DM's Beatles forums
Beatles forums => Books, Magazines, Articles => Topic started by: McLennon on January 20, 2007, 02:54:22 AM
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Which Beatle book or related book are you reading at the momment?
I am reading 10 years that shook the world and am about half way through! I still have lots more reading to do yet! I have about 10 other Beatle books I havn't read yet! including the anthology! I have already read two books doing the whole day by day thing! so that took time! and I finished a Bob Dylan book not long back before I came back to the 10 years that shook the world!
so how bout you?
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I'm not a big fan of books about them ... lots of mistakes and all that (probably the last re-reading was Peter Brown's The Love You Make)
[...]I have about 10 other Beatle books I havn't read yet! including the anthology! [...]
My advice: don't waste time and read The Anthology! ;)
http://wingspan.ru/books.html
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None at the moment, but I have on order:
* While My Guitar Gently Weeps : The Music of George Harrison by Simon Leng - really looking forward to this.
* Harrison by Editors of the Rolling Stone - Hmm, not so sure about this one. But it has pictures. :)
Recently read:
* Here, there, and everywhere : my life recording the music of the Beatles / Geoff Emerick and Howard Massey. - excellent. Highly recommended for a technician's vs. gossippy look at the Beatles working.
* The Beatles anthology. - Great. Massive and massively wonderful. Like the video series but more adult and in depth.
* Magical mystery tours : my life with the Beatles / Tony Bramwell with Rosemary Kingsland. - after a strong start in Liverpool, got boring. Same old biography stuff you find in any Beatles bio.
* The Beatles : the biography / Bob Spitz. - another one that started really strong, and petered out into recycled gossip. Too bad.
* The Beatles : ten years that shook the world / editor-in-chief, Paul Trynka - Um, I don't really remember it. I think it was pretty good.
* Once there was a way-- : photographs of the Beatles / by Harry Benson. - the photographer is an exploitist pig, IMHO. Okay to look through, but I would never buy it and support him. :D
* The Beatles : every little thing : a compendium of witty, weird and ever-surprising facts about the fab four / Maxwell MacKenzie. - Trivia completely randomly organized. Recommended if you want to flip pages pointlessly, like bedtime reading.
* The Beatles, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band / Allan F. Moore. - social and musical critique.
* The Beatles : the music was never the same / Marvin Martin. - another one I'm having a tough time remembering. I think it was okay.
* A day in the life : the music and artistry of the Beatles / by Mark Hertsgaard. - I have no memory of this whatsoever. That's what I get for reading 20 books in 2 months. I think the Beatles were in this book. :B
* I, me, mine / by George Harrison. - pretty interesting, if only for his omissions. It's a random skip through his life, so if you don't already know his story you'll be hopelessly lost (for example, he never explains who Patti is or how he met her). A quick read, unique, some really interesting notes related to his songs. Published before John's death.
* Behind Sad Eyes: The Life of George Harrison by Marc Shapiro - yuck! Exploitive crap, just recycled stories plagarized from various sources.
* The Beatles : the fabulous story of John, Paul, George and Ringo - published before John's death; interesting snapshot of their history.
* Warman's Beatles Field Guide: Values And Identification by Tim Neely - I think this is the one that is so worth picking up just for the 3 articles at the back. I can't remember the guy's name, some DJ whose last name starts with P. Something like Charles Prolosky (but that's not it). He gives fascinating statistics about their songs and was lobbying for the Beatles to win more Grammys (which they did in 1996).
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^So you've already read all the good and bad things said about them, I guess! ;)
I haven't read half of your list, more or less, but I'm curious about some of them ... after reading your comments!!!
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Heh! This doesn't even include the "first" batch I read back in 1996 or whenever I caught the Anthology bug. I read Shout, The Love You Make, the Playboy Interviews, lots of Lennon bios, one on Paul-- pretty much anything that was around. Then I went off in a different direction for a few years, on to other obsessions. Earlier this year, I started getting more interested in George, and went on another information rampage. ;D
Basically I just go to the library and check out whatever's there. If I feel I really must own something, then I buy it. There are some books that the library doesn't carry, so these I buy, like the Simon Leng book that sounds really interesting. But usually I browse and return.
But you're quite correct, fan opinion does influence me tremendously. If I read on a message board or Amazon that a book is crap, or the person is basically trying to make a buck off the Beatles without offering anything new, then I do indeed avoid that book (unless I can get it out of the library for free, in which case I permit myself to toss it aside if it's as nasty as rumor reports). I really don't like the gossipy stuff, but I very much enjoy learning about the Beatles' personal philosophies, and as much as I can about their creative process. Also, how well they handled fame (or not). Just an amazing group of people to read about. Cheers!
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* The Beatles : the biography / Bob Spitz. - another one that started really strong, and petered out into recycled gossip. Too bad.
This seems to be full of mistakes.
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I've heard that the best book about the group is one called "Paperback Writer" ... but as I'm not very keen on books about them (as I've already said) I can't tell who wrote it and less if it's a good choice!
Has anybody here read it?
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I've heard that the best book about the group is one called "Paperback Writer" ... but as I'm not very keen on books about them (as I've already said) I can't tell who wrote it and less if it's a good choice!
Has anybody here read it?
Isn't that a spoof book?
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Isn't that a spoof book?
It could be ... I haven't read it (probably I'm not gonna do never) ... but I've heard it was one of the best ??)
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I have read a few picture ones really! Just showing nice quality pictures of them, saying where it was from and stuff!
But have read a few normal beatle ones! the sadest part was the day by day accounts! But I can imagine that the anthology isn't going to tell me anymore then I already know! but we'll see!
I have a few beatle quiz books aswell! ;)
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I've only read the Lewisohn's and the Anthology book. I suppose, having grown up with them, I don't really feel the need to read much more. I'm looking for a good book on Beatles bootlegs though, if anyone knows of one?
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I'm looking for a good book on Beatles bootlegs though, if anyone knows of one?
Why don't we write one ourselves?
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Speaking if bootlegs, how can I go into the bootleg forum part?? Cause it says its locked and I don't know how I can join? bootlegs are my favorite! :D :D
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* The Beatles : ten years that shook the world / editor-in-chief, Paul Trynka - Um, I don't really remember it. I think it was pretty good.
yeah, thats the one I am reading at the present! It has a very good layout actually! picks out some vital parts through the Beatles career and talks of them!
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Thanks, McLennon! I seem to remember liking that one. But I was just consuming books in giant gulps the way I tend to do, and didn't take notes. Alas. I'll have to visit the library again and review every book in their collection! :D
Thanks, Bobber, for the comment on The Beatles : the biography by Bob Spitz. When I hit a book that starts making errors, I switch into skim mode, because I don't really trust what the author has to say. So take note, Beatle fans! You can skip this one.
And yes, I agree with BlueMeanie. The Anthology book is the best if you're only going to read one. I just like to read for relaxation in the evenings, so I'm always seeking out new books. Cheers!
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Okay, Raxo, you got me to look up "Paperback Writer". It's a spoof, as The End said, a fictional parody of the Beatles, a romp about "What if the Beatles got back together in 1979?" It was written in 1978, in the same general timeframe as The Rutles, when people could make fun of the Fab Four and it was still funny because Lennon's murder hadn't made everyone depressed for the next 25 years.
The book sounds pretty good. Here are some quotes from Amazon:
"Bigger than Jesus! What John really meant, of course, was that the Beatles were simply "taller" than Jesus. ... This in a nutshell captures the tone of the book."
"A loving, biting reimagining of Beatlemania in a manner that I'm sure John would have found hysterical."
And of course, there are the people who seem not to get it. I enjoyed this piece of unintended humor:
"I think it would help if you had some knowledge of The Beatles before reading it, if only to give you a further appreciation of the humour. For example, did you know that Roll over Beethoven was inspired by McCartney trying to teach his English sheepdog some new tricks. "
;D ;D ;D
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[...]Okay, Raxo, you got me to look up "Paperback Writer". It's a spoof, as The End said, a fictional parody of the Beatles, a romp about "What if the Beatles got back together in 1979?" It was written in 1978, in the same general timeframe as The Rutles, when people could make fun of the Fab Four and it was still funny because Lennon's murder hadn't made everyone depressed for the next 25 years.
The book sounds pretty good. Here are some quotes from Amazon:
"Bigger than Jesus! What John really meant, of course, was that the Beatles were simply "taller" than Jesus. ... This in a nutshell captures the tone of the book."
"A loving, biting reimagining of Beatlemania in a manner that I'm sure John would have found hysterical."
And of course, there are the people who seem not to get it. I enjoyed this piece of unintended humor:
"I think it would help if you had some knowledge of The Beatles before reading it, if only to give you a further appreciation of the humour. For example, did you know that Roll over Beethoven was inspired by McCartney trying to teach his English sheepdog some new tricks. "
;D ;D ;D
Thanks for the info, harihead! ...
I knew nothing about this book ... and it's curious because we've been debating here that hipothetical "reunion in 1979" just few days ago! :)
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Speaking if bootlegs, how can I go into the bootleg forum part?? Cause it says its locked and I don't know how I can join? bootlegs are my favorite! :D :D
Why don't you try to send a Private Message to The End or Bobber? ;)
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I recently read Geoff Emerick's book and loved it. Then I started Anthology and got half through it. I was beginning to read the Bob Spitz biography but thought better of it after reading some of the comments here. I do have Ten Years That Shook the World, so maybe I'll get back into that one. Oh, I also read Ringo's Postcards From the Boys. That was a quick and very cute read. But I just ordered Levon Helm's This Wheels on Fire, so the Beatles might have to wait a while.
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I recently read Geoff Emerick's book and loved it. Then I started Anthology and got half through it. I was beginning to read the Bob Spitz biography but thought better of it after reading some of the comments here.
Good call! I really enjoyed Geoff's book. The "She Loves You" recording was my favorite part-- all those wild girls! ;D
If you read the beginning of Bob's book, you read the best part (IMHO). He gives a wonderful history of Liverpool and the destruction following the war. 70% of housing destroyed, if I recall; no wonder George's family was on the housing list for so long.
I'm very glad to hear your opinion of Ringo's Postcards From the Boys. I hope I can pick that up sometime; it seems light and sweet. :) Thanks.
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I'm very glad to hear your opinion of Ringo's Postcards From the Boys. I hope I can pick that up sometime; it seems light and sweet. :) Thanks.
I just ordered that from Amazon Marketplace for £0.99, brand new!! I'd forgoteen all about it until it was mentioned here.
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I just ordered that from Amazon Marketplace for £0.99, brand new!!
Eek! Thanks, BlueMeanie! I'm off to Amazon... again!
I'm just finished Simon Leng's excellent book While My Guitar Gently Weeps: The Music of George Harrison. Wow! Finally someone has done an insightful and satisfying exploration of George's life. This is the kind of book I wish had been available when George died. I intend to read it again, listening to every song as I go through (I was too impatient this time to do that).
Unlike some others ::), Leng did thorough research of his subject. He knows George's music inside and out, and can place it appropriately into the musical context of what was going on at the time. Clearly Leng's interests include all music, and he supplements his knowledge with numerous interviews with Harrison's musical buddies. What's also amazing is that this book is so well written, it made me laugh out loud a few times. Just a delight from cover to cover.
Here's an example of one of his song reviews, in this case, "Simply Shady". Leng does a musical appraisal, and then places the song in the context of George's life and the times:
"Simply Shady" could have been based on a Young rocker, not only because of the slightly ragged, gruff vocals and earthy arrangement, but also because of the decidedly no-frills production. Unfortunately for George, the world was not ready for his reincarnation as Neil Young, and the song was panned...
"Simply Shady" neatly shatters the "Beatle George" image and reveals the uncomfortable truths of life. Too much drink and failed relationships are hardly uncommon experiences but, for fans readying their Sgt. Pepper costumes for the Dark Horse tour, it was all too much.
I love this book so much I plan to start a thread on it soon. It might have to wait a few weeks until my schedule loosens up, but I look forward to sharing other excerpts and discussing it with you all. Cheers!
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I just started reading "The Beatles Songbook I". It's only the lyrics of the songs with some remarks at the side. I find it interesting to read the songs ;D lots of short stories, but makes a change to the listening experience. :)
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None at the mo - Just dipping into Revolution In The Head from time to time.
Just flick through the pages and reading up on songs I'm enjoying at the moment.
Macdonald highlighted a 'bass flourish' during the song 'The Word' at approx 1:15 .. so I went and listened to one speaker ... and smiled when I heard what he was describing .... my girlfriend just shakes her head from time to time :B
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Macdonald highlighted a 'bass flourish' during the song 'The Word' at approx 1:15 .. so I went and listened to one speaker ... and smiled when I heard what he was describing ....
Indica, I'm just as bad. *high fives you* :D
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I'm very glad to hear your opinion of Ringo's Postcards From the Boys. I hope I can pick that up sometime; it seems light and sweet. :) Thanks.
I have that book! I havn't read it yet!
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I've been reading through The Beatles: Recording Sessions by Mark Lewisohn recently while listening to my Beatles collection on my iPod.
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I just started reading "The Longest Cocktail Party" it's about Apple and how it started and collapsed written by Richard Dilello "The House Hippie" who was there from beginning to end. It's good so far Derek Taylor was his boss and right know he's talking about when Apple released "Two Virgins" and the infamous cover.
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Nice LENNON picture MR. KITE. ;D
Im reading SHOUT by PHILIP NORMAN again ,the first time i read i was 18 years old when it came out !
Still a definative BEATLES book and a joy to read.
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Mark Lewisohn's Complete Chronicle ...
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Ive been reading LENNON LEGEND ,AN ILLISTRATED LIFE OF JOHN LENNON, and you get an exact replica of the lyrics of LUCY IN THE SKY WITH DIAMONDS by courtsey of d.. opps
sony/atv tunes llc
fastenating ;)
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None at the mo - Just dipping into Revolution In The Head from time to time.
Just flick through the pages and reading up on songs I'm enjoying at the moment.
Macdonald highlighted a 'bass flourish' during the song 'The Word' at approx 1:15 .. so I went and listened to one speaker ... and smiled when I heard what he was describing .... my girlfriend just shakes her head from time to time :B
I take it you are as much a music nut as Me!!!!!!!!!!!! :D 8)
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None at the mo - Just dipping into Revolution In The Head from time to time.
Just flick through the pages and reading up on songs I'm enjoying at the moment.
