Despite the fractured attention that The Beatles gave to the Yellow Submarine film project, the time spent on the whole thing was quite considerable, and when you realise just how much was indeed going on, it is a wonder that any time at all was spent on it by The Beatles.
John Lennon would could always be handed the opportunity to serve up some humour did so again with this Yellow Submarine Conduct Agreement. This was purely from his own fertile mind, so please enjoy, and only sign it if you wish to be fully committed.
This first-hand account of Debbie’s teen years frequenting and eventually helping to run the original Cavern Club is the authentic inside story of the Beatles launch pad, full of triumphs and failures – and surprise celebrity encounters.
£17.25Original price was: £17.25.£13.50Current price is: £13.50.
John Lennon’s life can be compared with the fast-paced energy of a circus – ROCK ’n’ ROLL CIRCUS! When he was on a project, he seemingly wanted to get it finished quickly and to move on to the next search to provide additional inspiration. Though he only lived for 40 years, he packed so many events into that restless spirit. He always seemed to be searching for the answers, looking for the NEXT BIG THING that could provide the proper responses to the timeless questions and uncertainties of life.
Though Paul McCartney was the true workaholic in the Beatles, constantly pushing them to continue recording new material, I personally believe it was John’s restless spirit in never accepting what he had done as having any consequence that helped the Beatles push the boundaries and why they are still relevant even today! That is why John and Paul’s chemistry was so important they complemented each other in a superb fashion.
In 1968, John began to get involved in projects not having a direct involvement with the other Beatles. One such project was the Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus in December of 1968 where John performed with a supergroup known as The Dirty Mac featuring John Lennon on rhythm guitar, Eric Clapton on lead guitar, Keith Richards on bass guitar and featuring Mitch Mitchell of the Jimi Hendrix Experience on drums. The group performed John’s song “Yer Blues” from the Beatles White Album. The groups 2nd song which was a jam number featured the Dirty Mac instrumentally backing Yoko Ono on vocals and also featured noted violinist Ivry Gitlis who recently passed away in November 2025 at the age of 98.
THE DIRTY MAC
The composition of the group the Dirty Mac has been open to some historical speculation. For example, I have read in an interview, that Stones bassist, Bill Wyman actually resented the fact that his bandmate Keith Richards ended up playing bass in the supergroup, insinuating that Keith pulled rank in order to secure the gig. After all bass was Bill’s natural and primary instrument! (Group politics, perhaps?)
Why this historical project languished unreleased and unseen for more than 20 years is unknown! Some people have speculated that the Stones were resentful of the Who’s dynamic performance on the show and that they feared they were being shown up. The Stones performance on the show would certainly serve to help dispute that theory, though the Stones did appear at the end of a very long night of performances! Perhaps it was legal entanglements that was the ultimate reason!
Thankfully, the owners of the film (ABKCO) eventually decided to issue this wonderful historical musical document!
Rolling Stones Rock n Roll Circus
One of my favorite books in my book collection is about the Rolling Stones Rock n Roll Circus that I purchased directly from one of the authors, Paul Skellett! The book featured the exquisite photos of renowned photographer, Michael Randolph.
This description from the Wellpoint website best describes the book:
DESCRIPTION Paul Skellett, Keith Badman, Michael Randolph – The Rolling Stones Rock n’ Roll Circus – Signed DELUXE Edition of 300 copies-PUBLISHER-Archivum, UK, 2017.This edition of the book will not be released in stores, so it will be another true collectible. It also comes in a presentation slipcase. In keeping with our policy of producing uniquely collectable books, none of our fan editions feature an ISBN number. One of 300 limited edition copies numbered D1-300 and signed by the authors, number unknown as still in shrink wrap This edition features 5 completely restored and remastered 11×11 inch photographic prints, created using a revolutionary and state of the art high definition printing process.
SYNOPSIS Archivum: Rock ‘n’ Roll Circus The Rolling Stones’ Rock ‘n’ Roll Circus- December 11, 1968: As seen through the lens of Michael Randolph…- An Archivum Production-The legendary portrait photographer, Michael Randolph had known The Rolling Stones since the early 1960s and on 11 December 1968, following an invitation by the group’s founding member, Brian Jones, he was able to visit the set of their latest venture, a big-top-themed concert which went by the name of The Rolling Stones’ Rock ‘n’ Roll Circus. The black & white images he took that day, over 200 in total, would become totally iconic.
