‘McCartney’ LP Number One; Beatles’ Let It Be’ Album Leaps to Number Two, Just Two Weeks on Billboard
NEW YORK — Beatlemania — this time in the form of increased productivity from the group and individual members and in booming sales figures for Beatle product — is still alive and kicking. Beatles’ business manager, Allen Klein, revealed that 3.2 million copies of the group’s “Let It Be” album had been shipped in 13 days. At No. 2 on the Billboard album chart, this week, it jumped from 104 (May 31). Another Apple album, “McCartney,” by Paul McCartney, retains the top spot.
According to Klein, “Let It Be” is already the fourth best selling Beatle album. The list is headed by “Abbey Road” (about 5 million, said Klein), followed by their first ever U.S. album, “Meet the Beatles” (4.3 million) and “Hey Jude” (3.3 million). In fifth place, behind “Let It Be,” is “Sgt. Pepper,” usually regarded as the biggest Beatle seller (2.7 million).
Pointing out that “Abbey Road,” “Hey Jude” and “Let It Be” are all recent product, Klein sees this as justification for the present Apple method of operation. “Since January, Apple has, in effect, taken a unique position in the record business, having total control of and responsibility for the amount of product to be manufactured and shipped,” he said. “Apple is an independent record company using wholly owned distribution and marketing procedures of another major record company. Apple takes all the risks of obsolescence and returns.
“The best evidence of the success of this type of distribution is in the enormously high sales of ‘Hey Jude’ which sold more in total than ‘Sgt. Pepper.’ And this sold without the usual amount of airplay that a new Beatle album or single gets because there was nothing new in the album.
“‘Abbey Road’ was less of a miracle because it was new product and had much airplay. And ‘Let It Be’ had two top singles and a film to help it along.”
Capitol, United Artist Praised
Klein praised the resources of both Capitol and United Artists in contributing to the success of the “Let It Be” album. “We used Capitol’s manufacturing facilities to press 4 million-a million ahead, which is the risk that Apple takes. We drop shipped an initial 2.7 million, around 60 percent to major distributors and the rest to United Artist depots. We get daily information on key retail movement across the country so we know pretty quickly how things are shaping up.
“We have airplay in 40 percent of the country and with the film on release we managed to create the excitement of the release which is so important.
“We are now in a position of discussing what the potential sales of a Beatle album is, in a country of 200 million I don’t know — I reckon they should sell 20 million. But I do know that right now we have coordination. We are maximizing their potential.”
Klein has figures for other Beatle albums that were tied in — as is “Let It Be” –with films: “A Hard Day’s Night” (2.5 million), “Help” (1.5 million), “Magical Mystery Tour” (2 million) and “Yellow Submarine” (700,000).
Klein claims that the restructuring of Apple, freeing the Beatles from business duties, is the reason for the increased flow of material from the group. In the last 12 months the group has brought out five singles and three albums. Klein estimates the sales for that year at 13 million units in the U.S.
“This control they have in their own product is a spur to productivity,” he said. “The incentive to call their own shots means a lot. John Lennon finished ‘Instant Karma’ on a Friday and the record was in the shops the following Thursday. This is a great incentive to making records.”
Klein has reassurance for those surprised at the sales figures for the “Sgt. Pepper” album: “It is still selling a regular 50,000 copies a month. The Beatles catalog is also very strong. END
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Information, credit, and news source: Billboard June 6, 1970
