Year: 2026

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Erika White is a writer, podcaster, and Beatlemaniac. She cohosts the BC the Beatles podcast, which discusses the band from a second-generation fan perspective, and has interviewed many prominent members of the Beatles community, including producer Giles Martin; journalist and author Rob Sheffield; director Michael Lindsay-Hogg; and John Lennon’s former secretary and partner, May Pang.

Kudos are extended to Erika White who has written a book that I have yearned to read for a very long time. It was on my list of Beatles books that I one day hoped would be published and to see the light of day. THE WAIT IS NOW OVER!!! Over the years, the historic withdrawn Beatles album cover known as the Butcher cover, was one of the most sought-after Beatles collectors’ items. First time book author, Erika White, took on the great challenge of writing a book about the history of the Beatles controversial Yesterday and Today album. Other authors have written about the Butcher cover, but there has never been a full-length book about the history of the controversial album. The US album was not particularly controversial because of its musical content in America (though that issue can also be argued), but the main issue of controversy was a direct result of the photograph chosen for the cover. We sit in eager anticipation for the result of Erika White’s research & hard work in November of 2026! Personally, I am very pleased that a book I have wanted to see written by someone to add to my Beatles book library for a very long time, can soon be crossed off my want list! Thank you, Erika! Many Beatles fans are joyful to see this book become a reality!

It is a fascinating story about the different Beatles album track choices made between the UK and US corporate executives when determining the content of UK and US Beatles albums and how that also helped to contribute to the eventual issuing of the now very valuable Beatles Butcher cover!

The main Simon & Schuster page associated with the book: Simon & Schuster is the distributor of the book! Insight Editions is the publisher!

https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Meat-the-Beatles-The-Butcher-Cover/Erika-White/9798337405544
Publisher-Insight Editions Publication date- November 3, 2026

Distributed by Simon & Schuster

THE BUTCHER COVER BOOK COMING IN NOVEMBER OF 2026 BY ERIKA WHITE:

Table of Contents of the book (though the Amazon listing says the final bppk spreads are still to be revealed):

It appears from this Amazon photo that the book is a slip-cased edition!

AMAZON US DESCRIPTION OF THE BOOK and AMAZON US LINK:

Meat the Beatles: The Butcher Cover: The Complete, Untold Story of the Fab Four’s Most Controversial Album Artwork: White, Erika: 9798337405544: Amazon.com: Books

For those that live in Europe & The UK, we will attempt to provide the link when available!

The book description from Amazon:

“It’s grotesque, iconic, and infamous—and the story behind it is even crazier. Discover all the drama hidden beneath one of the most notorious and collectible record covers by the best-selling band of all time.
In June 1966, Beatles fans lined up to buy Yesterday and Today, the band’s latest North American album, expecting another great record from the playful, mop-topped foursome. But Beatlemaniacs came face-to-face with John, Paul, George, and Ringo grinning manically, wearing butcher coats, and festooned with raw meat and dismembered dolls. Outrage erupted instantly. Capitol Records scrambled to recall and repackage the album, but the cat was out of the bag. The legend of the “butcher cover” had begun. Today, original copies rank among the most coveted Beatles collectibles, but the story behind the cover has remained largely untold. In Meat the Beatles: The Butcher Cover, band expert Erika White dives deep into what happened and why: the group’s evolving career, the wild photo session, photographer Robert Whitaker’s surreal artistry, and competing theories about the image’s elusive meaning. The book offers a rare glimpse into the Beatles’ experimental mindset and their psychedelic creativity to come, capturing in detail one of the most important shots of the counterculture wars of the 1960s.

UNTOLD STORY: Some Beatlemaniacs remember the shocking cover, but few know how it came to be. This book reveals the full story for the first time: the bizarre photo session, the clash with Capitol Records, and the chaos that made the album cover a rock history legend.

LEGENDARY COLLECTIBLE: The Butcher Cover fascinates fans and obsesses collectors, making this wild story a great gift and essential reading for Beatles fans who have everything!“

SO LONG AGO-MY PERSONAL COPY WAS OBTAINED IN A PURCHASE FROM LONGTIME BUTCHER COVER EXPERT, WAYNE ROGERS!

I can certainly understand Erika’s fascination with this album cover as I have one in my collection sold to me many years ago by Butcher Cover collector and former pop-culture memorabilia dealer, Wayne Rogers!

