With an amazing eight top ten records (two of which were #1) and six that had reached the top 20; Chubby Checker had ruled the charts since 1960. 

His latest recording, "Hooka Tooka," released in November of '63, would peak at #17 the following day (February 8, 1964). 

This would be his seventh and last record to make the top 20.

TO LISTEN TO "HOOKA TOOKA" click this link:

http://youtu.be/WRQJBTrjQAo

CONNIE FRANCIS


Connie Francis had been the reigning queen of the Billboard Charts since she first muscled her way onto them in 1958 with, "Who's Sorry Now?"

Within days of Kennedy's assassination a song called,

"In The Summer Of His Days," was performed by Millicent Martin on a British television show as a tribute to the late president.

 

On December 2, 1963, Connie Francis recorded a version of

the song, and it was released to the public. 

Initially it charted reasonably well, but soon many stations across the U.S. began to refuse to play the record, claiming that  it was inappropriate and an effort to capitalize on the tragic event. 

The record ultimately stalled at #46.

Connie's days as 'Queen of the Billboard Charts' were over.

TO LISTEN TO "IN THE SUMMER OF HIS DAYS" click this link:

http://youtu.be/O-bbJKF6-qM



THE MURMAIDS

Comprised of two sisters and a friend, The Murmaids had an enormous hit with, "Popsicles, Icicles," which was written by David Gates, who would later become the lead singer of the group Bread.  The song peaked at #3 in January, 1964.

The Murmaids would never be heard from again.

TO LISTEN TO "POPSICLES, ICICLES" click this link:

http://youtu.be/9iZck-jsfiE



 BOBBY RYDELL

A steady and consistent hitmaker since 1959, Bobby Rydell was on his way down the charts with, "Forget Him," which had peaked at #4 on January 18, 1964. 

He would never place another record in the Billboard Top Ten.

TO LISTEN TO "FORGET HIM" click this link:

http://youtu.be/_IKpA__9kTU

******************************

As the morning progressed . .



Passengers were arriving . .

Airline crew members reported for duty . .

Little did JFK Airport know, over four thousand young people and more than two hundred reporters were making their way to the International Arrivals Building.

They would be on hand to greet Pan American flight 101
when it arrived at 1:20 p.m. 

They wanted to
   MEET THE BEATLES !