Hunter Davis on writing the Beatles Bio
-
The updated versions are so worth reading.
-
Kathryn O:
The updated versions are so worth reading.
I agree. I have both the original and later reprint.
-
I read this as a kid... Somehow I procured a 10-15 year copy of it, worn and tattered, with some pages missing...All I can remember is it being very good. But cannot recall too much more. ...Might need a refresher.... Although to me, the Nicholas Schaffner book 'The Beatles Forever' is the best thing I've read on the group (plus 70's solo stuff).... Better than all the sycophantic, sensationalist bio's that succeeded it... Of course I bought them not knowing that was the case, but it illustrated to me that one has to be very careful what they chose to read....
-
toris:
I read this as a kid... Somehow I procured a 10-15 year copy of it, worn and tattered, with some pages missing...All I can remember is it being very good. But cannot recall too much more. ...Might need a refresher.... Although to me, the Nicholas Schaffner book 'The Beatles Forever' is the best thing I've read on the group (plus 70's solo stuff).... Better than all the sycophantic, sensationalist bio's that succeeded it... Of course I bought them not knowing that was the case, but it illustrated to me that one has to be very careful what they chose to read....
ps. I can only presume there have been many threads already that discredit a couple of "authors" who've tried to cash in on Lennon and McCartney. Two spring to mind immediately.
-
Kathryn O:
The updated versions are so worth reading.
Yep. I've got not the most recent one but the one from before (1998 or so?). Excellent book that I always go back to. As far as non-Lewisohn Beatles bios, it's by far the next best one, miles ahead of Norman and Shitz (I mean, Spitz).
-
Hunter Davis has donated some John Lennon papers he had to the British Library so he won't have to pay $190,000 in taxes--a letter from Lennon to Stuart Sutcliffe with poems and sketches, other letters and some handwritten song lyrics including "A Day in the Life" and "Strawberry Fields Forever."
-
Hunter Davies mentions 15 June 1957 as the day that John met Paul, also in The John Lennon Letters. I think Mark Lewisohn says it's 6 July. To be hones, I trust Mark more than Hunter. The John Lennon Letters is a must-have book, nevertheless.
-
Foxx54:
Hunter Davies mentions 15 June 1957 as the day that John met Paul, also in The John Lennon Letters. I think Mark Lewisohn says it's 6 July. To be hones, I trust Mark more than Hunter. The John Lennon Letters is a must-have book, nevertheless.
It is definitely July 6, 1957. I've been there and they (of course!) have a plaque up on the outside of the building to commemorate the day:
-
I read someplace (http://daytrippin.com/2013/11/08/book-review-of-tune-in-the-beatles/)) that Mark Lewisohn in his Beatles biography Tune In says that John and Paul may have met (briefly) earlier than 6 July 1957. Cannot check this in the book , because MY COPY OF TUNE IN IS LOST IN THE MAIL...... aaaargh!
-
Foxx54:
I read someplace (http://daytrippin.com/2013/11/08/book-review-of-tune-in-the-beatles/)) that Mark Lewisohn in his Beatles biography Tune In says that John and Paul may have met (briefly) earlier than 6 July 1957. Cannot check this in the book , because MY COPY OF TUNE IN IS LOST IN THE MAIL...... aaaargh!
According to Tony Bramwell, Paul was aware of John before their actual meeting. (not sure if John was aware of Paul's existence)
-
Lewisohn mentions that, too...and says that Paul himself has admitted as much, but only in private and amongst close friends/confidantes.
-
yeah, I remember reading Paul saying he'd seen John on the bus and he'd look tough...so maybe Paul knew of John or seen him around, but didn't actually meet him until that day. In Liverpool, all the teenagers hung out at the same places, everyone had mutual friends.
-
So, I am almost done reading Hunter's book on the Beatles and it is really good. Highly recommend! But the last few chapters, of where Hunter dedicates a chapter to each Beatle, is REALLY interesting. It is interesting because we now know how things play out. There is a lot of irony written in those pages. There were many times I read a quote or observation and thought, 'wow, that is an ironic statement considering how things unfolded' Bottom line, great book.