POP/ROCKRecord Sale: Paul McCartney’s hand-written lyrics for...

POP/ROCK

Record Sale: Paul McCartney’s hand-written lyrics for the song “Getting Better” were sold for $249,200 Thursday, a world record for a Beatle song. After spirited bidding that drew gasps and applause from Beatle fans at London auctioneers Sotheby’s, the lyrics from the epoch-making “Sgt. Pepper” album were sold to an anonymous telephone bidder. The amount was triple the previous record of $74,910 paid three years ago for John Lennon’s words to “A Day in the Life” from the same album, released in 1967. The lyrics were scribbled and McCartney gives the impression of having written them in a hurry. The words for the chorus are written as “getting so much betting all the time,” then betting is crossed out for better . McCartney’s lyrics for “Ob-la-di,ob-la-da,” the love story of the market trader Desmond and the singer Molly, were sold for $46,280 to a private collector who also declined to be identified. McCartney, now 53, jotted down the words because he found them difficult to remember.

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Queen Returns: The rock band Queen is putting finishing touches on a new album that features vocal tracks recorded by the late Freddie Mercury shortly before his death. “Made in Heaven” will contain 10 new tracks, including “A Winter’s Tale,” the last song written by Mercury, Queen’s lead singer and primary songwriter, who died of complications of AIDS in 1991. Since then, other band members Roger Taylor, Brian May and John Deacon have been finishing the album, which is scheduled for release in November by Hollywood Records.

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‘Dangerous’ Ranking: The soundtrack to “Dangerous Minds” sold 182,000 copies last week to remain the nation’s best-selling album for the fourth consecutive week, according to SoundScan figures. “Cracked Rear View,” the debut effort from Hootie & the Blowfish, sold 173,000 copies to remain No. 2 in the chart, also for the fourth week in a row.

TELEVISION

Checking the Ratings: As in the retail business, television success depends heavily on location. CBS’ new sitcom “Bless This House,” starring Andrew Clay and Cathy Moriarty, won its time period when it premiered Monday night behind “The Nanny,” but in its regular slot at 8 p.m. Wednesday, it finished third behind ABC’s “Ellen” and Fox’s “Beverly Hills, 90210.” The latter series, in a two-hour season opener, also was second from 9 to 10 p.m., trailing ABC comedies but beating CBS newcomer “Central Park West.” Both the “Beverly Hills” and “Central Park” serials were created by Darren Star.

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Tartikoff Talks: New World Entertainment Chairman Brandon Tartikoff will host a discussion of the new television season on CNBC’s “Talk Live” show Saturday at 6 p.m. The former head of NBC Entertainment and Paramount Pictures will play host to current NBC Entertainment President Warren Littlefield, “NYPD Blue” and “Murder One” producer Steven Bochco, and actor Drew Carey of “The Drew Carey Show.” CBS Entertainment President Leslie Moonves will make a cameo appearance.

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Miller Renewed: Dennis Miller may have bombed in his syndicated talk show a few years ago, but he’s hot stuff on cable. HBO has just renewed “Dennis Miller Live” for an additional 20 episodes, with new shows slated to debut Jan. 26. Miller’s show won an Emmy last weekend for best individual achievement in writing in a variety or music program, the second year in a row it has won in that category.

ART

No ‘Goode’ Yet: “Joe Goode,” a retrospective of work from the past 30 years by the prominent California artist that was set to open Sept. 23 at the Newport Harbor Art Museum, has been postponed to September, 1996. Museum director Michael Botwinick said Wednesday that worries about leaks in the building’s nearly 20-year-old roof triggered the postponement of the exhibition, which was being organized by Newport Harbor chief curator Bruce Guenther. At the same time, however, Goode told Guenther he wanted to finish a new body of work for inclusion in the exhibition, so what initially was envisioned as a two-month delay for roof repairs stretched into the one-year hiatus, Botwinick said. Earlier this year, the leaky roof caused the cancellation of another major show, “Masculine Masquerade: Masculinity and Representation.”

RADIO

Chamber Music: Listeners of KUSC-FM (91.5) and the affiliate stations of USC purchased a record $48,000 in new subscriptions to the 1995-96 season of the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra during a 12-hour promotion Tuesday. The orchestra has faced some recent financial struggles.