11. The Record Company That Passed on the Beatles to Sign Brian Poole and the Tremeloes
On New Year’s Day, 1962, the Beatles performed about 15 songs before Dick Rowe, a senior executive with Decca Records, and the label’s chief talent spotter. After the audition, Mr. Rowe passed, telling the Beatles manager: “Guitar groups are on the way out“. The Beatles were understandably dejected at starting the new year with a rejection. By contrast, Dick Rowe thought his new year had started great. That same day, he had listened to another auditioning band and liking what he heard, he signed up Brian Poole and the Tremeloes.
The Tremeloes went on to have some success in the United Kingdom. In 1963, they entered the UK charts with a cover of the Isley Brothers’ Twist and Shout, and followed it up with a UK chart-topping cover of the Contours’ Do You Love Me. A year later, they did a cover of Roy Orbison’s Candy Man that pleased the Brits, and a cover of the Crickets’ Someone, Someone, which made it to number 2 on the UK charts. Nonetheless, it was nowhere close to the Beatles’ success. Passing on the Beatles made Dick Rowe and Decca Records synonymous with bad decisions.