Paul McCartney Archives - The Beatles Bookstore

Posted on 16/10/202416/10/2024 by Buzz — 1 Comment

Paul McCartney – Yesterday and Today

A superb French language book about Paul McCartney – Yesterday and Today

My Beatles-related book collection consists primarily of English language titles, primarily because that is my native language, so the convenience of being able to understand the text is the primary motivator as well as the quality of the respective book. Occasionally, I run across a book in a language other than English that impresses me so much that I feel compelled to purchase it.

In 2019 I came across this title in the French language that was recommended to me by a fellow Beatles collector friend in Belgium named Philippe Colinge. The book: “Paul McCartney Yesterday and Today” was written by Francois Plassat who did the artwork and the text for the title which was primarily available in France and Canada. The edition I purchased was around 35 Euros plus postage back in 2019. Canada had the book listed for around $50 Canadian. The copyright in the book is attributed to Hugo Image Publishing of Paris, France.

The images in this book by Mr. Plassat are superb and trace Paul’s recorded musical legacy from My Bonnie with the Beatles up until the Egypt Station LP. The illustrations by Mr. Plassat are superb and made me very happy to have purchased this wonderful hardcover 200+ page book that comes in a slipcase. For those that may be interested in finding a copy of this title for their collections, try Amazon France, Amazon Canada, or the publisher in France, Hugo Publishing. You can also try book search services like Abe Books. Happy hunting for this wonderful title. Providing a few sample pages of the slipcase front and back covers, the front and back covers of the actual book and a few index pages for your perusal.

Front page of the slipcase container for the hardcover book:

Back cover of the slipcase for the hardcover book:

The front cover of the hardcover book:

The back cover of the hardcover book:

An index of the contents of this wonderful book:

The years covered in the title of McCartney’s great musical legacy up until 2019…

And the engine keeps on running…

A fascinating book by a good writer with excellent illustrations too.

John “Buzz” Bezzini

To find out more about Paul McCartney, check these out:

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Posted on 06/09/202406/09/2024 by Buzz — 1 Comment

JIMMY MCCULLOCH – THE LITTLE WING WITH THE BIG AXE!!!

Recently purchased this cover story of the late former Wings guitarist Jimmy McCulloch on Ebay! I love finding cover stories of some of the stellar musicians who played with the solo Beatles over the years. Certainly Jimmy McCulloch was one of the best of those musicians!

Jimmy played guitar on this classic recording of Thunderclap Newman as a very young man. Pete Townsend of the Who was heavily involved in the production of this great song!

Something In The Air – YouTube

That is certainly not the main part of this story…

Jimmy McCulloch Biography

I remember when the author of this wonderful book, Paul Salley, contacted me on my former Facebook page to tell me of the forthcoming publication of his Jimmy McCulloch biography. Jimmy was a very talented man who died much too young. For those who are interested in a copy of this book which also deals significantly with Jimmy’s involvement with being a prominent member of Paul McCartney’s Wings, the title is available on the Amazon link provided below.

I was fortunate that Paul informed me that he knew I liked to purchase limited and signed editions of these type of books. He created a special signed book-plate edition of the book consisting of 100 copies. He was very kind to me to allow me to purchase the last numbered copy of the signed edition. His hard work and dedication was well worth the time needed to create this wonderful book.

The book is loaded with previously unknown information and detail about a guitarist whose name can be safely coupled with the word “prodigy.”

I enjoyed this book very much and I am confident that you will as well!

Look at some of the praise offered about Jimmy on the back cover of Paul’s book. (shown below)

The book was edited by Wings fan Mark Cunningham and here is the cover:

The Amazon link to Paul Salley’s book:

Little Wing: The Jimmy McCulloch Story: Salley, Paul, Cunningham, Mark: 9780578916491: Amazon.com: Books

The back cover of the book:

How much did you know about Jimmy McCulloch? How do you rate him?

