Lennon, the Mobster and the lawyer - a book review

 

January 22, 1976 - having lunch at Sloppy Louie's seafood restaurant with Howard Roy, Harold Seider, Yoko, and Jay Bergen (author of this book). Photo By Bob Gruen.



 

It is Wednesday Review!  And tonight's review is a book I bought directly from one of John Lennon's lawyers, Jay Bergen, at the Fest for Beatle Fans this past August.   ,

I am always on the lookout for what I deem the "best Beatles book of the year," and Lennon, The Mobster and the Lawyer might be that book.   It tells the story behind John's lawsuit in 1976 with Morris Levy over Levy's "Roots" albums vs. John's Rock n Roll album. 

If you are a John Lennon fan, then I am sure you are familiar with the story.  John had recorded what was to be his "Rock n Roll" album in part because he owed Morris Levy three songs from the catalog of music he owned as an agreement made due to John's song "Come Together" sounding too similar to "You Can't Catch Me."    This wasn't a punishment for John because he loved to sing 1950s rock n roll and wanted to make an oldies album.  

He started making the album in L.A. with Phil Spector, and then Phil ran off with the tapes, and John didn't know where they were.  So he recorded and put out the "Walls and Bridges" album, and the "Rock n Roll" tapes returned to him.   John listened to them and realized that some of the tracks were bad.   Lots of drunk/high musicians all performing in different keys.   Some of the tracks were alright and just needed the typical cleaning up, but others needed to be re-recorded or removed altogether.  Morris Levy was pestering John about wanting to hear the tapes he had made with Spector.  He would not drop it, and John being who he was, finally gave in and handed the tapes over to Levy.   These were not rough tapes and were not meant for public listening.   Well, Levy took those and made his own John Lennon album, Roots, and sold it on TV through one of those cheesy commercials (Hear John Lennon sing all of the old rock n roll hits including  Peggy Sue, Angel Baby....but wait, there, is more!  Hear, him sing You Can't Catch Me and many more if you just call now!)   He slapped a terrible photo of John from the 1968 Rock n Roll Circus on the cover, and as you can guess, John fans were calling the number and ordering the album.  I mean -- wouldn't you?   If a brand new John Lennon album came out and the only way you could get it was through the telephone, I am sure you would have ordered it too.  I don't think at that time I would have really thought about what record company was putting it out.  I just would want to hear the music. 

There was a lot of confusion with the fans, and John had to rush and get the REAL Rock n Roll album released.   Obviously, what Levy did was completely illegal.  You can't just take tapes that someone gives you and make an album from that and sell them on TV without the record company and the artist's permission.   John didn't work like that.  He was into putting together the whole album package, and the Roots album was an embarrassment to him. 

That is where this book picks up.   The legal case against Morris Levy and told by his lawyer in the case, Jay Bergen.    And while I have always known the outcome of the case (spoiler alert -  John totally wins!), I did not know the ins and out because Bergan had never really told the story before. 

The book is SO much more than just the story of this case.   Bergan uses the actual court transcripts to tell the story, and you get to read John's exact words where he tells the judge precisely how he makes an album.   I don't know any other place where you get to learn from John the process he used to produce albums and how much he put into each project.   He also explains why he chose each song on the Rock n Roll album.   They weren't just random 1950's rock n roll numbers that he liked, but he put some profound thought into recording the songs on that album and told the judge his reasoning.   His reason for including Bony Maronie put a lump in my throat.   Rock n Roll has always been one of my favorite John albums, so this really was cool.   He also talks about his ideas for promoting the album, including what would have been a fun commercial that included Ringo and Harry.  He couldn't make the commercial or do most of the promoting that he wanted to do because of Roots and having to rush to get the real album produced.  

The chapters of the book are short, and the story moves quickly.   It isn't bogged down with legal jargon and is a fun book to read.  

I only had a couple of issues with the book, and neither one was a huge deal.  The first was when Bergan tells the story without quoting from the transcript, such as when he is meeting with John in the Dakota or having lunch with John and Yoko at Sloppy Louie's, he quotes what John and others said.  Does he really remember the exact words of the conversations they were having 40-something years ago?   I wasn't sure if he had kept a journal and written down exactly what John said or if he was going by memory, recalling the conversation, and guessing the exact wording.   Again --  not a huge deal, but something that stood out. 

Julian, Morris, and Adam outside of the Emporium on Main Street U.S.A. at Walt Disney World 1974

The other thing is something that Bergen might not have quite known the answer to himself.   If John disliked Morris Levy so much, why did he, May, Julian, Morris, and Morris's son, Adam, all go to Disney World together at the end of 1974?   Was it just because they both had sons the same age?   The book explained that John refused to talk "business" with Levy during the trip, but I still don't understand why John would want to go on a trip with him in the first place.   Really, all I can think is that he must have wanted Julian to have someone his own age to hang around while in Florida.  Because of that trip, I was under the impression that they were all really good friends until Morris did the Roots thing, and then the friendship ended, but they were never friends.   I just find it confusing. 

