IT’S HERE: MARTIN ORKIN’S THE BEATLES’ HIT SINGLES
The Beatles Hit Singles
The author’s comments concerning the release of his new book:
IT’S HERE!!!
Yes indeed! I am DELIGHTED to say that my fab new book The Beatles’ Hit Singles, Part 1 has arrived, and my esteemed website: rivalsofthebeatles.com is ready to accept orders and payment!
The Beatles’ Hit Singles, Part 1
The Beatles’ Hit Singles, Part 1 is subtitled ‘Beatlemania’ and covers the early years from 1962 (even before that actually!), when The Beatles first tried to get people from outside Liverpool to notice them, up to the end of 1965. It is a hardback book, with sewn-in pages (not glued) so that no pages should ever fall out. If I say so myself, this book looks lovely!
As I said in my previous email advising you that my new book was on the way, I believe this book will be INDISPENSABLE to all Beatle fans. Even MORE indispensable than some or all of the other Beatles-related books you may already own and love!
Quite simply, this book delves fearlessly into the deepest recesses of The Beatles’ past in search of the fascinating stories behind arguably the most important part of their entire proud history: their fabulous collection of hit singles!!
That’s right: every single from ‘My Bonnie’ and ‘Love Me Do’ via ‘Please Please Me’, ‘She Loves You’, ‘A Hard Day’s Night’ and ‘Help!’ etc. etc. up to their December 1965 double-sided blockbuster: ‘Day Tripper’/’We Can Work It Out’! Also included are the singles released in the USA but not in Britain up to end 1965: including iconic recordings like ‘Yesterday’ and ‘Eight Days A Week’.
Who actually wrote each song. Who sang and who played what instrument on each record. Colour images. Chart positions, sales figures, reviews from the time: it’s all here in this great book!
A few reviews (of many) of individual chapters.
*Full of facts that until now were unknown to me.
*Martin Orkin’s writing is a treat to read.
* It sends me into the music of my life.
Price of The Beatles’ Hit Singles’ Part 1 and how to order.
I am doing a Special Introductory Price of just £9.99 plus P & P up till Christmas 2025.
To buy a copy, visit my website: rivalsofthebeatles.com. I hope you will join me on this remarkable journey back to the 1960s when music was so much…..better!!
Mark Lewisohn can often be his own worst critic as he has often expressed that his Beatles Recording Sessions book was not as exhaustive or as complete as it should have been, primarily because he had a page length limitation put upon him with the book by the publishing powers that be at the time.
Most of you would probably agree that he is being overly-critical of his excellent achievement having given us the most exhaustive record of the surviving Beatles recordings at the EMI/Abbey Road vaults.
Beatles Recording Sessions
What great excitement it was to obtain my first copy of this wonderful title. For the first time we were able to read what remained in the vaults of most of the Beatles recorded studio work. Mark Lewisohn helped create that environment with this title. He is insatiable in his desire to obtain the most complete record of Beatles recordings ever put to tape. If it exists, Mark will find it and DOCUMENT it!
This book helped to set the standard of what we have come to expect as the measuring stick to be able to judge research and reference books about the Beatles. Mark deserves the title of the world’s best Beatles researcher. This deserved title prompts me to ask the following concern and/or question about a reported event…
I hope that knowledge of why the Beatles organization have seemingly cut ties with Mr. Lewisohn and have ceased cooperating with him concerning his book trilogy becomes public . For some unannounced reason the Beatles organization allegedly is not cooperating with Mark anymore about his Beatles book trilogy. What could be the reason? I have heard several theories but I would rather hear something from an official source. The jury is out!
We may know some day, or we may not! I just want to know why the world’s best Beatles researcher no longer has access to the official files to write his books about the band. Mark Lewisohn, himself, has disclosed this in several radio interviews. What a shame! (and I don’t mean Mary Jane!)
ANOTHER PRIZED POSSESSION: GEORGE MARTIN’S SIGNATURE ON MARK LEWISOHN”S RECORDING SESSIONS BOOK!
George Martin signed this copy of the soft cover edition of Lewisohn’s book that I acquired for the collection.It was appropriate to also have the signature of the man who was significantly responsible for the success of the Beatles recorded legacy to be on the book as well!
Looking forward to:
Looking forward to Volume 2 and Volume 3 of the world’s best Beatles biography whether it has the Beatles organization’s cooperation or not. Mark’s work will be the best because he will not allow it to be other than that.