Buzz

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Posted on 27/11/202328/06/2024 by liddypool — 4 Comments

Angie McCartney – There Are Faces I Remember

There Are Faces I Remember… Some Have Gone and Some Remain

Angie McCartney’s description of the book which also features a beautiful cover image by Shannon MacDonald:

It is my pleasure to introduce you to my latest book. This is a personal look at some of the Fabs, their friends and family members who have crossed my path in the last six decades. All 168 of them. 114 you’ll find in the printed version and you’ll get an e-book passcode to access the other 54 folks who are an important, late-breaking part of the news!

The book website for further inquiries:

About the Book – There Are Faces I Remember

Posted on 13/10/202313/10/2023 by liddypool — 1 Comment

The Paul Is Dead Story – Examining The Evidence

An absorbing look at one of the wildest rumors to ever come out of the entertainment world- the “Paul is Dead” legend. The authors detail the history behind the rumor, and numerous figures from show business, as well as Beatles experts, share their own thoughts on the subject, as well as how the Beatles impacted their lives.

From Strawberry Fields to Abbey Road: A Billy Shears Story features contributions from many celebrities and music industry insiders.

Included are: Fred LaBour (generally credited with creating the “Paul is Dead” legend), Laurence Juber (member of the band Wings), Steve Boone (member of the band The Lovin’ Spoonful), Bruce Spizer (author of many books on the Beatles, considered the expert on Beatlemania), Susan Olsen (Cindy on The Brady Bunch), actor/comedian Richard Belzer, Ivor Davis (British journalist who covered the Beatles 1964 American tour), Oscar-nominated actress Sally Kirkland, Vera Ramone King (wife of Dee Dee Ramone), Leslie Cavendish (the Beatles’ personal barber), Tony Peck (actor/screenwriter son of Gregory Peck), John Barbour (creator and co-host of the TV show Real People), Diane Renay (recording artist best known for the 1963 hit single Navy Blue, was the Beatles first choice to be their opening act), Richie Furay (Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member, co-founded Buffalo Springfield with Stephen Stills and Neil Young), Victoria Jackson (actress best known as a regular cast member on Saturday Night Live), Mickey Leigh (musician, brother of Joey Ramone), Bob Cowsill (of the band The Cowsills), veteran actor Nick Mancuso (best known for starring in the TV Series Stingray), and Jon Provost (Timmy on the Lassie TV series), among many others.

“I was as fascinated as the rest of the world with the ‘Paul is Dead’ rumors. I think he’s still alive, but this is a book that’s long overdue!”
– Kathy Garver, star of the TV series Family Affair.

“The Beatles changed the way we listen to music. Like Elvis, they were revolutionary. At first playful, they metamorphosed into writing thought-provoking, dynamic music which shall be listened to, and appreciated, by all generations. My favorite is ‘Eleanor Rigby.’ Haunting. A whole play and life story in one song. Coming from Norway, ‘Norwegian Wood’ ranks second on my list. Lyrical and romantic. And, of course, ‘Let it Be,’ which should be our universal anthem. To me, the Beatles’ legacy is the universally heartfelt communality of the storytelling they gifted us. With their music ringing in my ears, I will never be ‘Lost in Space!'”
– Marta Kristen, star of the TV series Lost in Space.

“We really enjoyed the multi-faceted approaches of this book and it was a pleasure to contribute our input to it. It’s a joy-packed voyage back to a magical era that will probably never happen again in human history. Nowadays, things are very splintered into thousands of different, separate little niches. Everything is diverse- basically all over the place. The unique element about the whole Beatles phenomenon is that it was just so incredibly focused. The whole country knew that The Beatles were going to appear live on television Sunday night. Everybody knew it. Everybody watched it. Everybody talked about it the next day. Everybody was on the same page. It was just so unique. The book is unique also because it captures many of the wonders associated with that phenomenon and does so in ways that haven’t been done before. “
– Richard Belzer & David Wayne, best-selling authors.

Get Your Copy Here Via Amazon

Posted on 08/06/202327/05/2024 by liddypool — Leave a comment

Paul is Dead?

THE CONCEPTS OF SELECTIVE PERCEPTION, ATTENTION AND RECALL AND HOW THAT RELATES TO CONSPIRACY THEORIES LIKE THE INFAMOUS PAUL McCARTNEY DEATH RUMOR FROM 1969

Have you ever wondered how rumors get started and are perpetuated?

