Beatles - Not Even Close To The Best Group Ever.

[RTFirefly]

@burpo_the_wonder_mutt

I think the best band ever is the London Symphony Orchestra, but you know me.

Yeah, but how much of their material did they write?

[drad_dog]

@Nonsuch

Every account up to now has told that story. Mark Lewisohn in his recent biography Tune In uncovered quite a different story. It’s complicated and involves players most people have never heard of, but the upshot is that the Beatles were already signed to EMI when Martin was assigned to work with them. Their first session with him was a recording test designed to determine what they could do, but it was not an audition. You’re right about his opinions of their first original songs, although that changed very quickly.

And just to stir the pot, here’s a recent interview in which Paul McCartney describes the Beatles as a boy band. Oh well.

Richard Pryor can call his own album “That N word’s crazy”. But if someone else calls it that it’s a little different.

[drad_dog]

“Tune In” is a great book. I think we all agree on most of the salient facts. The problem people have with calling them a boy band is that there is no qualitative difference between them and almost all other pop and rock groups that would make them more boy bandy. Everyone had their strengths and weaknesses and tried to get their biggest audience and make the best noise they could.

If the Beatles were doing the same as everyone else then singling them out as a boy band, when they didn’t have them then, is spiritually and factually wrong. Especially when you consider that the mentality that calls them a boy band now is really comparing them with their progenitors and children who fed off their success, by angling off of it, and saying “What did you do, then?”

[Nonsuch]

@scabpicker

If you’ve got more details on what was going on at EMI without violating copyright, I’d love to hear it. If not, I’ll keep an eye out for it.

Basically, someone at EMI’s music publishing division, Ardmore & Beechwood, wanted the publishing rights to a few Lennon-McCartney originals they had originally recorded for their Decca audition; Brian Epstein was receptive but he wanted to get the Beatles a record contract. So the managing director of EMI proper, more or less as a favor to this publishing guy, offered the group a contract and assigned George Martin to work with them. Although Ardmore & Beechwood didn’t end up getting the song they wanted, “Like Dreamers Do” — George Martin was still in charge and he didn’t deem it good enough to record — they did get the publishing for the first single, “Love Me Do” b/w “P.S. I Love You” before the Beatles signed on with Dick James for their publishing going forward.