Once again, Luca Perasi has written another fine book about an album from the Paul McCartney album catalog with Wings London Town. With his superb research skills, I have made it a happy routine and necessity to acquire all of Luca’s books for my book collection!
If you have not read a Luca Perasi book before, now would be an appropriate time to explore the man’s talents!
LONDON TOWN- A Wings album that McCartney collectors have yearned for a boxed-set archive set to be issued! I concur with that wish as the material on this album should be given its proper recognition!
Wings London Town
Back cover of the book: containing a synopsis of the title!
Wings London Town
AMAZON UK DESCRIPTION OF THE BOOK:
“Released in March 1978, London Town is an interesting turning point along Wings’ musical trajectory, even though the album was the outcome of a rather complicated situation, which resulted in the group’s line-up crumbling and downsizing to a trio, as happened for Band on the Run. Although not as successful as the earlier album, it remains one of the most charming episodes, if not entirely consistent, within the group’s discography.
Within a musical scene dominated by punk and disco music, London Town is imbued by many influences that reinforced McCartney’s own identity and artistic style. Beside its folk-acoustic flavour – the result of the songwriting collaboration between Paul and Denny Laine – the album features a modern touch with the use of synthesizers which prove that McCartney’s interest in electronic music was alive way before McCartney II. The use of sound effects (seagulls, Morse code signals, studio chatter, laughter and sneers) helps bringing the music to life and adds a filmic quality to the whole album and to its almost impressionistic approach.
The decision to record part of London Town on a boat amid the Virgin Islands, meant that McCartney prioritised feeling over anything else for his music. This form of isolation, which had never been tried before by Wings, created a relaxed atmosphere that contributed a variety of sounds, flavours and moods that perfectly illustrate why this album remains so popular among fans.
Enriched by images and photos, the volume London Town, The Story of an Adventurous Album tells of one of McCartney’s most brilliant, although eccentric, records. In its detailed account of the album’s creation and analysis of its songs, based on contemporary sources and in-depth interviews by the author with assistant engineers Tim Summerhayes (“Mull of Kintyre”) and Tom Anderson (who helped Geoff Emerick on the Fair Carol boat) or arrangers Wil Malone and Mick Vickers, the book walks readers through various aspects of the album, from the technical side (the recording equipment used in the Caribbean, the instrumentation) to McCartney’s skills for arranging and producing music, with his usual strokes of genius scattered throughout.
The volume covers the timeline of the sessions, the stories behind the songs of the album, material from the period (the many McCartney demos including the legendary “Waterspout”, the single “Mull of Kintyre” / “Girls’ School”), their harmonic and rhythmic inventions, the lyrics’ analysis, the commercial success, the promotional strategy, the critical reception. The departures of Wings’ members Jimmy McCulloch and Joe English are also explored, as well as Denny Laine’s project Holly Days.
Innocent and sinister, elegant and grotesque, dreamlike and sullen, catchy and inconsequential, romantic and salacious; ladies and gentlemen, London Town. A fascinating insight into the most “atmospheric” album by Wings.”
A signed book plate edition of the book from the author. This was acquired from another well-known collector, Edward Eikelenboom. Since there were only 25 signed copies of the book issued, I was very grateful for Edward’s efforts on my behalf to secure the last numbered copy!
The book’s Table of Contents summarizes the main topics covered:
Other Luca Perasi book titles: An impressive catalog, Luca!
Strongly encourage you to check out the rest of Luca Perasi’s literary catalog! You will be very pleased and well-informed as a result!
Take A “Magical Mystery Tour” through the Beatles’ Deep Tracks. The Beatles’ music has become so ingrained in our culture that their songs have become an integral part of our everyday lives. Who doesn’t know the words to “Hey Jude” or “Let It Be”? Who hasn’t been moved by the poetry of “Eleanor Rigby” or energized by that opening chord of “A Hard Day’s Night”?
Shannon (MacDonald)–HER EXCELLENT BOOK ABOUT THE HARD DAY’S NIGHT HOTEL IN LIVERPOOL HAS BEEN ISSUED
I recently received my copy of the Shannon (MacDonald) book of her collection of beautiful paintings she had done for the Hard Day’s Night Hotel in Liverpool. I am overwhelmed with the excellent quality of her work. Her book, co-written with Liverpool legend, Bill Heckle, is a wonderful addition to anyone’s Beatles book collection. You know a painter and artist is extremely talented when you have difficulty in being able to distinguish Shannon’s paintings and prints, from photographs. Her detail and use of proper lighting is exquisite and elegant!
