That’s a nice idea. Erin Torkelson Weber’s book on the writings of The Beatles is incredible. It isn’t a critique but does prove how worthwhile a book like that could be.
Matt, it really was a whitewash, especially about John Lennon‘s childhood. His aunt Mimi personally intervened to trash Alfred Lennon, the father, although he has an interview there as well. He brought up the fact that it was his wife who had an affair and a child out of wedlock, and he still forgave her, and it was she who told him not to return and would not let him see John
Hi Matt, another excellent episode. So glad you reappraised the Davies book and found it worthy of inclusion. Makes me want to read it again. As to 'The Love You Make,' and that 'Ringo's drums replaced by Paul' business, you are correct, that would have been very difficult to accomplish from 1968 onward, when the Beatles started recording on an 8 track machine, and nigh to impossible when they worked with 4 track (Full disclosure, I am a recording engineer). Reminds me of the great drummer Bernard Purdie's ridiculous claim, years ago, that he replaced Ringo's drums on a dozen or so early Beatle recordings when they first broke in the US.
Perdie, as good as he is, made some very big claims that have been completely debunked. But those stories still hound serious Beatles fans and exists in part to discredit Ringo, merely because its and excuse to do so.
Well, I will never understand this need to put Ringo down. I suppose it may be that yeah, his style is understated, which is exactly what John, Paul, and George wanted, and were looking for at the time. They have all individually stated over the years that the moment Ringo sat down at the kit with them for the first time, everything just clicked, and fell into place. Max Weinberg wrote a fascinating book back in '84, called The Big Beat: Conversations with Rock's Great Drummers. If you haven't read it, it's a good one, containing interviews with the likes of Earl Palmer, Dino Danelli, Ringo, Johnny Bee, Bernard Purdie, Dave Clark, etc., and also contains Perdie's absurd claims regarding the Beatles recordings, about which Max can barely contain his incredulity. The thing is, Purdie is such an accomplished player, there really was no need for him to make those claims, his discography is beyond incredible without them.
@@garryrindfuss5349 Some people view Ringo as a guy that got lucky, having joined right before the fame. People who put him down say more about those people than it does about Ringo. I appears Purdie may have added to the Tony Sheridan recordings when Atco acquired the rights for the US distribution. In 1961, the producer removed Pete Best's bass drum because of his incompetence, so I could see Atco wanted to beef up the drumming. Purdie, years later "enhanced" the story, not realizing at some point, all this info could be checked. Anyways, Purdie's drumming would have stuck out like a sore thumg if he had played on the classics!
Matt, when you said Guliano’s name I almost fell out of my chair! But, once again, you’re fair, impartial, you deal with just the facts, and you don’t have an axe to grind. This is what makes your channel one of the best
I’ve been ill at home recently and a bit immobile. My husband had a fall and has now been in hospital for a week. As you can imagine my spirits have been a bit low. I started watching your piece on the Graham Bond Organisation to pass the time and went on to watch many of the others. Your enthusiasm and cheerfulness have been very helpful especially as I’m not able to sleep comfortably. Thank you for your scholarship and good humour.
Well, Joanna I hope your husband is feeling better and I'm glad these videos have been helpful. I appreciate your comments and i hope you feel better too. Take care.
I do remember as a teenager in the early 1980's that Paul McCartney's reaction to The Love You Take book by Peter Brown/Steven Gaines was, "it's a betrayal" and one of the few times I've seen McCartney angry when speaking with the press. Paul went on to say, "the book is all lies" and not being his jovial, PR conscious self.
A couple of books that I recommend are The Longest Cocktail Party by Richard Dilelllo and Mss O'Dell by Chris O'Dell. Another one that I recommend is the Beatles 66. Great video as always
It's very important to have someone call out some of these books for their inaccuracies and biases, so thanks for doing that. I'd certainly enjoy a part three some day.
Matt you are AWESOME at what you do my friend ! You should teach Beatles history in a collage near you. I am 69 years old grew up with the Beatles thought I knew everything about them till your channel now I feel like I just heard about them a week ago ! THANK YOU FRANK FROM MONTANA......
Hey Frank, thank you for the kind words. I am learning so much about the Beatles to with deeper research, putting thoughts on paper, rearranging them so they make more sense, and voila! I have a new video! I appreciate the support.
I belonged to a book club subscription in the late 60s and was able to get Hunter Davies book quite early. Unfortunately I don't have it anymore. In the early 70s I picked up the book "The Longest Cocktail party, which I found entertaining. I still have Spitz's book, mostly for his telling of The Beatles Litherland Town Hall gig after they returned from Hamburg.
Great recommendations. A few I haven’t read before. A couple of books I’d love to hear you weigh in on: “Here There and Everywhere” by Geoff Emerick and “John” by Cynthia Lennon. Both are sometimes dismissed as biased sources, but I’ve always appreciated hearing their personal perspectives on their own relationship to the Beatles. Those are two books that really treat the Beatles like fellow humans rather than historical figures to be academically dissected.
Yes, both I will probably cover in a part three. I need to get the Emerick book and I can go into the bias and why his fellow engineers don't give it too much credibility. Cynthia's book John is incredible. I have the audio version, which Cynthia reads.
The Emerick book was a disappointment. He has such a bad memory, and he relied on the Mark Lewisohn 'Beatles Recordings' book to 'freshen up' his memory, and took over at least one untrue anekdote from that book too (the Dave Clack 5 drumming anekdote). Emerick also had an ax to grind with George.
Great reviews. I have most of these books and agree with you on just about all of them. Beatles Forever by Nicholas Schaffer is one I've always cherished. Came out around 1978, it is very thorough and accurate. But what I like most is it was written while John was still alive, so there was still hope that they could reunite. Texts written before his tragedy just read differently.
I had Allen Ginsberg sign my copy of "It Was Twenty Years Ago Today" on page 165 when he visited my college in 1990. He signed it "Allen Ginsberg 4/19/90"
Always enjoy going through Lennon/McCartney Together Alone book from time to time. Some of those I've never seen before. I have a couple of Guilianno's books(Two of Us and Blackbird) about John and Paul and then, just about Paul. Not bad but not great either. He's kind of full of himself and what he thinks he knows about John and Paul. A fun book to pick up if you can find it is "Growing up with The Beatles" by Ron Schaumbug? Just a fun account from Ron about recounting his youth and teen years while the Beatles were making their way. Lot's of enjoyable stories. I somehow lost my original copy and would love to get a new copy one of these days.
One of the many books that I own is Derek Taylor's, It Was Twenty Years Ago Today, I've recommended it many times. Its been a while since I've read it but I recall that it was a good read and an accurate in the depiction of the time period.
Hey Matt, thanks for another glimpse into your Beatles library. The Blaney book looks interesting. The Love You Make was one of my first reads too, and even at my young age then, I remember thinking how far fetched some of Brown’s recollections seemed.
Although "All You Need Is Ears" by George Martin isn't a Beatles book as such, it covers so much of the Beatles story from Martin's unique perspective that I regard it as a vital read for Fabs fans.
I found your channel earlier today and have enjoyed your videos regarding The Beatles. In regards to Beatles Books, I would recommend the two-volume set, "Some Fun Tonight!: The Backstage Story of How the Beatles Rocked America: The Historic Tours 1964-1966", by Chuck Gunderson, in which he provides the definitive stories of the three North American Beatles tours. The detail of his work in that area rivals Mark Lewisohn. The work done prior to each tour is highlighted and each stop in the tour is detailed to include actual tour-related documents, high quality concert photos, many of which have been stored in various archives since they were taken, and interviews with many of the people involved. It is a labor of love that should not be missed and I strongly urge you to get your hands on a copy. Great work on your videos. I have subscribed. Best of luck to you.
Apart from the long awaited second and third editions by Mark Lewisohn, the two Beatles books I yearn for are the Mal Evans Diaries and Jane Asher's tell all biography "For No One" 😉
As i mentioned in the first video, "The Compleat Beatles" Volume One and Two (1981) are unique Beatles histories because they also contain all the sheet music painstakingly transcribed from their records. The set is unfortunately expensive on Ebay, even for dog eared copies. They contain the covers the Beatles did, but not the "gave away" songs. That kind of bothers me because I think "It's For You" and "Step Inside Love" by Cilla would sound great on piano. I love watching these collections Matt has.
Very nice overview of these books, Matt. Thank you. I think I'd read almost all of them, and, ah, I got no bones to pick. There aren't many of them, but sometime I hope you'll do an episode on The Beatles in Fiction? From 'A Hard Day's Night' by John Burke through 'Sorry Boys, You Failed The Audition' by Ray Connolly there's a pretty interesting range of writing.
Thanks to your critique Matt , I'm feeling so good about the fact that I never spent any money on the pulp you've featured. I'm just happy listening to the music they blessed us with.
I am still fascinated to see books and magazines are still being written about the band. What else is there unknown to say after all this time? I do have the book A Hard Days Write that looks at the song lyrics and what might have been behind the songs.
There will always be more Fab Four books as uncovered information comes to light . A case in point is the new Mal Evan’s book about his life and times as the Beatles road manager/ fixer / etc .