I highly recommend this book to anyone who considers themselves a fan of John Lennon and his music.  You don't just learn about an interesting court case where John was the star witness.  You also get to learn about how John made his albums, his thought process, and what a great guy he was.  You don't want to miss out on this great book!

https://amzn.to/3wA2HkP

Shades of Life (Part 1) - A Book Review

 

Tonight I am going to review the next book in Jude Southerland Kessler's John Lennon Series, Shades of Life (part 1).    This book follows John Lennon's life in 1965 from January until he left for the North American Tour in August.   

If you have read Jude's previous books, then you will want to read this one as well.  However, if you have never read her previous books, then you might be a little confused if you just picked up this one as your first read.  Jude's style of narrative writing takes a little getting used to so I would advise going back to the first book before continuing in the story. 

If you are expecting to read the nitty-gritty details of John's sex life and drug usage in 1965, you will not find it in this book.   Yes, some of these things are touched upon (especially John's first LSD experience), but it is not written as a romance novel.   Really, I think of this book as John's life as told through Cynthia's eyes.   You feel a lot of sympathy for Cynthia while reading this volume as you see the marriage of John and Cyn crumble, and John slips into depression. 

I enjoyed reading the stories that took place during the making of Help (a few that were found on this very site!) and some of the European tour.    Jude always has an interesting point of view of John's life, and after I read one of her books, I feel like I understand John just a tad bit more.   

Again, if you have read the other 4 books in this series, I would recommend the 5th.   I have included the Amazon link for the Kindle version of the book (because her books are sooooo heavy to carry around!)

https://amzn.to/48CGDmZ

The Beatles Archive - a Book Review

 

This photo is on the cover of the book 

To be honest, I have mixed feelings about the book  The Beatles Archive by Ray Connolly is full of short Beatles articles and interviews written and conducted by journalist Ray Connolly beginning in 1967 up until modern day.  Connolly was on good terms with three of the Beatles (George didn't trust him), especially John.   The stories are in chronological order, so the things at the beginning of the book are the most interesting.  I especially enjoyed the interviews because they were word-for-word transcripts of the interviews because it isn't too often that you get to read new interviews with John Lennon. 

Parts of the book I just didn't like.   No surprise, but I had to skip over the articles about John's murder and his killer.  There are some days when I can read about that stuff, but right now is not that time, and I just couldn't handle reading it.   Other more modern-day articles I honestly found to be boring.    I know that I am not really into a book when it goes several days in a row and I haven't read the book.   

There is a nice article about Mal Evans in this book that was written based on an interview Connolly did with Mal's widow, Lil.   I don't recall anyone speaking to her about her thoughts or memories before.   There are also articles based on interviews with Cyn and Pete.   As time goes on, and we lose more and more key figures in the Beatles' story, these stories will become very valuable in telling the history correctly. 

I can't necessarily recommend this book but at the same time, I can't say that it was a bad book.   I guess it just wasn't a good fit for me.  Perhaps you will pick it up and enjoy it.   

https://amzn.to/3wIMKZx

A Women's History of The Beatles - A Book Review

 

Kit, Allison, Susan, Erika, and me (Sara) at The Fest for Beatle Fans in New Jersey 2017

In early 2019, I was contacted by a woman in Australia who was writing something about female Beatles fans.  She wanted to ask me a few questions about my experiences as a female Beatles fan who runs a popular Beatles site online, how I became a fan, and my experiences as a Beatles fan.   I wasn't quite sure what the unknown lady was doing -- was it a book?  A college project?   I didn't know --- but I am always happy to help out, and I answered her questions.   Shortly after this interview, my significant other unexpectedly passed away, and I totally forgot about this interview. 

The things I said now appear in print in the book I am reviewing tonight, A Women's History of The Beatles by Christine Feldman-Barrett.   Thankfully, Christine did show me the quotes from the interview prior to the publication of the book, and everything I said was true and sounded exactly like me.  It is just so bizarre to me that I have no memory of answering the questions.    

This book was extremely interesting, and the topic of women and The Beatles is something no one has ever really written about before.  It examines the history of women that influenced The Beatles and how The Beatles have influenced women.   I especially enjoyed reading about the girls from the early years of The Beatles -- the fans from the Cavern Club,  the female family members of John, Paul, George, and Ringo, and the girl groups that influenced The Beatles musically.  The book also goes into the wives and partners of The Beatles and how Cynthia and Maureen fit into that stereotype of a Northern England wife.   Jane and Pattie were working women, and that was an issue for both Paul and George.   Then Yoko and Linda came, and they directly influenced John and Paul's music and the way both of them lived their lives. 

