The Beatles refuse to participate in the Royal Variety Show

BEATLES SAID NO TO ROYAL SHOW

THE Beatles’ name was missing from the list of artists announced on Tuesday for next month’s Royal Variety Show — for a very good reason. They declined Bernard Delfont’s invitation to take part. Instead, the proceeds from one of their future concerts will go to the charity which the Royal Show benefits.

Paul McCartney admitted to the NME: “Yes we were invited to be in the show, and we discussed it with Brian Epstein before saying ‘No.’ We’re not trying to dodge doing something for charity — we’re making our contribution with a show of our own soon. But it’s just not our audience. If we went on and those people didn’t like us everyone would say ‘ha ha, the Beatles failed, they’re on the slide.’ As it is they’ll fill the theatre without any help from us and at the same time we shan’t suffer. As I said, we don’t mind doing a show for charity, but we’d rather do it with our kind of audience. Don’t you agree?”

• The Beatles face the Queen for the first time when they go to Buckingham Palace next Tuesday to collect their MBEs. They are due to arrive at the Palace shortly before 11 am.

From New Musical Express – October 22, 1965

WERE BEATLES RIGHT TO REFUSE ROYAL SHOW?

ISN’T it time some drastic re-thinking was done over the presentation of the annual Royal Variety Show? In fact, should the event be scrapped altogether? Were the right artists selected for this year’s bill? Were the Beatles justified in declining the invitation to appear? These are some of the questions which spring to mind with the announcement of this year’s line-up.

Already I have received dozens of letters protesting that “so-and-so should have been picked,” or questioning the qualification of some artists who have been selected.

A typical comment from Paul Brewster, of Leeds, reads: “It’s a farce! The most deserving stars are never chosen. You can always bet the bill will consist of (a) the artist starring at the theatre where the show is being staged; (b) a generous helping of artists handled by the biggest agencies in London, and (c) a sprinkling of overseas stars apparently picked at random. If Dave Clark is in on behalf of beat music, surely there are more worthy representatives?”

Let’s consider Mr. Brewster’s points one at a time. In the first instance, remember that the normal show at the theatre in question is cancelled on the night of the Royal event, and it is almost traditional for its star to appear before the Queen—in the theatre where he is resident.

And this year, who would question Ken Dodd’s right of selection? The stranglehold which the big agencies seem to wield over the choice of artists has long been a sore point in the business. This was understandable in bygone years, when the “inner circle” of top agents seemed to take it in turn to choose the bill, with a natural leaning towards their own artists.

But more recently the selection has become the prerogative of Bernard Delfont who, I feel, exercises extreme neutrality in his choice.

Where I do agree wholeheartedly with Mr. Brewster is on the subject of overseas artists. The Royal Variety Show is regarded by most people as a tribute to those artists who most merit it. To be picked for this event is the high spot of one’s career. Bearing this in mind, I feel it should be an exclusively British event, with no outsiders even considered.

And I say this even though I personally would rather see Tony Bennett than anyone else in this year’s cast! The choice of foreign stars also strikes me as singularly odd. For example, why on earth pick Johnny Hallyday and Sylvie Vartan? With all due respect to them, these are two spots which British artists could have filled just as effectively.

Mr. Brewster questions the choice of the Dave Clark Five, and on British showing, one would have felt there were more likely candidates. But we have to remember the tremendous impact Dave and the boys have caused in the States. They certainly deserve some recognition for that. Though, of course, by the same token you could argue about Herman’s Hermits.

The Stones? Well, hardly the image, old boy! Though I’d give anything to see Mick Jagger and Co. in monkey suits in the Royal Show finale!

But seriously, when one gets around to considering who ought to be on the bill, one is immediately confronted by the Beatles situation. For they were invited to appear and declined to do so. Therefore, is it not possible that Mr. Delfont received a similar rebuff from other attractions? We can’t criticise him for not presenting artists if they were given the opportunity, but refused.

Were the Beatles right to turn it down? In the past—when the show was known as the Command Performance—an invitation to appear was virtually an order. I am sorry that the majesty and eminence of this occasion should have degenerated to a state wherein it can be dismissed so lightly.

The Beatles obviously thought very deeply about their decision, and I appreciate their motives in declining. Whether they were right or wrong can be only a personal opinion, to which we are all entitled. Mine is that they were wrong. If they were prepared to accept their MBEs, then they should just as readily have acknowledged this other royal honour.

Several readers have suggested that the time is ripe to scrap the Royal Show. It’s true that it is a relic of the days when music-hall was the principal entertainment in Britain, and as such is now outmoded. But I am sorry to see the music-hall die, and if it can be preserved, even in this grandiose form, I’m all for it.

Remember, too, that these days everyone has the opportunity of seeing the event on television, which is a pretty good excuse for keeping it.

And what’s even more important is that the Royal Show is essentially a charity event and raises thousands of pounds for a worthy cause. With due deference to Mr. Delfont—who, goodness knows, has a thankless task in picking the artists and presenting the show—I would like to see the system overhauled so that it is restricted to British artists.

And I would abolish the tendency to squeeze a quart into a pint pot (and happily there has been a trend in this direction in recent years), so that each artist is given a chance to establish himself instead of being relegated to one song or a walk-on rôle. After all, it is the Royal Variety Show and not the “New London Palladium Show”!

From New Musical Express – October 29, 1965