The Beatles Archives - Page 17 of 54

Posted on 02/08/202402/08/2024 by Buzz — 3 Comments

GET BACK BY THE BEATLES – LEATHER-BOUND BOOK

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.

THE BEATLES: GET BACK In Hand-Tooled Luxe Leather – Picture Frames, Photo Albums, Personalized and Engraved Digital Photo Gifts – SendAFrame

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).

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

BUZZ

Posted on 01/08/202401/08/2024 by Buzz — 4 Comments

ON THE WANTED BEATLES POSTER

Wikipedia’s definition of a WANTED POSTER

A wanted poster (or wanted sign) is a poster distributed to let the public know of a person whom authorities wish to apprehend. They generally include a picture of the person, either a photograph when one is available or of a facial composite image produced by the police.

My definition is slightly different – To me as a collector the definition is more accurately reflected by- is it a poster that I WANTED FOR THE COLLECTION!!!

A collector friend of mine in France who specializes in collecting signed Beatles-related photos got me into the additional obsession of collecting signed posters of the Beatles by the photographers who took the photos of either the group or of the solo Beatles and members of their families.

A couple of years ago acting on the great advice of my friend in France, I was able to acquire this signed print by the late photographer, Richard Avedon on eBay!

A close-up of Avedon’s signature

A signed photo by the late French photographer Henri Pessar. This photo was obtained through my friend in France who is also a member of this blog. Pessar is the photographer who shot some of the photos of John and Yoko socializing with artist Salvador Dali.

A Henry Pessar Poster that my friend in France sent me:

Kieron “Spud” Patrick Murphy

A signed and numbered Imagine session photo I also acquired from my French collector friend. The photograph was taken by the late photographer Spud Murphy who passed away in 2020 and was taken at the Imagine sessions at Tittenhurst Park in Ascot. From the content of the photo it was apparent that John knew the Imagine album would be a roaring success:

A son of John Lennon and a son of Paul McCartney signed posters

A signed poster from Sean Lennon and Charlotte Kemp Muhl of the Ghost of a Saber-Tooth Tiger:

A signed tour poster from 2013 of James McCartney

I was able to attend the New Haven show by James McCartney on May 21st, 2013:

One of my favorite signed posters in my collection is a signed photo of John Lennon and the early Beatles in the Top Ten Club in Germany taken by noted German photographer, Peter Brüchmann. I bought this photo on Ebay several years ago!

The Beatles in Hamburg by Peter Bruchmann

Through the recommendation of noted German collector, Thorsten Knublauch I was able to obtain one copy of a limited edition poster that was issued in honor of the Kaiserkeller club where the Beatles played some gigs at. The poster was signed by Kaiserkeller owner, Bruno Koschmider aka Bruno Kochschmider, Tony Sheridan who the Beatles backed and with whom they recorded the “My Bonnie” single with, Pete Best, the drummer who was soon to be replaced by Ringo Starr, and E. Ross who was the designer of the poster. According to Thorsten there may be less than 100 of these signed posters in circulation.

Buzz

Posted on 26/07/202426/07/2024 by Buzz — 3 Comments

BEATLES COLLECTORS AND JAZZ & POP MAGAZINE

This is a magazine that I personally did not see widely circulated or distributed when I was growing up. It was only in later years that I was able to scour sources such as Ebay and Abe Books to locate these 4 Beatles-related issues. The most difficult to find of the four issues was the final one listed on this page. It was an article written by the late Ritchie Yorke about the end or dissolution of the Beatles, appearing in the July 1970 issue of Jazz & Pop. I had never been able to secure a copy of this issue before because anyone who had a copy was asking over $150 for the issue. I was fortunate to be able to find a copy for $20 on Abe Books. It pays to have patience as a collector which is a virtue that I often do not have….unfortunately!!!

