derek Taylor Archives - The Beatles Bookstore

Though there was an excellent Derek Taylor biography with the limited edition Genesis book, “Fifty Years Adrift,” and a book that Derek authored about the 20th anniversary of Sgt Pepper, and a title of more general musical memories entitled “As Time Goes By,” this Derek Taylor biography by author Andrew Darlington is an underrated book detailing the importance and relevance of this character in the Beatles story!

Done with the cooperation of the Taylor family, I certainly enjoyed this book dealing with the wit, wisdom, and intelligence of this Beatles confidante. Only Neil and Mal could rival or exceed the importance of Derek in the inner circle of the Beatles!

Derek Taylor For Your Radioactive Children

It Was Twenty Years Ago

1987 Touchstone Edition-Derek’s analysis of the 20th anniversary of the epic Beatles LP and all the cultural changes surrounding those years. An excellent book.

As Time Goes By

1983 Edition published by Popular Culture Ink which at one time was known as Pierian Press

Straight Arrow Books, Incorporated-1973 edition

Davis-Poynter 1973 hardcover edition

Derek Taylor – Genesis

Derek’s Genesis Publications limited edition “Fifty Years Adrift” book-though a fabulous book, most of the Beatles book collecting audience is not privy to it’s contents due to the limited nature of it’s release. There were only two thousand copies issued and to the best of my knowledge the book has never appeared in any other edition. That truly is a shame! All copies of this edition were signed by Derek!

The rarest Derek Taylor book of them all. Only 100 copies of this edition of the “As Time Goes By” book were issued by Genesis Publications. All copies were signed by Derek.

Derek Taylor Beatles trivia question

What prominent Beatles song from the White Album did Derek Taylor contribute lyrics to? There may be more than one answer to this question! Let me know in the comments below.

From Tony Hanley

I loved the Derek Taylor post as I met him (as a kid) on quite a few occasions, and it brought back some great memories, so I thought I would share the attached and following, if you want to share with your followers.

During school holidays, I would catch the train up to London to spend the day with Tom at his Museum Street studio On one occasion when my Dad visited the Apple (or WEA) offices, During the day, if he needed to go somewhere it was often within walking distance, and it was always great news if he said we were off to visit Derek Taylor. I always remember Derek as a generous, lively, happy individual.

So off we would trundle to see Derek, who looking back, you might say that was ‘bordering on the eccentric’ or ‘had a massively creative brain’, or both, either way, he was always immensely welcoming and I knew that to keep me amused while Tom and Derek talked ‘shop’, Derek would first walk me to a secretary and say ‘get Tony a coke’, and sit him down over there. ‘Over there’ was where the finished albums were on many shelves and I was always told ‘there you go, help yourself’. At the embarrassment of my dad, Tom, I would always try and carry as much as my own body weight, in a box, to which Tom would say ‘you’re not taking all that lot, now go and put some back!’, to which I would reluctantly comply.

I often wondered why some of the albums that I managed to take away had a full album cover, but the vinyl had no record label, just a white disc marked ‘promo copy only – not for resale’ needles to say 50 something years later, of course I know what they were, and I’m sure that some of them must be of immense value today, had I have kept them.

Besides giving some to my mates, or repeatedly playing some to the point of nearly wearing them down, some 6 or 7 house moves later, they are sadly no more. The upside is that one of the albums from Apple was ‘That’s the way God planned it’ by Billy Preston, not that it converted me to religion, as that was the album that introduced me to his honey like voice, fantastic (Hammond) organ sound, and an introduction to blues music, which was a wonder to behold. I am forever in awe of Billy Preston’s incredible talent.

There you go – just a fond memory of Derek Taylor.

Buzz

George Harrison – I Me Mine

The king of producing limited edition Beatles-related books is undoubtedly, Genesis Publications Ltd, based in the UK. Since the late Brian Roylance made the arrangements to publish George Harrison’s signed “I Me Mine” volume back in the early to mid 1970’s, the publishers have continued to publish books of intense interest to Beatles fans. At last count, more than 30 Beatles-related Genesis books have been issued.

Beautifully produced and bound in Italy, the mostly leather-bound volumes are superb in the way they are crafted, and the materials used to present them. Many Beatles fans however are skeptical and cynical about the higher prices the limited-edition books command as for many the cost is prohibitive.

The Cover from It Was Twenty Years Ago Today

Derek Taylor

Many collectors of Genesis titles may wonder what the rarest Beatles-related title is that they produced. Many people are not aware that the hardest to acquire Genesis Beatles-related title is actually a reprint of what was an already released book by the late Derek Taylor, the Beatles former publicist. His book, “It was Twenty Years Ago Today” was issued as a signed 100 copy issue by Genesis.

The publishers honored my request to allow me to purchase the last numbered copy, number 100, for my personal collection. Many people have asked me why the fascination with the last numbered copy of a limited-edition book. Here is the logic behind the reasoning. Obtaining the first numbered copy is virtually impossible to do as a result of the high demand for that numbered copy of the book. Having what turns out to be the last copy, holds an equally important fascination to me as no more limited-edition copies will ever appear or be made. That is the psychology behind requesting the last numbered copy. That coupled with the excellent writing ability of Mr. Taylor, makes this a book to be treasured.

Derek’s book, marking the 20th anniversary of the release of Sgt. Pepper and Derek’s recollections of the essence of the counterculture of the ’60s make this a wonderful book to have!