BBC извлекает из архивов раритеты

December 20, 2004

BBC TO AIR BEATLES CHRISTMAS RADIO SPECIAL

DECEMBER 27th SHOW FEATURES LEGENDARY FAN CLUB DISCS

PROGRAM WILL AIR ON BBC RADIO & INTERNET

On Monday December 27th - Britain's BBC Radio 2 network will broadcast a two-hour radio special centered on the seven Beatles Christmas records produced exclusively for their fan club members between 1963-1969. The program is structured as a documentary about the legendary recordings.

The show airs in the UK 5pm-7pm GMT on BBC's Radio 2 network. It should also be possible to hear the show over the internet on BBC's website. Air time in the US: Eastern time: 12 noon - 2pm EST o Pacific time: 9am - 11am PST.

The original recordings were distributed to British Beatles fan club members by mail on flimsy plastic 7" 45-rpm "flexi-discs" in distinctive paper covers. The discs naturally had a very low audio fidelity. American Beatles fan club members (who of course were a year behind the Brits) missed out on the 1963 Christmas recording and received annual recordings from 1964-1969. For the first few years they were pressed onto plastic-coated postcards - which was the standard US format for novelty-style recordings. For the last couple of years they were distributed on the UK-style "flexi-disc."

Given that none of the Beatles' Christmas material (save the song "Christmas Time Is Here Again" from the 1967 fan club disc) has ever been commercially released - and the fact that the material was aired on the very copyright-conscious BBC - it is virtually certain that special permission was obtained from Apple to allow the broadcast of extracts from the flexi-discs. (Though US Beatles radio shows bend the rules and frequently play clips from these discs during the holiday season - to be strictly accurate - they are NOT legally available for broadcast. The government-licensed BBC would not risk copyright claims from Apple by playing unsanctioned material.)

The radio special brings up the issue of whether the Christmas recordings might ever be released commercially in the future. There was actually once a legally-issued, limited-edition private release album that presented all seven recordings. It was created by the Official Beatles Fan Club (for whom all the original recordings were made.) It pressed up a 12" vinyl album called "The Beatles Christmas Album" in 1970 - which was made available to existing (and new) fan club members in the UK and USA that Christmas. The price was nominal - but the purchase had to be in conjunction with payment of the fan club subscription for the upcoming year.

Bear in mind that the Beatles had very publicly split up in the April of that year - so there was certainly not going to be any new Beatles Christmas recording for fan club members that December! Nor one might imagine - was there a strong motive for the UK and US fan clubs to be renewing memberships - let alone recruiting new members. Fan clubs in those days were about active artists - not disbanded groups. In any event - that 1970 release while technically legal - was certainly not a full commercial release in retail outlets.

The only official release to date of any material from the original seven recordings is a full-length version of the song "Christmas Time Is Here Again" - heard several times in truncated form on the 1967 fan club record - which was included as track 4 of the "Free As A Bird" CD single released in November 1995.) There has been speculation before from fans about a commercial CD release of all the recordings - but there has never been official word about plans to release the material.

There are currently many audio and video projects that would seem to be of greater priority - not least the re-mastering of the entire official Beatles audio catalogue on CD. Plus the possible first CD release of the album "Live At The Hollywood Bowl." And DVD projects ranging from "Help!" "Magical Mystery Tour," "Let It Be," and "Shea Stadium" to a collation of all the TV promotional films.

On the other hand - as one very respected senior Beatles insider has privately told his friends - the recent, very controversial release of the "Capitol Albums" box-set of the 1964 Americanized, duophonic, artificially echo-enhanced recordings (which has caused great dismay among Beatles purists) indicates that the motivation for releasing Beatles product is now primarily driven by the profit motive rather than by choices that honor the Beatles' artistic heritage.

However - if an album is ever released of these seven Christmas fan club recordings - at least there will be no controversy about which versions to release. Unlike the Capitol versions of the Beatles British catalogue - which were sonically altered, sliced and diced by corporate "suits" in America to accommodate what they presumed were American tastes - the US fan club never presumed to tamper with the Beatles' artistic choices. So the only versions that exist to be released are the original British recordings as approved by the Beatles. And for that true Beatles fans can be grateful.

The radio show has been produced by "Ten Alps" - an independent TV/radio production company recently set-up by Band-Aid/Live-Aid creator Sir Bob Geldof. The show description from the production company's website reads:

A Beatles Christmas - BBC Radio 2

'A Beatles Christmas' highlights a fascinating slice of the Beatles legacy and features rare material, focussing on the traditional Christmas records which were sent out exclusively to Beatles fan club members from 1963-1969. These recordings not only featured Christmas songs by the Beatles, but also include entertaining ad-libs and pantomime banter between all 4 Beatles, which provide a fascinating insight into how their lives changed dramatically between '63 & '69. Kenny Everett produced and featured in the Beatles Christmas records in 1968 & 1969. Zak - Ringo's son, designed the cover of the 1969 record. The 1966 record, with a cover designed by Julian Lennon, was called Pantomime and featured a toast to the Queen. These records were a Christmas tradition for thousands of Beatles fans around the world.