Well, picture how political differences are portrayed by different media outlets. The same event that you may be watching (a political speech for example) can be interpreted in vastly different ways depending on if the media outlet has a conservative or liberal leaning.

Paul Is Dead?

Well, the same type of psychology can be applied to the study of rumor and how those rumors are spread and perpetuated. The Beatles in 1969 became the subject of one of those rumors when a college student claimed that both album visual clues and audio song clues pointed to Paul McCartney passing away in a 1966 car crash.

I can remember vividly in late ’69, being a young teenager and participating in the hunt for so-called clues that would verify this bizarre theory.

Keep in mind that much of this speculation is tied to the concepts of selective perception, attention, and recall. You have a theory or belief that you hold in your mind and then you selectively pay attention to information that backs up or supports your belief. Conversely, you ignore anything that would disprove or discredit the belief you hold. These concepts help to understand why conspiracy theories have become so prevalent in our society as more people decide to pick and choose the information available that supports their preconceived notions and beliefs and they choose to ignore the information that discredits their beliefs.

The Paul Is Dead Rumor

I will use this opportunity with the Paul is dead rumor to hopefully demonstrate how selective perception operates in the finding of so-called clues.

Someone came up with the idea of holding a strait-edged mirror to the Sgt Pepper drum on the cover of the album (see photo above). By doing so they were able to look in the mirror and see the message I ONE I X HE DIE with an arrow pointing up to the blue-clad, Paul. The I ONE I was said to represent the total of the other three Beatles-3. and the X was said to represent X-ing the 4th individual out of the picture. You can see how many see this as being outlandish and far-fetched.

However, if you have your mind set on believing the theory, you seek out things such as this to support the theory and you ignore things that may dispute the theory. People that supported this rumor would seek out photos of Paul where he did not conform in some way with the other Beatles like the out-of-step Paul on the Abbey Road cover photo.

However, photos of the other three Beatles non-conforming would be ignored or not addressed as they would not be applicable to the rumor in question.

Here is another photo used by the Paul is Dead theorists (above). The picture on the left is a banquet scene from the Magical Mystery Tour booklet. This scene supposedly does not appear in the movie. The theorists in their typical bizarre antics, turned the photo to the side and were able to see a skull giving support to the Beatles providing death imagery in their albums.

These images represent only a few of the many so-called clues discovered to prove the rumor!

Truth?

I do not believe in this rumor but I have to admit it was somewhat eerie to spend time with friends to see if we could find another clue to support the rumor back in 1969, as young kids. Hopefully, when you now see a conspiracy theory proposed, that you take a look at the full picture and examine the total amount of information being provided and what is being disclosed, and what is not. That can help us get a far more accurate picture of what constitutes the TRUTH!!!

The Last Laugh?

To bring a smile to your face after this discussion, the end result of this rumor was that record sales for the Abbey Road LP and all of the post-66 Beatles albums soared, as people fall prey to the notion of discovering another hidden Beatles message. The laugh turned out to be on all of us either directly or indirectly! I am sure John Paul, George, and Ringo all enjoyed their trips to the bank that summer!!!

What was your favorite “Paul Is Dead” clue? Let me know in the comments below.

Buzz

Posted on 30/07/202230/07/2022 by liddypool — Leave a comment

The First Colour Photo of John Paul and George, but When?

George Harrison, John Lennon Paul McCartney

John Paul and George, and Who?

This was the very first colour photo published of John Lennon, Paul McCartney and George Harrison, taken in those early days, but when was it taken?

When working on my book, “The Fab One Hundred and four: The Evolution of The Beatles” way back in 2011, there was no date to be found. Memories were hazy and all we knew was that it was taken at Paul McCartney’s cousin Ian Harris’ wedding reception, most probably during 1958.

John, Paul, George and Denis

I managed to track down the guy on the right of the photo having a drink, Denis Littler, who was one of Ian Harris’s best friends, remembered the day, jamming with John, Paul and George, but not the date of the wedding.

Find out how I dated the photo in this video: