Photo of the Day - Brian Epstein

What About Brian Epstein?

Since their first single release, the Beatles have gone down in history as the greatest band of all time, icons of 1960’s pop culture, and spokesmen for their generation.  And their music is equally lauded as being on par with classical composers such as Beethoven and Schubert…

But what about Brian Epstein?

Epstein was from a wealthy Jewish family who owned a couple of furniture shops in Liverpool.  In the 1950’s his father expanded their empire to encompass music as well, and began selling musical instruments and records.  The stores were known throughout Liverpool as “NEMS” (North End Music Stores) and Epstein, having never been able to settle down in a career of his own, grudgingly accepted his father’s offer of managing one of the stores.

It was while managing this store that Epstein’s talents kicked in.  He revamped the whole image of the store and tapped into an increasing demand for a new genre of music that was coming out of the United States of America and going by the codename: “Rock and Roll.”

In around 1960, NEMS started selling a local music paper called “Mersey Beat,” written by Bill Harry. The paper contained articles and details on all the music groups in Liverpool.  Epstein, unable to see potential in the Liverpool music scene, only bought a handful of copies, which sold out almost as soon as he put them on the counter.  Epstein ordered more and more copies and the same thing kept happening until he decided to actually read the paper, which featured a very popular local group called the Beatles.

Epstein peppered Bill Harry with questions about them until Harry told him to go and see them for himself at a cellar club on Mathew Street in Liverpool, called the Cavern.  Epstein had visited the club before when it was a local jazz hang-out.  When he and his assistant, Alistair Taylor, visited the club at lunchtime on November 9, 1961, they were totally unprepared for what they were about to witness.

“The Beatles were then just four lads on that rather dimly lit stage” Epstein would recount in an interview in 1964.

Not only did Epstein remove the leather suits from the Beatles, but he removed the Beatles from that dimly lit stage in the Cavern club.  From there he secured them an audition with Decca Records, something no one before him had been able to do for the boys.  Though the Decca audition was a failure, Epstein refused to give up and got the Beatles an audition with George Martin, who signed them to Parlophone, a subsidiary of EMI Records.

Epstein pressed on, booking tour after tour for the boys, securing merchandising deals, and reserving their spots on all the hit television shows.  By 1964, Beatlemania was in full swing, the Beatles having conquered the world in less than three years of working with Epstein.  

By 1966, unfortunately, Beatlemania had taken its toll and the Beatles decided to stop touring forever.  Epstein, fearing for his job, was in a panic and in 1967, when Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band was released, pleaded with them to do another tour.  The band refused outright and later that year went to Bangor, Wales in search of meditation and tranquility.  While the Beatles were away, Epstein was found dead in his flat in London; an apparent accidental overdose of pills.

The Beatles ceased to function as a band a mere year and a half after Brian Epstein’s death.  One has to wonder, had Epstein not died, would they have continued on into the 1970s and perhaps, beyond?  What would he have thought of his own legacy as the man who gave the Beatles to the world?

Beatles Interview Series: 1967 - Sgt. Pepper's Launch Party

In keeping with the Sgt. Pepper theme of this week (check out the latest podcast here), part six of our Beatles Interview Series includes an interview that took place on May 19, 1967 at Brian Epstein's flat in London.  Guests of the party included several prominent radio personalities as well as influential music journalists.  Among the guests was Kenny Everett, representing BBC Radio.  According to Jay Spangler of The Beatles Ultimate Experience:

"Everett was part of the program 'Where It's At,' hosted by Chris Denning. Everett would manage to record a few brief conversations with John, Paul and Ringo throughout the evening. Clips from Everett's recording would be used for a special edition of the program the next afternoon -- featuring a sneak preview of select tracks from the not-yet-released album, intercut with Everett's brief interview segments from the night before."

