Capitol Gains

A chance remark on the stairs at Peter Morris Music in London's Denmark Street, in October 1963, set off a chain reaction that helped Brian Epstein apply some much-needed leverage on America's Hollywood-based Capitol label. Although February 1963 marked the Beatles' breakthrough in Britain, by the closing months of that year they still had not conquered America. Their manager Brian Epstein had been fighting what seemed like a losing battle to persuade Capitol to release the band's records in America. How did that chance encounter eventually force Capitol's hand? When the Beatles eventually hit the big time in the US in February 1964, both Epstein and Capitol executives obscured the true story behind it. However, corporate and personal archives now reveal the reality behind this and much more, also lifting the lid on the fact that Capitol viewed the British record industry as being 30 years behind the times, and set out to remix UK master tapes and create distinct US albums. While Capitol's strategy made the Beatles rich beyond their wildest dreams, Epstein is shown as often struggling to balance Capitol's commercial decisions against the Beatles' own demands. This account also explores Capitol's PR efforts to protect the Beatles image as they were caught up in the whirlwind of worldwide success.