The website for the book Still the Greatest: The Essential Songs of the Beatles' Solo Careers
Host Happy Nat and I will play and discuss the Solo Beatles’ Best Songs of the ’70s. (Video playlist here.)
Fab Four Radio continuously streams Beatles and Solo Beatles songs and you can find them at http://fab4radio.blogspot.com/
Check out Happy Nat’s website The Beatles Rarity at http://www.thebeatlesrarity.com/
(For the playlist below, press the fast forward arrow on the lower left to skip to the next song.)
Recently I spoke with Beatles expert Steve Marinucci about pivotal moments in the Fab Four’s saga after the break up. Here’s the link to the article …
Writer David Jenison interviewed me for this month’s CULTURE MAGAZINE in honor of the 50th anniversary of the release of the Beatles’ first single “Love Me Do” on October 5, 1962.
http://ireadculture.com/2012/10/news/buzz/all-you-need-is-bud/
Go sing with the crowd at Strawberry Fields. I don’t live in New York but I happened to be there back in 2003. I had forgotten it was his birthday and was just wandering around the city as a tourist, heading toward the Dakota to check it out. Walking through Central Park, looking at the skyscrapers poking over the trees under the gray sky, I heard the echo of a crowd singing “Please Please Me.” It made me think of how exciting it must have felt back in February ’64 when then Liverpudlians first arrived in New York.
Dozens of fans were circled around the Strawberry Fields mosaic, along with guitarists, keyboardists, a drummer, and sax player. For hours people sang early, mid, and late Beatles from hits to the obscure and solo Lennon tunes. When it came to songs like “Help!” and “You’re Gonna Lose That Girl” half the people took the lead vocals, half the backing. For some reason the moments that stand out the most are everyone singing the wordless “Flying” (of all songs), and the haunting “oooh” coda of “It’s Only Love.”
I was back in the Big Apple in 2007 and the crowd was even larger, with a lot of kids having been turned on to the Beatles by that year’s “Across the Universe.” So if you make it there this year, sing “I Feel Fine” and “Don’t Let Me Down” for me.
“Love Me Do” was released on October 5, 1962, so in honor of the Fabs’ Golden Anniversary, here’s a couple of stories on the song and its reverberations, along with one of the group’s best (unreleased) rockers from the period, “Some Other Guy.”
This is a new piece by Philip Norman, author of one of the best Beatles books, SHOUT!
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/oct/04/beatles-love-me-do-fifty-years?fb=optOut
Saw this story on the great Facebook page FAB FOUR FAQ 2.0 … The Beatles’ manager ran a big record store so he bought 10,000 copies of their first single “Love Me Do” to make sure they got in the Top 20. No doubt the best investment he ever made … Supposedly back in the ’40s they got Sinatra-mania started by paying some bobbysoxers to scream, so I guess you gotta spend a little cash to get the ball rolling …
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-19714392
For some reason the Beatles never issued their cover of “Some Other Guy” on an album, though a live version was included on their 1994 compilation LIVE AT THE BBC. That version is matched here with footage of them performing in the Cavern Club on August 22, 1962, a week after Ringo joined, and two weeks before they recorded “Love Me Do” at EMI Studios on September 4.
The song was written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller (“Hound Dog,” “Jail House Rock,” “Stand By Me,” “On Broadway”) along with the original artist Richie Barrett, heavily influenced by Ray Charles’ “What’d I Say.”
By Tom Frangione/ Beatlefan Magazine:
Ok, Ok…. let’s get the obvious out of the way right now …… No telling of the Apple Records story could be told, or could even begin to be told, without mentioning some of the greatest songs The Beatles ever recorded, such as “Hey Jude”, “Let It Be”, “Something”, or “The Long And Winding Road”, as well as their classic albums of the period such as The Beatles (a.k.a. “the white album”), Let It Be and Abbey Road. Further, the individual band members made some of their best records in the period following the break-up while the label was still initially in operation.
There is another part of the story, though, that history neglected for far too long. From 1968 to 1974, Apple’s roster of recording artists was a true melting pot of musical influences and cultures. There was the made-for-radio pop of Badfinger; the pioneering “singer-songwriter” James Taylor’s classic first album; the gospel-flavored recordings by Billy Preston and soul of Doris Troy; precursors to what we today call “world music” offerings from Ravi Shankar and the Radha Krsna Temple (go ahead and laugh – they put two songs into the UK top 30); and of course, the angelic voice of Mary Hopkin. The many and varied musical forms among the rest of the stable included jazz, folk, early punk, reggae, classical, Dixieland brass, Cajun, and straight out rock-and-roll.
