RARE: THE BEATLES AND BUSINESS, PLUS THE LOST LENNON TAPES AND MORE:

It’s been a while since we last posted a Beatles Hodgepodge post so here is the new one covering The Beatles and Business, plus the rare radio series, Lost Lennon Tapes. If you can remember, Beatles Hodgepodge posts are designed to be a potpourri of Beatles-related print material that may hold some interest to Beatles fans or Beatles collectors. Some items are repeated in the event you may have missed some of the items the first time around!

Hoping you find something of interest in today’s post!!!

WE ALL SHINE ON…

PHOTOGRAPHY BOOK BY RICHARD EHRLICH: (FACE THE MUSIC)

Published by Steidl in 2015

Look at the celebrity who was chosen for the cover of this hardbound photography book!

The photo book stylistically mainly presents portraiture as being the focal point of the celebrities that are featured in this book!

Other notable people with an Ehrlich photograph of them contained inside:

BOOKS ABOUT BEATLES BUSINESS DEALINGS:

One of these days I would love to see a detailed analysis of the business dealings of the Beatles from the beginning to the end covering all of the interested parties’ interests and their handling of the Beatles financial affairs. We have seen some wonderful books like the You Never Give Me Your Money book by Peter Doggett and Apple to the Core by Peter McCabe. I would love to see a book from the late Lee and John Eastman’s perspective, from the Klein archives as well. Possibly a thorough analysis of Epstein and Lew Grade’s business dealings with the Beatles, and with Dick James as well. Perhaps include the Michael Jackson estate perspective on things!

How about a perspective from Ringo Starr’s and George Harrison’s legal representatives? I want to see a thorough analysis of what happened and the author should have no pre-conceived agenda before they write the book! However, I am certainly aware that this is wishful thinking on my part as no party would ever want to be seen in a negative light. Would love to hear the details about Apple’s legal hassles with Capitol over the years. I want to see this complete analysis in a single volume. I imagine it will be a very THICK book!

A RARE PRINT BOOK FROM ONE OF THE BEATLES ACCOUNTANTS: STEPHEN MALTZ (2015)

A Beatles Accountant Quit After Warning the Band They Were in ‘Terrible Financial Trouble’

The Beatles, Apple, and Me by Stephen Maltz | Steve Hoffman Music Forums

Back cover of the book:

Signed copy of the book by the author:

A few sample pages from the book – THE PROLOGUE (provided to help with the author’s perspective in writing the book)

It has been reported that John Lennon detested this book. Don’t know if that is truth or simply rumor. I can only report that I have seen commentary on the internet that this was his feeling about the book!

Peter Doggett’s book about the Beatles business dealings:

Terry Crain’s superb title about the NEMS corporation set up by Brian Epstein:

BEATLES NOVELTY RECORD:

I love collecting Beatles novelty records. Though most novelty records pertaining to the Beatles were issued between 1964-66, I yearn for an authoritative listing of novelty records issued post 1966. I am sure that one day, we will see one issued! This title was from the 70s when the US government was trying to throw John Lennon out of the USA because he was perceived as a political threat to the administration at that time!

The Justice Department, Let John ans Yoko stay in the USA, Single 1972

A McCARTNEY SONG WRITTEN FOR BADFINGER AND COVERED BY A GROUP NAMED THE MAGIC CHRISTIANS WHICH HAD TWO DIFFERENT TITLES:

A MAGIC CHRISTIAN MYSTERY and BEATLE CONNECTIONS GALORE

According to reports, this version of the Paul McCartney song was released around the same time as the Apple Badfinger version. The Magic Christian version was not a hit. Produced by the late keyboardist, Gary Wright, who was to back both George Harrison and Ringo Starr in their solo careers.

Ex-Move guitarist Trevor Burton was supposedly involved with this recording, and speculation abounds that Denny Laine and Steve Gibbons also played a role in the record. I believe Beatles associate; the late Tony Bramwell has mentioned at one time that Denny Laine had a role in this recording. I was able to find a copy of this recording at the DISCOGS site. Some of the 45’s issued had the song title listed as “If You Want It” rather than “Come and Get It.” The first pressings had the publisher listed as Apple. Later copies had the publisher listed as Northern Songs!

The Magic Christians – ‘If You Want It’ (1969)

The song with the proper title:

Come And Get It (Remastered 2010)

Badfinger – Come And Get It – Paul McCartney teaching The Iveys

ONE OF THE GREAT PAUL McCARTNEY MELODIES THAT HE GAVE AWAY:

Paul McCartney’s song catalog is so massive that often wonderful tracks that he has written somehow for whatever reason seem to get lost in the shuffle. Here is one of those tracks recorded by musician John Christie and the song was produced by none other than Dave Clark of the Dave Clark 5. A very nice melody by Paul!

John Christie – 4th of July (1974)

4th Of July (Remastered 2014)

Back cover of the picture sleeve:

Promo copy of the 45:

MUCHO JESSE ED DAVIS – GUITARIST WHO BACKED BOTH GEORGE AND JOHN – AN EARLY 45 by JESSE ED DAVIS:

Jesse Ed Davis was a proud member of the Native American community and this early 45 features two songs that he wrote and released in 1966:

The New Breed – “Just Another Bird-Dog” b/w “You’ll Be There” (1966) Kiowa

Years later Jesse was to join Taj Mahal and was on Walls and Bridges and also performed at the Concert for Bangla Desh among other Beatles-related projects!

