TERRY CRAIN’S NEW BOOK TITLE “BEATLES NOVELTY SONGS” IS AVAILABLE NOW:
BEATLES NOVELTY SONGS 1964-1966
A mammoth and comprehensive book featuring the Beatles novelty records issued between 1964-1966 is now available. You will be delighted and amazed with all of the stories associated with the 500 or so records that are detailed here! Once again, author Terry Crain has created a research work that represents a much-needed addition to the Beatles book library as it helps to demonstrate how deeply the Beatles permeated popular culture and society. Novelty records helped to do that with a sense of humor (humour) which was important to the Beatles repertoire of talents
The endorsement to Terry’s wonderful research skills is summed up by one of the best in the business. You can view it at the bottom of the rear cover of the new book:
A FEW SAMPLE PAGES FROM THE BOOK:
One of my favorite entries in the Terry Crain book:The 500 songs in the book are presented in alphabetical order but I have chosen one of my favorite entries in the book as a sampling of what you will see in the pages of this wonderful piece of work by Terry Crain.
The Ringo I Love You track, written and produced by Phil Spector and sung by Bonnie Jo Mason (aka Cher)!
That was a sampling of the type of stories that you will read about in Terry Crain’s spectacular new book!
Proud to have received a wonderful acknowledgement by the author in his book. Much appreciated, Terry! It is so nice to have the name mentioned amongst such luminaries in the Beatles
Credits:
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
A NOTE OF THANKS TO THE AUTHOR:
Thanks, Terry, for the wonderful inscription in your excellent book!Please don’t forget the sequel featuring the novelty records post 1966!You are the only person I would ever trust with producing that book!
Hope you enjoyed this sampling of Terry’s wonderful new book. Now it is your turn to make the decision to acquire and purchase a copy from the author. You will not be disappointed!!!
The newest book in the wild and wacky Beatles genre is “Beatles Novelty Songs (1964-1966).” Songwriters wrote about 500 Beatles novelty songs between 1964 and 1966. Every subject, every situation, every holiday, every heartfelt longing, and every social issue seemed to be covered by these wonderful songs.
Recently received this upcoming book notification from author, Martin Orkin about The Beatles’ Hit Singles Part 2:
With a low-priced offer! Plus, a special Part 1+2 bundle!
Hi everyone,
I am thrilled to tell you that I have now completed work on Part 2 of my detailed – and thrilling – examination of The Beatles’ incomparable collection of singles: The Beatles’ Hit Singles, Part 2. This time I am covering the intriguing era of 1966-1970, during which The Beatles created some of their finest work! My book is currently in the tender hands of my excellent print firm, and I am hoping to receive finished copies by the end of August 2026!
Here are the front and rear covers of Hit Singles, Part 2 for you to savour! (Blue – in honour of The Beatles’ iconic hits collection of 1967-1970!) As usual with my books, Hit Singles, Part 2 will be glossy hardback. Also, like Part 1, there are colour images of iconic picture sleeves included. There will be 400 action-packed pages.
Part 2 includes my discussion of such wonderful records as ‘Strawberry Fields Forever’/’Penny Lane’, ‘Yellow Submarine’/’Eleanor Rigby’, ‘Hey Jude’, Get Back’, ‘Come Together’/’Something’ and ‘Let It Be’. Truly, there is something for everyone here. From the most tender of ballads to heavy duty rock, by way of some full blown psychedelic sounds!
In Part 2 you will read about the following fascinating details among many:
* How Paul took control of The Beatles with ‘Paperback Writer’.
* How Ringo’s kiddies’ song saved the group from possible extinction in the US.
* John Lennon’s least favourite Beatles single. (And what about Paul McCartney’s!?)
* The biggest selling Beatles 45 worldwide of them all.
I have been overcome by all the fabulous comments I have received from people who have read and enjoyed Part 1 of my Beatles Hit Singles books. For example, here are brief extracts from the first few reviews that I received of many (I include lots of my lovely reviews in a section near the end of Part 2):
* The colour of the cover just hits you smack in the eye, just like the original albums did all those years ago. I have of course already started to dip in; no doubt I’ll have great pleasure in doing the same for eons to come!
* Your new book is outstanding.
* I thoroughly enjoyed every page. You write from the heart and with absolute enthusiasm and knowledge,
* Well Martin, if you keep writing these wonderful books on the Fab Four then we’ll keep on buying them!
I very much hope that Part 2 meets with the same level of approval from my readers!
Once copies of Hit Singles 2 are available, and before I start advertising my new book more generally (at a higher price), I will be in touch with you to bring my loyal readers a special low-priced short term offer for Hit Singles 2, which will be just too good to refuse. And for those of you who have yet to dip their toes in the water with The Beatles’ Hit Singles, Part 1, I will be tempting you with another special low-priced offer: for buying a copy of each of Parts 1 & 2 together at the same time!