Macdonald highlighted a 'bass flourish' during the song 'The Word' at approx 1:15 .. so I went and listened to one speaker ... and smiled when I heard what he was describing .... my girlfriend just shakes her head from time to time :B
That is the beauty of that book for sure. ;). One of my faves. A must have for any music playing Beatle fan.
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I read "The Beatles" by Bob Spitz. (Never read a full Beatles bio before, but read many others about classic rock bands.)
I thought it was one of the best books I've ever read.
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I read "The Beatles" by Bob Spitz. (Never read a full Beatles bio before, but read many others about classic rock bands.)
I thought it was one of the best books I've ever read.
Hi Silby, welcome to DM's.
But I gotta correct you. The Beatles by Bob Spitz is full of wrong information. Funny thing is that critics loved the book, Beatles fans most often did not. In fact, there is a special site that is trying to sum up each and every mistake Spitz made. It's here: http://www.daytrippin.com/reviews.htm#spitz%20review
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Hi Silby, welcome to DM's.
But I gotta correct you. The Beatles by Bob Spitz is full of wrong information. Funny thing is that critics loved the book, Beatles fans most often did not. In fact, there is a special site that is trying to sum up each and every mistake Spitz made. It's here: [url]http://www.daytrippin.com/reviews.htm#spitz%20review[/url]
Unfortunately, the critics are not always the experts.
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Unfortunately, the critics are not always the experts.
You know, this explains a lot. I have been frequently disappointed by supposedly "well-regarded" books on the Beatles. But unless you read a lot of them, you don't really build up enough of a picture to know when someone is just repeating stories that they've heard, or even just making things up that don't mesh with other very good evidence we have, such as recorded events or interviews.
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Mr.Spitz - oh dear .... Some of those errors are ridiculous!
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Undated version of 'Shout' by Phillip Norman. Great Read!!
I wanna read Bob Spitz book but i've reading dodgy reviews.
(maybe will read to make my own opinion!)
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I dont like the language Philip Norman uses in Shout. I was trying to get Bob Spitz for ages (waiting for the price to go down)... im still waiting. But at the mo im reading Cellerful of Noise
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I was trying to get Bob Spitz for ages (waiting for the price to go down)... im still waiting.
Keep waiting. It's not worth the money.
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Philip Norman was brought up on the Isle of Wight so he has to be sound! ;D
http://www.pfd.co.uk/clients/normanp/b-aut.html
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I dont like the language Philip Norman uses in Shout. I was trying to get Bob Spitz for ages (waiting for the price to go down)... im still waiting. But at the mo im reading Cellerful of Noise
Bob Spitz started out okay, but then lost momentum and delivered a pretty typical Beatles book-- meaning not very interesting or insightful if you've read lots of B books before. I like to check them out through the library if I can, to see if I like them.
How do you like Cellerful of Noise? That one I haven't seen yet.
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I got the newer edition so it had a forward by Martin Lewis (i think that was the man's name). That wasnt very exciting as it gave a general overview of Brian and what he did- which i knew already. So, dont bother with the forward. I read the first few pages of CoN and I liked it. Brian has really good english and he writes very lively.
It took me ages to find the book. Glad I found it
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I've just finished reading The Beatles 365 days, John Lennon a story in photographs, and John Lennon All I want is the Truth. I might ask my dad to buy me A Spaniard in the Works or in His Own Write, has anyone read them? If you have, are they worth reading? :-/
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I've just finished reading The Beatles 365 days, John Lennon a story in photographs, and John Lennon All I want is the Truth. I might ask my dad to buy me A Spaniard in the Works or in His Own Write, has anyone read them? If you have, are they worth reading? :-/
Seems to me, TtBF, that you are a Lennon fan. I have read In His Own Right and A Spaniard in the Works and I enjoyed it. It gives you quite an insight on his early life. So I say, read it.
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[...] I might ask my dad to buy me A Spaniard in the Works or in His Own Write, has anyone read them? If you have, are they worth reading? :-/
Few weeks ago some people wrote about it here:
http://dmbeatles.com/forums/b-lennon/m-1172618289/
TheMasterOfGoingFaster asked "Are they worth getting?" here:
http://dmbeatles.com/forums/b-books/m-1098037339/
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Syn Lennon "John"
Very interesting book about their releitionships and their live together, about young John and his character.
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Bob Spitz "The Beatles". Just started it .
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I'm reading the Hunter Davies authorized biography, The Beatles, the 1996 version. Paul said in some interview I saw on Youtube that it was the only one that was any good; most of the others get almost everything wrong. I figure, he ought to know! :)
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Syn Lennon "John"
Very interesting book about their releitionships and their live together, about young John and his character.
How far are you? I couldn't bring myself to read further ch 16.... I just couldn't. :'( i'd say the best chapters in this book are ch 2-5 (I read them twice!)
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I've just started reading 'Revolver- secret history of the beatles
by Geoffrey Giuliano & Avalon Giuliano.
I don't really like Geoffrey Giuliano's books but i'm giving this
one a go.
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my last beatle book was Beatles in Hamburg Lexicon
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How far are you? I couldn't bring myself to read further ch 16.... I just couldn't. :'( i'd say the best chapters in this book are ch 2-5 (I read them twice!)
I`m reading chapter 3) I like second too)
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Just finished reading Cellerful of Noise. Man, was Eppy a great businessman? I really enjoyed it (Eppy's language- using metaphors yet a the same time all proper). There were some new Beatles stories, which were quite funny. I would definately recommened this book.
Now I'm starting to read A Twist of Lennon. I want to comapre it to John
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Now I'm starting to read A Twist of Lennon. I want to comapre it to John
I just finished John last night. It was much better than I'd expected; I'd read all these reviews about how she'd got certain facts wrong about this or that, like Sheridan's record My Bonnie "didn't sell many copies" when it did in Germany, just not the UK. That sort of nitpicky thing didn't get in the way at all. It was a highly personal account about Cynthia's experiences with John, the other Beatle wives (particularly Yoko), and a little bit about the other Beatles. I found it moving and was glad she came out with what she thought was a more honest account than her older A Twist of Lennon, which she said she'd tamed down to try to keep the peace. K_Eyes, I'd be interested in your report.
I still can't find Cellarful of Noise over here (for a reasonable price). I'll keep looking!
Adamzero, how did you like Giuliano's Revolver? I'm afraid I'm too angry with Giuliano to pick up anything of his, and they don't stock him at the library... Hmm, wonder why? ;) I did read the sample pages on Amazon and didn't find anything new.
I'm starting to read Monty Python's Autobiography book. I'm starting by looking up all the Beatles references. So cool that Beatles were fans of Python. Michael Palin apparently kept a diary forever, and has some great reminisces. Cheers!
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Adamzero, how did you like Giuliano's Revolver? I'm afraid I'm too angry with Giuliano to pick up anything of his, and they don't stock him at the library... Hmm, wonder why? ;) I did read the sample pages on Amazon and didn't find anything new.
I'm starting to read Monty Python's Autobiography book. I'm starting by looking up all the Beatles references. So cool that Beatles were fans of Python. Michael Palin apparently kept a diary forever, and has some great reminisces. Cheers!
I'm half way through Revolver & it's not bad. Nothing special on facts i didn't know
but it has interesting interviews with other people who worked with the fabs. i'm
not particully keen on Giuliano myself but just found it in the libery.
Yeah, i got Michael Palin's autobiography for christmas & i'm wading my way through it, very
very funny! George did say he believed that the spirit of the Beatles carried on into Monty Python.
I'm an obsessed Python freak myself along with the Beatles. ;)
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I'm an obsessed Python freak myself along with the Beatles. ;)
Soul brother! *high five*
Good on you, being able to get the Giuliano book from the library. Please share any earth-shattering revelations. Heh. Cheers!
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Soul brother! *high five*
Good on you, being able to get the Giuliano book from the library. Please share any earth-shattering revelations. Heh. Cheers!
Python Rules!!!!!!!!!!!It's just a flesh wound! ;D So,you're saying Coconuts migrate? :o ;D
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Python Rules!!!!!!!!!!!
spare a talent for an old ex-leaper! :P he's not the messiah, he's a very naughty boy!!! ;D
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We should start a Python thread, just to trade quotes! :)
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For those interestied, some reviews of books about John here:
http://www.bagism.com/library/book-reviews.html
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I picked up Julia Baird's new book 'Imagine This' growing up with
my brother. Looks a great book & i saw Julia at a convention a few years back
when i was .. oh "14". So Young!! :)
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I picked up Julia Baird's new book 'Imagine This' growing up with
my brother. Looks a great book & i saw Julia at a convention a few years back
when i was .. oh "14". So Young!! :)
You actually saw her, like, physically? :o
I'll be very interested to know what you think bout the book. As i doubted whether i should get it or not
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You actually saw her, like, physically?t
She was a guest at a conveention over 10 years ago now in
Derby, England (where i live) & she was giving a speech on John
& asking questions from the people. I tried to speak to her but she was
only there for a short while but it was amazing to actually see her!! :o
I did however meet Alister Taylor at another convention & a great gentleman
he was!
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[...]
I'll be very interested to know what you think bout the book. As i doubted whether i should get it or not
This is what I've read about it ...
(http://img375.imageshack.us/img375/268/9780340839249ma0.jpg) (http://imageshack.us)
"Includes up to 50 black and white photos. Until now, the true story of John Lennon
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She was a guest at a conveention over 10 years ago now in
Derby, England (where i live) & she was giving a speech on John
& asking questions from the people. I tried to speak to her but she was
only there for a short while but it was amazing to actually see her!! :o
I did however meet Alister Taylor at another convention & a great gentleman
he was!
Damn... thats NOT fair!!!! :P
And Raxo,
Thing is, she didnt actually live with her brother, or did she? And a lot of the stuff in the book is about her and Julie from what i saw
By the way, how do you quote two people in one reply?
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[...]
By the way, how do you quote two people in one reply?
Before you press the "Post" button when you've already answered the first quoted text, don't post it but copy all the text and go back to the thread to quote the second reply and then past there the "previous" non-posted reply ... I'm not sure if it makes sense :-/ ...
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This is what I've read about it ...
"Includes up to 50 black and white photos. Until now, the true story of John Lennon’s childhood has never been told. John’s sister Julia has herself been on a personal journey that has made it possible only now to reveal the full extent of the pain and difficulties—as well as the happier times—living inside John Lennon’s family brought. Julia reveals the various strong, self-willed and selfish women who surrounded John as he grew up. John was removed from his mother at the age of 5 to live with his Aunt Mimi, and here Julia shows for the first time the cruelty of this decision—to both mother and son, she sheds a new light on his upbringing with Mimi which is often at dramatic odds with the accepted tale. John’s frequent visits to his mother and sisters gave him the liveliness, freedom and love he sought and allowed him to develop his musical talents. The tragic death of their mother, knocked down outside Aunt Mimi’s house by a speeding car when John was 17, meant that life for him and his sisters would never be the same again."
Thanks for the info!
Before you press the "Post" button when you've already answered the first quoted text, don't post it but copy all the text and go back to the thread to quote the second reply and then past there the "previous" non-posted reply ... I'm not sure if it makes sense :-/ ...
Thanks again! Hey it worked!!!!!
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Thanks for the info!
Thanks again! Hey it worked!!!!!
Hope this is not going to be the last time!LOL! ;D
OK, more difficult this time :P ... a quoted text inside another quoted text: copy the quoted text that it's going to be "inside" the other and paste it in the place you want it but always between the two "quote"s ...
Example: (quoted text here ... with its own "quote"s too!!!) ... and voila! 8)
I guess this makes even less sense :B ...
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OK, more difficult this time :P ... a quoted text inside another quoted text: copy the quoted text that it's going to be "inside" the other and paste it in the place you want it but always between the two "quote"s ...
Example: (quoted text here ... with its own "quote"s too!!!) ... and voila! 8)
I guess this makes even less sense :B ...
But how do you quote something from already quoted text that comes from previously quoted text in another thread, maybe even on another forum, and not even this year but maybe last year or the year before and can I have it in green please?
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But how do you quote something from already quoted text that comes from previously quoted text in another thread, maybe even on another forum, and not even this year but maybe last year or the year before and can I have it in green please?
Are you in a hurry or I've got time? 8)
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Are you in a hurry or I've got time? 8)
;D
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Ha! I finally finished "A Twist of Lennon". All I can say really is that it's a very easy and light book to read. It doesn't go into much detail which is where it differs from "John". The perfect book for me would be "John" with the ending of "A Twist of Lennon". By the way, it's interesting how Twist was Cynthia's second husband's name... if im not mistaken.
I'm taking a break with Beatles books and thought i'll read some classic literature.
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Thanks for your report, KE! It sounds like A Twist of Lennon is not a must-read, since I've already read John. I found _that_ pretty light going!
Cool note about Twist being an ex-husband. #3, actually:
1970 - Italian hotelier Roberto Bassanini, divorced in 1973.
1976 - John Twist, an engineer from Lancashire. They divorced in 1983 (after this book came out in 1978! Very interesting. So was it a deliberate or unconscious connection?)
2002 - Noel Charles, a night club owner.
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I'm reading All You Need Is Ears right now and received The True Beginnings (by the family Best) recently. The latter looks pretty, with nice pictures. The George Martin book is a good read too.
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Just finished reading Geoffrey Giuliano's 'Revolution'.
Not a bad book for begginer's (maybe) but nothing that special
on trivia or knowledge. :-/ Never been keen on him but this book
is OK, i suppose.
I'm now starting Julia Baird's Book (would you like me, sitting there
with me hooter scraping away at this booook! ;D ;D).
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^ why read Andy Smith if parading is better? ;)
Read it quickly coz i want to see your review
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^ why read Andy Smith if parading is better? ;)
Read it quickly coz i want to see your review
I will, while tormenting my eyes! ;D
Anyway, your a bit old for that sort of chat arn't yr? ;D :P
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I recently finished 'Magical Mystery Tour' by Tony Bramwell
it was OK- pretty standard story of the Beatles, learn some new things from it though. He did seem to be a bit kind of taking every opportunity he could to try to give proof of how well he knew the beatles...which got a bit annoying after a while, but I would say it's definately worth a read as easy-reading, learn some stuff maybe. And besides, I liked the cover :)
By the way, has anyone read some book called 'John Lennon Called Me Normal' because I was watching a Pink Floyd documentary and there was some guy on it who was apparently author of that book (sorry cant remember his name!) so, if anyone has read it I would be interested to hear if it's good :)
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I ME MINE
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By the way, has anyone read some book called 'John Lennon Called Me Normal' because I was watching a Pink Floyd documentary and there was some guy on it who was apparently author of that book (sorry cant remember his name!) so, if anyone has read it I would be interested to hear if it's good :)
Haven't read the book, but the author is Norman Smith who was an engineer on most of The Beatles recordings up until Rubber Soul, I think. He also produced the first couple of Floyd albums.
