BRITTON DRUMMEDON ONE HANDCLAPPING AND MANY MORE – WHETHER OR NOT HE IS LISTED AS “GEOFF” OR “JEFF”
FORMER MEMBER OF:
CHAMPION, EAST OF EDEN, THE KEYS, MANFRED MANN’S EARTH BAND, ROUGH DIAMOND, WINGS AND THE SPITFIRES
I love the task of learning as much as I can about the musicians that members of the Beatles chose to work with over the years and the various contributions they made to the songs that reverberate around in our minds. Though Geoff Britton was only with Wings for a very short time, always enjoyed the work that I was aware that he had played on. As well as his drumming skills, he was quite the martial arts expert as well! In keeping with what I said above about learning more about the recordings that the musicians that played with the ex-Beatles over the years, I was fortunate to pick up a rare 45 by the former Wings drummer Geoff Britton. Here is a rare demo of Geoff Britton’s, listed here as Jeff Britton which I recently acquired on Discogs.Â
Released on Decca in 1976. Special thanks to Dan Ealey for confirming that Geoff and Jeff were indeed the same person before I made my purchase! It is also great to see Geoff getting a writing credit on both of these numbers…
Dan Ealey was so kind in arranging for Geoff Britton to sign a drumhead I had purchased from Dan. Geoff wrote some of Paul’s lyrics from Junior’s Farm about “You Should Have Seen Me With the Poker Man” on the drumhead.
Dan Ealey was the guy who gave a Rickenbacker guitar to Paul McCartney when Wings were in Nashville.
Geoff Britton’s Signed drumskin for John
When Wings returned to the UK, they recorded the One Hand Clapping soundtrack which Geoff Britton drummed on and the set was officially released in 2024. There is a special vinyl release as well as a 2 cd set. They are available on the official McCartney website and such vendors as Amazon. It is wonderful to see a man who was only with Wings for a short time having his work preserved and displayed for posterity!
One Hand Clapping with Wings
An excellent interview on YouTube of Geoff Britton talking about “One Hand Clapping” and his time with Wings!
Would love to hear your feedback of the 2 Jeff/ Geoff Britton and the Spitfires songs on the instrumentals presented above from the 1970’s on YouTube. Links are at the top of this post! I happen to like them very much!
A John Lennon biography written by someone who was considered by many to be a Beatles confidante, with 3 Lennon-related signatures at three different times.
A confidante will face a special task when they are writing the biography of famous individuals especially when the protagonist had many escapades of controversy during their lifetime. The author/ writer is then often accused of writing the book for the person in a more favorable light than what was deserved in reality. I will leave others to judge that in this circumstance.
I only have to say that I enjoy Ray Coleman as a writer and I believe he gave a balanced portrayal of John in this book, describing both his good and bad sides. His incredible talent and imagination are balanced by the chip Lennon kept on his shoulder throughout his lifetime. If you are only seeking the salacious and meaner side of John Lennon, then you probably need to travel to other books to satisfy that inclination…
The Original Title
Originally this book was published as a 2-volume set, the first volume titled “John Winston Lennon” and the 2nd volume titled “John Ono Lennon.” The photographs of the original volumes appear at the bottom of this post.
This Lennon biography is special to me for the three individuals who signed this copy at three different time frames. It is signed by the author the late Ray Coleman, the late Cynthia Lennon, John Lennon’s first wife, and Julian Lennon, John Lennon and Cynthia Lennon’s son.
Ray Coleman Lennon
The three signers of my volume of the book:
Ray Coleman, Cynthia Lennon and Julian Lennon Autographs
The back cover of this hardcover edition.
Back Cover of Coleman’s “Lennon”
The original Hardcover UK editions, this is Volume 1:
Original Volume 1
This is Volume 2:
John Ono Lennon
Which is your favourite Lennon biography? Let me know in the comments.
GEORGE PECKHAM ALSO CUT THE MASTERS FOR A COUPLE OF THE SOLO BEATLES TOO
Highlighting another limited edition book put together by the excellent publisher of special Beatles-related titles, APCOR BOOKS. This publishing outfit centered in the Netherlands has also produced the fabulous 4 book series- A Is For Apple. I try not to miss out on any of their fabulous titles. For a summary of the contents of this fine book, please read the details provided on the back cover in the photo provided below!