Unfortunately, when the label shut down in the mid-seventies, these recordings went out of print and remained so up until 1991 when a CD reissue campaign was launched. In between, Apple alumni such as Preston, Taylor, and even The Hot Chocolate Band went on to score major pop successes. Taylor even re-recorded several of his Apple tracks for inclusion on his later albums to reintroduce these gems.
The reissue campaign ran until 1996, with almost the entire catalog of albums being released, many with bonus tracks including non-LP b-sides and even a few unreleased cuts. However, the campaign was abandoned, leaving a few albums and several singles still out-of-print. The liner notes to the CD of James Taylor’s superb album, which contained no bonus tracks, made reference to an Apple rarities project that would definitely be “worth the wait”. The wait continues, and in the meantime most of the CD’s have gone out-of-print. Still, “new” Apple compilations have been done for Badfinger, and other recordings have cropped up in off-the-beaten path form. Rykodisc even licensed John and Yoko’s three avant-garde albums, and put Yoko’s singles on as bonus tracks. Going further, the label issued Yoko’s entire back catalog and even a boxed set.
Still, the label’s aura, created in no small part due to its utopian intentions and unbridled cronyism, remains. The upshot of Apple’s artist-friendliness, a true sign of the times, was that its founders wrote, performed on, produced, and/or sang on many of their label mates’ records. In a sublime twist of fate, the inspiration was reversed, with George Harrison nicking the James Taylor title “Something In The Way She Moves” for use as the opening line of his most successful composition. Others outside the fold took note of the Apple talent pool as well. Harry Nilsson took Badfinger’s “Without You” to #1 status worldwide and Mariah Carey took the same song to the top three on the charts twenty-odd years later. Small wonder Paul McCartney, who’s written a ballad or two in his day, referred to “Without You” as “the killer song of all time” in a VH1 “Behind The Music” special about Apple’s second favorite sons.
Fast forward to 2010’s reissue campaign, in both CD and digital download form, of a solid chunk of the non-Beatles Apple catalog. In all, sixteen original album titles were released, remastered and with bonus content. As an added bonus, a newly compiled label overview Come and Get It: The Best of Apple Records simultaneously hit shelves. Still no word on that “rarities” set, but the compilation does veer a bit from a pure “hits” perspective to include some odd singles and b-sides, as well as tracks that initially saw very limited commercial release.
Examining the admittedly generous 21-title track list, I revisited a “do it yourself” project from years ago, which has provided many a good listening, a set I dubbed Those Were The Days. While I’ve amended some of the notes and source listings, the content is unchanged as an expanded alternate listening for those who love the Apple era.
While the contents are highly subjective (as opposed to having rigid criteria as applied on collections like The Beatles 1), presented here are all 23 charting singles, plus key album tracks (ok, and a few personal ‘guilty pleasures’) representing every artist but one (John Tavener) ever to have recorded for Apple. Not that I have an axe to grind with Sir John or anything, but his two albums contain just five orchestral compositions, the shortest of which, “Coplas”, runs nearly ten minutes. The others run as long as 23 minutes. You may know of Sir John from his composition “Alleluia”, which was broadcast worldwide as part of Princess Diana’s funeral procession, and is commemorated on the official BBC recording of this moment in history. A pretty high profile gig…another Apple alumnus made good.
And while it appears on the newly sanctioned Apple collection, you won’t find Brute Force’s “Fuh King” promo-only single on here either.
I’ve also chosen to exclude tracks that were merely licensed from other labels (hits such as “Love Is Blue”, “Games People Play” and “I Can Sing A Rainbow” which appeared on scattered Apple soundtrack albums) as well as anything from the classic Phil Spector Christmas album that Apple reissued.
The following suggested song selection includes the running times for each track. Similarly, if you want your compilation sequenced chronologically, knock yourself out, as the release dates for each track are included as well. Whichever route you choose, be sure to check the running times before doing any substitutions. In keeping with the fine “D.I.Y.” tradition, the discs have very little breathing room left over.