And don’t forget: for sales to Britain and America, and a few other countries, I can currently still send any two Hit Singles books for the same P&P cost as for one!
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.
In honor of the 250th anniversary of Independence Day in America, this article is about John Lennon’s American dream, his faith in this country and all it stood for. Despite being born and raised in Liverpool, England, he fell in love with America and wanted to live here. Unfortunately, he faced monumental legal struggles in the early 1970s to stay here because of his outspoken political views against the Vietnam war, and the Nixon administration wanted to silence him. In the end, justice and freedom won out through John’s patience, and the determination of his lawyer Leon Wildes.
The minute John Lennon moved to New York City in the summer of 1971 with his wife Yoko Ono, he instantly felt at home. In his exhilaration, he wanted to become an American citizen. However, it took a ridiculous four years of legal battling to get permanent residency status in the U.S. The U.S. government used every legal means to deport him, rather than welcome the former Beatle with open arms. It was an incredibly stressful time for Lennon, who at times was in fear for his life.
John was much beloved as the founder of the Beatles with millions of devoted fans. So why was the government working so hard to kick him out? The secret corrupt political war against Lennon would eventually be revealed, through author Jon Wiener’s 15-year legal battle to get records via the Freedom of Information Act. Wiener’s 1999 book, Gimme Some Truth, outlines his exhaustive effort to get these records, over one hundred pages of which are included in the book. [i] What he uncovered was shocking.
John’s love of America
John was completely wowed by America the first time The Beatles flew across the Atlantic to New York in February of 1964. He told reporter Larry Kane during that tour, “I think it’s marvelous, especially places like New York and Hollywood. I especially like the big places, the big cities, where the people are, where life is.” [ii]
Lennon had been against the Vietnam war as early as 1965, and to manager Brian Epstein’s dismay, he would be the first major celebrity to publicly voice his concerns about it. Larry Kane recalled John’s disgust when he joined the military in 1966 and showed up with his military haircut. He said John completely bristled and reddened. To John, serving in the U.S. military meant supporting the war, and Kane said they argued about it for an entire plane flight.[iii]
May Pang recalled in her 1983 book Loving John: The Untold Story, that John and Yoko went back to Manhattan shortly after they were married, in December of 1970. Yoko had lived there many years and knew it like the back of her hand. It was exciting, and John proclaimed to the co-founder of Rolling Stone magazine, Jann Wenner, “America is where it’s at. You know, I should have been born in New York, man. Why wasn’t I born there?” He continued, “I regret profoundly not being an American and not being born in Greenwich Village.” [iv]
Move to New York, summer of 1971
Within a few months that dream would start to become reality. John and Yoko abruptly moved to New York on August 13, 1971, [v] after Lennon’s album Imaginewas recorded at Tittenhurst Park in Ascot, England. They were frantically searching for Yoko’s daughter, Kyoko, whom Tony Cox, her first husband, had disappeared with. They were given temporary visas, and after lengthy stays in various hotels, they finally settled in a flat at 105 Bank Street in the West Village. It was a bohemian lifestyle that offered a level of freedom John hadn’t known since his early days in Liverpool.
John and Yoko instantly found themselves in the company of the notorious leftist radicals of the time, Bobby Seale, Jerry Rubin and Abbie Hoffman.[vi] They were active anti-war protesters who were involved with the violent riots at the 1968 Republican Convention. Jerry and Abbie had co-founded the Yippee movement and were members of the “Chicago Seven.” Bobby Seale founded the Black Panthers. They befriended Lennon the minute he got to New York, because of his celebrity power; he offered a big name to front their protests and radical movements against the Vietnam War and gain followers. The Lennons always made it clear to them that they were against violence.
John and Yoko brought their beliefs to light when they were given the amazing opportunity to host the Mike Douglas Show in February of 1972, for five days.[vii] The popular mainstream show brought their counterculture ideas directly into American households; they discussed women’s liberation and the peace movement, and performed with Chuck Berry, one of John’s rock n’ roll heroes. Jerry Rubin and Bobby Seale also made guest appearances and talked about anti-war efforts.
A set of five VHS tapes of these full episodes, with a book, was sold by Rhino in 1998. While long out of print, fans can still get this set on eBay. On October 9, 2024, John’s birthday, Daytime Revolution[viii]was released, a 108-minute documentary including the best scenes from these episodes. The footage was cleaned up using current technology, making this a must-have for fans; it is available in current streaming formats and on DVD at Amazon.
Director Erik Nelson said the shows, which reached forty million viewers, virtually “wrecked” John’s life, saying, “Unfortunately, he picked maybe the worst time possible to be that political” as it coincided with Nixon’s campaign for re-election in 1972. “This was seen correctly, I think, by the Nixon administration as a huge threat.” [ix] Since the voting age had just been reduced to eighteen, Nixon knew Lennon’s influence on that age group could cost him the election. After the shows aired, the administration, who had already been taking note of his activities, declared war on John Lennon.