The late Beatles associate and close friend, Neil Aspinall gave Shannon his highest praise, a strong endorsement, and compliments about her work! It cannot get much better than that!
Each room in the hotel that features a Shannon painting has a special theme coinciding with a specific important event or landmark in the Beatles careers! One can only marvel at the timeline that was necessary for artist Shannon to initiate and complete such a monumental task! The large format book works well in properly displaying the artist’s fine work!
I have included several links in this blog post that I have repeated throughout this post to ensure that you do not miss anything about this extraordinary artist. Not only are the links provided to Shannon’s website, but also a link about the forthcoming documentary made about her life produced by noted filmmaker Simon Weitzman that was discussed on the excellent podcast of James D. Jones entitled Beatles-A-Rama TV
All of Shannon, SHANNiMATiONS STUDiOS, The Shannon Gallery, Hard Day’s Night Hotel, Hard Rock Hotels & Casinos, and Cavern Club Liverpool materials, contained on the above website(s) and in this email (blog post), are protected by United States copyright law and may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast without the prior written permission by Shannon MacDonald. You may not alter or remove any trademark, copyright, or other notice from copies of content.
Shannon discusses the documentary of her life in this Beatles-A-Rama TV program:
All of Shannon, SHANNiMATiONS STUDiOS, The Shannon Gallery, Hard Day’s Night Hotel, Hard Rock Hotels & Casinos, and Cavern Club Liverpool materials, contained on the above website(s) and in this email (blog post), are protected by United States copyright law and may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast without the prior written permission by Shannon MacDonald. You may not alter or remove any trademark, copyright, or other notice from copies of content.
The back cover of the book which provides some background regarding the books contents:
All of Shannon, SHANNiMATiONS STUDiOS, The Shannon Gallery, Hard Day’s Night Hotel, Hard Rock Hotels & Casinos, and Cavern Club Liverpool materials, contained on the above website(s) and in this email (blog post), are protected by United States copyright law and may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast without the prior written permission by Shannon MacDonald. You may not alter or remove any trademark, copyright, or other notice from copies of content.
All of Shannon, SHANNiMATiONS STUDiOS, The Shannon Gallery, Hard Day’s Night Hotel, Hard Rock Hotels & Casinos, and Cavern Club Liverpool materials, contained on the above website(s) and in this email (blog post), are protected by United States copyright law and may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast without the prior written permission by Shannon MacDonald. You may not alter or remove any trademark, copyright, or other notice from copies of content.
All of Shannon, SHANNiMATiONS STUDiOS, The Shannon Gallery, Hard Day’s Night Hotel, Hard Rock Hotels & Casinos, and Cavern Club Liverpool materials, contained on the above website(s) and in this email (blog post), are protected by United States copyright law and may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast without the prior written permission by Shannon MacDonald. You may not alter or remove any trademark, copyright, or other notice from copies of content.
My personal favorite painting (print) in the book:
Shannon did more than 100 paintings for the hotel and I would like to illustrate my favorite painting from her collection that was located in Room 323 of the Hotel. Each photo of a painting in the book has an accompanying explanation of the inspiration for the painting in that particular room. My particular favorite is her painting of John and Paul when they came to introduce Apple in New York in 1968. Here is the description of the background and inspiration for the paining in room 323:
All of Shannon, SHANNiMATiONS STUDiOS, The Shannon Gallery, Hard Day’s Night Hotel, Hard Rock Hotels & Casinos, and Cavern Club Liverpool materials, contained on the above website(s) and in this email (blog post), are protected by United States copyright law and may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast without the prior written permission by Shannon MacDonald. You may not alter or remove any trademark, copyright, or other notice from copies of content.
Please take the time to investigate and explore all of the links provided in this blog post. There are links provided for those that are interested in adding this wonderful book to their Beatles libraries directly from the Shannon website! I am so happy that I acquired this wonderful book for my Beatles collection!
Make sure you check out the forthcoming documentary about Shannon’s life produced by Simon Weitzman when it appears!
Don’t miss this wonderful YouTube interview with Shannon by James D. Jones where the documentary is discussed
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.
The Beatles Live at Candlestick Parkby Amelia Davis (Author), Jim Marshall (Photographer), Joel Selvin (Contributor)
Looking forward to this special book of the pictorial record of noted photographer, Jim Marhall’s photographs of the last concert that the Beatles officially played until their rooftop swansong atop their 3 Savile Row Apple headquarters in 1969. The August 1966 Candlestick park concert was to inaugurate the Beatles exclusively (in the studio years) where they would push the boundaries of music beyond belief.