Except where noted, the best source for all tracks are the CD remasters, which came out in 2010. All chart data represents a single’s highest position reached on Billboard in the US, and Melody Maker in the UK.
DISC ONE (TOTAL RUNNING TIME = 78:42)
Those Were The Days – Mary Hopkin (released 8/68, running time 5:08): A #1 single in the UK and #2 in the US, this record introduced the Beatles’ new label to the world.
Something In The Way She Moves – James Taylor (12/68, 3:02): A standout album track. JT later rerecorded this track for his mid-70’s greatest hits collection on Warner Brothers.
No Matter What – Badfinger (10/70, 3:00): A perfectly crafted Mal Evans production, this was a top-10 hit on both sides of the Atlantic. Inconceivably not included on the forthcoming Apple retrospective.
Sour Milk Sea – Jackie Lomax (8/68, 3:53): Written by George Harrison during the white album period. While the single made it to #117 in the U.S., you can’t help but think the Fabs had higher aspirations for this native Liverpudlian. His lone Apple LP Is This What You Want boasts three Beatle-sidemen.
Sweet Music – Lon and Derrek Van Eaton (3/72, 3:44): This gorgeous song, produced by George Harrison, recalls his own “Isn’t It A Pity”. While this track can currently be found on the CD Give A Little Love, issued privately by the Boy Scouts Of America and is planned for the Apple compilation as well, the duo’s album Brother remains unreleased on CD and is criminally not part of the current reissue plan.
That’s The Way God Planned It – Billy Preston (7/69, 5:33): A good example of Preston’s gospel tinged records of the era, and a show-stopper at the Bangla Desh concert. Seemingly typical of the chart disparity of many Apple singles, this went into the UK top-10, but went only as far as #62 in America.
The Jasmin Tree – Modern Jazz Quartet (12/68, 5:12): This established and well renowned combo recorded two albums for Apple.
Baby Blue – Badfinger (3/72, 3:35): Produced by Todd Rundgren for the superb Straight Up album, this song went to #14 in America. As with “No Matter What”, a major omission from the forthcoming commercial “best of” collection.
The Ballad Of New York City – David Peel and the Lower East Side (4/72, 4:01): Part of John and Yoko’s entourage of neo-radical hippies of the era, the couple can be heard chatting at the start of this record. Tolerable enough to include here, it gets extra credit for the ‘lets go Mets’ chant during the fade out. Curiously, the album from which this hails, The Pope Smokes Dope, was issued on CD in Europe on Peel’s own Orange Records (Apples and Oranges, get it?), not to be confused with the bootleg label bearing the same name. However, it is not part of the current reissue program at press time.
Golden Slumbers / Carry that Weight – Trash (10/69, 4:13): Issued within a week of the Beatles own Abbey Road original, this is pretty much a straight forward copy job, right down to the string arrangement. Made it up to #112 in the US.
Que Sera Sera – Mary Hopkin (9/69, 3:06): This one DID crack the top 100, going up to #77 stateside. Curiously, this did not chart in the UK where her singles generally fared better than they did in the U.S.
Carolina In My Mind – James Taylor (12/68, 3:38): A #68 single in America, this was another one JT revisited for inclusion on his greatest hits album.
Thingumybob – Black Dyke Mills Brass Band (8/68, 1:55): Coupled with “Yellow Submarine”, this was the group’s only Apple single.
Jacob’s Ladder – Doris Troy (8/70, 3:02): One of the few artists signed to the label who had prior chart success, her single “Just One Look” made the top-10 in 1963.
Try Some Buy Some – Ronnie Spector (4/71, 4:19): Wife of producer extraordinaire and former Ronnette, her lone Apple single climbed to #77. Keeping it all in the family, George liked this one so much he used the same backing tracks and overdubbed his own vocal for later release.
Day After Day – Badfinger (11/71, 3:10): Another track from Straight Up, and a top-10 hit in both England and America, where it earned the group their lone gold record. Features George Harrison on slide guitar and Leon Russell on piano.
Without You – Badfinger (10/70, 4:43): Never a single, but featured on the group’s album No Dice. A worldwide hit for other artists as detailed earlier, this was a composite of two separate compositions by its co-authors, Pete Ham and Tommy Evans, in the best Lennon-McCartney tradition.