@@andrewarthurmatthews6685 I like the Beatles, but I am not that much into them. LOL! Now if we are talking about The Kinks , I will get everything. I seem to recall Ray Davies saying, the Beatles had better management then the Kinks, that is why everything worked out. The Kinks management didnt know what they were doing. 😀
Great multi book review Matt. I like the fact that you cite the author's writing ability (Norman) despite some factual errors. I appreciate good writing. I love Goldman's writing (lives of John Lennon) regardless of how much of it is true.
@@popgoesthe60s52 I saw your Pabst. That was my fave when I used to drink. I am headed out to Lewis, WI for a gig that was originally supposed to be at 8 but got moved up to 330 because of the Packers game tonight. I'm in Mn (twin cities) Now that the Vikings are out, go packers. (I'm not that big of a football fan but I guess the Pabst Blue ribbon got me on the Wisconsin topic)
@@kellypeterson2625I like PBR. I use it to attract flies in my fly bait containers. :^) Works better than Lone Star. Thanks for mentioning the Goldman book, BTW. Somebody had to do it. Yes it’s a hoot.
Love these episodes. Glad to see the ones I have read and will pick up a couple (Get Back and Love me Do if I can find copies!). May I add Rob Shefield's "Dreaming the Beatles." ? Incredible book.
Hi Matt & greetings from Sunny Scotland . Thanks again for another interesting Beatles show & tell. BTW, also loved your recent Beach Boys posts. Two further Beatles books I'd recommend are: 1. "The Beatles In Scotland" by Ken McNab (2008) which starts with their first 1960 tour backing Johnny Gentle - as The Silver Beetles (John, Paul, George & Stuart, with Tommy Moore on drums. Complete with remembered anecdotes from those who were there. Not very many in some Highland "venues". 2. "Apple To The Core" by Peter McCabe & Robert C Schofield (1972) - published while the McCartney V. Beatles & Co court case was ongoing, & utilising published court documents, it attempts to detail the myriad financing & publishing deals, & of those involved in acquiring (& disposing) their piece/ investment in The Fabs. Best wishes x
Hello x, thank you for those suggestions. The Scotland book sounds very interesting. It is now on my list. Thank for watching the Beach Boys series as well!
Hey Matt. Just watched both of your Beatle book videos and loved em both. My favorite will always be Nicholas Schaffer's Beatles Forever which was also my first Beatle book I purchased back in '79. I wonder if you're aware of another large paperback book that Schaffer put out called The British Invasion which is another great read. I really liked his writing style, its a shame he died so young.
In regards to your shout out to Hunter Davies' "John Lennon Letters," have you ever checked out his follow up/compendium called "The Beatles Lyrics: The Stories Behind the Music, Including the Handwritten Drafts of More Than 100 Classic Beatles Songs?" The title says it all. Some of the manuscripts come from Davies' own personal archives, others from various collectors. Davies uses the same presentation format as the "Letters" book by reprinting the original longhand manuscripts while recalling firsthand stories of being at some of their sessions. (His eyewitness account of John and Paul struggling to craft "With A Little Help" is quite fascinating.) One of the best books written about the creative process.
If it was impossible to wipe the drum track from a recording and replace it, how did they do it on a couple of the Tony Sheridan/Hamburg recordings...where Pete Best's drum tracks were replaced by (I believe) Bernard Purdie? And those were only two-track stereo recordings.
The didn't 'wipe' anything in the Sheridan recordings. Best was not allowed to use a bass drum on those recordings so drums were over dubbed onto the existing recording. To my knowledge, no one has made the claim that Best's drum were 'wiped'. The idea that Purdie drummed on those tracks at the behest of Atco makes sense.
A lot of interesting reading material you mentioned. I have many of the ones you mentioned but there are a few that you may want to check out if you can find them…..any of the Bruce Spizer books, The Beatles TV and film chronicle by Jorg Piper, Lifting Latches, Way Beyond Compare and That Magic Feeling by John C Winn and Some Fun Tonight by Chuck Gunderson…..all definitely worth checking out. Great video….thanks Matt!
I only have one Spizer book, Let It Be, which I felt was subpar, low on facts pertaining to what actually happened. I know some of his earlier works are highly recommended.
7:45 i think it never actually happened that Paul re-recorded a drumtrack from Ringo. The only occasion I could think of is Carry That Weight, where you can hear 2 drum parts. But thats an addition, not a re-recording. And probably Ringo played both of them anyway. The other way around, i think it happened on Dear Prudence where Ringo 'maybe' overdubbed the last verse, of Paul's basic track drumming.
One of my favorite Beatle books in my collection is "All The Songs" The story behind every Beatles release by Jean-Michel Geusdon and Philippe Margotin.
Thanks Matt ... it's interesting how decades after The Beatles break up we are still learning new details and debunking old ones and still there lies a mystic around The Beatles ... 🤔 Here's a couple of personal mentions to add to the mix ... 'The Complete Beatles Recording Sessions' circa 1988 by Mark Lewisohn one of my favourite go to books and 'The Beatles Forever' cira 1977 - Nicholas Schaffner my first Beatles book that one of my teachers leant to me and for better or for worse started my Beatles odyssey ... As always I enjoy your musical insights ... ✌
A book that I came across (quite randomly) that surprised me is THE BEATLES by Allan Kozinn (published in 1995 by Phaidon).The writing is crisp and detailed with an emphasis on the context of the band's music and activities. It's closer to MacDonald's REVOLUTION IN THE HEAD as far as digging a little deeper (though not as detailed) into the songs and albums. I don't know if there's anything new here but Kozinn does offer a few details I'd never heard (like Yoko being the inspiration of the phrase "wind inside a letterbox" or that "You Know My Name" was recorded during the desultory sessions around YELLOW SUBMARINE). The pictures are great and the post-break-up summaries are concise. The books ends on a happy note with the release of "Free As A Bird" and "Real Love".
The Badman book on the Beach Boys is a bit controversial. It has a few mistakes (for instance, the Brian Wilson song Spark in the Dark was not the precursor for Funky Pretty), but the infamous aspect is that there are photos of the 1960s session sheets with the non-redacted Social Security numbers of the musicians!
Excellent reviews, Matthew! I used to buy Goldmine back in the 80’s on my trips to downtown Mpls. I wasn’t aware of their books, however. I read the Peter Brown book when it was released and found it unnecessarily depressing, not that I was looking for a gloss over. As a lifelong 60’s music fan I appreciate your knowledge in a sea of holes and misinformation! One book I highly recommend, it’s a very funny fictional farce called “Paperback Writer” by Mark Skipper. It’s kind of like The Rutles of Beatle books, I think it was first released in about ‘79. I found myself howling with laughter in spots! Clever and absurd.
8:30 Been saying for years that the hallmark of any Paul McCartney drum track - Beatles or otherwise - is that he virtually NEVER hits a cymbal. He locks in on the hats, kick and snare and just holds on for dear life. Possibly the most talented musician in pop music history, but in no conceivable way was he a better drummer than Ringo. Great video. That was also my first Beatles book.
Well said. McCartney is obviously a talented musician but he is no drummer. I find that on average the uber-McCartney fans seem to badly overrate his playing across the board, leading me to think that fewer of them are musicians.
I've read a bunch of them through the decades. I think I appreciated Mark Lewisohn's Tune In the most for it's dedication to documenting everything. Unfortunately, I may not live long enough to get past volume one, but have enjoyed it. My second favorite is The Love You Make. Thanks as always for the wonderful content and your perspective.
"The Love You Make" has an agenda and really goes hard on the Yoko villainess angle, but it's a fascinating, subjective glimpse at the band from a business perspective. Whether or not you dismiss his anecdotes (i.e. John throwing a brick at Paul's house, one I never heard anywhere else), Brown and Gaines are great at explaining Brian Epstein's role and the issues around Northern Songs and Apple Corps. I second your cautious recommendation.
I forgot about the brick story. Another complete fabrication that has been debunked. Yes, there is a reason Brown was thrown out of what remained of the Beatles inner circle.
Hey Matt, I can't seem to find part one of this video so I don't know if it was mentioned, but I got a book for xmas that I'm currently reading by Mark Lewisohn called Tune In. It was recommended by a friend and it's absolutely fantastic, as all of Lewisohn's books are. It takes The Beatles from their childhoods to the final night of 1962 when they are just about to explode.
