S is for Subbuteo's Snappy Songsters!

Although known to be by Subbuteo in the UK, it's likely these were bought-in, and probably from Hong Kong, for several reasons, not least that a falco subbuteo (European hobby), as a small raptor, probably eats beetles when it's had a poor day's hunting larger pray!

Two other [proper!] reasons for suspecting importation are that 1) they were also issued carded in the 'States with white rosette-backs as lapel badges, presumably to cash-in on a US Tour?

2) They are made of a softish plastic which could be either a polyethylene or a dense PVC, either way; it's a much better material for making footballers than the brittle styrene Subbuteo was using at the time.

Nevertheless, they are very well-done compared to all the other 'Beatles' cake-decorations we've looked at, although Subbuteo sold them as stand-alone (stand- together!) figures in a window-box set. All three guitars are different shapes, with well-registered stickers applied, and all are held in place with a small black rubber-band on the note-forming/fret-board wrist.

The drummers stool is glued on and the Drum-kit usually has more than just a bass-drum if I recall correctly (with a stand of some kind?), but a slip of the scissors (you had to cut the kit out) and you might easily end up with just the main drum! Indeed, the lack of a 'proper' drum-kit may point to the US badges coming first?