Govinda – Radha Krsna Temple (3/70, 4:43): One of two top-30 hits the chanting zealots scored in England.
Remember Love – Yoko Ono (7/69, 4:05): This gentle ballad, with only Lennon’s acoustic guitar accompaniment was the flip side to “Give Peace A Chance”. Available in pristine form as a bonus track on the Rykodisc CD reissue of the Two Virgins album.
Local Plastic Ono Band – Elephant’s Memory (9/72, 2:16): Keeping with the Lennon motif for a moment, this reggae tune contains lyrical references to the band’s label champions and producers, John & Yoko. The band recorded one self-titled album for Apple, which was not part of the 90’s reissue series on CD, and appears to be suffering a similar fate this time around as well, so you’ll have to use the original vinyl LP for this one.
Goodbye – Mary Hopkin (3/69, 2:24): A nifty little acoustic ballad composed by Paul circa the white album, this was a #2 single in the UK, and made it to #13 in America.
DISC TWO (TOTAL RUNNING TIME = 79:14)
Maybe Tomorrow – The Iveys (11/68, 2:52): Pre-Badfinger, before Joey Molland replaced Ron Griffiths. A moderate hit, going to #67 in the US.
Come And Get It – Badfinger (12/69, 2:22): The one that broke the band internationally, this song was commissioned for the film The Magic Christian. Penned by Paul McCartney, the band did a note-for-note performance of his self-produced demo. A top-10 hit in England and America.
Living Without Tomorrow – The Hot Chocolate Band (10/69, 2:28): Actually the b-side of their “Give Peace A Chance” single (which is slated for the forthcoming Apple “Best Of”), this simple quasi-reggae tune is quite infectious. The band recorded their lone single for Apple before scoring pop successes in the ‘70’s with “Every 1’s A Winner”, “Emma” and “You Sexy Thing”. The original 45 was the sole source for the Apple sides, until their inclusion on the band’s A’s & B’s & Rarities collection.
My Sweet Lord – Billy Preston (9/70, 3:22): Actually released BEFORE composer George Harrison’s classic version, this one peaked at #90 in the US.
Knock Knock Who’s There – Mary Hopkin (3/70, 2:33): Another major UK hit for Hopkin, going all the way to #3, but not fairing nearly as well stateside, where it stalled at #92.
The Eagle Laughs At You – Jackie Lomax (8/68, 2:24): Originally the b-side of “Sour Milk Sea”, this subsequently charted on its own, but fared little better, getting no further than #125 in America.
All That I’ve Got – Billy Preston (1/70, 3:36): Originally a non-LP single, this appeared as a bonus track on the Encouraging Words CD on Apple and is slated for inclusion this time around as well. Interestingly, again keeping it all in the family, this song was also recorded by co-author and label mate Doris Troy. Preston’s version charted at #108 in America.
We’re On Our Way – Chris Hodge (5/72, 3:02): A classic “whatever happened to…”, Hodge seemingly disappeared after recording four strong sides for Apple. Gets the nod over the equally strong “Goodbye Sweet Lorraine”, as it just missed the U.S. top-40, peaking at #44. While this will be on the forthcoming “Best Of”, his four Apple sides are available on the iTunes set 18 Songs (wonder if the folks at Apple know about that?).
Just Like A Woman – Bob Dylan (12/71, 4:51) and
Jumpin’ Jack Flash / Youngblood – Leon Russell (12/71, 9:35): While neither artist was signed to the Apple label, these live recordings are among the highlights from The Concert For Bangla Desh, currently available on CD. These appearances are exclusive to the Apple label – consider it part of the extended family thing.
Saturday Night Special – The Sundown Playboys (9/72, 2:16): This zydeco-flavored single was the group’s only label appearance. A rare 45, the a-side will resurface on the forthcoming Apple compilation.
Temma Harbour – Mary Hopkin (1/70, 3:21): Once again, the UK and US charts differed wildly on this one. A #4 single in England, it barely cracked the top-40 in America, going to #39.
Night Owl – James Taylor (12/68, 4:16): This song has an interesting history – stemming from JT’s pre-Apple sessions with his group The Original Flying Machine, it was subsequently recorded by his (then) wife Carly Simon.