The FBI files document their efforts to surveil him, proving what John had suspected, and openly discussed during his appearance on ABC’s The Dick Cavett Show, May 11, 1972.[x] At the time, this seemed ridiculous to most people. John was a rock musician, not some kind of mafia boss or wanted criminal. He was vocal about his beliefs, but those beliefs were widely held; the idea that the government was actively surveilling him seemed preposterous. No one but him took it seriously, but eventually it turned out that he was correct.
The following month, in June of 1972, he released the double album Sometime in New York City[xi] with the Plastic Ono Band, backed by Elephant’s Memory. It included both live and studio recordings. The album would go down in history as his most political, including songs like “Luck O’ the Irish”, about the conflict in Northern Ireland, as well as “Sunday Bloody Sunday.” “Attica State” relayed the conditions at Attica State Prison, and “John Sinclair” was about a guy who was jailed for pot possession. “Woman is the Nigger of the World” was about how men tended to treat women, triggering a lot of controversy and accusations of racism; but John explained that women had been kept “down” for so long that they felt like slaves. “New York City” was an upbeat song reflecting his love of his new home.
The critical reception of the album was dismal. The harsh, politically charged songs were a hard pill to swallow for his fans, and this depressed John a great deal. About this time, Geraldo Rivera approached the Lennons on the appalling conditions at Willowbrook State School, a facility on Staten Island that housed children with disabilities. John and Yoko were moved by the situation and wanted to help. They agreed to do two One to One benefit concerts at Madison Square Garden on August 30, 1972.
The shows raised over $1.5 million and led to major legislative reform for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. They were the only full-length live concerts John Lennon performed after the break-up of the Beatles. The shows were memorialized in a 2024 documentary entitled One to One. In 2026, the film Power to the People had a limited theatrical release as a follow up to the October 2025 box set, Power to the People: Live at the One to One Concert. The box set comes in multiple formats and price levels.
In addition, documentaries LENNONYC (2010) and The U.S. vs John Lennon (2006) provide further insight into his years in New York.
Nixon won re-election at the end of 1972, to the Lennons’ dismay, and his administration kept their thumb on Lennon’s situation. On March 23, 1973, the judge declared him an “excludable alien” due to his 1968 drug conviction in England. [xii] Despite the revelation that the substance was planted by a corrupt police officer, John had been advised at the time to plead guilty and pay a fine. So, the guilty admission overruled the faulty conviction. The Lennons were applying for permanent residence, but these applications were repeatedly ignored.
Yoko Ono was fine to stay, after having lived in New York for so many years, but Lennon was ordered to leave the country. Lennon appealed this decision, but on July 10, 1974, the decision was upheld and John was ordered to leave the country by September 10. This order was also appealed by Lennon. Interestingly, because of the Watergate scandal, President Nixon resigned from office in disgrace on August 9, 1974.
The strain on John and Yoko’s marriage during this ordeal was such that they separated for eighteen months. John took their assistant May Pang to Los Angeles for a long “lost weekend” and then back to New York City where they shared an apartment by the East River. This apartment was where they saw a UFO, and where John was photographed by Bob Gruen wearing his New York City T-shirt. May Pang’s story was released in her books Loving John: The Untold Story (1983), (long out of print but used copies can be purchased on eBay), Instamatic Karma(2008), and a documentary, The Lost Weekend: A Love Story (2022), available as a DVD and on streaming services.
This relationship was much more than an affair. Her story is a unique one, as she benefited John’s life in many ways. He did go on some unfortunate drinking benders in L.A., but she helped him during his work on the 1973 album Mind Gamesandwas coordinator on his 1974 album Walls and Bridges, contributing background vocals on “9 Dream.” The song “Surprise, Surprise (Sweet Bird of Paradox)” was inspired by her. Both albums were met with critical success. She encouraged the reunion with his son Julian, as well as the other Beatles, not to mention countless other musicians like Harry Nillson, Mick Jagger and Elton John.
They seemed very happy, that is, until the end of January 1975, when May recalled many urgent phone calls from Yoko. Heated arguments ensued, causing John to slam the phone down. May knew something was very wrong, but he assured her things were fine. To her shock, John suddenly left for the Dakota during the first week of February 1975 without explanation and didn’t come back, except to pack his things. Communications after that were cryptic and confusing.
