Biographies
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Rock stars and their fans enjoy a peculiar relationship and this was never more true than what the Beatles endured during the height of Beatlemania. In All Our Loving: A Beatles Fan’s Memoir, Carolyn Lee Mitchell shares her memoirs of being a huge Beatles fan. From leaving her Canadian home to be closer to the Beatles in London, to the screams and fainting, Beatles fans will love this thorough reminder of what life was like in the 1960s. It also features eight pages of photos of the four lads from Liverpool. | |||||||
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John, Paul, George . . . and Pete. Few people know much about the Beatles original drummer, Pete Best. His career with the Beatles spanned the riotous Hamburg club days, and the zenith of the Cavern gigs, only to be cut short just before the group hit the big time. His book gives a unique insight into the formative years of the world's greatest pop group. | |||||||
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Meet the Beatles - John, Paul, George, and Ringo! In the early sixties, these happy-go-lucky mop-top musicians from Liverpool formed a band. Their albums - from A Hard Day's Night, Help, and Rubber Soul, to Sgt. Pepper's, The White Album, and Abbey Road - forever changed the face of rock music and pop culture. Everyone has a favorite Beatle, and this book, full of fascinating Beatles facts and photos, covers the life of each of the fab four, from his childhood through Beatledom to solo career. |
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Reissued to mark the 30th anniversary of The Beatles' first Top-20 hit, this biography is based on the author's 18 months with the group in 1967/8. It present manuscripts of the songs, family photographs, an account of how and why they parted, and a look at their solo careers and Lennon's death. | |||||||
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The career of the Beatles, England's and probably the world's most famous rock'n'roll musical group of the 1960s, has interested a wide variety of people from journalists to rock historians, from popular writers to the American public. In this one-volume reference book, McKeen traces the Beatles' career from the first American appearance in a film clip on the Jack Paar show in 1964 to their breakup in 1970. The first part of the book contains a biographical essay, and chapters on the group's work - albums, films, performances, their influence on popular culture and a summary of what happened to John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr after the dissolution of the group in 1970. Part 2 continues with reference material, a discography, a bibliography and a list of concerts, television appearances and film performances. The final chapter is a chronology of events from 1940-1970. This book is a resource for courses in Rock Music, Popular Music and Introduction to Music. It is also a useful reference book for rock historians and Beatle fans. | |||||
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Do John Lennon and Paul McCartney really belong up there in the Serious Music pantheon with the likes of Alban Berg, Igor Stravinsky, and Richard Strauss? The editors of the Phaidon 20th-Century Composers series obviously think so. What's more, author Allan Kozinn makes a strong scholarly case for the Beatles, who in a stunningly short time moved from fairly basic, four-chord ditties to musically sophisticated compositions that hold up well to the present day. Kozinn, a classical music critic for the New York Times, is also a long-time Beatles aficionado who knows the difference between the stereo and monophonic versions (sometimes an extra "woo" creeps in) of the early songs. He appreciates them both as pop phenomenon and musical pathfinders, and his writing is consistently top-notch. As with all the Phaidon books in this series, there are no musical examples given, but Kozinn does a superb job within the restrictions of the series' format. Beatles fans will want to own this one, and classical music lovers interested in understanding the phenomenon might also give it a try. | |||||||
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The author/illustrator for the highly successful Getting to Know the World's Greatest
Artists series lends his creative talents to another fun, informative series, this one
featuring world famous composers. In the 1960's, the "Fab Four" were the most famous musical artists in the world. Their songs remain among the best-written and most popular rock-and-roll songs ever. |
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People whose power, influence, or perseverance have changed the world are the subjects of
these candid biographies, which stress the impact of these individuals on the course of
20th-century events. Each book includes a bibliography and an index. Liverpool. The Mersey Beat. The Cavern. Twist and Shout. Hamburg. Mop Tops. She Loves You, Yeah Yeah Yeah. Ed Sullivan Show. Help! Shea Stadium. Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds. All You Need is Love. The Maharishi. Helter Skelter. Yellow Submarine. Yoko and Linda. Abbey Road. Let It Be. Readers will find all this and more in this lively biography of the Beatles. |
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The story of the Beatles has become an industry in and of itself, and why not? Out of the chaos of twentieth-century history, it is a miracle that those four young men found one another at all, but then, maybe not. Pritchard and Lysaght lay out, once again, the story of the very human events, turns, and twists that led the talented four into history. Reading this delightful book, presented in Ken Burns-like documentary style, for which principal players in the development of the Beatles were extensively interviewed, each adding just the right amount of additional information about who John, Paul, George, and Ringo were at any given time--not to mention valuable insight into the forgotten other Beatles of early days, Pete Best and Stuart Sutcliffe--should conjure no small degree of joy and excitement. Once opened, this book will induce something close to the feeling of waiting for Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band to get on with the show. | |||||
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This extraordinary project has been made possible because Paul McCartney, George Harrison
and Ringo Starr have agreed to tell their combined story especially for this book.