Yes, that is one I mention in part one. There is an expanded version (1400) pages that is rather expensive but worth it. Part one: ua-cam.com/video/Hu3MTVQc1ro/v-deo.html
Matt I love this video, and I do have a question. When any Beatles book is about to be written and really before publishing it, how often does Apple records and the estates of John and George, plus Paul and Ringo get involved over the contents of the book
Love these video book reviews, Matt, & good recommendations to track down. There's easily room for Volume 3. 3:20 And Mimi's exposed misinformation is also now useful pointers on what else in her interviews cannot be relied on. Happy-happy-talk fans won;t want to go there, but Mimi's tale of buying JL's 1st guitar from Hessy's insidiously suppresses Julia's vital gesture back when Mimi was still frowning on JL playing rock 'n' roll at all. Julia it was who got JL his first guitar, mail-order. This doesn't mean Mimi never bought JL a guitar from Hessy's; it means she did not buy his first guitar, & she obscured the fact that her sister made that vital initiative. I like the Braun book. Hunter Davis is valuable for interviews with Beatle parents, & I;m looking for those. It's hard to find many interviews with Mr Harrison. I found Giuliano's McCartney book (or was it Lennon?) useful - - So I just ordered his Beatles book quite cheap, as you say worthwhile for the interviews alone. Derek Taylor is a gifted quirky writer. Had he not known The Beatles or got into the music industry, I have a feeling he'd have left an even better legacy as a nonfiction writer. Badman's books are much better than his name suggests. I just bought FLY AWAY PAUL concentrating on PM through the '70s, but have not read it yet, can't say if it was worth buying. David Bedford is a Liverpudlian Beatles scholar who has interviewed most local insiders. His best book is LIDDYPOOL, scouting famous but also many obscure Beatle/Quarry Men Liverpool locations, photographing before/after shots anchored by accurate anecdotes about the places.
thanks 4-D. Yes, the Mimi stuff is disappointing but is to be expected. I will eventually do a part 3 as there seems to be no bottom to the amount of Beatle books! One thing about David Bedford. I bought his Finding the Fouth Beatle and though is research is good, I found it horrible biased toward Pete Best. Bedford is an example of someone who gets too close to his subject (in this case, Pete Best, who he knows) and embarrasses himself with a fawning and misleading narrative, all to support the notion that Best was a good drummer. I'm tempted to review his book as an exercise to expose bias but we'll see. Thanks for the support!
@@popgoesthe60s52 Yes that's a valid point, Matt: David is friends with Pete. (That's why I stayed with LIDDYPOOL.) As valuable as his y/t channel is for anyone interested in Beatles/Quarry Men for getting on the inside of anecdotes (literally, getting inside the houses), David's recent interview with Womack & implicit review of the Mal Evans book suffers from this same mindset. I do think a negative book review can be just as useful as a positive review, as a cautionary tale. I'm looking forward to Vol.3 of this.
I was gifted the Spitz hardcover back in '06. Good read. Probably my favorite of the numerous Beatles books I've consumed. It's current condition is dismal though(lots of time spent in the bathroom😬). I recall back in the early 90's reading a magazine(Guitar player or one of it's ilk) that claimed that it was Paul who plays the drum solo on Abbey Road. I was kinda shocked. I've never heard it mentioned anywhere else though so I find the claim highly suspect.
I have never heard that claim on Abbey Road. It's laughable but I will have to track down that source. Good fodder for future videos! Thanks you, Chris.
@@popgoesthe60s52 Should be fascinating as he's so far up his own arse he needs a rescue team to pull him back out again...He was in the comment section of Word In Your Ear not so long ago calling Beatle fans sad and bragging about how rich he was from his "Successful' acting career. Seriously deluded. Still- one positive thing about him. At least he makes Philip Norman look good.
I used to buy Goldmine in the 1990s. One issue I remember was of the four original members of Kiss giving star ratings and providing comments on the albums they were on. Later on, that interview was reproduced in a book about Kiss.
I found the Hunter Davis book in a library as barely a teen, while in junior high school, and read it cover to cover. Which is saying something about the merits of the writing, that a 12 or 13 year-old would read a serious hard cover book without being told to. It was definitely a game changer, opened the door to the possibilities of non traditional career paths to say the least. Even at that age, I could appreciate that it was very well written, researched. That years later, John Lennon would dismiss the book, mostly because the rock star life of endless orgies was left out hardly disqualifies the book in my regard. It’s much more than that. More recently, I read Fred Seaman’s “The Last Days”, which rings true on the whole. Though this book is somewhat compromised, in that Seaman clearly has an ax to grind. The Derek Taylor book you discuss sounds interesting. In his various interviews available on UA-cam, Taylor comes off as a highly credible source, and that he can write is certainly a plus. ✍️
The Bob Spitz book came out right when I was getting into the Beatles, so of course I read it cover to cover. It was definitely a great intro to the band for someone who only knew their music, but looking back on it, there’s quite a few issues with it. One of the biggest to me is, if I remember correctly, there’s a picture that claims to be of Julian Lennon when it was actually a random little girl the Beatles were taking a picture with. I’m glad we have Lewisohn now to clear things up and also write the story in such an entertaining and thorough way.
@@popgoesthe60s52 your Beatles book library is extensive and I really like your comments. For me, the writing is not that great. Doesn’t read like earlier works like Shout or the Lennon and McCartney books. Much rehashing of well known material. Can we expect another in a few years about Ringo?
Great collection of books. I need to get more books. I have read the Bob Spitz book and thought it was pretty good. It seems like every biography has some mistakes. It’s hard to know what the truth is.
Hi Matt. Love your channel. Have you ever read “And In the End “ the last days of the Beatles by Ken McNab . Would love to hear your thoughts about it.
Glad you mentioned Lewisohn's The Beatles Live! (I still have a copy with flexible record of a live 1963 interview of the Fab Four.) You spoke quite a bit on how difficult it is to get erroneous stuff in print corrected - reminds me of a Mark Lewisohn remark on his ongoing work with his Beatles trilogy (only Volume 1 - "Tune In" has been published) - most of his research now is done via documents/publications written at the time of occurrence, not interviews. Evidently people's memories going back some 60 years are so bad, and have been prejudiced by so many inaccurate things floating around that they are often of dubious value. (Off topic a bit - have been waiting over ten years for three sequels - The 5th volume of Robert Caro's LBJ Biography, the 6th volume of George R. R. Martin's Song of Ice and Fire Series [Winds of Winter] and 2nd volume of Mark Lewisohn's Beatles Trilogy. Please, please, please finish something soon......)
I believe that Purdie was used by Atco Records, who acquired the forgotten Tony Sheridan recordings in the wake of Beatlemania. When originally recorded, the producer took Pete's bass drum away, leaving him to only play snare and tom. He obviously didn't like Pete's bass work and Pete did what he could without it. Fastforward to 1964 when Atco wanted to release their 'Beatle recordings.' Enhancements were made to beef of the poor drumming. All the EMI documentation, which is quite extensive, do not show any other drummer hired for sessions after Andy White on Love Me Do. Purdie played on enough sessions that I can forgive him mis-remembering which Beatles songs he played on, though he seemed to think it was the hit songs! His original claims were in 1978 and EMI documentation has been written of extensively since, debunking his claim.
Great review again. It seems that no book is perfect in accuracy and controversy. I have some of the books you reviewed in your video and I was eager to see if you'd mention "The Complete Beatles recording sessions" (1988) and "The Complete Beatles chronicle" (1992) by M. Lewishohn . I think there's the best companions from "Beatles Live!" from the same author. Another one I really like is "John Lennon My Brother" by Julia Baird (1988) which obviously talk a lot about John before the Beatles. Continue to entertain us. We love it. Cheers.
hi matt ,my favorite beatle book is THE BEATLES FOREVER by NICHOLAS SCHAFFNER it's from a fan's point of view,came out in 1977-78,stuff loaded with cool info and pic sleeves and goes into full beatles as well as solo,let me know as it's a lot of fun to read,take care......bill
I'll always remember a snippet from Giuliano's book on McCartney an episode when an out-of-it and angry Jimmy McCulloch allegedly pointed a loaded gun point-black at a sleeping Paul and Linda. Disturbing and I have no idea if its true.
PBR! I'm old enough to remember when that was still considered "low class" LOL then it got popular in Hoboken and Williamsburg. I guess that was the 90s?
Matt would be interested to hear your take on the new Phil Norman bio book on George Harrison. He's a good writer been I had some issues with the book and thought there were some inaccuruacies.
Vol 3 please! BTW don`t you think Beatles Live is obsolete? I never had it but understand that it`s contents were worked into The Complete Beatles Chronicle?
My wife took a Beatles class at Washington University in STL in the early '00s & now I am motivated to open a few Rubbermaid containers to find her course books (will report back!). You mentioned Goldmine, I find it really disappointing that if collectors have any interest in analogue recordings from the Beatles the MAL tech would seem to be the trend. I just stumbled across a spare Mono AAA pressing from a damaged 2022 Revolver box set (2014 mono AAA a close 2nd to it imho, & the UK og much less dynamic (ducks for incoming flaming lol)) & my guess is this is the last "new" analogue reissue of anything Beatles for the foreseeable future.
Hi Matt - your video’s are so terrific. As a ‘thank you’ for producing such amazing content, I would like to send you my copy of Mojo’s: The Psychedelic Beatles Special Edition magazine to complete your set. I have all 3 issues plus the Mojo book your showed and it would be my pleasure to send you the single issue or even all three as mine are near mint condition. Nothing in return - just thanks for the great content that I’ve been so entertained and enlightened by. I’m not too savvy on how to connect directly but let’s figure out how I can get this to you. Thanks! Jon PS - did you ever notice that each magazine was individually numbered out of 95,000 on the back cover? Cool stuff!
Hey Matt - the Spitz book was loaded with errors. Particularly, he had glaring errors in the photo captions. So much so, I called the publisher after I got the book when it came out and they eventually responded to me and sent me a book with “some” corrections. I personally find the Spitz book the worst of the lot in light of this. Separately- love the channel and keep up the great work!!
Yes, the errors are disappointing and unfortunately, those errors are often the sole measure of the quality of the writing. It's good that the publisher was open to fixing the simple errors.
