DM's Beatles forums
Beatles forums => Books, Magazines, Articles => Topic started by: Euan Buchan on February 21, 2023, 07:33:40 AM
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Just heard that Phillip Norman who has previously published books on John & Paul is to release a book about George. This book will be called George Harrison The Reluctant Beatle and will be released on October 24th I’ve already pre ordered it.
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I’d heard this and was intrigued. I heard Norman on a podcast when he released the McCartney book. He was adamant George wasn’t interesting enough to do a book on.
Given he changed his tune on Paul compared to his very pro-John bias in Shout, it will be fascinating to hear his rationale for suddenly finding George worthy of his time (I suspect a publishing advance was a great attraction)
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I imagine he will eventually do Ringo
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Just heard that Phillip Norman who has previously published books on John & Paul is to release a book about George. This book will be called George Harrison The Reluctant Beatle and will be released on October 24th I’ve already pre ordered it.
Just a few short weeks before Christmas roll:)
I won't be reading it. I was gonna say what Moog said very well. Don't really trust that guy.
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I won't be reading it. I was gonna say what Moog said very well. Don't really trust that guy.
Same here. https://www.dmbeatles.com/forums/index.php?topic=17970.msg351728#msg351728 (https://www.dmbeatles.com/forums/index.php?topic=17970.msg351728#msg351728)
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Same here. [url]https://www.dmbeatles.com/forums/index.php?topic=17970.msg351728#msg351728[/url] ([url]https://www.dmbeatles.com/forums/index.php?topic=17970.msg351728#msg351728[/url])
But thanks very much for the heads-up, Euan. :)
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But thanks very much for the heads-up, Euan. :)
What an overwhelming hypocrite Norman is. I refuse to give him one penny for his book. Guys a leech.
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What an overwhelming hypocrite Norman is. I refuse to give him one penny for his book. Guys a leech.
Agreed; neither will I (see my post from earlier today on this).
I wanted to thank Euan for his post because I felt a bit bad about jumping on Norman after Euan simply posted that the book would be off press later this year. (I'm referring only to my own earlier post in this thread, and the link I provided in that post to my comments in a different thread. And apologies for referring to you in the third person, Euan.)
I'm overthinking, as usual. ;)
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What an overwhelming hypocrite Norman is. I refuse to give him one penny for his book. Guys a leech.
Agreed; neither will I (see my post from earlier today on this).
Well, I guess I'm the hypocrite, because I just ordered this from Amazon. I genuinely dislike Philip Norman, but I haven't read too much on George, just Graeme Thomson's Behind the Locked Door, which I enjoyed, and Joshua Greene's Here Comes the Sun, which I didn't care for. I've been reading a lot of lightweight fiction lately and am ready for something a little more cerebral.
We'll see. glassesslip
(https://i.ibb.co/Xzd4DbP/George-x.png)
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My copy arrived today it looks smaller comparison to the John & Paul books I will see what it’s like once I finished the book I’m already reading
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Well, I guess I'm the hypocrite, because I just ordered this from Amazon. I genuinely dislike Philip Norman, but I haven't read too much on George, just Graeme Thomson's Behind the Locked Door, which I enjoyed, and Joshua Greene's Here Comes the Sun, which I didn't care for. I've been reading a lot of lightweight fiction lately and am ready for something a little more cerebral.
We'll see. glassesslip
([url]https://i.ibb.co/Xzd4DbP/George-x.png[/url])
You hypocrite ;D ;D ;D
Let us know what it's like Kathy..
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You hypocrite ;D ;D ;D
Let us know what it's like Kathy..
;D Will do.
My copy just arrived and, as Euan said, it's a good deal shorter than Norman's bios of John and Paul. (I haven't read his Paul bio.)
I see that Norman has provided only cursory source documentation, which is a step up from the book on John, which has none whatsoever. To me, this screams "Poor (or perhaps lazy) author," and I don't understand how he can get away with it. If I thought I had any hope of getting through to someone at the publisher, I'd write and ask them why they don't hold him to a more professional standard.
Here's an example from the George bio:
(https://i.ibb.co/R3qtNk7/George-bio-x2.jpg)
It's a far cry from the meticulously documented On a Sea of Glass:
(https://i.ibb.co/h2M4Th0/On-ASea-Of-Glassx.jpg)
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I’m glad you’re reading it so we don’t have to Normandie. Everything about it seems to scream quick and dirty cash in. If he does Ringo it’ll probably be a comic book.