Ironically, his departure coincided precisely with the commencement of the lawsuit with Morris Levy, as explained in the 2022 book by Jay Bergen, Lennon, the Mobster and the Lawyer.[xiii] This was over a copyright infringement case that was turning ugly, and Jay began his work with John right at the end of January. Perhaps John realized it was time to “face the music” and go home, to work on these lawsuits. He and Yoko needed to form a united front to ensure success. Another week or so later it was revealed that Yoko was pregnant with their son, Sean. After Yoko’s earlier miscarriages, this was a fragile situation that John wanted to take responsibility for.
Eventually, both legal battles would be headed in John’s favor with the help of his astute lawyers, and John and Yoko’s attention to personal and business matters.
Legal Resolution at America’s bicentennial
When the four-year grueling deportation case finally came to a close in October 7, 1975, right before Lennon’s 35th birthday, his attorney Leon Wildes made a great final point to Judge Kaufman in the courtroom. He made the assertion that John had been illegally persecuted by the government for his beliefs: “There is substantial reason to believe that official government action was based principally on a desire to silence political opposition squarely protected by the First Amendment.” [xiv]
John expressed his strong love of America in his final statement to the court, saying that all his professional interests and financial holdings were now in the United States, and that removal “would be like removing a fish from water, as it would uproot me from the environment which I believe most contributes to my life and work as an artist.”[xv]
Judge Kaufman ruled in John’s favor, saying, “Lennon’s four-year battle to remain in our country is testimony to his faith in the American dream.”[xvi] The deportation order was overturned.
John and Yoko were delirious with joy. Their son Sean was born two days later on John’s birthday. Life was good again. By the time this happened, the war had been over for several months. Gerald Ford was now president, and there was no further government objection to John Lennon being in the country.
Larry Kane said in Lennon Revealed, “After four years of arduous court battles, John Lennon was given the green light to get the U.S. resident status that he wanted so badly. The people in the U.S. government who had waged a long, hard struggle to kick John Lennon out of America were wrong about his intentions. John wasn’t out to undermine the United States, its government, or the nation’s democratic process. More than anything, he wanted to become an American and help America become a stronger, better nation.” [xvii]
John got his green card July 27, 1976, which made him eligible to apply for citizenship in 5 years. Ironically, Americans were celebrating the 200th anniversary and bicentennial of our nation’s Declaration of Independence from Britain. And to John, it marked the path to his freedom as well.
Emotionally shredded after his ordeal, and grateful for this resolution, his political days were over and he retreated into the Dakota to raise his son. He declared himself a “househusband” for five years, raising Sean while Yoko attended to the business matters, and he was never the happier. He became an inspiration to other couples, that it was ok to switch roles, and have the daddy stay home while the mom worked.
He finally began working on Double Fantasy, released in November of 1980. It was a romantic album, reflecting the reconciliation with his wife, with “(Just Like) Starting Over” and what it was like to be a daddy, in the song “Beautiful Boy.” To promote the album, he gave extensive hours-long interviews that would become important reference material after his death.
David Sheff interviewed John and Yoko for Playboy Magazine in September; (Jan. 1981 issue, on newsstands in Nov. 1980), and the full text has been published in multiple books, John Lennon & Yoko Ono: The Final Testament(1981) and Last Interview: All We Are Saying – John Lennon & Yoko Ono, both by David Sheff. These books can be purchased on multiple sites.
Andy Peebles interviewed the Lennons on December 6, published in his 1982 book The Last Lennon Tapes. John and Yoko’s very last interview was on December 8, hours before John was killed. This was with RKO radio, by Dave Sholin, Laurie Kaye and Ron Hummel and can be heard at You Tube. In addition, Laurie Kaye published Confessions of a Rock ‘n’ Roll Name Dropperin 2023 documenting her experience.
Final thoughts
Sadly, John had little time left. He was brutally murdered by a deranged individual on the night of December 8, 1980, outside his home at the Dakota Apartments, and the world was plunged into mourning. His intention to apply for citizenship in 1981 was cruelly denied. John fought hard to stay in the city he had grown to love so much, and his outspoken beliefs on many subjects, including politics, religion, sexual freedom and women’s rights, along with the joys of parenthood were way ahead of his time. They changed our culture for the better.
He was an “honorary American” in my book, who never had legal citizenship but certainly had the love of millions of American citizens. Every year on his birthday and the anniversary of his death, fans arrive with flowers and candles at the Imagine Mosaic at Strawberry Fields in Central Park, to pay homage to him. And for all of this, I tip my hat to John and his efforts to stay in the Land of the Free. You are, and will always be loved, John.
