Beatles on Ed Sullivan DVDs--get em before Apple bonks them?

From the Abbey Road Beatles briefs:

Four full-length "Ed Sullivan Shows" from 1964 and 1965 featuring the Beatles are now being sold legitimately online through the Ed Sullivan.com website. The set, which the site says are available in both VHS and DVD, includes the shows from Feb. 9, 16 and 23, 1964 and Sept. 12, 1965. According to the website, the set features all the acts that appeared on each show, not just the Beatles, along with the original commercials that aired during the programs.

Here's the lineup of acts on each disc, as listed on the website:


February 9, 1964

1. ED’S OPENING
2. THE BEATLES - “ALL MY LOVING”
3. THE BEATLES - “‘TIL THERE WAS YOU”
4. THE BEATLES - “SHE LOVES YOU”
5. FRED KAPS - CARD AND SALT SHAKER TRICK
6. THE CAST OF “OLIVER” - “I’LL DO ANYTHING FOR YOU”
7. GEORGIA BROWN (“OLIVER”) - “AS LONG AS HE NEEDS ME”
8. FRANK GORSHIN - COMEDIAN / IMPRESSIONIST
9. TERRY McDERMOTT - OLYMPIC ATHLETE
10. TESSIE O’SHEA - MEDLEY OF FAVORITE SHOW TUNES
11. McCALL & BRILL - COMEDY / OFFICE SKETCH
12. THE BEATLES - “I SAW HER STANDING THERE”
13. THE BEATLES - “I WANT TO HOLD YOUR HAND”
14. WELLS & THE FOUR FAYS - ACROBATIC PHYSICAL COMEDY

February 16, 1964

1. THE BEATLES - “SHE LOVES YOU”
2. THE BEATLES - “THIS BOY”
3. THE BEATLES - “ALL MY LOVIN’”
4. SONNY LISTON - HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION / AUDIENCE BOW
5. JOE LOUIS - FORMER HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION / AUDIENCE BOW
6. ALLEN AND ROSSI - BOXING SKIT
7. MITZI GAYNOR - “IT’S TOO DARN HOT”
8. MITZI GAYNOR - MEDLEY OF HITS
9. THE NERVELESS KNOCKS - SWAY POLE ROUTINE
10. MYRON COHEN - COMPLEX COMEDY BITS
11. THE BEATLES - “I SAW HER STANDING THERE”
12. THE BEATLES - “FROM ME TO YOU”
13. THE BEATLES - “I WANT TO HOLD YOUR HAND”
14. THE VALANTI’S - COMEDIC UNICYCLISTS

February 23, 1964
1. ED’S OPENING
2. THE BEATLES - “TWIST & SHOUT”
3. THE BEATLES - “PLEASE PLEASE ME”
4. GLORIA BLEEZARDE - “SAFETY IN NUMBERS”
5. PINKY & PERKY - CATERPILLAR & CROW ROUTINE
6. PINKY & PERKY - DOG & COW ROUTINE
7. MORECAMBE & WISE - LOUIS XIV SKETCH
8. ACKER BILK - “ACKER’S LACQUER”
9. GORDON & SHEILA MACRAE - TAKE OFF ON “THE GARRY MOORE SHOW”
10. DAVE BARRY - STAND-UP RE: HIS DAUGHTER’S MARRIAGE
11. CAB CALLOWAY - “ST. JAMES INFIRMARY”
12. CAB CALLOWAY - “OLD MAN RIVER”
13. MORTY GUNTY - COMEDY STAND-UP
14. THE BEATLES - “I WANT TO HOLD YOUR HAND”

September 12, 1965

1. ED’S OPENING
2. SOUPY SALES - REMINISCES WITH ED
3. CILLA BLACK - “SEPTEMBER IN THE RAIN”
4. FANTASIO - SLIGHT-OF-HAND ARTIST
5. THE BEATLES - “I FEEL FINE”
6. THE BEATLES - “I’M DOWN”
7. THE BEATLES - “ACT NATURALLY”
8. ALLEN & ROSSI - “TRY TO REMEMBER”
9. CILLA BLACK - “GOIN’ OUT OF MY HEAD”
10. SOUPY SALES - “THE MOUSE”
11. THE BEATLES - “TICKET TO RIDE”
12. THE BEATLES - “YESTERDAY”
13. THE BEATLES - “HELP!”