God Save Us – Bill Elliot and the Elastic Oz Band (7/71, 3:16): A peculiar single, inspired by the Oz obscenity trial (“Oh, God save Oz…”), the b-side was John Lennon’s “Do The Oz”. Lennon’s version of this song, and its b-side, appear on his ‘Anthology’ box set. Elliot later recorded with the band Splinter, on Harrison’s Dark Horse label.
Ain’t That Cute – Doris Troy (2/70, 3:52): Co-written with George, and featuring a guitar solo by a young Peter Frampton, this was the lead-off track from Troy’s self-titled Apple album.
Rainy Day Man – James Taylor (12/68, 3:00): Another one with its origins in The Original Flying Machine, Taylor revisited this one a decade later for inclusion on his album, Flag.
Think About Your Children – Mary Hopkin (10/70, 3:00): The disparity continues…this time a #20 single in the UK, but going no further than #87 in America.
Liberation Special – Elephant’s Memory (9/72, 5:40): A good example of this New York based band’s tight rock and roll, again unavailable on CD, so the original LP is the best place to find this one.
Joi Bangla – Ravi Shankar (8/71, 3:23): Issued right around the time of the Bangla Desh campaign, it remains available only on the original 3-track single.
Hare Krsna Mantra – Radha Krsna Temple (8/69, 3:34). Wow…how many other chants go as high as #11 on the pop charts?
Listen, The Snow Is Falling – Yoko Ono (12/71, 3:24): Originally appearing on the b-side of the classic “Happy Xmas” holiday single, this one is available in best quality on the recently reconfigured Lennon/Ono Sometime In New York City disc .
Apple Of My Eye – Badfinger (11/73, 3:06): “Oh I’m sorry but it’s time to move away….” laments this farewell single from Apple’s most promising protégé’s. A fitting swan song, it got no higher than #102 in America.
The beauty (and fun) of a “D.I.Y.” such as this is that pretty much, anything goes. If you want to replace the Bangla Desh performances with a Tavener track, go ahead, be a purist.
No one said putting this together on your own would be easy. Several of the tracks only ever appeared in their original vinyl form, were not part of the previous CD reissue campaign, and are long out of print. Seasoned collectors may have these, but don’t plan on walking into your neighborhood Best Buy and picking up “Joi Bangla” anytime soon.
Label compilations such as this are now commonplace in the CD boxed set era. What is not commonplace is a label with the diversity and cultural significance of Apple, making this (or a similar type) compilation worthy of the current label heads’ consideration. That said, oddities like non-LP Jackie Lomax cuts might be better suited, together with the “digital download only” bonus material for that long overdue rarities set, and affording room on the “Best Of” set for tracks like “No Matter What” and “Baby Blue”. While some might contend that’d make the disc to Badfinger-heavy, well folks, “facts is facts”; they were the biggest act on the label apart from the Beatles themselves.
As it stands, “Best Of”, while absolutely a long overdue and worthwhile endeavor, proved unsatisfying given its “mostly hits, with some oddities thrown in” approach, rather than a more appropriate in depth look at the labels legacy.
When George produced Billy Preston’s album “That’s the Way God Planned It” for Apple Records in 1969, he scraped together a pretty decent little band for the sessions: Keith Richards on bass, Eric Clapton on guitar, Cream’s Ginger Baker on drums, and of course Billy and himself. Not to mention R&B divas Doris Troy and Madeline Bell on backing vocals.
ROLLING STONE BOOK EXCERPTS:
Paul McCartney: http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/book-excerpt-paul-mccartney-goes-from-eleanor-rigby-to-silly-love-songs-and-back-again-20120816
George Harrison: http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/book-excerpt-george-harrison-realizes-its-time-to-move-on-from-the-beatles-20120817
Ringo Starr: http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/book-excerpt-ringo-starr-realizes-a-dream-with-his-1970-country-album-20120818
REVIEWS:
“USA TODAY’s music staff offers a weekend tip sheet of sound recommendations spanning the media landscape …The celebration of the Fab Four’s 50th anniversary continues with Still the Greatest: The Essential Songs of the Beatles’ Solo Careers. Author Andrew Grant Jackson, a music journalist and filmmaker, delves into the more than 70 albums and 900 songs collectively unveiled by John, Paul, George and Ringo since they disbanded 42 years ago. “There are a dozen brilliant Beatles albums to be carved out of their solo albums,” Jackson has observed. Included, too, are collaborations with other icons such as Phil Spector, Eric Clapton, Elton John and Elvis Costello.”
