www.genesis-publications.com 50 Years of Beatlemania News - 31 Jul 2014 Summer 2014 marks 50 years since Beatlemania touched down in America. On August 18th 1964, one week after A Hard Day’s Night hit theatres, The Beatles left London for their first full tour of the US and Canada. Although Brian Epstein wanted no photographers to accompany The Beatles, Derek Taylor persuaded him to let Curt Gunther join the touring party. This unprecedented access to the band resulted in over 350 beautiful and unique photographs, showcased in a hand-bound limited edition. Inside MANIA DAYS, Curt Gunther’s photographs are introduced and illustrated with text from Derek Taylor, giving an intimate insiders view into the beginnings of Beatlemania. ‘It was chaos, shambles, imbroglio, bedlam, hysteria, riot, fracas, melee, hurly-burly and a lot of other things that no one from a little seaside town should have been expected to cope with; but by now, frenzied by the excitement and impetus of the tour, I was able not only to deal with it but to enjoy it.’ – Derek Taylor To celebrate this milestone, Genesis have created an anniversary case for MANIA DAYS. The new solander box is made from white buckram, with a photograph of The Beatles alighting in America and ‘50 YEARS OF THE BEATLES IN THE USA’ blocked in gold foils. Available for a limited time only;click here to order your copy of MANIA DAYS today. Anniversary Copies
Mania Days: The Beatles' 1964 US Tour
The Photographs of Curt Gunther
» Signed by Steven Gunther
» Quarter-bound in leather with an inlaid photo strip
www.tennessean.com Paul McCartney to give award to Nashville resident By Dave Paulson July 30, 2014 Paul McCartney has picked up countless awards during his 50-year career — all well-deserved. Now he’s getting ready to hand out a few awards to others, and one of the recipients is a Nashville resident. The rock legend is set to present the “Honored Friend” award to local singer/songwriter/educator Suzahn Fiering on July 31 during a graduation ceremony at his Liverpool Institute for the Performing Arts in Liverpool, England. Fiering has co-hosted fundraising events for the school in the U.S., including a meet-and-greet with McCartney at last year’s Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival in Manchester, Tenn. McCartney will get back on the road this weekend, and will play Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on Oct. 16 as part of his ongoing “Out There” tour. Photo: AP Photo/Kyodo News www.musicnewsaustin.com Paul McCartney to Present Suzahn Fiering ‘Honored Friend Award’ by Dan Harr Posted on July 28, 2014 When it comes to success in the arts, Nashville singer/songwriter/educator Suzahn Fiering has done it all — performing on stages around the world, landing songs on popular TV shows, and working with legendary artists such as Vince Gill, Larry Gatlin, Pete Seeger and Victor Wooten. She will step to even greater career heights on July 31 when she receives the “Honored Friend Award” from the Liverpool Institute for the Performing Arts. LIPA founder Sir Paul McCartney will present the honor to Fiering during a star-studded graduation ceremony in Liverpool, England, attended by students, staff and other award recipients from around the world. Nashville’s “jazz diva” will deliver a poignant and humor-laced speech to the students and attendees as part of the celebration recognizing her contributions to the school as an educator, organizer and fundraiser. Fiering co-hosted fundraising events with McCartney at “Bonnaroo 2013″ and Nationals Stadium in Washington, D.C. The internationally known jazz/folk/Americana vocalist, professional songwriter and guitarist will celebrate the award with a month-long European tour that includes stops in the United Kingdom, France, Switzerland, Italy, Ireland and Denmark. She will stage a “mini-Beatlefest” concert/party/jam after she returns to Nashville in September. Fiering first learned about LIPA several years ago when she served as the international events manager for Gibson Musical Instruments. Through her efforts, the company funded the “John Lennon