From the MCRFB NEWS archive: 1964
‘U.S. ROCKS AND REELS FROM BEATLES’ INVASION’
LOS ANGELES — The Southern California market has gone on a Beatle binge, according to a Billboard survey here. Retailers and broadcasters alike report that Beatle fare is getting top attention from listeners and buyers. Music City Vice-President Ethan Caston said the Beatles’ Capitol single and LP are No. 1 sellers. “The Beatles as an act are the biggest attraction since Presley. Their Capitol LP is the biggest album we had since “The First Family.”
The May Company Department stores are seeking to become the area’s “Beatles Centers,” selling disks as well as various Beatles-licensed merchandise.
California’s Music’s Buddy Robinson reported the Beatle tide rising, but that it won’t hit the full crest until after the group’s appearance on the Ed Sullivan show. Top sales, he says, were being enjoyed by the Capitol single and LP, and the Swan single and the MGM releases were also enjoying a brisk business.
Wally Peters, sales manager at Sight and Sound, Van Nuys, said the biggest effect of the Beatles have been to move “Beatles-type product. In addition to their own releases, he said 90 Capitol LP’s, 700 Capitol singles and 300 Swan singles were sold. Generally he classified business as “hot.”
At Westchester Music, Al Spaulding said the Beatles were moving well. he said he had sold over 100 of the Capitol single and LP. At headquarters for the 12-store White Front change, disk buyer Charlie Sims said their Capitol items have been moving well but the only other merchandise which has held up strongly is allied product; namely, surfing and hot rod LP’s. END
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(Information and news source, Billboard, February 15, 1964)
