Tag Archives: Beatles Books

Mark Lewisohn “Tune In” Book Competition – We Have a Winner

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Thanks to everyone who entered our Mark Lewisohn The Beatles: All These Years Volume One: Tune In competition.

We asked the question: “How old was Paul McCartney when John Lennon invited him to join his group The Quarry Men?” The correct answer was that Paul was fifteen years old.

Our winner is John from Roebling, New Jersey in the United States.

Congratulations John. The US publishers Crown Archetype will be sending a copy of the book your way very soon. Enjoy!

The next date to watch out for is November 14 and the release of the extended special edition of the book.

More soon…..

Tune In Expanded.jpg-large

The Beatles: Tune In – US and UK Edition Comparison…and a Competition!

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Part One of Mark Lewisohn’s new biography of the Beatles is now out in two separate hard cover editions – one for the United States market, and one for the UK.

So, how are they similar – and how do they differ?

Here are some photos to show you in a direct side-by-side comparison. The UK edition is 946 pages. It appears on the left. The US edition is 932 pages and it appears on the right:

Tune In Cover FrontTune In cover rearThe book spines with their dust jackets on:Tune In cover spine

And without:Tune In Cover Spine no dust cover

There’s an interesting and as-yet unexplained design element about the spines. On both dust-jackets you can see the word “All”. My guess is that Volume 2 will have the the word “These”, and Volume 3 will have the word “Years”. When they are eventually lined up on our bookshelves they will collectively read “All These Years”.

The UK edition gets fancy end papers, front and rear. The front ones show pictures of a youthful John and Paul:Tune In end papers front

The rear has George and Ringo. It is a nice additional design touch:Tune In end papers rear

The US edition has plain end papers. Here are the title pages. First, the UK edition:Tune In Title Pages UK

And the US:

Tune In Title pages US

You’ll be pleased to know that despite the design and layout differences the contents are exactly the same. Both have the same text and chapters, and both have three sections with pages of historic photographs – some of which have never been previously published.

In the UK The Beatles: All These Years Volume One: Tune In is published by Little Brown. In the Unites States the book is published by Crown Archetype.

Now, the people at Crown Archetype have kindly given Beatles Blog a US edition of the book to give away to a lucky reader. All you need to do is answer this simple question:

How old was Paul McCartney when John Lennon invited him to join his group The Quarry Men?

The first correct answer to reach beatlesblogger @ gmail . com will win a US copy of Mark Lewisohn’s book – kindly provided by publishers Crown Archetype.

The Beatles: BBC Archives – 1962-1970 – A Review

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There are three distinct aspects to the Beatles’ main output and the direct connection they had with their audience. These are the band’s official studio recordings; their live performances; and (as this book examines in intricate and fascinating detail) their appearances during the height of their popularity on radio and television.

Kevin Howlett, a former BBC radio producer, has for many years been chronicling the band’s long and close association with the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). If you want proof that their output on radio and TV was prolific here are some stats: the Beatles performed a huge catalogue of songs across 275 performances at the BBC between March 1962 and June 1965. They appeared on 39 radio shows just in 1963 and, on one single day, recorded 18 songs for three editions of the BBC’s “Pop Go The Beatles” series in a session lasting just under seven hours. In total they played 88 different songs, most done in one take with little time to correct mistakes.

What also has to be remembered is the extent to which the BBC was at the core of daily life in the UK. Unlike the multiple channels and sources of information we take for granted today, no other broadcasting organisation was licensed to operate in the UK until 1973. It seems extraordinary and almost incomprehensible now. There was some competition from overseas and “pirate” radio stations, but during the life of the Beatles as a band the BBC pretty much had the market to itself.

This book The Beatles: the BBC Archives: 1962-1970 isn’t the first go Kevin Howlett has had at writing about the close relationship between these two icons of British life in the sixties. It is however the most comprehensive and beautifully produced effort so far. Beatles Blog has in its collection a small 1982 softback book called The Beatles at the Beeb – The Story of their Radio Career 1962-65: 

Beatles BeebHowlett tried again in 1996 with The Beatles at the BBC, the Radio Years. However both these previous attempts are nothing on his latest effort.

What Kevin Howlett has done with this book is to significantly expand the scope and the content of his subject to produce the definitive examination of the Beatles interaction with their fans using BBC radio and television.