Christine talked to ladies who are first-generation, second-generation, and third-generation fans. They tell their stories about how they became Beatles fans and how The Beatles have shaped who they are today.   It is interesting to see how The Beatles have shaped so many women's careers, music, and lives.  I found it really interesting that while there are obvious differences between first-generation fans and third-generation fans -  there are a lot more similarities.   The Beatles' music is universal no matter what year it is or where the women live. 

This book is a little more academic than what I usually read, and I will admit that I had to go back and re-read some things to comprehend what I had read.   This is one of those books that you need to spend time reading and not just read on the go.    

https://amzn.to/3IhXvER

Lifted - A Book Review

 Ringo Starr has released a new book called "Lifted."   The book is full of Beatles era photos.  Most of these photos (according to Ringo himself) were ones that he found online over the past few years.  I can't help but wonder if Ringo ever came to this site and found photos of himself and his friends and was inspired to include some of those photos in this book.   There are some of the photos I am certain I have posted on here in the past.  

Anyhow -- the photos are mostly ones that aren't rare or unseen.  There are a few photos (maybe 4) that I had never seen from John and Ringo's trip to Tobago in 1966.  

Ringo has witty and funny things to say about each photo.   Nothing earth-shattering or newsworthy.    However, the things Ringo writes will make you chuckle and smile.   

Lifted is a very quick book to read and it is a light-hearted book which I think is needed right now because so many heavy things are going on.    

Is it a must-have Beatles book?   No -- it doesn't give any new insight into the Beatles at all.   Is it a should - have Beatles book?  Of course!   It is one of the few books that is about The Beatles and written by one of the Beatles!   Plus if you purchase this book, all of the proceeds go to Ringo and Barb's Lotus Foundation charity.   

You can only get this book from Julian's Auctions catalog.  They are selling fast -- so don't wait if you want to buy one. 

https://juliensauctions.com/ShopCatalogs

Do You Promise Not to Tell? - a Book Review

George and Pat (copyright Pat Mancuso)

 

Pat Mancuso's new book, Do You Promise Not to Tell - The Final Story of the Official George Harrison Fan Club, is the revised version of her previous book, Do You Want to Know a Secret.

Just like in her previous book, Pat tells the story of how she started the Official George Harrison Fan Club in 1964.    Pat put an ad in one of the Teen magazines about her club and it really started to take off.  Pat's Club for George grew to become one of the best Beatles fan clubs in the United States.   She had a very well-written newsletter and was in direct contact with the Harrison family.    Due to all of this, she was able to meet George at his home in 1968 and talk with him on the front steps of Kinfauns for quite a while.  She also saw the other Beatles during that time while they were working at EMI on the White Album.   She did the same thing the next year but wasn't able to talk to George for as long.   As the story goes, in early 1972, George got ahold of one of her newsletters and was angry about something that was included.   He demanded an end to all Beatles fan clubs immediately. Pat was devastated, to say the least, and this event with George shaped her outlook and feelings for years to come. 

After the chapters about the George Harrison Fan Club, the book goes into the story of the child the club sponsored from Thailand and how Pat helped her come and live in the United States.   There is also a big chapter about the Peter and Gordon Reunion tours of the 2000s, and Pat became friends with her long-time crush, Peter Asher.   Any fan of Peter and Gordon will find that chapter to be really fun to read.   

The book ends with Pat coming to terms with what happened with George.  She was finally able to accept that it was not her fault that the Beatles fan clubs ended.  You will have to read the book for yourself to discover that part of the "secret."

For me, the real treasure in the book is the three trip diaries that are reproduced.   These diaries are from 1968, 1969, and 1971.  They are the unedited day-by-day accounts of what happened during Pat's three trips to London while she was president of the Fan Club.  It is really interesting to be able to read accounts of meeting or seeing The Beatles in "real-time" and not by memories years later.   These diaries are really interesting.  

Some readers might find some of the later chapters in this book to be a bit dry, but this book is well worth reading because there was only one person who was the president of the Official George Harrison Fan Club, and her story is really amazing.  (Plus -- I wrote the forward to this book!)

https://amzn.to/3Ie79sa

Little Wing - The Jimmy McCulloch Story : A Book Review

 

I have enjoyed the music of Wings for about 20 years, but I admittedly know very little about the members of the group.   One member especially was a mystery to me, guitarist Jimmy McCulloch.  There were always so many rumors surrounding Jimmy's life and death.  I never knew what was true when it came to this lead guitarist. 

Thankfully Paul Salley spent years researching Jimmy's life and interviewing important people that knew him and wrote the book Little Wing The Jimmy McCulloch Story.