One book you didn’t mention, ‘The True Story of the Beatles’ by Billy Shepherd. It was first published June 1st 1964. I brought this book at the time, I was 11 years old, it was the most detailed story of the Beatles and had some amazing historical photos that were never seen before. Looking back of course so many countless books have been published, but this one resonates with me as it was published at the height of the Beatlemania period! I also got the Beatle Book Monthly magazine every month between 1963 and 1969. Although not a book there are whole bound collections of the Beatles Book Monthly available on eBay occasionally. Loved buying the magazine, as it always had amazing exclusive photos, plus very detailed info on the Beatles, which for me as an avid Beatle fan I enjoyed immensely! 😊. Can still remember the January to April 1967 editions of photos and write ups on the Beatles during the recording of Sgt Pepper and the feeling that it was going to be an amazing album before it was eventually released on 26th May 1967!
Another great list Matt. Agreed, you really should write a book with all your reviews of Fab Four bios and call it something like 'Please Sir or Madam, will you read my book?' I'd definitely read it and rate it. I know I mentioned in my last comment in part 1 that I didn't rate Davies, Norman and Guiliano but, to be honest, they were my intros to Beatles bios. I think because they rewrite the same unresearched elements over and over, and also offer contradictory scathing updates (Davies phonecall with Paul in 81, Norman's obituary to George and Guiliano's Lennon diary) to sell new publications leaves me a little cold. Plus any book by Mark Lewisohn really surpasses these volumes in terms of articulate research and knowledge and as Paul's 'Go to' interviewer for the Anthology. It's interesting to note that Paul never refers to Davies or Peter Brown in the Anthology. Saying that though, Browns bio, as 'muck raking' as it is, is essential reading from an insiders POV. Great work once again and really look forward to these segments at the weekend 👍
Man Oh Man Matt, and here I thought I had a ridiculous amount of Beatle Books- No such thing of having enough books on The Beatles😅🤣😂 - its interesting you brought up Peter Brown's book The Love You Make, it was the very first Beatle book I ever bought, I lost count on how many times I read that one - in writing that book I heard that Peter Brown became Persona Non Grata by the surviving Beatles. In regards to Geoffrey Giuliano I rolled my eyes when you mentioned him, theres been times that I feel that his books are taking up space on my book shelves and almost took them to Goodwill, Although I think he has a Toxic personality you make valid arguments about him Matt - Dont be surprised if Geoffrey leaves a message for you in the comment section, He ocassionally pops up in the Vinyl Community's comments.
I've always liked the Hunter Davies autobiography. I know it gets a rubbishing but if you get the audio book you get all updates from the reprints in 1985, 2002 and 2009 where he addresses a few of the issues that people called him out for (which they still do) . In the reprints he explains that certain facts in the book were not discussed (like Brian being gay) to allow him to get clearance from family members to get the book published, but he felt he had enough of the story there to allow people to make their own decisions.
A word about Ringo and Paul`s drumming. The first time I heard the White Album, I thought that Ringo`s drumming on Back in the USSR was sloppy, particularly the fills. I had already been playing the drums for several years when I heard it, and I was a huge fan of Ringo. Then I heard Dear Prudence and I was shocked to hear that when the drums go into 16th notes on the high-hat, the beat starts to drag. A few years later it was confirmed that Paul plays drums on Back in the USSR and Dear Prudence on the White Album. His dissatisfaction with Ringo`s playing on those two songs was the catalyst for Ringo leaving for a week or so. Anyway, when he returned, all was forgiven but Paul`s drumming stayed on those two tracks.
However, the overdubbed drumming in the last quarter of Dear Prudence are by Ringo. There is a youtuber (You Can't Unhear This) who breaks it down beautifully.
I know that George and John had an argument the day George left, but according to Mal Evans' diary--written at the time by someone who was there at the time--made it clear that the primary reason George quit was Paul bossing him around. Have you read that new Ken Wommack book on Mal Evans? If you have it, just quickly skip to the day George quits. It is revealing.
Hi Matt, if you are interested in comedy then I’d like to recommend Fab Fools by Jem Roberts. It’s about how The Beatles loved an were inspired by comedians like The Goons, George Martin and his comedy connections, Johns books of poems, the films and how The Beatles would go on to be an influence on The Bonzos and Monty Python etc.
I hit a point a few years ago where I quit reading books with other writer's "opinions" on the Beatles stories and only read bo ooks by participants or people who where there.
Even though it's only part one, Mark Lewisohn's "Tune In" is worth mentioning for its very detailed and well researched story-telling. He wants this to be the definitive biography and I can't disagree so far. Lewison also authored a detailed encyclopedia of the Beatles recordings in the studio, take by take. Quite technical. I've got about a dozen Beatles related books, many you didn't mention (you can't own them all). "The Beatles" by John Tobler is a full color large format book that includes about everything up to 1984 when this book was published. Mark Lewisohn's "The Beatles Chronicle" is a day by day telling of the Beatles, mostly the gigs and recordings. You mentioned an encyclopedia yourself but I've got yet another, "The Beatles Day by Day" by Terry Burrows. which includes the Beatles solo work. And I must mention again Bruce Spizer's many works. His angle is to chronicle the Beatles by the record labels. Swan itself is one whole book. "The Beatles on Vee-Jay" is another. "The Capital Years" are two books. Amazing detail and more interesting than you would think. "Beatles gear" by Andy Babiuk is a treasure trove for those interested in what equipment the Beatles used from beginning to end with all the photos. Want to know the story of their 964-1966 historic US tours? Get "Some Fun Tonight!" in two volumes by Chuck Gunderson. All the books I mentioned except "Tune In" are large format books.
I did mention a few of these - especially Tune In in my part one to this video (about 2 months ago). I would love to get some of the earlier Spizer books.... I do have the Let It Be book of his, which was a disappointment to me. Check out part one here: ua-cam.com/video/Hu3MTVQc1ro/v-deo.html
You should write a book called "I'm Looking Through You" that analyzes prior Beatles books and exposes the errors and untruths.
Great idea!
Great concept and a greater title!
Really good idea.@@williambill5172
That’s a nice idea. Erin Torkelson Weber’s book on the writings of The Beatles is incredible. It isn’t a critique but does prove how worthwhile a book like that could be.
Matt, it really was a whitewash, especially about John Lennon‘s childhood. His aunt Mimi personally intervened to trash Alfred Lennon, the father, although he has an interview there as well. He brought up the fact that it was his wife who had an affair and a child out of wedlock, and he still forgave her, and it was she who told him not to return and would not let him see John
Hi Matt, another excellent episode. So glad you reappraised the Davies book and found it worthy of inclusion. Makes me want to read it again. As to 'The Love You Make,' and that 'Ringo's drums replaced by Paul' business, you are correct, that would have been very difficult to accomplish from 1968 onward, when the Beatles started recording on an 8 track machine, and nigh to impossible when they worked with 4 track (Full disclosure, I am a recording engineer). Reminds me of the great drummer Bernard Purdie's ridiculous claim, years ago, that he replaced Ringo's drums on a dozen or so early Beatle recordings when they first broke in the US.
Perdie, as good as he is, made some very big claims that have been completely debunked. But those stories still hound serious Beatles fans and exists in part to discredit Ringo, merely because its and excuse to do so.
Well, I will never understand this need to put Ringo down. I suppose it may be that yeah, his style is understated, which is exactly what John, Paul, and George wanted, and were looking for at the time. They have all individually stated over the years that the moment Ringo sat down at the kit with them for the first time, everything just clicked, and fell into place. Max Weinberg wrote a fascinating book back in '84, called The Big Beat: Conversations with Rock's Great Drummers. If you haven't read it, it's a good one, containing interviews with the likes of Earl Palmer, Dino Danelli, Ringo, Johnny Bee, Bernard Purdie, Dave Clark, etc., and also contains Perdie's absurd claims regarding the Beatles recordings, about which Max can barely contain his incredulity. The thing is, Purdie is such an accomplished player, there really was no need for him to make those claims, his discography is beyond incredible without them.
Purdie probably said all that just to sell a book.
@@garryrindfuss5349 Some people view Ringo as a guy that got lucky, having joined right before the fame. People who put him down say more about those people than it does about Ringo. I appears Purdie may have added to the Tony Sheridan recordings when Atco acquired the rights for the US distribution. In 1961, the producer removed Pete Best's bass drum because of his incompetence, so I could see Atco wanted to beef up the drumming. Purdie, years later "enhanced" the story, not realizing at some point, all this info could be checked. Anyways, Purdie's drumming would have stuck out like a sore thumg if he had played on the classics!
@@popgoesthe60s52 well said
Matt, when you said Guliano’s name I almost fell out of my chair! But, once again, you’re fair, impartial, you deal with just the facts, and you don’t have an axe to grind. This is what makes your channel one of the best
I appreciate that, thank you.
Always a true pleasure Matt. Informative yet so very enjoyable.
Btw, the Beach Boys concluding episode was a great capstone to a fantastic series!
Thank, Neal! Always appreciated!
I’ve been ill at home recently and a bit immobile. My husband had a fall and has now been in hospital for a week. As you can imagine my spirits have been a bit low. I started watching your piece on the Graham Bond Organisation to pass the time and went on to watch many of the others. Your enthusiasm and cheerfulness have been very helpful especially as I’m not able to sleep comfortably. Thank you for your scholarship and good humour.
Well, Joanna I hope your husband is feeling better and I'm glad these videos have been helpful. I appreciate your comments and i hope you feel better too. Take care.