The new work comes packaged in an impressive look-alike (and slightly used) 1960’s BBC reel-to-reel tape box:Beatles at the BBC large

Inside is the book, which contains many pictures, examples of contracts, internal memos and letters, memorabilia and complete details of all their appearances, along with a discography of the songs that the Beatles performed. If the songs were covers then there are details of the original artists too.

We learn that some 36 of the 88 songs they performed were never issued on record and, with the exception of the Beatle original “I’ll Be On My Way”, these unreleased tracks were all cover versions. Inside the book there are lift out prints and and removable facsimile documents – making this a great collectable item in itself. Beatles BBC2-tiff

The photo (above) shows the band performing at the BBC Playhouse Theatre for Easy Beat on 16 October, 1963 – the day after news of the group’s participation in the Royal Variety Performance was announced (Photo © Press Association)

I love these sort of reproduction books, with removable documents, ticket stubs, mini-flyers and posters. I have two others which are similar: The Treasures of the Beatles, and Lennon Legend: An Illustrated Life of John Lennon.

This photo (also from the book) shows George, Paul and John with the BBC’s Bernie Andrews, producer of the show Saturday Club. It is dated 17 December, 1963 (Photo © BBC Worldwide):Beatles BBC1-tiff

Kevin Howlett is now very much an insider in the Beatles camp, having completed a number of prestigious Apple Records re-issue projects for them. He co-wrote the liner notes for the digitally remastered CD catalogue in 2009. Howlett wrote the notes and produced the ‘Fly On The Wall’ bonus disc for the 2003 Beatles remixed album Let It Be …Naked. He also wrote the liner notes for the original 1994 double CD and LP package Live at the BBC, and has done the same for the forthcoming set On Air – Live at the BBC Volume 2 (to be released on November 11). Both feature previously unreleased recordings and studio chatter by the Beatles made available for the first time. The new release will include early hits and cover songs recorded at the BBC in 1963 and 1964, audio of the group talking to radio presenters such as Radio 2’s Brian Matthew, different versions of some of the songs from the first Live at the BBC album, and interviews recorded in November 1965 and May 1966 for the BBC “Pop Profile” series.

BBC Volume 2

A remastered version of the original Live At The BBC will also come out on 11 November to coincide with the release of Volume 2.

BBC Volume 1

So, Howlett knows his subject. His book The Beatles: The BBC Archives: 1962-1970 is destined to become the ultimate publication detailing in every respect the the band’s interaction with it’s adoring public via the BBC – then one of the most important and dominant media outlets in Britain. It is published in the US by Harper Design (Harper Collins), and in the UK by Ebury Publishing (BBC Books).

Lewisohn’s US Edition – Out 10/29

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Mark Lewisohn will soon be promoting the impending United States version of his book Tune In: The Beatles – All These Years Volume 1. (It’s officially due on 29 October)

In the USA the title gets a different cover art treatment to the British edition:

TUNE IN US edition

Mark Lewisohn will be attending two special signings in New York City, one on 10/25 and the other on 10/26. He’ll be at Bloomingdale’s 59th Street store. On 10/25 he’ll be in-store at 12:30pm, and on 10/26 at 2pm.

We’re sure NYC fans would love to get along to this event.

Beatles Blog has a copy of the US edition to give away to one of our lucky readers. Stay tuned for more details soon.

The Beatles Tune In – Lewisohn’s New Book Out Today

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Volume One of Mark Lewisohn’s new biography of the Beatles is out in the UK today.

The book is called The Beatles: All These Years – Volume One: Tune In. The marketing people have come up with a catch-phrase: Throw away what you think you know and start afresh.

It may well be true.

We’ll know more when we see the book for ourselves – but early reports and reviews are good. They’re saying that there is “….a surprise on every page, a revelation in every second chapter.”

At the moment on the book’s official homepage they are running seven read extracts from the audio edition. Here they are collected on SoundCloud for you:

  1. All These Years – Introduction (Read by Mark Lewisohn)
  2. All These Years – Extract Two (Jim McCartney warns his son Paul that John Lennon will get him into trouble. Read by Mark Lewisohn)
  3. All These Years – Extract Three (The decisive moment in John’s separation from both his father and mother. Read by Clive Mantle)
  4. All These Years – Extract Four (John and Paul meet for the first time. Read by Clive Mantle)
  5. All These Years – Extract Five  (John and Paul welcome young George Harrison’s talents into the mix. Read by Clive Mantle)
  6. All These Years – Extract Six (Paul is growing up fast, and 1958 draws to a colourful close. Read by Clive Mantle)
  7. All These Years  – Extract Seven (Pete Best is unwell so the Beatles grab Ringo Starr as temporary deputy – and enjoy the difference. Read by Clive Mantle)

Beatles - Tune in LogoSee also Mark Lewisohn on YouTube (three short videos) talking about the background to the book, and the different versions which will be available.