PAUL: (introducing the opening of the program) "This is Paul McCartney saying 'This is where Chris Denning's at.' This is where it's at, Chris. Take it!"
JOHN: (introducing the title track, in hushed announcer voice) "We're sitting in the hushed semi-circular theatre, and waiting for the Seargent Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band to come on. (suddenly louder, excitedly) And here they come now playing the first number, ah let's go! (pauses, then to Kenny) Alright? I can't do it for 'em all or I'll be dizzy."
(Songs heard: Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, With A Little Help From My Friends)

KENNY: "Well, by George, in the studio we have old Ringo Starr of The Beatles fame. Ringo, what have you been doing since I last saw you in America a year ago?"
RINGO: "Umm, very much."
KENNY: (mock-disbelief) "Really?"
RINGO: (laughs) "Uhh, well, I went on holiday... We made an LP... We've made a few more tracks, so we've been busy."
KENNY: "What do you think of this new LP? It's a bit strange compared to the others. Would you term it 'Psycho-Deeelic'?"
RINGO: "Only if you want to think of it as psycho-deeelic."
JOHN: "Now we'd like to play you one. It's a sad little song. (pause) Where's it gone?"
PAUL: (giggles)
JOHN: "Oh, this is it, yeah. Picture yourself on an old-fashioned elephant. Lucy in the sky for everyone, now."
(Songs heard: Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds, Fixing A Hole)

KENNY: (regarding the effects used in the studio) "How long would you say... you got into technical details like phasing?"
JOHN: (excitedly) "Oh, phasing is GREAT!"
PAUL: "Double-flanging."
JOHN: "Double-flanging, we call it. Now there you go, right? We're on the same thing. Flanging is great. We're always doing it."
KENNY: "You used it on 'Lucy In The Sky'..."
JOHN: (giggling) "You name the one it isn't on! You know, you name it!"
PAUL: (laughing)
JOHN: (giggling) "You spot it, you get a prize! You get a Sgt. Pepper badge!"
KENNY: (jokingly) "I'll pick a moustache."
(Songs heard: Being For The Benefit Of Mr. Kite, When I'm Sixty-Four)

KENNY: "How many takes did you usually do on this album before you got the perfect take?"
PAUL: "We did quite a few on each one. But, uhh, it's just 'cuz it's changed, you know. In the old days of the LP 'Please Please Me,' we went in and did it in a day, 'cuz we knew all the numbers and we'd rehearsed them and done 'em. We'd been playing them for about a year. But nowadays we just take a song in, and all we've got is the chords on the guitar, and the words and the tune. So we've got to work out how to arrange it, and that. So we do a lot of takes on each one."
(Songs heard: She's Leaving Home, Lovely Rita)

KENNY: "Do you like to have a lot of people in the studio when you're recording, or do you like to do it completely alone?"
PAUL: "It doesn't matter. We had a lot of people on some of the tracks, and sometimes we use 'em, you know, and ask them to clap, and that. Depends if it's good people who don't hassle anyone and don't try and mess the session up. Then it's great, you know, 'cuz it's good company."
KENNY: "I hear you had the Rolling Stones in this session."
PAUL: "They came down 'cuz we had a lot of people there, you know, 'cuz it was a big session and we wanted to make a happening happen. (giggles) And it happened."
(Songs heard: Sgt. Pepper (Reprise), Getting Better, Good Morning Good Morning)



 

Source: Transcribed by www.beatlesinterviews.org from audio copy of the radio program

 

Brian Epstein: 1934 - 1967

Brian with the Beatles in 1964.

On this day in 1967, Brian Epstein, who is perhaps the most successful manager in music history, died from an overdose. There are many theories as to whether Brian meant to commit suicide or whether he accidentally overdosed. My personal thinking is that it was accidental. Sure, Brian had his demons that would cause him to erupt in fits of rage. He was a homosexual man living in a time when homosexuality was illegal in Britain. He was manager to one of the most successful acts on the planet that had just recently announced it was stopping touring to concentrate on their studio output. It must have seemed like he was being sidelined.

Allegedly, the above photo was taken just hours before he died. It shows him looking somewhat sadly at the camera, with his hair in the style of his boys' famous Beatle cut. It's an extremely poignant photo. Does it capture his wish that the Beatles were still those mop tops that sped round the world? Or just his wish that he was actually a Beatle himself?

Whatever it was, we are definitely thankful for Mister Brian Epstein.

The Beatles Live At The BBC Volume 2

Coming almost 20 years after the release of the two CD compilation that comprised live recordings and interviews with the band at BBC studios all over Britain between 1962 and 1965, Apple is set to release The Beatles Live at the BBC Volume 2.

This is reported to have more unreleased material that the BBC have dug up from their archives and it was previously thought to be lost due to the narrow minded policy that the BBC had of wiping and re-using tapes. This policy was upheld in BBC television too and has resulted in the loss of many hours of material, including the Beatles and John Lennon's solo appearances on Juke Box Jury and the Beatles last live appearance on music show Top of The Pops in 1966. It is really quite despairing that, without the use of a DeLorean fitted with a flux capacitor, we will never get to see this wonderful material.

