A couple of years ago I acquired this great signed photo by the late photographer, David Gahr. For background on this photographer, you can read his biography on Wikipedia:
David was a very prominent photographer who took pictures of many New York musicians over the years.
The signed photo that I acquired on Ebay was shot by Gahr in 1974. Gahr did a session with John in NY’s famed “Hell’s Kitchen.” I loved these series of shots by this photographer as the entire series of photos shot by Gahr highlight how comfortable John felt in NY with both the city and it’s people.
Photo by David Gahr
John Lennon by David Gahr
Someone’s in the Kitchen with Johnny:
Another David Gahr Photo of John
The photographer who took these shots, David Gahr pictured with John Lennon. Unfortunately I do not know who took this photo. If you can help with the details, please let us know in order that the post can be properly amended for acknowledgement!
Would love to see a book published one day containing David Gahr’s wonderful photos of John Lennon. David’s preference seemed to be with black and white photography which is a far more timeless format!
Do you have a favourite John Lennon photo? What is it?
Buzz
OUR FEATURED BOOK ON JOHN LENNON AT THE BEATLES BOOKSTORE
Just Like Starting Over: John Lennon and The Quarrymen
When John Lennon and his group The Quarrymen stepped onto the back of a wagon in Rosebery Street on 22nd June 1957, Charlie Roberts borrowed a camera and took a few photos of the event. It was just a group of friends having fun at a street party.
What Charlie didn’t know at the time was that he was capturing a piece of Beatles history. This was the first time that John Lennon had been photographed performing with his group. Skiffle was the new music and soon, John would meet Paul McCartney who would then introduce George Harrison to John.
THREE NEW BEATLES BOOKS AND A FEW OLDER TITLES FROM THE PAST AS WELL FROM ED DIECKMANN!!!
Ed Dieckmann in 2014 along with 2 other colleagues, founded a company called Apcor based in the Netherlands which has provided many entertaining Beatles product to many eager fans. To explore some of that history and some of the products that Apcor has issued, here is their website:
In late 2024 Ed Dieckmann, released three new Beatles related titles. These are featured at the beginning of the post followed by some of Ed’s ealier work, some of which was done with the collaboration of his noted colleagues.
The Beatles Discography Sweden
Privately published, 2024
This book gathers all of the vinyl records by the Beatles issued in Sweden. This 96 page book (softback) shows all of the singles, EPs and albums in full colour (with both sides of each cover and disc shown), with all known label variations, the maddening number of single sleeve colour variations, promos, test pressings and other interesting editions. With approximately 1,000 full colour images! Please note color and colour have different acceptable spellings of the word in Europe vs. the US)
The Beatles Discography Sweden
Ed Dieckmann’s signature and inscription on the book:
John, Paul, George, Ringo & Apple + Related Discography Sweden
Privately published, 2024
This book is the logical successor to The Beatles Discography Sweden. It gathers all of the ex-Beatles’ solo releases on vinyl (45s and LPs) manufactured in Sweden. Also, the (non-Beatles) Apple singles produced in this country are shown (no Apple LPs were made in Sweden). Moreover, all known cover versions of Beatles’ songs released between 1963 and 1970 are pictured (on 45s, EPs and LPs), both covers as well as labels. And as an extra there are all known novelty records on vinyl plus records which feature collaborations by any of The Beatles. Also, there’s a page with additional Beatles records which were discovered after Volume 1 was issued. Softback, 124 pages in full colour with more than 1,900 colour images! All records are shown with the front and rear sleeves and the labels of both sides.
John Paul George Ringo and Apple Discography Sweden
George Harrison, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr On Vinyl Singles In The U.K.
Privately published, 2024
This book gathers all of the vinyl records by the solo Beatles issued in the U.K.. This 148 page book (softback) shows all of the singles (on 7” and 12”) in full colour, with all known label variations, promos, demos, Record Store Day editions and other interesting editions. Approximately 2,000 full colour scans!
For those that may be interested in these great titles by Ed Dieckmann, here is a link to his fabulous APCOR organization and you can find many of his excellent books here:
A few Ed Dieckmann books from the past: Self-published book from 2004-Occasionally can be found on Ebay and Abe books: These wonderful books and discographies go out of print very quickly….