The Beatles: The BBC Archives: 1962-1970 – Coming Soon

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October is shaping up to be an important month for Beatle book releases.

Two of the most respected and well-connected Beatle authors both have books due. We’ve already mentioned Mark Lewisohn’s first instalment of his Beatle history The Beatles All These Years: Tune In (UK – October 10, USA – October 29), but another Beatle insider also has an impressive book ready for release next month.

Kevin Howlett (you might remember his name as the co-author of all the new booklets in the re-issued and remastered Beatle CDs from 2009, and the glossy 252 page book included with the vinyl box set of remasters in 2012) has now compiled the definitive book about the Beatles interviews and performances at the BBC called The Beatles: The BBC Archives 1962-1970:Beatles BBC cover-tiff

This stylishly produced hardcover book collects the surviving transcripts of the Beatles appearances on BBC Radio and Television from 1962 to 1970. It features commentary from Howlett, alongside some fantastic photographs and memorabilia from the BBC.

We’ve been given a sneak look at the book and will provide a full review soon.

Having had the opportunity to look through it we can confirm it is beautifully packaged and extensively researched. The Beatles: The BBC Archives 1962-1970 will become the definitive guide to a unique relationship between two cultural icons. It’s published next month by BBC Books in the UK, and by Harper Design in the US.

At John Lennon’s House – A New e-Book Translation

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A couple of weeks ago we were contacted by a Spanish publishing company called Hércules de Ediciones. They’ve just released an e-Book called At John Lennon’s House, by a woman named Rosaura López Lorenzo.

Rosaura was born in Spain but became the Lennon’s housekeeper at the Dakota Building in New York – a job she did for just on four years.

It should be said up-front that in writing this book financial profit was the last thing on Rosaura’s mind. She says on more than one occasion that she’s not doing it for any ulterior motives. After all, Rosaura kept her unique story quiet for nearly 25 years. It was only following a chance meeting with the journalist who helped her write down her story that she finally agreed to share her experiences with the rest of the world.

John Lennon's House-tiffJohn and Julian-tiff

When Rosaura first began work in Apartment 72 in the Dakota building she was completely unaware of the real significance and impact of Beatlemania. As a result she writes in a totally unaffected manner, and genuinely from the heart. She also says that she had Yoko Ono’s blessing to tell her story, and you have to believe her – such is her honesty in recounting what she experienced working in the Lennon’s Dakota apartments. Yes, that’s plural. One of the things we learn is that they owned and occupied at least four separate dwellings in the building. Here’s a photograph of Rosaura standing outside the Dakota:

Rosauradako350N

Many people would know about John’s time in the US in the late 70s. He’d retreated from public life. He’d all but retired from the music business. He was living happily and quietly in New York, bringing up his new baby son Sean, baking bread, and living the simple life. And we learn that it was Rosaura who taught him how to bake. Born and raised in the Spanish town of Pontevedra in Galicia, she grew up in a  bakery and really knew what she was doing. She recalls John saying that making bread to the ancient European tradition made him feel calm and peaceful. It’s simple observations like these which make this book so intriguing and endearing.

At the back of the book are many pages filled with photographs of Rosaura Lopez and her family. There are postcards and Christmas cards sent to her over the years by the Lennon’s.  And there are many photographs of her interacting with John, Yoko, Sean, and Julian Lennon, too. Rosaurasean400

Rosaura left the employ of John and Yoko abruptly, shortly before John’s murder in 1980. She says she was sacked by Yoko after a vicious spate of rumours spread about her by another nanny keen to get her own relatives employed in the house. Rosaura didn’t get the chance to explain or defend herself for eight years. It was a chance meeting on the streets of New York which brought her face-to-face once again with Yoko. That meeting opened the opportunity for a rapprochement. Later that day the two got to talk for hours and to finally make good a wrongful dismissal. This part of the story is told in full in the book.

Rosaura’s memoir has been available since 2005, but only in Spanish (as En Casa de John Lennon):En Casa de John LennonThis new English e-Book translation will bring her story to many new readers. In the hundreds of thousands of words written about John Lennon here is a genuinely new and different examination from someone on the very inside of the Lennon household.