This biography tells the full story of Jimmy's 26 years on earth.   He started playing the guitar at the age of 11.   From that point on, this Scottish kid was never without a band to play with.   Seriously -- I had no idea that Jimmy McCulloch played and toured with just so many groups!   I don't think he ever had a day of his life where he just chilled at home and wasn't in a studio, on the road, or in a rehearsal with a group.   When he was just 16, he was in Thunderclap Newman and quickly had a #1 hit single called "Something in the Air." (I had never heard of this song, so I looked it up on YouTube, and it was really good).

By November 1973, Jimmy began recording some songs with Paul and Linda McCartney.   This led to him being asked to join Wings.     It is pretty much accepted that the years Jimmy McCulloch was in Wings were the most successful and "best" years of the group.   They toured the world between 1975-76.   Jimmy had a great stage presence and was well-accepted.  He even had a couple of his own songs on Wings albums.   One new bit of information that I learned about Wings is that Jimmy actually played on  "Mull of Kintyre."  Because he is not seen in the video for the song, I assumed he was not on the song.  However, this book dispels this misunderstanding and gives the reason why. 

After Wings, Jimmy went on to perform, record, and tour with a few other groups until his unfortunate death in 1979 at the age of 26. 

What I really loved about this book is the large number of photos, newspaper articles, and other handwritten items that go along with the text.   It all really enhanced the story of Jimmy's life.  The rumors surrounding Jimmy's "bad" behavior, including his arrest in Tennessee, were explained.   I feel like I now have a much better understanding behind Jimmy's behavior and issues that caused him to behave this way from time to time.    The circumstances behind Jimmy leaving (getting fired?) from Wings is still sketchy, but the story from Jimmy's brother seems most likely with maybe a few things that other people said as well.   

Probably one of the most shocking stories I read was in Detroit during the 1976 Wings over America tour, Jimmy walked off the stage and did not return.   Paul McCartney was not happy about the entire thing and actually hit Jimmy.   You will have to read this story for yourself.  

The only thing I wish this book had was more information about the Wings touring years.  However, this really isn't this book's issue.  What is really needed is an entire book about Wings tours.  But I would have liked a few more pages about the Wings tours and stories from Jimmy's fans who would wait at the stage door to meet him.   

Overall Little Wing was a well-researched and well-written book.   Anyone who considers themselves to be a Wings fan must read this book to learn more about the amazing guitarist Jimmy McCulloch. 

https://amzn.to/3uQiziC

Paul McCartney: The Lyrics - a book review

 

Paul McCartney is never going to write his autobiography.   However, he has given us his authorized biography, Many Years From Now by Barry Miles, and now we have The Lyrics.     In this pair of books, Paul goes through most of his hit (and many non-hit) songs and explains his thoughts behind writing them while telling a bit of his own personal history along the way.     The book is organized alphabetically by song instead of chronologically.   So you could easily read a song written in the 1950s, and then the next song be written within the past five years.   I am accustomed to reading through the history of Paul McCartney in order, and it was a different look at his life and his music to go in alphabetically. 

Paul obviously did not "write" the book in alphabetical order.   He repeats some of the same stories throughout both volumes.   I think we read about Paul meeting John for the first time 3 times.   

Most of the stories told here are well-known and well-loved by those of us who have followed Paul's career during the past 60 years.  It is nice to have them all together in one place.   There are also a lot of little nuggets of information to discover.   I learned that Paul sees the days of the week as different colors.  I also learned that when he writes or sings a song, he sort of feels like he channeling a particular performer, such as Little Richard or Fred Astaire.    So he doesn't feel as if it is Paul McCartney performing, but this other person.   He got a lot of inspiration for lyrics or names in his songs from such a wide variety of places:  old songs from his childhood, plays he has seen, Greek mythology, artwork he has seen, etc etc.   The majority of his work is the influence of his mother and father.  

Paul really holds John in high esteem.   He obviously was very hurt when John asked for a "divorce" from the Beatles.  He was especially hurt because John seemed to have been so happy when he asked for the divorce.   One thing I didn't know was that they met together in 1972 and in-person decided to stop fighting with one another.    After that, John and Paul remained friends until John died.  Since John has died, Paul still thinks about him whenever he is writing songs and wonders, "What will John think of that line..."    I found all of the things he had to say about his relationship with John to be very fascinating.  

Paul made plenty of mistakes in the book.   It isn't a history book.  It is based on Paul's memory of the songs he wrote and the life he lived as of the year 2020.   One of the biggest errors he made was saying that after John asked for a divorce from The Beatles, he and John got together and recorded "The Ballad of John and Yoko."   We all know that was NOT how it happened.   Will anyone ever have the courage to correct him?  I don't think so.    He also made a statement about how the Beatles all decided to stop touring AFTER the concert at Candlestick Park.   He used to claim that it was after the St. Louis show, and in my book I discovered that it really happened on August 20, 1966, in Cincinnati after leaving the stadium after sitting around for hours for the concert to be postponed to the next day due to rain.   Regardless -- it was NOT after Candlestick.   I know in Paul's mind it doesn't really matter, but to Beatles history, it is sort of a big deal.   

