Many Beatle experts are aware that the English language version of The Beatles Book had 77 original issues along with a couple of special Christmas issues and a special repeat issue. The Beatles Book Monthly later returned to give new information about the Beatles’ solo career and actually a grand total of 321 issues were made before the operation was ceased on the magazine in 2003. There was also a rare special Japanese English language edition of the magazine that came out in late 1965.
Not much is known about the rare three-edition French version of the Beatles Monthly though oddly enough it actually was a quarterly magazine in France. Published by La Semaine Radio-Télé in Paris Supplement for the Radio-Télé week (future Télérama)
The rare 3 issue edition of the French Beatles Monthly equivalent was known by the name: Les Beatles and it is special as they had a very thematic approach to the pictures and stories that appeared in each issue. However, it is a mystery as to why only three issues were printed at the height of Beatlemania unless the original intention was to only create the 3 issues! The three French Magazine covers appear below.
Wikipedia information about the English Beatles Monthly
The Beatles Book (also known as Beatles Monthly) was a fan magazine dedicated to the English rock band the Beatles, founded in 1963. It was first published in August 1963 and continued for 77 editions until it stopped publication after the December 1969 edition. It was revived in 1976, and ceased publication in 2003. Sean O’Mahony passed away in July of 2020.
Publisher Sean O’Mahony– Sean used the pseudonym, Johnny Dean in the magazine
Issue #1 of the French Beatles Monthly
Issue #2 of the French Beatles Monthly:
Issue #3 of the French Monthly:
The bag issued to house the three French issues of the Beatles Monthly. The French Monthlies had more of a thematic approach to their content than the English editions:
The special repeat issue featuring the best photos from the first six issues of the magazine!
The 1965 larger format special Christmas issue:
The 1966 special larger format Christmas issue:
The rare English language special 1965 Japanese Christmas issue of the Beatles Monthly:
I was recently sent this great link of a website that offers great details about The Beatles Book and its numerous variations: Urge you to check it out. Thank you Steve! My Beatles Books
In conclusion, the bootleggers are not to be outdone. For a limited time on eBay, someone was selling PDFs of all of the 321 issues of the Beatles monthly until they were removed for sale on the medium. This is an idea that Sean O’Mahoney’s estate should be pursuing to bring the fabulous magazine to a new generation!!!
BUZZ
Biography
Biographical books about The Beatles or those associated with them
The Japanese “Christmas” special of 1965 was their version of the U.K. Christmas Special of the same year. It is essentially a copy of the large format U.K. book but with a different cover, more suited for a Japanese market where Christmas was not a significant festival. It is mostly identical to the U.K. book inside but a few of the photographs are different. In the 1980s it was reprinted, this time with all text in Japanese.
Steve- I am posting your website on the blog post if you do not mind. If you object, just let me know and I will remove it. Thank you!
I have a “Beatles Personality Annual” probably from 1964. It was sold in the US but all of the photographs of the Beatles were clearly taken in Britain, apart from a few inserts of American stars. It was printed in Canada and cost a whopping 50 cents. We also got a lot of our Beatles news from 16 Magazine.
Susan, I wonder if there was a gender distinction between males and females towards the affinity of reading teen magazines in that era. For example, I can recall male readers being often ridiculed for attempting to read teen magazines. Am I off-base in that observation? That at least was my perception of the time!
Santa – please send a whole set of these…
I have been a fab boy all year!!