Post by yerblues1968 on Jun 1, 2008 22:39:34 GMT -5
THE BEATLES ANTHOLOGY
Released: October 2000
Author: John Lennon
Author: Paul McCartney
Author: George Harrison
Author: Ringo Starr
Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr have amassed 1,200 photographs - most of them unpublished - for the glossy hardback, described as "the size of an edition of Encyclopedia Britannica". The project, effectively the joint autobiographies of the three men, provides an insight into how closely the surviving members have been working together in the last few years. Researchers meticulously recorded hundreds of statements that John Lennon made and have woven them into the picture provided by the other band members.
Those who have seen the book, say it is sensational. Nothing is avoided or glossed over as it traces the rise of the Beatles from their working-class roots in Liverpool to the height of their fame and fortune. Only now, 30 years after they split up, are the surviving Beatles fully relaxed again in their own company. Friends say past differences have been put aside and the project has been brought about by their determination to put the record straight following the publication worldwide of an estimated 400 unauthorized books on the band. One friend said: "The truth is more important to them than the money".
Friends of the trio say they have met "dozens of times" in recent years to compare notes. They have visited each other's homes but most of the business meetings took place at the headquarters of Apple Corps, their company, in Knightsbridge, London. The book is chronological and all written in the first person.
The Beatles' Anthology book has taken six years to write and the trio had to overcome the difficulties of getting together because Ringo divides his time between homes in Monaco, New York and London, and McCartney, who was the driving force behind the project, lives in Arizona, London and Sussex. McCartney helped convince the other former band members of the merits of the book. He told George Harrison and Ringo Starr: "It will dispel some of the myths and put the record straight, as every Tom, Dick and uncle of a friend of the milkman has been writing books on the Beatles since 1963."
Much of the editing of the book, was done by the man who knew perhaps as much of the true story as any non-Beatle, their late press officer, Derek Taylor.
Paul McCartney's spokesman, Geoff Baker, said: "It is because it was edited by Derek Taylor that the book is so good."
Taylor, who died in 1997, began working with the Beatles in 1964 and later helped run Apple Corps. He drafted the press release announcing the band's split, and was one of very few associates who remained close to them throughout their career.
Geoff Baker explained, "You've got to remember, there have been around 300-400 books about the Beatles written, and in all but a few exceptions, the authors have never even met any of them."
"Paul and George have done stuff individually, but the three of them have never done stuff collectively."
Mr. Baker said the Beatles Anthology book was "the last word" on the Beatles. He added: "This book answers all the questions and dispels a lot of the myths."
"It's taken the full six years, there's a lot of work which has gone into the book," Mr Baker said. "We're talking a huge volume of work, it's encyclopedic - it weighs something like two kilos," he said.
"It goes across the board, everything is in there. It is about the Beatles as a band, the music, but it deals with everything else - the tours, the drugs, the disputes." And Yoko Ono's influence will come under the spotlight. Many fans blamed her for luring Lennon away from the band.
Mr. Baker refused to give away any of the secrets contained in the book - "it's a bit too early for all that" - but confirmed it dealt with the group's break-up at some length. "They hope it will put the record straight on a few things, for example the break-up of the band, that Paul was actually the last to leave."
The book will disclose that in 1996 the three surviving Beatles turned down an offer of $175 million (£113 million) to perform 17 concerts in the USA, Germany and Japan. The book will give credit to the role of Brian Epstein, the band's manager and affectionately known as the "fifth Beatle", who died from a drugs' overdose in 1967 at the age of 32.
One official at Apple said: "Most Beatles biographies have been based on press cuttings and ill-informed perceptions, while the men involved have hitherto said almost nothing."
The idea for the book first came from Neil Aspinall. Apple officials say a huge publishing deal has been arranged, with Cassell in Britain and Chronicle Books in the USA. Both publishing houses have been asked to prepare for a multi-million print run.
Yoko Ono, the widow of John Lennon, will receive a quarter share of the profits, although she has not been actively involved in the project.
The Beatles Anthology book may be purchased here:
www.amazon.com/Beatles-Anthology/dp/0811826848/ref=cm_cr_pr_pb_i
www.cyber-beatles.com/anthbook.htm
Customer Review:
By Michael Topper
Hundreds of books have been written about The Beatles, but it is crushingly obvious when reading this Anthology volume that by far the best one would naturally come from the band members themselves. The price] seems like an incredible bargain considering the size and quality of this work, which covers the years 1940 (the birth of Ringo and John) to the breakup in 1970. At 368 coffee-table sized pages it's already huge, but the small print makes it almost double that size.