1996 -Out of Print (have seen a few copies on Ebay) Made in Holland: The Beatles: The Dutch Beatles Discography Author; Ed Dieckmann Publisher-Leenheer Records, 1996
Compiled by: Ed Dieckmann. Published by Franck Leenheer Records, The Netherlands. 1997-79 pages
Out of Print!(have seen a few copies on Ebay)
The crown book jewels so far from Apcor books. These 4 books are superb and are 4 of my favorite titles in my entire Beatles book collection. They are expensive but worth every penny. An excellent documentation of the history of the Beatles Apple organization. Finding the out of print titles is extremely difficult because they were of a limited edition. I recommend you keep a lookout on Ebay or Abe books for the out-of-print titles. It is the celebrated “A is for Apple” book series- Volumes 1-4
Volume 1:Axel Korinth, Ed Dieckmann, and Antonio Caroselli
Volume 2:Axel Korinth, Ed Dieckmann, Antonio Caroselli, and Sara Schmidt
Volume 3:Axel Korinth, Ed Dieckmann, and Antonio Caroselli
Volume 4:Axel Korinth, Ed Dieckmann, Antonio Caroselli, with a special contribution by Jim Powell
Hope you have enjoyed this discussion of some of the great Beatles-related product that originates from Europe…
BUZZ
OUR FEATURED BOOK FROM THE BEATLES BOOKSTORE
Any Rhyme At All
Any Rhyme At All is a book of poems written by a first generation Beatles Fan who grew up listening to their music and becoming a huge fan
Don’t panic, fellow Beatles book collectors. It is certainly not the last Beatles book but it is a wonderful new book by longtime Beatles fan and collector, Bill Last!
Looking forward to receiving my copy of this book which has just been published. Over the years, as a fellow collector I purchased quite a few rare items from Bill Last. To me personally, that was the first indicator to me of Bill’s great Beatles knowledge-base.The fact that he not only knew of the very rare Beatles-related items that I was looking for, but he already had them in his personal collection spoke volumes to me as the Beatles items I was looking for would only be known to hardcore Beatles fans. I was so happy to learn that he has recently published a new book which I can’t wait to obtain a copy of and that I KNOW will be very good!!!
This is the description and background information concerning the book which also appears on the back cover photo…
The Beatles Collected Videography is a comprehensive guide to collecting The Beatles group and solo videos from 1962–2024.
“Part checklist, part critical assessment, and balancing the scholastic and the fun, this Videography will be a welcome addition to many a Beatles fan and collector’s reference desk. Notice I didn’t say ‘bookshelf’, it’s not one you’re gonna display, it’s gonna be one you refer to… constantly.” Tom Frangione The Beatles Channel SiriusXM Radio
“Six decades after The Beatles invaded America, we still love all the music, laughs, joy, and memories they provide us. Part of that gift to the world was their great films and videos. I can say, without hesitation, that Bill Last has put out themost complete and well-assembled work on the subject of Beatles video. It’s a must-read for any Beatles fan and a crucial addition to any Beatles library.” Charles F. Rosenay !!! Liverpool Productions
About the Author Bill Last is a first generation Beatles fan and collector. He is a singer-songwriter, musician, producer, arranger, educator, and author. He did script research for the 1978 Stephen Spielberg executive produced film “I Wanna HoldYour Hand”, and provided videos for the 2007 release “Photograph, the Very Best of Ringo”. His column “The Last Word on Collecting” appeared for years in the Beatles fanzine Good Day Sunshine and currently in the fanzine Octopus’ Garden.
The front cover of the softcover book:
The Beatles Collected Videography
Back cover of the book which features endorsements from two very prominent Beatles fans, Charles Rosenay!!! and Tom Frangione!
The Beatles Collected Videography
Well the book has arrived with a nice personal message from the author: Thanks Bill!
Bill has always produced quality work in any pursuit he has undertaken. This book will also fall under that category!!!
BUZZ
FEATURED BOOK AT THE BEATLES BOOKSTORE
30 Minutes in Memphis
This coming of age story set against the turbulent backdrop of the mid-sixties American South is also an accurate chronicle of the Beatles’ final, tumultuous tour, and the year that changed them – and their music – forever.
Though not a Beatles-specific book per se, this is the new 2nd volume book from Italy that traces the history of underground or what is more commonly called as bootleg recordings. Authored by Fulvio Fiore and Alex Franchi, this is their latest title in a long line of very interesting books. The photographs provided here were taken by one of the authors, Alex Franchi and the book contains quite a bit of Beatles content. Want to make it absolutely clear that posting this book is in no way an endorsement or promotion of underground records, but they do exist, and they appeal to many collectors. This is a collected history of them. Copyright laws are more liberal in several European countries.