I have been browsing through the book and enjoying it a lot. It’s a very interesting and sweet little book and not at all voyeuristic. Rosaura has achieved an honest and open account of a unique period in her life – working for one of the most famous families in the world. She does it with integrity. It is well worth a read.

If you have Apple iBooks you can download At the House of John Lennon in English at iTunes here.

It is also available as a Kindle book on Amazon here.

Rosauraimagine350

Lewisohn’s New Beatles Book – One Month to UK Release

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It is one month today until the official UK release of respected Beatle historian, Mark Lewisohn’s first volume in his three-part complete history of the band.

Volume One is called The Beatles All These Years: Tune In.

Beatles Tune In

Hmmm. Still not sure about that cover.

There are three videos about All These Years: Tune In on YouTube – the first a short introduction to the book:

The second a longer interview with Lewisohn about why he wrote the book and why it is important:

The third explains where the book begins:

There will be two versions in the UK. The “trade” or standard, single book edition of 960 pages, and a deluxe, extended edition across two books totalling 1728 pages and featuring many extra words and photographs. The special edition consists of “….two individual hardbacks printed on New Langely Antique Wove wood free paper, with red-and-white head and tail bands and red ribbon marker. The two books will sit within a specially designed box and lid featuring soft touch and varnish finishes.” Both are published by Little Brown.

Then there will be the US edition – just a single volume of 944 pages has been announced so far and with a different cover:Lewisohn Beatles USA

The book comes out in the USA on October 29 and is published by Crown Archetype, a subsidiary of Random House.

It looks like it’ll be a landmark publication – one I’ll be keen to read and have in the collection.

A New Beatles Book – Beatles With an A: Birth of a Band

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A brand new hard-back book about the Beatles arrived at Beatles Blog this week – and it came all the way from Finland. Beatles with an A-tiff

Beatles with an A: Birth of a Band is the newest creation of bestselling Finnish author and illustrator Mauri Kunnas. It’s an “unauthorised biography” in the form of a graphic novel telling the story of the band’s humble beginnings – like it’s never been seen or heard before.

The book follows the Beatles and a full cast of mates and family members as they make their way from the Casbah to the Cavern Club, from empty halls in the Highlands to the packed clubs of Hamburg, through every name and line-up change until their first Number One song (Please Please Me from 1963).

Mauri has been a fan for 50 years, and his thorough research and love for the band shines throughout the story with its amazing details, hilarious tales, and some raunchy bits, too.

You can sample seven or so pages here if you’d like, or another five slightly different pages here.

Thanks to Otava Publishing for sending this very interesting and different Beatles biography through. You can order it here. The book is produced in a high quality hardback format with good, old-fashioned production values and a dash of style. Very nice.

Paul McCartney – In His Own Words

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Just got a copy of this double Paul McCartney CD set released by the BBC and AudioGO. It was a nice gift from a friend:In His Own Words front

It’s a double interview CD with lots of BBC radio and TV interviews with Paul McCartney and the title is In His Own Words issued by Audiogo in England. It takes material from the BBC Archives ranging from 1968 to 2009 including rare material from throughout his long-spanning career, delving into both his public and private life. McCartney talks about his early influences, song-writing and life as a Beatle. The band’s eventual break-up is covered, as is the forming of Wings.

BBC audiobooks are designed to give an insight into some of the major identities in British history. These interviews delve into the past and give the opportunity to put some context around the happenings in and around the group, as well as life post-Beatles. Here are two short extracts cut together to give you a taste. The first is Paul talking about meditation, and then songwriting and his relationship with the other Beatles:

[audio https://beatlesblogger.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/media_downloadables_samples_9781408497395.mp3]

In His Own Words RearAt both the US and the UK sites this appears to be available as both a digital download and a hard-copy CD, which is what we have here.

In His Own Words CD1In His Own Words CD2

AudioGo have also got a couple of John Lennon titles. There’s a similar-looking set also called In His Own Words which I’ll have to keep an eye out for:Lennon in his own words

They also have a HUGE book reading of a Lennon biography. It’s author Philip Norman reading his Lennon – The Life. Like Norman’s book, it is big!  Volume 1 takes up no less than 16 CDs and runs 18 hours and 32 minutes:Lennon Norman 1

And Volume 2 is 12 CDs, running time just a little bit shorter: 14 hours and 10 minutes….Lennon Norman 2