After over three years of research, Terry Crain’s newest book is out in digital form. This book, titled “Copyrighting The Beatles,” chronicles over 900 Beatles and Beatles-related copyrights from 1963 to 1966.
Over 300 Beatles Copyrights?
In the annuals of the Library of Congress, there are Beatles and Beatles-related copyrights for musical screenplays, lectures, spoken word writings, dolls, Beatles records, newspaper artwork, paintings, drawings, articles, toys, posters, albums, sculptures, jewelry, portraits, magazines, record cases, sheet music, novelty records, television scripts, newspaper cartoons, impromptu skits, books, photographs, documentary scripts, satire animations, cover records in French, Dutch, Spanish, and German, and more! This reference publication details the copyrights in chronological order, making it easy to follow the growth of this wild and wacky genre.
Copyrighting the Beatles
Novelty Records
Over 300 of these copyrights are Beatles novelty records in the genres of American folk, British folk, foxtrot, jive, samba, bluegrass, doo-wop, country, big band, blues, jazz, orchestral, spoken-word, surf, ska, and polka!
Designer, Beatles author, and collector Andrew Croft created the cover graphic, Tom Frangione wrote the Foreword, and Cha Chi Loprete wrote the Introduction.
Crain tells people “I’m unsure if I wrote a book, reference guide, or encyclopedia!”
Get Terry’s Other Great Book on NEMS and Memorabilia
NEMS and the Business of Selling Beatles Merchandise in the U.S. 1964-1966 (2ND EDITION)
The book covers the approximately 150 licensed items that dotted store shelves and helped fuel the band-crazed fan during the time right after the band landed in America and performed on The Ed Sullivan Show. Toys, games, dolls, jewelry, clothing, wigs, and more!
Amid Beatlemania, a fascinating and collectible item emerged, allowing fans to get a closer look at their favorite band – The Beatles arcade cards. These cards, produced by the Exhibit Card Company in the 1960s, provided a unique opportunity for fans to gaze at the lads with greater focus. Let’s dive into the world of these beloved collectibles and explore what made them so special.
A Closer Look at the Beatles Arcade Cards:
The 1964 Beatles arcade cards were an instant hit among fans. Printed on heavy cardstock papers and measuring 3⅜” x 5⅜”, these postcard-sized jewels featured black and white images of the Beatles, both as a group and individually. The clarity of these cards allowed fans to study, analyze, and even memorize the profiles of their favorite band members.
The best part of the cards was the profiles of the lads! The flip side of one card read: “Left to Right: Paul (The Bouncy Beatle) McCartney; Ringo (The Quiet Beatle) Starr; George (Just a Beatle-Beatle) Harrison; and John (The Sexy Beatle) Lennon. Never in the musical history of England has there been such a mania over a group of singers such as The Beatles.”. Another read: “The ‘Beatlemania’ of the Beatles took this country by storm as well as the other countries they had visited.”
Beatles Arcade Cards Display
The Sexy Beatle
John’s card read: “NICKNAME: “The Sexy Beatle.” BIRTHDAY: Born October 9, 1940, in Liverpool. INSTRUMENT PLAYED: Rhythm guitar. GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS: 5’11” tall with brown eyes and brown hair. EDUCATION: Attended Liverpool High School and Liverpool College of Art. GENERAL INFORMATION: John plays the drums, piano, guitar, and banjo. Since he organized and gave the group its name, he was adopted as their leader. John is the only member of the Beatles who’s married and has a small son. Also, included in his many musical talents is composing.”
The Bouncy Beatle
Paul’s card read: “NICKNAME: “The Bouncy Beatle.” BIRTHDAY: Born June 18, 1942. INSTRUMENT PLAYED: Bass guitar. GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS: 5′ 11″ tall with hazel eyes and dark brown hair. EDUCATION: received a diploma in art. GENERAL INFORMATION: Paul writes all of the music for the group and has written over 100 tunes since the group started. He is fond of art and enjoys go-karting. His home then is Allerton, a suburban area of Liverpool.”
The Beatle Beatle
George’s card read: “NICKNAME: “Just a Beatle-Beatle.” BIRTHDAY: Born February 25, 1943, in Liverpool. INSTRUMENT PLAYED: Lead guitar. GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS: 6′ tall with brown eyes and brown hair. EDUCATION: He left school to become an apprentice electrician, but as he had said, “I had to stop trying to be an electrician because I kept blowing everything up.” GENERAL INFORMATION: Being interested in songwriting, he had once written a tune that the group had liked and used for a short time. Also, he enjoys parties as well as a moment of relaxation.”
