The Zapple Diaries: The Rise and Fall of the Last Beatles Label

First U.S. edition, 1st printing. 238pp w/copious photos. Bright, clean & tight copy, unread, in FINE condition. "In August 1968, the Beatles launched their greatest business enterprise, Apple Records, to international fanfare. The less well-known story is the introduction of their Zapple label about nine months later. If Apple represented artists with new, commercial opportunities, Zapple offered more cutting-edge freedom; its mission was to distribute experimental music and spoken word recordings from the leading avant-garde figures of the time. The brainchild of Paul McCartney, the label captured the counterculture spirit of the 1960s by collaborating with Yoko Ono alongside John Lennon, Allen Ginsberg, Richard Brautigan, Charles Bukowski, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, and Charles Olson. [] THE ZAPPLE DIARIES is the first full-length look at the enterprise, as well as a true insider account from Barry Miles, the label's manager who went on to become a leading authority and chronicler of '60s culture. He provides insight into the colorful lives and working methods of the artists and discloses the fascinating story of the experimental venture, ultimately offering up a revealing and engaging account of this little-known chapter of Beatles history." [jacket copy] "Back in June 1968 an Apple [Records] internal memo had been circulated to everyone which read, 'Try to think of suggestions for a subsidiary label, which would put out more freaky sounds.' In the end the name for the new label came from John Lennon who said, 'A is for Apple. Z is for Zapple.'"--Barry Miles. "THE ZAPPLE DIARIES: THE RISE AND FALL OF THE LAST BEATLES LABEL is an important addition to music history from one of its best eyewitnesses. Miles provides insights, reproduces press releases by The Beatles' publicist Derek Taylor and expresses his excitement for the endless possibilities of the era all supported by the band's enthusiasm for trying a new independent label. It's a pity it all came to an end so quickly from a business perspective, but for Miles 'the beat goes on.'"--John Corcelli. "As much as the narrative ping-pongs, it's consistently interesting and pulses with Miles's insider knowledge. McCartney, Lennon, and Harrison sometimes come off as rather unsavory. . . More often, they seem naïve, but not distastefully so. No matter their own ambitions for Apple and Zapple, McCartney and Lennon did seem to genuinely want to use their money and resources to help powerless, unknown artists who could never get their work placed with a more conventional company. That is the heart at the core of THE ZAPPLE DIARIES."--Mike Segretto, Psychobabble. Fine hardcover w/sharp corners & crisp edges, a square & tight binding, wrapped in an intact yet not-a natty-nehru jacket. Quite presentable.…