This is the nineteenth in a series of examinations of music legends and whether they are true or false. Click here to view an archive of the previous eighteen.

Let’s begin!

MUSIC LEGEND: The film A Hard Day’s Night originally was made just so United Artists’ music company could get around Capitol Records’ exclusive rights to put out Beatles music in the United States.

STATUS: True

In October of 1963, the Beatles were still largely unknown in the United States, but there were clear indications that the group was gaining some significant momentum in their home of the United Kingdom, and that soon they would becoming more popular in the States (heck, you could argue that Beatlemania had already begun in England by this point in time).

But in October of 1963, Capitol Records, who had the exclusive rights to release new Beatles music in the United States, seemed totally disinterested in the group. Capitol Records actually decided to pass on releasing two singles by the Beatles offered to them.

While Capitol Records was not paying attention to the buzz in England, United Artists was. They had a bit more of a presence in England, so they were picking up on the early stages of Beatlemania. Therefore, the music division of United Artists discovered a bit of a loophole in Capitol Records’ exclusivity in the United States - there was an exemption for film scores!

So United Artists music division asked the movie division to sign the Beatles to a movie deal, which would allow them to release a soundtrack.

The movie division did so, signing the Beatles to a three-picture deal at a very reasonable rate (in retrospect, it seems far too low for the Beatles to sign for about 70,000 pounds per picture - plus a cut of the film’s profits, but you have to understand that in the Fall of 1963, while it was clear that the Beatles were going to be huge in England, who knew that that would translate to the United States? And even if they were going to be popular, who knew they would be popular enough that people would want to watch a FILM about them?). The movie’s budget was a paltry half million dollars (which was cheap, even for 1963).

Anyhow, a month or so later, after a TV news story on “Beatlemania” in the UK, Capitol Records decided to rush out a single by the Beatles - “I Want to Hold Your Hand.”

And by the time Richard Lester (United Artists’ pick to direct the film) began filming in March of 1964, Beatlemania had hit the United States in full force, and it was clear that United Artists had hit upon a coup with their movie deal.

A Hard Day’s Night was a smash hit.

But from the music side of things, it was also a smash, as United Artists released the soundtrack a month before the film - they were only allowed to use songs from the actual film, which led to them filling in the album with George Martin’s incidental music written for the score of the film (amusingly enough, this was the first major payday for Martin in his music career).

The album was a massive success.

In England, Parlophone released A Hard Day’s Night, only filled in with some new tracks and without the incidental music.

And Capitol eventually released the British version of A Hard Day’s Night, only because of the United Artists album, they called their album Something New…

Interestingly enough (and perhaps this was part of the deal?), Capitol did not release “A Hard Day’s Night” as a single.

Due to their earlier release, United Artists’ album sold better (it spent 14 weeks at Number 1 on the charts) even though it was clearly the inferior album. So United Artists’ plan worked pretty darn well!

MUSIC LEGEND: The violinist for Bob Dylan’s album, Desire (as well as the accompanying tour), was hired off of the street.

STATUS: True

Folks tend to love stories of people being plucked from the streets from obscurity and made a “star,” but they’re almost all made-up stories, the inventions of PR flacks.

The story of Scarlet Rivera, though, is as odd as it is true.

In 1975, Bob Dylan was getting set to record his latest album.

One day, while driving in New York City with a female acquaintance (Named Sheena - she played tambourine and congas on the album), Dylan was struck by an attractive woman walking down the street carrying a violin case. Dylan asked her to come into the car. She eventually agreed and Dylan took her to his apartment and began playing her a new song he had just written called “One More Cup of Coffee.”

She played her violin along with the tune and Dylan hired her on the spot.

The woman was named Scarlett Rivera, and she played violin on Dylan’s album, Desire.

She also went on the famous Rolling Thunder Revue tour with Dylan and his band.

Rivera has gone on to have a long and notable career in music. Here’s a more recent photo of her…

But for once, at least, a person actually WAS picked off of the streets to become a star (of sorts)!

MUSIC LEGEND: The lyrics to “Every Breath You Take” are taken from an actual stalker’s letters.

STATUS: False

If The Police’s “Every Breath You Take” is not the world’s most misinterpreted song, it’s certainly pretty high up their on the list of songs that people tend to misinterpret.

The song has become a paragon of romance, while really, the song is not about romance at all, but about unhealthy obession.

Just look at the lyrics:

Since youve gone I been lost without a trace
I dream at night I can only see your face
I look around but its you I cant replace
I feel so cold and I long for your embrace
I keep crying baby, baby, please…

Oh, cant you see
You belong to me
How my poor heart aches
With every breath you take

Every move you make
Every vow you break
Every smile you fake
Every claim you stake
Ill be watching you

Sting, who wrote the song, has a great line regarding it:

One couple told me ‘Oh we love that song; it was the main song played at our wedding!’ I thought, Well, good luck.

In any event, though, the song has brought rise to a number of legends about its origin, with the most prominent being that Sting supposedly used an actual letter from a stalker (either written to him or just a random stalker letter he somehow got his hands on) and adapted said letter into this song.

That is not true.

The song was written by Sting in response to the breakup of his marriage to Frances Tomelty - the unrequited love of the song is what he was feeling at the time.

And really, since Sting has said that Gene Pitney’s “Every Breath I Take” was an influence, it’s unlikely that he would have gotten the lyrics from some random stalker letter.

In addition, it’s PROBABLY not a coincidence that Led Zeppelin’s “D’yer Maker” has the lyrics:

Oh oh oh oh oh oh, Every breath I take oh oh oh oh oh
Every move I make hey hey, Baby please don’t go.
Ay ay ay ay ay ay, You hurt me to my soul oh oh oh oh,
You hurt me to my soul oh oh oh oh,
Darling please don’t go.

Another rumor (similarly untrue) is that Sting wrote it about a newborn baby. If you look at the song from that angle, it doesn’t seem so untoward, but yeah, that’s not true, either.

It’s just about his (then) impending divorce.

Okay, that’s it for this week!

Feel free (heck, I implore you!) to write in with your suggestions for future installments! My e-mail address is bcronin@legendsrevealed.com