A.K.A. Hurricane Smith, he had 3 hit singles in the UK between '71 and '72.
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Norman Smith (born 22 February 1923) is a musician and record producer. He was the engineer on all of the recordings by the Beatles up until 1965 when EMI promoted him from engineer to producer. The last Beatles album he recorded was Rubber Soul.
Smith, on 17 June 1965 (nickname 'Normal', & '2 dB's Smith') while working with the Beatles was once offered 15,000 UKP by the band's music publishing company (Dick James Music) to buy outright a song he had written, which he offered to finalise the track line-up of the Help! LP.
In early 1967, he began working with a new group, Pink Floyd, producing their first three studio albums The Piper at the Gates of Dawn, A Saucerful of Secrets, and Ummagumma. During the sessions for the song "Remember a Day", drummer Nick Mason became agitated that he could not come up with the right drum part for the song. Smith, however, knew what he wanted with the drums, so he played the part himself. Still, Pink Floyd outgrew their producer somewhat, referring to him as "Normal" instead of Norman, although numerous books quote John Lennon as having come up with the nickname.
In 1968, Smith produced one of the first rock concept albums, The Pretty Things' S.F. Sorrow.
In 1971, Smith, as a recording artist under the name of Hurricane Smith, had a UK hit with "Don't Let It Die". In 1972 he enjoyed a transatlantic hit with "Oh Babe What Would You Say?", which became a U.S. # 1 Cashbox hit. This recording was a demo of a song that he had written for a different artist to record. When he played it for fellow record producer Mickie Most, Most was impressed enough to tell him to release it as it was.
Also from Smith's self-titled debut album was a third hit single, a cover of Gilbert O'Sullivan's "Who Was It?".
Some minor hits followed, like "My Mother Was Her Name" (1972), "Beautiful Day, Beautiful Night" (1973) and "To Make You My Baby" (1974). However, his subsequent attempts at producing successful recordings proved elusive.
In 2004, Smith released a new CD, From Me To You (SFMCD030), including new recordings of his biggest self-penned hits, "Don't Let It Die" and "Oh Babe, What Would You Say?", and includes messages in the liner notes from Sir Paul McCartney and members of Pink Floyd. Interviews on the disc can be cited to confirm the information given above.
Norman Smith has written a book, his memoirs, entitled John Lennon Called Me Normal. It debuted on 16 March 2007 as a strictly limited first edition, at The Fest for Beatles Fans in Secaucus, New Jersey, at which Smith appeared live and sang "Oh Babe" to a packed, cheering ballroom of fans. An expanded market edition of the book is due for worldwide release in summer 2007. The book contains never-before-published pictures, newly revealed historical facts about the Beatles and Pink Floyd at Abbey Road Studios, as well as the fascinating details of Smith's life as an RAF Glider Pilot, family man and "British Invasion" renaissance man.
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;DGreat!!!!!!!!! :D
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ay, thanks! ;D that's excellente
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I will, while tormenting my eyes! ;D
Anyway, your a bit old for that sort of chat arn't yr? ;D :P
.. but I'm clean... :P
I ME MINE
How are you liking it so far? By the way, read carefully the pictures' captions...
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.. but I'm clean... :P
Are Yr? ;D
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^ Course I am! I'm a human being aren't I?
...People are going to blame us for spamming... ::)
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Just finished George Martin's 'All You Need Is Ears' and Geoff Emericks 'Here There & Everywhere.' Both great reads. Geoff offers many insights into the dynamics and relationship of the band. If anyone knows, then this man does. ;)
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Just finished George Martin's 'All You Need Is Ears' and Geoff Emericks 'Here There & Everywhere.' Both great reads. Geoff offers many insights into the dynamics and relationship of the band. If anyone knows, then this man does. ;)
Yeah, I wanna read Geoff's book, looks very good & he's always been a trustworthy man! :)
Never read George Martin's book, so i'll need to seek it out :o
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Geoff's Here, There and Everywhere. What a great book!
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Anyone read Jurgen Vollmer's book about the Beatles in Hamburg?
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I skimmed through Cynthia's book, John, a couple of weeks ago. I read a chapter and it seemed very good. I haven't bought it yet, though.
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I skimmed through Cynthia's book, John, a couple of weeks ago. I read a chapter and it seemed very good. I haven't bought it yet, though.
I'd definately recommand it (I reviewed it here before). Its not the usual "twist of lennon".
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I've never read Twist of Lennon.
Has anybody here read it & what's it like?
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I think I told you to get it before Sky... it gives sort of the other side of John (John by Cyn Lennon)
I already read I Me Mine but I was finishing up the songs... then I'm going to read Lennon Revealed.....
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^^ I'm reading Lennon Revealed
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;D
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I've only read Shout! by Philip Norman... I liked it. Quite informative, and I liked how he also gives background facts, like what was happening in the world around the Beatles at that time.
I want to read Hunter Davies' book (I've read little bits... selectively, I'm afraid :B)
I've also read some bits from John and I Me Mine (well, they were birthday presents for K_E, and I had to have a bit of a read and see what is it that I'm giving her ;))
I sometimes "steal" I Me Mine to read about the song lyrics and stories behind them...
Wow, great thread, loads of great Beatles books out there... :)
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I've never read Twist of Lennon.
Has anybody here read it & what's it like?
Well now. Twist of Lennon (not to confuze with Lemon- jokies). Its a more restrained book of the John-Cynthia story. It appears that she (Cynthia) writes more in order to please the public and media and it has more "stories" about the other people. It also contains Cyn's poems (which are quite nice) and her drawings. In fact, it is more about Cyn than both of them.
Read more here. and the post after
http://www.dmbeatles.com/forums/b-books/m-1169261662/s-60/#num72
[size=9]^ oooh! Can I proudly say I did a raxo??? ;)[/size]
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[...][size=9]^ oooh! Can I proudly say I did a raxo??? ;)[/size]
LOL! Many people here would say [size=9](proudly? I'm not sure)[/size] so ;) ...
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not been reading an awful lot of the Beatles lately :-/ as i've been
reading biographies on Tony Visconti, Anne Frank, & Graham Chapman.
yes, very odd choices i have but i love to read so much on people! :)
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I am currently reading Revolution: The Making Of The Beatles\' White Album by David Quantick. Some good fresh views on overly-familiar material, so far so good. I really like books that analyze each song, such as Revolution In The Head by Ian MacDonald.
This book is part of the Vinyl Frontier series of books, I have another in the series called I Just Wasn\'t Made For These Times: The Making Of Pet Sounds but I haven\'t started that one yet.
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I really like books that analyze each song, such as Revolution In The Head by Ian MacDonald.
yeah, me too. i'm slightly obsessed with that kinda thing! tha or
a-z books (like Bill Harry's :))
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I have Bill Harry\'s book too and I agree it is an addictive read. There are a few silly errors in there though but who is qualified to proof-read a book of that sort? Despite the errors, I wouldn\'t be without this book.
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I am currently reading Revolution: The Making Of The Beatles\' White Album by David Quantick. Some good fresh views on overly-familiar material, so far so good. I really like books that analyze each song, such as Revolution In The Head by Ian MacDonald.
This book is part of the Vinyl Frontier series of books, I have another in the series called I Just Wasn\'t Made For These Times: The Making Of Pet Sounds but I haven\'t started that one yet.
They should both be interesting to read, Michelle. They've become companion books for their respective albums.
For me, Pet Sounds remains a complicated album. I knew that when it was first released. I can remember saying to myself "I'm too young to understand all of this now." There remain some things I've yet to understand. I Just Wasn't Made For These Times: Brian Wilson and the Making Of Pet Sounds would be a great book to read on my upcoming vacation.
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Pet Sounds had a very strong effect on me at a young age, i have great memories
of first discovering it when i was about 14 or 15. It was a great summer as well when
i discovered the album, same as when i discovered the fabs & Sgt Pepper. :)
i played pet sounds so much & still do which drives my folks crazy! ;D
Haven't read that book but i want to, it's not a huge read as i assume?
:)
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They should both be interesting to read, Michelle. They\'ve become companion books for their respective albums.
For me, Pet Sounds remains a complicated album. I knew that when it was first released. I can remember saying to myself \"I\'m too young to understand all of this now.\" There remain some things I\'ve yet to understand. I Just Wasn\'t Made For These Times: Brian Wilson and the Making Of Pet Sounds would be a great book to read on my upcoming vacation.
That was a very insightful conclusion for one so young and it was also very honest of you. Sometimes Pet Sounds reminds of the old Emperor\'s New Clothes fable - are some people afraid to admit that they don\'t like it, in fear of being frowned upon by their peers? Personally speaking, I don\'t think this album is as good as it thinks it is, which you may think is strange when I tell you it\'s one of my favorite albums. I don\'t believe hype, I listen to music on its merits, i.e. through my own ears.
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I like sticking to biographies when it comes to the beatles.... I don't like reading books that analyze every song...beatle music is to be enjoyed not to be broken down and studied....it doesn't seem important how they were written...all you need is to listen to them...and what they mean to you not some author you never met to tell you what they mean....
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That was a very insightful conclusion for one so young and it was also very honest of you. Sometimes Pet Sounds reminds of the old Emperor's New Clothes fable - are some people afraid to admit that they don't like it, in fear of being frowned upon by their peers? Personally speaking, I don't think this album is as good as it thinks it is, which you may think is strange when I tell you it's one of my favorite albums. I don't believe hype, I listen to music on its merits, i.e. through my own ears.
Well said, Michelle. Pet sounds was a radical departure from what we expected of the Beach Boys at the time. But like the Beatles, they were responding to a "call of the times." The mid-to-late 1960s was a tumultuous time worldwide and growing up during that time was a bit difficult. One could chose to remain oblivious to what was going on or confront the problems that existed. In retrospect, both the Beatles and the Beach Boys influenced society more than we were aware of at the time. We absolutely could not go on listening to British Rock Invasion or domestic Surf Music indefinitely.
For me, Rubber Soul and Pet Sounds coincided with a new level of awareness I was experiencing in coming of age. I guess Pet Sounds was more difficult for me to understand because Brian Wilson is just so hard to figure out!
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I'm not entirely sure why you're getting those backslashes when you type an apostrphe but try going to Control Panel and clicking on Keyboard and then click on the Language tab and see if it says "English (United States)" and "United States 101" under the Layout heading. If not, select it from the drop-down menu. I hope that helps.
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Has any one read 'The Beatles' by Hunter Davies? and what you thought about it? I never read any Beatle books before and just bought this one but havn't started reading it yet.
I so want to get cynthia's Book 'John'. I was about to get his sister Julia's book but changed my mind.
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I began to read Hunter Davies a long time ago but put it down..It seemed to be a safe, official biography of the band written in it's time. That just did not appeal to me. Now I am a sucker for books about the people that worked with them and their recording techniques.
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I read it a long time ago when it was the only bio available. You should definitely read it to see what the authorized biography was all about and how it compares to more recent publications.
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I\'m not entirely sure why you\'re getting those backslashes when you type an apostrphe but try going to Control Panel and clicking on Keyboard and then click on the Language tab and see if it says \"English (United States)\" and \"United States 101\" under the Layout heading. If not, select it from the drop-down menu. I hope that helps.
OK, I\'ve done that - let\'s see if that\'s fixed thing...
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OK, I\'ve done that - let\'s see if that\'s fixed thing...
Oh sh*t, thanks anyway Hello Goodbye. :)
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The Rough Guide to The Beatles (2nd Edition)
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The Rough Guide to The Beatles (2nd Edition)
That's an excellant little book. i enjoyed it & it's always good to refer back to! ;)
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I
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I borrowed Richie Unterberger's 'The Unreleased Beatles' book from the libery yesterday, it's
a fun read, similar to Chrinicle by Mark Lewishon. :)
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I
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Just starting on ' Beatles- The Dream Is Over'.
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I just finished reading - The Beatles unseen.
But now i'm reading The Beatles - Stories behind the songs...
Does Patti's biography count..?
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Does Patti's biography count..?
I would say, absolutely! Who's likely to read it besides Beatles fans? (I think Eric fans would want to avoid it...)
What do you think of the books you just read? I haven't read either of those. My library doesn't have them.
At the moment I'm reading Paul's biography 'Many Years From Now' by Barry Miles. I'm halfway through and Paul appears to spend very little time with the Beatles, apart from songwriting with John. It's very much a solo biography. We'll see what I think when I get done with it.
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Okay:)
Theyre both very good actually,
And Patties biographies brilliant too, Some new things i never knew:D
xoxo
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I finished Tony Bramwell's "Magical Mystery Tours, My Life With The Beatles" a few weeks ago, it was pretty good. And now I'm reading the "The Beatles Authorized Biography".
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I am reading Cynthia Lennons book.
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I'm re-reading Paul's autobiography "Many Years From Now" (co-written by Barry Miles who is really excellent)(Barry & John Dunbar are long-time friends of Macca from the days of the Indica Art gallery)
Paul pretty much tells his life story--all the previously known facts about meeting John at the church fete, the infamous Hamburg days, the Cavern etc., all the way to his post Beatles, Wings period and beyond. My favorite section of the book is "The Making of the Albums", in which he dissects nearly every Lennon/McCartney song and tells us his degree of contribution to each one. After reading this lengthy book, I got the general feeling that Paul was very much in competion with John, artistically, and that he was trying to assert (even more than just convey)his importance in the Beatles. The book is simultaneously egomaniacal yet extremely informative. He basically gives the inspiration for almost all the songs he and John wrote together. For that alone, it's a great read (if you can stomach McCartney's excessive bragging)
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as far as factual errors, I'll with hold judgement on that...Paul was closer to the subject than I was. He was a Beatle, I wasn't. Any autobigraphy is riddled with personal perception, but I believe 98% of his recollection (factually) What I wasn't too thrilled about was his unabashed pomposity....but he's easily forgiven by me when I think of all the joy he gave me with his music over the years. Let the clinical, emotion-less future archivists sort out the veracity of his claims, he's PAUL McCARTNEY FOR CHRISSAKE! HE WROTE YESTERDAY, CASE CLOSED.