The Quiet Beatle
Ringo’s card read: “NICKNAME: “The Quiet Beatle.” BIRTHDAY: Born July 7, 1940. INSTRUMENT PLAYED: Drums. GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS: 5′ 8″ tall with blue eyes and brown hair. GENERAL INFORMATION: Ringo is considered as the quiet one of the group. His name, Ringo, was given to him due to his passion for wearing many rings at one time. Since he enjoys working with his hands, he has always loved basketwork and pottery.”
Step Back in Time:
These arcade cards were not easily accessible in traditional stores. Instead, they were typically found in machines at amusement parks, arcades, tourist locations, and even alongside movie star cards. Imagine stumbling upon one of these machines, filled with anticipation as you turned the crank, waiting for a card to drop into your hands, revealing another glimpse of your idols. It must have been a fascinating experience.
Advertisement for The Beatles Arcade Cards
Collecting and Cherishing:
The popularity of these arcade cards led to a vibrant collecting culture. Fans would trade cards with friends and peers, trying to complete sets or acquire specific Beatles cards. The cards became cherished possessions, providing a tangible connection to the beloved band. The biographies on the back added an extra layer of fascination, allowing fans to become more intimately acquainted with the Fab Four.
Legacy and Reproductions:
As with any valuable and sought-after collectibles, reproductions of these arcade cards surfaced over time. However, it is essential to note that these reproductions often lacked the printed information on the back and may have lower-quality images than the originals. The passage of time has also affected the originals, giving them a classic yellow tint that adds to their nostalgic charm.
Conclusion:
The Beatles arcade cards hold a special place in the hearts of fans who grew up in the 1960s. These cherished collectibles allowed fans to gaze at the Fab Four in greater detail and provided glimpses into each band member’s personal life and musical talents. As we look back on Beatlemania, let us appreciate these arcade cards’ role in fostering a deeper connection between fans and one of the greatest bands in history.
NEMS and the Business of Selling Beatles Merchandise in the U.S. 1964-1966 (2ND EDITION)
The book covers the approximately 150 licensed items that dotted store shelves and helped fuel the band-crazed fan during the time right after the band landed in America and performed on The Ed Sullivan Show. Toys, games, dolls, jewelry, clothing, wigs, and more!
In the mid-1960s, a cultural phenomenon took hold of America as The Beatles rose to fame. Alongside their musical success, The Beatles became the first pop music group featured on a metal lunchbox. This iconic lunchbox, manufactured by Aladdin Industries, quickly became a symbol of self-expression for children and a marketing tool to capture the attention of young fans. In this article, we will delve into the history of the Beatles lunchbox, its design, significance, and value for collectors.
The Birth of a Cultural Icon
The Beatles Lunchbox
In 1965, Aladdin Industries introduced the first-ever Beatles lunchbox, forever changing the lunchtime routines of children across America. This metal lunchbox, measuring 8¼”x7½”x4″, was painted vibrant aqua blue and adorned with embossed images of the Fab Four. On one side, the lunchbox featured individual portraits of John, Paul, George, and Ringo, while the other showcased the band playing their instruments in iconic Shea Stadium suits. The bottom edge of the lunchbox displayed floating heads of the Beatles, and their signatures adorned the top.
Aladdin Industries: The Home of Beatles Lunchbox Production
Aladdin Industries (703 Murfreesboro Road in Nashville, Tennessee), the manufacturer of The Beatles lunchbox, was known for its innovative designs and quality products. The artistic director, Elmer Lehnhardt, collaborated with renowned photographer Dezo Hoffmann to create the striking portraits of The Beatles that adorned the lunchbox. Aladdin Industries also produced a matching blue thermos bottle to accompany the lunchbox, further solidifying the lunchtime experience for Beatles fans.
The Beatles Lunchbox: A Statement of Identity
The Beatles lunchbox quickly became more than just a container for sandwiches and snacks. It became a statement of identity for those who carried it. As Maria Godoy of National Public Radio aptly said, “A lunchbox was not merely a lunchbox, but a statement of who we were.” Children proudly flaunted their Beatles lunchboxes, showcasing their love for the band and their place within the pop culture movement.
The Blue Thermos Bottle: A Perfect Companion
The Beatles Thermos
Every Beatles lunchbox would be complete with the matching blue thermos bottle. Standing 7″ tall and 3¼” in diameter, the thermos bottle featured “The Beatles” and images of the band wrapping around both sides. It came with a light-blue screw cap, a cup cap, a name/address sticker, and instructions on how to care for the thermos. The Beatles lunchbox and thermos were the perfect duo for any fan looking to immerse themselves in the world of the Fab Four.