This new book by author and curator of the Marshall photographic estate, Amelia Davis, will be a great treasure for all Beatles fans and collectors to acquire for their collections. I have already pre-ordered my copy as this concert had so many historical implications! The book also features an extra bonus, an essay by Joel Selvin, a well-known American San Francisco -based music critic and author.
Excellent interview with Amelia Davis and Joel Slevin by Steve Marinucci:
“Relive The Beatles’ last live public concert through the eyes of the ultimate rock ‘n’ roll photographer Jim Marshall. This deluxe volume collects over 150 photos and proof sheets, half of them never before seen.
Jim Marshall’s photographs of The Beatles’ 1966 concert in San Francisco capture a historic convergence: one of the biggest names in music photography and one of the most beloved bands in history. Specially requested as photographer by The Beatles, Marshall immortalized not only the concert itself, but also intimate moments backstage, such as the musicians meeting the Baez sisters and hanging out in the locker room before the show.
This definitive collection presents the photographs at large scale and in the rich high-contrast tones Marshall favored. An in-depth essay by music historian Joel Selvin brings the moment to life. Whether you were there at Candlestick Park or wish you had been, this is your chance to see The Beatles as you’ve never seen them before.
EXCLUSIVE WINDOW INTO THE CONCERT: Jim Marshall was the only photographer allowed backstage to photograph The Beatles during the Candlestick Park concert. This book brings you into the historic moment and makes you feel like part of the band.
NEVER-BEFORE-SEEN CONTENT: Marshall’s photographs from this event have never been published all together in a single book, and half the images were never published at all. Plus, it includes Marshall’s proof sheets, from which he selected his iconic shots.
PHOTOGRAPHY ICON: Jim Marshall is the great rock ‘n’ roll photographer, as his images of The Beatles prove. In addition to being a legendary artist, he was a peer, colleague, and friend to musicians, and he documented countless seminal musical moments throughout the 1960s and 1970s.
ANNIVERSARY YEAR: August 2026 marks the 60th anniversary of The Beatles’ last live public concert. Celebrate by going back in time through these incredible photographs.”
“Perfect for:
Beatles fans; Jim Marshall fans; Music history buffs; Photographers and photography book collectors; Birthday or any special occasion gift-giving to any devoted Beatlemaniac; Anyone looking for a great present for music lovers
I know that all Beatles fans, Beatle historians and music fans in general, will want to add this book to their collections as this concert was to reflect the line in the song Tomorrow Never Knows that would claim that this was the end of the beginning….”
The front cover of the August 2026 book release by Thelma (Pickles) McGough:
Thelma McGough
This is a book that I have anxiously anticipated for a considerable amount of time. It promises to most certainly deliver many fascinating stories about postwar Liverpool, the early Beatles, and a lady trying to find her identity along the way during those very hectic times!
This post will be amended once notification of a US release is posted!
320 pages Publisher HarperNorth
AMAZON UK DESCRIPTION OF THE BOOK:
“The unmissable memoir of a life at the heart of 60s culture – from Lennon and McCartney, to the Mersey Beat Poets and more.
Who was John Lennon’s first girlfriend? Who is the only woman to have dated Lennon and McCartney? And Tom Wolfe. And Anthony ‘Madchester’ Wilson. And married Roger McGough?
Thelma McGough is all these things – but as her captivating memoir shows, she is far more than that. While those relationships gave her a unique vantage point on the cultural revolution of the swinging sixties, her real journey has always been towards knowing who she really is – as a daughter, a partner, a mother – and crucially, in her own right.
Thelma’s astonishing life is shot through with fierce ambition to become an artist, while navigating incredible love affairs, bearing witness to pop history, raising her sons and tracing the secret at the heart of her family.
Now, she shares her story, along with diary entries, photos and letters, a journey not just from deprived wartime Liverpool through to era-defining moments in pop history, but a story of breaking the confines of class, identity and what it means to find your voice.“
This appears like it will be an incredible memoir by Thelma McGough, and I am sure that many others share my interest in reading this book!
An interview conducted by Beatles historian, Mark Lewisohn with Thelma McGough:
These personal memoirs of people that had a role to play in the magical story of the Beatles hold a great fascination for me. Their perceptions of these four personalities who in retrospect seemed destined for a magical journey are valuable tools in understanding the story that over 3000 Beatles books cannot capture in totality the complexity (yet ironically also the simplicity) of what happened!
Thank you, Thelma, for your recollections and your memories!
