This week’s NME features a supplement called The Ultimate Playlist: “75 songs that made rock’n’roll”. I’m reliably informed that one band is conspicuously absent: an obscure Liverpudlian beat combo by the name of The Beatles.
It’s hard to imagine any list of songs that made rock’n’roll not including the Beatles, but the NME supplement manages it. NME, where is Beatles band? Nowhere!
There’s another place where you’ll be asking, “where is Beatles band?” – iTunes. Spookily, the NME supplement is sponsored by iTunes. Hence the lack of Beatles band: they’re not on iTunes*, so they can’t possibly be one of the bands who “made rock’n’roll”. Oasis, on the other hand, are on iTunes, so of course they’re on the list.
Oasis more important than the Beatles? On what planet?
As I’ve written before, I hate advertising that pretends not to be advertising, and the NME supplement falls into that category. I think the reason it’s raised my hackles so much is because the packaging suggests that it’s the cover feature, which implies it’s proper journalism rather than a lengthy sales pitch for a single shop. We used to call them “catalogues” or “brochures”.
Ever had the feeling you’ve been cheated?
* Bar tribute bands and about three tracks that feature on compilation albums
Comments
0 responses to “Where is Beatles band?”
I wish some enterprising nerd had managed to rescue the entire ‘Where is Beatles Band’ correspondence from the letter pages of 1970s NME. I remember it being sidesplittingly, if unintentionally, funny. It was a series of letters from one Samuel K Ampong in about 1977 asking for details of the latest news of the Beatles. He didn’t seem to know they’d split, or anything much about the NME’s music scene, and not a lot of English.
I’ve managed to find just about any piece of nostalgia I’ve wanted on the web but not this one.
> I remember it being sidesplittingly, if unintentionally, funny.
The references to it dragged on for *years*, not just in NME but also in various other music mags. You’re right, someone should dig up their old NMEs and scan ’em :)
Guys, I hate to spoil it but it was a joke. Samuel K. Ampong was an NME stringer. But you’re right, it was fucking funny.
duncan heining
>>Samuel K. Ampong
Gary’s dentist for years was called Samuel Acheampong. Coincidence? I think not.
Thanks for shattering another illusion, Duncan :)