Matt you have a great collection of the books of the Beatles it should be a great treasure value.
I do remember as a teenager in the early 1980's that Paul McCartney's reaction to The Love You Take book by Peter Brown/Steven Gaines was, "it's a betrayal" and one of the few times I've seen McCartney angry when speaking with the press. Paul went on to say, "the book is all lies" and not being his jovial, PR conscious self.
Yeah, that book got Peter Brown ousted from any inner circle that was left.
Right! I think he said, "I threw it on the fire."
@@popgoesthe60s52 do you believe it was true though? He was an insider...just saying
A couple of books that I recommend are The Longest Cocktail Party by Richard Dilelllo and Mss O'Dell by Chris O'Dell.
Another one that I recommend is the Beatles 66.
Great video as always
I need both! Thank you Schemel.
Hey I wonder if you could interview Giuliano! That would be AMAZING, the two of you.
I think he would be an interesting character to have on.
I vote for a Part Three of this Beatles Books theme! :)
It's very important to have someone call out some of these books for their inaccuracies and biases, so thanks for doing that. I'd certainly enjoy a part three some day.
i have some reading to do for a part 3! Thanks John!
Matt you are AWESOME at what you do my friend ! You should teach Beatles history in a collage near you. I am 69 years old grew up with the Beatles thought I knew everything about them till your channel now I feel like I just heard about them a week ago ! THANK YOU FRANK FROM MONTANA......
Hey Frank, thank you for the kind words. I am learning so much about the Beatles to with deeper research, putting thoughts on paper, rearranging them so they make more sense, and voila! I have a new video! I appreciate the support.
I belonged to a book club subscription in the late 60s and was able to get Hunter Davies book quite early. Unfortunately I don't have it anymore. In the early 70s I picked up the book "The Longest Cocktail party, which I found entertaining. I still have Spitz's book, mostly for his telling of The Beatles Litherland Town Hall gig after they returned from Hamburg.
Excellent channel. Your review of Beatle books are fabulous & a great resource ! I liked it so much, I'm watching it again :-)
That is a high compliment! Thank you Tony!
Great recommendations. A few I haven’t read before. A couple of books I’d love to hear you weigh in on: “Here There and Everywhere” by Geoff Emerick and “John” by Cynthia Lennon. Both are sometimes dismissed as biased sources, but I’ve always appreciated hearing their personal perspectives on their own relationship to the Beatles. Those are two books that really treat the Beatles like fellow humans rather than historical figures to be academically dissected.
Yes, both I will probably cover in a part three. I need to get the Emerick book and I can go into the bias and why his fellow engineers don't give it too much credibility. Cynthia's book John is incredible. I have the audio version, which Cynthia reads.
Critics say he's too hard on George's guitar ability. Despite this, I loved the book and read it twice. RIP.
The Emerick book was a disappointment. He has such a bad memory, and he relied on the Mark Lewisohn 'Beatles Recordings' book to 'freshen up' his memory, and took over at least one untrue anekdote from that book too (the Dave Clack 5 drumming anekdote). Emerick also had an ax to grind with George.
Great reviews. I have most of these books and agree with you on just about all of them. Beatles Forever by Nicholas Schaffer is one I've always cherished. Came out around 1978, it is very thorough and accurate. But what I like most is it was written while John was still alive, so there was still hope that they could reunite. Texts written before his tragedy just read differently.
Thank you for commenting, Jay.
I had Allen Ginsberg sign my copy of "It Was Twenty Years Ago Today" on page 165 when he visited my college in 1990. He signed it "Allen Ginsberg 4/19/90"
That is VERY cool! Keep that one.
If he did, he got his name wrong. It's Ginsberg. ;-)
@@tonysienzant6717 Oops my spelling was wrong. I corrected my comment.
Always enjoy going through Lennon/McCartney Together Alone book from time to time. Some of those I've never seen before. I have a couple of Guilianno's books(Two of Us and Blackbird) about John and Paul and then, just about Paul. Not bad but not great either. He's kind of full of himself and what he thinks he knows about John and Paul. A fun book to pick up if you can find it is "Growing up with The Beatles" by Ron Schaumbug? Just a fun account from Ron about recounting his youth and teen years while the Beatles were making their way. Lot's of enjoyable stories. I somehow lost my original copy and would love to get a new copy one of these days.
I have heard good things about the Schaumbug book - thanks for the suggestions!
One of the many books that I own is Derek Taylor's, It Was Twenty Years Ago Today, I've recommended it many times. Its been a while since I've read it but I recall that it was a good read and an accurate in the depiction of the time period.
Very thorough work. I am going to see if I can track down some of the books. Thanks Matt!
Hey Matt, thanks for another glimpse into your Beatles library. The Blaney book looks interesting. The Love You Make was one of my first reads too, and even at my young age then, I remember thinking how far fetched some of Brown’s recollections seemed.
Yeah, I can certainly go with his business parts of the narrative, but without citations, it's hard to know.
Although "All You Need Is Ears" by George Martin isn't a Beatles book as such, it covers so much of the Beatles story from Martin's unique perspective that I regard it as a vital read for Fabs fans.
That is another I have to get.
Great video! I am surprised you did not mention "One Two Three Four: The Beatles in Time" by Craig Brown. It's wonderfully well written.
That is one I have yet to read. Maybe I'll cover it in a volume 3!
Great recommendation. I had come on here to also recommend it.
I found your channel earlier today and have enjoyed your videos regarding The Beatles. In regards to Beatles Books, I would recommend the two-volume set, "Some Fun Tonight!: The Backstage Story of How the Beatles Rocked America: The Historic Tours 1964-1966", by Chuck Gunderson, in which he provides the definitive stories of the three North American Beatles tours. The detail of his work in that area rivals Mark Lewisohn. The work done prior to each tour is highlighted and each stop in the tour is detailed to include actual tour-related documents, high quality concert photos, many of which have been stored in various archives since they were taken, and interviews with many of the people involved. It is a labor of love that should not be missed and I strongly urge you to get your hands on a copy. Great work on your videos. I have subscribed. Best of luck to you.
Welcome, and thank you for subscribing. I have heard of the Gunderson books but don't have them yet. Thank you for the recommendation.
Apart from the long awaited second and third editions by Mark Lewisohn, the two Beatles books I yearn for are the Mal Evans Diaries and Jane Asher's tell all biography "For No One" 😉
As i mentioned in the first video, "The Compleat Beatles" Volume One and Two (1981) are unique Beatles histories because they also contain all the sheet music painstakingly transcribed from their records. The set is unfortunately expensive on Ebay, even for dog eared copies. They contain the covers the Beatles did, but not the "gave away" songs. That kind of bothers me because I think "It's For You" and "Step Inside Love" by Cilla would sound great on piano. I love watching these collections Matt has.
I had both volumes but I sadly got rid of them.
Very nice overview of these books, Matt. Thank you. I think I'd read almost all of them, and, ah, I got no bones to pick. There aren't many of them, but sometime I hope you'll do an episode on The Beatles in Fiction? From 'A Hard Day's Night' by John Burke through 'Sorry Boys, You Failed The Audition' by Ray Connolly there's a pretty interesting range of writing.
Thanks for those suggestions Scott.
Thanks to your critique Matt , I'm feeling so good about the fact that I never spent any money on the pulp you've featured.
I'm just happy listening to the music they blessed us with.
I am still fascinated to see books and magazines are still being written about the band. What else is there unknown to say after all this time? I do have the book A Hard Days Write that looks at the song lyrics and what might have been behind the songs.
There will always be more Fab Four books as uncovered information comes to light .
A case in point is the new Mal Evan’s book about his life and times as the Beatles road manager/ fixer / etc .
@@andrewarthurmatthews6685 I like the Beatles, but I am not that much into them. LOL! Now if we are talking about The Kinks , I will get everything. I seem to recall Ray Davies saying, the Beatles had better management then the Kinks, that is why everything worked out. The Kinks management didnt know what they were doing. 😀
Always Great Matt. Thank You!
Great multi book review Matt. I like the fact that you cite the author's writing ability (Norman) despite some factual errors. I appreciate good writing. I love Goldman's writing (lives of John Lennon) regardless of how much of it is true.
Yes, some of the bias takes the shine off of a fine writer like Goldman. He is a guy who I plan to dig into eventually. Thank you, Kelly!
@@popgoesthe60s52 I saw your Pabst. That was my fave when I used to drink. I am headed out to Lewis, WI for a gig that was originally supposed to be at 8 but got moved up to 330 because of the Packers game tonight. I'm in Mn (twin cities) Now that the Vikings are out, go packers. (I'm not that big of a football fan but I guess the Pabst Blue ribbon got me on the Wisconsin topic)
@@kellypeterson2625I like PBR. I use it to attract flies in my fly bait containers. :^) Works better than Lone Star.
Thanks for mentioning the Goldman book, BTW. Somebody had to do it. Yes it’s a hoot.
@@declanfarber Good one, Dec! I get razzed about my beer choices all the time. I welcome you!
@@kellypeterson2625 I still drink the big 3: Blatz, Schlitz, and Pabst. Go Pack!
Love these episodes. Glad to see the ones I have read and will pick up a couple (Get Back and Love me Do if I can find copies!). May I add Rob Shefield's "Dreaming the Beatles." ? Incredible book.