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I'm re-reading Paul's autobiography "Many Years From Now" (co-written by Barry Miles who is really excellent)
Excellant Book, can't believe it's about 10 years old!! :o
Interesting view point's from Macca as well, he has a good memory
(almost full! :P)
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After reading this lengthy book, I got the general feeling that Paul was very much in competion with John, artistically, and that he was trying to assert (even more than just convey)his importance in the Beatles.
I think the reason they kept pumping out great songs in no time at all, especially earlier on, is undoubtedly the competition between the two of them. I'm sure they both wanted the A side of every single that came out.
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I think the reason they kept pumping out great songs in no time at all, especially earlier on, is undoubtedly the competition between the two of them. I'm sure they both wanted the A side of every single that came out.
We have been down this road many a time, but I agree. I would go as far as to say competition was vital to their success, far more so than any dreams of some brotherly commune. Songs had to fight for their place on albums and as singles, something most other bands don't have to consider, there normally being one dominant talent (or a lyrics/music combo)
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Excellant Book, can't believe it's about 10 years old!! :o
Interesting view point's from Macca as well, he has a good memory
(almost full! :P)
by the way--and I know I should be shot for this, but I think I'm the only one who hasnt heard Almost Full yet..
*hangs head in shame*
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by the way--and I know I should be shot for this, but I think I'm the only one who hasnt heard Almost Full yet..
*hangs head in shame*
:o :o :o What! You don't know what your missing!!!
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Now starting on 'Day By Day, Song By Song, Record By Record'.
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I just finished Can't Buy Me Love: The Beatles, Britain, and America by Jonathan Gould. What a wonderful book! Unlike some of these hack jobs, this is truly a labor of love. Gould has obviously loved and appreciated the Beatles for a long time, and as a result has created the only Beatles biography that I would actually care to own (besides Hunter Davies' for its historical relevance).
Gould approaches his subject from 3 essential viewpoints: the history of the Beatles themselves (the more traditional biography), an analysis of their music, and (the highpoint for me) setting their music in the historial and musical context of the times. The controversy surrounding "Revolution", for example, becomes much more understandable when you see, there in a nutshell, the kinds of protests and street fighting that was taking place around the globe. Knowing that the song "And Your Bird Can Sing" was written about Frank Sinatra certainly boosts my appreciation. ;D
In addition to being fanatically researched (which I love), the book is written in a delightful style. Gould's words are warm and accessible, his reflections well-considered. He's throwing out an opinion, obviously, but this is an opinion he has mulled probably for years. I found it all fascinating and a really great read. I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to learn about the Beatles in the context of their times or simply appreciate their music once again from a thoughtful standpoint. Cheers!
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relevance).
Gould approaches . Knowing that the song "And Your Bird Can Sing" was written about Frank Sinatra certainly boosts my appreciation. ;D
WOW !!! had NO idea about that ... an 'Ol Blue Eyes diss ?That took guts !! ;D The words are so cutting in "Bird" (--no doubt, that was John) Cheers!..even though I'm half Italian myself, AND from the same homestate as Sinatra, I've always felt he was just a glorified thug. I must confess though, George seemed to have more favorable opinions on old Frank--(you'll hear that a bit on the Dark Horse album)..and don't forget, F. S. gave Harrison the ULTIMATE compliment saying "Something" was "the greatest love song written in the last 50 years (at the time)"
-km
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You would love this book, MMM. :) The story is, Frank took a swipe at the Beatles first-- and John will not be swiped at! "Bird" was a favorite term of Old Blue Eyes, hence the lyric. I think Frank (as many other established performers) was forced to eat crow (heh) when the Beatles turned into an enduring musical phenomenon, not just a fad as most people (including the Beatles) had started out believing. I just adore their brazen "Oh, yeah?" attitude. That is a special gift of youth; may it never die!
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You would love this book, MMM. :) The story is, Frank took a swipe at the Beatles first-- and John will not be swiped at! "Bird" was a favorite term of Old Blue Eyes, hence the lyric. I think Frank (as many other established performers) was forced to eat crow (heh) when the Beatles turned into an enduring musical phenomenon, not just a fad as most people (including the Beatles) had started out believing. I just adore their brazen "Oh, yeah?" attitude. That is a special gift of youth; may it never die!
that is nothing short of awesome, Hari! I know what you meant when you said most ppl including the Beatles themselves never dreamed of the success they would ultimately reach. There's a bit of old footage from late '63 or early '64 (used in "The Compleat Beatles", I believe) that has the boys talking about where they would be years from now. It's so ironic now, Ringo for instance, saying things in his souse accent like "I hope to open up a lady's hair salon"--I'm paraphrasing, of course, but something along those lines. They had NO IDEA....
it seems almost endearing in retrospect that they would think like that, in such modest terms. It's charming to see things like that preserved on film. It was an innocent time.
As for Sinatra eating crow...........YES !!!!! The best revenge is SUCCESS...and we'll all agree The Fab had a hefty portion (ya think Kev ? lol) another "rat pack" type to eat crow was Dean Martin--like I described in another post, he pretty much thought the Stones were a joke....yeah RIGHT, Dino...did HE sell as many records as Jagger & Co.?? Dont think so. Vindication is sweet ;D *snicker* *snicker* *snicker*
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Here There & Everywhere: My Life Recording the Beatles
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^Just like George M is there talking to you in this book....Really enjoyed it.
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I so want to get cynthia's Book 'John'. I was about to get his sister Julia's book but changed my mind.
I would say to you don't waste your money, but you probably already bought it. I stopped reading it after being half-way through - the book offered up no "secrets" or revelations into John Lennon's personal life at all, really. She talked about what the Beatles did, which you can find out everywhere else. Pah.
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Hi there. I'm new.
The Sinatra connection is merely Gould's theory, and while anyone's interpretation is "valid" (the ear cares about the actual music a lot more than the lyrics anyway), this brings to mind the problem I tend to have with any lone person's "definitive" version of the Beatles' musical story: The new slants are presented as facts, case closed, no argument allowed, whereas they're just good guesses. Gould doesn't seem to realize that "bird" is slang for "girl" in the UK, and he ignores certain words that certainly sound directed to a woman rather than an overrated lounge singer ("Look in my direction/I'll be around").
Here's a long-winded review. I agree that Can't Buy Me Love is, for the most part, outstanding, but it's marred by the usual useless bits of criticism, and Gould places too much importance on the lyrics, ignoring a lot of the melodies, harmonic climates, arrangements, etc. that made the Beatles music appealing. He thinks "Cry Baby Cry" sucks just because of the lyrics, for instance, and doesn't even address its catchy chord progression.
Still, this six-hundred-page surprise is exceptionally insightful and well written. It even startles you with brilliant bits of humor when you're least expecting them. In spite of getting a few lyrics wrong (doesn't he have the songs handy?), he's written a book about the Beatles and their impact for (gasp) intelligent adults who appreciate the watertight application of a wide vocabulary.
Regrettably, as with too many books that center on the work of musical artists, it's tarnished by negative criticism of many songs -- even entire album-sides, written off with incongruent flippancy. Nobody would suggest that every piece of music the group recorded is fantastic, but this berating adds nothing, merely warding off the reader a bit and detracting from the astute bulk of the book.
Why does everyone who writes a Beatles volume feel that he must intermittently assume the musically cynical, aloof and utterly useless role of "music critic"? It's not as if it changes people's tastes, or the way the music sounds coming out of the speakers.
The irrelevant disapproval periodically pulls the book down from its otherwise enlightening and highly erudite bearing into the realm of isolated and quite useless subjectivity. And the charm of the early recordings is, for some reason, utterly lost on the author. We honestly don't care which songs you don't like, Mr. Gould; the title and presented notion of your book, not to mention the majority of its prose (thankfully), don't indicate snide personal opinions, isolated from the substance; rather, a historical and sociological context-painting of the Beatles' music. You do this remarkably well, so you don't need to resort to imitating the hack writers of Rolling Stone and other immensely overrated periodicals.
Speaking of the misquoted lyrics, why not get pedantic about a few other bits while I'm at it, on behalf of like-minded fanatics: In "Paperback Writer," the background vocals are "frere jacques," not "paperbacker" sung merely "to the tune" of that French song. And Paul sings the first line of the "Lucy" chorus, not John - listen carefully. The collage of cut-up tapes in "Mr. Kite" is not heard after John introduces Henry the Horse, but rather at the end of the song, after he sings "topping the bill." Apart from the song citations, the normal slang is "old stamping ground," in keeping with the horse metaphor, not "stomping" (in spite of erroneous popular usage). And a "meteoric rise" doesn't exist, since meteors fall, not rise. Finally, LSD is not an acronym -- just initials. An acronym is a set of initials that actually spell out a word.
Anyway, the author's immaterial tracts of criticism aside, the book is superb, and this is coming from an extremely picky reader/writer whose favorite Beatles books include their own Anthology, Recording the Beatles, the Complete Beatles Recording Sessions, An Oral History and the incredibly good Many Years From Now (the best non-technical books tend to consist mainly of interview sections, rather than merely the author's removed take - for obvious reasons).
If the occasional inaccuracy doesn't annoy the reader too much, this book pleasantly separates itself from the ever-growing stack of "I wasn't there" accounts with a writing style that gloriously refuses to dumb itself down, insight worth its weight in syllables (for once), and a rare capacity for making dyed-in-the-skull music sound fresh. It's unquestionably worth reading - more than once, in fact, given the sheer amount of gossip-free historical and musical perception - to anyone who likes the Beatles' music and is interested in the environmental circumstances under which such revolutionary work buds, blossoms and thrives.
(Damn, I have some nerve.....sharing my Amazon review as my first post! What a dork, huh.)
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Welcome to DM's Chris. Funny enough, a certain 'jongould' signed in a couple of days ago.
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Thanks. Well, if it's really him (is this a particularly popular forum? I signed up because it was the only one I could find that had that whole, y'know, "literacy" thing going on), I certainly hope he's more graceful about what he surely must have anticipated would be overly picky reading than Spitz was to the Beatles Magazine bird. As it were.
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It is him. I've sent him an e-mail and he confirmed. He admitted he's a bit tired talking about the book over and over again, but is willing to answer questions! Oh, and he said he would like to thank Harihead for her kind review.
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Speaking of the misquoted lyrics, why not get pedantic about a few other bits while I'm at it, on behalf of like-minded fanatics: In "Paperback Writer," the background vocals are "frere jacques," not "paperbacker" sung merely "to the tune" of that French song. And Paul sings the first line of the "Lucy" chorus, not John - listen carefully. The collage of cut-up tapes in "Mr. Kite" is not heard after John introduces Henry the Horse, but rather at the end of the song, after he sings "topping the bill." Apart from the song citations, the normal slang is "old stamping ground," in keeping with the horse metaphor, not "stomping" (in spite of erroneous popular usage). And a "meteoric rise" doesn't exist, since meteors fall, not rise. Finally, LSD is not an acronym -- just initials. An acronym is a set of initials that actually spell out a word.
I love this bit. I can be a picky little sod!! ;D
Welcome to the forum Chris.
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. Gould doesn't seem to realize that "bird" is slang for "girl" in the UK, and he ignores certain words that certainly sound directed to a woman rather than an overrated lounge singer ("Look in my direction/I'll be around").
You seem to ignore the existence of lyrical ambiguity, in the sense that artists are not averse to using double entendre or even dual-connotation in their symbolism..hence, Hari's point that Lennon's "bird" use might refer equally to a Sinatra "swipe" AND the English colloquial term for "girl"...why limit an artist of John's stature to only one meaning? Both are equally valid and can comfortably "cohabit" a song verse.
btw welcome, Chris.
were all Beatle pedantics here:)
picky sod #2,
MMM
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You seem to ignore the existence of lyrical ambiguity, in the sense that artists are not averse to using double entendre or even dual-connotation in their symbolism..hence, Hari's point that Lennon's "bird" use might refer equally to a Sinatra "swipe" AND the English colloquial term for "girl"...why limit and artist of John's stature to only one meaning? Both are equally valid and can comfortably "cohabit" a song verse.
Excellent point. In fact, I suppose that where Lennon's concerned, ambiguity's the norm, rather than the exception.
Solid. This is my kind of forum.
Thanks for the comments, BM.......O-bloooooooooooo-ter-ate them!
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Solid. This is my kind of forum.
yes..@ dmbeatles, the Fab are respected, dissected,inspected,never negleted or corrected, collated,annotated, never repudiated...but MOST OF ALL, loved and listened to..
-mmm
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Welcome to the forums Chris!
lots of Beatles people on the horizan! :D :)
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Thanks!
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What a great thread! Nice one Chris....The Beatles were a band at the end of the day and humoured themselves as such I feel. 'In' jokes betwen bands is a very important part of writing for a group that cuts the mustard. The Beatles have always inspired me that way. Lyrics should be ambigious in the sense that more people draw their own meanings. All a band can really achieve in a bigger sense is to reach peoples conscience.....I love The Beatles. What a balance they had.
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yes..@ dmbeatles, the Fab are respected, dissected,inspected,never negleted or corrected, collated,annotated, never repudiated...but MOST OF ALL, loved and listened to..
-mmm
nice wordplay..Very right-eous. ;) ....As in good righteous. :)
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nice wordplay..Very right-eous. ;) ....As in good righteous. :)
thx..see what happens when I take a break from The Fab and listen to too much Dylan ?? ;D
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Geoff Emerick's Here There And Everywhere, an awesome book highly recommended.
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I just came across a newish book about John, "Shoulda Been There," by Jude Kessler. It is historical fiction and supposedly based on twenty years of research.
Here is a link to an excerpt about John and Cyn in 1958:
http://www.ontherockbooks.com/Shoulda/excerpts.html
The writer really breathes some fresh life into a by now familiar story. I also have to give her credit for getting Cynthia's perceived rival, Helen Anderson's personality spot on.
I once spent an afternoon at Ms. Anderson's home in suburban Liverpool, talking about her college days with John and Cynthia, for a project that I was working on. She was so gracious and charming. The lady put me at ease and showed me some warm Liverpool hospitality.
I look forward to reading Ms. Kessler's book. The cover photo was taken by Astrid.
Has anyone read it yet?
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Hi, Jude Kessler here! Thanks for the kind words, Ligger. I know the book release date is a bit confusing. It was copyrighted as a manuscript in 1994, but the book was actually only released the day before Thanksgiving in November (2007). It's been out for about 4 and a half months now.