The reported cover art for the second volume of BBC recordings.

 The Beatles, due to the constant pressures of fame, touring and studio work stopped giving live radio appearances on the BBC in 1965, despite promises from Brian Epstein, their manager, that they would continue. As their worldwide fame increased, radio was something that they had outgrown and didn't need anymore.

But at least the BBC have found something that we can at least listen to and I for one am looking forward to hearing some wonderful unreleased material that has been gathering dust all these years. Along with the new CD will be a book 'The Beatles: The BBC Archives: 1962-70' written by Kevin Howlett, who has authored two other books about the Beatles at the British Broadcasting Corporation.

The Beatles Live at the BBC Volume 2 goes on sale October 10th.

Jimmie Nicol: The 10 Day Beatle.

Nicol with John, Paul & George rehearsing in 1964.

If you've never heard of Jimmie Nicol, you're probably only a casual fan of the Beatles or just starting to get into them. Who is Jimmie Nicol? well he was the Beatles drummer for 10 days in 1964. Where was Ringo? In hospital, having his tonsils removed. While at a photo session, Ringo collapsed with a fever and it was discovered he had a severe case of tonsillitis and they'd have to operate. Problem was the Beatles had their first major world tour coming up the next day. The other Beatles decided not to do it without Ringo but pressures from promoters and Brian convinced them otherwise but still George Harrison remained loyal to Ringo by saying to Brian and George Martin: "If Ringo's not going, then neither am I. You can find two replacements!" but he eventually relented and George Martin called up a session drummer he knew, Jimmie Nicol. Nicol was a session drummer who was playing with various bands at the time earning a princely sum (in the 1960s) of 40 pounds a week. Nicol came to Abbey Road and met John, Paul & George and ran through a set list of the tour with them. Nicol later recounted: "That night I couldn't sleep a wink, I was a fucking Beatle!".

His first concert with the Beatles was in Denmark. He was given a Beatle haircut and Ringo's suit (on which the trousers were too short) and went on stage to 4500 screaming Beatles fans. Paul amusingly recalled: "He was sitting up on his rostrum just eyeing up all the women. We'd start 'She Loves You' one, two, nothing, one, two, and still nothing!" 

Nicol played a total of eight shows until Starr rejoined the group in Melbourne, Australia, on the 14 June. He was unable to say goodbye to The Beatles as they were still asleep when he left, and he did not want to disturb them. Epstein gave him a cheque for 500 pounds and a gold wrist watch inscribed: "From The Beatles and Brian Epstein to Jimmy - with appreciation and gratitude." Jimmy flew back to London and back into obscurity. Nicol said in a 1987 interview: "After the money ran low I thought of cashing-in in some way or other. But the timing wasn't right. And I didn't want to step on The Beatles' toes. They had been damn good for me and to me." 

Although the fans may have forgotten him, The Beatles never did. During his time with the group, John and Paul would ask him how he was settling in and Nicol's reply would always be "It's getting better" In 1967, Paul, while walking his dog Martha with Beatles biographer Hunter Davies, remarked that the weather was getting better, and began to laugh, remembering Nicol and it inspired him to write 'Getting Better' which was included on the Sergeant Pepper album. Again, during the sessions for Let It Be in 1969 when discussing a possible Beatles tour, McCartney remarked "I think you'll find we're not going abroad 'cause Ringo just said he doesn't want to go abroad. You know, he put his foot down. Although Jimmie Nicol might go abroad." It's also said that McCartney wanted Nicol to be involved in the Beatles Anthology but Nicol wasn't interested. 

It was widely believed that Nicol had died in 1988 but an article in the Daily Mail in 2005 confirmed that he was still alive and living a reclusive life in London.

Photo of the Day: Brian Epstein

What Would Epstein Think About The Boys' Legacy?

Since their first single release, the Beatles have gone down in history as the greatest band of all time, icons of 1960s pop culture and spokesmen for their generation. And their music is equally lauded as being on par with classical composers such as Beethoven and Schubert.
But what about Brian Epstein?
Read the rest of the article here:  http://voices.yahoo.com/50-years-would-brian-epstein-think-the-11832220.html?cat=33