Scholarship” and donated guitars and other instruments. With Gibson on board, she was able to facilitate partnerships with other major music manufacturers and organizations. The artist now serves at LIPA as a regular guest instructor and Nashville liaison, booking celebrity and music industry leaders for master classes. “I never would be receiving this award had I not followed my heart,” said Fiering, a Warner/Chappell Music tunesmith whose songs have aired on radio in more than 41 countries, on more than 20 network TV shows, and in numerous independent films. “I was very impressed by the clear, clever and progressive vision Paul McCartney and Mark Featherstone-Witty, the dean and CEO, had for the school. It is an honor to receive this award from an institution and men who embody my core beliefs. ” Fiering’s affiliation with LIPA has given her the opportunity to work closely with McCartney, an artist she considers to be the “greatest living songwriter”. “At ‘Bonnaroo’, my job was to take Sir Paul’s arm, walk him around, and introduce him to backstage guests who made donations to LIPA,” Fiering added with a smile. “It was incredible and Paul was great to work with. During Paul’s show we danced, partied and carried on backstage for more than three hours. Paul later told me it was one of his favorite stops on the tour.” Another more comical experience occurred during a VIP graduation party in Liverpool. Fiering found herself standing in a circle with Sir Paul and three awkward looking, tied-and-coated English gentlemen. After being introduced, the men started mumbling and looking down at their shoes. In her typical happy-go-lucky manner, Fiering broke the ice, asking the pop legend why he played the ukulele on his rendition of “Something” during his world tour. “Paul swung around and directly faced me,” the Nashville artist continued with a laugh. “His eyes got really big, his voice rose in pitch, and in an animated way he said, his Liverpool accent getting stronger as he went, ‘Well, ya know, Georgie wrote it that way, and I said to him, we should play it like an anthem-y type ballad. And so we did.’ He was silent and introspective for a few seconds, and I could see melancholy in his expression. Then he piped up again and said, ‘I hear you play jazz guitar. You should play jazz ukulele.’ I smiled and told him that was a good suggestion. Needless to say, I now play jazz ukulele and even play a few Beatles songs on it.” Fiering will launch her celebratory tour at the legendary Fredericks On Hope Street on July 29 with an honorary performance with Parr Jazz and the Geni Lamb Band for LIPA students, staff members and friends. Other stops include the “La Rouche Bluegrass Festival” in France from Aug. 1-3; Grotto Mai Morire in Avegno, Switzerland, on Aug. 5; Talmassons, Italy (as a guest of the mayor) on Aug. 10; and Odiles Gibsons’ (grand niece of Charles De Gaulle) Concert Series in Toulouse, France, on Aug. 23. She plans to share more Sir Paul memories when she returns home in early September. During her LIPA master classes, she shines a spotlight on the commercial facets of her art. She shares insights on the skills students will need after they graduate. Although the artist is often serious, she presents her thoughts in a humorous and accessible way, touching on topics such as marketing and interpersonal skills. She emphasizes the importance of diversity in the marketplace by performing jazz and Americana numbers on her guitar. When it comes to teaching, Fiering has many career-related stories to tell. She begins by taking her audiences back to her formative years in New York City, where she first discovered her love of music and later trained as an audio engineer. After freelancing in recording studios while running nightclubs in between, she landed a job with RCA and BMG. “When you’re working for a label, it’s all about one thing: sales, marketing and PR,” Fiering said. Record labels have a bottom line, and their goal is to meet it. It is not art. It is a business.” After joining MCA Music, she was transferred to the label’s office in Nashville. She