What was the biggest surprise?   Paul REALLY does say "polygon" in "Hi Hi Hi."   I swore he said "body gun" and just claimed to say "polygon" to cover up the more racy lyrics.   But Paul talks about this misunderstanding and how it was really polygon all along.  Then you see the original hand-written lyrics, and sure enough -- it is polygon!    

That reminds me -- the photographs and other items in this book are amazing!  

Overall I wasn't super knocked out with The Lyrics.   A lot of the same old stories that we've heard Paul tell during interviews and concerts.   Yet it is an extremely important book for Beatles fans. 

This is one of those books that is now part of "The Beatles book canon" along with the Anthology, Mark Lewisohn's books, Hunter Davies book and a handful of others.   If you didn't buy one for yourself or get one for Christmas, you do not want to miss out.

https://amzn.to/3wD9CtF

The Beatles Get Back - A Book Review

 

Like many of you, I bought the Get Back book this past week.   I got the Target version of the book, which came with four exclusive Lobby cards (one of each Beatle).  However, I did not open the envelope that is attached to the back of the book that holds the cards because I didn't want to break the Apple sticker that holds them into the envelope.  

After reading the Get Back book, I came to the conclusion that this is one of the most important books about the Beatles that fans should own.   This book, Hunter Davies book and the Beatles Anthology book are the only authorized accounts of the band that have been published.   

The book is full of beautiful photographs taken during the sessions for what would become the Let it Be and Get Back films in January 1969.   All photographs were taken by Ethan Russell, Linda Eastman, or Terence Spencer.  The other photos are frames from the original footage shot for the film.   The dates of these photos are given, which is something that makes me very happy and will help me a lot in sorting my Beatles photos.  

The text itself is the word-by-word transcription of the Nagra reels.  If you have heard the bootlegs of the Get Back sessions, then you will be very familiar with the discussions  found in this book.   Seeing the words in print, cleared up some areas of the tapes that I didn't understand or misheard.   For words that were used that would have been known for those in the conversation at that time, there is a small explanation in parentheses.   This has helped clear up so many things for me. 

A few things that I noticed:  Paul would not drop the conversation about performing in front of an audience.  This topic comes up over and over and over.   Paul and Ringo were annoyed with Yoko being around all the time, but it wasn't a huge deal to them.   They didn't want to upset John and decided to not bring it up and just accept that she was always going to be with John.   I loved the comment Paul said (paraphrase), "I don't want people in 50 years saying that The Beatles broke up because Yoko sat on an amp."   And that is exactly what people today say!    

The Beatles made a lot of jokes and laughed a lot.  Some of their jokes were Beatles jokes that fans today still make.   They also liked to read about themselves in the newspapers every day and laughed about how wrong the news seemed to always be.   They also argued quite a bit, but the arguments never were ugly.  There was never any name-calling or cheap shots.    Something happened between George and Paul during the recording session for Hey Jude that Paul did not want to happen again.  

If you weren't sure if you should buy the Get Back book -- let me tell me that you do!  This book is really going to be amazing once the film is out next month.    We have heard the words spoken and have now read them -- but to see the expressions on their faces while they are saying it is going to bring the entire story together.   You are going to want to have this book before you watch the new film because I am sure you will want to go back and refer back to it to check some of the conversations that aren't clear.   

https://amzn.to/3UWmlS7

My Ticket To Ride - A Book Review

I just finished a really great book called My Ticket to Ride by Janice Mitchell.   This is the true story of a girl named Janice and her adventures in London in the autumn of 1964.

Janice had a pretty rough childhood in Cleveland, Ohio.  Her parents left her, and she lived with a difficult aunt.   Things in Janice's life got better in December 1963 when she first heard The Beatles on the radio.   Like so many other girls, the Beatles and their music made a huge impact on her, and she automatically became a fan.   Beatles became her life -- she listened to their music, read the magazines, and, of course, watched them on the Ed Sullivan Show. 

Janice talks her best Beatle buddy, Marti, into leaving their troublesome lives in Cleveland and traveling to London to start a new life.   A life where they could meet The Beatles, go to the clubs in Soho, and work for Brian Epstein.     So the day after they went to the Beatles concert in Cleveland, the two 16-year-olds left with their new passports and Marti's college fund money and flew to London without telling their guardians. 

