For Week 4’s Tuesday Talk, we went on a magical mystery tour through The Beatles’ history and impact. Our guide was Rupert Perry CBE, who, after a long career at EMI Records, co-authored Northern Songs - The True Story of the Beatles Song Publishing Empire. As the Beatles-loving offspring of a Beatles-loving dad, I was eager to hear an insider’s take.
Rupert set The Beatles’ impact in context with a quote from David Brooks on the 1960s: “We could not have had Silicon Valley, or the whole information age economy, without the rebel individualism and bursts of creativity that were unleashed by this culture. It was an absolute necessary cultural revolution.”
Rupert argued that this wouldn’t have happened without John, Paul, George, and Ringo.
The Beatles’ rise and lasting legacy
At the start of the 1960s, the end of military national service marked a major change in the young men’s lives. Guns were replaced by guitars. The young working class seemingly had two options – find an apprenticeship, or form a band to change the music scene. When The Beatles’ manager, Brian Epstein, secured a trial with EMI in 1962, they recorded their first single in three hours. The rest is history.
Success came fast. By the end of 1962, they had exclusive use of Studio 2 at Abbey Road and became international icons. Over seven years, they produced 12 albums that grew in complexity as technology and skill advanced. They also toured extensively. Would such intense productivity happen, or be allowed, today?
Their rapid success and legacy were also driven by the business-mindedness of Epstein and the band. Merchandising created new revenue streams and drove their brand. The Beatles formed Northern Songs (a music publishing company), followed by the multimedia company Apple Corps (still in operation and owned by The Beatles’ estates). Their last performance was in 1971, but their ongoing cultural relevance continues with recent film releases, including an upcoming four-part series in development.
Our thoughts
So, what was the lasting impact of The Beatles on society? Over dinner, we pondered whether they were the UK’s greatest cultural export.
Several tables noted that the spread of English language through colonialism was probably a larger one, and that other bands (like the Rolling Stones) have also had major influence. But, The Beatles are perhaps the most globally recognised, and their lyrics and phrases have entered everyday language.
Finally, we contemplated the changing music scene, asking whether the copyright business could survive the age of AI. The Copyright Act was created in 1710 - is it still fit for purpose? I was fascinated by Professor Lord Tarassenko’s summary of this live issue, which affects a sector that generated £123 billion in 2023. A public consultation on copyright and AI drew 11,700 submissions, compared to the expected 600-700.
It’s likely that the UK will settle somewhere between the USA’s “fair game” policy and the EU’s “opt out” approach. I’ll be watching closely as we move through another game-changing era for the creative industries.