The Collectible Appeal of the Beatles Lunchbox
Decades after their initial release, Beatles lunchboxes have become highly sought-after collectibles. The combination of nostalgia, pop culture significance, and limited production years has propelled the value of these lunchboxes in the collector’s market. Jeff Augsburger, a collector and author, states, “The blue 1965 lunchbox was the first item I wanted to collect.” Finding a lunchbox in mint condition with the original thermos intact is the ultimate prize for many collectors.
The Rarity of the Blue Thermos Bottle
The Beatles Lunchbox
While the Beatles lunchbox itself is a coveted collectible, the blue thermos bottle is often the most challenging piece to find. Due to its fragility and frequent use, many thermos bottles were discarded or damaged over the years. As a result, finding an original blue thermos in excellent condition adds significant value to a collector’s ensemble. The scarcity of these thermos bottles contributes to their allure and drives up their market price.
Reproductions: A New Wave of Beatles Lunchboxes
In 2013, Factory Entertainment released reproductions of the iconic Beatles lunchbox for fans to enjoy. These replicas closely resemble the original design but can be distinguished by a modern barcode on the bottom. While these reproductions allow fans to own a piece of Beatles memorabilia, they lack the historical authenticity and value associated with the original Aladdin Industries lunchboxes.
Alternative Designs: The Beatles Brunch Bag and Air Flite Lunchbox
Alongside the classic metal lunchbox, alternative designs also emerged to cater to different preferences. One such design was the ‘Girl’s vinyl’ or ‘The Beatles Brunch Bag,’ a light blue soft vinyl box with an oval shape. This package, released in 1965 by Aladdin Industries, featured the Beatles group pictured on the front and included a blue thermos bottle with Beatles faces on one side and the band playing instruments on the other. Aladdin also issued a lunchbox after their official manufacturing license expired. In 1967 they made a Brunch Bag and Thermos called ‘Combo,’ with an image of two guitarists and one drummer combo on a similar aqua blue background. Additionally, Air Flite produced a lunchbox for the U.S. market featuring Beatles images and signatures, with “Air Flite” printed in the lower right-hand corner of the picture.
Conclusion
The Beatles lunchbox remains an enduring symbol of 1960s pop culture and a cherished piece of Beatles memorabilia. Its significance goes beyond its practical purpose, representing a statement of identity and a connection to a beloved band. Whether you’re a lunchbox collector or a Beatles enthusiast, the Beatles lunchbox and its accompanying blue thermos bottle hold a nostalgic charm that transports us to an era of music, fandom, and youthful exuberance.
NEMS and the Business of Selling Beatles Merchandise in the U.S. 1964-1966 (2ND EDITION)
The book covers the approximately 150 licensed items that dotted store shelves and helped fuel the band-crazed fan during the time right after the band landed in America and performed on The Ed Sullivan Show. Toys, games, dolls, jewelry, clothing, wigs, and more!
Often, books can get listed on such booksellers as Amazon that never become a reality. I remember contacting the author of this book several years ago asking him when the book was going to be released. He wrote back to me saying that he had rejected doing the book and it was not going to be issued after all.
I remember being very disappointed as Pete Nash is an excellent Beatles collector and I am sure it would have been a wonderful and interesting release. Over the years I have bought several wonderful collectors items from Pete including a signed Pauline Lennon book about her husband, Freddie Lennon.
Pete notified Amazon according to his email that the book was not going to be published, yet the notification of the book remains on the Amazon UK site several years later. Hope they update the listing so fans will not be disappointed in attempting to order a copy.
Beatles Collected, The Hardcover – Illustrated, 10 Oct. 2019
by Pete Nash (Author) Red Planet Publishing-2019
Amazon UK Description
The Beatles Collected is the illustrated story of The Beatles told through the products we bought and collected. Beautifully photographed and designed The Beatles Collected includes record sleeves and labels, promotional material, concert and film artefacts and advertising and the whole gamut of Beatles merchandise from guitars, plastic models, clothes, wigs and even Beatles mothballs] The book covers everything from the rare and expensive to items produced in their millions. Of interest to both serious collectors and those baby boomers who remember owning Beatles bubblegum cards, original albums on Veejay or Swan or even a diecast yellow submarine]
Any books that you would like to see published that haven’t been yet? Let me know in the comments.
Here’s an odd artifact from the Fab Four days…you could use it to hum all of your favorite Beatle’s tunes. Yes, you put it into your mouth, and then…hum!
Manufactured by the Louis F. Dow Company and licensed by NEMS, a ‘hummer’ was a musical instrument. The Hummer was an 11″ x ¾” cardboard tube, which sported a lithographed picture of The Beatles and facsimile signatures. Also printed on the tube was “original idea by Merrimaker, N. Y.”