His stellar track record speaks for itself!
Mark wants to have the best and most accurate Beatles biography in place for future generations and one can totally appreciate that desire for the best and most accurate information-laden books. Just try to remember that the baby boomer generation also wants to be still around to savor the wonders of when volumes two and three of your Beatles biography are published!
Be Healthy and Be Happy!
Buzz
OUR BOOK OF THE WEEK
When We Find Ourselves in Times of Trouble: The Beatles: All Their Songs with Encouraging Words for Challenging Times
KINDLE (OR DOWNLOAD THE FREE APP TO READ ON YOUR LAPTOP)
This book addresses all the songs of the Beatles, from their earliest demos to Abbey Road, in a conversational, accessible format. Special attention is devoted to the band’s creative process and its influence on and synergistic relationship with the culture at large. The book’s genesis was the author’s hope that a daily Beatles song could provide a brief respite from the significant stress and uncertainty caused by the coronavirus pandemic, and beyond that, from the challenges of any personally difficult time – our times of trouble.
THE NEW BOOK:THE BEATLES LOOKING BACK THE FINAL TRIP
Version 1.0.0
Nothing thrills me more than a notification of a new Beatles book that I know will be of great interest not only to me, but to many of my fellow Beatles book collectors as well…
I was recently browsing through both Amazon US and Amazon UK, as I do on a regular basis searching for new Beatle-related books for my book collection, and I came across a new Beatles book title which I IMMEDIATELY placed an order for. It is from Tom Fontaine, who had published a fabulous book back in 2018 about his unbelievable Beatles collection. That book was so good that I made the decision that I also needed to have a copy of his new Beatles title which was published in August of 2025. Tom has/had a Beatles collection which is/was second to none, and he is one of the few Beatles collectors that make me truly envious of the fantastic items he had acquired over the years. They are not only incredibly rare, but the collection is/was massive, extensive, and wide-ranging in scope!Based on some of the comments in Tom’s books, it appears that he had considerably downsized his impressive collection in recent years but he thoroughly preserved photos of what he had acquired and that is the subject of the two books that are displayed below! Recommend you check them both out!
On Amazon US, I found this new book release, following the reading of the Amazon book description shown below. I immediately purchased a copy of it at Amazon US and I eagerly await its arrival in the mail.The joy of purchasing a book like this for me is indescribable. I call it THE BEATLES BOOK COLLECTOR’S RUSH!!! LOL!
Independently published by Fideli, I am completely confident that there will be as many treasures in this new volume as there was in his first Beatles book, which is also shown and described by Amazon below. Thank you Tom, for sharing your wonderful Beatles memories with your fellow collectors and fans in these two wonderful books about your wondrous & precious personal collection!!!Tom’s forte were his fabulous collection and knowledge of Beatles autographs and signed items!
The Beatles Looking Back: The Final Trip Hardcover – 22 Aug. 2025
by Tom Fontaine (Author)
Fideli Publishing Inc.
22 Aug. 2025
Amazon Description:
“A one-of-a-kind tribute to the world’s most influential bandThe Beatles: Looking Back – The Final Trip, curated by acclaimed memorabilia collector Tom Fontaine, isn’t simply a catalog of rare artifacts-it’s the culmination of a lifetime’s devotion, personal encounters, and a half-century journey tracing the continued legacy of John, Paul, George, and Ringo.Fontaine invites fans, historians, and fellow collectors to voyage through his unparalleled archive-a treasure trove of original photographs, handwritten lyrics, concert memorabilia, autographs, rare documents, and behind-the-scenes artifacts spanning The Beatles’ collective and solo careers. This isn’t just memorabilia; it’s living history, carefully preserved and lovingly presented.What sets this work apart is the author’s storytelling power. He interweaves his own coming-of-age alongside The Beatles-from card-collecting in his childhood in 1964 Indianapolis to befriending dozens of devotees and industry insiders. Readers witness the band’s rapid evolution, their artistry, their personalities, and their social impact through irreplaceable objects and firsthand accounts. Every item, from signed album covers and concert tickets to personal letters and documentary photos, tells a fragment of music history.The collection also covers overlooked facets of their careers: artifacts from their earliest days as The Quarrymen, rare autographs of members and associates, and unique pieces such as the last concert baseball at Candlestick Park or the historic contract signed by all four. Fontaine’s documentation revives forgotten moments and amplifies how The Beatles shaped generations, crossed boundaries, and transformed music, fashion, and identity globally.The Final Trip shows readers The Beatles as not just cultural icons, but vibrant, evolving individuals-reminding us that collecting is ultimately about preserving human connection, memory, and inspiration. Fontaine’s bittersweetfarewell to this chapter in his life is an affirmation of the enduring magic The Beatles still conjure in fans worldwide.For anyone who wants to know The Beatles in an intimate way, Fontaine provides this experience through rare interviews, unpublished artifacts, and the lens of a true insider. It is a moving, persuasive call to honor not only the band’s legacy but the hearts of those who keep their story alive.”
