John, Paul, George, Ringo and Me: The Real Beatles Story - Softcover

Barrow, Tony

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1560258829 ISBN 13: 9781560258827

Publisher: Da Capo Press, 2006

Synopsis

Liverpool-born author Tony Barrow worked beside The Beatles as the world-famous group's own public relations man through each exciting phase of their dazzling career in the sixties. His up-close-and-personal profiles of John, Paul, George, and Ringo probe their true personalities and reveal their amazing lifestyles as no other book has done Barrow gives a devastatingly honest, powerfully authoritative, and absolutely credible eyewitness account of how his history-making clients acted in and out of the spotlight. Also published here for the first time is his astonishing collection of photographs, including candid snapshots taken in the sanctuary of dressing rooms and hotel suites from where press and paparazzi were excluded. Barrow watched the Beatles' "greatest gig of all" at New York's Shea Stadium and, at Paul's request, he made a personal souvenir recording of The Beatles' final concert at San Francisco's Candlestick Park. The author lets his quirky Liverpudlian sense of humor run all through the text because "rock 'n' roll was never invented to be taken too seriously."

About this title

About the Author

A career-long professional writer and PR consultant, Tony Barrow was The Beatles' publicist between 1962 when they issued their first single "Love Me Do", and 1968, when they set up their own management company.

Barrow coined The Beatles' nickname the "Fab Four", wrote the sleeve notes for a number of the group's album covers, set up their huge international press conferences, selected their media interviews and fixed up their photo shoots at home and abroad during the touring years, and finally collaborated with Paul McCartney in 1967 to compile the cartoon-strip story booklet that came with The Beatles' Magical Mystery Tour recordings. He is one of a tiny handful of surviving eyewitnesses able to write a first-hand account of life within The Beatles' close-knit entourage and the only remaining professional writer from that circle.

Few were closer to The Beatles than Tony Barrow, and this is not merely a biography of the Fab Four, but a unique and vividly personal memoir by an author who knew John, Paul, George and Ringo as friends throughout the height of their fame.

Reviews

Barrow, the media agent who concocted the Fab Four's nickname, weighs in with a raucous re-telling of the Beatlemania years that follows the foppish rockers from a Manchester Square pub in 1962 through world tours, stadium gigs, movie deals, death, controversy and chaos. Chapters are devoted to painting "a sad and desperately lonely picture of The Beatles' millionaire manager," Brian Epstein, and his downward spiral into fatal drug addiction; profiling band members and their sundry girlfriends and wives; and recounting behind-the-scenes moments during recording sessions or while on the road. Highlights include Barrow's description of the band's beeline ascent to stardom following the release of their first Parlophone single, "Love Me Do;" their ill-fated trip to Manila in the summer of 1966, when they inadvertently snubbed Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos and First Lady Imelda by missing a luncheon at which they were the guests of honor; and their attempts to deal with the backlash that ensued after John Lennon claimed the Beatles were more popular than Jesus. Beatles fans will know much of this story, but Barrow's swift telling and catchy prose makes for an addictive read that still manages a few surprises. 24 pages color and b&w photos.
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Edition details

• Publisher: Da Capo Press
• Publication date: 2006
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1560258829
• ISBN 13: 9781560258827
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 280