VINTAGE JAZZ & POP JANUARY 1968

Jazz & Pop Magazine — Jazz and Pop Magazine

VINTAGE JAZZ & POP APRIL 1971

JAZZ & POP MARCH 1970

Jazz & Pop Magazine July 1970 issue–the most difficult issue to find at a reasonable price

Which is your favourite Beatles magazine? The Beatles Monthly? Rolling Stone? Let me know below.

Buzz

Posted on 24/07/202405/08/2024 by Buzz — 4 Comments

Terry O’Neill – Another Extraordinary Beatles Photographer

(And what an obsessive collector will do to get what they want)

I discovered this limited deluxe collector’s edition of this book by being told about it by a good friend in the UK. (Seamus Hayes) When I attempted to purchase a copy, I was told they don’t ship to the United States. So I did the next best thing. I asked my good friend if I could pre-pay him for a copy of the book as he lives in the UK and when he receives it, I would then pay him directly for the book with postage to his home and then to mail it to the US. He generously agreed to my proposal and soon thereafter, another special book was added to the collection. For those who believe the deluxe edition may be over-priced the regular trade mass-market hardback is significantly more reasonably priced and is available to the non-obsessives. Terry’s Beatles photos are excellent!

This is the boxed slipcase for the book:

The Beatles by Terry O'Neill — The Beatles by Terry O’Neill

The book and the print inside:

Book Details

Edition of 200
Includes the book, a cloth-covered clamshell box, an 8″ x 11″ black and white chromogenic print of The Beatles recording ‘She Loves You’ at EMI’s Studio 2 in Abbey Road on 1 July 1963, taken by Terry O’Neill, a protective print sleeve, a digital signature with an embossed stamp, and a certificate of authenticity
Hardcover
256 Pages
Publisher: Welbeck Publishing Group, 2023

The original link where I was unable to purchase the book because I lived in the US:

The Beatles by Terry O’Neill: Five Decades of Photographs — Deluxe Edi | Iconic Images (iconicimagesgallery.com)

The print included with the special edition:

Terry had passed away quite sometime before the book was published. Therefore no signed copies of the book exist, except for this one. I had seen a signed EMI card by Terry for sale on eBay. The EMI card was from the release of an early John Lennon solo release. I purchased the signed EMI card and once the book was issued I had it attached as a bookplate signature making it the only signed copy in the world. This is what a determined collector will do. You may think I went to extraordinary means, but it made me happy, and isn’t that the ultimate goal of collecting?

Who is your favourite Beatles photographer?

Buzz

ANOTHER GREAT BEATLES PHOTOGRAPHER – BILL ZYGMANT

Bill Zygmant – Where Did You Get That Shirt? (Signed Limited Edition)

Get your copy of Bill Zygmant’s portfolio book of unique photographs covering his career from the late 1960s to the 1980s.

This will be a signed, numbered edition – maximum of 250 numbered editions.

It comes with one of Bill’s signed photographs, which usually sells for £50!

£75.00

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Posted on 23/07/202423/07/2024 by liddypool — 2 Comments

Lost Apple Recordings

Continuing on from the Demos Blog, here are some more of those lost Apple Recordings. These are CD recordings of the original demos completed at Apple Studios in 1968 – 1976. There is much more to come. There was no diary, appointment list, or ledger kept, so these have been unearthed by my own diligent research after obtaining these copies.

Although they are not the original vinyl offerings, I can assure you that all of the recordings are 100% faithful copies with no extras added. So they are as they were made produced and cut for vinyl in those wonderful days. They are now priceless artifacts and examples within my own personal archives !! There is more to follow, and these will be further detailed in the next book ‘Deeper Inside No 3’.

This is the Apple Building on the corner of Baker Street, which was photographed by my late father whilst on a business trip to London. This was taken in January 1968. My father was at the time working on the site of the new Chelsea Barracks then having just been completed. He was being driven back to the company offices in West London when they passed the building. Upon seeing the building he took this photograph from inside the car. When the photo was developed he showed me the photo and he asked if I knew anything about the building due to its ‘pop’ like style. When I told him that it was The Beatles Apple building, he gave me the photograph which I still treasure. This is a digital reprint of it!

Timbertops – The Buttercups

This is the Apple demo recording and pressing of Timbertops by The Buttercups. This was the theme tune for the ITV children’s series which ran for around 14 episodes in 1974. The Demo single was cut first and approved as the theme tune and then the album was cut afterwards. The Apple album was done consisting of songs to be heard in the programs and was finally released on the small independent Pinnacle Records label. Zak Laurence was the musical art director and the production was by Ken Howard and Alan Blakley. The original Apple demo recording is shown here with the finished album cover. If you know your pop history Zack Laurence became Mr. Blow and made the hit single “Grooving” with Mr. Bloe on DJM Records.

Warm Dust – “And It Came To Pass”

One of the Rarest Apple Recordings

This is a much sought-after recording in any language, and perhaps so far the most difficult to fully explain in depth.

The artists came from Birmingham and were named Warm Dust. The group had many varied styles of playing and performing but based themselves loosely on the commercial side of British Progressive Rock. Among the members of the group were Paul Carrack and Jeff Lynne, who both ascended much headier climes within a couple of years. The complete album titled ‘And It Came To Pass‘ shows a musical strength and maturity that many new groups of the period simply did not possess.

The unusual thing is that the album was pressed with an Apple label, but no catalogue number or matrix was included. The back of the cover was stamped an Apple Recording, so maybe some serious thought was given to a commercial release. !! It is actually very good!!. The album front and back artwork on the cover is shown as well so a lot of work went into a non-released album – enjoy!!

All of these are linked very heavily to Apple Records in those far-off days, and perhaps the most important thing it shows is that although Allen Klein had been removed via the High Court in 1971, artists were still prepared to make their way to Apple studios to cut a record that might bestow some fame. The light was still burning bright indeed.

Nigel Pearce

Find out more about Apple Records from Nigel’s great book Inside Number 3

Inside Number Three – The Illustrated History of Apple Records

Inside No3 takes you through that famous door, deep into the minds of all who worked there at Apple Records. This is done also in a very different way. This is not a kiss-and-tell diary, it is through fan adulation and understanding via a personal collection of artifacts and memorabilia that author Nigel Pearce has built up over the last 50 years.

For prices and dates please contact Nigel again via the website

Shop now

Posted on 19/07/202419/07/2024 by Buzz — 5 Comments

3 SAVILE ROW – The Incredible History of Apple Corps Building

Little did I realize that day when I woke up to check the listings on eBay that I would find something so old that had Beatles connections being offered for sale: the history of 3 Savile Row, which had become The Beatles headquarters. Finding items like this helps me to return to the excitement of being young again and the thrill of going treasure hunting!

3 Savile Row

I read the date of the publication that appeared on the Ebay screen and it was listed as 1914, making the document more than 100 years old. However, it was the address in the title that caught my attention (3 Savile Row)! Yes, it was the same address that many years later would become the worldwide headquarters of Apple Records. The piece I was looking at was a 56 page document designed to help sell the 3 Savile Row building back in 1914. The document not only featured a detailed history of the building but it displayed multiple photographs of the interior of the building and it’s multiple rooms that were amazing.

56 Pages of History

I looked at the price of the document and they were asking $100. Knowing I probably would never see this type of document being offered again, I quickly purchased it. I am hoping to find the right forum to somehow find a vehicle to get this 56-page document published in some form as it is not only informative to Beatles fans but history buffs as well. You should see the pictures of some of the antiques pictured in the house back in 1914.

I am taking this opportunity to post about 4 or 5 pages from the document and I sincerely hope you will enjoy this sneak preview… Hopefully I can find a way to find to publish the full 56-page document one day. If not, I will eventually donate the 56-page document to a Beatles museum.