Product Description

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #61668 in Books
• Published on: 2006-04-04
• Released on: 2006-04-04
• Format: Bargain Price
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 448 pages

From Publishers Weekly
Bramwell, a longtime Beatles business associate and childhood friend, offers a fond, intimate portrait of the Fab Four. His often gossipy recollections illuminate the players from their days as young "scousers" in working-class Liverpool to their formation as a group, and from their exhausting early stints in Hamburg to their astonishing stardom. Readers will be surprised to learn how much money the Beatles left on the table owing to the bad deals that Brian Epstein, the Beatles' respected but conflicted manager, made. Still, the group remained fiercely loyal to Epstein, who made them—and many others—rich beyond their dreams, cutting deals in what was then uncharted business territory. Throughout, Paul comes off as down to earth, Ringo as sophisticated and "Hollywood," and George, charming and gentle, if a bit unusual. Not surprisingly, it is John who piques the most interest. Bramwell blisters Yoko Ono, "the Princess of Darkness," and suggests that either she brainwashed John or that he was suffering from mental illness. Although music historians and Beatles collectors may feel they know the story, Bramwell's memoir is much more than Beatles history. Energetically written, this is a vivid and intensely personal look at not only the Beatles but at a storybook trip from the docks of Liverpool to swinging London and the very epicenter of the British invasion. Photos not seen by PW.
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About the Author

Customer Reviews

A Sparkling Emerald of a Book
I love this book. I stopped reading Beatles books after the Goldman Lennon biography, partly out of disgust, but this one is a great one to come back to. It's a bittersweet joy. Bramwell, who basically knew all the Beatles since they were pretty-much kids is full of great stories I've never read anywhere else (or forgotten), like how Stuart Sutcliff got the head injury that eventually killed him or what Paul did the night he joined the Beatles. On several pages you get a marvelous feel for exactly what it was like to be sitting with John or Paul, rubbing elbows, talking, in a pub, or at Mick and Keith's house. Bramwell's take on Yoko and Lennon's initial negative reaction to her is fascinating--as are his tales about Brian. Some of the dollar/pound figures he tosses about, estimating how much the Beatles lost to bad deals, will leave you slack jawed. Thanks for this fantastic book Tony! It's got a lion's heart. Both the beginning and ending of this book left me sighing, sadly, gladly...

Magical!
I bought this book because, while not a hardcore Beatles fan, I lived through that magical era when I and my friends were young and anything was possible. It's an evocative gem, a little chunk of history, one that brilliantly paints the fun, the music, the madness. Tony Bramwell tells his story in an intimate way, as if you're his best mate, drinking a pint of beer down at the local. You can imagine yourself sitting there half the night, talking, discussing, having a laugh, remembering.

There are moments of irony, witty stories, sad stories. There are many wonderful pages when whole scenes come vividly to life, such as the opening scene, riding through snowy Liverpool Streets one Christmas with a young George, when the world lay before them and the future seemed bright and shining with promise; or later, riding on a midnight train with a jaded John, who was totally off his rocker. We read of Paul in sunny, languid Hotel California, and then move with him to a rainy day in London Town when he discusses his hero, Buddy Holly. The Stones talk of music; Ringo shaves his head in Paris and wonders how he looks ("Bald" Bramwell tells him.) I'll never forget reading of the summer's day when Paul escapes the pressures of fame, to walk along a meandering stream in the country with his dog, Martha. The day ends with Paul playing the piano in a traditional country pub while the locals sing along. Bramwell was there; but even though people like me weren't, every word paints a picture and you can imagine that you were.

