The Frank Ifield Story

>
> Frank's song I Remember You was a huge hit in several countries, and
> several labels in the US bid on it. The winning label was VeeJay, a
> small mostly-r&b label in Gary, Indiana (almost a suburb of
Chicago). It
> had been founded in 1953 by a husband-and-wife team named Vivian Carter
> and James Bracken (hence the "V-J").
>
> In negotiations with EMI to issue Frank Ifield on VeeJay in America,
> VeeJay agreed to take another EMI artist - the Beatles. This was in
> mid-1962. I Remember You was a big hit in America that fall, but the
> singles they released by the Beatles stiffed, and never made even the
> lower reaches of the Hot 100.
>
> In January 1964, the Beatles exploded in the US with I Want to Hold Your
> Hand (their first single to make the charts at all in the US, and it was
> number 1 for 15 weeks). VeeJay frantically rush-released the Beatles
> singles that they still owned, and this time they were all hits (Please
> Please Me, From Me To You, Do You Want to Know a Secret, Thank You
Girl).
>
> Later, EMI (Capitol Records in the US at that time) bought the rights to
> all those songs back from VeeJay.
>
> But Frank Ifield was, in a roundabout way, responsible for the first
> Beatles release in the United States.
>

>
...so Capitol/EMI sued VeeJay, resulting in a settlement which
allowed VJ to exploit their Beatles masters through the end of
1964, when Capitol would assume the rights. Besides the
INTRODUCING THE BEATLES lp, VJ also released the double LP
BEATLES vs. THE FOUR SEASONS (Seasons had split for Philips),
also SONGS, PICTURES AND STORIES OF THE FABULOUS BEATLES
(INTRODUCING lp in a gatefold cover w/ extra photos), an
interview lp (HEAR THE BEATLES TELL ALL), and JOLLY WHAT!
THE BEATLES AND FRANK IFIELD (half Beatles, half Frank)...
plus numerous 45s including their orange label Oldies 45
series which came out in late '64, consisting of tunes
which were hits in early '64. Many of the old Vee-Jay LPs
are collectors' items today, but buyer beware: Introducing
The Beatles as well as the Beatles/Ifield album are often
counterfeited! VeeJay folded soon after losing the Beatles
and the Seasons. Despite all the cash the Beatles brought
in, they made some poor a+r decisions. Shame, as they were
a great indie label

To Listen To Frank Ifield And Other Great 60's CLICK HERE