Gary James' Interview With The Owner Of Fab And Gear Beatles Specialty Shop
Glenn Langille



The Beatles may have played their last concert in the U.S. on August 29^th, 1966 in San Francisco, but the interest has always remained high in the group. Glenn Langille owns or owned (the interview was conducted in 1989) a speciality shop in Ipswich, Massachusetts where he sells or sold Beatles CDs and videos. Glenn spoke with us about his shop.

Q - Glenn, how do you find all these rare Beatles CDs and videos? Is there a Beatle underground?

A - I'm asked this all the time and I can answer it with one word: persistence. I started collecting way back in high school as a hobby. I can recall how frustrating it was searching for this stuff. I'd walk the streets of Boston, asking record store owners for rare Beatles material and they'd look at me like I had two heads! I finally just started going to records shows, joined Beatle fan clubs and began corresponding with other collectors from around the world. Everything just fell into place. You'd be surprised at how much great material is actually out there. Like everything else though, you have to be patient and stay with it. Keep looking and asking and I guarantee that you'll find what you're looking for. In regards to to the underground, yes, there is one. It has flourished in recent years due to the great demand for bootleg CDs. I am not connected with it and to be perfectly honest I have no desire to be. It's very risky. One slip-up and you can be put away for life. It's not worth it.

Q - Don't you find it rather strange that with the huge following The Beatles still enjoy that Capitol/E.M.I. has not released more product than they have on The Beatles? Why do you think that is?

A - People have been screaming from the roof tops for new Beatles material for years. Back in 1985, E.M.I. was to release an album called "Sessions". It contained thirteen never before released Beatle studio tracks. Unfortunately, it got tied up in a legal mess, as usual, and the album never saw the light of day. Officially that is. Somehow, some factory samples of "Sessions" slipped out of E.M.I. Studios and were duplicated as bootlegs. Paul McCartney caught wind of this and filed a lawsuit against E.M.I. charging that they, E.M.I. had secretly and illegally sold copies of the album out the back door. I don't know what the outcome of the case was, but I'm sure that it was quite a mess. There are two main reasons why no new Beatles material has been released. The first is because of all the legal red tape that's involved. No one can seem to decide who owns the rights to certain songs and who's to be paid the royalties. The second and probably most important factor is the lack of actual recorded material. Contrary to popular opinion there aren't that many fully recorded, unreleased Beatles songs in E.M.I.'s vault. In sure that I've just bummed out a whole lot of people, but it's the truth. There are only a handful (of songs). Sure, there are plenty of undeveloped ideas down on tape and plenty of studio jams, but none of it is suitable for official release. Something else that people always talk about are alternate takes. Yes, there are thousands of them, but will they ever be released? It's hard to say. An excerpt from the liner notes of the unreleased "Sessions" album sums up the question, "Many alternate takes of released songs survive, but to suggest that they are better or more interesting than the released version would be to question The Beatles own artistic judgment." After all, The Beatles were at the very top of their field precisely because they only allowed their best material to come out. As a result, most unreleased recordings are left unreleased for a very good reason.

Q - How long has "Fab And Gear!" been in business?

A - "Fab And Gear!" is a relatively new business. We have been in operation since last December and to date, the response has been tremendous. We provide a world-wide search service for collectors looking for CDs. We do not deal in vinyl by The Beatles or virtually any other group. We receive mail from all across the country, every day.

Q - What is your hottest seller?

A - Well, foreign compact discs are our specially, so I would say that our hottest seller is CDs. We offer a great selection of Beatles discs from England, Germany, Italy and Japan. The reason that foreign discs are so popular is because they contain material that is not readily available in the U.S. Material such as rare interviews, live concerts, radio broadcasts, etc. The packaging of these discs is usually very nice also. Collectors just can't get enough of them.

Q - Have you ever had one of The Beatles contact you about a product you're selling or someone who is close to The Beatles?

A - Well, not yet, but I might now! Ha ha! The only big shot that has contacted me to date is a gentleman named Ken Kebbler. He is a writer from England who is publishing a book on collecting The Beatles. It is due out this Fall. I supplied him with some information that he was researching for the book. It should be an excellent publication as it has E.M.I.'s involvement.

Q - You started collecting Beatles material in high school, which tells me you probably didn't see the group's debut on The Ed Sullivan Show. How much did you know about The Beatles?

A - Well, I didn't know too much about The Beatles back then (1964) as I was still in diapers. I guess I fall into the category of being the original Beatle Baby. My interest in The Beatles didn't start 'til I was 15. In fact, it was just a few months before John was killed. What a shock that was! I remember being in school the day after the murder. There were radios playing everywhere, in classrooms, in the halls, in the cafeteria, outside, everywhere. All of the stations played Beatles music for twelve hours straight. It was really something.

Q - How did you get the idea to start "Fab and Gear!"?

A - Well, I always fancied doing something like this. It had been in the back of my mind for years. Then finally one day I just decided to give it a shot. I really love doing this. It gives me a chance to help out fellow collectors, both pro and novice alike. Plus, it allows me to build my own collection fairly quickly and inexpensively. It's like having your cake and eating it too!

Q - What part of the world buys more Beatle merchandise than any other?

A - Believe it or not, it's the American market that's eating this stuff up. They can't get enough of it. Japan comes in a close second place as far as The Beatles are concerned. They are huge over there! Just to give you an example of how popular The Beatles are in Japan, there is actually a Beatles nightclub in Tokyo! No kidding! This club features Beatles sound alike bands every night and sells Beatles CDs and memorabilia in the lobby. From what I hear, the place is really something to see! Too bad someone couldn't take the initiative to start something like that here in the States. It could be as popular as the Hard Rock Cafe.

Q - It is really amazing that a group that disbanded in 1970 would still command that kind of attention. You must have thought about that more than once.

A - People have been analyzing this for years and they always seem to look for some philosophical reason for it. I really don't think there's an in-depth reason for The Beatles' continued popularity. The answer is as far away as your stereo or TV. Just put on one of their records or listen to some of their interviews, or watch them on video, and you you'll have the answer why. They were four great guys who had exceptional qualities. They were warm, sensitive, and funny, and that goes a long way. They were very likable people. And their music of course was, and still is, fantastic. It still holds up. It's timeless. They were a phenomenon that continues to intrigue people to this day.

Q - How long do you see yourself running "Fab And Gear!"?

A - I plan to stay in business as long as millions of people continue to crave The Beatles, which I think is going to be for a very long time. Right now we deal in compact discs, videos, and other miscellaneous items such as original concert tickets and Gold Records. I would like to start dealing in record awards on a larger scale. However, I do not see that happening in the immediate future. I just have to take things one step at a time, perhaps within the next couple of years.

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