Mark Hayward has been buying and selling pop memorabilia for 30 years. From a stall in Camden market he opened the first shop specialising in the field just off Oxford Street, in the 1980s finally graduating to the trendier Carnaby street. As a record producer he signed bands of the stature of Charlie Watts' Quintet to his UFO label, touring the band at home and abroad, as well as The Cranberries. Throughout his career he has bought, for his own collection, the cream of the popular music memorabilia to come on the market. He has often appeared on radio and television, including 'The Big Breakfast', as a widely known and intelligent expert on popular culture. He also played lead guitar in The Deep, a band which failed to make an impression on the music scene of their day.
Keith Badman is without question the most knowledgeable writer and commentator on popular music. Amongst his many publications and television documentary series he has written extensively on the Beatles and was film and video archive consultant on THE BEATLES ANTHOLOGY. He performed the same function for the BBC series 'Dancing in the Street', a history of popular music.
'...[a] fascinating book. Dip in, and you'll find pictures of John as a sweet-faced schoolboy and Ringo as a Butlins Redcoat; from cheesy shots taken on tour in Sunderland, Blackpool and Dundee...This vivid portrait is completed by a clutch of previously unseen pictures - some taken by fans - including holiday snaps of the boys and their wives. Full of youth, hope and life, it is a genuinely poignant documentary in light of how messily it all ended.' -- YOU MAGAZINE, MAIL ON SUNDAY (30.10.05)
'...a touching collection of previously unpublished photos taken mainly by fans, family and friends...they offer a fresh perspective on a familiary tale. This is a lavishly-produced 360 pager which completists and casual fans alike will be happy to find on their coffee tables this Christmas.' -- Alan Lewis, RECORD COLLECTOR (January 2006)
'Dipping into select moments of the band's lives, recording moments on and off duty - many of which are often awkward, unprepared and with varying levels of competence - only adds to the compelling nature of the book. It does actually feel like you're gaining a real insider's peep and THE BEATLES UNSEEN offers probably the only view of the quarter hitherto unviewed. And whether you're a fanatic, a collector or a curious voyeur, it is well worth a look.' -- Mark Robertson, THE LIST (3.11.05)
'Stunning...Keith [Badman] has a way with words and, as many of our readers will know from his past BEATLES works, an eye for detail that is second to none.' -- BEATLESDAYS.COM
'There is... much worth poring over... these photographs speak volumes.' -- Q MAGAZINE (December issue)