The Book About George Peckham and his Career
George Peckham The man Who Cut The Masters for The Beatles
The back cover of the book with a summary of the contents:
The Table of Contents:
Table of Contents
The Last Copy
AS IT TURNS OUT IT IS INDEED THE LAST COPY: “TO BE A SPECIALIZED COLLECTOR IS OFTEN NOT AS EASY AS IT SOUNDS.” Here are a few details to explain what I mean… I normally like to collect the last signed and numbered copy of limited edition books that I purchase. When I received my copy of this particular title it was numbered #300 instead of #500 that I had requested and I was wondering why this had occurred? Here is the explanation provided to me by the publisher that it is indeed the last copy of the limited edition! I imagine I have my work cut out for me if I ever decide to sell or part with my copy of the book as a result! Lol! The parting with the book is not likely to occur soon, I must say!!! I like it too much!!!
Buzz
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.
Barry Miles has a long history of dealing with prominent figures of the ’60s. From his interactions with Jon (John) Dunbar, and Robert Fraser at the famous Indica Gallery where John met Yoko, to the involvement of Miles with the International Times, to his interactions with Paul McCartney and John Lennon, Miles represents much of the ’60s countercultural movement to a public that may have followed his work over the years. His backlog of books of figures from that age includes titles about Allen Ginsberg, Jack Kerouac, William Burroughs, and Charles Bukowski.
Here is a limited signed edition of one of Barry Miles’s books. This title features his recollections of what he deems to be the most significant moments and issues of the ’60s. The slipcase that this book came in is not pictured in the photos provided below.
In The Sixties Barry Miles
The back cover of the book:
The signature of Barry Miles on the copy that I was able to acquire:
Signature of Barry Miles
Many Years From Now
The universally liked book that Barry Miles authored was about his good friend, Paul McCartney, called Many Years From Now. The book was well received by the public and sold many copies. It demonstrated that Paul was indeed at the forefront of examining subjects and artists that were considered avant-garde or experimental.
In a matter of historical irony, Paul was instrumental in Yoko Ono meeting John Lennon, when she was seeking famous people to contribute one of their musical transcripts or compositions as a celebratory gift to her artist friend, John Cage. She approached Paul first, and he was initially resistant to the request, and he suggested she go ask John Lennon first. This of course helped to set the wheels in motion and time and other events (like business) resulted in the songwriting partners drifting apart and helped to contribute to the eventual dissolution of the group.
This is further evidence that it is never a single factor that results in a major cultural decision or event, but it serves as a reminder that it is indeed a tangled web we weave by the things that are said and done!!! Fans speculate about such matters all of the time. It does not change what occured but people seem to have the NEED to know! The sad thing is that fans have a tendency to want to take sides and want to blame one party over the other. What we should be sad about is how lifelong friendships can deteriorate and fragment…. for whatever the reasons turn out to be!
Many Years From Now
The very rare book that was organized in part by Barry Miles (see the reference to him on the cover) was a collection of fan photos of the Beatles taken over the years. It was only on sale for about a week when either because of administrative hassles or copyright issues, the book was quickly withdrawn. Fortunately, I was able to acquire a copy from another collector, but I truly empathize with others who are frantically searching for a copy of the book and are unable to find it. I have had numerous requests from people asking me where they can acquire a copy of this book and I feel bad that I can only give them the information to keep their eyes open on eBay for someone who may be getting rid of their own personal copy.
The People’s Beatles
The People’s Beatles
The Beatles – A Diary
While I was preparing this post, noted book publisher Steven Wilson reminded me of this book, which he was involved with publishing. Sometimes, keeping track of all of the Beatles-related books by a particular author and keeping them properly sorted is a difficult task. Here is a day-by-day Beatles diary authored by Miles…Thanks for the update and reminder Steven!
The Beatles A Diary
Finding my copy of the Beatles Diary in the collection thanks to Mr. Steven Wilson, reminded me of another Barry Miles limited edition book that I have that came in a slipcase – A special Limited Edition issued in 2012 – The Beatles Phenomenon. Published in 2012 by Omnibus and authored by Barry Miles, is described by Amazon in their promotion of the book as being; “The Beatles Phenomenon is a unique new Beatles chronicle that brings their astonishing legend to vivid life using sheet music, rare photographs and a detailed chronology of their gigs, venues, public quotes and most memorable moments.”
The Beatles Phenomenon
The Beatles Phenomenon
Of course we need to mention “The Zapple Diaries” by Barry Miles which was the first book to document the special label set up by the Beatles to deal with more non-conventional matters whether in musical expression or matters of literary concern. Zapple was a short-lived Beatles project. Â
Leading literary and cultural figures of the time, including Allen Ginsberg, Charles Bukowski, Richard Brautigan, William Burroughs, and Frank Zappa are discussed in the book and projects that Zapple was considering regarding these individuals are mentioned. The Zapple Diaries details and summarizes the ill-fated venture and presents a revealing account of a little-known segment of Beatles’ history.