performed countless shows and began penning songs for Warner/Chappell, eventually collaborating with legendary engineer and producer Richard Adler on her highly successful jazz/Americana album, “Paris Without His Kiss”. “It was Richard who convinced me to become an international touring artist,” Fiering added. “I thought I was happy as a corporate person. I was playing jazz on the weekends, but in reality a full-time performer, songwriter and educator is what I always wanted to be. Nashville was a turning point for me.” Her students also hear how she has emerged as a professional songwriter, earning credits that include TV shows such as “Oprah”, “Desperate Housewives”, and “Coyote Ugly”. Other Suzahn Fiering songs can be heard on programs aired by networks such as Disney and National Geographic. She even has four songs at the Smithsonian Museum in Washington as part of a permanent collection of contemporary songwriting and two songs in the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y. Fiering loves to share her collaborative experiences with Roger Daltry, Sean Lennon, Julian Lennon, Reba McIntyre, Ashley Judd, former Vice President Al Gore, and so many others. One of her favorite experiences was dining out with Gloria Steinem in Manhattan. “My students make me a better songwriter and teacher,” Fiering noted. LIPA offers them a state-of-the-art facility in all disciplines of the performing arts with encouraging instructors who constantly challenge them. It’s a safe place to try new things, and students blossom beyond their wildest dreams.” A critic for The Birmingham (England) Post summed up the artist’s musical talents this way: “An accomplished composer and guitarist, Suzahn’s writing style is influenced by blues, R&B, and pop — although traditional jazz runs throughout like molten steel… and she can scat with the best of them.” Back home in Music City, four-time Grammy-winning producer Richard Adler wrote that “Suzahn is a wonderful teller of stories through song and a great guitar player with a rich and colorful voice. Her ability to write and play in so many styles so well is a sight to behold.” LIPA’s students, faculty and supporters know her best as an “honored friend” who has made significant contributions to their careers. To learn more about Suzahn Fiering or to book her for musical or educational opportunities, visit www.Suzahn.com
beatlesblogger.com The Apple Years – New George Harrison Box Coming by beatlesblogger Posted on July 25, 2014 On Tuesday (July 22) this week Dhani Harrison posted this photo on his band’s Facebook page: The note attached said: “Back to work .. Happy Monday to all the twos out there. If you look closely you may spot something PH and I have been working on for the past few months.” PH is Beatle remaster expert Paul Hicks – and that “something” in the photo is most likely the packaging for a new George Harrison box set to be called The Apple Years: It’s a box on the top left of the mixing console – sitting alongside a copy of The Dark Horse Years box set, a previous Harrison collection (on the right). There’s also some sort of test pressing leaning up against the cartoon George Harrison character in the photo. Dhani Harrison later confirmed that indeed he has been working on re-issues of the first seven Apple Records solo albums by his father – something he described as “a lot of work…”. There’s now debate and speculation about exactly what this might mean. Will it include Electronic Sound (which technically wasn’t on Apple but on the Zapple label)? Most well-informed talk out there amongst Beatle and Harrison fans is firming around these seven titles: 1. Wonderwall Music; 2. Electronic Sound; 3. All Things Must Pass; 4. The Concert for Bangladesh; 5. Living in the Material World; 6. Dark Horse; and 7. Extra Texture (Read All About It). The AllMusic site has listed the set and has a September 22 release date pencilled in, which puts it in direct competition with The Beatles In Mono vinyl box set announced by Apple last month…… No other details – but the site does mention a DVD is part of the set as well.
