WHAT IF BRIAN EPSTEIN GAVE UP BEFORE MEETING GEORGE MARTIN? THANK YOU, SYD COLEMAN!

Syd Coleman, head of Ardmore & Beechwood, the EMI publishing company: "George," he said, "I don't know if you'd be interested, but there's a chap who's come in with a tape of a group he runs. They haven't got a recording contract, and I wonder if you'd like to see him and listen to what he's got?"

"Certainly," I said, "I'm willing to listen to anything. Ask him to come and see me."

"O.K., I will. His name's Brian Epstein..." These very words appear on the back cover of George Martin’s 1979 tell-all book, “ALL YOU NEED IS EARS.”

According to Mr. Martin, his willingness to listen to anything rang absolutely true.

You see, George Martin wanted to expand Parlophone. Comedy records were fine, and they had their place in bringing a bit more fun to a conscientious world, but this record producer had a serious jealous streak painted up and down his back. He desired what Columbia producer Norrie Paramor found for the pop fans who gyrated to the heavy beat of rock-n-roll. Paramor’s big star, Cliff Richard took just about every song they released well into the top ten charts causing producer Martin more needed fuel at finding a good song, a good singer with good looks, and a spot on musical arrangement he would craft to fit the handsome vocalist perfectly. Thank God, the green-eyed envy over other producers that plagued George to sign someone the kids would idolize had opened the door for Brian Epstein.

With the Beatles sporting three individual singers, Martin actually struggled on which lad he should appoint as the leader and feature all the main vocals to spotlight the best set of tonsils. However, he soon realized the potential of more than one had its advantages and left well enough alone.

Imagine if Chief Executive Officer, Syd Coleman, sent round a half dozen more managers with tapes or demo disks of other want-to-be-pop artists’ searching for prestigious fame, and Mr. Martin preferred other groups above the Beatles? It’s no secret the tall, thin, Parlophone decision maker seated across from Epstein knew exactly why nobody else had signed the band who’s sound he had playing in his office. And although Mr. Martin was quick in requesting the lads come down for a real test inside his studio, how awful for any Beatles fan, had Brian’s group failed at reaching the next step in place of another eager bunch of early rock musicians singing their hearts out for a do or die chance with stardom.

Can anyone even build the strength of hopeless wonder had Mr. Martin pass on the raw, budding talents emerging within the souls of our Liverpool idols, and chose to formulate a new sensation from the likes of the Searchers, the Dave Clark Five, Freddy and the Dreamers, or the Kinks? Where would we all be without the Beatles? What alternate road that drove millions to buy a guitar or a set of drums and produce a string of generations the inspiring desire to follow the footstep sounds miraculously exhaled by John, Paul, George and Ringo might those millions have likely pursued instead? Maybe industrialist? Maybe farmers? Maybe medicinal professions? Who knows?  I think it’s safe to say that more than seventy percent of all the determined individuals granted a record deal contract from 1963 through 1983 certainly received tons of influence through the Fab Four.

And what if George Martin had gotten much too busy with other projects, unable to find time for the persistent Mr. Epstein. Billy J. Kramer and the Dakotas almost fell into such a predicament in that Martin confessed to Brian he was just too busy to deal with the below average singer. But as a favor to Brian, George used double tracking onto Kramer’s voice and added piano tricks synched among the off-key phrases, which soared the Dakotas first single, “DO YOU WANT TO KNOW A SECRET” into the number 2 spot on the pop charts. Well Done, Mr. Producer! But back to if Martin refused all newcomers based on having too much on his plate, oh, the tremendous loss our world could have felt had we never been gifted with the Beatles. It’s exactly like suffering the anguish all we fans live under, realizing the forfeiture scores and scores of amazing songs John certainly had the means to bring the world to its feet with standing ovations had he lived rather than gunned down in the back by a crazy idiot turned assassin.

In closing, I’d like to leave this final thought for your pondering… Per all the many achievements piled high on the Beatles grand list of phenomenal milestones, hearing numerous other giants from the music business thanking the Beatles for spurring sparks of interest to chase the same dream, has got to be among the top three inside the once living as well as the two remaining loveable men who called themselves just “a great little rock and roll band.” Thank you, all four of you “Toppermost.” 

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