I don't have Dreaming the Beatles. I will have to check that one out - thank you!
Hi Matt & greetings from Sunny Scotland . Thanks again for another interesting Beatles show & tell. BTW, also loved your recent Beach Boys posts.
Two further Beatles books I'd recommend are: 1. "The Beatles In Scotland" by Ken McNab (2008) which starts with their first 1960 tour backing Johnny Gentle - as The Silver Beetles (John, Paul, George & Stuart, with Tommy Moore on drums. Complete with remembered anecdotes from those who were there. Not very many in some Highland "venues".
2. "Apple To The Core" by Peter McCabe & Robert C Schofield (1972) - published while the McCartney V. Beatles & Co court case was ongoing, & utilising published court documents, it attempts to detail the myriad financing & publishing deals, & of those involved in acquiring (& disposing) their piece/ investment in The Fabs.
Best wishes x
Hello x, thank you for those suggestions. The Scotland book sounds very interesting. It is now on my list. Thank for watching the Beach Boys series as well!
Hey Matt. Just watched both of your Beatle book videos and loved em both. My favorite will always be Nicholas Schaffer's Beatles Forever which was also my first Beatle book I purchased back in '79. I wonder if you're aware of another large paperback book that Schaffer put out called The British Invasion which is another great read. I really liked his writing style, its a shame he died so young.
I didn't know about Schaffners British Invation book. I think I'll look for that one. Thanks Ric!
Now for some Stones books!
I actually have Sympathy For the Devil by Philip Norman!
In regards to your shout out to Hunter Davies' "John Lennon Letters," have you ever checked out his follow up/compendium called "The Beatles Lyrics: The Stories Behind the Music, Including the Handwritten Drafts of More Than 100 Classic Beatles Songs?" The title says it all. Some of the manuscripts come from Davies' own personal archives, others from various collectors. Davies uses the same presentation format as the "Letters" book by reprinting the original longhand manuscripts while recalling firsthand stories of being at some of their sessions. (His eyewitness account of John and Paul struggling to craft "With A Little Help" is quite fascinating.) One of the best books written about the creative process.
I don't have that book by Davies, but will have to seek it out. Sounds good!
If it was impossible to wipe the drum track from a recording and replace it, how did they do it on a couple of the Tony Sheridan/Hamburg recordings...where Pete Best's drum tracks were replaced by (I believe) Bernard Purdie? And those were only two-track stereo recordings.
The didn't 'wipe' anything in the Sheridan recordings. Best was not allowed to use a bass drum on those recordings so drums were over dubbed onto the existing recording. To my knowledge, no one has made the claim that Best's drum were 'wiped'. The idea that Purdie drummed on those tracks at the behest of Atco makes sense.
A lot of interesting reading material you mentioned. I have many of the ones you mentioned but there are a few that you may want to check out if you can find them…..any of the Bruce Spizer books, The Beatles TV and film chronicle by Jorg Piper, Lifting Latches, Way Beyond Compare and That Magic Feeling by John C Winn and Some Fun Tonight by Chuck Gunderson…..all definitely worth checking out. Great video….thanks Matt!
I only have one Spizer book, Let It Be, which I felt was subpar, low on facts pertaining to what actually happened. I know some of his earlier works are highly recommended.
So many Beatles books out there and too little time to read them all. Matt does a great service to help me pick the best ones.
7:45 i think it never actually happened that Paul re-recorded a drumtrack from Ringo. The only occasion I could think of is Carry That Weight, where you can hear 2 drum parts. But thats an addition, not a re-recording. And probably Ringo played both of them anyway.
The other way around, i think it happened on Dear Prudence where Ringo 'maybe' overdubbed the last verse, of Paul's basic track drumming.
Really enjoyed this - many thanks Terry T :-)) NZ
One of my favorite Beatle books in my collection is "All The Songs" The story behind every Beatles release by Jean-Michel Geusdon and Philippe Margotin.
The Walter Everett books give an excellent analysis of Beatle music.
Great job Matt. Pabst blue ribbon beer. Nice touch. Lol. 👍
Thanks Matt ... it's interesting how decades after The Beatles break up we are still learning new details and debunking old ones and still there lies a mystic around The Beatles ... 🤔
Here's a couple of personal mentions to add to the mix ...
'The Complete Beatles Recording Sessions' circa 1988 by Mark Lewisohn one of my favourite go to books and
'The Beatles Forever' cira 1977 - Nicholas Schaffner my first Beatles book that one of my teachers leant to me and for better or for worse started my Beatles odyssey ...
As always I enjoy your musical insights ... ✌
Thanks newjack!
A book that I came across (quite randomly) that surprised me is THE BEATLES by Allan Kozinn (published in 1995 by Phaidon).The writing is crisp and detailed with an emphasis on the context of the band's music and activities. It's closer to MacDonald's REVOLUTION IN THE HEAD as far as digging a little deeper (though not as detailed) into the songs and albums. I don't know if there's anything new here but Kozinn does offer a few details I'd never heard (like Yoko being the inspiration of the phrase "wind inside a letterbox" or that "You Know My Name" was recorded during the desultory sessions around YELLOW SUBMARINE). The pictures are great and the post-break-up summaries are concise. The books ends on a happy note with the release of "Free As A Bird" and "Real Love".
I've got that one but have yet to read it. Thanks for the mini review... very helpful
The Badman book on the Beach Boys is a bit controversial. It has a few mistakes (for instance, the Brian Wilson song Spark in the Dark was not the precursor for Funky Pretty), but the infamous aspect is that there are photos of the 1960s session sheets with the non-redacted Social Security numbers of the musicians!
Excellent reviews, Matthew! I used to buy Goldmine back in the 80’s on my trips to downtown Mpls. I wasn’t aware of their books, however. I read the Peter Brown book when it was released and found it unnecessarily depressing, not that I was looking for a gloss over. As a lifelong 60’s music fan I appreciate your knowledge in a sea of holes and misinformation!
One book I highly recommend, it’s a very funny fictional farce called “Paperback Writer” by Mark Skipper. It’s kind of like The Rutles of Beatle books, I think it was first released in about ‘79. I found myself howling with laughter in spots! Clever and absurd.
I'll have to track down that farce, sounds very funny.
8:30 Been saying for years that the hallmark of any Paul McCartney drum track - Beatles or otherwise - is that he virtually NEVER hits a cymbal. He locks in on the hats, kick and snare and just holds on for dear life. Possibly the most talented musician in pop music history, but in no conceivable way was he a better drummer than Ringo. Great video. That was also my first Beatles book.
Well said. McCartney is obviously a talented musician but he is no drummer. I find that on average the uber-McCartney fans seem to badly overrate his playing across the board, leading me to think that fewer of them are musicians.
good information, Matt! Thanks
I've read a bunch of them through the decades. I think I appreciated Mark Lewisohn's Tune In the most for it's dedication to documenting everything. Unfortunately, I may not live long enough to get past volume one, but have enjoyed it. My second favorite is The Love You Make. Thanks as always for the wonderful content and your perspective.
Thank you, Bill. I expect Lewisohn's next vol out by Christmas, or perhaps early next year. That is only a guess.
By golly...I will do my best to make it...thanks...I'll take your guesses any day!
"The Love You Make" has an agenda and really goes hard on the Yoko villainess angle, but it's a fascinating, subjective glimpse at the band from a business perspective. Whether or not you dismiss his anecdotes (i.e. John throwing a brick at Paul's house, one I never heard anywhere else), Brown and Gaines are great at explaining Brian Epstein's role and the issues around Northern Songs and Apple Corps. I second your cautious recommendation.
I forgot about the brick story. Another complete fabrication that has been debunked. Yes, there is a reason Brown was thrown out of what remained of the Beatles inner circle.
Hey Matt, I can't seem to find part one of this video so I don't know if it was mentioned, but I got a book for xmas that I'm currently reading by Mark Lewisohn called Tune In. It was recommended by a friend and it's absolutely fantastic, as all of Lewisohn's books are. It takes The Beatles from their childhoods to the final night of 1962 when they are just about to explode.
Yes, that is one I mention in part one. There is an expanded version (1400) pages that is rather expensive but worth it. Part one: ua-cam.com/video/Hu3MTVQc1ro/v-deo.html
@@popgoesthe60s52 Thanks for part one!
Thanks for another excellent Beatles video, I just ordered 2 of those books off ebay to add to my collection of almost 200.
Matt I love this video, and I do have a question. When any Beatles book is about to be written and really before publishing it, how often does Apple records and the estates of John and George, plus Paul and Ringo get involved over the contents of the book
I'm not sure how much the publisher has to clear if any. Most likely any hint at libel or slander would be investigated. Thanks for the comment, Mark!
Love these video book reviews, Matt, & good recommendations to track down. There's easily room for Volume 3.
3:20 And Mimi's exposed misinformation is also now useful pointers on what else in her interviews cannot be relied on. Happy-happy-talk fans won;t want to go there, but Mimi's tale of buying JL's 1st guitar from Hessy's insidiously suppresses Julia's vital gesture back when Mimi was still frowning on JL playing rock 'n' roll at all. Julia it was who got JL his first guitar, mail-order. This doesn't mean Mimi never bought JL a guitar from Hessy's; it means she did not buy his first guitar, & she obscured the fact that her sister made that vital initiative.