I started the book in 1986 and did secondary research by building a 300 plus volume Beatle library in my home. But 1993, I knew I HAD to go to Liverpool if I wanted to do the book justice. I spent the next 7 years traveling back and forth to Liverpool to interview Bob Wooler, Allan Williams, June Furlong, Rod Murray, Colin Fallows, Joe Flannery, and on and on...And then spent years actually writing and rewriting the work.
It's unique...it reads like a novel, but each chapter is footnoted and has end notes which discuss the discrepancies in the non-fiction biographer's accounts of that particular event. It even has a Scouse glossary and an encyclopedia of the real characters in the book with bios of each.
There's a review of it on beatlelinks.net and one on daytrippin.com if y'wanna check it out.
And on my site, ontherockbooks.com, you can read a sample chapter, too.
I'd be glad to answer any questions about the book for anyone. I'll check back in tomorrow night to see if anyone has replied.
Thanks again for the kind words...I really appreciate it!
I'll also be glad to give any member of this site free shipping in addition to the $5 off sale on the book right now. Just e-mail me at kesslerjude@yahoo.com and tell me you are a member of this forum.
Talk to you soon!
Cheers!
Jude
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Hey welcome Jude...Always a pleasure to be in good company...I am now more intrigued about your book, do stick around. :)
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Thanks! Glad to be here...I'll check in tonight to see if anyone has a question I can answer. Thanks for the welcome!
Jude
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Any chance of shipping to Europe, Jude? And how's the new project going?
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Recording sessions.Great reading.
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Absolultey! I've shipped to the UK, Finland, Western Autstralia...here, there, and everywhere! It generally costs about $20 to ship it, so I'd knock $10 off the price of the book (instead of the $5 its on sale for now) to help defray that cost. So, if you're interested in paying $40 including the shipping, I could just send you a "bill" via PayPal, and we could do it that way. Just let me know.
The new project is slow because I'm speaking somewhere daily on Shoulda. This morning I'm off to speak to the Advertising Council. It takes so much time. But I'm trying to work about 10 hours a week on the new book...I'll do much more once the "new" has worn off of this one.
BTW, if you're going to be in Liverpool for Beatle Week, I'll be there with the book.
Thanks so much for your interest! I really apprecaite it and I'll work with you any way that I can.
Cheers!
Jude
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Right now im reading
-The Beatles, An illustrated Record
-The beatle book
-The beatles
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Just ripped the Anthology out of the postmans hand half an hour ago !!!
I think I need a lot of leisure time now !
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You can find Jude's own story on how she came to write the book on
http://www.merseybeat.co.uk/articles-details.php?cat=Rock+Books&id=418
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The last Beatle book I read wasn't a biography but a fictional book called "Pepperland" about a girl who is trying to meet John Lennon so she can give him a letter her dead mother wrote him in 1964. It's set in 1980, so you can guess what happens.
Everyone gave it rave reviews but I wasn't too keen on it. The author's writing style was annoying and the ending was disappointing.
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Thanks, Bill. I'm sure all of you know Bill Harry. Not only is Bill one of the definitive Beatle authors of all time, but he's the original Mersey Beat editor and of course, John's dear friend. He was kind enough to write the foreword of my book for me, a debt which can never be repaid. If you haven't purchased his Beatles Encyclopedias (The Ultimate Beatles Encyclopedia, The John Lennon Encyclopedia, etc.) you MUST. They answer all your questions, brilliantly.
There's a brand new review of Shoulda Been There on whatgoeson.com, beatlesagain.com and in the 6 June issue of Goldmine. Hope to see some of you in Vegas for The Fest.
Jude ;)
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I tried to read that book Pepperland but I didn'tget to far it bore me.
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Hi, all! New here, but thrilled to have found such a well-read bunch of Beatle people to hang out with! Having been on a couple of other sites, I was disappointed by the general lack of basic knowledge displayed by supposed fans! None of that nonsense here, I see.
Anyway, I'm currently reading Denis O'Dell's book. Needed to read it, as I hadn't already (that's the only reason I need to read a new Beatle book). Can't say I'm that impressed, and I can sort of see why he hadn't written it before, cos his involvements with the guys seem to go downhill from Hard Day's Night onwards. I mean, if he ever wanted a job again in films, he would have been wise to distance himself from Magical Mystery Tour at the time (now it's a cult classic, so no worries, but back then, it BOMBED big time!).
Next book to get out of library will be one by the Best family about the Casbah club (looks like a gorgeous memorabilia photo book).
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Welcome to DM's cubanheel. Did I notice you at the Daily Quiz?
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You sure did, Bobber! v astute. ;)
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You sure did, Bobber! v astute. ;)
Welcome! I hope you didn't beat me! ;)
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I've finished the Denis O'Dell book. Now I NEED to see the Magic Christian! I love how one Beatle thing always leads you on to another. By the way, if anyone's interested, my all-time fave Beatle-related book is Mike McGear/McCartney's Thank U Very Much. It (along with the Beatles and the Liverpool Poets) inspired a soul-searching solo visit to Liverpool in my youth...
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I have about 35 beatle books yet have only read about 6 of them! :S I don't get the time, but once my exams are finished I am going to continue with the anthology :D I think it is one of the best presented beatle books, bias as the beatle helped write it obviously haha!
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i've just started Hunter Davies 'the Beatles, Football & Me' ! 8)
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I'm reading The Big Beatles book
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i just read a book called, "Images of the Beatles." Mostly pictures of the guys, but also a lot of info about whats happening in the pics. and besides, i dont mind staring at their faces for a while........ (tongue2)
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The White Book by Ken Mansfield
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I just readb Paperback Writer and it is hilarious! Everyone should read it!
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Is it a dirty story of a dirty man, by any chance? ;)
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It's a dirty story of four dirty men! Haha! A novel about the Beatles career.
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I just got Can't Buy Me Love for my b-day. I can't wait to to read it.
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Just finished reading The Beatles: The True Beginnings by Roag Best with Pete and Rory Best.
It's fab! Lovely pictures, v atmospheric, and tries to redress the balance between the Cavern (which is always billed as where it all began) and the Casbah. I must go and read something by Allan Williams now, so I can see where the Jacaranda really fitted in! Any recommendations?
Liverpool must have been SUCH an exciting place to be young and creative in the late 50's/early 60's.
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I can't remember the last Beatle book I read :P It might have been the Beatle Chronicles.
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I'm reading a Paul biography by some polish guy... Salewicz i think his name is.
Its ok so far
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I guess in some ways it's Beatles related. Right now I'm reading Eric Clapton's autobiography :)
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Just finished Carry that Weight by Geoffrey Guilliano. My only criticism would be that I was unclear about the origin of the quotes he used. He claims to have interviewed many people, including Paul, etc, but the quotes throughout the book are not given a context. Some are from well-known interviews I know were years after the event but not credited as such in the book, so you can get the wrong impression. The quotes weren't individually itemised, so I would tend to distrust some of them. Hunter Davies pointed this practise out in one of his books, and since reading that, I always like to check the reference if it's a strange quote from a Beatle or close insider. I also feel he may be trying to publish his version of events as many different times as he can so it's 'out there' and becomes accepted, as I have read some of his other stuff, and it seemed a little familiar. May just be my suspicious mind, but I trust no-one!!!
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"Here Comes the Sun: the Spiritual & Musical Journey of George Harrison" by Joshua Greene
Dana ; )
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i am reading The Bealtes Anthology. i am going to read the whole thing. there is like 320 pages though, i am only on 48 lol but rules so far
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I´am trying to decide whether to buy the following books:
The Unreleased Beatles
by Richie Unterberger
and
The Beatles' London: The Ultimate Guide to Over 400 Beatles Sites in and Around London
by Piet Schreuders
Do you know them? Can you recommend?
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I have the first mentioned and it is a very interesting read. There's a couple of very good second hand ones on Amazon. The second one is unknown to me. The author's name is obviously Dutch, but still unknown. I would definately go for the first option.
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I wanted to borrow a beatles book from the school library and i searched the opac i just found about 2 yellow submarine but it was out and i also saw a beatles anthology book but it was in the college area
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I´am trying to decide whether to buy the following books:
The Unreleased Beatles
by Richie Unterberger
and
The Beatles' London: The Ultimate Guide to Over 400 Beatles Sites in and Around London
by Piet Schreuders
Do you know them? Can you recommend?
I definitely like the Unterberger; but then a die hard collector / anorak like me would, so you may want to take that into consideration, too. I haven't seen Piet Schreuders' book, but it's a good idea and I'll certainly have a look at it if a copy ever turns up. Come to think of it, it would be a great idea for a web site as well. :)
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Thanks guys, I bought the both of them.
What about a book by a certain Derek Taylor : It Was Twenty Years Ago Today. It´s from 1987. Any of you have it? Recommend it? It´s out of print so I might buy it used. :-/
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Thanks guys, I bought the both of them.
What about a book by a certain Derek Taylor : It Was Twenty Years Ago Today. It´s from 1987. Any of you have it? Recommend it? It´s out of print so I might buy it used. :-/
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Beatle related, i've just started on Victor Spinetti's Up Close biog that's just come out in paperback!
yes, i'm a paperback reader! ;)
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im reading magycal mystery tour: my life with the beatles by tony bramwell
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"Here Comes the Sun: the Spiritual & Musical Journey of George Harrison" by Joshua Greene
Do you like it so far? I didnt really enjoy it...
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im reading "The Beatles 365 days"!
Great rare pictures with interesting info, even I haven't heard of!
:)
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I'm read "The Walrus was Paul." VERY good, this book! I don't buy the hoax bull for one minute, but I really enjoy reading about it. It's all SO fascinating! o__o
There's even a quiz at the end of the book to test your PiD knowledge! =D ...I didn't do so hot, so I'll have to read the book over again. XD
I just don't understand why there's a whole chapter about the Manson murders... It really has nothing to do with the hoax at all. X__x
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KEyes, yes I enjoyed the book very much. I'm on the third reading and have decided to buy it. His spiritual journey and commitment is very moving to me. Through reading the book I've made a conscious effort to reduce my dependence and thought about the 'material world' and maybe a further study of Hindu. All this change for me has happened in the past 6 months spurred by watching AHDN and hearing the short clip of "Don't Bother Me," I'm overwhelmed at the impact George has had on me. Dana ; )
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Just finished "The Unknown Paul McCartney: McCartney and the Avant-Garde". It's a really fascinating book. Every Macca fan should read it.
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well, Beatles Anthology.
what a great large book for reading =]
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re-reading hunter davies,The Beatles.
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just bought The Unknown Paul McCartney - McCartney & the Avant Garde by Ian Peel (great book!) :)
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Does anyone know who the publishers of 'The Beatles In Ireland' and 'The Beatles In Scotland' are?
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Does anyone know who the publishers of 'The Beatles In Ireland' and 'The Beatles In Scotland' are?
The Beatles In Ireland is Collins Press.
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Halfway through Cyns,"John".
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SHOUT! By Philip Norman :)
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Just finished The Beatles by Bob Spitz. About 900 pages (including the Forward and Notes at the end). I've started reading Tony Barrows: John, Paul, George, Ringo, and Me
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Just finished The Beatles by Bob Spitz. About 900 pages (including the Forward and Notes at the end).
Oh no!
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Just finished The Beatles by Bob Spitz. About 900 pages
what did you think to it? The Tony Barrow ones very good! :)
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almost finished patty boyds autobiography and will be heading straight into many years from now
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almost finished patty boyds autobiography and will be heading straight into many years from now
Ah, I'm stil waiting for it to go down in price (patty's autobiography that is)
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i lent mine from the library.just finished it a hour ago.i will buy it at some stage.pretty good read.
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would yr look at him sitting there with his hooter scraping away at that book!!! :P
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"Can't Buy Me Love" by Jonathan Gould. :)
(http://news.cnet.com/i/bto/20071001/9780307353375.jpg)
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"Can't Buy Me Love" by Jonathan Gould. :)
Jon was a poster here for a short while. Should he be willing to come back?
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"Can't Buy Me Love" by Jonathan Gould. :)
([url]http://news.cnet.com/i/bto/20071001/9780307353375.jpg[/url])
i've just started this and i'm lovin it, its quite a well written book and better than
Bob Spitz i think.
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I'm reading John by Cynthia Lennon.
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I'm reading John by Cynthia Lennon.
Thats a great book.youll enjoy it.Im reading John Winston Lennon by Coleman
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I'm reading John by Cynthia Lennon.
Read this then read A Twist of Lennon... its amazing how two books by the same person about the same person can differ
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Thats a great book.youll enjoy it.Im reading John Winston Lennon by Coleman
Please bear in mind that it is HER point of view of course. :P There are some notable and disturbing errors in the book tho and that is a pity. John wrote All My Loving especially for Cynthia? I don't think so.
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John wrote All My Loving especially for Cynthia? I don't think so.
He wrote that??
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He wrote that??
No. But that is what Cynthia is writing in her book, that John wrote All My Loving (could have been And I Love Her now that I think of it, but that doesn't matter) especially for her.
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Please bear in mind that it is HER point of view of course. :P There are some notable and disturbing errors in the book tho and that is a pity.
Yes, I have already caught some errors. I think at one point, Cyn says that George Harrison became interested in the sitar during the filming of "A Hard Day's Night." Huh? That does not sound right to me.
But this book is still interesting if you want a closer look at Cynthia's relationship with John and who he was as a human being. It's respectfully written, but it is also very honest and will not be an easy read for people who strongly idolize John.
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I quite agree, Penny Lane.
Anyone read Thank U Very Much by Mike McGear/McCartney? My best book EVER.
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i recently read penny lane is in my ears and in my eyes by stan williams. not really a beatles book, but stan was in dovedale primary school while john and george were there. the book is more like a painting of the penny lane neighbourhood in the late 1940s. some meetings with john lennon (an a**hole by then already, sorry jane, its the truth), but on the whole a trip down memory lane of williams' family and adventures. not a bad read either way but not really beatles.
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I've just finished Many Years From Now, which is about Paul. Next up, I may read George Harrison's autobiography. (read)
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ok, so I still haven't finished Clapton's autobiography, but I'm now starting the Philip Norman John Lennon book :) (ps, saw your quote on the back there Bill! Lets be honest it was one of those Holy Crap moments!)
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^ You will have to let me know if that's any good, I saw that at my local Wal Mart. For christmas, I got a copy of Brian Epstein's book that he wrote about the boys. It was published in Nov of 1964 so it should an interesting read!
