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Rejected Beatles audition tape discovered
Telegraph.co.uk | 11/23/12 | Telegraph Reporters

Posted on 11/23/2012 10:06:03 AM PST by raccoonradio

The Beatles' audition tape famously rejected by a record executive in 1962 has finally been uncovered after 50 years.

The fledgling group were told "they had no future in showbusiness" as guitar groups were "on the way out" following the audition. The decision by a Decca Records executive proved to be one of the worst made in music history.

Within months John, Paul, George and original drummer Pete Best had signed with EMI and went on to become the greatest band of all time.

Now the original safety master tape, a 10-track demo the group recorded at Decca's London studios on New Year's Day 1962, has come to public light for the first time. It is thought the Beatles' manager Brian Epstein held on to the tape he had paid to make and later gave it to an executive associated with EMI.

He sold it in 2002 to a prolific buyer of music memorabilia. He is now selling it at auction with a pre-sale estimate of 30,000 pounds.

The recording has never been officially released and the sound quality on it is said to be pristine.


TOPICS: Miscellaneous
KEYWORDS: audition; beatles; tape; vanity
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1 posted on 11/23/2012 10:06:11 AM PST by raccoonradio
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To: raccoonradio

oops sorry, link

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/the-beatles/9695499/Rejected-Beatles-audition-tape-discovered.html


2 posted on 11/23/2012 10:07:28 AM PST by raccoonradio
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To: raccoonradio

When I was in the 6th grade, my London Pen-Pal wrote to me to “Be sure and watch the telly next Sunday, as her favorite Pop Group would be performing on the Ed Sullivan Show”.

She called then “The Beatles”. I was sure she had spelled the name incorrectly.

That was in February 1964. I got a guitar the following Christmas, and am STILL playing Beatles Songs. (My students LOVE them!)


3 posted on 11/23/2012 10:18:44 AM PST by left that other site (Worry is the Darkroom that Develops Negatives.)
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To: raccoonradio

“pre-sale estimate of 30,000 pounds.”

Typo? Methinks there’s three zeros missing.


4 posted on 11/23/2012 10:19:40 AM PST by ctdonath2 ($1 meals: http://abuckaplate.blogspot.com)
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To: ctdonath2

I’m fortunate to have CDR copies burned direct from the studio master tapes. Exceptional sound quality and complete with tape hiss.

That said, whoever buys this tape can make a tidy profit by creating Hi-Rez downloads (24-bit/192-Khz) - and sell on HDTracks.com, the US leader in Hi-Rez download sales.


5 posted on 11/23/2012 10:25:16 AM PST by newfreep (Breitbart sent me...)
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To: raccoonradio

Too bad they didn’t just give up and return to being petty criminals.


6 posted on 11/23/2012 10:27:24 AM PST by BenLurkin (This is not a statement of fact. It is either opinion or satire; or both)
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To: ctdonath2

no kidding - we should buy it and charge a buck to watch, pay the FR bills forever!


7 posted on 11/23/2012 10:27:35 AM PST by bigbob
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To: raccoonradio
History of the Beatles.
8 posted on 11/23/2012 10:30:12 AM PST by mylife (The Roar Of The Masses Could Be Farts)
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To: raccoonradio
If it's as good as Meet The Beatles then its going to be a million seller. Defunct Decca records may have a last laugh.
9 posted on 11/23/2012 10:38:02 AM PST by vetvetdoug
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To: raccoonradio

Just found this yesterday;

Friday, 28 July 2006
McCartney guitar fetches £330,000
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/5224118.stm

The Rex acoustic guitar helped Sir Paul persuade John Lennon to let him join his band, The Quarrymen, in 1957.

He impressed Lennon by playing songs and chords on it at a Liverpool fete.

Me Again:
This was the listing that lead me to the Beatle, similar to one of my old finds, though mine was $7.99, and will need a lot of rehab;

Rex Lancer Archtop Acoustic Guitar
http://www.ebay.com/itm/1940S-REX-LANCER-ARCHTOP-ACOUSTIC-GUITAR-VINTAGE-HARMONY-SILVERTONE-KAY-STYLE-/180774816684


10 posted on 11/23/2012 10:38:18 AM PST by Son House (Romney Plan: Cap Spending At 20 Percent Of GDP.)
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To: raccoonradio

The link led me to another link. Do you know who Bonnie Jo Mason is?


11 posted on 11/23/2012 10:41:07 AM PST by Dr. Bogus Pachysandra ( Ya can't pick up a turd by the clean end!)
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To: raccoonradio

****sound quality on it is said to be pristine****

The sound quality may be “pristine” but the quality of the sound may be somewhat lacking.


12 posted on 11/23/2012 11:03:37 AM PST by ResponseAbility (The truth of liberalism is the stupid can feel smart, the lazy entitled, and the immoral unashamed)
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To: vetvetdoug

They’re interesting, but they weren’t quite there yet. Anyways, here they are in lower fidelity...(parts1-4)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OuEHcJ7CCzg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tdeyBPUiE28&feature=relmfu
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5R8R1WAZtcU&feature=relmfu
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SFT_38ktddE&feature=relmfu


13 posted on 11/23/2012 11:08:20 AM PST by Bonneville
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To: raccoonradio
There was a story that the Decca guy who passed on the Beatles was the same one who signed the Rolling Stones.

I don't know if it is true, but I hope it is.

14 posted on 11/23/2012 11:13:45 AM PST by Volunteer (Though I know that the hypnotized never lie, do ya? - The Who)
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To: raccoonradio; Revolting cat!

Don’t believe the hype. It’s been released numerous times on vinyl and this is a later safety copy of the master tape.

And it’s been sold to a collector as recently as 2002 so it clearly wasn’t “lost”.


15 posted on 11/23/2012 11:16:55 AM PST by a fool in paradise (America 2013 - STUCK ON STUPID)
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To: Son House; Revolting cat!; Slings and Arrows; JoeProBono; Daffynition
Just found this yesterday; Friday, 28 July 2006 - McCartney guitar fetches £330,000 - The Rex acoustic guitar helped Sir Paul persuade John Lennon to let him join his band, The Quarrymen, in 1957...

I found some early Rolling Stones instruments and they are even pictured using them. What would they bring at auction?


16 posted on 11/23/2012 11:25:31 AM PST by a fool in paradise (America 2013 - STUCK ON STUPID)
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To: raccoonradio
It is thought the Beatles' manager Brian Epstein held on to the tape he had paid to make and later gave it to an executive associated with EMI. He sold it in 2002 to a prolific buyer of music memorabilia. He is now selling it at auction with a pre-sale estimate of 30,000 pounds.

Brian probably voted Democrat this year, too. I mean, he's only been dead since 1967.

17 posted on 11/23/2012 11:25:45 AM PST by Lancey Howard
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To: a fool in paradise

Did it come with the free vial of Heroin included?


18 posted on 11/23/2012 11:27:31 AM PST by dfwgator
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To: ctdonath2

“pre-sale estimate of 30,000 pounds.”

“Typo? Methinks there’s three zeros missing.”

Well, maybe not...just because you possess the tape doesn’t necessarily give anyone a license to distribute it or collect royalties for performing it...


19 posted on 11/23/2012 11:34:28 AM PST by The Antiyuppie ("When small men cast long shadows, then it is very late in the day.")
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To: The Antiyuppie

It’s not about profiting from performance, it’s about owning history.

The Zapruder film is unplayable, but would fetch a fortune if sold. Ditto the Beatles’ rejection tape.


20 posted on 11/23/2012 11:38:00 AM PST by ctdonath2 ($1 meals: http://abuckaplate.blogspot.com)
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