With a little bit of humor or (humour), if you prefer: Every time a Beatle or an ex-Beatle ever sneezed or passed gas, the press and hardcore fans lent their eyes and ears and (who nose what else?) to the event and paid attention! (The misspelling in red is intentional) Pun hell! The paparazzi were so adamant and persistent in their willingness to preserve the earth-shattering events which most of us would term inconsequential for posterity, because of the Beatles immense fan following and worldwide fame. Though that trend is not as fanatical anymore, I am still amazed at the stories that continue to appear in new Beatles books that shed further light on the magical story of those four men from Liverpool. Book collectors like me still yearn to learn new information about them in order to more fully understand and comprehend the elixir and special ingredients that made them so unique and distinct.In 500 or more years, I firmly believe the Beatles will still be studied by both academics and music fans alike. Not sure of how many present-day performers will live up to that gold standard of excellence!
With over three thousand books having been published about the Beatles over the years, have you ever given any thought to a subject matter about them that you would like to see explored or expanded upon in much greater detail in a book format?
With those three thousand books I know that I have come across some subjects of interest that I would love to see some enterprising and inquisitive young author explore and investigate in far greater detail in both words and photography from what we have been exposed to up to this point! Here are some of the subjects I would like to see handled in a complete book about the subject! At the end in the comment section, I would love to see your suggestions as to the Beatles book that has not adequately covered the subject in question! I also understand that some of the ideas presented below will never be published because of the sensitive nature of the material that would be required in a project of that type. You will see which ones fall under that category as the ideas that I personally would like to see as book projects are presented and described. One of the hangups for any prospective author of any of these projects would be the immense task of securing the permission from copyright owners to be able to use the photos that would be crucial ingredients necessary to the mix.
These book ideas are being presented randomly and are not by any means being displayed in order of my perceived importance of the idea:
The Beatles went to Greece in July 1967
A month after the release of Sgt. Pepper, the Beatles travelled to Greece to explore the possibility of purchasing a Greek Island to establish a communal environment to get away from the pressures and hassles of Beatlemania and fandom.
During this trip the Beatles did some sightseeing and were in many historical locations such as Delphi. Many beautiful photos have circulated on the internet over the years yet no book detailing the events of that excursion have ever appeared in book form. I personally would love to see a book of that nature appear.
Here is a collection of YouTube pieces about that excursion. The following month, their manager would no longer be alive to share in the group’s future successful ventures nor be there to prevent the final dissolution of the band that he loved so much!
The photos in a book of this sort would probably be worth the price of the book regardless of the supporting text.
John and Paul came to New York in 1968 to announce the formation of Apple. They made many stops and appearances including, their press conference at the Americana, The Tonight Show, A surprise sojourn in Central Park, staying at Nat Weiss’ apartment, giving several interviews, and a business meeting on a Chinese Junk near the Statue of Liberty. There are many excellent photographs from these events and if the rights could be secured by the future author it would make a fabulous book. Even though Brian had passed on, he was fully aware of the Apple idea, unfortunately there was no one that could have taken Brian’s place that could have successfully managed those 4 complex personalities as well as Brian could. He made some big errors in merchandising Beatles product but usually his Beatles decisions were spot on. It probably would have broken his heart to learn that it was business decisions that was the primary factor in the band splitting up about three years after he passed on!
A magazine from my magazine collection featuring John in NY to promote Apple:
Beatles in New York: John Lennon and Paul McCartney, with Mal Evans, Arrive in New York. Photo by Fred W McDarragh
Above photo: Beatles in New York: John Lennon and Paul McCartney, with Mal Evans, Arrive in New York. Photo by Fred W McDarragh Magic Alex is featured to the left of John Lennon.
JAPANESE JAILBIRD-THE STORY OF PAUL’S MARIJUANA BUST IN JAPAN
In 1980 Paul McCartney was busted in Japan for marijuana possession when he was about to do a Wings tour. He was kept in prison for 9 or 10 days. While he was in prison, he took the time to write a journal of those days and events. He said it wasn’t a big book, but he kept those memories for his children and gave the copies of the journal so they would know their father’s stories and emotions about the time. Some say that a few close friends also got copies from Paul.
One never knows if the content is of such a personal nature that a book would ever result from those notes, but a fan can always hope that the decision will one day be made to allow it!
The cancelled tour program for Japan prepared for 1980’s tour of the country:
EPSTEIN (EASTMAN) VS. KLEIN AND THE REST OF THE STORY
(If you are an attorney, please realize that I am posing these questions as an interested fan in order to fully understand motivations, and issues of fairness and justification for a legal action being warranted) I understand that many of my interests are based on legal ignorance behind these matters but I am just expressing the desire to see this information made public one day in some manner!
Here is one book that we will probably definitely never see and for a multiplicity of reasons. I would love to see the FULL legal wranglings of the Eastman family and of Allen Klein in their catalog of legal actions either done on the Beatles behalf or to secure their breakup against one another. Would like to read the full depositions in all of the cases and what each Beatle was being sued for along the way. Would also like to read the full decisions made in the cases. The book would also include the cases where the Beatles would take action collectively against Capitol and/or EMI and how the courts reached their decisions in those cases. How did the Beatles secure a multi-million-dollar settlement with the Apple corporation of Steve Jobs. In doing so I do believe the Beatles did lose their exclusive rights to use the Apple moniker in cases other than music delivery. (I could be wrong about this) That is not a legal description as I am not a lawyer, but the Beatles did lose the exclusive ownership naming rights for products using the Apple heading for items other than musical records issued by the Beatles company, Apple. I would love to learn more of the details of that caseand how inaccurate my comments or perceptions from above actually are?
