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Cool Ju (cool_ju)
3-Pundit
Username: cool_ju

Post Number: 48
Registered: 4-2004
Posted From: 205.188.116.139
Posted on Sunday, July 04, 2004 - 3:49 am: ��Edit PostDelete Post���Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Somebody tell me how the Beatles slipped through Vee Jay Records' fingers. I acquired a "Please, Please Me" on Vee Jay and got to wondering.
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Ralph Terrana (ralph)
Moderator
Username: ralph

Post Number: 375
Registered: 3-2004
Posted From: 209.240.205.63
Posted on Sunday, July 04, 2004 - 10:22 am: ��Edit PostDelete Post���Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

The Beatles slipped through Motown's fingers as well as some other labels also.
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douglasm (douglasm)
4-Laureate
Username: douglasm

Post Number: 99
Registered: 4-2004
Posted From: 68.118.222.193
Posted on Sunday, July 04, 2004 - 10:28 am: ��Edit PostDelete Post���Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

And Swan and Atco, and indirectly, MGM. There's a story about Vee Jay's "Introducing The Beatles" LP, but I don't remember it. What I DO remember is that there was a lawsuit, the LP was pulled, then in about 1970 it showed up in every cutout bin in every Stop and Go in America.
Anybody know the story?
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Leo B (leo_b)
2-Debutant
Username: leo_b

Post Number: 24
Registered: 4-2004
Posted From: 68.41.108.65
Posted on Sunday, July 04, 2004 - 12:28 pm: ��Edit PostDelete Post���Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Check out this site for an extensive story on Vee-jay and the Beatles and how Capitol passed on distributing them first.

http://www.dermon.com/Beatles/ Veejay.htm
Excerpted:
Vee Jay was now being noticed as a potent force within the record industry. EMI, the British record company with ties to the U.S. Capitol label, approached Vee Jay in Summer 1962 after Capitol had used their right of first refusal to turn down a couple of artists EMI had offered. The Beatles at that time had yet to record 'Love Me Do', which was their first real British hit, and the decision to pass them up was made on the strength of several German recordings with Tony Sheridan, and a few items like 'Ain't She Sweet' and 'My Bonnie'....
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Jimmy Mack (luke)
5-Doyen
Username: luke

Post Number: 329
Registered: 4-2004
Posted From: 68.198.48.201
Posted on Sunday, July 04, 2004 - 1:26 pm: ��Edit PostDelete Post���Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Motown and Beatles--really?what happened????
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Chi Drummer (chidrummer)
2-Debutant
Username: chidrummer

Post Number: 25
Registered: 5-2004
Posted From: 24.14.41.10
Posted on Tuesday, July 06, 2004 - 4:09 pm: ��Edit PostDelete Post���Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

The demon.com article is pretty well on target. If you want to know more pick up, The Beatles are Coming by Bruce Spizer. There you'll find the rest of the story as well as the court documents and telegrams to Vee Jay. What's interesting is that for a short period of time Vee Jay, not Capitol had the right of first refusal of Beatles masters. I have to disagree with Ralph, I have never heard of any of the Beatles masters being shopped to Motown. You may be confusing this with Brian Epstein's negotiations with Berry Gordy for the rights to include Money, You Really Got a Hold On Me and Please Mr. Postman on the Beatles' second album. I will check this with Spizer just in case I missed something and get back to you.

I also have to disagree with part of the excerpt, Love Me Do is the very first Beatles record issued by EMI on October 5 1962. BTW, Beware of those cutouts of Introducing The Beatles from the 1970's. Those are some of the very first Beatle bootlegs and are virtually worthless. A true 1964 copy of Introducing... is worth $250 - $600+ depending on condition. :-)
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Steve (steve_litos)
2-Debutant
Username: steve_litos

Post Number: 28
Registered: 4-2004
Posted From: 209.100.86.4
Posted on Tuesday, July 06, 2004 - 5:42 pm: ��Edit PostDelete Post���Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Hey Chidrummer,

I think that there was a rejection letter that Ralph, Mike McClain, & other Motown staffers bore witness to. Maybe Ralph can refresh our memories.