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^ You will have to let me know if that's any good, I saw that at my local Wal Mart. For christmas, I got a copy of Brian Epstein's book that he wrote about the boys. It was published in Nov of 1964 so it should an interesting read!
a cellarful of boys
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^ A Cellarful of Noise, actually. I can't wait to start reading it.
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a cellarful of boys
Awww... Poor Brian. :-/
Okay...so I just read I Me Mine and finished the autobiography section in just one evening. I got the book as a gift and I had no idea the text section was so short!
I have Geoff Emerick's Here, There and Everywhere coming in the mail, but it's going to take a while to get here so I wonder what I can read in the meantime... Maybe it's time for me to take a break from Beatles literature but...but...I just don't want to quit. :P
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Geoff Emerick's is a brilliant book Penny Lane, lots of interesting facts i never knew are in there.
i'm halfway through Johnathan Goldman's Can't Buy Me Love, then i'll be moving onto Phillip Norman's
John book which i got for xmas. :)
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Geoff Emerick's is a brilliant book Penny Lane, lots of interesting facts i never knew are in there.
i'm halfway through Johnathan Goldman's Can't Buy Me Love, then i'll be moving onto Phillip Norman's
John book which i got for xmas. :)
I 2nd that Andy, both good books.
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Geoff's book is great! Along with Cyn's, it's my favorite. :)
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Hi guys, I just finished reading Here, There and Everywhere. I loved it. It's not perfect, but it is a revealing and fascinating read about working with the Beatles in the recording studio. Highly recommended.
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Here is one Beatles book that I won't be buying.......only 1967 copies are being printed and it costs $495! It's "Kaleidoscope Eyes" by Henry Grossman....and it's full of never-before-seen photos that Grossman took while the Beatles were recording Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds.
http://www.examiner.com/x-2082-beatles-examiner~y2009m1d23-unseen-beatles-photos-have-a-melody-of-their-own
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I am reading John by Cynthia now, to make sure if I am right or wrong in my ideas, though certainly the author is prejudiced and is sure to present herself in the favourable light.
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I am reading John by Cynthia now, to make sure if I am right or wrong in my ideas, though certainly the author is prejudiced and is sure to present herself in the favourable light.
Then maybe this reader is prejudiced as well! ;D
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No, I am not, but I am reading the book critically, trying to analyze John`s actions and reactions. With Cynthia everything is clear, she was in love, true love, she adored everything about John and was never annoyed. However, for example, Cynthia writes that John was sweet with her, but sometimes he seemed irritated and cried at her. It`s a fact that when a person in a partnership behaves irritatingly or answers annoyingly without any visible reason he/she doesn`t like something in the partner to an extent that it can drive him/her away. Actually the answer is that the person who is irritated just doesn`t love the partner and that`s it. Irritation without a reason means that there`s no love.
(by the way I knew you would say it, Bobber! :P )
What do you think of the book?
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Hmm. It's her point of view obviously. Besides the errors in the book (see Bill Harry's comment before somewhere), I think that Cynthia comes out as naive but honest. But quite naive.
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Yes, I think you are right, rather naive. Thank you for directing me to Bill Harry`s comment, I didn`t know about it.
Tomorrow will proceed with reading and maybe will share some of my ideas if you don`t mind. A very big question mark follows.........
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Reading the new Lennon biography but kinda stuggling with it
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I think that Cynthia comes out as naive but honest. But quite naive.
Agreed. I think Cynthia was fair in her description of John in her book. She is respectful to his memory, but honest. In the end, he's just a human being, just like the rest of us.
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Did you notice that in every other paragraph Cynthia writes that John really loved her, that she knew that John loved her, that she felt that he loved her, "we loved each other so much"... Rather insisting on the fact...
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A few weeks ago, in the back of my parents' one bookshelf, I found The Love You Make: The Insider's Story of the Beatles by Peter Brown. I was surprised to find it, because I dug some Beatle books out of there before but somehow missed that one. My parents forgot that they had it, too. Anyways, I'm sure a lot of you have heard about it. I started reading it just for the heck of it. It seems pretty good so far, but there is kind of a lot of extremely obvious wrong facts. I'm only on page 35 or so right now, and to me it seems like so far Cynthia is the main character for some reason. It's interesting so far, but I've also heard bad things about it. So for anyone who's read it, is it worth reading the rest or not? Thanks. ;)
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Did you notice that in every other paragraph Cynthia writes that John really loved her, that she knew that John loved her, that she felt that he loved her, "we loved each other so much"... Rather insisting on the fact...
Naive in her relationship. I found this quote in an interview from 8 June 1964 (Hong Kong):
Q: "Mister Lennon, what do you think Misses Lennon thinks of the Beatles?"
JOHN: "Uhh, she rather likes them."
(reporters giggle)
Q: (asks question away from microphone about whether Cynthia Lennon is jealous of all the female fans)
JOHN: "No, because I don't have a go at them."
(room erupts in laughter)
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Did you notice that in every other paragraph Cynthia writes that John really loved her, that she knew that John loved her, that she felt that he loved her, "we loved each other so much"... Rather insisting on the fact...
Sometimes I wondered if Cynthia was in denial, especially on whether John was faithful to her.
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The last Beatle book I read was Geoff Emerick's "Here, There and Everywhere", which I thought was fantastic.
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a hard days write, then long and winding roads by womack
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a hard days write
I love that book.
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There`s a book by Alan Clayson, actually four books devoted to each Beatle, on sale here. Shall I buy them? Would you recommend them?
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Jane i saw the beatles set in POWERBOOKS here in the Philippines .... i'm reading The Unseen Beatles by Mark Hayward... lots of John Lennon chilhood pics
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Jane i saw the beatles set in POWERBOOKS here in the Philippines .... i'm reading The Unseen Beatles by Mark Hayward... lots of John Lennon chilhood pics
Well, I will buy the books this weekend. Though first I have to finish Cynthia...
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okay Jane enjoy reading the new books! :)
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I am reading the above mentioned books. Starting with John.
I have been told today that Yoko Ono has presented her new book about John. ?
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On Tuesday I finished Phillip Newmans book on John after 4 months of reading, going to re read The Beatles in Scotland
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I am reading about Macca - a sunny boy by Clayson.
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I've been a bit tied up lately so I'm still working on the Hunter Davies book. Getting towards the end, though.
I hope to start McCartney by Salewicz soon.
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The last book I read and I could not put down was the Bob Spitz book of The Beatles Biography if anyone hasnt read it I HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT.
I could not put it down. all 992 pages are worth it! ;)
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The last book I read and I could not put down was the Bob Spitz book of The Beatles Biography if anyone hasnt read it I HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT.
I could not put it down. all 992 pages are worth it! ;)
Sigh. Sorry, but it's crap. For once and for all:
Review: The Beatles: The Biography by Bob Spitz
Time Warner Book Group, 2005
983 pages; $29.95
(posted October 26, 2005)
Here's an idea for a new Beatles trivia game--take the new biography, The Beatles, by Bob Spitz, and try to see how many factual errors you can find throughout the book. A group of Beatle fans have already started the game and as you can see below, our list is quite extensive.
It's obvious that there was a gross lack of regard for editing and checking source material in the compilation of this book. As we began to notice glaring errors with some shock, we then began hearing from others, most notably Mark Naboshek who sent us quite a list, which we have included. Mark is a well-known Beatles collector and writer for Beatlology Magazine with a tremendous knowledge of Beatles history. He has also fact-checked Elizabeth Partridge's new book "John Lennon: All I Want is the Truth" as well as "Lennon Legend" by Jim Henke, no doubt helping them achieve the status they deserve, as well-researched books.
Mark, in his email to us, expresses the dilemma any Beatles fan would feel after just looking at the errors in the photo captions alone: "When the photo captions in a book are this grossly incorrect, it makes me wonder how much of the book's text is incorrect
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^ Bob Spitz's book was interesting to read for a general overview of Beatles history, but as the article above mentions, you have to take the details with a grain (or more) of salt.
I read the end of Spitz's Marinucci interview and thought he sounded unbearably snobby and careless. He's not very respectful towards Beatles "fanatics", the ones who love the band the most, and that's not going to be appreciated in Beatle circles.
The fanatics who raised a huff in the manner they did are no different than religious fanatics determined to hurt people in order to protect their extremist views.
Beatlemaniacs do have a reputation for being very, very passionate and protective towards the Beatles' legacy, but it's for a good reason, and he needs to accept that instead of making us sound unreasonable and crazy.
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Thanks for the quote and the link, Cor!
Spitz sounds like an ass. I'm a professional writer and, trust me, there's no excuse for this kind of shoddy work, especially after he supposedly spent 8 years on it. I've spent way less than that learning about the Beatles, and wouldn't make these mistakes. (I'd make different ones!)
But trying to differentiate between "fans" and "fanatics" is just stupid. Hey, Mr. Writer Man, it's the same word! Allow me to introduce you to your dictionary. Bah, what a blowhard. Apparently he thinks there's enough non-fans out there (casual Beatles readers, which many of us probably started out as one day-- myself, included) that he doesn't have to try to "win" the hard-core Beatles fans over. I think that's just sad. We should all be here because of the love of the subject-- and that means getting it right when we're wrong.
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Thanks for the quote and the link, Cor!
My pleasure! ;D
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I take it back then...thanks for the wonderful information. I have much to learn from you guys :)
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I take it back then...thanks for the wonderful information. I have much to learn from you guys :)
Funny thing is that most critics absolutely love the book. I guess it is well written in a style that suits most critics. It is meant to be an authoritative book tho and therefore it completely missed its target.
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The Mammoth Book of the Beatles (excellant kind of reference book on the fabs! :))
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51b16G44b6L._SS500_.jpg)
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Funny thing is that most critics absolutely love the book. I guess it is well written in a style that suits most critics. It is meant to be an authoritative book tho and therefore it completely missed its target.
Yes, it's true. Critics who operate outside their sphere of competence can really hurt a good book-- or help a poor one, in this case. It's frustrating.
Thanks for the look at the new book, Andy!
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This one, which was launched last February 26. Amongst other topics, it deals with the 'mistery' of the Spanish tour recordings from 1965...
Best!! ;)
Xose
(http://img412.imageshack.us/img412/4277/portadabeatles.th.jpg) (http://img412.imageshack.us/my.php?image=portadabeatles.jpg)
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Mystery? What mystery?
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Mystery? What mystery?
Over the years, there were comments about if any or both Beatles gigs in Spain were recorded. Even several years ago a tape appeared suppoosed to be from the barcelona concert which resulted a fake. Now Jose Luis Alvarez, bokk's author and the journalist who spent with The Beatles those those three days in Spain in 1965 July 1-3, solves the mistery: he recorded a tape at Madrid's concert and he has recovered it recently...
Best!! ;)
Xose
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Over the years, there were comments about if any or both Beatles gigs in Spain were recorded. Even several years ago a tape appeared suppoosed to be from the barcelona concert which resulted a fake. Now Jose Luis Alvarez, bokk's author and the journalist who spent with The Beatles those those three days in Spain in 1965 July 1-3, solves the mistery: he recorded a tape at Madrid's concert and he has recovered it recently...
Best!! ;)
Xose
Interesting. Some footage in here: http://www.dmbeatles.com/forums/m-1126176058/s-0/
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...Interesting. Some footage in here: [url]http://www.dmbeatles.com/forums/m-1126176058/s-0/[/url]
Yes it is.
Thank you!! ;)
BTW: Casa Alberdi, from Barcelona, provided Vox amps and PA system for both gigs, Madrid and Barcelona...
Best!! ;)
Xose
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I haven't looked at all the previous threads so it might've been mentioned. I recently read Geoff Emerick's autobiog about being the Beatle's sound engineer at Abbey Road. Absolutely brilliant - he was responsible for a lot of their inventive techniques.
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Just received my copy of Brian Kehew and Kevin Ryan's "Recording The Beatles". I am truly impressed. There is so much information in this book.
If you are a die hard fan like me, I highly recommend it.
You have to be a pretty serious fan to fork out $100 on a book.
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Just received my copy of Brian Kehew and Kevin Ryan's "Recording The Beatles". I am truly impressed.
Don't say I didn't warn you. :)
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Don't say I didn't warn you. :)
You didn't warn me... :P I am rebellious.
Yes, you did warn me. It is as good as you said too.
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Just received my copy of Brian Kehew and Kevin Ryan's "Recording The Beatles". I am truly impressed. There is so much information in this book.
If you are a die hard fan like me, I highly recommend it.
You have to be a pretty serious fan to fork out $100 on a book.
With shipping fee I will have to fork out 160$ for it. Thats... a lot ! (shakehead1)
But one day I will get my hands on it.
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Patti's autobiography. Some things made me sad, but overall, she has a nice perspective, and of course is someone on the inside.
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In His Own Write. Put it back by my bed , read a story or a poem out of it every now and then. Such a happy book :)
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I am reading now McCartney by Christopher Sandford, new and updated. The book is very well written and I like it. I didn`t know that Paul is called Great Communicator. I knew only about Reagan and thought it belonged only to him.
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The book says "Paul often cites astrology..."I am a Gemini, and we are supposed to be like this and that..." In later years Paul would make much of his sign...the chief one being that they often seem to be several different people.
And I also liked this one: It was while they were setting up that Vaughan wandered over and made the four-word introduction that changed pop culture. "Paul: this is John". Wow, breath-taking. Well-written!
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Just flipping through The Beatles - The Complete Story Of Four Lads Who Shook The World by Tim Hill. It's a big, heavy book that has some modern writings on each stage of their career, excellently complimented by photographs from the archives of the Daily Mail. I like it, it covers ground that is very well worn, but I'm a sucker for writing that is passionate about them without making them into Gods, which they certainly weren't.
Have got over 400 books in my study, ranging from at least 3 editions of the Hunter Davies book. I have the Mark Lewisohn books, apart from his new one and the Live! book from '86. The Bruce Spizer books are a triumph of investigative diligence. The Beatles are now almost an academic subject, and are certainly a history subsection now and some books take this academic, well-researched path. There have been some wonderful photo books - such as "It Was Thirty Years Ago Today" by Terence Spencer and "Remember" by Mike McCartney. Roberts Freeman and Whitaker have both produced excellent, lush books of their archives. I'd recommend Allan Williams' book, if only for his wit and sheer invention. Don't treat it as gospel but it's fun.
I found the Anthology book interesting, but ultimately it was produced under the control of George, Paul, Ringo and Yoko, so there is not anything too controversial. It would have been a different book had John been alive, as would the series and, probably, our lives.