Known for his excellent images of leading ladies such as Sophia Loren, Vanessa Redgrave, Dame Edith Evans and for his superb, behind-the-scenes photographs taken during the making of James Bond’s You Only Live Twice, Michael Caine’s Deadfall, and Simon Ward’s Young Winston, Randolph was the only recognized photographer at the event which, unbeknown to everyone at the time, would become the last time that some of the decade’s most famous and celebrated musical stars would gather to play together under one UK roof.
Legendary performers of the day, including Beatle John Lennon, Cream guitarist, Eric Clapton, The Who, Marianne Faithfull, Jethro Tull (featuring Black Sabbath’s Tony Iommi on guitar) as well as The Rolling Stones themselves were all captured by Randolph in pin-sharp quality. He managed to eavesdrop on them relaxing, rehearsing, and philosophising and witnessed first-hand, and up-close the performances, highlights of which included the “super group”, Dirty Mac, which comprised of Lennon, Clapton, Jimi Hendrix Experience’s drummer, Mitch Mitchell and The Stones’ Keith Richards.
The Rock ‘n’ Roll Circus was also the last time that Brian Jones was seen strumming his guitar in public. The years had not treated him well and he could hardly play anymore… and it showed. The images Randolph captured that day, in jaw-dropping quality, show him weary and lethargic. Thought lost for many years, 1991 saw the last publication of a selection of some of Randolph’s snaps.
Disgruntled by the inferior effort, “Badly designed, poorly reproduced” he thought, Randolph elected to place his original, priceless, highly-treasured negatives of that historic day into safe-keeping, deeming they will never see the light-of-day again. However, that changed in the Fall of 2014 when music historian, archivist and author, Keith Badman approached him with an idea to dust-down his most prized snaps and allow, for the first-ever, interested publishers to digitally restore them for a definitive publication of the event. After much deliberating, Randolph assented. His only caveats in agreeing to participate in such a project was that it will be of the highest possible quality and forever serve as the final, most definitive visual account of The Stones’ legendary event… and these releases are just that. Randolph’s images have never looked so good.An informative, behind-the-scenes account of the Circus film will accompany the images. As with any great show, the main event is supported by a wealth of talent that were in attendance.
The limited edition and signed book. I purchased my copy through Archivum and I have the last numbered and signed copyin my collection.
Rock ’n’ Roll Circus Photography
A few other products that were eventually released from this project…
The deluxe edition!
DELUXE EDITION FATURING MANY EXTRAS 2 DVDS AND 2 CDS-In my personal opinion this is the one you should have n your collection: This link is to the Rolling Stones website!
The description of the deluxe box set from the Rolling Stones website:
The Limited Deluxe Edition of The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus includes a Blu-ray and DVD release with stunning 4K restoration and Dolby Atmos Sound. This edition features a 2CD expanded soundtrack with bonus tracks, including newly discovered audio. The bonus material includes recordings by the late concert pianist Julius Katchen, three additional songs by Taj Mahal, and never-before-heard recordings of The Dirty Mac performing “Revolution” and “Warmup Jam.” The book accompanying the release contains David Dalton’s original 1969 Rolling Stone essay and on-set photographs by Mike Randolph. This edition is a must-have for fans and collectors of classic rock box sets
This print collection was from the UK company named TRACKS:
I purchased this smaller collection of photos from the UK company that specializes in Beatles-related memorabilia called Tracks! It featured many of the photographs of Michael Randolph this title!
One sample photo of Michael Randolph’s photography from my copy of the TRACKS photo book:
The Dirty Mac Drummer: Mitch Mitchell!!! Are You Experienced?
An item that I displayed before on another post. This is a drumhead signed by the Dirty Mac drummer, Mitch Mitchell who is now unfortunately deceased.
Noticed a few samples on YouTube featuring performances from the show and a rehearsal of Revolution
The certificate that accompanied my copy of the TRACKS Rock n Roll Circus collection of photos:
Que Pasa, New York?
The circus analogy that I attempted to draw at the beginning of this post involving the lives of John and Yoko did not disappear or wane upon their arrival in NYC in 1971. they had left England due in part to the constant attacks by the British press on Yoko Ono. John in his endless search for new inspiration, left his homeland, unfortunately never to return. John’s life to take many dramatic circus-like turns as he got heavily into the politics of the time and also faced the prospect of deportation due to his marijuana conviction in the UK. He also had marital problems with Yoko during the 18 month Lost Weekend!
Brian Hamill is one of my favorite people. I corresponded with him several times in 2022 when I learned he had a forthcoming book of photographs of John Lennon and Yoko Ono from the early to mid 70s coming out. I thank Brian for chronicling a segment of the Lennon’s experiences during that time.
