Why weren't Beatles' concerts broadcast on American television?

Steve, I have no idea but Ed Sullivan did host that Shea Stadium concert on TV not live, of course, but as a one hour special. I believe that was broadcast in Ed's normal Sunday night time slot.

mud-

 

Steve, we always thought they lived together!!

mud-

 

Wasn't Beatles At Shea shown here?


(Too slow posting!)

 

When I started typing, your first post was the only thing here. Sorry.

 

There must've been an international version issued as well.


The good old BBC showed the Shea Concert in about 1979 - no video recorder (unfortunately) , but I did make an audio tape.


When I later saw the concert on a bootleg video, there were interview cuts over "I'm Down" which I don't remember being in the BBC version?


Anyone shed any light?


Nobby.

 

It was that scene in Help where they walked into the four seperate doors to reveal one large and very groovy room that perfectly encapsulated the lifestyle.

 

That scene is what convinced me they did live together.

mud-

 

Nobby- I'm Down was shown twice during the Shea concert film. Once at the beginning with no interview intercuts, and again at the end with the interviews. Steve- US television wouldn't even show Magical Mystery Tour here based on a foreign review of a black and white broadcast...as for the other taped concerts, maybe there was too much red tape for showing overseas concerts. You would think in the Mania days they would be great ratings winners.

 

I remember them on other shows like Shindig but especially after '66, they just sent promo videos that were shown on shows like Sullivan and American Bandstand (that Dick Clark...whatta marroon)
I remember watching Shea on regular tv. They used to run their movies on tv a lot too.
It is funny how I don't recall a single live concert (outside what is mentioned already) being broadcast....but then again, look at what fools they were for not broadcasting Magical Mystery Tour. That one really bummed me out!

 

The Japanese "Live in Buddakan" is great.

And Steve-O is right about the groovy pastel colors. JVC Cameras, I believe, but solid state!! I've got that on VHS and it still looks great even tho is a high generational source. I understand its available on DVD as a boot, but in very good quality. And I think the audio is true stereo as well.

 

Shea.....at a price

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3324793197&category=432

 

I'm sure it came down to money.

Anyone else think that Shea should be shown in movie theaters before coming out on DVD? (Of course the way the Beatles release stuff I won't expect anything new for 4 or 5 years...not counting Let It Be, if it in fact comes out this year).

 

They used to show Shea at "midnight movies" in the 70's. Ususally paired up with Mystery Tour or Yellow Submarine.

 

Ya think?

>>>>>.You wonder why people bother listing something lie that at 350,000 then pay the listing fee. I mean, do they really expect anybody to bid? You can get the same film Color corrected and restored for 100$ if you know where to look.

 

Maybe Brian wanted too much money to broadcast them? Money is usually the reason...

 

They were so close at that time that they practically DID live together!

 

I'm speculating that back then, American Television just wasn't *ready* - in a corporate and cultural sense - to devote a big block of airtime to a live "rock n roll" concert. While Beatlemania certainly was a huge youth craze, I don't know if network sponsors really equated that with an increase in the "bottom line" (teenagers running out to the supermarket to buy tons of Ivory Soap). It really wasn't until the early-70's that corporate America realized "Hey, we could make a ton of money off of consumers who happened to be hippies. Wasn't the first California Jam concert planned with TV coverage in mind?

Jim W.

 

How true!!


You know, during the time The Beatles were playing, not one major crime was commited in AMERICA by a teenager. Can you imagine what that says?

 

Point well taken, but so was the broadcast of the first lunar landing. Certainly, that first Ed Sullivan performance was a big musical/cultural blip on the exec's radar. But neither they (nor anyone else, for that matter) realized that it would have staying power.

Jim W.

 

If The Beatles had been signed to RCA Records, I bet we'd have quite a few NBC Beatles specials to watch.

Just a thought.
Dan C