I like the Braun book. Hunter Davis is valuable for interviews with Beatle parents, & I;m looking for those. It's hard to find many interviews with Mr Harrison. I found Giuliano's McCartney book (or was it Lennon?) useful - - So I just ordered his Beatles book quite cheap, as you say worthwhile for the interviews alone.
Derek Taylor is a gifted quirky writer. Had he not known The Beatles or got into the music industry, I have a feeling he'd have left an even better legacy as a nonfiction writer.
Badman's books are much better than his name suggests.
I just bought FLY AWAY PAUL concentrating on PM through the '70s, but have not read it yet, can't say if it was worth buying.
David Bedford is a Liverpudlian Beatles scholar who has interviewed most local insiders. His best book is LIDDYPOOL, scouting famous but also many obscure Beatle/Quarry Men Liverpool locations, photographing before/after shots anchored by accurate anecdotes about the places.
thanks 4-D. Yes, the Mimi stuff is disappointing but is to be expected. I will eventually do a part 3 as there seems to be no bottom to the amount of Beatle books! One thing about David Bedford. I bought his Finding the Fouth Beatle and though is research is good, I found it horrible biased toward Pete Best. Bedford is an example of someone who gets too close to his subject (in this case, Pete Best, who he knows) and embarrasses himself with a fawning and misleading narrative, all to support the notion that Best was a good drummer. I'm tempted to review his book as an exercise to expose bias but we'll see. Thanks for the support!
@@popgoesthe60s52 Yes that's a valid point, Matt: David is friends with Pete. (That's why I stayed with LIDDYPOOL.) As valuable as his y/t channel is for anyone interested in Beatles/Quarry Men for getting on the inside of anecdotes (literally, getting inside the houses), David's recent interview with Womack & implicit review of the Mal Evans book suffers from this same mindset.
I do think a negative book review can be just as useful as a positive review, as a cautionary tale.
I'm looking forward to Vol.3 of this.
@@4-dman464 Thanks for that info on the Womack interview. I will seek that out!
What a great video have a wonderful weekend also do you have regrets when looking back in life ❤😊
no regrets.
I was gifted the Spitz hardcover back in '06. Good read. Probably my favorite of the numerous Beatles books I've consumed. It's current condition is dismal though(lots of time spent in the bathroom😬).
I recall back in the early 90's reading a magazine(Guitar player or one of it's ilk) that claimed that it was Paul who plays the drum solo on Abbey Road. I was kinda shocked. I've never heard it mentioned anywhere else though so I find the claim highly suspect.
I have never heard that claim on Abbey Road. It's laughable but I will have to track down that source. Good fodder for future videos! Thanks you, Chris.
I literally recoiled at the name of Geoffrey Guiliano just a split second before you said we might 😂
Maybe I will interview him someday!
@@popgoesthe60s52 Should be fascinating as he's so far up his own arse he needs a rescue team to pull him back out again...He was in the comment section of Word In Your Ear not so long ago calling Beatle fans sad and bragging about how rich he was from his "Successful' acting career. Seriously deluded. Still- one positive thing about him. At least he makes Philip Norman look good.
I used to buy Goldmine in the 1990s. One issue I remember was of the four original members of Kiss giving star ratings and providing comments on the albums they were on. Later on, that interview was reproduced in a book about Kiss.
I found the Hunter Davis book in a library as barely a teen, while in junior high school, and read it cover to cover. Which is saying something about the merits of the writing, that a 12 or 13 year-old would read a serious hard cover book without being told to.
It was definitely a game changer, opened the door to the possibilities of non traditional career paths to say the least. Even at that age, I could appreciate that it was very well written, researched.
That years later, John Lennon would dismiss the book, mostly because the rock star life of endless orgies was left out hardly disqualifies the book in my regard. It’s much more than that.
More recently, I read Fred Seaman’s “The Last Days”, which rings true on the whole. Though this book is somewhat compromised, in that Seaman clearly has an ax to grind.
The Derek Taylor book you discuss sounds interesting. In his various interviews available on UA-cam, Taylor comes off as a highly credible source, and that he can write is certainly a plus. ✍️
The Beatles got me reading too! Thanks for the comments.
The Bob Spitz book came out right when I was getting into the Beatles, so of course I read it cover to cover. It was definitely a great intro to the band for someone who only knew their music, but looking back on it, there’s quite a few issues with it. One of the biggest to me is, if I remember correctly, there’s a picture that claims to be of Julian Lennon when it was actually a random little girl the Beatles were taking a picture with. I’m glad we have Lewisohn now to clear things up and also write the story in such an entertaining and thorough way.
I've read many of the books that you reviewed here and in Part 1. But one book that I loved was Lennonology:Strange Days Indeed.
Where is Julia Baird's first book with an introduction by Paul McCartney.
Don't have that one. That is the collab you did with her, correct?
@@popgoesthe60s52 yes Julia Paul and I worked on it 1986
I just finished the new Philip Norman book on George. Hope you plan to review it.
How did you like it? I've nothing about is so far.
@@popgoesthe60s52 your Beatles book library is extensive and I really like your comments. For me, the writing is not that great. Doesn’t read like earlier works like Shout or the Lennon and McCartney books. Much rehashing of well known material. Can we expect another in a few years about Ringo?
Great collection of books. I need to get more books. I have read the Bob Spitz book and thought it was pretty good. It seems like every biography has some mistakes. It’s hard to know what the truth is.
Yes there are many factual errors here and there but I expect minor things. Major mistakes are another issue that really wrankles fans.
Are you going to read Norman’s George Harrison book? I absolutely cannot bring myself to buy it even though I think we need a decent George biog.
I will if I get it cheap.
Hi Matt. Love your channel. Have you ever read “And In the End “ the last days of the Beatles by Ken McNab . Would love to hear your thoughts about it.
I thought I had that one and just looked but I guess I don't have it! I'll add that to my list.
Glad you mentioned Lewisohn's The Beatles Live! (I still have a copy with flexible record of a live 1963 interview of the Fab Four.) You spoke quite a bit on how difficult it is to get erroneous stuff in print corrected - reminds me of a Mark Lewisohn remark on his ongoing work with his Beatles trilogy (only Volume 1 - "Tune In" has been published) - most of his research now is done via documents/publications written at the time of occurrence, not interviews. Evidently people's memories going back some 60 years are so bad, and have been prejudiced by so many inaccurate things floating around that they are often of dubious value. (Off topic a bit - have been waiting over ten years for three sequels - The 5th volume of Robert Caro's LBJ Biography, the 6th volume of George R. R. Martin's Song of Ice and Fire Series [Winds of Winter] and 2nd volume of Mark Lewisohn's Beatles Trilogy. Please, please, please finish something soon......)
You'll have my channel to get you through in the meantime. 🙂
I can't seem to recall if you've done Geoff Emerick's book. That was interesting despite the weird axe he had to grind with Harrison.
I have not but it is one I will review at least in part.
I thought it was Ringo. Anyway, it's essential.
Yes, Here, There, and Everywhere by Geoff is a must! He was there
Would like to see you do one on solo Beatles books. Thoughts on "Many Years From Now"?
I still have to get Many Years From Now. It's on my list. 🙂
at 8:11 Hi Matt, talking of overdubbing drums, what do you make of Bernard Purdie saying he overdubbed Ringo's drumming. More horses**t?
I believe that Purdie was used by Atco Records, who acquired the forgotten Tony Sheridan recordings in the wake of Beatlemania. When originally recorded, the producer took Pete's bass drum away, leaving him to only play snare and tom. He obviously didn't like Pete's bass work and Pete did what he could without it. Fastforward to 1964 when Atco wanted to release their 'Beatle recordings.' Enhancements were made to beef of the poor drumming. All the EMI documentation, which is quite extensive, do not show any other drummer hired for sessions after Andy White on Love Me Do. Purdie played on enough sessions that I can forgive him mis-remembering which Beatles songs he played on, though he seemed to think it was the hit songs! His original claims were in 1978 and EMI documentation has been written of extensively since, debunking his claim.
Great review again. It seems that no book is perfect in accuracy and controversy.
I have some of the books you reviewed in your video and I was eager to see if you'd mention "The Complete Beatles recording sessions" (1988) and "The Complete Beatles chronicle" (1992) by M. Lewishohn . I think there's the best companions from "Beatles Live!" from the same author. Another one I really like is "John Lennon My Brother" by Julia Baird (1988) which obviously talk a lot about John before the Beatles. Continue to entertain us. We love it. Cheers.
formidable ¡ excellentes perpectives tout azimut
hi matt ,my favorite beatle book is THE BEATLES FOREVER by NICHOLAS SCHAFFNER
it's from a fan's point of view,came out in 1977-78,stuff loaded with cool info and pic sleeves and goes into full beatles as well as solo,let me know as it's a lot of fun to read,take care......bill
I'll always remember a snippet from Giuliano's book on McCartney an episode when an out-of-it and angry Jimmy McCulloch allegedly pointed a loaded gun point-black at a sleeping Paul and Linda. Disturbing and I have no idea if its true.
Have you covered Geoff Emerick? i thought it was interesting for technical details but also biased in characterizing personalities.
PBR! I'm old enough to remember when that was still considered "low class" LOL then it got popular in Hoboken and Williamsburg. I guess that was the 90s?