Just prior to coming to America John recorded his classic album entitled Imagine. He was to do the string arrangements when he arrived in NY!This project began his professional involvement with Jack Douglas who he was later to have as a co-producer on Double fantasy in 1980!
The Very Sad Day…
A beautiful track that appeared on YouTube featuring Julian Lennon singing in a track written by Tomi Swick. The feeling of the song captures the essence of that fateful evening in NYC in December of 1980.
There have been many disputed discussions of John’s last 5 years of life when he withdrew from the music business and whether they were actually as peaceful as they have been portrayed. We will have to leave that up to the historians, it appears!
And in the End…
A play written by author James McLure that helps to capture the essence of that very complicated man who helped to change so many lives!
To close the circus-like analogy in describing John Lennon’s life, this song would be most appropriate:
The publisher, Genius Book Publishing, under the auspices of Steven and Leya Booth, have printed the new edition of this exhaustive Andru Reeve title, which initially came out in 1994.Steven’s company has produced many well-researched popular culture titles that serve academic interests. Other books deal primarily with the diverse entertainment features of popular culture in their subject matter. I have purchased several of Steven’s publications in the last couple of years and I have never been disappointed. Some of those titles appear in the third link provided below!
Whether you believe the Paul McCartney is dead rumor was a complete and fabricated hoax, a conspiracy theory, an intentional scheme by the Beatles to create an elaborate game of Clue in a Beatles Whodunit for their fans or a complete load of rubbish, one thing you cannot argue. The story surrounding this rumor in the last year of the 60s became a worldwide news story which travelled quickly across the world and managed to sell millions of Beatles records. It was a marketer’s dream. To me, that is what holds the fascination of this book for me. It attempts to and quite successfully I might add, to tell as much of the complete story surrounding this rumor as possible. I have stated before that I grew up in the 60s and I never believed the rumor but the clues being presented by the many fans who were captivated by the so-called evidence that was being presented was often captivating. It was a social or communal event for Beatles fans to share so-called clues with their friends that shared a common love for the band.
If the internet was available at this point in history, the era in which we currently live would not seem as dramatic or as hectic. Back in the 60s a conspiracy theory was considered to be the exception. In the present day, it is considered to be more of the norm, largely due to the dominance of social media! My favorite part of this book is the analysis by the author to explain the social reasons of why rumors begin, how they are reinforced, and how “some” of them fade into obscurity!
Back to the Egg: The Story of Wings’ Last Album (Milestones) Hardcover – 27 Oct. 2025 by Luca Perasi
I love the Beatles-related catalog of Italian author Luca Perasi. Here is his latest volume, the last Wings album, known as Back to the Egg. Hoping MPL will strongly consider releasing an Archive boxed set of this album in the near future. It simply has been too long since the last one was issued.
Through communication with noted Netherlands Beatles collector, Edward Eikelenboom, I was able to obtain a special signed edition copy of the new Luca Perasi Back To The Egg book. There were only 30 signed copies available of that edition.Edward was so kind in allowing me to purchase the last numbered and signed copy, copy number 30!
Luca’s written works and research are always first- class, so I strongly encourage you to check out the many other Beatles-related book titles he has authored.
Hope you enjoyed some of the details of the latest Luca Perasi book!
Highly recommend that you add it to your libraries!…
Be Healthy and Be Happy!
Buzz
OUR FEATURED CHRISTMAS GIFT IDEA – SIGNED PHOTOGRAPHS BY CHARLIE ROBERTS, THE QUARRYMEN AND JULIA BAIRD
The Quarrymen in Rosebery Street (B&W) – Signed Photograph
The very first photograph taken of John Lennon with The Quarrymen was on 22nd June 1957 in Rosebery Street, Liverpool 8. The photographer was Charlie Roberts, and he has this amazing photograph of The Quarrymen signed by himself, as well as Quarrymen Rod Davis, Colin Hanton, and Len Garry, plus John Lennon’s sister Julia Baird.
Just when you think that the market for Beatles-related books is beginning to slow down, you are quickly and happily brought back to reality with a multitude of books suddenly being issued and appearing in the marketplace!
An additional positive element to all of this is that the author of this new McCartney book has a proven track record with another Beatles-related book about Ringo Starr that was issued back in 2023.
It is my firm belief that this new book will be as exciting as the earlier work!