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I am reading 'Paul McCartney: Many Years From Now' and 'Memories Of John: Edited And Introduced By Yoko Ono' the John one would be better with out Yoko blabbing 24/7! Haha sorry I'm not a big fan of her... But both are really good! And in Paul's he talks in it. It was interviews.
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I am reading 'Paul McCartney: Many Years From Now' and 'Memories Of John: Edited And Introduced By Yoko Ono' the John one would be better with out Yoko blabbing 24/7! Haha sorry I'm not a big fan of her... But both are really good! And in Paul's he talks in it. It was interviews.
Have you read Cynthia's book, John?
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Have you read Cynthia's book, John?
No, I haven't. I want to though, most likely a lot better than Yoko's. lol. Did you read it?
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Here is what I wrote about Cynthia's book:
I was pleased to hear that Cynthia was writing a second autobiography. Her first had been almost sycophantic in tone regarding John and Yoko, was completely incorrect in its view of the local music scene and contained some rather naive poems. She also serialised her story some years ago in one of those celebrity magazines. At last, I thought, she may finally give vent to her feelings and tell it like it really was. The only problem would be if a professional biographer had helped to ghost write it for her. When this happens, these writers tend to exaggerate real events and concentrate on scandal and sensationalism, aiming for lucrative tabloid newspaper serialisation. I'd always looked on Cynthia as the Candide of the Beatles story, the girl who was left weeping on the platform as John, the Beatles and friends drew away from her on the train to Bangor. The tearful girl who the steward's wouldn't let back into the hotel when she was with the Beatles in Miami, until the girl fans of the Beatles came to her aid. She always seemed so vulnerable.
Early on she begins, "After my marriage to John fell apart I tried to escape the world of celebrity and the Lennon label by going off to find my own life." Cynthia might have escaped the attention if she adopted the usual form when a person remarries: dropping the first husband's surname and adopting that of the new husband. Cynthia's names have been Cynthia Powell, Cynthia Lennon, Cynthia Bassanini, Cynthia Twist and now Cynthia Charles but she chose to re-adopt the Lennon name after John's death, which upset John's Aunt Mimi. How could she "escape the Lennon label" if she began calling herself Lennon again?
However, good luck to her in this, I say, nothing wrong with that, it's obviously been of similar benefit to Bianca Jagger. Actually, I sympathise with her because it has been impossible for her to escape the Lennon legend and she has as much right as Yoko in revealing her love for one of the world's most-beloved musicians. Interesting, though, that although Yoko called herself Yoko Ono Lennon when she was married to John, she has since ditched the Lennon surname.
My first memory of Cynthia was of a young girl with mousey hair in the playground of the Junior Art School in Gambier Terrace. When she eventually enrolled at the College of Art, she was transformed into a blonde by her love of John, who was obsessed by Brigitte Bardot at the time.
On recalling the first occasion she and John made love she says it was at "Stuart's place
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I enjoyed reading it very much! Thank you!
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Thanks Bill. Another book I don't have to read now! ;)
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I'm reading The Final Days Of John Lennon
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No, I haven't. I want to though, most likely a lot better than Yoko's. lol. Did you read it?
Yes it's one of my favorites, along with Here, There and Everywhere: My Life Recording The Beatles.
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along with Here, There and Everywhere: My Life Recording The Beatles.
That is a great, great Beatles book! One of my fave tidbits from Geoff Emerick was about the day Beatles fans broke into the studio and ran around looking for the boys! ;D
*imagines myself doing the same* ;)
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That is a great, great Beatles book! One of my fave tidbits from Geoff Emerick was about the day Beatles fans broke into the studio and ran around looking for the boys! ;D
*imagines myself doing the same* ;)
That's a great tidbit ;D
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Oh, i read John by Cynthia Lennon, she basically describes John from the day they met, and how he really was. She mentions their relationship through the Beatlemania, and she also talks about Yoko, but suprisingly, not too negatively. She mostly dislikes how Yoko treats Julian when he visits. It's truely a wonderful biography.
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I think Cynthia changed her last name to Lennon because the only man she ever had a child with was John, so I think it's sort of acceptable. :)
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...and how he really was...
No. How she saw him.
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My new book 'Liverpool - Bigger Than The Beatles' was publoished by Trinity Mirror on 3 August.
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Ah! And what can we expect, Bill?
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I haven't read a Beatle book in what seems like a year, and I wouldn't be surprised if it actually was.
I'm reading The Gospel According to The Beatles. I just started, but it seems like it's going to be a good book!
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I'm reading 'The Beatles' by Hunter Daives, and I just finished 'In His Own Write' By Johnny! Pretty far out! ;)
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Ya, "In His Own Write" was pretty...trippy! I always wanted to read "Spaniar in the Works", but I can't find it anywhere :(
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Our libraries have this thing where you can order books from different locations. I'm sure I could find it, but you might be able to get it off the internet. I also read Blackbird Singing by Paulie! That was good.
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I'm reading Anthology right now, I waited a long time to get my hands on it.
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well, i found this one book called "Which Beatle are you?"
which is basically a bunch of descriptions and a quiz
in the beginning, there a adjectives describing each beatles, bad and good
but with george, most of them had to do with shyness, and i don't really think he's thatshy
i mean, if he were, he would've been kicked out like pete best
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ones that i have:
"john" by cynthia lennon - i loved it! so much detail and emotion, i'm glad she never held a grudge
"wonderful tonight" by pattie boyd - it was interesting, i liked how she described the 60's, and George X)
"here, there, and everywhere: 100 best beatles songs"- well, the facts about each song are interesting, but they haven't got a clue to what the songs are about, the authors just assume
"lennon revealed" by larry kane - i haven't read the whole thing
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(http://www.multiplusbooks.com/WBCRHcover.jpg)
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Wonderful Tonight
(http://www.harpersbazaar.com/cm/harpersbazaar/images/pattie-boyd-book-HOT-0907-de.jpg)
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(http://www.multiplusbooks.com/WBCRHcover.jpg)
[/quote
what's this book like?
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Way Beyond Compare is similar to Mark Lewisohn's Recording Sessions/Beatles Chronicle book, only more so.
A LOT of details - You can use it for quick reference, or read it cover to cover.
what's this book like?
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Way Beyond Compare is similar to Mark Lewisohn's Recording Sessions/Beatles Chronicle book, only more so.
A LOT of details - You can use it for quick reference, or read it cover to cover.
sounds very interesting and my kind of book, i'll have to track it down, thanks :)
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Lennon Revealed by Larry Kane
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I liked Ticket to Ride.
Lennon Revealed by Larry Kane
What do you think of it? I liked his other book, Ticket to Ride.
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I liked Ticket to Ride.
What do you think of it? I liked his other book, Ticket to Ride.
It's pretty good so far, I'm only halfway through it yet. I enjoy the way Larry Kane writes so I think I will read Ticket To Ride as well
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has anyone read the book by stuart sutcliffe's sister?
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has anyone read the book by stuart sutcliffe's sister?
What is it called?
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The Beatles' Shadow: Stuart Sutcliffe and His Lonely Hearts Club by Paulina Sutcliffe
Paulina Sutcliffe is a phsychotherapist and she combines that training with letters written by Stuart from Hamburg and personal memories to portray a rare insight into the early Beatles . . . and John . . . and Stuart
it also features Stuart's artwork.
(i looked at it in a bookstore but haven't read it)
(http://www.abebooks.com/images/Newsletter/avid-reader/Oct08/beatles-shadow-stuart-sutcliffe-pauline-sutcliffe.jpg)
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Oh ive seen that in book stores too I just didnt think it was a beatles book 'bangs head on table' stupid
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The Beatles' Shadow: Stuart Sutcliffe and His Lonely Hearts Club by Paulina Sutcliffe
Paulina Sutcliffe is a phsychotherapist and she combines that training with letters written by Stuart from Hamburg and personal memories to portray a rare insight into the early Beatles . . . and John . . . and Stuart
it also features Stuart's artwork.
(i looked at it in a bookstore but haven't read it)
([url]http://www.abebooks.com/images/Newsletter/avid-reader/Oct08/beatles-shadow-stuart-sutcliffe-pauline-sutcliffe.jpg[/url])
The reviews of this book are not exactly glowing. Pauline seems to hold a grudge against the Beatles for some reason. Her conclusions on John and Stu's relationship seem to be based on rumours and she even contradicts herself on things she previously said. For example in the past she had discredited the rumour that John was responsible for Stu's death, but in her book she practically accuses him of murder. She also says that John and Stu had a sexual relationship, although she has no data to back that up, she just "knows". She also claims John and Stu wrote songs together, that Stu was a great bass player etc. etc.
Here's a link to an interview
http://www.classicbands.com/PaulineSutcliffeInterview.html (http://www.classicbands.com/PaulineSutcliffeInterview.html)
At some point, I think she revealed the lyrics of some of the songs John and Stu allegedly wrote together. I'll try to find the link to that if you are interested. They were embarrassingly bad.
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^ that's sad I hate when stuff like that happens, I was thinking of reading this but I don't think I will now.
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Here There and Everywhere by Geoff Emerick. I'm about halfway through it and I love it so far, it's so interesting :) He definatly had the best job in the world ;D
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Here There and Everywhere by Geoff Emerick. I'm about halfway through it and I love it so far, it's so interesting :) He definatly had the best job in the world ;D
I love that book! I love all those stories from the recording studio.
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I could not put it down either. Great book. :)
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Ooo I wanna read it now, at the moment none : ( but I did 'The Beatles unseen archives' and wow the pictures are awsome possum 8 )
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(http://www.multiplusbooks.com/TMFRHcover.jpg)
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I could not put it down either. Great book. :)
It is! I think it's my favorite Beatles book at the moment :)
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I'm reading The White Book by Ken Mansfield right now and so far I'm enjoying it very much. Being a record company executive gave him a different perspective.
Here is an excerpt from the book:
"You didn't promote a Beatles record -you just hang on when one came out. While I was busy living in the trenches with my other artists, trying to get their records played, I was also spending half my time trying to keep stations from playing advanced copies of new Beatles releases until all the stations could get their own copy."
I also just received the new Paul biography, can't wait to read that!
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^ I'm very excited to read Paul biography myself! Tell us how it is :)
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I just ordered "John" from the library! So I can't wait to read it! ;)
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^ I'm very excited to read Paul biography myself! Tell us how it is :)
Not bad, but I'm kind of disappointed because I was expecting more. There is not much new material and the book feels hurried. I guess 400 pages are just not enough to cover Paul's life. The book also feels... uninvolved, if that makes sense. I don't think the author really "gets" Paul, so he doesn't really give an insight of who he really is, his motivations etc.
I pretty much agree with this review:
http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/entertainment/books/paul-mccartney-biography-suffers-from-too-much-beatle-70094612.html (http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/entertainment/books/paul-mccartney-biography-suffers-from-too-much-beatle-70094612.html)
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^ thats disappionting, I was hoping more good things from that book. I've been wanting to read a good Paul Biography for a while now. Does anyone have any suggestions?
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I got "John" today! I'm looking forward to reading it tomorrow! ;D
From reading the introduction by Julian it sounds like it's going to be a good read!
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^ it was very interesting
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^ it was very interesting
glad to hear it! :)
I have a long day tomorrow so I'm saving it till then. ;)
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^ it was very interesting
With some errors tho... ;D
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With some errors tho... ;D
like what?
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like what?
Read from here: http://www.dmbeatles.com/forums/index.php?topic=4843.msg176473#msg176473 (http://www.dmbeatles.com/forums/index.php?topic=4843.msg176473#msg176473)
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Ticket To Ride by Larry Kane, really enjoying it so far
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Read from here: [url]http://www.dmbeatles.com/forums/index.php?topic=4843.msg176473#msg176473[/url] ([url]http://www.dmbeatles.com/forums/index.php?topic=4843.msg176473#msg176473[/url])
thanks for the link!
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thanks for the link!
You're welcome. It wasn't very far away.
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Here, There & Everywhere by Geoff Emerick
AWESOME BOOK SO FAR!
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^Great book! one of my favorites :)
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thanks for the link!
i wouldn't worry about that, though
in her last book, she made some errors
but this time, she was more careful with what she wrote up
i wouldn't worry about it :)
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^thanks for the heads up sgt. peppie!
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i wouldn't worry about that, though
in her last book, she made some errors
but this time, she was more careful with what she wrote up
i wouldn't worry about it :)
Excuse me? This is about her latest book and if you were a truely Beatles fan, you WOULD worry about it. There's notable errors in there and it DOES matter.
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Excuse me? This is about her latest book and if you were a truely Beatles fan, you WOULD worry about it. There's notable errors in there and it DOES matter.
yeah, Bobber is right. I've read further into the book now and I'm a little dissapointed. Some of the stuff is totally crazy wrong. I don't get why she got some of the most obvious Beatle related facts wrong. I was like what did she just say?? It's kind of weird. I'm going to finish it, but now that's I've gotten farther it's become kind of sketchy at times. ???
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(http://www.backbeatbooks.com/common/item_gif/00331049.gif)
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^ I'm reading that too! It's very interesting, I really enjoy learning about their instruments and how they got them :)
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^
It's required reading. :)
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yeah, Bobber is right. I've read further into the book now and I'm a little dissapointed. Some of the stuff is totally crazy wrong. I don't get why she got some of the most obvious Beatle related facts wrong. I was like what did she just say?? It's kind of weird. I'm going to finish it, but now that's I've gotten farther it's become kind of sketchy at times. ???
About Cynthia's book... There are Beatle errors, but I would recommend reading it to get her take on John as a person (a friend/husband/father). I wouldn't really use it as a history book on the Beatles.
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([url]http://www.backbeatbooks.com/common/item_gif/00331049.gif[/url])
I asked for that book as a Christmas gift since I always browse through it at bookstores anyway. I might as well own it! ;)
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About Cynthia's book... There are Beatle errors, but I would recommend reading it to get her take on John as a person (a friend/husband/father). I wouldn't really use it as a history book on the Beatles.
Yeah Penny! I agree with you on that, I do like seeing their relationship in a different way. So I've just tried to ignore the Beatles errors! But I've liked learning about them as a couple. :)
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Forever Beatles, it's really thin ::)
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I started the Hunter Davies book today (weather forcing me to bus it all week as the car is immovable!)