(Trivia note: The cast of "Oliver!" that appeared on Feb. 9 included Davy Jones, later of the Monkees.)
Some comments, first from Steve Shorten of the 910:


Any speculation on how long these will be available? Doesn't Apple own the rights to the music? I'm confused about how these shows are out on a legit (or are they?) basis. Ooops--an unexpected setback for Strange Design's budget!

 

There's a lot of speculation about these. On the one hand, some people point out that Andrew Solt owns the Sullivan shows outright, and can do what he wants to with them, to the point where Apple had to secure his permission to use the Sullivan footage for Anthology. Kind of the same situation as the Walter Shenson contracts for A Hard Day's Night. Apparently as long as he pays his song royalties, he's free to do whatever he wants with that footage. These aren't EMI recordings, after all.

However, on the other hand, there are others who are waiting for Apple to notice these, and swoop down with their legal team. If you want 'em, best get 'em now, just in case.

 

Andrew Solt is Sofa Entertainment, the owner of the Sullivan shows and many more: Sofa

GM

 

Thanks for this information. I just ordered my copy and will post a brief review after I receive and digest them.

I nominate these DVD's as "most likely to sell for big bucks on eBay by year's end" after Apple litigates them off the market.

Chris

 

I got this for my birthday last week. Are some of the performances edited?

 

These are supposed to be unedited performances, the complete shows as they were originally broadcast.

I haven't heard of anyone who's actually got this one in their hands yet, it only started advertising on TV about 2 weeks ago. Are you sure you didn't get the Rhino Sullivan box set? There are edited Beatles performances on that one. This is a 2 DVD set, featuring four complete shows from 1964-65.

http://www.edsullivan.com/

 

Thanks for the heads up.
Already have The Beatles ES shows. But this would be great to see as well.

 

Ed Sullivan "The Beatles DVD's

Where did you get your Ed Sullivan "The Beatles DVDs" ? Are these Beatles footage different than the Rhino box set? Unedited?

 

Thanks for the info. The way things go in Beatleland,I grabbed these suckers right now. Too many times, I've put off buying, and missed out.

 

Yeah, I have the Rhino set. I thought they were edited.

Thanks

 

I dont think there is any danger of Apple litigating these off the Market.

Apple doesnt own the rights to these recordings. These are not EMI recordings, so all that has to be paid is the songwriters mechanical royalty.

When you signed on to do "The Ed Sullivan Show", in the contract was a stipulation that the performances were owned by the Production company.
As far as I know, only one major band got around this clause, and that band is The Dave Clark Five. I believe Dave Clarks lawyers negotiated that after 5 years, the ownership of the videotapes reverted to Clark.

Bur Clark has never released them, and the DC5 appeared on the Sullivan show a whopping 18 times!!

But as far as The Beatles are concerned, the Sullivan folks wouldnt take the chance releasing these if they werent 100% sure about ownership.

 

Can they do the Rolling Stones next?

I hope they'll collect all the Rolling Stones performances on one set too.

 

I also wonder if Apple, supposedly poised to release their own Anthology set on DVD, would risk litigating with Solt, knowing he could deny them the right to use the Sullivan footage (and/or the Shea footage?). Even if they did have a claim, it could be in Apple's interest to look the other way this time.

 

From what I hear, the Anthology Series on DVD is caught in some severe red tape and it may be a long long, LONG time before we ever see it.

Hang on to those Laserdisks!!

 

Once again, APPLE would not be able to even FILE a lawsuit because there is no question about ownership. APPLE doesnt own these performances, pure and simple.

 

Now THAT would really suck. Guess maybe I'll have to keep that VHS Anthology set just a little longer.

 

Me too!

 

I'm so curious as to the sound quality...anyone get it yet?

 

I ordered the Sullivan DVDs today. Even tho I have every appearance on VHS bootleg, Im sure these are from an earlier generation master.

From the Media clip, the quality looks and sounds fantastic. I have a feeling we are all going to be happy with these.

I think I posted in an earlier thread that there is color movie footage of the Beatles on Ed Sullivan, with badly dubbed audio from another source.

I wish someone would do a restoration on THAT film, we have the audio in its entirety.

 

I just ordered them too. I'm a big PINKY & PERKY fan, so that Beatles stuff is just gravy.

 

Craig, you are a funny guy.

 

I realize you're jesting, Craig, but I never knew Cab Calloway performed on a Sullivan Beatle show...now I'm REALLY jazzed to get the DVD!!

 

I just ordered mine.