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I’m glad you’re reading it so we don’t have to Normandie.
Always glad to do the heavy featherweight lifting for the forum, Moogmodule. ha2ha
Actually, now I'm annoyed with myself because I had forgotten that Kenneth Womack's bio of Mal Evans comes out in a couple of weeks. icon_mad I have a lot more respect for Womack as an author/researcher, and I'm curious to learn more about Mal. However, I am 'way over my book budget (though that rarely stops me). But I really do need to exercise some self-restraint.
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Always glad to do the heavy featherweight lifting for the forum, Moogmodule. ha2ha
Actually, now I'm annoyed with myself because I had forgotten that Kenneth Womack's bio of Mal Evans comes out in a couple of weeks. icon_mad I have a lot more respect for Womack as an author/researcher, and I'm curious to learn more about Mal. However, I am 'way over my book budget (though that rarely stops me). But I really do need to exercise some self-restraint.
That’s ok. I’ll read the Mal book and tell you about it ;)
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That’s ok. I’ll read the Mal book and tell you about it ;)
Didn't he do the G Martin one ?
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Didn't he do the G Martin one ?
Yep. In two parts. Maximum Volume and Sound pictures. Also did a really good book on Abbey Road (the album) called Solid State.
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That’s ok. I’ll read the Mal book and tell you about it ;)
;) I can already hear the Book Rationalization Devil sitting on my right shoulder whispering in my ear: "Come on; you bought the Philip Norman book but you're not getting this one?"
Yep. In two parts. Maximum Volume and Sound pictures. Also did a really good book on Abbey Road (the album) called Solid State.
I hadn't realized that George Martin himself wrote a book specifically on the recording of Sgt. Pepper.
I'll be setting aside some time later to make a Beatles-specific Amazon list so I can keep better track of these things. I'm still irked that I drew a blank on the Mal Evans book. Grr.
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ha2ha
(https://i.ibb.co/wLhMZxm/IMG-6793.jpg)
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^^^^^
Perfect! ha2ha
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Yep. In two parts. Maximum Volume and Sound pictures. Also did a really good book on Abbey Road (the album) called Solid State.
I've read the first one, up to 1966. Very well written book imo. Never got round to finding the 2nd one. Yet.
EMI treated George terribly financially, he was making millions for them. Quite shocking.
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Yes they took him for granted quite a bit. Second volume rushes a bit through his post Beatle years so wasn’t quite as satisfying. Still a good read though.
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I finished Norman's book last night, just in time for Kenneth Womack's book on Mal to arrive tomorrow. :)
I actually enjoyed The Reluctant Beatle, despite the lazy documentation and the fact that every photo save one was from Shutterstock. It was comprehensive but not overly detailed, which I appreciated. Some books include so much minutaie (a bio I recently read of Phil Spector comes to mind) that I feel overwhelmed.
Norman kept his sometimes-snarky attitude mostly in check, and at the end of the book I realized why: In the Acknowledgments he issues a mea culpa for his mean-spirited 2001 obituary for George and indicates he got quite a bit of blowback from it. ("[It] gave great offense to many people, among them several professional colleagues whose opinions I respected.") And apparently—not surprisingly—neither Olivia nor Dhani would speak to him for this book (as well they shouldn't have, in my opinion. And I see he does not mention the millions of fans he also offended.). I personally think this would have better served as a Foreword or a Preface than as part of the Acknowledgments. Putting it at the end of the book struck me as a bit cowardly.
I was disappointed because Norman's described some interesting-sounding photos that did not appear in the book (and were not documented. Frustrating!). Here are two examples.
1. After Stu's death, from Astrid Kirchherr, describing how John and George went up to visit his studio at her house: "John sat in a chair, so full of emotion to be in the same room where his friend [had been] painting that he nearly burst out into tears. . . . George was a bit worried so I said, 'Just stand behind him.' John was just falling to bits there, and when you look at the picture and George's eyes, they're so full of protection for John."
2. From Pattie, after their sojourn to see the Maharishi: "As usual, she took numerous photographs of George, including one in which he's reclining on a mattress at the simple guesthouse where they stayed. 'It's the last image I have of him . . . looking completely happy and at peace."
