The Beatles

**aido_b** · 20/02/2006, 12:21 PM

Quick question about the Beatles, were they refused by a record company before EMI signed them? And if they were refused, did the fella who refused them kill himself?

**ThatGuy** · 20/02/2006, 12:45 PM

Originally Posted by aido_b

Quick question about the Beatles, were they refused by a record company before EMI signed them? And if they were refused, did the fella who refused them kill himself?

Dick Rowe of Decca records famously turned them down. Guitar music was apparently "dead". He didn't kill himself, he went on to sign probably the second biggest band of all time soon after.

To be honest, if he had signed them to Decca they probably wouldn't have been as successfull a group considering that George Martin wouldn't have been their producer.

**aido_b** · 20/02/2006, 1:19 PM

Does anyone know how much the beatles first recording contract was worth?

**CollegeTillIDie** · 25/02/2006, 10:20 PM

They got 1/2 d per single I believe which is 1/2 of one penny in old money ( i.e 240 pence in the Pound) and it was about 5% of the rrp of the singles in those days which were on vinyl were 7" and spun at 45 revolutions per minute

. It was an awful deal for them but they sold so many bloody records they got rich anyway!

**hamish** · 03/03/2006, 5:30 PM

Is it an urban myth that Gaybo Byrne was offered the chance to manage them??

Just reminded me - sister bought me a Beatles tray in 1965. Needless to say, it eventually got battered and was thrown out.

The same tray (in good condition) was worth £1,500 sterling in 1987 at some Beatles memorabilia auction.

**CollegeTillIDie** · 03/03/2006, 8:43 PM

Hamish

Gaybo did do their first TV interview on Granada however when he was working over their a few days a week!

**hamish** · 03/03/2006, 9:10 PM

Originally Posted by CollegeTillIDie

Hamish

Gaybo did do their first TV interview on Granada however when he was working over their a few days a week!

I remember Decca turning them down 'cos guitar bands were going out - or so Decca thought at the time

but I thought Gaybo was offered the job as Beatles manager after that interview??

Did you know that Gaybo worked in the bank here in Beeslow before he made it into the "meeja"??

**anto1208** · 03/03/2006, 10:24 PM

Originally Posted by aido_b

Quick question about the Beatles, were they refused by a record company before EMI signed them? And if they were refused, did the fella who refused them kill himself?

they got turned down by pratically every record comp