www.orilliapacket.com Fab Four continue to inspire youth By GISELE WINTON SARVIS The Packet & Times Monday, July 28, 2014 Fifty years after The Beatles made their North American debut, their music continues to attract young audiences. “They are one of my favourite bands. They are really inspiring for people to play musical instruments,” said Alex Wyant, 11, of Wasaga Beach. “When I started drumming, I only played Beatles songs. Ringo (Starr) is my favourite Beatle and drummer.” Wyant, who won the Ringo Starr lookalike contest Saturday at the Orillia Beatles Celebration, stayed in the stage area to hear Beatles music being performed by local musician Kayla Elizabeth, followed by The Beagles, a band of four young men who play only Beatles music. Carson Merkley, 15, of Orillia, also loves The Beatles and comes to the city’s Beatles festival annually. “They are timeless. I grew up listening to them,” said Merkley, who also attended to watch The Beagles perform. Beagles band member Tyler Chute, 19, of St. Thomas, grew up surrounded by Beatles music. “I grew up on it. How do you not like it?” said Chute, the George Harrison of The Beagles. The Beagles tour all over Ontario, but Orillia is the only community with a Beatles festival. It’s the fourth consecutive year they have performed at the festival. “We can make jokes that Beatles fans get. People know The Beatles and it’s nice to interact and have them come up and say, ‘I liked when you made that joke because that’s what John (Lennon) did,’” Chute said. The Beagles re-enacted the Beatles' 1964 appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show Saturday at the Orillia Beatles Celebration. Chute and his bandmates have studied The Beatles with a mentor as well as through books and movies. He supports the festival moving to the July date for the first time and combining with the annual sidewalk sale, where Mississaga Street was closed to vehicle traffic. “I like that the streets are closed. That’s a brilliant idea. When it was just the square around the opera house, it was condensed. I think it’s brilliant that the street is open. It makes people walk around,” he said. The Stink Beatles : Tim McDonald, 9, Ben Heffernan, 10, Daniel Rattray, 11, and Kendal Rattray, 13 Ralph Cipolla, chair of the Downtown Orillia Management Board, was working the bar at the main stage. “It’s great that we moved it because the weather has co-operated all weekend whereas, in September, we got rained out. Here, even if it rains a little, it’s still warm enough that people will be outside,” he said. People have travelled to Orillia from as far away as Germany, Japan and Great Britain to attend the festival, Cipolla said. Attendance at the festival wasn’t affected by the Collingwood Elvis Festival, which was also held on the weekend. “The Beatles tend to draw a younger demographic. The Elvis festival tends to be a little more mature,” Cipolla said. The Day Trippers, made up of Gregory Lang, 9, left, Cameron Lang, 6, and Andrew Rattray perform during the Orillia Beatles Celebration Saturday afternoon. David Perryman, of Everett, who has a home on Bass Lake, has taken in the Beatles festival for six years. He said he preferred to have the festival on its own weekend rather than mixing it with the annual sidewalk sale, adding Beatles memorabilia is “lost” among other merchandise, but he loves the festival. “It’s a real coming together of a group of people with a similar interest and love of (The Beatles) and what they meant. And the price, at $5, is good,” he said. Don Wilson, of Orillia, has attended the festival for the past four years and thinks switching the date from September to July is a “good idea.” He enjoys reminiscing about The Beatles and likes to share with people he met Lennon once. “I met him at Ronnie Hawkins’s house in Mississauga in the late 1970s,” said the former musician. The Friday-night street dance attracted about 700 people. T-shirts were almost sold out Saturday afternoon. The proceeds collected go to offset festival costs. Vendors reported increased sales of business over last year’s sidewalk sale and Beatles festival. Carol Hogan, a longtime sales clerk at Plum Loco, said business was brisk Saturday after a fairly busy Friday. “It’s working. We’ve beaten last year. We’ve moved a lot of our Beatles merchandise. There (are) loads of tourists,” she said. At Gilbert Guitars, Jeff Gilbert said he’d sold many ukuleles to musicians and wannabe musicians. “Traffic has been great,” he said. Street vendor Brian Forsythe said he sold more than 100 copies of his self-published book, Inside the Songs of the Sixties, as well as many stained-glass peace signs and T-shirts featuring a 45 record adapter. “Everybody is happy and groovy. All the people want to talk about the ’60s. These are the people I like,” he said. Beatles lovers enter the mainstage area from Mississaga Street for the 8th annual Orillia Beatles Celebration Saturday afternoon. Friday night's dance attracted about 700 people. Artist Paul Baxter works on a pastel portrait of Ringo Starr after completing a portrait of Paul McCartney. His aim was to complete the portraits of all four members of legendary Beatles band Saturday during the Orillia Beatles Celebration. Local musician Kayla Elizabeth performed on the main stage Saturday afternoon with a country style tribute to the Beatles. Liberty performed Beatles songs Saturday afternoon outside Apple Annie's Café on Mississaga Street during the Orillia Beatles Celebration. Mississaga Street was bustling with people all day Saturday during the Orillia Beatles Celebration. Vendors Brian and Louise Forsythe sold lots of Beatles DVDs, Brian Forsythe's book Inside the Songs of the Sixties and sixties memorabilia during the Orillia Beatles Celebration Friday and Saturday on Mississaga Street.