TOM FONTAINE’S EARLIER BEATLES BOOK FROM 2018:
This is Tom Fontaine’s first book and this one is a gem. Amazon’s description and the US and UK Amazon links are provided for your convenience:
The Beatles and Their Solo Years: A Trip Down Memory Lane Hardcover – Illustrated, 13 Aug. 2018 by Tom Fontaine (Author)
Publisher : Fideli Publishing, Inc. Publication date : Aug. 2018
AMAZON DESCRIPTION:
“The Beatles and the Solo Years — A Trip Down Memory Lane chronicles the amazing Beatles items collector Tom Fontaine has had in his collection over the years. Since the music group that started it all for him as a collector way back in 1964 was The Beatles, the Four Lads from Liverpool were the obvious choice for the first book in the Rare Lifetime Collections series.
This is a scrapbook of Fontaine’s memories of collecting The Beatles memorabilia, and is also a great reference and study of their signatures over the years.“
The back cover of the book: (Apparently Tom documented and detailed all of the items he once had in his fabulous “once in a lifetime” collection) I can only surmise that he has either parted with his collection or significantly downsized what he had based on the comments on the back cover of The Beatles and Their Solo Years A Trip Down Memory Lane.
Do any of you remember your parents telling you when you were young, that you were wasting money accumulating Beatles memorabilia? Well, after reading these two books, you will discover how foolhardy that advice truly was. These books serve as important historical documents to highlight how important those four musicians were to popular culture!
Many posts about one of the dear friends that the Beatles made in Germany named Klaus Voormann, have appeared on this blog in the past.
As I have been rummaging through the collection to find items that I thought would be of interest to the viewing audience and I came upon this book issued In 2010 and independently produced by Klaus and his dear wife Christina Voormann. Klaus Voormann issued this special paperback book which was sold through his website.
There was a special signed and numbered edition of 500 copies of the book that were issued of which you see a copy below:
Unfortunately due to changing customs regulations, there is the following notice that appears at the Voormann website:
“Due to changed U.S. customs regulations, our German shipping partner DHL is temporarily unable to deliver any commercial or private parcels to the United States. This restriction applies exclusively to the U.S. and does not affect domestic or other international deliveries.”
Back cover of the book. The book is written in both German and English:
A sketch of a book that Klaus designed the cover of called StarArt which contained samples of the artwork of Joni Mitchell, Cat Stevens (Yusuf Islam), Commander Cody, John Mayall, Ron Wood, and of course, Mr. Voormann himself.
I have a copy of the special edition of this book which had a slipcase and leather binding that is signed by all of the artists with the exception of Cat Stevens. That book is featured in a distinct and different posting on this blog:
Klaus’s numbering and signing of his book entitled:Klaus Voormann Drawings and More 1960-2010
The book featured an ad for a great Voorman project entitled: Voorman and Friends A Sideman‘s Journey.
In the future I will do a special post about my special copy of this set.
The musical set had Klaus playing bass along with many of the artists he had backed over the years on musical numbers that meant a lot to him! There was also a special video about the making of the album!
The ad makes a special reference to a favorite cause of the Voormann’s, the support for the Lakota Tribe in the US and the Clean Water project.
A page excerpt from the book featuring special photos of Klaus and his wife and family. Love the photos of Klaus with the Dakota looming in the background:
Some Klaus Voormann biographical information featured in the book:
I love the unique artitstic style of Klaus Voormann and I hope you do as well. He is, and was, a faithful friend to our favorite group, and he made major contributions to their legacy! We humbly salute you, Klaus Voormann!!!
It is no coincidence that the title of this book echoes the opening line of the Charles Dickens classic, A Tale of Two Cities!“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times” appears in Denny Seiwell’s book.