Beatles Hummer
Fab Four Colors
The mouthpiece that produced the musical tone had flared end pieces, which came in four colors: red (some say the rarest), blue, yellow, and white. The idea was that you hummed into it, and the perfect notes from the song would fill the air.
Merrimaker Corp. gave Dow the idea for the piece, which Dow proceeded to manufacture. In exchange for the concept, Dow conferred to Merrimaker Corp on June 5, 1964, rights to “sell for resale only and will not permit anyone else to sell in the USA the product “Hum-Along” Beatle horn or party favor instrument.”
Thanks for the Idea
Dow then added they would retain the rights to sell this item to “advertising specialty buyers & Beatles performance promoters or shows & to other resale outlets except for chain stores that Merrimaker will cover plus their regular jobbers throughout the USA.” From Dow to Merrimaker, this sublicense covered 1964 with “an option for one year’s renewal.” That was Dow’s ‘thanks for the idea’ concessions!
Promotion for The Beatles Hummer
The poster that advertised the Hummer was 20″ x 11¼” and was also manufactured by Louis F. Dow. One poster came with each retail sales box of hummers. The upper section of the poster had The Beatles pictured in a doorway, and information about the Hummer printed on the lower part.
Also provided for retailers was an in-store white cardboard display box with a blueprint that measured 12″ x 9″ x 5″ and held about 80 hummers. The top of the display box was die-cut, so you could fold it out to stand it up at the back of the box. The box read: “Brand New! Exclusive! Get Your Official BEATLE HUMMER Great Fun! Start Your Own Beatle Combo! Picture Direct From London.”
The Beatles Hummer
The Merrimaker Corporation (DOS ID: 24082) was incorporated May 7, 1927, in New York. Their business is recorded as “DOMESTIC BUSINESS CORPORATION.”
Find out more about The Beatles memorabilia in Terry’s great book:
NEMS and the Business of Selling Beatles Merchandise in the U.S. 1964-1966 (2ND EDITION)
The book covers the approximately 150 licensed items that dotted store shelves and helped fuel the band-crazed fan during the time right after the band landed in America and performed on The Ed Sullivan Show. Toys, games, dolls, jewelry, clothing, wigs, and more!
Press preview of the Daily Mail Ideal Home Exhibition at Olympia. Left to right, Margaret Stewart (24) and Jean Evans (17) admiring Beatles wallpaper after they had bought a Beatles hairspray at the exhibition. 2nd March 1964.
Beatles Wallpaper
Amid the worldwide phenomenon known as Beatlemania, Beatles wallpaper came to the U.S. and Canada via Wall Paper Manufacturers Ltd of Manchester. They produced the rolls and shipped them across the Atlantic to awaiting bare-walled fans with adhesive glue in hand! The wallpaper was not manufactured in either North American country but distributed throughout the states and provinces through paint, department, and other stores.
Beatles Wallpaper on a Fan’s Wall
Ed Sullivan
On February 21, 1964, just two days before the Beatles made a third appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show (pre-taped), 24,000 rolls of Beatles wallpaper landed at North American airports and headed for waiting retail shelves.
England
These wallpaper rolls from England were labeled ‘Beat770’ and had a ‘sizing strip’ attached. You would remove this strip – about 1″-2″ wide with perforated color bars and writing – when installing. The wallpaper pattern was four-color photos with surrounding facsimile signatures that repeated every 21″.
Canada
Later some rolls were manufactured in Canada. These were 20.5″ (52.07cm) wide and labeled ‘Made in Canada 33300’ with no sizing strip.
Early sales trended towards the wallpaper quickly becoming a must-have item for teenage girls across the country, who would plaster their walls with images of their favorite bands.
Beatles Wallpaper had a modest store run but fell short of expected sales goals. Retailers started realizing that the buying fans would purchase one roll, cut it in strips, and disseminate it among their friends as wall hangings or decorations for their record players and other items. The market for someone to purchase enough to decorate an entire room was less lucrative than they thought.
Beatles’ Popularity Slipping
Because of this, articles were showing up in newspapers as early as April 1964, announcing that, in their opinion, the Beatles’ popularity was ‘slipping’ because shops had to reduce the price of the wallpaper to move their inventory because it wasn’t “going as well as expected.”
Get Terry’s fantastic book:
NEMS and the Business of Selling Beatles Merchandise in the U.S. 1964-1966 (2ND EDITION)
The book covers the approximately 150 licensed items that dotted store shelves and helped fuel the band-crazed fan during the time right after the band landed in America and performed on The Ed Sullivan Show. Toys, games, dolls, jewelry, clothing, wigs, and more!