The story of two Beatle-crazed American teenagers in 1964 London was so interesting!   Janice Mitchell is a very good writer and by reading about her adventure, you are transferred to a much more innocent time in what was the beginning days of "Swinging London."    The girls go to all of the top clubs in Soho, including the Marquee, the 2i's, the Flamingo, and others that you have heard about.  They hitchhike to Liverpool and meet some very kind boys along the way who helped their adventures. 

I really loved this story.   Janice and Marti actually did something that every teenage girl wanted to do in the 1960s.   Sadly, they did not get to meet the Beatles, but they sure had a fun time trying!  I was stuck at what an innocent time it was.   Janice had such little life experience, and yet no one took advantage of her naiveté, and the boys were such gentlemen.   

Beatle fans of all generations will enjoy this coming-of-age story.  It is one that was an easy read and was a lot of fun.  I highly recommend it! 

 https://amzn.to/48AyteS
 

Linda McCartney's Family Kitchen - A Book Review

 

It is well known that the McCartney family are all vegetarians and that they are serious about food.   Linda McCartney is now seen as a pioneer in veggie cooking and wrote several cookbooks during her lifetime. 

It was a logical progression in 2021 to re-release Linda's cookbooks for a modern audience.  That is why the book  Linda McCartney's Family Kitchen was published.   Vegetarian and vegan recipes are much more common today than they were in the 1990s, and the ingredients needed to make the foods are easier to find than they used to be. 

The categories for the recipes in this book are breakfast and brunch, soups and salads, on-the-go, quick and easy meals, weekend feasts, sides and snacks, baking, puddings, and sweet treats.  It is interesting to think that these are some of the dishes that Linda would make for her family.  Some of the most interesting dishes are cinnamon rolls, American-style pancakes, chef's salad, guacamole, barbecue sausage, and vegetable skewers, lasagne, baked macaroni cheese, pizza, chili non-carne, and lemon drizzle cake. 

Also included in the book are some family photos of Linda, Paul, Stella, and Mary.  These are all snapshots and lovely photos.   None of them stood out to me as "new" photos, but there might be a few.  Paul wrote an introduction telling the well-known story about how he and Linda decided to become vegetarians.  Before each recipe is a short paragraph that tells a little story of a memory or story about that recipe.  

It is a very nice cookbook with a variety of recipes.  I am not a vegetarian, and there are still many recipes that I would not mind trying.   I would have enjoyed there being more photos and family stories about sharing meals together.   Make it a little less than just a cookbook but also a book about the McCartney family and their memories of Linda.   I found it strange that there was no mention of Heather or James in this book.  I understand that they might want privacy and were not involved in making the book, but not even mentioning them or having them in an old family photo seemed strange to me as a fan, especially since the book is called Linda's FAMILY kitchen.   

If you are a vegetarian and/or vegan, this is a great book for a Beatles fan for you to have on your shelf.  If you are a huge fan of the McCartney family, then go ahead and pick up this book.   If you do not fall into either one of these categories, then you can pass on this one.  

*I know there has been a discussion going on about the motives behind the publication of this book.  I personally do not see a problem with it.  I don't think Paul had a lot to do with the publication of the book, but  did include his name to help sell more books.   But I do think his motives are to keep Linda's memory alive.  However, you can feel however you want about this book. 

https://amzn.to/3SZalgj

Pressing my Luck - A Book Review

 

Paul and Micky sitting in Paul's house on Cavendish Avenue.  This is where Shirley and her friends sat 3 years later. 

www.shirleypress.com

It is interesting how I find books to read sometimes.  Last week, I was looking for some information about Paul McCartney's song from 1986, "Press."    And while I didn't exactly find what I was looking for, I did find out about a book called Pressing my Luck written by Shirley Press.    The Beatles connection in this book is a stretch, but it was interesting enough for me to mention here. 

Shirley is an extremely interesting person.   Her parents were Holocaust survivors, having been tortured in concentration camps.   Reading about her parents and how they were able to survive such terrible treatment was interesting and sad to read.   I think it is important to continue to tell the stories of the Jewish people that lived and died in concentration camps.    Shirley grew up in New Jersey in the 1960s and was a Beatles fan.   Her family owned a dime store and Shirley would open up the Beatles trading card packs and take out the cards that she needed and return her doubles into the pack.   She sadly never got to see The Beatles perform live. 

It is obvious that The Beatles were and remain an influence in Shirley's life.   So much so that all of the chapters in this book have Beatle-themed titles. 

In 1970 Shirley was in London and she and two guys broke into Paul McCartney's house on Cavendish Avenue.  She went in through -- an open door!   My first question is this:  How many fans got into Paul's house during this time period?    Now the three young people did not take a single thing.  They just walked around and took photographs.  Shirley does say that it was wrong of her to do, but she was young and she had the opportunity to do it.   I thought that chapter of the book was really interesting and shines a light on London in general in 1970.

Shirley grew up and became a pediatrician at an emergency room in Florida.  In 2001 she won a huge amount of money in the Florida Lottery.   The point of this book is to show that while your financial situation changes,  that does not mean your life situation will suddenly become perfect.   Geroge Harrison spoke about this often himself.   She continued to do her job because she enjoyed it and she lived her life about the same as she had before winning the lottery, with a few exceptions.    However, even with all the money, she could not stop her son from becoming addicted to crack cocaine.  Even with treatment, he would relapse a few months later.  The anguish she felt dealing with her son's addiction was heartbreaking.   Then her husband suddenly had to have an emergency liver transplant and that more stress on her.    In winning the Lottery, learned who her true friends really were and weren't.  She also learned a lot about charities and who to trust. 

The last part of the book reminded me of that guy at was at the end of 60 Minutes.   You remember that guy?  He was always complaining about something or giving his opinion on unimportant stuff.   That is where this book went.   Suddenly Shirley is giving us a list of all the things she remembers from her childhood that are no longer around or complaining about how friends have done her wrong or about how she likes to write letters to the editor and complain about this and that because it is a concern of hers.   

This memoir was not the best book I ever read.  I found a lot of it boring.  But I did enjoy the parts about her parents and her time in London (especially going into Paul's house).  It did make me think about lottery winners and how their life does not necessarily change in the way you'd think it would.  But this book was $1.99 on Kindle, so the price was right. 

www.shirleypress.com

The link below is the affiliate link to Amazon where you can purchase this book.   I get a small percentage of anything purchased through this link.  Money made from the Amazon Afflication is used to pay the annual fee to keep this site online.  Thank you for your support.  Sara 

https://amzn.to/3P3YEn9

Let the Good Times Roll - A Book Review

 

Today I am going to review the book Let the Good Times Roll written by Horst Fascher.   First I have to mention that I read the Kindle version of this book that came out in April of 2020.   When I looked today, I was not able to locate any version of this book available for the English reading market.  The German-language book is easily available, but the English one seems to have disappeared for the time being.    So I am going to review a book that many of you won't be able to read.  Hopefully, the English version will soon be earlier to find. 

Horst Fascher was from Hamburg, Germany.   He lived through World War II and his father being held prisoner by Russians for six years after the war.   Like many young people of the time, he discovered Rock n Roll and never looked back.   Well ---he also had a love for boxing and fighting in general.  Much of this book is about how Horst was a boxing champion in his youth until he was in a fight outside of the ring that ended in the death of a guy that was hitting on his girlfriend.  

It was Horst's fighting that got his foot in the door in St. Pauli and he started looking after the musicians in the clubs and the rowdy guests that watched the shows.  This is where Horst's friendship with The Beatles started.   The boys really trusted Horst and they often went to his mother's home where she would make them homemade soup and wash their underwear.  

Horst eventually got the idea to open a new club called the Star Club and promised to have The Beatles perform there.  He traveled to Liverpool to ask them in person, knowing that they'd say yes.  However -- he did not know that The Beatles had a manager, Brian Epstein that he had to talk to first.   He sort of made a fool out of himself when talking to Brian, but because the Beatles trusted him so much, they went to the Star Club.   

Much of this book is a "tell-all" and I am not sure totally how much is true and how much is a myth.  Did John Lennon really receive sexual favors from a transvestite?   Did John really pee on top of nuns below him?  There is a lot of stories in this book about the Beatles and sex with the workers at the Reeperbahn.   And not just the Beatles, but all of the other acts that Horst brought into the Star Club.  Part of his job was to find the artists and band members a girl at the end of each night.   It was odd to him that Jerry Lee Lewis was the only guy that did not want to have sex after a show.   And there is a lot of information about Horst's sex life and particularly his love for girls in their late teens.  

Horst went to prison several times during his life.  The first time was for the death of the man mentioned before and other times for fighting as well.    After his prison time, he was banned from St. Pauli and went to Vietnam to manage Tony Sheridan who was there to entertain the American troops.  They ran into a lot of crazy and dangerous situations in Vietnam that were pretty intense to read about. 

This was an interesting book, to say the least.  It is very brash and does not hold back in the language or description of things that happened.  If you are someone that is not comfortable reading about sex, then this book is not for you.    I am not sure how many of the stories have been fabricated over the years to the point where they are now fact to those who are left to retell them, but it made for an interesting read.  

The link below is the affiliate link to Amazon where you can purchase this book.   I get a small percentage of anything purchased through this link.  Money made from the Amazon Afflication is used to pay the annual fee to keep this site online.  Thank you for your support.  Sara 

https://amzn.to/49FjAcI

The Beatles and the Historians - a Book Review

 

Paul and Linda with Hunter Davies and family 

The book The Beatles and the Historians by Erin Torkelson Weber is the most thought-provoking Beatles book I have ever read.   This book digs into the way The Beatles has been portrayed through the past 50 years in books and publications. 