The book would be worth it just for the photos alone, which are beautifully reprinted--many from the early years are actually in color--chronicling dozens of previously unpublished, intimate moments taken straight from the group's personal archives. But what really makes this one essential is the text itself, which is taken from interviews conducted with Paul, George and Ringo in the 90s and an exhaustive compilation of Lennon quotes from all points in his life (I recognized many, but there were also some I've never seen before). Even after the dozens upon dozens of biographies which have recounted the group's earth-shattering tale ad nauseum, you feel like you're reading it for the first time. All four band members speak with a thousand times more wit, frankness and detail than all of their previous biographers combined; in fact, they manage to offer up juicier tales, and more interesting spins on already known events, than anything you've read before even in the most gossipy bios--and you get it this time knowing that it's honest (you know it's honest when you hear conflicting memories about certain events!).
"Anthology" is especially revealing when it comes to the childhoods and Hamburg era: you get to hear about the first time George got laid (right in front of the other three band members!), or when Ringo was a member of the Dingle gang, or what they did at teenage parties. The detail is so thorough and vividly recalled for the early years (and butressed by the photos) that you feel like you're living it as it actually happened. No stone is left unturned about the famous years, either: George and Ringo philosophize about their first LSD trips and the meaning of "Tomorrow Never Knows", the Maharishi controversy is finally put to rest (hint: he never made a pass at anybody), and new insight is shed on the evolution of the friendships between John and the other three. More is made about the breakup than was on the "Anthology" videos, including Yoko's presence and the business hassles, as well as the making of "Abbey Road". Finally, all of this is told with such an elegant sense of Beatle humor that even the heaviest moments are a joy to read. Also included are excerpts from Stu Sutcliffe and Brian Epstein's personal diaries. With this volume now finally released, the only other essential Beatle books to get are
Lewishon's "Beatles Chronicle" and Miles' "The Beatles: A Diary", both of which give exact reference dates and descriptions for every live show, radio, recording and filming session (as well as more great photos).
Released: October 2000
Author: John Lennon
Author: Paul McCartney
Author: George Harrison
Author: Ringo Starr
Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr have amassed 1,200 photographs - most of them unpublished - for the glossy hardback, described as "the size of an edition of Encyclopedia Britannica". The project, effectively the joint autobiographies of the three men, provides an insight into how closely the surviving members have been working together in the last few years. Researchers meticulously recorded hundreds of statements that John Lennon made and have woven them into the picture provided by the other band members.
Those who have seen the book, say it is sensational. Nothing is avoided or glossed over as it traces the rise of the Beatles from their working-class roots in Liverpool to the height of their fame and fortune. Only now, 30 years after they split up, are the surviving Beatles fully relaxed again in their own company. Friends say past differences have been put aside and the project has been brought about by their determination to put the record straight following the publication worldwide of an estimated 400 unauthorized books on the band. One friend said: "The truth is more important to them than the money".
Friends of the trio say they have met "dozens of times" in recent years to compare notes. They have visited each other's homes but most of the business meetings took place at the headquarters of Apple Corps, their company, in Knightsbridge, London. The book is chronological and all written in the first person.
The Beatles' Anthology book has taken six years to write and the trio had to overcome the difficulties of getting together because Ringo divides his time between homes in Monaco, New York and London, and McCartney, who was the driving force behind the project, lives in Arizona, London and Sussex. McCartney helped convince the other former band members of the merits of the book. He told George Harrison and Ringo Starr: "It will dispel some of the myths and put the record straight, as every Tom, Dick and uncle of a friend of the milkman has been writing books on the Beatles since 1963."
Much of the editing of the book, was done by the man who knew perhaps as much of the true story as any non-Beatle, their late press officer, Derek Taylor.
Paul McCartney's spokesman, Geoff Baker, said: "It is because it was edited by Derek Taylor that the book is so good."
Taylor, who died in 1997, began working with the Beatles in 1964 and later helped run Apple Corps. He drafted the press release announcing the band's split, and was one of very few associates who remained close to them throughout their career.