Here is a photo of my stereo cover with the shrink wrap still on it:

Another photo of my framed collectable:

Hope you enjoyed this discussion of what will certainly be a fascinating book. We wish Erika much success with this title!

Be healthy and be happy!

Buzz

GEORGE HARRISON PHOTOGRAPHY BOOK COMING IN OCTOBER OF 2026 GEORGE HARRISON-THE THIRD EYE

Hardcover

Available on Oct 06, 2026 | 352 Pages

Already placed my pre-order for a copy of this book!

Special thanks are extended to Beatles information guru, Jeff Smulyan, who sent ne the notification of the recently posted cover of the forthcoming book to be issued in October!

Please note that the publisher may vary depending upon which country you are placing your order for the title!

Back cover of the book:

Amazon Description of the Book:

“An intimate, beautiful collection of more than two hundred never-before-collected photos of the Beatles at work and at play – many published for the first time – taken by their lead guitarist, George Harrison.

From 1963 to 1969, George Harrison travelled the world with his bandmates, Pentax
in hand, chronicling their impossible path from Liverpool to Ed Sullivan, Adelaide to
Rishikesh, the Eiffel Tower to the beaches of Tahiti and beyond.

In this extraordinary collection of George’s personal photos and 8mm film
stills – curated by Olivia Harrison, George’s widow – are singular images of Paul,
John, Ringo, and George and the band’s friends and entourage as they rocketed to
stardom and fostered the joyful madness that came to be known as Beatlemania.
This revelatory, beautifully designed book takes the reader along on their first plane
ride to the US, motorcades through the Australian outback, shopping trips in Paris,
and more.

The candid, unguarded photos, brimming with a Harrison’s wit, intelligence and
penchant for experimentation (he was enamoured of selfies, long before the iPhone),
and snapped in those rare moments out of the spotlight offer a remarkable, inside
look at the human beings behind the Beatles, trying to hold onto themselves – and enjoy themselves – while standing at the centre of the storm.

The Third Eye opens a window into the world of the Beatles – and the transformative
cultural moment that they sparked – through the singular artistic vision of George
Harrison.“

SOME SOURCES OF WHERE TO FIND & PURCHASE THE BOOK:

Some sources where you can order the book:

Please note that this listing does not provide all of the sources of where you can purchase the book!!!

If you do not see your favorite source here of where you order your books, contact them to see if they carry the book! Thank you!

Amazon US:

The Third Eye: Early Photographs: Harrison, George: 9798217154852: Amazon.com: Books

Barnes & Noble:

The Third Eye: Early Photographs by George Harrison, Hardcover | Barnes & Noble®

Booksamillion:

The Third Eye : The Early Photographs by George Harrison

Bookshop.org:

The Third Eye a book by George Harrison – Bookshop.org US

Amazon Germany:

The Third Eye : Harrison, George: Amazon.de: Bücher

Powell’s Books:

The Third Eye: The Early Photographs | Powell’s Books

An article about the forthcoming book:

‘The Third Eye’: Collection of George Harrison’s Beatles-era Photos On the Way

Target:

“9798217154852” : Target

Walmart:

9798217154852 – Walmart.com

Amazon UK:

The Third Eye: Amazon.co.uk: Harrison, George: 9781529976052: Books

This book should be excellent!!! Wonder if George’s photos have a significantly different photographic perspective to the photography books that were issued respectively by his pals, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr as they tried to chronicle the madness of those years! Hopefully, that is something that we will learn in October of 2026!

Be healthy and be happy!

Buzz

When John Lennon was asked many years ago about what he considered to be the best Beatles book, he referred to the Michael Braun, Love Me Do title published in 1964 published by Penguin Books. The publication of this book followed Braun’s accompanying the Beatles on their 1963 UK tour. Lennon was impressed that Braun made less of an attempt to portray the Beatles as being squeaky clean and in avoiding describing them in consistently positive terms. He talked about their warts and negative attributes as well. Lennon was impressed with that lack of a polished public relations dimension because he felt it was more honest and realistic.

Why you should read the FIRST Beatles book | Love Me Do!

This book from my collection was featured in an earlier post on this blog but this post goes into greater detail as to why I consider it to be a special memento in the library! It must also be noted that I have not seen many signed copies of this book over the years. The book is not a lengthy one It is 141-page paperback though a revised edition years later published by Graymalkin Media appeared as a listing on Amazon as being 208 pages.

FASCINATED WITH SIGNED COPIES OF BEATLES BOOKS BY THE AUTHOR:

The Mysterious Michael Braun: Love Me Do!

Colin Fleming’s review of the book:

The best book about the Beatles you will ever read is “Love Me Do! The Beatles’ Progress” – Salon.com

The author’s own life can be considered somewhat zany and unpredictable as his obituary from 1997 would attest:

Michael Braun’s Obituary featured Online at the Independent:

Obituary: Michael Braun | The Independent | The Independent

Back cover of the Love Me Do book:

WE ALWAYS HEAR ABOUT DICK ROWE AND MIKE SMITH’S FOLLY REGARDING THE BEATLES BUT WHAT ABOUT THE GOOD JUDGEMENT DEMONSTRATED BY DECCA’S MANAGER, HUGH MENDL???

THE HISTORIC CONNECTION WITH THIS SIGNED COPY BY THE AUTHOR & THE PERSON THE BOOK WAS INSCRIBED TO ORIGINALLY ADVISED DECCA RECORDS TO SIGN THE BEATLES. WE ALL KNOW WHAT TRANSPIRED DESPITE THAT ADVICE…

Quoted from Wikipedia:

“Hugh Rees Christopher Mendl (6 August 1919, London – 7 July 2008) was a British record producer, A&R representative, and manager who worked for Decca Records for over 40 years.”

Hugh Mendl – Wikipedia

The lengthier 2019 edition of the book:

Hope you enjoyed this discussion of one of the first Beatles books. What held my fascination for me was that it is a rare, signed copy and additionally it was inscribed to a man that had recommended that Decca records should sign the band and the label foolishly did not heed the man’s advice!

The rest as the postscript reads —-is history!!!

Be healthy and be happy!

Buzz

THE NEW ALBUM FROM

THE CLAYPOOL LENNON DELIRIUM

COMING MAY 1, 2026

Just received this information in an email sent to me from Chimera Music about their forthcoming Claypool Lennon double LP/cd and their tour!

The Claypool Lennon Delirium return with their third and most outlandish album yet: The Great Parrot-Ox and the Golden Egg of Empathy, out May 1st on ATO Records. Les Claypool and Sean Ono Lennon once again combine their mutant minds to deliver an elaborate, 14-song concept record reflecting on morality, mortality, and the warnings of A.I., with a story-world that doubles as a cautionary tale about sustainability and the slippery slope of optimization without empathy. Available for pre-order on vinyl and CD, the 2-LP set comes in a tip-on gatefold jacket paired with a 24 page comic book, with each song mapped to its own illustrated chapter. NOTE: Green splatter vinyl variant only available via mail order PRE-ORDER VINYL / CD FROM CHIMERA MUSIC PRE-SAVE ALBUM

The first two streams from the upcoming double LP/CD

The Claypool Lennon Delirium – WAP (What a Predicament)

The Claypool Lennon Delirium – The Golden Egg of Empathy ft. WILLOW

The Claypool Lennon Delirium will return to the road in 2026 for a sprawling U.S. tour!Kicking off Wednesday, May 20th in Reno, NV and winding through major amphitheaters, outdoor stages, and destination venues across the country, the tour will include appearances by The Claypool Lennon Delirium, Les Claypool’s Fearless Flying Frog Brigade, and Primus, with an additional fall leg to be announced.