I'd love to see these photographs. I checked Pattie's book for the latter, but it wasn't included there.
I feel like a heretic for saying this <ducks head>, but I did enjoy the book. I'm still not a fan of Philip Norman, though.
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Thanks Normandie for taking one for the team. It doesn’t sound too bad. Mostly the criticism
I’ve seen (besides the obvious that he’s again doing a 180 to publish a book) is that there’s nothing new.
That first picture you describe I think was in Scorsese’s Living in the Material World. The quotes from Astrid sound like they come from that documentary. I’ll see if I can find it and add it to this post.
Found it faster than I thought. I think this is it.
(https://i.ibb.co/31jfBmJ/IMG-6959.jpg)
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Found it faster than I thought. I think this is it.
Thanks so much for tracking that down, Moogmodule—what a touching photo. I don't think I've ever seen one of John looking so vulnerable..
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Thanks so much for tracking that down, Moogmodule—what a touching photo. I don't think I've ever seen one of John looking so vulnerable..
Yes, few photos have ever moved me like this one. That is the first of several she took that day. I have them all on my computer but I don’t have time to get on there right now. I think they are all here, though:
https://www.beatlesource.com/savage/1962/62.04.13-05.31%20star%20club/00%20astrid%20pics/62.04-05astrid.html (https://www.beatlesource.com/savage/1962/62.04.13-05.31%20star%20club/00%20astrid%20pics/62.04-05astrid.html)
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^
Right, Kelley. There are lots of great photos on that site...
(http://beatlesource.com/savage/background.jpg)
The Savage Young Beatles - Photos of THE BEATLES 1950s to 1963 (http://beatlesource.com/savage/)
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One of my favorite photos on that site is this one of George inventing Keith Richards in November 1960...
(http://beatlesource.com/savage/1960/60.11.00%20astrid%20pics2/03.jpg)
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Mostly the criticism I’ve seen (besides the obvious that he’s again doing a 180 to publish a book) is that there’s nothing new.
Yes, I must say I didn't learn anything that I hadn't read in Graeme Thomson's book. And his 180 on writing a biography of George still sticks in my craw.
I think they are all here, though:
What a great site! I've bookmarked it. One of the things I enjoy about being a rather "late" Beatles fan (didn't get into them until I was 22) is that there is still so much to learn and discover.
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One of my favorite photos on that site is this one of George inventing Keith Richards in November 1960...
([url]http://beatlesource.com/savage/1960/60.11.00%20astrid%20pics2/03.jpg[/url])
Aha! I was wondering when that happened. ;)
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What a great site! I've bookmarked it. One of the things I enjoy about being a rather "late" Beatles fan (didn't get into them until I was 22) is that there is still so much to learn and discover.
I’m glad you like it, Kathy! I think I would be very sad if I ran out of new Beatles discoveries. :)
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Aha! I was wondering when that happened. ;)
George was a great inventor...
(http://beatlesource.com/savage/1960/60.11.00%20astrid%20pics2/03.jpg) (https://i.postimg.cc/Y20spvXj/Keith-Richards-Portrait.jpg)
:)
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George was a great inventor...
:)
He was! He not only invented Keith but also Bob, among others. ;D
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NGbRHxM4X2g# (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NGbRHxM4X2g#)
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^
Ah, yes! Pirate Bob. :)
In The Beatles Anthology, George, when introducing The Beatles' Rain video made for airing on the Ed Sullivan Show, said "So I suppose, in a way, we invented MTV."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mbyHnZcmPgA# (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mbyHnZcmPgA#)
Pop Quiz: Who invented rap music and made the first rap music video?
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just in time for Kenneth Womack's book on Mal to arrive tomorrow. :)
I've ordered the Mal book as well. Should be arriving this week
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Pop Quiz: Who invented rap music and made the first rap music video?
Was it these guys?
https://youtu.be/Wx0oU1OnHf8?si=Iq1Q3SkHlRoekmIF (https://youtu.be/Wx0oU1OnHf8?si=Iq1Q3SkHlRoekmIF)
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In The Beatles Anthology, George, when introducing The Beatles' Rain video made for airing on the Ed Sullivan Show, said "So I suppose, in a way, we invented MTV."