Ironic that the Beatles started out with Brian Epstein as their manager whose goal was to keep them as working band, and then 3 of them chose Allen Klein, one of them chose the Eastmans who had changed their name from Epstein to Eastman and then they are seeking all of the reasons that they should NOT remain as a working band! How could a story have become so bizarre and strategically, non-cyclical and tragic? I don’t want the press to make the judgements for me about the correctness of the business dealings or of one individual vs. another as I would love to see the documents myself to see if the public might see things a different way if they were allowed to read the various legal documents. Obviously, the attorney’s intention and obligation are to present their client’s viewpoints and interests on a particular demand and defend it legallyand they have the right of privacy if stated as part of the settlement or resolution of the case until the matters are presented in court where they become part of the public record. I won’t bore you anymore with my lack of legal knowledge but there are issues that I would love to see answers to one day!Highly doubtful, though!My comments are not intended to criticize or devalue the right of the lawyer to defend their client’s interests. That does not prevent the public from having the right of seeing the resolution of any case as being unfair or morally unjustifiable.
For example, we all know that Paul McCartney wanted the Beatles to remain together as a working band. probably more so than the other three Beatles. I would love to know what the business issue was that prevented him from attending the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame Induction ceremonies for the Beatles? It had to be something of a very serious nature in order to do something of that nature. I know these legal matters have privacy issues that need to be respected. All I am expressing is my personal desire to know the answer to so many questions I have about some of those legal matters. I honestly do not want to pit one Beatle vs. another Beatle as many Beatles fans end up doing because of their loyalty to a specific favorite individual in the group. I look for answers to questions about fairness and being reasonablein order to assist me in determine my own sense of right and wrongas it involves those lawsuits.
I just have a desire to see more of the complexities of the business issues that were the primary factors in the group’s final dissolution. When it comes to business and $$$$ dealings, I am always skeptical of official explanations from the parties directly involved as they have the vested interests in the court settlements and outcomes and will always put their own best foot forward!
THE BOOKS DURING THEIR SOLO CAREERS THAT WERE STOPPED BY ATTORNEYS AND WHY?
I would love to see a book exploring all of the books that the solo Beatles or their executors tried to put a stop to or halt publication of. I know of at least three books that were intended for publication by various authors and the attorneys quickly halted publication by stating that legal action might be forthcoming if the book was published. The authors and the publishers fearing lengthy court battles and heavily incurred expenses as a result would make the attempt to publish the books fruitless. I do not want to seem mean spirited with that description as the attorneys certainly must have had some powerful legal grounds that would justify their challenge to the publication. As a fan I would love to see the books, but I also realize there are other person’s rights as a main part of this argument. The Stones were right when they said, “You Can’t Always get What You Want.”
However, you still can express your interest in the idea!
LOOKING FOR THE GOLD MAN!!!
I may be dreaming about this book idea, but I have always wanted to see a respected Beatles book author do a book turning the tables on Albert Goldman. I do not know how much of Albert Goldman’s book is the absolute truth. However, if I believed the tone and the entire text of that volume I would think that John was one of the worst human beings ever with absolutely no moral compass. That is the tone that Goldman uses in his books to bring down pop culture icons and heroes. John’s musical talents become secondary in the story as if that did not matter to the narrative. I would love to see research done using the book researchers notes to ascertain what Goldman’s motives were in writing his scathing Lennon character assassination. An unusual task indeed, one author investigating the motives and intentions of another author and how that impacts the accuracy and conclusions drawn of the final resulting product. The turning of the tables sometimes can result in their own shocking findings about the writer of the original controversial piece!
Sounds like a damn good idea to me! Hope someone tackles it one day!
BUSINESS OFFERS THE INDIVIDUAL SOLO EX-BEATLES RECEIVED FOLLOWING THE BREAKUP-DETAILED DESCRIPTIONS OF THE OFFERS RECEIVED AND WHY THEY MAY HAVE TURNED THEM DOWN!
