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AN UNPUBLISHED  BOOK ABOUT JOHN LENNON AND HIS  POLITICAL LEANINGS

John Lennon's Political Leanings

John Lennon was often his own worst enemy as his public comments and convictions would often lead to intense public relations problems. Here is a good example – this unpublished book containing his comments and quotes about politics over several years. Put together at a time when he arrived in the US and his political leaning were labelled as being to the left. The impact of these views at this time certainly negatively impacted his record sales as is evidenced by the poor sales of Sometime in New York City!

The Political Thoughts of John Lennon
The Political Thoughts of John Lennon

John Lennon

Power to the People: the Political Thoughts of John Lennon, London: New English Library, 1972

Though the book was never published, a few prototype copies exist. The book was probably was withdrawn from publication for fear it would jeopardize John’s attempt to remain in the US during the American government’s attempts to deport him. The reasons for the deportation were stated by the Immigration service as due to a marijuana conviction in the UK. However, the more likely reason was the conservative leanings of the government in power who feared John’s influence with the youth during the Sixties. Tried to find a prototype copy of the book to buy, but when I saw the price, that eliminated me from contention as it was listed at several thousand dollars at a few auction venues. As the Rolling Stones quoted in their song, “You Can’t Always Get What You Want.” I posted this book cover on Facebook when I had a Beatles print page there and many people in their comments objected to the cover photo saying the likeness was not an accurate depiction. I see the artist’s attempt to draw similar to the style of Klaus Voormann in the portrayal of John’s head and face but I may be wrong in that perception.

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Buzz

A GREAT SELECTION OF BOOKS ON JOHN LENNON HERE AT THE BEATLES BOOKSTORE

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Hey Jude Kessler: John Lennon Number 9

Some Forever

Jude Kessler has a series of wonderful books and has a very difficult task to undertake as historical narratives are not easy to write. This 9-volume Lennon narrative currently being written by author Jude Southerland Kessler is certainly up to the task. Jude spends countless hours researching her series of books, interviewing many individuals who were “there” to recreate the ambiance and milieu of the story of one of the most interesting people to have been born during the twentieth century. This man was to start a rock ‘n’ roll band that was to sell over a billion records worldwide. He was an instrumental part of the cultural changes that occurred in the Sixties and his power with the youth culture was so strong during that decade, that the US government and the President of the United States tried to get him deported.

Series Number 9

Jude’s comprehensive Lennon historical biography is slated to run 9 volumes, however with the intense detail she presents in the books, it probably will run even more. The difficult aspect of writing these books is the attempt to get into that “complicated mind” of John Lennon with all of the inconsistencies that were present in that brilliant mind. Jude has published 5 books thus far in the narrative and the covers are pictured in this post. Even though we already know the ending to the story, Jude’s writing and research skills help to bring the wonderful man that brought us so much joy and laughter, back to life!!!

If you would like to learn more details about these books you can see more here at David Bedford’s book blog or Jude Kessler also has a website. More Info | mysite (johnlennonseries.com)

Buzz

Jude’s Books on John Lennon:

Shades of Life
Shades of Life

Jude’s next volume which is the 6th book in her Lennon narrative series:

SOME FOREVER

Shades of Life Part 2 Covering Sept. 1965-1966

Some Forever - Shades of Life, Part 2
Some Forever – Shades of Life, Part 2

Inquiries and ordering information

John Lennon Biography | John Lennon Expert and Biographer (johnlennonseries.com)

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John, Paul, George, Ringo, and Beatlemania

Julia Lennon

Want to learn Something New About the Beatles? You can count on Kevin Roach to guide you there!

Author Kevin Roach and the Beatles. Several wonderful books by the UK author, Kevin Roach have been available for quite some time. I am the proud owner of all of Kevin’s Beatles-related titles and they are all underrated gems in my opinion.

Kevin Roach is an author that I can always be confident that he will be able to find those rare documents that cast a new or different light on events we may have taken for granted in previous publications. I can always be assured of learning something I did not know before about the lives and families of the band that we love so much from that northern English city of Liverpool. Kevin’s books can be found on Amazon and Ebay as well.

A terrific book about John’s mum, Julia.

Julia Lennon
Julia Lennon

A limited edition title which is now difficult to find. Deals with the mania of Beatlemania!!!

An excellent book about George that deals with his spiritual roots growing up in Liverpool.

George Harrison
George Harrison

Kevin’s book about Ringo. You will learn a lot of new info about Ringo in this title!

Ringo Starr
Ringo Starr

A very entertaining title about the McCartney family in Liverpool!