It's hard to believe that "Introducing the Beatles" is worth that much. Both of my parents had a copy at one point (No Love Me Do nor P.S I Love You). As a kid my friend Heather (at least her parents did) had the copy with P.S. I Love You & Love Me Do. I never thought they were that rare I guess.
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Cool Ju (cool_ju)
3-Pundit
Username: cool_ju

Post Number: 57
Registered: 4-2004
Posted From: 205.188.116.139
Posted on Wednesday, July 07, 2004 - 3:09 am: ��Edit PostDelete Post���Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

A relative of mine just called me today saying she pulled an "Introducing The Beatles" album from the same stash that I acquired the "Please Please Me" from. I'm pretty sure they are authentic, getting this stuff from elderly couple's liquidation. Will look at album tomorrow. It's missing inner sleeve. May Ebay it.
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Chi Drummer (chidrummer)
2-Debutant
Username: chidrummer

Post Number: 27
Registered: 5-2004
Posted From: 24.14.41.10
Posted on Wednesday, July 07, 2004 - 12:33 pm: ��Edit PostDelete Post���Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Now don't go overboard people. Top dollar is only paid by very savvy collectors of Beatle memorabilia and only under the right conditions. If you want to check to see if you have one of the sought after versions of Introducing... or a common version, I recomend you find a copy of The Beatles on Vee Jay. This book is often found at the local library, however if you want buy a copy check the site: Beatles.net
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Cool Ju (cool_ju)
3-Pundit
Username: cool_ju

Post Number: 60
Registered: 4-2004
Posted From: 205.188.116.139
Posted on Monday, July 12, 2004 - 2:44 pm: ��Edit PostDelete Post���Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

The Beatles covers of Money, Please Mr. Postman, and You've Really Got A Hold On Me probably generated a lot of money for the writers and Jobete, huh (in addition to being big hits the first time around)? I imagine that "Second Album" sold oodles.

(Message edited by Cool_Ju on July 12, 2004)
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Gil (gil)
3-Pundit
Username: gil

Post Number: 48
Registered: 5-2004
Posted From: 68.223.12.142
Posted on Monday, July 26, 2004 - 4:52 pm: ��Edit PostDelete Post���Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I bought it at a thrift store in 1985. I think I paid a dollar for it. Played it until the grooves wore out!!
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Brian T. (mrclemma)
3-Pundit
Username: mrclemma

Post Number: 48
Registered: 4-2004
Posted From: 63.164.145.198
Posted on Tuesday, July 27, 2004 - 2:56 am: ��Edit PostDelete Post���Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

There are umpteen variations of the album and the overwhelming majority of the ones out there are boots(I learned this from a tagalong mag that came with a recent issue of DISCoveries). You've got to admire the distribution capabilities of the bootlegger, though. Certain(authentic) versions are worth considerably more than $600.
I recently bought three Vee Jays(one ep, two 45s) and two Tollies(both 45s) in a record buy a couple months back. The guy I bought them from used to work at CKLW.
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Gil (gil)
3-Pundit
Username: gil

Post Number: 49
Registered: 5-2004
Posted From: 192.44.136.113
Posted on Tuesday, July 27, 2004 - 8:18 am: ��Edit PostDelete Post���Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Mine was probably a bootleg. The jacket was the same as the original, but the label was slightly misprinted and off-center. I recall the sound quality not being great, but I thought it was a great deal. You couldn't purchase that particular record in any store I went into.
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Brian T. (mrclemma)
3-Pundit
Username: mrclemma

Post Number: 49
Registered: 4-2004
Posted From: 63.164.145.198
Posted on Wednesday, July 28, 2004 - 12:58 am: ��Edit PostDelete Post���Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I found mine in a junk shop last year. Oddly enough, some of the records in the place were separated from the jackets. That was one of them and the proprietor said that someone bought the cover alone a week or so before I found the album in another part of the store. I've yet to check it's authenticity. Maybe tonight.

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