Oddly enough, I just stumbled across this:
1959: The Big Bopper coins the term “music video”
According to some music historians, singer and songwriter Jiles Perry Richardson, who went by The Big Bopper, became the first person to use the phrase “music video” in a 1959 interview with a British magazine. (Richardson died that same year in the plane crash that also killed Buddy Holly and Ritchie Valens.) The “Chantilly Lace” singer is also credited with making some of the earliest known rock videos in 1958.
https://www.history.com/news/the-music-video-before-music-television (https://www.history.com/news/the-music-video-before-music-television)
Was it these guys?
[url]https://youtu.be/Wx0oU1OnHf8?si=Iq1Q3SkHlRoekmIF[/url] ([url]https://youtu.be/Wx0oU1OnHf8?si=Iq1Q3SkHlRoekmIF[/url])
I think you’re on to something, Moog! That’s a great video. I’ll bet it was a Soundie. From the same website I linked above:
1940-1946: Soundies put coins in jukeboxes across the United States
Direct precursors to the music video, soundies were three-minute films featuring music and dance performances, designed to display on jukebox-like projection machines in bars, restaurants and other public spaces. Many of the era’s greatest talents, from jazz singers and swing dancers to chamber musicians and comedians, appeared in them. Another type of visual jukebox, known as the Scopitone, originated in France in the late 1950s and enjoyed some brief success in Europe and the United States.
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I've ordered the Mal book as well. Should be arriving this week
Mine’s coming Friday. I forgot to order it until now. They also have this AI gem:
(https://i.ibb.co/PDh0ZRj/27-C683-E1-4604-4899-9-A75-2-D031-E4-F2876.jpg)
Can you imagine eagerly opening a gift only to find this? ;D
https://www.amazon.com/Mal-Evans-Biography-Book-Uncelebrated/dp/B0CMKN8R9C/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?crid=1GK9D84HFPAZY&keywords=mal+evans+book&qid=1700621417&sprefix=mal+%2Caps%2C110&sr=8-2 (https://www.amazon.com/Mal-Evans-Biography-Book-Uncelebrated/dp/B0CMKN8R9C/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?crid=1GK9D84HFPAZY&keywords=mal+evans+book&qid=1700621417&sprefix=mal+%2Caps%2C110&sr=8-2)
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Was it these guys?
[url]https://youtu.be/Wx0oU1OnHf8?si=Iq1Q3SkHlRoekmIF[/url] ([url]https://youtu.be/Wx0oU1OnHf8?si=Iq1Q3SkHlRoekmIF[/url])
I don't think they were really rapping, Moog. It sounds more like gospel music to me.
I've always thought that Bob Dylan invented rap music and made the first rap music video...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MGxjIBEZvx0# (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MGxjIBEZvx0#)
...replete with captions. ;D
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They also have this AI gem:
I saw that, too, Kelley! And it's a whopping 59 pages. How can you do anyone's biography justice with 59 printed pages?
I see it already has one 1-star review. ha2ha
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I've always thought that Bob Dylan invented rap music and made the first rap music video...
I like the gentle sound of the Jubalaires better. My vote goes to them. ;)
Direct precursors to the music video, soundies were three-minute films featuring music and dance performances, designed to display on jukebox-like projection machines in bars, restaurants and other public spaces.
Interesting! My best friend and I could have annoyed the heck out of the public in the 1980s by repeatedly playing Duran Duran and Wham.
(https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/sfweekly.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/b/98/b98aa347-f7a8-5276-8a88-3f93f5010f6d/63b6556c4b1f4.image.jpg)
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I like the gentle sound of the Jubalaires better. My vote goes to them. ;)
But remember: When the jester sang for the king and queen in a coat he borrowed from James Dean and a voice that came from you and me.
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I saw that, too, Kelley! And it's a whopping 59 pages. How can you do anyone's biography justice with 59 printed pages?
I see it already has one 1-star review. ha2ha
I was showing this to Kelsie and noticed there is yet another one. It’s the same inspiring title but with a different picture that still isn’t Mal. roll:) ha2ha
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I couldn't help from rolling my eyes when I saw this on Amazon. Ken Womack doesn't exactly need help with his prose.
Then I laughed. "The Untild Story of Amal Evan's"?? Yikes.
(https://i.ibb.co/drbLGGp/Mal-bookx.jpg)
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I’m actually enjoying this book currently reading it on holiday