2026 U.S. Tour

TICKETS AVAILABLE AT THE LINK HERE

ARTIST PRE-SALE BEGINS WEDNESDAY, 1/21 @ 10AM LOCAL TIME

PASSWORD: GOLD

GENERAL SALE BEGINS ON FRIDAY, 1/23 @ 10AM LOCAL TIME

Wednesday, May 20th – Reno Events Center – Reno, NV

Friday, May 22nd – Hayden Homes Amphitheater – Bend, OR

Saturday, May 23rd – Marymoor Live – Redmond, WA

Monday, May 25th – KettleHouse Amphitheater – Missoula, MT

Tuesday, May 26th – The Lot at the Complex – Salt Lake City, UT

Thursday, May 28th – Starlight Amphitheatre – Kansas City, MO

Saturday, May 30th – The Factory – St. Louis, MO

Sunday, May 31st – Meadow Brook Amphitheatre – Rochester Hills, MI

Tuesday, June 2nd – Jacobs Pavilion – Cleveland, OH

Wednesday, June 3rd – Salt Shed – Chicago, IL

Friday, June 5th – The Caverns – Pelham, TN

Saturday, June 6th – KEMBA Live! Outdoor – Columbus, OH

Tuesday, June 9th – Thompson’s Point – Portland, ME

Wednesday, June 10th – Leader Bank Pavilion – Boston, MA

Friday, June 12th – Saratoga Performing Arts Center – Saratoga Springs, NY

Saturday, June 13th – Stone Pony Summerstage – Asbury Park, NJ – SOLD OUT

Sunday, June 14th – All Good Now Festival – Columbia, MD

Tuesday, June 16th – The AMP Ballantyne – Charlotte, NC

Wednesday, June 17th – Firefly Distillery – North Charleston, SC

Friday, June 19th – Saint Augustine Amphitheatre – St. Augustine, FL

Saturday, June 20th – Synovus Bank Amphitheater at Chastain Park – Atlanta, GA

Monday, June 22nd – Walmart AMP – Rogers, AR

Tuesday, June 23rd – ACL Live at Moody Theatre – Austin, TX

Thursday, June 25th – The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory – Irving, TX

Saturday, June 27th – Dillon Amphitheater – Dillon, CO

Sunday, June 28th – Dillon Amphitheater – Dillon, CO

Tuesday, June 30th – AZ Financial Theatre – Phoenix, AZ

Wednesday, July 1st – Gallagher Square – San Diego, CA

Friday, July 3rd – Long Beach Amphitheater – Long Beach, CA

Saturday, July 4th – Meritage Resort & Spa – Napa, CA

Published by Grove Press, 1976

This is the second time that this book has appeared on this blog. I wanted to present it one final time as it is one of my personal favorites in my book collection as it is a rare, signed copy! Until I obtained this copy, I had never seen another signed copy and that is during many years of collecting. (More than 50 years of collecting)

This signed book is one of my favorites in my collection. Written by John and Yoko’s personal assistant, Anthony Fawcett, who worked for them for about a 2-year time frame. Anthony Fawcett was the first individual to disclose the existence of a cassette tape that John Lennon recorded in the fall of 1969 for Ringo because he was ill. George, Paul and John were at a meeting where John suggested a follow-up recipe for a Beatles LP to possibly be a sequel to the release of Abbey Road. Even though the Let It Be album was to be the last officially released Beatles LP, it was recorded before Abbey Road. John presented a formula whereby the individual Beatles would not have to fight for space on any given LP. It was certainly intended as a nod and as a fairness gesture to George in recognition of his recent significant improvement in his songwriting skills, having written two beautiful numbers, possibly the 2 best songs on the Abbey Road album, Something and Here Comes the Sun. This formula that was presented would allow George an equal presentation of songs on a Beatles album. Four songs for John, four songs for Paul, four songs for George, and a couple for Ringo if he was so inclined. The spokes on the damaged wheels of the group by that time must have been beyond repair as John’s suggestions were abandoned as well as John’s request to Paul on the tape that the Lennon/McCartney co-songwriting credit should be abandoned unless they specifically did co-write a song together in the future for a Beatles project. This cassette tape being discussed was touted by many as being a great discovery by the legendary Mark Lewisohn in a lecture tour, but it was first publicly discussed in this One Day at a Time Anthony Fawcett book. Anthony was instrumental in preserving on tape the discussion among the three Beatles that were present at the meeting. (Please note that the comment about the cassette tape in no way is meant to diminish the significant contributions Mark Lewisohn has made to the presentation and preservation of Beatles history). It is only intended to demonstrate that knowledge of the tape was initially presented to the public by Anthony Fawcett when this book was published in 1976.

A Discussion of the famous cassette tape from the Beatles Bible site:

John Lennon, Paul McCartney and George Harrison meet to discuss their future | 1969 | The Beatles Bible

Background information about Anthony Fawcett:

Anthony Fawcett – Wikipedia

Anthony Fawcett – What is Art?

A 1980 interview with Anthony Fawcett, Hunter Davies and Richard Williams following John Lennon’s murder:

John Lennon Tribute December 9th 1980 Granada TV–features a young Anthony Fawcett in a UK tribute to John following his murder. Guests also included author Richard Williams and Hunter Davies!