Together with Yoko Ono Lennon, they have also made available the full transcripts
(including all the outtakes) of the television and video series The Beatles Anthology.
Through painstaking compilation of sources worldwide, John Lennon's words are equally
represented in this remarkable volume. Furthermore, The Beatles have opened their personal
and management archives specifically for this project, allowing the unprecedented release
of photographs which they took along their ride to fame, as well as fascinating documents
and memorabilia from their homes and offices. What a book The Beatles Anthology is! Each page is brimming with personal stories and rare vintage images. Snapshots from their family collections take us back to the days when John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Richard Starkey were just boys growing up in Liverpool. They talk in turn about those early years and how they came to join the band that would make them known around the world as John, Paul, George and Ringo. Then, weaving back and forth, they tell the astonishing story of life as The Beatles: the first rough gigs, the phenomenon of their rise to fame, the musical and social change of their heyday, all the way through to their breakup. From the time Ringo tried to take this drum kit home on the bus to their much anticipated audience with Elvis, from the making of the Sgt. Pepper album to their last photo session together at John's house, The Beatles Anthology is a once-in-a-lifetime collection of The Beatles' own memories. Interwoven with these are the recollections of such associates as road manager Neil Aspinall, producer George Martin and spokesman Derek Taylor. And included in the vast array of photographs are materials from both Apple and EMI, who also opened their archives for this project. This, indeed, is the inside story, providing a wealth of previously unpublished material in both word and image. Created with their full cooperation, The Beatles Anthology is, in effect, The Beatles' autobiography. Like their music has been a part of so many of our lives, it's warm, frank, funny, poignant and bold. At last, here is The Beatles' own story. 340,000 words and over 1300 images including unseen photographs and personal memorabilia. |
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Ken Mansfield can write authoritatively about the music business of the sixties and the Beatles because he was there in the midst of it - making it happen. As a young record label executive at Capitol Records, the Beatles were his clients, and they became his friends. When the lads from Liverpool began their own record label, Ken Mansfield became the first American manager of Apple Records. The Beatles, the Bible, and Bodega Bay contains his reflections on those heady days of the Beatles era, including his personal recollections of the members of the Beatles and personal reflections and commentary on the times and the people. But that is only part of the story. Ken Mansfield reconstructs his journey of discovery that led him to faith. His personal reflection on the Bible and his faith bring the narrative into the present tense and places everything into perspective. A life that has seen the wealth and power that fame and fortune can offer, now reflects on the inescapable spiritual realities, tying together The Beatles, the Bible, and Bodega Bay. | |||||||
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The Beatles' evolution from a Liverpool rock'n'roll group into one of the 20th century's defining images has been repeatedly chronicled but rarely analyzed. This is a critical appreciation of their music and career, and the issues and debates they provoked. The volume provides a sustained investigation of some of the many historical, cultural, musical and sociological facets of the group's career. | |||||||
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Thirty-one years after the Fab Four disbanded, Beatlemania continues in full swing. The group's latest CD, 1, is one of the fastest-selling records in history; their biography, Anthology, is a bestseller; and a new generation is falling under their spell. By analyzing the Beatles' extraordinary journey, Larry Lange has discerned specific principles that illustrate how to live more profound, richer, and happier lives. These principles include harnessing the power of dreaming, learning to set and meet goals, dealing with fear of the unknown, working as a team while remaining self-sufficient, keeping dreams fresh, and remaining open to spirituality and social responsibility. The book offers these principles of success and the exuberance of the Beatles as an alternative to traditional personal growth books. | |||||||