Matt would be interested to hear your take on the new Phil Norman bio book on George Harrison. He's a good writer been I had some issues with the book and thought there were some inaccuruacies.
I will have to pick that one up.
Is that Margo Guryan's "Take a Picture" in the background?
Vol 3 please! BTW don`t you think Beatles Live is obsolete? I never had it but understand that it`s contents were worked into The Complete Beatles Chronicle?
Yes, it is not the most accurate, but for its time it was fresh.
Apologies if you did discuss this book in one of your videos but have you read 'A Day In The Life' by Mark Hertsgaard?
I haven't read that one but it has come highly recommended.
My wife took a Beatles class at Washington University in STL in the early '00s & now I am motivated to open a few Rubbermaid containers to find her course books (will report back!). You mentioned Goldmine, I find it really disappointing that if collectors have any interest in analogue recordings from the Beatles the MAL tech would seem to be the trend. I just stumbled across a spare Mono AAA pressing from a damaged 2022 Revolver box set (2014 mono AAA a close 2nd to it imho, & the UK og much less dynamic (ducks for incoming flaming lol)) & my guess is this is the last "new" analogue reissue of anything Beatles for the foreseeable future.
Always a good watch.
Hi Matt - your video’s are so terrific.
As a ‘thank you’ for producing such amazing content, I would like to send you my copy of Mojo’s: The Psychedelic Beatles Special Edition magazine to complete your set. I have all 3 issues plus the Mojo book your showed and it would be my pleasure to send you the single issue or even all three as mine are near mint condition. Nothing in return - just thanks for the great content that I’ve been so entertained and enlightened by.
I’m not too savvy on how to connect directly but let’s figure out how I can get this to you.
Thanks!
Jon
PS - did you ever notice that each magazine was individually numbered out of 95,000 on the back cover? Cool stuff!
How kind of you, Jon! Thank you, I would love that. Would you mind messaging me through my Pop Goes the 60s facebook page and we can connect.
Hey Matt - the Spitz book was loaded with errors. Particularly, he had glaring errors in the photo captions. So much so, I called the publisher after I got the book when it came out and they eventually responded to me and sent me a book with “some” corrections. I personally find the Spitz book the worst of the lot in light of this. Separately- love the channel and keep up the great work!!
Yes, the errors are disappointing and unfortunately, those errors are often the sole measure of the quality of the writing. It's good that the publisher was open to fixing the simple errors.
One book you didn’t mention, ‘The True Story of the Beatles’ by Billy Shepherd. It was first published June 1st 1964. I brought this book at the time, I was 11 years old, it was the most detailed story of the Beatles and had some amazing historical photos that were never seen before. Looking back of course so many countless books have been published, but this one resonates with me as it was published at the height of the Beatlemania period! I also got the Beatle Book Monthly magazine every month between 1963 and 1969. Although not a book there are whole bound collections of the Beatles Book Monthly available on eBay occasionally. Loved buying the magazine, as it always had amazing exclusive photos, plus very detailed info on the Beatles, which for me as an avid Beatle fan I enjoyed immensely! 😊. Can still remember the January to April 1967 editions of photos and write ups on the Beatles during the recording of Sgt Pepper and the feeling that it was going to be an amazing album before it was eventually released on 26th May 1967!
Another great list Matt. Agreed, you really should write a book with all your reviews of Fab Four bios and call it something like 'Please Sir or Madam, will you read my book?' I'd definitely read it and rate it. I know I mentioned in my last comment in part 1 that I didn't rate Davies, Norman and Guiliano but, to be honest, they were my intros to Beatles bios. I think because they rewrite the same unresearched elements over and over, and also offer contradictory scathing updates (Davies phonecall with Paul in 81, Norman's obituary to George and Guiliano's Lennon diary) to sell new publications leaves me a little cold. Plus any book by Mark Lewisohn really surpasses these volumes in terms of articulate research and knowledge and as Paul's 'Go to' interviewer for the Anthology. It's interesting to note that Paul never refers to Davies or Peter Brown in the Anthology. Saying that though, Browns bio, as 'muck raking' as it is, is essential reading from an insiders POV. Great work once again and really look forward to these segments at the weekend 👍
Thank you, I may write a book someday! But for now I will have to prepare a part 3.
I have that Lennon letters book-- John versus Linda McCartney is the part that blows people's minds when I show them.
Man Oh Man Matt, and here I thought I had a ridiculous amount of Beatle Books- No such thing of having enough books on The Beatles😅🤣😂 - its interesting you brought up Peter Brown's book The Love You Make, it was the very first Beatle book I ever bought, I lost count on how many times I read that one - in writing that book I heard that Peter Brown became Persona Non Grata by the surviving Beatles. In regards to Geoffrey Giuliano I rolled my eyes when you mentioned him, theres been times that I feel that his books are taking up space on my book shelves and almost took them to Goodwill, Although I think he has a Toxic personality you make valid arguments about him Matt - Dont be surprised if Geoffrey leaves a message for you in the comment section, He ocassionally pops up in the Vinyl Community's comments.
What about "The Best Years of The Beatles" by Pete Best?
I have _Beatle! The Pete Best Story_ , which is quite good. I will do a part 3 in the future and will include that one.
If you haven't checked it out yet, do have a look at A Women's History of the Beatles (Bloomsbury 2021).
Love to see Mike Mangini showing us his love of the Beatles
I've always liked the Hunter Davies autobiography. I know it gets a rubbishing but if you get the audio book you get all updates from the reprints in 1985, 2002 and 2009 where he addresses a few of the issues that people called him out for (which they still do) . In the reprints he explains that certain facts in the book were not discussed (like Brian being gay) to allow him to get clearance from family members to get the book published, but he felt he had enough of the story there to allow people to make their own decisions.
I can see Queenie Epstein not wanting her boy outed.
A word about Ringo and Paul`s drumming.
The first time I heard the White Album, I thought that Ringo`s drumming on Back in the USSR was sloppy, particularly the fills. I had already been playing the drums for several years when I heard it, and I was a huge fan of Ringo.
Then I heard Dear Prudence and I was shocked to hear that when the drums go into 16th notes on the high-hat, the beat starts to drag.
A few years later it was confirmed that Paul plays drums on Back in the USSR and Dear Prudence on the White Album. His dissatisfaction with Ringo`s playing on those two songs was the catalyst for Ringo leaving for a week or so. Anyway, when he returned, all was forgiven but Paul`s drumming stayed on those two tracks.
However, the overdubbed drumming in the last quarter of Dear Prudence are by Ringo. There is a youtuber (You Can't Unhear This) who breaks it down beautifully.
Yes!! I thought the fills were good, very Ringo. Much like the tom fills in Cry Baby Cry.@@popgoesthe60s52
I know that George and John had an argument the day George left, but according to Mal Evans' diary--written at the time by someone who was there at the time--made it clear that the primary reason George quit was Paul bossing him around. Have you read that new Ken Wommack book on Mal Evans? If you have it, just quickly skip to the day George quits. It is revealing.
I have read the book and interviewed Ken on this channel. Good book.
@@popgoesthe60s52 I should not have doubted you. :)
Hi Matt, if you are interested in comedy then I’d like to recommend Fab Fools by Jem Roberts. It’s about how The Beatles loved an were inspired by comedians like The Goons, George Martin and his comedy connections, Johns books of poems, the films and how The Beatles would go on to be an influence on The Bonzos and Monty Python etc.
That sounds very interesting, thank you, Neil.
I would recommend "Paperback Writer" by Mark ??? It's a sort of Rutles fictional bio, but pretty funny.
22:35 iter
I thought I was obsessed by The Beatles! 😂😂😂😂😮😮😮😮
I hit a point a few years ago where I quit reading books with other writer's "opinions" on the Beatles stories and only read bo ooks by participants or people who where there.
Even though it's only part one, Mark Lewisohn's "Tune In" is worth mentioning for its very detailed and well researched story-telling. He wants this to be the definitive biography and I can't disagree so far. Lewison also authored a detailed encyclopedia of the Beatles recordings in the studio, take by take. Quite technical.
I've got about a dozen Beatles related books, many you didn't mention (you can't own them all). "The Beatles" by John Tobler is a full color large format book that includes about everything up to 1984 when this book was published. Mark Lewisohn's "The Beatles Chronicle" is a day by day telling of the Beatles, mostly the gigs and recordings. You mentioned an encyclopedia yourself but I've got yet another, "The Beatles Day by Day" by Terry Burrows. which includes the Beatles solo work. And I must mention again Bruce Spizer's many works. His angle is to chronicle the Beatles by the record labels. Swan itself is one whole book. "The Beatles on Vee-Jay" is another. "The Capital Years" are two books. Amazing detail and more interesting than you would think. "Beatles gear" by Andy Babiuk is a treasure trove for those interested in what equipment the Beatles used from beginning to end with all the photos. Want to know the story of their 964-1966 historic US tours? Get "Some Fun Tonight!" in two volumes by Chuck Gunderson. All the books I mentioned except "Tune In" are large format books.
I did mention a few of these - especially Tune In in my part one to this video (about 2 months ago). I would love to get some of the earlier Spizer books.... I do have the Let It Be book of his, which was a disappointment to me. Check out part one here:
ua-cam.com/video/Hu3MTVQc1ro/v-deo.html