There has always been a lot of discussion from critics about the merits or lack thereof of the bootleg industry since their sale is strictly illegal. The collector and fans often take a different perspective seeing the availability of rare material from their idols or favorite artists that is not available elsewhere. I believe that the record companies could make the bootleg industry virtually disappear by catering to the fans interests as to what they would like to see properly issued. Marketing people in the various companies could certainly find a suitable way to not only present the material in the best possible sound quality, but to effectively promote it as well. Bob Dylan with his legally released Bootleg series seems to have found a good way to present his rare material for example.
Here is the text of what was recently sent to me and several of the photos provided for the post by Alex Franchi…
BOOTLEG – THE ILLUSTRATED HISTORY, PART 2
FROM THE DVD ERA TO ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (1998/2024)
By Fulvio Fiore and Alex Franchi
704 Pages, Isla Publishing 2025 / Release Date March 28th, 2025
For ordering or additional information about the book: soundlover30@hotmail.com
Hi READERS! Here we are with the follow-up book of the “Illustrated History of Bootlegs”, 700 pages in addition to the 630 pages of the previous work, all worth reading!
The book traces the period 1998-2024, twenty-six years of history and technological innovations (CDs, DVDs, recordable Blurays and AI), with world market opening sales, traditional and online, of the good old “bootleg” in all its new formats. From 2000 to 2010, DVD reigns supreme, with thousands of titles and new subjects, including the Dutch “The WOW Corporation” (over 500 DVDs in their catalogue). After a decade, however, the new medium is replaced again by the revived vinyl and heroic CD labels, the Japanese Tarantura and the Swedish Crystal Cat, the latter with a catalogue, up to 2024, of 1300 titles!
2024 is the year of “AI” boots, with the everlasting Beatles, Stones, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin and Springsteen reigning supreme and with the new idols of collectors Madonna, Adele and the latest acts like Taylor Swift.
And here the story ends, even if, 55 years later, bootlegs (despite everything) are still alive…
Here a few extracts on Beatles from the mammoth 700 pages.
Author Alex Franchi has informed me that this book is a limited edition of only 50 copies!
This is one of the favorite set of Beatles books in my personal archive. “Some Fun Tonight!” is the ultimate set of books you want to own to understand the incredible detail of the band’s three North American tours (1964-1966). I am not being hyperbolic or exaggerating matters when I say that author Chuck Gunderson has produced the ultimate document of record with this 2 volume set. Beautiful photographs accompany the unique and wonderful but sometime very hectic and tumultuous stories of the Beatles invasion of North America during their Magical Mystery Tours between 1964-66.
The books deal with many of the stories of the negotiations to play certain cities, the hysteria of the fans exhibited at many of the airports and hotels, the details of the off-the-cuff quotes and remarks of the Beatles delivered at their often zany press conferences are highlights. Chuck also discusses and details the opening acts along with the unique elements of specific concerts. These books are so detailed they also deal with the stories behind the shows, whether it was individual Beatle perceptions of the events as they were occurring, but also how the promoters viewed the happenings and many of the emcees and fans as well. The depth that Chuck Gunderson covers these multitude of subjects is truly astounding. The books are not only very entertaining but they are so packed with interesting information they are also very educational.
Whether you are a first generation fan, yearning to wallow in the nostalgia of once again experiencing the excitement of living in the 60’s, or whether you are 2nd or third generation fans wondering what you may have missed out on, these are THE BOOKS FOR YOU!!!
Some Fun Tonight – Get Your Copy Now
A few sites where these great books are available:
If you would like to purchase a personally signed copy from the author, it’s only available at his website: www.somefuntonight.com
In closing this post, I would like to address these questions to those first generation Beatles fans that were fortunate enough to have seen them live in 1964, 1965, or 1966.
If you saw the Beatles live in North America between 64-66, what were your impressions then, and what are they now? How do you answer questions from others who may not be Beatles fans when they ask you about those times?
What is your favorite memory of seeing the Beatles performing live?Let me know in the comments.
Be healthy and be happy!!!
Buzz
OUR FEATURED BEATLES BOOK AT THE BEATLES BOOKSTORE
Cavern Club – The Inside Story
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.
It sort of adds a little extra meaning to the 1969 recording of George Harrison’s “Here Come the Sun” about George perceptions of light and truth and his wish for enlightenment in the world. When George Harrison met Ravi Shankar in the mid sixties, there was a radical change in George’s philosophy of life and what he now deemed to be really important. Ravi Shankar’s influence on George was immeasurable, He exposed George Harrison to a form of musical expression that was centuries old yet was about to make huge waves in the relatively new field of popular/rock music. Due to Ravi Shankar’s influence on George and the Beatles music, Eastern music and philosophy received acceptance and interest in Western culture. Ravi became akin to being a surrogate “father figure” to George.
