Mad Men spends big for Beatles song
‘Mad Men’ cast and crew members, winners of the Outstanding Drama Series Award pose in the press room at the 62nd Annual Primetime Emmy Awards.
Any good Mad Men fan can tell you that the producers are meticulous about remaining culturally accurate. From the fashion, to the history and dialog, and even the food (this season's ad theme is Heines Beans), Mad Men is always on point.
Last night's episode was no exception. In the final scene Don Draper, the central character of the show, pulls out his 'Revolver' LP and plays The Beatles song, 'Tomorrow Never Knows.'
Just how much did it cost the producers of Mad Men to remain so authentic? According to the Wall Street Journal, about $250,000.
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WSJ also says the episode marks the first time a master recording by the Beatles has been licensed for a television show.
Paying for the song wasn't even the hardest part. According to Forbes.com, in order to play the song on the show, Sony/ATV Publishing had to get Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Olivia Harrison and Yoko Ono all to sign off on it.
Forbes said the group had rejected other offers for licensing including an offer for 'Hey Jude' to be a part of the film, 'The Royal Tennenbaums.'
Lionsgate, the studio that produces “Mad Men” for AMC, wouldn’t confirm the amount paid to WSJ, but a spokeswoman said it was the most expensive music deal the TV studio has made to date.
For Mad Men fans, the song was symbolic of the turmoil and change Draper is going through, and for Beatles fans it was a small, albeit expensive gift.
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