Hidden in the files of probably all four Beatles are attempts by many individuals from various business interests who have attempted to solicit the participation of an ex-Beatles in a project for them which for one reason or another was declined. I would love to know what those projects were and the reasons they were declined:
Here are a few examples: I believe Francis Ford Coppola during John’s retirement years was subtly fishing around to see if John would consider to ever write music for a Coppola film. John wrote a reply to Francis declining his kind offer but one cannot help but think what that collaboration would have been like? Another abandoned project was a full movie version of Scouse the Mouse featuring the voice of Ringo which never happened. Paul had written at least 10 songs for a stage presentation musical of It’s a Wonderful Life. Apparently, there were differences of opinion between the writer of the music and the producer as to how the music would be featured in the musical and those differences of opinion led to the project being abandoned. Furthermore, the producer passed away soon after the disagreement had doomed the project!
WHAT FOOLS THEY HAVE BEEN?- A DETAILED HISTORY OF THE FOOL AND THEIR BEATLES-RELATED ACTIVITIES
I would love to see a detailed book about the Fool’s activities with the Beatles and Apple both in their artistic and painting ventures and their clothes design talents. They even made an attempt at composing music, and the album was produced by none other than Graham Nash!
A BOOK OF “ALL” OF THE MICHAEL COOOPER OUTTAKE PHOTOS AND ALL OF THE PREPARATORY PHOTOS FROM THE SGT.PEPPER SESSIONS
I would love to see all of the late Michael’s Cooper photos of the Beatles and photos he had about the creation of the album cover issued as a book. His son Adam Cooper has the rights to his dad’s photos I believe and boy that would make for a fascinating and interesting book. Many of the people involved in the creation of the cover are still alive and could contribute valuable stories. Another book idea would be to feature all of the rejected album cover ideas that the Beatles decided NOT to use. That would make for another interesting book.
I personally would love to read a book that deals with the persuasive abilities of Magic “Alexis Madras” and how the Beatles held on to being loyal towards a man who received much criticism from the Beatles inner circle. Producer George Martin for example was very cynical and critical about what Alex brought to the group. Did he stay on because the other Beatles realized if they spoke out against him that would incur John Lennon’s wrath? Being in deference to John’s wishes is not strong enough of an argument for me and I would like to learn more. There had to be more to this mystery. One has to wonder when most of his gadgets failed, why did the Beatles continue to finance these ideas? I would love to see his biography which would explore his life to explain what about him that made him so persuasive in the Beatles circle!Magic Alex passed away in Greece in 2017.
Does the answer to my question involve how naive the Beatles in general and John specifically could be at lengthy spurts of their career?
Samples of the criticism levelled at Alexis Madras:
THE ENGLISH TRANSLATION OF THIS BOOK FROM KLAUS VOORMANN WHICH THE BBC IS USING FOR THEIR 6-PART BEATLES IN HAMBURGTV SERIES
The BBC is doing a 6-part TV series inspired by Klaus Voormann’s printed work from his German biography (shown below) and from his books, Beatles in Hamburg (with Astrid) and the book It Started in Hamburg.
I want so badly to have an English translation of this book. I can understand a bit of German and can translate some of it, but I believe so many fans would delight in being able to read about Klaus’s memories in an English language version of this book. A rudimentary knowledge of German to me is insufficient to fully appreciate this title. Come on Klaus, you can have this done! What a gift to both your fans and your legacy!
Rough translation of the title: “Why don’t you play Imagine on the white piano, John?”
In the comments section, don’t forget to tell me what book ideas that you have that you would love to one day see published?
I should run a contest with this question to see who comes up with the best idea and on what grounds that they base their choices?
Be healthy and be happy everyone, and thanks for reading the post!
One of the highlights and one of my favorite items of my book collection is this career retrospective that Ethan Russell put together for his son, Lucas Charles Russell. Gorgeous photos that will hold a special place in popular music history and culture. Whether it was photographing the Beatles, the Stones, the Who, or many of the other giants of the music industry, he has created a book for all of us and future generations to remember and honor his considerable accomplishments!
You will be astonished to view so many of the beautiful time capsules preserved by Ethan for posterity.
One day I hope you get the golden opportunity to view a copy of this book so that you will be able to take your own personal journey across the musical universe…
THE CLAMSHELL SLIPCASE:
Ethan Russell Photographs
FRONT COVER OF THE BOOK:
BACK COVER OF THE BOOK:
The front information flap about the book:
The back information flap from the book:
The booklet provided as a supplement to the book detailing the creative process in putting this career retrospective together. Ethan is a perfectionist for photographic detail, and it certainly provides a window for us to peek through to fully appreciatehis published works and talent!
Ethan’s signature:
Ethan was so kind in personalizing my copy of the book:
A separate print of John Lennon that I purchased from Ethan. Itfeatures his signature and his description of where he took the photo:
Ethan taking a photo used for the Beatles Hey Jude album and also shots of the Stones and the Beatles. Ethan also signed this page of the book for me!
Was also very proud and pleased to be mentioned in the donor section of the book for helping to fund the books production. The perks that Ethan offered for helping out were both plentiful and generous.He is a very kind man as well as being very talented!