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A highly entertaining insight into the Merseybeat music scene in the early days in Liverpool. In no way is The Birth of the Beatles 'just another Beatles book'. Sam Leach, the author is too much of a character for that. As one of Liverpool's leading promoters when Merseybeat and the Beatles were rocking the clubs of Liverpool but had not yet exploded onto the world, Sam was a great friend and supporter of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Pete Best, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. The first chapter will have you in tears, the subsequent chapters in fits of laughter. The whole book will transport you back in time to an era when anything was possible and it was all to play for. | |||||
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It isn't just a chance occurrence that makes a group as successful as the Beatles. The late Brian Epstein rode the wave of fame with the Beatles as their manager. In his honest look at life with the Beatles phenomenon, Epstein relates the crazy times and the wild ride of his life in this long out-of-print collection of his memoirs. Follow his journey as he transformed the group from an R'n'B cover band into the world's most popular rock group until he died of a tragic overdose in 1967. With its unique snapshot-in-time perspective, A Cellarful of Noise is a valuable window into an exciting period of history. | |||||
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Without the determination, magnetism, vision, good manners, respectable clothes
and financial security of Brian Epstein, no one would ever have heard of John, Paul,
George, and Ringo. In Liverpool, in December 1961, Brian Epstein met the Beatles in his
small office and signed a management deal. The rest may be history, but it's a history
that Epstein created, along with a blueprint for all pop groups since. Out of the public eye, Epstein was flamboyant and charismatic. He drank, gambled compulsively and took drugs to excess. But people remember his wit, charm and capacity to inspire affection and loyalty. That's when he wasn't depressed, even suicidal. Epstein was Jewish in a society filled with anti-Semitism. He was homosexual at a time when it was a crime to be gay, and from his teenage days to the end of his life he suffered arrests, beatings and blackmail-all of which had to be kept secret. This book tells the story of Epstein's complicated life through the reminiscences of his friends and family. Based on dozens of interviews-with Paul McCartney, George Martin and Marianne Faithfull, among others-plus many of Epstein's personal diaries, this book uncovers the truth behind the enigmatic young man who unintentionally caused a cultural revolution-and in the process destroyed himself. |
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How the Beatles became a touchstone of our culture, as told by 70 voices. Since uttering their first "yeah yeah yeah", the Fab Four have been part of our consciousness. IN MY LIFE brings together fiction, recollections, and poetry in which the Beatles and their songs play a pivotal role, showing how the Beatles have affected us all through their incredible music, astonishing inventiveness, and infectious sense of humor. | |||||||
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This book is the ultimate and exclusive resource for anybody interested in the clash
between the gentle citizens of “Pepperland” and the hated “Blue
Meanies” who threatened to rob the world of its color and music. Until now, very little true research has ever been done about this memorable achievement in The Beatles’career. This book reveals countless facts about the movie from the man who has met with nearly everyone associated with the film. It includes photos depicting scenes and characters from the movie, as well as candid shots of many behind-the-scenes people. Featuring original art from the movie, an introduction by Sir George Martin (The Beatles’ producer) and a foreword by Erich Segal (scriptwriter of the movie), this amazing book is for any fan of The Beatles’ music, movies or animation. Dr. Robert Hieronimus, a noted Beatles fan and historian, is the authority on Yellow Submarine. • Includes many colorful slides depicting scenes and characters from the
movie |
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John Lennon and Paul McCartney were the songwriting team that fueled the Beatles, the most
popular musical group in history. Their collaboration changed the music industry,
redefined popular culture, and influenced countless superstars of today. The highly successful "Partners" concept (double biographies of successful pairs) is now available for older readers. Perfect for report writers, these biographies offer students an exciting and innovative way to explore the creative process and the value of teamwork. The dynamics of these famous partnerships illustrate the value of cooperation, compromise, and perseverance. |
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If ever there was a seminal moment in modern music it must surely have been a sunny
afternoon in 1957. As so often happens important moments in history take place away frmo
