Laws Affecting Music In The 1960's

[Guest MBarrett]

Sorry this sounds like a hopelessly dry subject but there are a couple of issues I would be appreciate your comments & opinions on.

Live performances

I just finished reading Martha Reeves' biography. In there she says:

In order for American artists to perform in Europe the same number of artists and players had to discover the fans of the United States. When Motown singer Kim Weston went to England, the Rolling Stones came to America. When we were invited there the Beatles came here.

So was this an actual law in either the U.K. or the U.S.? Or maybe a reciprocal employment protection arrangement? Would love to clarify this and/or learn more.

Recorded music

I always assumed that the releases on Stateside, London, Pye International etc. etc. etc. were to take advantage of established promotional expertise and distribution networks.

But I read the other day on a web page that for a period of time it was illegal for certain U.S. companies to retail records in the U.K. other than through a U.K. owned company.

Is this true?

If so can anyone explain what it was all about or point me to somewhere I can learn more.

Any help much appreciated.

MB

[Pete S]

But no US labels operated independently of UK companies in the 60's anyway, they just licensed their product to the UK labels, or am I misunderstanding the question

[Guest MBarrett]

Pete

What I am really asking is "did the U.S. companies license their product because they chose to do it that way" or was their some law in place that said they had to.

I always assumed it was the chose option until I read the other day that there was in fact a law in place that meant that they were forced to arrange their U.K. distribution through a U.K. company.

Apologies if that is rubbish, I can't even recall what web page I saw it on, but it got me thinking whether there was any truth in it.

MB

[Guest MBarrett]

Not my original question - but one thing that definitely WAS regulated by laws was the sale price of records.

Under Resale Price Maintenance the sale price of an item was fixed (I think by the manufacturer) and no retailer was allowed to sell it any cheaper or more expensive.

The prices I seem to remember from around the mid 60's were:

32 shillings for an L.P.

10 shillings and 9 pence for an E.P.

6 shillings and 8 pence for a single (should be the easiest one to remember but my mind might be playing tricks with me on that one!!)

MB

[pikeys dog]

Thought it was the Americans who introduced a ban on artists from overseas performing in the U.S. unless there was a reciprical agreement - IE the Yardbirds could only get Visas to appear in the U.S. if say Bob Dylan was booked to tour the U.K.

Beatlemania and the success of groups like Freddie and the Dreamers caused them to panic about the amount of money going to overseas artists and record companies.

[Guest MBarrett]

PD

That would definitely make sense on the artists issue - a sort of protectionism on behalf of the Americans. So very likely it was a U.S. law not a British one. The "British invasion" must have been a massive shock to them. Seem to recall that at one time 9 out of the 10 Top Ten records in the U.S. were by British artists.

The money earned was massive (in most cases I guess for everyone except the artists themselves)

Anyone realise/remember that the highest rate of income tax at that time was 98%. I believe that for one tax year 90% of all the tax paid in the whole of the U.K. at the 98% rate came from 4 people - the Beatles. It was generally believed that that was why they were awarded MBE's - and why they gave them back in disgust!

MB

[Guest Stuart T]

PD

That would definitely make sense on the artists issue - a sort of protectionism on behalf of the Americans. So very likely it was a U.S. law not a British one. The "British invasion" must have been a massive shock to them. Seem to recall that at one time 9 out of the 10 Top Ten records in the U.S. were by British artists.

The money earned was massive (in most cases I guess for everyone except the artists themselves)

Anyone realise/remember that the highest rate of income tax at that time was 98%. I believe that for one tax year 90% of all the tax paid in the whole of the U.K. at the 98% rate came from 4 people - the Beatles. It was generally believed that that was why they were awarded MBE's - and why they gave them back in disgust!

MB

The British Musicians Union had placed severe restrictions on the ability of overseas artists to appear in the UK in the 1930s. I think Fats Waller was the first victim (he had to travel as a variety act). Harold McNair couldn't perform live in the UK for the same reason. Seems only fair that the US would reciprocate until the restrictions were lifted.

Don't know about the Beatles paying the most tax (would be surprised) but Lennon returned his MBE in protests at the Biafra conflict, the Vietnam war (not that it was anything to do with Mrs Windsor) and something or other else, not taxes.

Edited April 15, 2007 by Stuart T

[Guest mel brat]

Sorry this sounds like a hopelessly dry subject but there are a couple of issues I would be appreciate your comments & opinions on.

Live performances

I just finished reading Martha Reeves' biography. In there she says:

So was this an actual law in either the U.K. or the U.S.? Or maybe a reciprocal employment protection arrangement? Would love to clarify this and/or learn more.

Recorded music

I always assumed that the releases on Stateside, London, Pye International etc. etc. etc. were to take advantage of established promotional expertise and distribution networks.

But I read the other day on a web page that for a period of time it was illegal for certain U.S. companies to retail records in the U.K. other than through a U.K. owned company.

Is this true?

If so can anyone explain what it was all about or point me to somewhere I can learn more.

Any help much appreciated.

MB

Not certain of any of this, but I think I read somewhere that the UK Musicians Union prevented American artists performing here unless an equal number of UK artists could perform in the States. I also heard that "import restrictions on US imports were eased in the late 60s" (though I also read that it was not until 1971!), and it was illegal to import US records before that time - though this may have only applied to those recordings which had a UK distribution deal such as Stax, Motown etc.

This seems to make some sense, as if the UK manufacturer DID release a side, they didn't want it's sales (and potential chart placing) undermined by imported copies, as in fact often happened in the later 1970's when UK releases could be up to several months behind the US release dates. (There were constant letters of complaint in Blues & Soul about this delay in the early 70s I remember - particularly in regard to EMI/Tamla Motown)

In around 1976/77 I think, Dave Godin wrote in B&S that there was talk in the record industry about reviving import restrictions on records and home taping (or enforcing the existing laws) and pointed out the devastating effect this would have had on the UK club scene, and the Northern scene in particular!

Edited April 15, 2007 by mel brat

[Guest]

Bloody great idea to me..............send freddie and the dreamers along with the beatles over there and in return we will have John Lee Hooker and The Miracles....... bloody good swap

[Guest mel brat]

Bloody great idea to me..............send freddie and the dreamers along with the beatles over there and in return we will have John Lee Hooker and The Miracles....... bloody good swap

Too right! Freddie Garrity - what a prat!

[FrankM]

Both the American Federation of Musicians and the Musicians Union both thought that there were no need for foreign musicians to play in their respective countries. They were protecting jobs. Singers were not regarded as musicians and were not memebrs of the union so they could tour with musicians from the countries they were visiting.

Catch one viewpoint here

https://www.geocities.com/soulpooluk/blackmusic.htm

A library may have A History of Jazz in Britain 1919-50 (Hardcover)

by Jim Godbolt (Author)

This page explains how the ban was lifted.

https://www.ronniescotts.co.uk/about/ronnie...tts_history.pdf

for a period in the sixties if a British band was on tour in the States an Americabn band could play the UK. i believe Brian epstein had lined the Velvet Underground to play London whilst The move hit the states. never happened.