60 years Ago: “SHE LOVES YOU” RELEASED IN AMERICA WHILE BEATLES ON VACATION
On September 16, 1963, the Beatles were finally given a break in their schedule, allowing the members of the group to have some vacation time. As they headed off on holiday, their latest single, She Loves You, was finally getting its American release. The disc was issued by Swan Records, a small independent label out of Philadelphia, on or about September 16, 1963. The record ended up on Swan after a series of events that would seem quite strange knowing what we know now.
Although Vee-Jay’s licensing agreement with EMI’s Transglobal subsidiary gave the company a right of first refusal for all Beatles masters through January 9, 1968, EMI unilaterally terminated the agreement after Vee-Jay failed to account for or send royalties on the sales of the Please Please Me and From Me To You singles. The amount owed on the two discs was later determined to be $859. Next, Capitol Records, which was owned by EMI, was given the option to release She Loves You. Incredibly, the label decided to pass on the record. After a few other major labels also turned down the opportunity to issue the Beatles latest U.K. chart-topping single, a licensing agreement was reached with Swan.
The She Loves You single on Swan went virtually unnoticed upon its initial release. Philadelphia radio station WIBG may have given the disc a few courtesy spins, listing the single at number 81 in its September 23, 1963 survey. It would be nearly two months before the record charted again in a local American market and two more months before the single reached the national charts (by which time the single had been reissued in an attractive picture sleeve).
Today’s questions cover the Beatles on holiday and the initial release of She Loves You on Swan.
- Which Beatle traveled to the United States during his September 1963 vacation and who did he visit?
- Which other Beatle originally planned to travel with him to America in September 1963?
- Which Beatle or Beatles went on vacation in Greece in September 1963?
- Which Beatle or Beatles went on vacation in Paris in September 1963?
- What famous American television host had a connection to Swan Records?
- Why were the words “Don’t Drop Out” placed on the label to Swan’s She Loves You?
- George traveled to the United States in September 1963 to visit his sister, Louise “Lou” Caldwell, who at the time was living in Benton, Illinois. Their brother Peter traveled with George.
- George’s sister claims that Ringo had originally planned to travel with George to America.
- Paul and Ringo went on vacation in Greece in September 1963.
- John, along with his wife Cynthia, traveled to Paris, where they were met by Brian Epstein.
- Dick Clark, host of American Bandstand, was one of the original owners of Swan Records. Although he was later forced by his employer to give up his interest in the company, Clark remained friends with the other owners.
- Would you believe that the words “Don’t Drop Out” were a warning to consumers to not to let the breakable vinyl record drop out of its protective sleeve and hit the floor? Or do you think the words were to encourage disc jockeys to keep playing the record so that it would not drop out of the charts? Actually, the words were added as Swan’s contribution to the national campaign encouraging high school students to remain in school and graduate.