— USA Today
“Andrew wrote the book I always wanted to write — he’s done a great job, so now I don’t have to!”
— Chris Carter, host of Breakfast with the Beatles
“I’m happy to be able to recommend a new book by a man with the interesting name of Andrew Grant Jackson and it’s called Still the Greatest: The Essential Songs of the Beatles’ Solo Careers. Many of us were traumatized by the breakup of the Beatles and you would not believe how often it keeps coming up in my class on the culture and politics of the seventies. The fellow is pretty smart and the book is wonderfully well researched … With the Beatles having been covered to death, this is really new territory, at least for me … It’s really both quite fun and impressive, though he does not hate the songs I hate and I find this a bit unnerving, given how on the ball he is otherwise. Do I really need to rethink My Love?”
— Eric Alterman/ The Nation
“Analysis, commentary, and biography on the Beatles abound, but relatively little has been written about John, Paul, George, and Ringo’s post-Beatles recordings. Freelance music writer Jackson’s first book spotlights what he considers the best of the ex-Beatles’ oft-underrated post-1970 recordings as solo artists, and as members of Wings and the Plastic Ono Band. Jackson, an obvious Beatles fanatic, compiles his chosen cuts into 12 fictitious albums spread across the past 40 years. Jackson critiques and analyzes each song and puts it into biographical context, adding detailed studio session information, recording credits, and sales-chart peaks. The analyses are insightful and informed, with the author relying heavily on previous scholarship and interviews with the ex-Beatles and associates, and adding his own strong opinions. Jackson admirably digs beneath the obvious hits to uncover and discuss deep album tracks, commercial flops, and rare b-sides. Ringo fans will be delighted by Jackson’s insistence on finding room on each “album” for at least one of the funny Beatle’s tracks….VERDICT: This creative, enlightening, and informative work by a welcomed entrant to Beatles scholarship is highly recommended to anyone interested in learning more about the Fab Four’s sporadically great post-breakup recordings.”
— Library Journal
“In this creative history of the solo careers of John, Paul, George, and Ringo, Jackson re-imagines the artists’ individual output into “fantasy albums” that could have been put out had the Fab Four remained an intact group—“The Beatles Albums That Should Have Been” (which would have made a fine subtitle). Nearly 200 songs have been cherry-picked, with extensive information offered, such as musicians, chart history, story behind the creation of the song, and the meaning of the lyrics. The chummy tone and the sheer subjectiveness make this unsuitable as a reference work but loads of fun for Beatles fans.”
— Booklist
“If God is truly in the details, this exhaustive second-act gospel radiates holy ghostliness.”
— Wayne Alan Brenner/ The Austin Chronicle
“Jackson’s analysis of the solo Beatles’ catalog is thorough … Themes emerge, linking the solo outputs of the various Beatles to evolving trends in pop music. Jackson’s treatment of each band member is evenhanded and appreciative, and his book succeeds in inspiring readers, both serious fans and novices, to return to the recordings. This volume does not aim to replace or supersede The Beatles Solo on Apple Records, compiled by Bruce Spizer (2005), but it ably supplements this key resource. Jackson’s commentary situating the output of solo members of the Beatles within contemporary music is particularly enlightening … One-of-a-kind study of a cultural phenomenon … Excellent appendix; discographies. Summing up: Recommended.”
— Choice: Current Reviews for Academic Libraries
“Andrew Grant Jackson gives us an indispensable book with the inside story of the second career of the Beatles. The most exciting aspect — the stories of each song and the unusual motives of the writers. The book is a winner!”
— Larry Kane, author of Ticket to Ride and Lennon Revealed
“Addresses the ongoing need for a close critical examination of the post-Beatles catalog. Some of Jackson’s assessments got me to rethink some of my own long-held opinions.”