Published By KQLY, San Francisco, in 2019!
Hope you enjoyed the presentation of some of the excerpts of this wonderful book!
Be healthy and be happy!
Buzz
OUR FEATURED AUTHOR OF THE WEEK – DEBBIE GREENBERG
Hal Blaine played on some of the John Lennon & Phil Spector sessions in the 70s:
To John Lennon fans, Hal Blaine is probably known as one of the famous group of West Coast Musicians who were known as the Wrecking Crew. They were essentially session musicians who backed so many musical stars of various musical ilks over the years. They were adaptable, versatile and extremely professional and accomplished. You would literally drop your jaw if you saw the hits that they played on but the various artists that they backed. In the last six years I was fortunate to be able to acquire a signed Hal Blaine book.
Hal Blaine passed away on March 11, 2019, at the age of 90. Hal Blaine, when he lived in Hartford, CT on July 6, 1944, was a survivor of the Hartford Circus Fire where many people perished. Blaine went to the circus to watch the musicians play there that day. In true Hal Blaine style, he was asked to help carry a gurney and assist helping survivors to escape the circus tragedy. I remember my mom telling me stories of how she planned to attend the circus that day as a young lady, but family plans were changed at the last minute and she never attended. It shows you the somewhat happenstance nature of life because if she had attended, I may not have been here to create and participate in this section of the blog and report this facet of the story to you and relate it as another “what if” circumstance of what can happen if the wrong decision is made in one’s life. Sometimes we perceive a decision as being right or wrong only in retrospect as we look back on it!
Hal Blaine’s Book
The back cover of the book indicates that Mr. Bonzai worked with Hal Blaine on this book and Mr. Bonzai’s contributions to both musical journalism and photography are well-respected in the industry. They make a great team on this book venture!
David Goggin Hal Blaine And The Wrecking Crew 3rd Edition
by Hal Blaine (Author), David M. Schwartz (Editor), Bonzai (Contributor)
Hal Blaine’s Book
I try to collect the signatures of many of the individuals that worked with the Beatles or the solo Fabs over the years, so I was very happy to receive the book that had the signature of the drummer who resided in my home state of Connecticut for a few years in his youth. Hal Blaine moved to my home state of Connecticut with his family when he was seven years old and made his name a very prominent one on the West Coast when he was an adult. He is one of the musicians who played on more hit records than virtually anyone else. That is a crown he richly deserves and earned!
The Foreword of the book was written by none other than prominent drummer, Jim Keltner. Jim Keltner of course has backed the solo Beatles on so many fantastic projects including be the drummer for the Traveling Wilburys. In the book, Hal Blaine claims that his involvement in the John Lennon/ Phil Spector sessions was due to receiving a phone call from Jim Keltner asking Blaine to be on the sessions!
One of several Jim Keltner’s signatures in my collection. My perception is that Jim feels uncomfortable in signing autographs for some reason. My perception may be incorrect but that is how I genuinely feel as you do not see many of Jim’s autographs in circulation.
The Hal Blaine book does not spend too much time discussing the Lennon/ Spector sessions, only a couple of pages. However, it does reveal that Hal Blaine and John got along very well and he and John and their sons had a great meal together at a restaurant. I would love to see an entire book about the reflections of all of the survivors from those sessions recalling their memories and impressions of John. Do you think the opinions would be wide ranging?
A few audio samples from the Lennon/ Spector sessions in California. Some of these tracks appear on the Rock ‘n’ Roll Album and some from Menlove Avenue, though someone has posted Be My Baby on YouTube, I do not believe that has been an official release yet.
John was unhappy with many of these tracks and chose not to use most of them on his 1975 Rock ‘n’ Roll album.
The Spector/ Lennon sessions often had numerous session musicians and several members of the Wrecking Crew playing on them. I will not list who is paying on each track but let it be sufficient to say there are many legendary players on the sessions! Check out the fantastic Chip Madinger Mark Easter book Eight Arms to Hold You for further details as to who performs on each track:
The book is available on an expanded ebook edition at Chip’s website:
A note in the book from the producer of the documentary film “The Wrecking Crew”, which I also purchased. This is a fantastic documentary, and you will be both shocked and amazed about all of the popular music hits that these stellar musicians played on over the years! The producer of the documentary was Denny Tedesco!
Not only are the book and the DVD part of musical history, but they also incorporate an overlap into my interest in the short-lived solo career of Mr. John Lennon!
Hope you check out the books mentioned and the DVD. I was pleased with them, and I would enjoy hearing your opinions about them if you already have them or planning to get them.
Some people can never have enough information and others say enough is enough. That is the ultimate beauty of many of these products, as the ultimate observation about such matters is that you can never satisfy everyone!
Be healthy and be happy!
Buzz
OUR BOOK OF THE WEEK – 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.