Some of the comments by Hunter Davies in his comments are quite revealing as it is his opinion that Paul was the most talented Beatle. I always felt that this was Hunter’s personal belief. One could infer that predisposition from many comments he has made over the years. That comment backs my contention that most people have their own personal allegiance or loyalty or preference for a particular Beatle especially after the breakup of the band. This is like a typical New Englander who chooses a favorite season between spring, summer, fall or winter! This was especially true in the post breakup years. I believe, like Hunter Davies that Paul had the greatest pure musical talent, but the Beatles success was due to many more ingredients in the stew. Believe what you want to believe but I believe the chemistry of the group was the most important ingredient to their success and one man’s restlessness and unique sense of humor were significant ingredients to their monumental stature as well as his lyrical ability and his significant musical talent. He also had the ability at a very young age to understand the emotional complexities of life. That is my personal opinion, and you can take it or leave it! That is the beauty of music and popular culture as everyone is entitled to their opinion based on their selective criteria.

The cover of the book:

A discussion of the elusive tape that deals with the proposal of a new Beatles album post-Abbey Road:

Lost Sept 1969 Beatles Discussion: how revelatory & when can we hear it?

The signed copy of the book:

Anthony Fawcett’s signature on a copy of One Day at a Time obtained at what was then called Beatlefest until the name was changed to the Fest for Beatles Fans. Before I was able to acquire this signed book, I had never seen a signed copy before in more than 50 years of collecting signed Beatles-related books!

Hope you enjoyed this highly opinionated post about this book. The piece was not intended to an invitation to choose sides between the respective solo Beatles or their individual contributions to the group only to comment that all 4 had a magical role to play in this mystical story, no matter who your favorite Beatle might be.

They were and THEY STILL ARE “THE BEST.”

Be healthy and be happy!

Buzz

P.S,

Another worthwhile book to seek out is one by one of the people that was interviewed in one of the links above that also features Hunter Davies and Anthony Fawcett following Lennon’s murder. Richard Williams produced this very interesting book about producer Phil Spector. The book features wonderful detail of the John and Yoko Happy Xmas recording sessions produced by Spector! (1972 1st hardback edition published by Outerbridge & Lazard, Inc.) New York USA

What is the Mystery of The Beatles’ Creativity? Find out in this new book coming soon from musician and psychologist Steve Taylor.

AMAZON LINKS TO THE BOOK:

AMAZON UK LINK: Publisher Scribe UK
Publication date: 10 Sept. 2026

Across the Universe: The Magic and Mystery of the Beatles’ Creativity: Amazon.co.uk: Taylor, Steve: 9781917189521: Books

AMAZON US LINK: Publisher Scribe UK
Publisher : ‎ Scribe US
Publication date ‏: ‎ November 10, 2026

Across the Universe: The Magic and Mystery of the Beatles’ Creativity: Taylor, Steve: 9781964992501: Amazon.com: Books

AMAZON DESCRIPTION OF THE BOOK:

AMAZON UK DESCRIPTION:

“A fresh analysis and appreciation of the Beatles’ genius and creativity, from an acclaimed scholar of transpersonal psychology.

It would be an understatement to say that there was something special about the Beatles. How did these four young musicians come together at the perfect time, and how did everything go so perfectly right for them that they became arguably the greatest band ― and one of the most significant cultural phenomena ― that the world has ever seen? Was it simply a series of lucky coincidences, or could there be a larger reason for their success?

Steve Taylor, a renowned scholar of psychology and spirituality, and former professional musician, retells the story of the Beatles through the lens of their own creativity: from the unparalleled synchronicities and synergy that generated their success, to the ideal flow state they cultivated as a group, the relentless self-actualisation of each of the members, and how they opened their minds to connect to the zeitgeist of the 1960s, to both access their own intrinsic creativity and become transmitters of a creative energy that transcended themselves.

This is the story of the Beatles from an entirely new angle, and is an appreciation of the psychological, spiritual, and cultural forces they harnessed to access their own genius. Wildly enjoyable and packed full of surprising insights into the Beatles’ journey, Across the Universe is an invitation to experience the Beatles’ brilliance anew.”

NEW BOOKS

Part of the purpose of this blog is to inform the viewers of forthcoming books about the Beatles. Creating the early awareness of a title that you may be interested in is part of the function of this blog. My personal viewpoint of what appears to be an interesting book will be forthcoming in the fall of 2026 when I read it and express my opinions and feelings!

I have a particular interest in this type of psychological assessment of what made the chemistry and symbiotic relationships of the Beatles so unique and magical! Stay tuned…

Be healthy and be happy!

Cheers and best wishes!

Buzz