The McCartneys
The McCartneys

The one thing I learned from beginning a collection of Kevin’s Beatles-related books, is that once you have one, you will feel compelled to get them all!

Buzz

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Beatles Lists and Beatles in the Charts

Top 10 Beatles Lists

Love reading books put together by Beatles fans as the love of the band comes shining through with their writings. Here are a couple recent examples!!!

Got these great new titles from Charles Rosenay and Michael Ventrella recently, and the books are thoroughly riveting and entertaining!!! Many celebrities give their Top 10 Beatles-related lists along with numerous interesting anecdotes in the Rosenay book! It is so nice to see Charles Rosenay, who I have known for more than 40 years,  finally releasing a Beatles book. The other author featured in this post, Michael Ventrella, was involved with the layout of the Top 10 Ten Beatles lists book! Well done guys!

Beatles fans who write these books do so with the primary motive being their lifetime love and appreciation of the band!

The Book of Top 10 Beatles Lists
The Book of Top 10 Beatles Lists
The Book of Top 10 Beatles Lists
The Book of Top 10 Beatles Lists

The Beatles on the Charts

Another book recently arrived that fills a much needed niche in the Beatles canon and that is their chart history. The author is Michael Ventrella, and it is only fitting that the all-time most successful entertainment phenomenon in total worldwide record sales should have a book like this to document their historic  achievements and accomplishments!

The Beatles on the Charts
The Beatles on the Charts
The Beatles on the Charts
The Beatles on the Charts
The Beatles on the Charts
The Beatles on the Charts

So what is your favourite Beatles song and album? Let me know in the comments?

Buzz

More Great Books on The Beatles at the Beatles Bookstore

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Now and Then – Reaction

Now that we all had a chance to listen to Now and Then, we can make up our minds and give our opinion. I must say, it is not bad. Not bad at all.

It is a beautiful ballad that is right there with Across the Universe and #9 Dream. It has a great melody; one of the musical elements that has kept Beatles music fresh after all these years (for other element see The Beatles Era). It is sung by John with an intensity that reminded me of A Day in the Life. And let’s not forget, Johns singing is not take 12. It is not even take 1. It is just a demo!

Paul added bass and Ringo drums. The piano accompaniment is a simple pumping piano; remember the Beatles did not take fancy piano lessons when they were young.  But their playing is intuitive and creative, as can be heard after the first two lines of the third and fourth verse, where they use the piano as a rhythm instrument: a hammering piano. Somewhat like the hammering piano that starts While my Guitar Gently weeps.

Two other Beatlesque elements can be recognized in Now and Then. Strings with a bite, like Paul wanted for Eleanor Rigby, were added as well as a slide guitar in the style of George. The strings intertwine beautifully with the vocals and the interaction of strings and slide guitar combined with backing vocals take the song to a higher level after the second chorus. It is like this part provides you the opportunity to really feel the dept of Johns message. After the fourth verse and chorus, the strings playfully end the song.

If you have seen the Get Back documentary made by Peter Jackson, you will know that the Beatles not only practiced numbers that ended up on the Let it Be album, but also a dozen that ended up on Abbey Road, and quite a few numbers that ended up on the solo albums of the individual Beatles. So songs that potentially where Beatles songs ended up being solo numbers, and we learned to know them as such. Therefore it is ironic that a song that clearly was intended to be released as a John Lennon song, now ended up as the last Beatles song ever.

Peter

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The Beatles – Now and Then

Now and Then The Beatles
Now and Then The Beatles

The Beatles – Now and Then

What to think about the release of the final Beatles song  Now and Then? Should we be excited or rather skeptical? I will welcome it with an open mind. Give it the benefit of the doubt. Personally, I find it interesting that the (remaining) Beatles have used Artificial Intelligence to create Now and Then.

Digital creativity to replace the analogue musical innovations, like tape loops, they introduced in the sixties. I will be looking for Beatlesque musical elements in Now and Then as described in The Secret of Their Music (The Beatles Era). Real musical innovations, I am afraid, are not to be expected.

Now what about the presentations of the song? The very last song of the Beatles Now and Then, combined with their first Love Me Do on one single underlines or maybe overestimates the importance of the moment. In addition to the single, Now and Then will be added to new expanded version of the Blue Double Album in different presentations. Is this marketing? Sure. Is this milking business? Possibly.

But here also I like to look at it in a more positive way. Projects like this are undoubtfully pursued for commercial reasons but have the additional benefit that the legacy of the Beatles is very well preserved. So let’s enjoy the moment on November second and let’s try to see it all in perspective.

Peter

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