A WONDERFUL BOOK FOR BEATLES MEMORABILIA COLLECTORS
Two UK based Beatles memorabilia collectors, Pat Graham and Phil Harbour have put together a fabulous new book for both Beatles collectors and those who are fascinated with the products generated by the cultural phenomenon of the world’s most historic and celebrated musical band. Due for release July 1, 2026, it promises to be a welcome addition to every Beatles book library. I know I will be purchasing my copy very soon. Through the kindness of the authors, we have been presented with a few sample pages from the book and on the back cover of the book you can read the testimonials of what several prominent Beatles historians are saying about the forthcoming title:
Please note that the book will be available through Amazon US once it’s been released for general sale.
This post will be amended to reflect & include the Amazon US link once it is ready to be published.
Front cover of the book:
Beatlebilia – The Ultimate Beatles Memorabilia Refernce Guide
Beatlebilia: The Ultimate Beatles Memorabilia Reference Guide is a comprehensive guide to all the original 1960s memorabilia that was manufactured and sold to fans of The Beatles during that era and still widely sought after today.
We have trawled our archives, as well as those from our fellow collectors and the wonderful authors before us, to bring you a complete (or as close to as possible) memorabilia guide to all the original, 1960s Beatles memorabilia items from around the world!
The items are loosely categorised into themes and we hope, bring to life the breathtakingly vast array of merchandise that was created to celebrate, promote and of course, ‘cash in’ on that little boy band from Liverpool.
The book presents over 3000 colour images, detailing more than 1000 individual items, including:
Toys & Games
Toy Instruments
Bags, Cases & Carriers
Purses & Wallets
Clothing & Accessories
Stationery
Calendars, Clocks & Watches
Glass & Ceramics
Homeware
Hair & Beauty
Jewellery
Food & Drink
Trading Cards, Boxes & Wrappers
Pennants, Badges & Vending Items
Yellow Submarine
Fakes, Copies & Reproductions
So, whether you’re a Beatles fan, a collector or simply intrigued by music history, this book is sure to take you on a magical mystery tour, across the universe of Beatles memorabilia!
Back cover of the book:
BACKGROUND INFORMATION ABOUT THE AUTHORS:
About the Authors PAT GRAHAM, LEEDS (UK)
My interest in all things ‘BEATLES’ started when I was just six years old, in 1964; my sister, who was thirteen at the time, had pestered my mother for us to all go and see The Beatles live in Scarborough, a seaside town in the UK, whilst we were on holiday there in August of that year. Unfortunately, my mother was unable to get tickets for us to see them live, but instead bought us all tickets to see their film, ‘A Hard Days Night’, newly released at the cinema. So, on Sunday the 9th August 1964, whilst the Beatles were performing in the Futurist Theatre on Scarborough seafront, we all went to see the film at the Odeon Cinema; it was the closest I ever got to seeing the Beatles ‘live’. After this first taste of The Beatles, I was hooked! My sister, Trish, was a member of the Official Beatles Fan Club and when she left home in 1969, she gave me a few bits of Beatle memorabilia… and so began my hobby/ passion/ obsession of collecting Beatles memorabilia. My very first ‘piece’ was a Fan Club cloth patch which I am proudly wearing at six years old after my return from holiday in Scarborough… I still have it to this day!
PHIL HARBOUR, LEICESTER (UK)
My father (Harold Harbour) was and still is a huge Beatles fan and passionate about their music, so I guess it has always been a part of my life, possibly even before I was born! I remember singing along to the music as a child with my sister from as young as six years old but as I became a teenager, I started to understand and appreciate just how important the band were, not only musically, but just how groundbreaking they were in so many other ways. And this fascinated me. But it was when the Anthology TV series was released in late 1995 that I became hooked, as it helped to really bring to life just how amazing and pivotal the band were and what an impact they had during that brief eight-year window.
This is when my collecting passion began and I quickly became desperate to own and collect anything Beatle related. Most of my early collecting consisted of small, affordable, modern pieces but I always aspired to own ‘the good stuff’… the items that were actually ‘there’ at the time; owned and loved by those fans who went before me and formed the backdrop to Beatlemania. In the early 2000s, I was able to start adding some original items to my collection, but it wasn’t until I found the Beatlebilia website and then met the founder Pat Graham in 2019, that my passion and collecting of 1960s memorabilia really kicked in. Today, in 2026, I am privileged to be part of the Beatlebilia organisation and more importantly, have a true friend and mentor in Pat.
A FEW SAMPLE PAGES FROM THE BOOK:Courtesy of of the book authors:
I would like to express my thanks to both authors, Pat Graham and Phil Harbour for their kindness in allowing us to share some of the details of this wonderful forthcoming book with you!
Would love to see in the comments section, what special items do you have in your Beatles memorabilia collections?
Do you have a special WANT that you are desperately looking for in your personal Beatles collections? Let us know what they may be!