somethingelsereviews.com ‘There was just them three, and me’: Jeff Lynne on the Beatles reunion’s tense initial moments BY SOMETHING ELSE! JULY 28, 2014 Many was the fan who longed to be a fly on the wall in the mid-1990s when the surviving Beatles reconvened for the first time since 1970 sessions for “I Me Mine.” Jeff Lynne, the Electric Light Orchestra mastermind who would produce these reunion tracks, is proud to say he was that fly. Things started tentatively, however, as George Harrison, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr began sessions work that would ultimately result in the completion of two old John Lennon demos, “Free as a Bird” and “Real Love.” Both new tracks were included on the Anthology series, with the former becoming the Beatles’ 34th Top 10 U.S. hit. “When we got in the room, they hadn’t been in the same room for, like, 20 years or so — the three of them, all at once,” Lynne tells Itv News Central. They would break the ice by returning to the old days. “We sat and listened to these tales of the Beatles, and all of the things you ever wanted to know,” Lynne adds. “I was just thrilled to bits with that. I was in the club. There was just them three, and me — that was it.” Lynne, who to that point had already worked with Harrison and Starr on solo projects, would later produce McCartney’s Flaming Pie project and a posthumous release by Harrison, as well.
www.thepondhawks.com One Beatle and Two PondHawks July 28 2014 Jorie Gracen and Mario Novelli (The PondHawks mugged for photos with ex-Beatles drummer Ringo Starr at a private VIP party for his art exhibit in Chicago. It was quite a thrill. Ringo was friendly and welcomed the two PondHawks... he even played a game with Mario who put his hands out and Ringo pushed them down... Mario put them back out and Ringo pushed them down again, laughing all the time... As you see Mario won that round...
Jorie and Mario with Ringo Starr in Chicago The PondHawks are a Chicago Indie rock band that plays original music influenced by The Beatles, Paul McCartney, Wings, ELO... Members : Mario Novelli, Jorie Gracen, and The PondHawks band The PondHawks play original music that they write and record.
www.3news.co.nz Sir Peter: Beatles should have made LOTR movie Tuesday 29 Jul 2014 The Beatles approached director Stanley Kubrick to make a film adaptation of The Lord of the Rings novels back in their heyday, according to moviemaker Peter Jackson. The Fab Four starred in five movies during their career, including A Hard Day's Night and Help! in the 1960s, and when they were considering their third film, the musicians went to Kubrick to discuss adapting JRR Tolkien's books into a movie version, but the author had not yet sold the rights. Tolkien eventually released the book for film adaptation and Jackson brought the franchise to cinemas from 2001. The director tells Deadline.com, "The Beatles once approached Stanley Kubrick to do The Lord of the Rings. This was before Tolkien sold the rights. They approached him and he said no. I actually spoke about this with Paul McCartney. He confirmed it. I'd heard rumours that it was going to be their next film after Help!. "John Lennon was going to play Gollum. Paul was going to play Frodo. George Harrison was going to play Gandalf, and Ringo Starr was going to play Sam. And a lot of other people were going to play other roles. "Paul was very gracious; he said, 'It was a good job we never made ours because then you wouldn't have made yours and it was great to see yours.' I said, 'It's the songs I feel badly about; you guys would have banged out a few good tunes for this. You were The Beatles, after all. It's a shame we missed out.'" WENN.com The Beatles - Gollum, Sam, Frodo and Gandalf Poster by Helder Silva (www.flickr.com) Mockup of a fake—yes, fake—soundtrack for a Beatles/Kubrick Lord of the Rings movie (dangerousminds.net) We don’t have the Beatles Lord of the Rings movie, but we do have the inevitable YouTube mashup—here’s a bunch of LOTR footage matched up to a big chunk of Side 2 of Abbey Road.