Much is made of Brian Epstein, full of angst and torment. His kindness, genius and neuroses are portrayed vividly. His bizarre sex life and manic use of drugs, when everyone thought he was goody two shoes, is discussed. Bramwell runs a theatre for him and some moments leap off the page: such as James Baldwin - fresh from his exile in France - telling Brian to admit that he's a queer; Jimmy Hendrix dazzling London; an unknown Yoko Ono running across stage like a spider, then sitting stoically while the audience cuts off her clothes. When Brian sees her, starkers and illegal, he almost swoons in dismay. Bramwell goes on to describe how Yoko initially stalked John before capturing him. He describes rave-ups in erotically charged mews flats all over town; dinners with Joan Crawford, millionaire Getty and the louche Chelsea set; the hilarious punch-up in Cannes with Sharon Osbourne; the night Bruce Springsteen ran away from his big come back concert and ended up watching films in Bramwell's home... the stories just keep on coming. You feel you were actually there, caught up in the frenzy and the fun. And yet -- don't get it wrong -- this isn't a drug or sex-driven book, or even a tell-all. It's charming and kindly told. And, although you would need to go to the index to appreciate the full extent of all the famous and great names mentioned, the Beatles are its core and its strength.

I wish more books had the narrative story-telling voice of Dickens, or R.L. Stevenson, as this biography does. Bramwell actually lived through those vanished years and lived to tell the tale. This book is as enjoyable and as deeply satisfying as a pint of good nutty ale. Cheers!

an excellent read
This has been some year with some excellent Beatle books being published. This year three books on the Beatles have been published that are, to some extent, companions of each other. Tony Bramwell's book, Tony Barrow's Book and Geoffrey Ellis' book. Each of the authors were part of the second or third ring (Mal Evans and Neil Aspinal being part of the "first ring") of Beatle intimates who were part of "the back room boys" helping the Beatles in their business and other endeavours. Of the three, Tony Bramwell comes over as the more jovial character who enjoyed himself and had fun during the swinging sixties, dating many girls and so on. Of all the books I have read about the Beatles (50 plus), I think only Tony Bramwell, Richard Dilillo and Derek Taylor come out enjoying themselves and having little, if any, resentment.
Tony Bramwell was originally a friend of George Harrison's and graduated to working with Brian Epstein at NEMS and then became a Record Promoter at Apple. It is very hard to argue against his impressions - because that it was what they are - his impressions of what happened and what life was like during his tenure at NEMS and Apple - it is not a history book. There are criticisms of certain factual errors in the book, and I do not think that is so important - what is invaluable and what makes it an absolute must for all Beatle fans is his description of the behavior of the Beatles and their times during the 60's.
There are criticisms posted here that Tony is too "pro Paul". I think such criticisms are unwarranted and imply that the author has a grudge against John. Simply put, John was no saint - and it's the human, eclectic and contradictory qualities in John which, today, so many of his fans, including me, find interesting (in fact far more interesting than certain other members of the fab four). If John gets a "bad press" from this book, then please also read the other books, referred to above - the recollections of Geoff Ellis and Tony Barrow are not too different (and even Derek Taylor, in his wonderful, but out of print book, "As Time Goes By", alludes to the difficulty in handling John when Yoko comes on the scene). I would also add, for those who criticize this book as being "anti John" that they should also read the John Lennon Rolling Stone interview (published as a book under the title "Lennon Remembers") where the great man himself admitted he (as well as the other Beatles) were complete b******* to their entourage (especially Neil and Mal). For those who think the book is "too pro Paul", I would suggest reading Alistair Taylor's book who balances matters by revealing the lack of any support Paul gave him when Klein dumped him (or alternatively read Peter Brown's book).
All in all Tony Bramwell's book is very good, well written and well worth reading. BTW, for those advanced Beatlemanicas out there it is interesting to compare Tony Bramwell's description of his visit, with Paul and Derek Taylor, to a pub, one summers day in 1968, to the village of Harold with Derek Taylor's description of the same event in his book "As time goes by".
Lastly, for those who are interested in the life of Brian Epstein, this book gives an excellent description and wonderful recollections of the man, which, combined with the recollections of Tony Barrow and Geoffrey Ellis in their respective books, probably gives the best rounded picture of the man (indeed, I think you'll learn more about Brian Epstein than you will about the Beatles from those three books).