Making quick progress, really easy to read and the lengthy introduction was quite a nice insight. Enjoying it so far ;)
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twilight of the gods by wilfred mellers
challenging ;D
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I've got a few pages left of Derek Taylor's It Was 20 Years Ago Today, then I'll start on Ticket to Ride, by Larry Kane.
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Has anyone ever bought Beatles ebooks?
I have this sneaky feeling Im getting an ebook reader for xmas
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I'm currently reading the Anthology book which is fabulous, I'm careful when I buy books about bands or any kind of artist because there really are alot of mistakes...I once bought a book that was absolute rubbish! It was obvious that the author hadn't done his research as is shown when he said John called Ringo to ask him to join the band when it was Brian who called him...or the fact that NONE of the answers they gave when they first came to America and had their press conference were right... oh well enough of my ranting ;sorry
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I bought 2 e-books:
The Beatles: Off The Record - Keith Badman
&
The Love You Make - Peter Brown
OTR is a good read. All quotes from the Beatles press confs and what not.
TLYM started off kind of dull, with the same boring bio stuff of the Beatles that you've read a million times, but it turns out to be a very good read once you get into it.
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I'm reading McCartney- A Life, by Peter Carlin. So far, so good.
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I'm reading McCartney- A Life, by Peter Carlin. So far, so good.
Same here. Very readable, I like the author's style. A few little snippets of information and anecdotes which I'd never come across before. I've just reached 1975 and "Venus & Mars". Really enjoying it so far.
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Same here. Very readable, I like the author's style. A few little snippets of information and anecdotes which I'd never come across before. I've just reached 1975 and "Venus & Mars". Really enjoying it so far.
what are the snippets and anecdotes? I mean can you just sum the interesting ones up that you've not come across b4. Thanks.
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what are the snippets and anecdotes? I mean can you just sum the interesting ones up that you've not come across b4. Thanks.
Off the top of my head, one that springs to mind is when a couple of dogged journalists tracked Paul down to his remote farmhouse in 1970. This was in the immediate aftermath of the break up and they caught Paul in a foul and furious temper. Apparently he hurled a bucket at them from the threshold of his home and shouted abuse - all of which they caught on camera. After sending them on their way and slamming the door, Macca - ever the PR man - realised just how badly this could come out and charged across the moors in hot pursuit of the chastened journos, apologised and charmed them into destroying the film with the promise that they could return with him to the cottage and he'd give them some more amenable photo opportunities and an exclusive interview. They got their scoop and he preserved his image. The story might be well known to some but I'd never heard it.
And it fleshed out the circumstances behind Henry McCullough's and Denny Seiwell's departures from Wings with a bit more detail revealing Paul's stingy side. It's not a hagiography by any means, it presents a rounded profile of McCartney the man.
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^^^
Was that when Life magazine went to find out if Paul was still alive?
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Off the top of my head, one that springs to mind is when a couple of dogged journalists tracked Paul down to his remote farmhouse in 1970. This was in the immediate aftermath of the break up and they caught Paul in a foul and furious temper. Apparently he hurled a bucket at them from the threshold of his home and shouted abuse - all of which they caught on camera. After sending them on their way and slamming the door, Macca - ever the PR man - realised just how badly this could come out and charged across the moors in hot pursuit of the chastened journos, apologised and charmed them into destroying the film with the promise that they could return with him to the cottage and he'd give them some more amenable photo opportunities and an exclusive interview. They got their scoop and he preserved his image. The story might be well known to some but I'd never heard it.
And it fleshed out the circumstances behind Henry McCullough's and Denny Seiwell's departures from Wings with a bit more detail revealing Paul's stingy side. It's not a hagiography by any means, it presents a rounded profile of McCartney the man.
yeah. that's a pretty well known incident. I think it was the Life guys going to see about the Paul is dead rubbish. I read that Howard Soames book from cover to cover and there wasn't much apart from what Hugh Padgam said about Press that I'd not heard before. I don't hink I'm ever gonna read another book about the Beatles. Except the m>lewishon one but even that might not have anythng new in it. I actually tried to contact Mark Lewishon 'cause there's a Y/t vid of a Beatle press conference where Paul says something I can't quite understand. I've got to go now but I'll post a link and explain later.
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Allan Williams' 'The Man Who Gave Away the Beatles."
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I'm reading The Beatles Anthology.
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Here, there and everywhere by Geoff Emerick.
I'd heard somewhere that he didn't portary George very well and he does say some pretty harsh things about some of his playing, specificically his solo's, but he also says some good things about his playing. The big one...Tomorrow never knows was only covered in a page and 1/2 which surprised me 'cause it's such a major and radical work and Geoff was obviously a prime mover in the sound. ~There didn't seem to be anything new about what he said about it.
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Yellow Submarine :)
A delightful little book. While it is not word for word for the movie, but the pictures are nice to look at (and help us to recite the movie :P )
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Here, there and everywhere by Geoff Emerick.
I'd heard somewhere that he didn't portary George very well and he does say some pretty harsh things about some of his playing, specificically his solo's, but he also says some good things about his playing. The big one...Tomorrow never knows was only covered in a page and 1/2 which surprised me 'cause it's such a major and radical work and Geoff was obviously a prime mover in the sound. ~There didn't seem to be anything new about what he said about it.
What I LOVED about this book is Emerick didn't particularly like The Beatles and showed everyone what kind of people they were behind the scenes...They were typical stars who wanted everything done to them and not too friendly to anyone underneath them...As far as I know, the recording session stories Emerick presented in this book were the first printed, but I could be wrong on this.
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Yellow Submarine :)
A delightful little book. While it is not word for word for the movie, but the pictures are nice to look at (and help us to recite the movie :P )
;D
Welcome back, KE!
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Welcome back, KE!
Thank you!!!! Good to be back!
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What I LOVED about this book is Emerick didn't particularly like The Beatles and showed everyone what kind of people they were behind the scenes...They were typical stars who wanted everything done to them and not too friendly to anyone underneath them...As far as I know, the recording session stories Emerick presented in this book were the first printed, but I could be wrong on this.
I wouldn't go that far. I think he liked them, even George, but he's just being honest about what they could be like. He seems to be easing off on any McCartney critism though and I'm esp. disappointed there's not account of what happend during the recording of She said she said that led to Paul storming out. He doesn't even mention Paul didn't play on that song!
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I wouldn't go that far. I think he liked them, even George, but he's just being honest about what they could be like. He seems to be easing off on any McCartney critism though and I'm esp. disappointed there's not account of what happend during the recording of She said she said that led to Paul storming out. He doesn't even mention Paul didn't play on that song!
He sounded like he really didn't even know John all that well.
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I wouldn't go that far. I think he liked them, even George, but he's just being honest about what they could be like. He seems to be easing off on any McCartney critism though and I'm esp. disappointed there's not account of what happend during the recording of She said she said that led to Paul storming out. He doesn't even mention Paul didn't play on that song!
What happened on that song, anyway?
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What happened on that song, anyway?
I don't know. I don't think anyone's ever spoken about it in detail or even barely mentioned it at all. It seems to have been a unique event up until the White album sessions when obviously things were more fractious. It wasn't even public knowlege until Mark lewishon revelaed it in the late 80's in The complete Beatles recordings sessions. Up until then, I think, everyone just always assumed it was Paul playing bass.
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Well, what about Paul storming out? Why did he storm out?
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The Ray Connolly Beatles Archive
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Revolution In the Head - Ian McDonald
I've read it probably 10 or more times. It's close by ... just pick it up and randomly pick a page and read. My favorite book about their music.
I don't agree with some of the opinions Mr. McDonald had regarding some of their songs, but a fascinating read nonetheless.
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(http://991.com/newGallery/The-Beatles-The-Love-You-Make-382265.jpg)
I'm kinda having doubts about how well this book is written though.
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([url]http://991.com/newGallery/The-Beatles-The-Love-You-Make-382265.jpg[/url])
I'm kinda having doubts about how well this book is written though.
i liked it, it paints a pretty picture of the beatles.
;yes
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(http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_KYcnDFS019M/Sb7dXgPXZQI/AAAAAAAACho/HRyQt5oC7oQ/s400/TicketToRide.jpg)
I managed to find this with the CD, in hardcover, for three bucks! :o
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Beatles For Sale on Parlophone Records by Bruce Spizer and Frank Daniels
The Complete Beatles Chronicle (the Only Definitive Guide to the Beatles' Entire Career by Mark Lewisohn
Both are excellent, detailed, well researched and written books.
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Would you recommend Beatles Memorabilia: The Julian Lennon Collection ?
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Would you recommend Beatles Memorabilia: The Julian Lennon Collection ?
Absolutely ;yes
I recently bought it and I think it's very well-made; nice pictures, layout etc. First, I was reluctant too, but now I'm glad to have it :D
Snoopy
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Would you recommend Beatles Memorabilia: The Julian Lennon Collection ?
Yes, some great photos of John and Beatles-related items in there that you will not see elsewhere. It is especially good if you were lucky enough to visit the exhibition a couple of years back at Liverpool Pier Head, where all the items in the book were displayed.
I thought it was sad that Julian had so little to remember his father by that he ended up going to auction houses and buying items that had once belonged to John.
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The Beatles Are Coming: The Birth of Beatlemania in America by Bruce Spizer.
Fun reading about the how the whole Ed Sullivan Show thing happened, as that was my first Beatles memory.
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I´am reading Here, There, and Everywhere: My Life Recording the Music of The Beatles by Geoff Emerick. It´s a real eye opener, I must say - although, I´ve read that some parts in the book are not entirely true.
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Right now,i`m reading the biography of John Lennon for the fifth time;-)
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I´am reading Here, There, and Everywhere: My Life Recording the Music of The Beatles by Geoff Emerick. It´s a real eye opener, I must say - although, I´ve read that some parts in the book are not entirely true.
He isn't particularly nice about either of the Georges - Harrison or Martin - and doesn't have much to say at all about Ringo.
It's quite a pro-Paul book.
There are some surprising omissions - for example, reading about the recording of the first version of Across The Universe, I was surprised that there was no mention of the two Apple Scruffs that were invited in to do backing vocals.
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Its not Beatle related but just read one of the funniest auto biogs: Guy Pratt's, 'My bass and other animals'.
He's a session muso who played with the Pink floyd tour in the late 80's/90s. Alos played with Aussie band Icehouse and has done songs for Madonna, Jackson. Toured with Ferry too.
Very funny guy and some great stories of life on the road.
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He isn't particularly nice about either of the Georges - Harrison or Martin - and doesn't have much to say at all about Ringo.
It's quite a pro-Paul book.
There are some surprising omissions - for example, reading about the recording of the first version of Across The Universe, I was surprised that there was no mention of the two Apple Scruffs that were invited in to do backing vocals.
I'll say it was pro-Paul. I found myself wondering throughout this if he had even met John. Maybe that's why Howard Sounes
felt a need to trounce Paul in his book.You know, kind of balance the scales. ;D I still found some things to enjoy in Emerick's book though.
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Not really Beatles, but I'm currently reading Rory Storms biography. Very interesting.
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i am not reading nothing right now, but i attempted to start reading Geoff Emerick: Here, There and Everywhere: My Life Recording the Music of The Beatles, because i peeked through a couple of chapter endings, including the part about john performing i am the walrus the first time and what george said. interesting no doubt, i fully intend to read it cover to cover this summer, after i finish off a ray bradbury short story collection.
;yes
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Picked In His Own Write again.... Always brings a smile to my face :)
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Picked In His Own Write again.... Always brings a smile to my face :)
Me too!
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(http://www.nme.com/images/64_beatles_originals.jpg)
dug out this puppy again
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I'm reading "Who killed John Lennon" by Fenton S. Bresler. Though stuff really, but also very interesting.
Snoopy
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([url]http://www.nme.com/images/64_beatles_originals.jpg[/url])
dug out this puppy again
Nice Book where is the Writer?? party2
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There is no author, It is like a scrap book - It was published by the NME back in 2001/2. it is a collection of all the Beatles news stories that were run in the NME between 1962 and 1970.
Nice Book where is the Writer?? party2
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Anyone familiar with this book?
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1423421388/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1423421388/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER)
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Anyone familiar with this book?
[url]http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1423421388/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER[/url] ([url]http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1423421388/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER[/url])
It seemed to get good reviews on Amazon but I have to wonder since it's one of many in the "FAQ" series. Someone commented that their copy had pages from another book in it. Oops!
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Have you read The Songwriting Secrets of the "Beatles" by Dominic Pedler? Would you recommend it?
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George Harrison Solo
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Re-reading The White Book.
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Just finished December 8, 1980: The Day John Lennon Died, by Keith Elliot Greenberg -- kind of an hour-by-hour accounting of the events of that single day (e.g., John's schedule). It was good, sort of like A Night to Remember about the Titanic. An easy read, too.
Just about to start his sister Julia's The Private John Lennon.
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Please bear in mind that it is HER point of view of course. :P There are some notable and disturbing errors in the book tho and that is a pity. John wrote All My Loving especially for Cynthia? I don't think so.
She also claims, or strongly suggests, that John wrote "She Loves You" for her. I was never sure what to make of that claim. She bases it on a note he sent her while they were dating in art school.
I stumbled across this thread as I was searching for input on Ray Coleman's Lennon: The Definitive Biography, which I just ordered from Amazon despite the fact that I have stacks of other Beatles books, and ocean liner books, to get through.
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Today, I finished reading George Harrison: Behind the Locked Door.
It's a long book and challenging for a slow reader like me but I got through it in less than a week. I just couldn't stop reading it. In fact, I wish it hadn't ended. I'm not sure of why it engrossed me so deeply.
I got the idea that George was a very ordinary person, but also very lucky for being in a band with John and Paul. It's like reading about someone who won a lottery, perhaps the biggest lottery on an entire planet. But clearly, he was riding their coattails as was Ringo. Yes, he was talented, too, but his hit parade of songs was small. Despite that, his legend looms large forever for having been a Beatle.
I liked reading about the Concert for Bangladesh as well as for perspectives on his solo albums. I want to read this book again (but more slowly next time so that I can enjoy it more). There really is an awful lot of information in it. I also like the historical perspective which ran throughout because it shows how the past influenced his future with regard to the songs he ultimately composed and produced.
I wish there had been more re: his final meeting with Paul McCartney. I guess they spent a few hours together laughing, weeping, and holding hands. I found this to be very moving.
Rest in peace, George. Hare Kṛṣṇa.
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I’m reading All We Are Saying The Last Major Interview with John Lennon & Yoko Ono by David Sheff.