There are four areas that she touches on:  the official narrative (the 1960s), the Lennon Remembers narrative (1970s), the Shout narrative (1980s), and the Lewishon narrative (1990s - today).

The official narrative was pushed mostly through the publication of Hunter Davies Official Beatles Biography.   It painted the Beatles as four best friends that all got along.   Lennon and McCartney were the power writing music team and they were all one big happy group.   

The Lennon Remembers narrative ruined that image of the Beatles after his infamous 1970 interview for Rolling Stone.  Of course, the Lennon Remembers interview is not a really valid historical document.   John was very angry and was using drugs at the time of that interview.  John himself recounted much of that interview and he is known to not be a very good source for reliable history of The Beatles --- he mixes things up in all sorts of interviews.   John just didn't have that great of a memory.  Nonetheless, the Lennon Remembers quotes appeared in books in the 1970s and beyond. 

Next comes the Shout narrative, which is what I always called the "St. John" period.   This perspective is that John Lennon did nothing wrong.   He was this peaceful guy all the time.  Paul McCartney was painted as the mean guy -- the one that broke up the band.   John was the talented with the clever lyrics and Paul's writing was "basic."    This era also basically ignored George and Ringo in books.   

That leads us up to the Lewisohn narrative.   Starting with his Beatles Recording Sessions book, Mark Lewishon started to dig deep into the Beatles' history and setting the records straight with The Beatles' history.   

That is just a short overview of the four parts of this book.   Having been a fan since the late 1980s, I remember many of the narratives and books that she discussed.   The progression of the history is really interesting and how things have grown to today is just amazing.   One thing that I found especially interesting is how she stated many Beatles books are written with a positive light on one Beatle over another in accordance to that author's favorite Beatle.   The author found this to be true with not just memoirs of those who knew the Beatles personally but also with others who did not know the four of them.   When I think about this -- it is really true.  Most books either lean heavily on Lennon or heavy McCartney.   

The only part that I didn't like was how the author kept comparing the Beatles' history with the history of World War I.   I just wasn't following that comparison.    I also wished that she had mentioned that listening to the tapes of the interviews (such as Lennon Remembers) is very different than reading it.  Hearing the tones of John's voice and the way he says the words makes for a vastly different narrative. 

I really enjoyed this book.  It was a heavy read.   It isn't one of those light Beatle books that I read quickly and just enjoy.  This one took me several weeks to read because it gave me so much to think about.   Check it out!

The link below is the affiliate link to Amazon where you can purchase this book.   I get a small percentage of anything purchased through this link.  Money made from the Amazon Afflication is used to pay the annual fee to keep this site online.  Thank you for your support.  Sara 

https://amzn.to/49TgLUT

It's All Too Much -- A Book Review

 

Do you know those people who happen to always be at the right place at the right time?   Those people that get away with doing things that most people get in trouble for?   Put David Stark on that list of people because after reading his book It's All Too Much, I just had to think, "Wow!  He just had all the luck!"

The amazing thing about David is that he is able to "show the receipts" through photographs that show him in the background of the places that go along with his stories (see photos above) and autographs he obtained from The Beatles over the years.  

Part of David's luck had to do with the fact that he was a teenage Beatles fan who lived in London in the 1960s.   He had easier access to the Beatles than most other fans in the world.  He also had a lot of guts and wasn't afraid to walk through a door that was open a crack to down an unknown hall.   

This great mix of luck and guts allowed David to do amazing things, such as sitting behind The Beatles at the premiere of the Yellow Submarine movie, John and Yoko's court appearance, The James Paul McCartney Wings concert, and several more adventures. 

He also met The Beatles the same way many others did -- such as waiting to see John at the first Grapefruit book signing, at LIPA, waiting to see George outside of a radio station, and at Ringo's press conference.    

David also tells how he got a job in the music business and how that job allowed him to start up his own magazine and how that opened up great opportunities to meet Paul McCartney on several occasions and George Martin and many, many other people that are important in The Beatles story. 

At times it feels like this book is just a bunch of name-dropping, but then I start to realize that this actually is this guy's life.   If I met all those famous people -- I would want to tell people too.   

I enjoyed reading It's All Too Much, and I am still amazed at how David Stark was able to meet the members of the Beatles so often.   

The link below is the affiliate link to Amazon where you can purchase this book.   I get a small percentage of anything purchased through this link.  Money made from the Amazon Afflication is used to pay the annual fee to keep this site online.  Thank you for your support.  Sara 

https://amzn.to/3TjEiZy