The music industry has tremendous highs and incredible lows. The former first drummer of Wings, Denny Seiwell takes you on the journey of his own personal ups and downs during his life profession as a drummer. Initially a jazz drummer, he reached a significant musical zenith in his career by becoming Paul McCartney’s first drummer for the band, Wings. What a gig!!! Being in Paul’s first band following the dissolution of the Beatles, certainly a tough row to hoe! However reaching the zenith also means the risk of encountering the other end of the spectrum. Denny should be commended for disclosing his problems with substance abuse in the book and how he was able to recover from those problems.
The music industry can certainly be a tough unforgiving business at times!
Wings and Beatles fans
For Wings and Beatle fans, you will have a great time reading Denny’s many recollections of his time being associated with the band, who had brilliant success in the 70s.
For those who are interested in ordering or acquiring this wonderful book:
When We Find Ourselves in Times of Trouble: The Beatles: All Their Songs with Encouraging Words for Challenging Times
KINDLE (OR DOWNLOAD THE FREE APP TO READ ON YOUR LAPTOP)
This book addresses all the songs of the Beatles, from their earliest demos to Abbey Road, in a conversational, accessible format. Special attention is devoted to the band’s creative process and its influence on and synergistic relationship with the culture at large. The book’s genesis was the author’s hope that a daily Beatles song could provide a brief respite from the significant stress and uncertainty caused by the coronavirus pandemic, and beyond that, from the challenges of any personally difficult time – our times of trouble.
I really loved purchasing this book by the late Scott Wheeler back in 2005. The book is about Charlie Lennon, John Lennon’s uncle, and the brother of Freddie Lennon, John’s dad.
Charlie Lennon : Uncle to a Beatle by Scott Wheeler – 2005Outskirts Press, Incorporated
I met Charlie Lennon on the site where the Strawberry Fields orphanage once stood and we had a cup of tea together talking about the “Lennon” name living a long time as a result of his nephew’s music. He seemed very pleased with that distinct possibility. Several years later, I was shocked to see on YouTube a song that was posted with Charlie singing “The Ships of the Mersey.”
The late author of the book about Charlie shown below had recorded Charlie singing the song. Apparently, Charlie wanted to make sure that his brother Freddie did not outshine him in displaying the Lennon proclivity for exhibiting their musical aptitude.
Someone posted this Charlie Lennon song on YouTube
The lyrics to Charlie’s song appear in the great book shown above:
Got this photo of John, Ringo, and Mal Evans, signed by Charlie Lennon. I obtained this autograph from noted UK Beatles collector Pete Nash!Based on the slant of his handwriting, Charlie must have been a leftist! LOL!
Signed by Charlie Lennon
Julian Lennon and his great uncle, Charlie Lennon!
Freddie Lennon
John’s dad, Freddie Lennon:
Freddie Lennon
A signed Freddie Lennon page from a Liverpool autograph book that I obtained from Omega Auctions in the UK:
Freddie Lennon Autograph
Freddie Lennon – That’s My Life
The rare Dutch picture sleeve of Freddie Lennon singing his song that many critics saw as his attempt to capitalize on his son’s immense fame. This version is in the Dutch language which is far more rare and obscure than the English language version. Freddie actually did a lip-synched version of the song on Dutch TV. Unfortunately, no video of the performance remains! Hard to believe that both Noel Redding and Mitch Mitchell of the Jimi Hendrix Experience were both backing Freddie Lennon on this recording, but they were!!!
Tony Cartwright the co-author with Freddie on the A-side re-issued the 45 under the label Right Recordings. Here are the photos from the promotion:
Amazon had an ad for the recordings but it no longer appears to be active:
Daddy Come Home – The True Story of John Lennon and His Father
A book put together by Freddie Lennon’s 2nd wife, Pauline Lennon based on Freddie’s unpublished memoir.
Freddie’s unpublished memoir was sent to John Lennon so that he could read his father’s version of the story!
John did speak to his dad over the phone one last time before Freddie passed away from stomach cancer in 1976.
This copy was signed by Pauline Lennon whose signature is very difficult to find and was sold to me by UK collector Pete Nash! Pauline has remarried since the death of Freddie and now has a different surname.
Little is known about their two sons David and Robin Lennon who have remained reclusive about being the half-brothers to John Lennon!
Pauline Lennon’s signature:
Picked up this nice item from the UK source company called TRACKS. It is a press release for the Freddie Lennon 45 pressed by PYE records in the mid-sixties:
Page 2:
A few samples of Freddie Lennon’s musical appearances on YouTube:
