Beatles '66: The Revolutionary Year and The Beatles: Off The Record
Antonio G. Pereira © 2019 Antonio G. Pereira
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British music journalist Steve Turner has come up with quite an interesting book here. In 'Beatles '66: The Revolutionary Year'
https://www.amazon.com/Beatles-66-Revolutionary-Steve-Turner/dp/0062475487 Turner has (beginning the book with the often forgotten Dec. 1965 UK Tour) chronologically done his homework, and covered every aspect of The Beatles career for the year 1966; with carefully placed rare historical photographs as illustrations. (The Picture Research he has done for this book is incredible!) While he has done a remarkable and frankly admirable job recreating The Beatles lives from this era of the mid sixties in detailed fashion, all is not roses as shown in other areas. His statement (referring to The Beatles opposing the war in Vietnam) "At the time few thought show business people were qualified to comment on complex issues of foreign policy." Has the author never heard of Paul Robeson (
https://observer1984.blogspot.com/2018/04/the-undiscovered-paul-robeson-artists.html or read Marlon Brando's autobiography, 'Songs My Mother Taught Me'?
https://www.amazon.com/Brando-Songs-My-Mother-Taught/dp/0679410139 His statement that The Beatles never released covers of other people's songs as singles? One of their successful Capitol singles of 1964, was a cover of Chuck Berry's 'Roll Over Beethoven'! (Roll Over Beethoven b/w Please Mr. Postman Capitol 45 RPM no. 172133) Ravi Shankar, though a legendary and influential East Indian musician
https://www.amazon.com/Shankar-Concerto-Sitar-Orchestra-Ravi/dp/B00000K2L2 when discussing East Indian music, nevertheless needed more education when discussing Jazz. Although Ravi and John Coltrane were friends, he had no understanding of what Coltrane was doing or why. And I wonder what Duke Ellington would have said about Ravi's flippant statement about Jazz in this book, as Ellington (besides having recorded a gorgeous album with John Coltrane -
https://www.amazon.com/Duke-Ellington-John-Coltrane/dp/B000003N7R ), traveled, performed, and recorded in India, years before Ravi became a household name in the West; after his explosive performance with master of the tabla and bayan, Alla Rakha, and accompanist Kamala Chakravarty on tambura, at the 1967 Monterey Pop Festival.
https://bluerhythm.wordpress.com/2011/06/12/incredible-ellington-in-india-pt-i/ Turner's stories about Swami Vivekananda and Paramahansa Yogananda (which relates to George Harrison's growing interest in East Indian Culture, after the 1966 American Tour) continually remind me of subtle colonialist thinking lurking in the background. To make a long story short, Turner might want to see the movie, 'Mississippi Masala', starring Denzel Washington. And while he's about that, check out a largely marginalized and buried in history East Indian Political Figure named Chandra Bossa.
But with all of that said, I must say that I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. For it's historical significance alone, Steve Turner has written a book that every Beatle fan on the planet should have in their collection. Highly recommended.
Keith Badman's book, 'The Beatles: Off The Record'
https://www.amazon.com/Beatles-Off-Record-Keith-Badman/dp/184772101x is an interesting idea, remarkable for the wealth of information he has painstakingly collected. Wether it's rare interviews or newspaper or magazine articles (which at the time had limited circulation) Keith Badman has dug up amazing information. I must say, I was astounded by the quote by John Lennon's friend Pete Shotton, which elaborated on what Lennon had hinted at during the Rolling Stone 'Lennon Remembers' interviews, where John mentioned Brian Epstein robbing The Beatles. On page 261 in the Jan. 27th entry of the 1967 section of 'The Beatles: Off The Record', Shotton mentions that in 1966 while renegotiating The Beatles recording contract with Capitol (U S A) and EMI (U K ), Epstein stuck in a clause (which John, Paul, George and Ringo were not aware of when they subsequently signed it), stipulating that 25% of their royalties were to be automatically siphoned off by his own company NEMS; through the year 1976. (For what subsequently happened (in detail), read Fred Goodman's excellent book, 'Allen Klein: The Man Who Bailed Out The Beatles, Made The Stones, And Transformed Rock& Roll'
https://www.amazon.com/Allen-Klein-Bailed-Beatles-Transformed/dp/0544705017 I want to also mention that Fred Goodman in turn, made reference to Chris O' Dell's memoir (with Katherine Ketcham), 'Miss O' Dell: My Hard Days and Long Nights With The Beatles, The Stones, Bob Dylan and Eric Clapton', as having some of the best writing about Apple Records. He was absolutely right!)
https://www.amazon.com/Miss-ODell-Nights-Beatles-Clapton/dp/1416590943
The acknowledgements section in 'The Beatles: Off The Record', is pretty impressive, although, I notice a sprinkling of some Thatcher era 'I'm an instant expert and rock historian, who produces instant scholarship, even though 'I guess' that's what happened back in the sixties', characters and pop up opportunists, from Thatcher era start up look alike publications. And thus begat Marketing with Sensationalist (and salacious) titillation (with as much subtle suggestive negativity as possible), through Networking Pontification of biblical proportions; for name recognition, money and profit.
However, getting back to the book at hand, there are many examples throughout, that spotlight other things that occurred during The Beatles unprecedented popularity. Hunter Davies, the author of The Beatles Authorized Biography, talks frequently about facts that were left out of the original publication in 1968. And some might raise an eyebrow as to why and whom influenced these decisions. Particularly poignant in 'Off The Record', are the reminiscences by a young Beatle Fan (pages 295-297) named Frank Lawson, of meeting John Lennon on August 9th of 1967, when visiting him at his home in Kenwood. And Lennon's kindness to he and other Fans in his Garden, on that bright Summer Afternoon. There are photographs that Frank Lawson took that day, with moving explanations of them, in one of the four excellent photographic sections throughout the book. Then there is The Beatles involvement with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, later that month of August, that coincided with the sudden death of Brian Epstein, and culminated with an unhappy ending in Rishikish in 1968; and of course the subsequent 1968 Beach Boys/Maharishi Concert Tour in the U.S., that soon became a running joke, as The Beach Boys quickly found themselves becoming an oldies act. (You can view some photographic evidence of this ludicrous association in Linda McCartney's second collection of her historical photographs, the book 'Linda McCartney's Sixties: Portrait Of An Era'.)
https://www.amazon.com/Linda-McCartneys-Sixties-Portrait-Era/dp/082122056x Surprisingly, it is George Harrison who sums up that whole period, with his direct unflattering comments referring to The Beach Boys/Maharishi Concert Tour; in the May 22nd entry, in the 1968 section of, 'The Beatles: Off The Record', on page 364. Then we have the idealistic concept of Apple Records, presented in the U.S. by John and Paul, during the late Spring of 1968, with some pretty informative interviews with journalists (although, the New York Press Conference had a weird atmosphere - see my Q&A with photographer Elliot Landy
https://observer1984.blogspot.com/2012/12/woodstock-vision-live-at-fillmore-east.html ) and on more sympathetic ground, on local Public Television Channel 13, as well as with journalist Larry Kane (you can view his entire interview on the complimentary DVD included in Larry Kane's book, 'Lennon Revealed'.
https://www.amazon.com/Lennon-Revealed-Larry-Kane/dp/0762429666 ) ; but culminating with a shaky appearance on The Tonight Show with an unprepared host subbing for Johnny Carson (Joe Garagiola) and an obviously drunken and way past her prime movie and theatre actress (Tallulah Bankhead), shortly before her death, along with a Broadway play that bombed. Apple of course, started off well, and besides producing wonderful records by The Beatles themselves, also started the careers of (and in one case, enhanced and highlighted the career of Billy Preston - already an established sideman and keyboard prodigy, on the Gospel and R&B Circuit) some very talented artists. Among them, Mary Hopkin, James Taylor, and Badfinger. However, Apple ended up becoming a nightmare. Vis-a-Vis The Apple Boutique, the laughable Electronics Division, headed by Alexis (Magic Alex) Mardas, some invited guests who ended up being more trouble than they were worth (The Hell's Angels), disappearing stock in the Apple Building (i.e. lead piping, liquor, records, company cars), a horrendous phone bill etc.... This book pretty much gives you a blow by blow picture, as the idealistic concept of Apple Records disintegrates underneath The Beatles, and finishes with Paul publicly announcing he was leaving the group in 1970. This is a very good reference book to have. Recommended!
Enjoy this additional booklet with colour photographs!
Artwork and booklet can be downloaded here.
And this Historical Footage:
http://www.beatlesondvd.com/