Amazon’s description of the new book:
“For over a decade, Paul McCartney worked on an elusive project that he never fully realized. Through the wildly popular Wings years of the 1970s and his life-altering moments of the early 1980s, McCartney worked on an album behind the scenes. Hidden from of all the number one hits and smash albums was a collection of songs very few knew about. McCartney is a proficient musician and he was seeking an outlet for his growing list of unreleased music. This book tells the story of all those unreleased songs and the years McCartney spent attempting to assemble the one album still missing today: Cold Cuts. This is the second book by Andrew James. The first, Drumming Is His Madness: The Ringo Starr Discography, published in 2023, is an extensive song by song look at Ringo’s entire solo music catalog.“
Ringo Starr, the famed drummer of the British rock band The Beatles, set the world ablaze in the 1960s. This Beatle status launched Ringo Starr into a solo music career that is still going strong to this day. It’s hard to fathom the number of books written about The Beatles. Books specifically about John Lennon, Paul McCartney or George Harrison are numerous too. Books about Ringo Starr are few and far between. Drumming Is His Madness: The Ringo Starr Discography sets its own path as a career-spanning dive into the music of Ringo Starr, from his first Beatles vocal in 1962 to his solo releases today in 2023 and everything in between. Packed with facts, this book seeks to cover every song Ringo Starr has recorded or participated in. Scores, ratings and reviews are included for curious listeners and die-hard fans alike to immerse themselves in Ringo’s catalog. Whether you are a long-time fan or you are new to Ringo’s music and are looking for someplace to start, Drumming Is His Madness: The Ringo Starr Discography is an indispensable volume for your music library.
Back cover of the book:
I have the Andrew James Ringo book as I purchased it as soon as it was released and if the Cold Cuts book is as good as his Ringo book, then I will be in seventh heaven. I have always been fascinated with the Cold Cuts history as a bootleg recording has been circulating for quite some time. Hope that Paul and MPL will strongly consider mining the unreleased recording archives as these recordings certainly deserve to be listened to and appreciated by a mass audience!
A special thanks to Andrew James for exploring the Colds Cut topic for us all in book form. I am looking forward to receiving my copy in the mail and also to Seamus Hayes, a great member of this blog who just informed me of this new book release, inspiring me to issue this blog post!
Knowing that Peter Jackson is currently working on a “MAL” corrected version of the Beatles at the Star Club recordings helped to serve as the inspiration for this post ABOUT THE BEATLES IN GERMANY!Peter, I sincerely hope you are successful in the task in being able to present the clear and vibrant live pre-famous Beatles to the world…
Several years ago, I remember seeing a boxset being advertised on the UK website named “TRACKS.” In the internet years I had purchased several wonderful items from the site. One item that caught my attention was the following boxset entitled: The Beatles in Germany! Being a Beatles print collector, the first draw to me was the wonderful booklet written by the late Tony Barrow former Beatles publicist discussing the Beatles relationship and links to Germany, and how important that country was in helping them to reach the top of the ladder of fame.
The booklet was to contain rare photographs taken of the Beatles in Germany including their last collective visit while touring in 1966. Then I learned that the boxset also contained a signed note of authentication from the noted Star Club house photographer Günter Zint, stating that the boxset contained an original piece of wood from the Star Club stage where the Beatles, Rory Storm and the Hurricanes, and so many other celebrities had played. Günter had personally removed the wood from the stage, and his story is reflected below in the authentication photo. That piece of history fascinated me and prompted me to pursue the item for the collection!
The Beatles In Germany Boxset
The actual box:
The booklet which contains Tony Barrow’s text as well as many photographs:
The Beatles In Germany Boxset
A sample page of Tony Barrow’s text:
A poster advertising Rory Storm and the Hurricanes and the Beatles at the Kaiserkeller!
Some of the credits from the credit page of the booklet:
Günter Zint’s signed note of authentication stating that he had removed the wooden stage boards from the original Star Club and that the box contained a piece of the original Star Club: Günter Zint took some of the best early photos of the Beatles in Germany during those very early years when the 60s had just begun. Little did we know what was to come…
Contents described on the envelope:
Maybe Ringo’s drumkit rested on this piece??? LOL!!!
Hope you enjoyed this quick trip to the Grosse Freiheit!!!!
See you next time.
Be Healthy and Be Happy!
Buzz
OUR FEATURED BOOK THIS WEEK
One Dream Ago
In 1964, The Beatles had their biggest reception ever, with 300 000 people lining the streets of Adelaide to see the band (minus Ringo). Adelaide and South Australia also had other (sometimes surprising) connections to The Beatles, many of which have never been written about before this book. One Dream Ago‘s striking cover artwork was created by Klaus Voormann.