— Robert Rodriguez, author of Solo in the ’70s, Revolver: How the Beatles Reimagined Rock and Roll, and Fab Four FAQ
“Skillfully manages to blend in the right amounts of reference material and imagination to make this one of the most enjoyable Beatles books in years … An inevitable yet delightful by-product of reading the book is the “I’d have chosen this song instead of that one” factor (witness the author’s presentation in front of a captive audience at the recent Fest for Beatles Fans in Chicago) … And while subjectivity naturally comes into play here, Jackson demonstrates not only a solid knowledge of post-Beatles history, but he astutely balances the biographical back story for each of the songs as well. Beyond the musicians’ credits, release dates, chart positions and such, he captures the songs’ essence eloquently … Aesthetically, Jackson demonstrates an uncanny ability to turn words (his, and the artists) into mini aural landscapes in his descriptions of the songs’ musicality. His take on “Uncle Albert / Admiral Halsey” paints a picture of the sound so vivid that if one had never heard the actual record, they could virtually imagine it quite precisely. Jackson demonstrates a deft command of pop/rock culture as well, connecting the dots beyond the Beatles’ world … Intellectually stimulating and at the same time lots of fun, this one should be on every Beatle fan’s bookshelf.”
— Tom E. DeShovelle/ Beatlefan Magazine
“Still the Greatest is a very interesting and creative look at The Beatles’ solo careers, and makes for a more enjoyable read than a typical reference volume. Still the Greatest is an excellent volume and definitely a worthwhile read for music scholars, music enthusiasts, or fans of The Beatles.”
— American Reference Books Annual
“I love his book. Over the course of 300 or so pages, Jackson explores the high points from the solo careers of John, Paul, George and Ringo. More than simply presenting release dates, recording info and chart positions, Jackson delves into the inspiration for the lyrics and where the key players were at in those moments. It’s a new take on a much-chronicled band.”
— OnMilwaukee.com
“Jackson analyzes the best solo material each Beatle released post break-up, compiling them chronologically in a wishful thinking effort to create twelve new Beatles albums from these songs. Going over each track with a fine-toothed comb, Jackson not only gives us details of where each Beatle was at that stage of their career but also what lead them there. On top of that he includes extensive production details for each song, including session musicians and where and when it was recorded … Overall, it’s an interesting take on what might have been; an imaginary glimpse of what The Beatles may have released to the world as a group had they remained together.”
— Examiner.com
“Still the Greatest: The Essential Songs of The Beatles‘ Solo Careers is a new book that focuses on the Fab Four members’ musical output after the band’s 1970 breakup. Author Andrew Grant Jackson delves into the stories behind many of the recordings produced by John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr in the post-Beatles years. The 354-page tome also serves as a reference guide, offering details about the more than 70 albums and 900-plus tunes the four famed musicians created since their group’s demise. Jackson recently launched a website, SoloBeatles.com, that features passages from Still the Greatest, suggested playlists for albums The Beatles might have released had the band not broken up, and links to Fab Four-related videos and news items.”
— ABC News Radio
“Great addition to any Beatles library …”
— Houston Press
“Out now is the new Beatles book, titled, Still The Greatest: The Essential Songs Of The Beatles’ Solo Careers by author Andrew Grant Jackson. Still The Greatest collects the best of the band’s solo material and gives in-depth information about the solo tracks and programs them so they could’ve easily comprised ’70s, ’80s, and ’90s “group” albums. One track he talks about is McCartney’s 1993 single, “Hope Of Deliverance” — which, to the delight of die-hards — is back in his setlists after a 19-year hiatus: “Weirdly enough, I think it was a huge hit in Germany and overseas, to an extent. But for some reason in America, I think by that point he was more on the Adult Contemporary charts and it just didn’t seem to make as big an impact over here. It always seemed like a very optimistic tune and it had a samba kind of rhythm, reminiscent almost of the ‘Besame Mucho’ tune (the Beatles) used to do back in the Cavern days or in Hamburg. And it was an underrated tune, musically and the lyrics are optimistic and cheer you up — and I think it’s a really great tune.”
— Pulse of Radio
AMAZON REVIEWS:
EVENTS:
On Tuesday, December 4, 2012, I’ll be doing a reading and question-and-answer session at Book Soup on 8818 Sunset Blvd. in West Hollywood at 7 p.m.
Please check out the facebook page for more photos and stories and “like” us to help spread the word!
On Tuesday, December 4, 2012, I’ll be doing a reading and question-and-answer session at Book Soup on 8818 Sunset Blvd. in West Hollywood at 7 p.m. http://www.booksoup.com/author-events.asp
solobeatles 