THE LORRY DRIVER FOR THE DAY JOHN MET PAUL:

ONE OF MY FAVORITE ITEMS FROM THE COLLECTION:

A NOTE WRITTEN TO ME BY DOUGLAS CHADWICK – THE LORRY DRIVER WHO TOOK THE QUARRYMEN TO THE WOOLTON VILLAGE FETE IN 1957

A photo of Doug Chadwick in front of a replica of the lorry:

KEN MICHAELS AND HIS VERY KIND GESTURE:

Well-known Beatles podcaster and Beatles authority, Ken Michaels, was able to acquire this wonderful item for me featuring the signatures of guitarist Dave Spinozza and Keyboard player and arranger, Ken Ascher, at an event he attended featuring the 2 musicians who featured prominently in the solo career of John Lennon. David Spinozza also performed guitar on Paul McCartney’s RAM album. Kenny Ascher also featured on many other well-known and prominent artists such as Harry Nilsson! Both musicians have a list of accomplishments longer than your arm!

THE LOST LENNON TAPES AND A PROJECT THAT I HOPE THE LENNON ESTATE WILL ONE DAY PURSUE…

The WESTONE ONE RADIO NETWORK IN CONJUNCTION WITH YOKO ONO, ELLIOT MINTZ AND THE LENNON ESTATE

The parties mentioned above collaborated in presenting samples of much of John Lennon’s unreleased material following his tragic passing. There was the following book dealing with that subject. The Lost Lennon Tapes presented 218 episodes of the show over three years. More importantly, what I hope is the end result of all of this is:

John Lennon died tragically at the age of 40 and never got the opportunity to present a completed and full song catalog to the world. In fact, as a result of that there has been a lot of revision lately somehow presenting Mr. Lennon in a secondary primarily negative stature. I do not buy it nor will I ever accept it!

Here is my wish for the future. The Lennon estate should do the same thing that the surviving Beatles did with Free as a Bird, Real Love, and Now and Then. Give John’s remaining unreleased songs and there are many of them a full studio presentation of the numbers using John’s demo vocals and choosing the right musicians to create final studio-like recordings to complete John’s song catalog in a proper manner. I will cite a couple of examples I have seen on YouTube of various people that have attempted to complete some of John’s unreleased songs in a studio like presentation:

India India John Lennon cover with John Lennon singing!

John Lennon – Illusions (Not for Love Nor Money) [Fan Arrangement / 2026]

The Happy Rishikesh song cover with John Lennon Not AI

Sally and Billy-Help me to help myself Music only John Lennon demos. New 2024

John Lennon’s Unreleased ‘Real Life’ Demo – My Full Instrumentation Version

John Lennon & Bob Dylan Mashup – Serve Yourself + Gotta Serve Somebody (Not AI)

Some of these songs are just too good to remain solely in demo form!!! That is my personal opinion. What is your opinion on this subject?

Here are a few other demo numbers on YouTube that deserve a full studio treatment:

John Lennon – She is a friend of Dorothy’s

John Lennon – Whatever Happened To

John Lennon – Gone from this place (2023 Take 4 Vocal Restored)

John Lennon – Mucho Mungo (Demo) [Restored 2025]

There are many more and I hope the Lennon estate will make the correct decision to finish off these wonderful tracks for true closure on John’s songwriting catalog

Some other possibilities I have seen on YouTube from the Get back Sessions:

The Beatles – Watching Rainbows (Finished)

The Beatles – All I Want Is You (Finished)

The Beatles – Mad Man (Finished)

The possibilities are endless, but they are highly dependent on the right decision being made about the finished product!

ALL 218 EPISODES OF THE LOST LENNON TAPES ON CD: FROM EBAY!

Many years I saw on eBay the entire Lost Lennon Tape series being offered on CD. They had been made from the Radio Transcription disks. Being an archivist, I jumped at the chance and acquired the complete set of programs on cd for my personal collection. Each episode is on an individual CD. The premiere episode was on 3 CDs and was 3 hours long! Even though this may not be an official issue, I treasure this item in my personal archives!

A few sample pages from my cd collection of the great show!

I also spotted the index of the shows being offered by someone on eBay several years ago and added that to my personal archives:

Another index I was able to acquire to properly understand where the material resided by episode!

SAW THIS ITEM ON eBAY!

I seriously doubt that this is an officially authorized product but apparently it features all 218 episodes of the Lost Lennon Tapes on 6 DVDs. Did anyone obtain this for their collection? If this is an authorized product then the people that have the decision-making power to release it should get together and issue it to the public! The best way to counter any unauthorized recordings is to issue them officially. You cut the bootleggers out of the marketplace! That is the strategy that should be used especially in the digital age in which we currently live!

A FABULOUS SERIES OF LET IT BE SESSION BOOKS BY RESEARCHER/ AUTHOR, TERRY WILSON:

One of my favorite series of multiple books dealing with the same subject is the 2 volume book series by Terry Wilson of his research regarding the last “released” Beatles album – LET IT BE. Abbey Road was recorded after but was released before Let It Be!

This 2-book series will provide information to you that will both surprise and astonish you! If you don’t have both volumes in your collection look them up on Amazon. You will be entertained and you will gain a lot of information you may have not been exposed to before!