Wings Reissue 'Venus and Mars' and 'At The Speed Of Sound'
The GRAMMY Award-winning Paul McCartney Archive Collection Announce next release
Wings to reissue classic albums Venus and Mars and At The Speed Of Sound
Formats to include previously unreleased material
UK Release: 22nd September US Release: 23rd September
MPL and Concord Music Group confirmed plans today to reissue Wings albums Venus and Mars and At The Speed Of Sound as the next releases in the Paul McCartney Archive Collection on September 22nd (UK), and September 23rd (US), 2014.
Both albums will be available in a variety of physical and digital formats:
Standard Edition: Starting with a 2-disc (2 CD) Standard Edition, the first CD will feature the original remastered album and the second CD will include bonus audio made up of material including demos and unreleased tracks.
Deluxe Edition: The 3-disc (2CD, 1DVD) Deluxe Edition will be housed in a hardback book featuring unpublished photographs, new interviews with Paul, material from Paul’s archives and expanded track-by-track information. The deluxe version bonus DVD will be comprised of filmed material from around the time of each release, some of which has never been seen before.
Vinyl: The albums will also be available on special gatefold vinyl editions (vinyl editions include a download card).
Digital: Digitally Venus and Mars and At The Speed Of Sound will be made available as both standard and deluxe versions – including Mastered for iTunes and Hi-Res formats.
Check out the Deluxe Editions in the unoboxing videos below!
Venus and Mars:
At The Speed Of Sound:
Wings are one of the most successful acts the UK has ever produced, achieving no less than 14 US Top 10 hits and 12 Top 10 hits in the UK. Following 1973’s Band on the Run the mid ‘70s were a commercial heyday for Wings. Venus and Mars, the band’s fourth studio album was released in May 1975 ahead of the legendary 'Wings Over The World' tour. Preceded by the US Number One single 'Listen To What The Man Said', Venus and Mars hit the Number One spot in the album charts on both sides of the Atlantic and went on to sell over 4 million copies worldwide to date. At The Speed Of Sound was recorded in the midst of the same tour and released in March 1976. In the US it enjoyed the same chart success as its predecessor. Including the international smash hit single 'Silly Love Songs', the album went on to become Paul’s most successful American chart album spending seven consecutive weeks at Number One. In the UK it charted at Number Two, narrowly missing out on the top spot. Sales to date exceed 3.5 million worldwide.
As with all the Archive Collection, Paul has personally supervised all aspects of the reissues. The remastering work was done at Abbey Road by the same team who have worked on all the reissues as well as The Beatles’ catalogue.
Since launching the Paul McCartney Archive Collection in 2010 Paul has received two GRAMMY Awards for the releases. In 2012 he picked up 'Best Historical Album' for Band on the Run and this year Wings over America picked up an award ('Best Boxed or Special Edition Package') on the same night that Paul set a personal best by picking up five awards in just one night. In 2013 RAM was nominated for 'Best Historical Album'.
Other titles released to date in the Paul McCartney Archive Collection are Band on the Run, McCartney, McCartney II,RAM and Wings over America.
