Do we need another Beatles book?
There have been at least ten thousand books written about The Beatles since the first authorised biography by Hunter Davies. It was Hunter Davies who suggested Liverpool Footballer Albert Stubbins be included on the cover of Sgt Pepper.
There have been many excellent books; The very popular and unauthorised "Shout" by Philip Norman was written without the help of The Beatles. Ray Connelly has published several biographies of John Lennon, apart from his many interviews and articles with and about The Beatles.
Barry Miles “Many Years From Now” which is a Paul McCartney biography that is regarded by many fans as an autobiography because of Barry’s long and close relationship with Paul.
The main reference books for Beatle fans are the books of Mark Lewisohn, from his first book “The Beatles live” which set out every live Beatles performance to “The Complete Beatles Recording Sessions” and “The Complete Beatles Chronicle” Mark is known for his meticulous research. Paul McCartney has been known to ring Mark Lewisohn to check what he was doing on a particular date. Mark Lewisohn is at present working on what he believes will be the ultimate Beatles biography, a three volume definitive Beatles history, the first volume is scheduled to be published in 2011.
The Beatles even published a sanitised Anthology in 2000. How accurate “The Beatles Anthology” is, can be judged by the fact that the man The Beatles called “Mr Fixit” Alistair Taylor, who was there from the start, he was with Brian Epstein when he first went to see The Beatles in The Cavern. He was General Manager at Apple, until he was unceremoniously sacked in 1968 when Allen Klein took control of Apple. Alistair Taylor took care of all the arrangements for The Beatles, he arranged the getaways from concerts, their holidays, he was their Tour Manager before the title had been invented. Alistair Taylor does not even get a mention in “The Beatles Anthology” maybe The Beatles felt guilty.
“Merseybeat” founder Bill Harry has also produce prestigious volumes about The Beatles as a group and individual band members, his most recent being “In My Life, Lennon’s Liverpool” to coincide with John Lennon’s 70th Birthday.
Radio Merseyside’s Spencer Leigh has written many Beatles related books from “Lets go down The Cavern” a superb reference book to the bands that played The Cavern to his in-depth “The Cavern, the most famous club in the world” published in 2008. As well as volumes about The Beatles on record and the sacking of Pete Best “Drummed Out” Spencer’s most recent book is the story of Billy Kinsley “It’s the love that really counts”
There have been some stinkers; one “The Book of Beatles Lists” had so many mistakes in it that I wrote to the publishers asking them to reclassify the book as a work of fiction not a reference book.
I have many Beatles books and I must admit that Beatle books are coming out so fast that I felt that soon Beatle books will out number Elvis impersonators. I no longer buy a new Beatles book, I have picked up some bargains at The Book Clearance Shop in St Johns Market, but I don’t go out of my way to buy new Beatle books.
To be honest I felt that there is not a lot more to be said about The Beatles, whole forests have been decimated to provide paper for books, magazines and newspapers to print Beatle stories.
Then our daughters presented me with a copy of David Bedford’s “Liddypool, Birthplace of The Beatles” because they thought that I would like it.
This is a different book on The Beatles in Liverpool, I do not think that there is a fact about The Beatles that David has missed and I have searched the book to find one. David grew up in The Dingle and as he puts it he was surprised at “how much history there was in his own backyard”
In 2000 David was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia, an incurable condition that is characterised by chronic pain, fatigue and short-term memory loss among other symptoms. David was forced to take early retirement and give up playing golf and football. With time on his hands David read Bill Harry’s “John Lennon Encyclopaedia” This lead to him reading more about The Beatles, an interest originally sparked by being given a guitar and Beatles songbook when he was ten years of age.
One of the frustrations of his illness was that by the time he read twenty pages and had forgotten what he had read, so to keep his mind active he started writing down notes about locations he wanted to visit and photograph. One problem David came across was that each book he read had different information. He resolved to research The Beatles in Liverpool and find the correct answers to his questions, about this time David started contributing articles to the British Beatle Fan Club magazine about Liverpool.
David interviewed people who had never spoken about their Beatle connections; one was Ringo’s childhood friend Marie Maguire, who lived opposite Ringo at number 10 Madryn Street.
He checked, wrote and photographed, his research grew and grew; eventually David was approached and asked to publish the results of all his very hard work.
“Liddypool, Birthplace of The Beatles” is not just another Beatles book, it is the definitive book about The Beatles in Liverpool, and in addition to David’s excellent photographs there are many photographs from the archives. From the life long fan to the person with a passing interest in The Beatles to the student or if you just want to know what lead to Beatlemania, invest in this lavish Beatles book. It is by far the best book that I have ever read about The Beatles in Liverpool.
If you want to know anything about The Beatles in Liverpool, go straight to David’s book, bypass the rest; this is the best, most comprehensive and detailed book that has yet been published.
Do we need another Beatles Book, yes we need "Liddypool".
For further information go to www.liddypool.com/
"It's a Wonderful Life"
(Thu 02/12)
TURN IT DOWN.
(Thu 11/11)
Do we need another Beatles book.
(Mon 11/10)
President or Pope, who is most welcome?
(Mon 16/08)
