Fab new book: NEMS and the Business of Selling Beatles Merchandise in the U.S. 1964-1966

This book by one of our BBFC members, Terry Crain.  You've seen bits from the book in recent issues of the club magazine.  Now the full book is available for presale.

Click here to find out more, see the wonderful reviewer comments, and place your pre-order

Pre:Fab! Before the Beatles by Colin Hanton with Colin Hall

George Martin Bio Part 2 - Coming Soon!

The BBFC have been notified that the second volume of George Martin's biography will be available soon.  We will review it as soon as our review copy arrives, but here are the details. We are also working to try to arrange an interview with the author.  Watch for details.

Maximum Volume (George Martin Biography) On Sale now

Just in time for Christmas this excellent book (reviewed in our December Magazine next month) is now out and available for purchase.  It is a must read for Beatles fans who are looking for something new.

Buy Here

Finding the Fourth Beatle by Dave Bedford - Get your copy!

We are excited to share this news of a new book out now by our "man in Liddypool", Dave Bedford.  If you have read his previous books, you will know why we are thrilled about this new release.

Read the press release by David himself which explains the book and contains instructions on how to get a copy.  Happy reading.

BIGGEST BEATLES MYSTERY SOLVED

Since the summer of 1962, Beatles fans have debated the topic of why The Beatles sacked Pete Best, and replaced him with Ringo. Since I first started writing about The Beatles, initially for the London Beatles Fan Club, and became part of the new British Beatles Fan Club as “Our Man in Liddypool”, this topic has fascinated me. In both of my books, “Liddypool” and “The Fab one hundred and Four”, I have examined this from every angle I could.

Following on from looking at all of the musicians who contributed to the evolution of The Beatles, my latest book is “Finding the Fourth Beatle”, with my friend Garry Popper, looking at every drummer who played with the group, from The Quarrymen in 1956, right up until 1970, and I have found 18 drummers! 

But more than that, I have succeeded in my quest to find out what really happened in August 1962. The most important revelation is: Pete Best was not sacked/dismissed by Brian or The Beatles!

I know that sounds incredible, and goes against what he have always understood, but it is true, and can be supported by evidence from an eyewitness who was closely involved in the saga. The whole book is written in a new and exciting style, where we have tested eyewitnesses and every account, with each claim supported by evidence. It will rewrite Beatles history as we know it on several topics.

Finding The Fourth Beatle - Book/ Album

The is the story of The Beatles from 1956-1970 told through the 18 drummers, including Colin Hanton, Pete Best and Jimmie Nicol, and some you will not have heard of before: The Beatles’ crises; changes of musical direction, getting a record deal, and finding the drummer who would put the beat into The Beatles: Ringo Starr, the Fourth Beatle. It is:

• The story of all the 18 drummers

• Those who could have joined The Beatles, but didn’t

• Expert analysis of the Beatles drummers by drummers

• Why Brian Epstein didn't sign the Beatles first contract

• Why The Beatles failed the Decca audition

• Proof of whether The Beatles were under contract or not at Parlophone in June 62?

• Who was asked to replace Pete Best before Ringo, and how and when Ringo was asked

• Why Ringo became the Fourth Beatle and inspired a generation of drummers

• Double CD of over 40 tracks by the drummers, plus the Decca audition, Parlophone audition and much more

The book is being issued as a limited, numbered and signed edition of only 1000 and are already going fast, even before we launched the pledgefund site! See the latest issue of the BBFC mag for more info on the story. 

To pre-order your copy, go to: https://www.pledgemusic.com/projects/finding-the-fourth-beatle

Dave Bedford

“Our Man in Liddypool”

Were You a Screaming Girl at a 60’s Beatles Concert?

Were you one of the many screaming girls at a Beatles concert?

Well author and journalist Eddi Fiegel wants to hear from you for a new book called She Loves You - The Girls Who Screamed For The Beatles.

If you were a teenage girl in the 60s, waiting at airports, railway stations and concert halls and Eddi plans to tell your individual stories.

Contact Eddi here: shelovesyoubook@gmail.com

If you just want to help get the book published
The book is being written for the award-winning British publisher Unbound who are a crowdfunding publisher so this means they are also looking for anyone who would like their name printed in the back of the book in exchange for a small pledge (from £10).

The details are all here:
https://unbound.com/books/she-loves-you

Beatles' Hairdresser pens new book - signed copies and discounts coming

Newsflash! Leslie Cavendish, the Beatles' Hairdresser, will be signing advance copies of his new book at the Liverpool convention day during Beatleweek in August at the BBFC stall where he is giving his talk.

And after publication,  BBFC members will be able to buy the book at a special discount price. Stay tuned for details. 

Until then, read below to find out all about this new book and visit Leslie's website.

Special Offer just for our members!

Recently we reviewed a fab new book called "Visualising The Beatles" and now the publisher has partnered with us to offer our members something special.

Click here to find out how you can get a copy of the book signed by the authors with a personal message written by them. have the personal message addressed to yourself or someone else if you are buying it as a gift.  You will also receive as a free gift a full set of set of VISUALISING THE BEATLES bookmarks: Paul, John, Ringo and George.

We think this book is outstanding and we hope our members can use this opportunity to get a signed copy.

Review: Visualising the Beatles - It's a winner!

VISUALISING THE BEATLES.

By John Pring & Rob Thomas

Orphans Publishing; ISBN 9 781903 360163

With every new Beatles book these days, my first thought is always - is there anything new or different about this one?

Well here we have a new book, bringing The Beatles into the 21^st century with a book that tells their story via the 14 studio albums from “Please Please Me” to “Let it Be”.

The book is filled with wonderful infographics and gives key information about each album such as who wrote which song, the chart positions of the album in various countries across the world, how many lead vocals each Beatle had, and which key each song is played in to name but a few.

Once you work out how the book works, it becomes an easy reference book for any Beatles fan.

Combined with a timeline of what was happening in the world when each album was released, this makes for an interesting read.

The book includes a small piece of the Greek islands The Beatles were planning to buy in 1967 as well as a list of albums made by each solo Beatle and a list (in very small print as there are so many) of stars who have covered Beatles songs, which is probably already out of date as I write this as someone somewhere is probably recording one right now!

For those Beatle fans who know the story inside out, there is still something to learn from the book.

However, I feel this book will have great appeal to any new generation Beatle fan as it tells their story simply and includes these wonderful infographics and data which would appeal to certainly the younger generation of today, and even some of us oldies.

At 250 pages this is well written and researched and I’m sure will be a smash hit with Beatle fans both young and old.

~ Ernie Sutton