Bloomin' Books!

The Beatles Recording Sessions (Mark Lewinsohn) This is my favorite Beatles book of all time. It gives a day-by-day account of each recording session the Beatles did from their very first in 1962 all the way up to the last one in 1970. You find out which songs were worked on each day, how many takes, which take was used on the album, who did the engineering...even interesting, witty goings on that were caught on tape in the studio. Lewinsohn actually got to go to Abbey Road and listen to tape after tape of these sessions. Man, where can I get a job like that?

The Beatles Forever (Nicholas Schaffner) This was the first Beatles book I ever read and it is still among my favorites. Schaffner writes this biography from the perspective of someone who was a teenager in America in 1964, caught up in raging Beatlemania, and who grew up along with the Beatles. He also offers a pretty even-handed (though not always flattering) report on the solo careers of the ex-Beatles up to around 1978, when the book was published. Included is a very comprehensive (for it's time) discography, suggested readings, pictures of Beatles collectibles, Beatles poll results, and play lists from various Beatles and solo concerts.

The Beatles (Hunter Davies) This was the first authorized biography of the Beatles and is still seen by some as THE definitive source of information on the Beatles as a group. First published in 1968, it speaks of the Beatles in the present tense and gives the reader a perspective of the Beatles not filtered through history. It can, and does, goes much further in depth into the Beatles story from beginning to 1968 than any comprehensive Beatle bio written later could. A post-script was added in 1985 to update the story a bit. The book is in its fourth edition now (reprinted in 1996).

Beatlesongs (William Dowldling) Every song from officially released pre-Anthology Beatles albums is listed alphabetically with quotes, details, and little known facts about the writing, recording, instrumentation, production, and live performance of each. Individually, the Beatles have commented on who wrote what, what inspired the writing, what they thought of each song etc. The quotes often contradict each other, and therefore, none could be considered the absolute truth. But it still makes for fascinating reading. A must for Beatles trivia buffs.

How They Became the Beatles (Gareth Pawlowski) You won't find more in-depth coverage of the early Beatles days than in this book. It covers the time from the earliest days of the Quarrymen, through the Hamburg years, right up to 1964 just before the Beatles left for America for the first time. Tons of wonderful pictures of the boys, their friends, and collectibles.

Here's another must-have if you're a Beatles-collector, or even if you just wanted to know what those old albums are worth these days. This covers all legal pressings of American records, so all your imports and bootlegs won't be covered here. But all the rest is: albums, EP's, singles, 12-inch singles, sleeves, CD's, eight-tracks, and more, complete with prices, adjusted for different conditions of the merchandise, a guide to judging the conditions of your stuff, how to tell if your stuff is authentic...even the ins and outs of telling if you've got a real Butcher Cover! This is edition was published in 1995 so keep a look-out for the updated version too.

The Beatles Illustrated Lyrics (edited by Alan Aldridge) This is one of the most creative books I've ever seen about the Beatles. While providing the lyrics to most of the Beatles songs, it gives you beautiful (and often bizarre) illustrations of each song done by many talented artists (including Aldridge himself). There is a definite bias here toward Lennon-McCartney compositions: Obscure early songs like Hello Little Girl are represented while Harrison and Starkey songs are almost completely nonexistent. Still, this book is well worth checking out.

The Beatles: A Diary (Barry Miles) There are tons of gorgeous pictures in here...some that you've never seen before (most are in black and white with a nice full-color spread in the middle). And here's the kicker...This is a day by day account of every little thing (pardon the pun) that happened to the Beatles from the very beginning up to 1970...written by a noted Beatles biographer and friend. Be sure and check it out!

In His Own Write / A Spaniard In the Works (John Lennon) This is a must-read for any fan. These are John's two most famous non-musical writings, brought together in one volume. A collection of daft poems, short-stories, and drawings, written as only John could. It's hilarious! (But easily offended readers, beware!)

Lennon: The Definitive Biography (Ray Coleman) This is the best, most comprehensive Lennon biography I've ever seen.. It covers every major event (and plenty of the minor ones) of his life in detail and really gives you insight into the mind of this most fascinating of human beings. It will take you a long time to read, but read it anyway!

John Lennon: His Life and Legend (Richard Buskin)

Another coffee-table size book, this is a beautifully written biography (obviously written by a BIG FAN) with some of the most beautiful pictures of the Beatles, and John especially, that you'll ever find.

Ringo Starr: Straight Man or Joker (Alan Clayson) The only biography that I know of devoted to Ringo. The author’s writing style is very hard to follow and a great deal of the book goes into mind-numbing detail of the early Liverpool scene and it’s cast of characters. Still, the book is worth it for the fact that nowhere else will you find such in-depth information about Ringo.

Linda McCartney: A Portrait (Danny Fields) This is a thoughtful, warmly-written biography of Linda written after her death by a close friend who is therefore, kind to her, yet fair. It provides interesting insights into the McCartney’s marriage, parenthood, musical partnership, and public-relations machine, in addition to the story of Linda’s life outside of Paul’s shadow

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