Publisher: Abrams Image
Publication Date: 2016
The Zapple Diaries
The Zapple Diaries
Earlier UK cover of the book
Title:The Zapple Diaries : The Rise and Fall of the last Beatles label
Publisher: Peter Owen Limited
Publication Date:2015
The Zapple Diaries
Barry Miles was such an influential part of the ’60s scene and his eyewitness accounts are essential reading.
Buzz
Discover More About The Beatles at The Beatles Bookstore
Just acquired this special and wonderful 4 CD set on eBay compiling some of the best production work done by Tony Visconti. There is also a 6 LP limited edition version available of this set. The LP and CDs were released in 2023!
Tony has produced many well-known musical luminaries over the years, including David Bowie, Marc Bolan and Joe Cocker. As a special bonus to this retrospective, they also provided a signed print of Tony with the package.
Beatles Connections
For the purposes of this Beatles connections relevant to this blog, Tony has numerous Beatles connections and associations over the years as he has produced the Iveys, the precursor to the band, Badfinger. He was also to produce and later to marry Apple singer Mary Hopkin. They had two children. Following their divorce he was later to marry, May Pang, John Lennon’s former girlfriend when John was having problems with his relationship with Yoko in the 70s! Tony and May also had 2 children together before their eventual divorce.
Another prominent Beatles-related connection: Tony Visconti scored the arrangements for orchestra for the Wings Album “Band on the Run.” He is a man with certainly a stellar resume of achievements over the years! It must be stressed that his production credits reach far beyond his association with Apple and the Beatles!
The cover of the special limited edition Tony Visconti Boxset:
Produced by Tony Visconti
The track listing for the Tony Visconti 4 cd set:
Track Listing
Tony Visconti’s signature on the print provided with my special limited edition:
As a personal observation it is always appreciated by a collector when the person who signs an item, signs it with a clearly readable signature. Thanks to you Tony!
Visconti Signature
This is the part of the package that houses the special booklet contained within the set:
The Booklet
The excellent booklet provided in the set which gives great detail to all of the tracks presented:
Though books bound in leather are controversial, especially to vegetarians, the quality of these books is superb in their durability and their lasting power. Apologies are sent to those who may be offended by leather-bound books but that consideration and criticism would then also extend to such special publishers like Genesis who pride themselves in their leather-bound books’ workmanship and high quality. When the Get Back Beatles book by Calloway Publishers was published I was wondering if there would ever be a special edition of the book.
I stumbled across an internet site called Send a Frame, which was offering leather-bound editions of the Get Back Book. A photo of the book appears below as well as the link to the Send A Frame site. I will not spend time arguing about the validity or merit of higher-priced books like this as opinions vary from person to person. I can only speak for myself saying that as a collector, I was happy to acquire the special edition. I do have issues with the final price of the book but I am also aware of the much higher cost of manufacturing and producing these titles primarily due to their quality and durability!
BOUND BY HAND IN LUXE BONDED LEATHER
PERSONALIZATION IS AVAILABLE IN GOLD
300 PAGES
SIZE: 11.25″ W X 1.25″ D X 10.25″
GRAPHIC IMAGE™ HAND-CRAFTS GENUINE LEATHER BOOKS AND GIFTS THAT HAVE SET THE MODERN-DAY STANDARD FOR QUALITY AND DESIGN.
This is a picture of the mass-market edition of the Get Back book published by Callaway in 2021. This followed the Disney presentation of the Peter Jackson documentary. As well as containing photographs by photographer Ethan Russell, it also contained photos taken by Linda Eastman (McCartney).
Get Back by The Beatles
To bring this post to a conclusion the book at the bottom of this post was the book that accompanied a limited-run boxed-set release when the Beatles Let It Be album was released in 1970. It was only issued in a couple of countries. Photographs were taken by Ethan A. Russell. The text was written by Jonathan Cott and David Dalton. This book is/was highly sought after by collectors. One drawback was that it was issued in a softback format where the binding was not secure and many people that purchased the book in the box set had some of the pages come loose as a result of the bad binding.
Many years later on eBay, I discovered a copy that someone had custom-made as a hardback copy by taking the contents of the original softcover, reproducing the cover in hardback format and binding the contents as a hardback copy of the book. I was thrilled to buy that copy for my collection as now my fears of losing pages were greatly reduced. Collectors were hoping that all of the photos available in the original Get Back book would also be available in the book above but that was not to be the case. That type of situation always causes dissatisfaction with collectors who call themselves completists.
Photographs by Ethan A. Russell. Text by Jonathan Cott and David Dalton