CD 1 – Remastered Album 1. Venus and Mars 2. Rock Show 3. Love In Song 4. You Gave Me The Answer 5. Magneto and Titanium Man 6. Letting Go 7. Venus and Mars – Reprise 8. Spirits Of Ancient Egypt 9. Medicine Jar 10. Call Me Back Again 11. Listen To What The Man Said 12. Treat Her Gently – Lonely Old People 13. Crossroads
CD 2 – Bonus Audio 1. Junior’s Farm 2. Sally G 3. Walking In The Park With Eloise 4. Bridge On The River Suite 5. My Carnival 6. Going To New Orleans (My Carnival) 7. Hey Diddle [Ernie Winfrey Mix] 8. Let’s Love 9. Soily [from One Hand Clapping] 10. Baby Face [from One Hand Clapping] 11. Lunch Box/Odd Sox 12. 4th Of July 13. Rock Show [Old Version] 14. Letting Go [Single Edit]
DVD – Bonus Film 1. Recording My Carnival 2. Bon Voyageur 3. Wings At Elstree 4. Venus and Mars TV Ad
CD 1 – Remastered Album 1. Let 'Em In 2. The Note You Never Wrote 3. She’s My Baby 4. Beware My Love 5. Wino Junko 6. Silly Love Songs 7. Cook Of The House 8. Time To Hide 9. Must Do Something About It 10. San Ferry Anne 11. Warm And Beautiful
CD 2 – Bonus Audio 1. Silly Love Songs [Demo] 2. She’s My Baby [Demo] 3. Message To Joe 4. Beware My Love [John Bonham Version] 5. Must Do Something About It [Paul’s Version] 6. Let ‘Em In [Demo] 7. Warm And Beautiful [Instrumental Demo]
DVD – Bonus Film 1. Silly Love Songs Music Video 2. Wings Over Wembley 3. Wings In Venice
beatlesblogger.com Four Second-hand Beatle Books by beatlesblogger Posted on July 25, 2014 There’s nothing like poking around second-hand book and record fairs for an hour or two looking for Beatle treasure – especially if the monies raised are for a good cause. Every year the Lifeline organisation holds a huge used book sale at Knox Grammar, a posh private school on Sydney’s upper north shore. It is BIG. A very large hall in the school grounds is filled to bursting with books – and usually a wide selection of CD’s too. This year we were lucky enough to get there late on Day One of the sale before everything had been picked over too much. Here’s what we found: Neville Stannard’s The Long and Winding Road – A History of the Beatles on Record was first published in 1982. Back then (and you have to remember this was pre-Internet!) it gathered together for the first time knowledge about every Beatle record and song – for both the UK and US markets: who wrote each song, why, how and when; how, when and where each was recorded; how many copies sold; chart positions; cover images and other artwork. That sort of info was available – but never gathered together in the one place. In this sense Stannard’s book was a trail-blazer and remains a valuable reference work. The book we have here is the second edition (published a year later in 1983) and as such has many corrections and revisions to the original. Really good to have in the collection. Next find was A Day in the Life – The Music and Artistry of the Beatles by Mark Hertsgaard. Got to admit we don’t know much about this hardback. Mark Hertsgaard is a journalist and author better known for his writing on climate change and so this work on the Beatles looks to be born from a personal love and knowledge of the band and its music. It was published in 1995 and reviews posted online look good. Looking forward to reading it and learning more! Mark Hayward, the author of The Beatles – On Camera, Off Guard (2009) is also responsible for this earlier Beatles work: Hayward is an avid collector of Beatle images and over thirty years has built up one of the largest collections of Beatle photographs in private hands. The Beatles Unseen (2005) is a large, hardback book where the best and most interesting private photographs are curated and presented. Mostly informal, un-posed images, they shine an insiders light on the band – a “behind-the-scenes” look at their home and work life. It is a book you can flip through and dip into at random – sort of like a family album. Typical is this sequence. It shows the 1968 wedding of Paul McCartney’s brother Michael McCartney (a.k.a. Mike McGear) to Angela Fishwick in the village of Carrog in North Wales. Paul is with then girlfriend Jane Asher: “Unseen” family photographs are also the theme of the final book we walked out of the Lifeline second-hand book fair with: Nishi Saimaru began working with the Lennon family in 1976 and served as their personal assistant and photographer until 1979. As a companion to the Lennons during their travels both in the US and in Asia he was able to capture family members in private moments while on the move – on holiday and at play. This sequence, taken in 1978, shows John, Yoko and son Sean with friends and neighbours at a birthday party held in Central Park, New York for both John and Sean (they share the same birth date). John was thirty-eight and Sean was three: The John Lennon Family Album is a soft back book published in Australia in 1990. It was originally published in 1982 in Japan, and again in Japan in 1990. We believe there were also US and UK editions of this book.