Ravi Shankar ws a master of the Indian stringed instrument known as the sitar. His approach to music was akin to the discipline exhibited by many classical music musicians in the West. To be an expert at your craft and musical instrument requires many years of dedication and hard work. There were many interviews with Ravi over the years where Ravi expressed an appreciation for popular music but you could also sense that he felt that popular music was clearly inferior to both classical music and classical Indian music as it was far more difficult to both learn and to play!
However, he was very smart in understanding that George’s immense popularity in pop music helped spread the word about his music, his talent and musical philosophy.
This book about Ravi’s life was first published in 1968.
In 2007, they issued a limited revised/updated edition of the book. Only 250 signed copies were issued of the limited edition. Presenting to you my copy of this edition which is copy #219 of 250.
Published by Mandala Publishing. This is the slipcase for the book:
Ravi Shankar
This is the front cover of the book featuring a picture of Ravi Shankar as a young man:
Ravi Shankar
Ravi’s signature in the book:
The limited edition features a beautiful signed print by photographer Michael Collopy. This is in my copy of the print. The photograph clearly exhibits the virtuoso’s dedication to his instrument, the music and his craft.
Copyright and publishing information about the limited edition:
The Table of Contents for this wonderful book:
Raga Mala
Another wonderful limited edition book about Ravi Shankar and his life entitled “Raga Mala” which was published by Genesis Publications in 1997. The Genesis editions that held the most interest to me were the ones directly having to do specifically with the Beatles.
As a result, I postponed getting the Shankar book much to my chagrin as prices for the book continued to rise, until I one day stumbled onto Ebay when a signed Genesis copy of the book was available for $100. It did not have all the extras of the Genesis issued book like the incense etc, but that did not bother me as the opportunity of buying the book at a greatly reduced price was there so I jumped at the chance. The book is an excellent recalling of Ravi’s life and is a true educational opportunity in understanding the life experiences that helped to hone Ravi’s dedication to his life’s work.
The front cover of the Genesis book:
The signature page of my copy of the Genesis Shankar title:
The copyright information to the Genesis book:
Ravi Shankar performed at the 1967 Monterey Pop Festival and the Beatles designed a wonderful print/poster for the event though they were not to appear at this historic concert. Years later they released a dvd of the Monterey Concert video and they issued a small book to accompany the dvd’s release which included the Beatles print on the cover.
The back cover of the small book which mentions Ravi:
An attempt to blend Eastern and Western musical styles released on Dark Horse Records:
I always loved the melody to this tune released on this LP written by Ravi Shankar:
Producer: George Harrison Mixer: Paul Hicks Sound Engineer: Paul Hicks Composer: Ravi Shankar
The soundtrack to the movie “Raga” released on Apple. Both John Lennon and George Harrison went to view this film together in New York City. They actually met both going into the theater at the same time. George acknowledged this in his interview on the Dick Cavett show.
An LP that George Harrison helped Ravi to promote featuring “The Chants of India.” The LP was released on George Harrison’s Dark Horse label.
A live Ravi concert on Apple featuring Ravi and two other highly regarded Indian musicians:
Ravi asked George if he could do something to help the famine in Bangla Desh and George responded to his beloved friend’s request. This is the resulting LP of a truly historic concert which set the tone and pattern of all music benefit concerts to come:
Ravi Shankar’s performance at the Monterey Pop Festival from 1967-saw this post on Youtube:
Whether you enjoy or appreciate Indian music is your own personal choice. For example I prefer pop music, the good tune, a nice melody. However as an educational opportunity that does not mean that I cannot appreciate a different form of musical expression. I loved George Harrison’s adaptation of some of the Indian musical instruments and sounds to the Beatles catalog. Even if Ravi’s form of musical expression is not my favorite, that does not prevent me from admiring and appreciating its complexity and rigorous difficulty to play well.
Ravi Shankar was a master at his instrument and is respected worldwide for his many musical contributions. He was a positive influence on George and perhaps that was one of his greatest gifts to the world. Ravi Shankar lived to be in his 90’s and passed away in 2012. According to reports, he was at George’s side when he passed away in 2001.
In closing, is there a particular piece of Western pop music that was influenced directly by Indian music that is a favorite of yours. Please do not use a Beatles song in response to this question. Thank you and I hope you enjoyed this post about these 2 special Ravi Shankar books.
Buzz
Biography
Biographical books about The Beatles or those associated with them