Geoff Baker explained, "You've got to remember, there have been around 300-400 books about the Beatles written, and in all but a few exceptions, the authors have never even met any of them."
"Paul and George have done stuff individually, but the three of them have never done stuff collectively."
Mr. Baker said the Beatles Anthology book was "the last word" on the Beatles. He added: "This book answers all the questions and dispels a lot of the myths."
"It's taken the full six years, there's a lot of work which has gone into the book," Mr Baker said. "We're talking a huge volume of work, it's encyclopedic - it weighs something like two kilos," he said.
"It goes across the board, everything is in there. It is about the Beatles as a band, the music, but it deals with everything else - the tours, the drugs, the disputes." And Yoko Ono's influence will come under the spotlight. Many fans blamed her for luring Lennon away from the band.
Mr. Baker refused to give away any of the secrets contained in the book - "it's a bit too early for all that" - but confirmed it dealt with the group's break-up at some length. "They hope it will put the record straight on a few things, for example the break-up of the band, that Paul was actually the last to leave."
The book will disclose that in 1996 the three surviving Beatles turned down an offer of $175 million (£113 million) to perform 17 concerts in the USA, Germany and Japan. The book will give credit to the role of Brian Epstein, the band's manager and affectionately known as the "fifth Beatle", who died from a drugs' overdose in 1967 at the age of 32.
One official at Apple said: "Most Beatles biographies have been based on press cuttings and ill-informed perceptions, while the men involved have hitherto said almost nothing."
The idea for the book first came from Neil Aspinall. Apple officials say a huge publishing deal has been arranged, with Cassell in Britain and Chronicle Books in the USA. Both publishing houses have been asked to prepare for a multi-million print run.
Yoko Ono, the widow of John Lennon, will receive a quarter share of the profits, although she has not been actively involved in the project.
The Beatles Anthology book may be purchased here:
www.amazon.com/Beatles-Anthology/dp/0811826848/ref=cm_cr_pr_pb_i
www.cyber-beatles.com/anthbook.htm
Customer Review:
By Michael Topper
Hundreds of books have been written about The Beatles, but it is crushingly obvious when reading this Anthology volume that by far the best one would naturally come from the band members themselves. The price] seems like an incredible bargain considering the size and quality of this work, which covers the years 1940 (the birth of Ringo and John) to the breakup in 1970. At 368 coffee-table sized pages it's already huge, but the small print makes it almost double that size.
The book would be worth it just for the photos alone, which are beautifully reprinted--many from the early years are actually in color--chronicling dozens of previously unpublished, intimate moments taken straight from the group's personal archives. But what really makes this one essential is the text itself, which is taken from interviews conducted with Paul, George and Ringo in the 90s and an exhaustive compilation of Lennon quotes from all points in his life (I recognized many, but there were also some I've never seen before). Even after the dozens upon dozens of biographies which have recounted the group's earth-shattering tale ad nauseum, you feel like you're reading it for the first time. All four band members speak with a thousand times more wit, frankness and detail than all of their previous biographers combined; in fact, they manage to offer up juicier tales, and more interesting spins on already known events, than anything you've read before even in the most gossipy bios--and you get it this time knowing that it's honest (you know it's honest when you hear conflicting memories about certain events!).
"Anthology" is especially revealing when it comes to the childhoods and Hamburg era: you get to hear about the first time George got laid (right in front of the other three band members!), or when Ringo was a member of the Dingle gang, or what they did at teenage parties. The detail is so thorough and vividly recalled for the early years (and butressed by the photos) that you feel like you're living it as it actually happened. No stone is left unturned about the famous years, either: George and Ringo philosophize about their first LSD trips and the meaning of "Tomorrow Never Knows", the Maharishi controversy is finally put to rest (hint: he never made a pass at anybody), and new insight is shed on the evolution of the friendships between John and the other three. More is made about the breakup than was on the "Anthology" videos, including Yoko's presence and the business hassles, as well as the making of "Abbey Road". Finally, all of this is told with such an elegant sense of Beatle humor that even the heaviest moments are a joy to read. Also included are excerpts from Stu Sutcliffe and Brian Epstein's personal diaries. With this volume now finally released, the only other essential Beatle books to get are
Lewishon's "Beatles Chronicle" and Miles' "The Beatles: A Diary", both of which give exact reference dates and descriptions for every live show, radio, recording and filming session (as well as more great photos).