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.
“By 1964, the Beatles had conquered the media of music, radio, television, film, and literature. Little did they expect they were about to dominate animation.
Al Brodax produced The Beatles Cartoon (1965), which was the first time that likenesses of contemporary personalities were cast as stars in an animated television series. (They beat the Three Stooges by a few weeks.) The premiere scored a 51.9 share, which was hitherto unheard of in daytime TV. Brodax followed up in 1968 with Yellow Submarine, another first: “. . . extremely real and enormously famous people were going to be animated into a feature film.” It received rapturous critical notices and audiences flocked to the theaters. Today it is recognized as a classic and an alternative to the Disneyfication that had taken over and stagnated animation.
The Beatles are the most caricatured celebrities of all time, with new fan films coming out daily on YouTube and TikTok. Matthew Hahn, author of The Animated Marx Brothers, The Animated Peter Lorre, and The Animated Universal Classic Monsters, has found hundreds of toons with John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr, and also “Fifth Beatles” Brian Epstein, George Martin, Stuart Sutcliffe, Pete Best, and Billy Preston. They have appeared in computer games, music videos, rides, museum exhibits, virtual reality, and AI.
All three surviving Beatles did guest shots on The Simpsons (1989), and John made many posthumous cameos. Other projects include Family Guy (1999), The Powerpuff Girls (1998), Robot Chicken (2005), Celebrity Deathmatch (1998), BoJack Horseman (2014), Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story (2007), Minions (2015), Paul McCartney’s Give My Regards to Broad Street (1985), The Beatles Rock Band (2009), unfinished works like the long-gestating remake of Yellow Submarine, and apocryphal ones like the “Lost Beatles Cartoon Episode.” Creators and voice actors affiliated with Beatle-toons include Paul Frees, Bob Godfrey, Matt Groening, Dan Castellaneta, Hank Azaria, Seth MacFarlane, Simon Pegg, Seth Green, Jake Kasdan, Paul Rudd, Jack Black, Jason Schwartzman, Robert Zemeckis, and Cary Elwes.
Illustrated. Includes index, notes, and bibliography. This book should be on the shelf of all animation aficionados, music lovers, classic movie fans, gamers, pop culture enthusiasts, history buffs, and connoisseurs of fun facts.”
BearManor Media Publication date –September 20, 2026
Background information about the author from AMAZON:
Matthew Hahn, author of THE ANIMATED MARX BROTHERS and THE ANIMATED PETER LORRE, is an award-winning animated filmmaker, a published cartoonist, a lifelong rescuer of animals, and a pioneering Maryland craft brewer. He endowed Freedonia/Marxonia, an annual Marx Brothers festival held at State University of New York-Fredonia, with his wife, Cheri. They live outside Washington, DC, with Tonkinese cat Thelma Todd.
A few words from the author about his animated Beatles book:
“This is the first and only book to cover every category of animated Beatles caricature appearances: TV, movies, music video. games, rides, museum exhibits, VG, AI, memes, and fan films. Of course, all three living Beatles appeared on THE SIMPSONS, and voice actors played them on that and other shows. l address unfinished films, such as Zemeckis’ YELLOW SUBMARINE, abandoned projects, and apocryphal ones. Except for the fan films, l believe it is complete. At least no new ones have cropped up since l turned in the book last March.”
Book author-Matt Hahn:
Author of “The Animated Peter Lorre” from BearManorMedia.
An exclusive photograph from the book provided to me by the author shown below, but please be aware that all photos that appear within the book are in black and white, the color photo shown below is from the Alvaro Ortega video!
This is from a video of “Merry Xmas Martha” by a talented Spanish animator and illustrator named Alvaro Ortega. This color copy appears in the video.
“In addition to John, Paul, George, and Ringo, there are Stuart Sutcliffe and Pete Best, Fifth Beatles George Martin, Brian Epstein, and Eric Clapton, Mal Evans, Bob Dylan, Louis Armstrong, Ray Charles, Jimi Hendrix, David Bowie, Elvis Presley, Roy Orbison, Little Richard, Buddy Holly, Chuck Berry, Fats Domino, Bo Diddley, Bill Haley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Peter and Gordon, the Beach Boys, the Kinks, The Who, and the Rolling Stones.”
IIRC Note- Sutcliffe appears in the vid but not in this picture
This appears as it is going to be a fascinating book. I hope this blog discussion has assisted in propelling and animating (pun intended) your interest in adding the title to your Beatles book collections!
Be healthy and be happy!
Buzz
OUR FEATURED BOOK OF THE WEEK AT THE BEATLES BOOKSTORE
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.