the light of public scrutiny and often are left to the speculations of latter day
scholars. Fortunately for music fans and historians alike Len Garry was there. Not seeing it through the eyes of a jaded critic but with the perspective of optimistic youth. More than a casual observer, Len Garry was a significant participant at the birth of a phenomenon. At the age of fourteen he was to witness the first stirrings of this century's greatest song-writing team. As "Tea-chest bass" player in the "Quarrymen" Len was an enthusiastic accomplice in events which so many others have speculated about. He was there sharing the same stage with John Lennon and Paul McCartney when they gave their first concert together. He was in the same small backstage dressing room when Lennon and McCartney were first introduced and Paul showed John how to play guitar chords. Through a boisterous couple of years Len shared everything with the young John Lennon, from cigarettes to musical ideas, from teenage school pranks to girlfriends. Relating the years before the legends were born, John Paul and Me is a highly personal documentary, a crystal-clear trip back through time to when John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Len Garry and their friends were nothing more than a group of optimistic teenagers with ambition in their eyes and music in their hearts. |
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Liverpool, The 5th Beatle, An African-American Odyssey is a perspective on the rise of the Liverpool Mersey Sound and the Beatles by someone who drank in the same pubs and played in the same clubs as the Beatles. Mr. Pitts delves much deeper than the average rock journalist to present an amazingly original comparison of Liverpool with Black America of the 1950s and '60s, giving us an insight into how the social and musical conditions in our Black-American community found a direct heart-beat amongst the Liverpool youth who were singularly responsible for the rise of the Mersey Sound and the incredible success of the Beatles. Not only is his book inspiring to minority groups throughout America, but his novel insight into the Beatles and the ghetto conditions in which the Mersey Sound began has stirred avid interest in people of all ages who are mesmerized by the truth behind the Beatles' legend. | |||||
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When American teenager Richard DiLello wandered into the Beatles' Apple building in 1968, he was immediately appointed "house hippie." He began making tea, rolling joints, and listening to dozens of demo tapes. By the time Apple crumbled a few years later he was director of public relations. Along the way he noted many of the stoned conversations he heard and the insane bits of business he witnessed: one-man bands auditioning in the reception area, Hell's Angels taking over Saville Row, and the Beatles playing on the roof. Full of period detail, with a riotously colorful cast of characters, The Longest Cocktail Party is fast-paced and funny but also manages to be immensely poignant about the demise of the Fab Four and the death of the '60s dream. | |||||||
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The story of how legendary impresario Sid Bernstein brought the Beatles to America, and his association with the show business greats of our time. | |||||
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The Quarrymen were a six man skiffle group formed by the young John Lennon. Soon eclipsed by the Beatles, the group was disbanded and the five other members largely forgotten. This account traces the lives of each band member, told in counterpoint to the fortunes of the Beatles over the years. |
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From
their primitive first chords to the huge success of the Beatles Anthology, the
Beatles have been an integral part of our culture and our consciousness for over
thirty-five years. Shout! The Beatles in Their Generation tells the extraordinary
story of the rise of four scruffy boys from Liverpool to beings more adored, more
influential -- and in many ways more troubled --than any in the history of popular
entertainment. It is also a penetrating social history of our time, based on an incredible
wealth of material -- eyewitness accounts, interviews, stories withheld from the press and
public -- that was available exclusively to the author. Rich in detail, anecdotes, and background, with 100 stunning photographs, Shout! takes us from the wild, often comical days at the beginning in Liverpool to the life and death of Stu Sutcliffe, the brilliant boy known as the "fifth Beatle"; from the psychedelic triumph of Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band to the band's embrace of Indian music and spirituality; from the brilliantly unified sounds of Abbey Road to Paul's desperate attempts to form a final comeback concert. |
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