The Beatles song that BBC Radio 1 controversially refused to play
During the 1990s, The Beatles rode the crest of a wave with their Anthology series. The project converted a whole new generation of Beatles fans and comprehensively documented their work like never before. With that, the band were sitting on previously unheard music, but BBC Radio 1 wasn’t interested.
Although BBC Radio 1 is a station that primarily targets a listenership aged between 18-34, new music from The Beatles in 1996 was of interest to the entire listening world. At the time, Oasis were the biggest contemporary band in the country, and they idolised The Fab Four. Yet, despite that, the BBC decided the youth wouldn’t be interested in those four Liverpudlian lads from the 1960s.
The surviving members of The Beatles, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, uncovered two long-lost demos made by John Lennon, which they transformed into fully-fledged songs and released in the Anthology trilogy. The first new song was ‘Free As A Bird’, which premiered on BBC Radio 1 and peaked at number two in the UK Singles Chart, selling 120,000 copies in the first week alone.
Discussing the work, McCartney examined the two releases as part of the Anthology. He said: “[‘Free As A Bird’] was really like working on a record with John, as Lennon/McCartney/Harrison, because we all chipped in a bit on this one. George and I were vying for best lyric. That was more satisfying than just taking a John song, which was what we did for the second, ‘Real Love’. It worked out great but it wasn’t as much fun.”
Although ‘Real Love’ had previously been posthumously released as a Lennon record, hearing it as a song by The Beatles elevates the track to another level. However, much to the band’s bemusement, BBC Radio 1 were unwilling to playlist the effort, unlike ‘Free As A Bird’.
In 1996, radio stations remained the primary method of uncovering new music and had the charts in a chokehold. If you were a new band, it was critical to have their support if you desired commercial success. Fortunately, The Beatles’ ‘Real Love’ still charted at four even without BBC Radio 1, but if it had their backing, it likely would have gone to the top spot.
Paul McCartney addressed the snub in a column for the Daily Mirror (via Beatles Bible) and said: “The Beatles don’t need our new single, ‘Real Love’, to be a hit. It’s not as if our careers depend on it. If Radio 1 feels that we should be banned now, it’s not exactly going to ruin us overnight. You can’t put an age limit on good music”.
“It’s very heartening to know that, while the kindergarten kings of Radio 1 may think The Beatles are too old to come out to play, a lot of younger British bands don’t seem to share that view,” he added. “I’m forever reading how bands like Oasis are openly crediting The Beatles as inspiration, and I’m pleased that I can hear The Beatles in a lot of the music around today. As Ringo said to me about all this, who needs Radio 1 when you’ve got all the independent stations.”
Due to The Beatles’ age, on a level, it’s understandable why BBC Radio 1 felt ‘Real Love’ wasn’t appropriate for their playlist. However, occasionally, there are exceptions to the rule, and this song wholly deserved to receive airplay.
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