Anyway, so I am reading the "Acknowledgments" at the end of the book and what do I read, but...
"Among the many people to whom I am indebted, I must thank Tally Gentry, whose research was of great assistance; Neal Gabler, for exchanging war stories; Jim and Michelle Ford, in whose good hands Lily often resided so that I could work through the weekends; and my great friends at Pace: Nancy Oakley, Mickey McLean, Brian Cook and especially Duncan Christy, whose friendship and generous support will never be taken for granted."
Mickey McLean you say? Our Mickey Mclean? I mean, how many Mickey McLean's could there be?
Well, turns out Mickey McLean and Bob Spitz have worked together for some time in the same publishing company, which kept Mr. Spitz going with enough paying work to keep him alive all the years he worked on this book.
Spitz's acknowledgement section explains clearly enough what goes into a book of this magnitude.
Plus, as if it were not enough, Mickey has been to Liverpool AND inside of Studio 2 at Abbey Road. Wow!
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6 comments:
If you are a Beatles fan and found them to be all the nasty things you describe in previous posts, why are you a fan??
Anyway, George Harrison, I think, was the best of them, McCartney running a close second.
Have you ever heard Harrison's Album 'All Things Must Pass? If not, it's really worth doing so, imho.
Ginger,
I was seven years old when the Beatles appeared on Ed Sullivan. Our whole family watched it. My brothers bought their 45's and we listened to them all the time.
I like the Beatles for their music. I like a lot of bands for their music, even if I may not go for the lifestyle of the band members.
And I didn't say just negative things. These guys worked their butts off. They paid their dues. They learned music like they were starving. They innovated. They had a knack for melody, chord change, and vocal and lyrical hooks like no one ever. Face to face, there may never have been a song writing chemistry like John and Paul. George was terribly underrated, and Ringo just plugged along.
Anyway, this book has been said to reveal the darker side, but I found it also revealed a human side. These were incredibly talented, lost, bohemian, famous KIDS practically. Some of their great stuff was done before George was 21!
Even at their worst they were, as human beings, searching, for meaning, for beauty, for truth. That comes through as well. Their songs are not terribly deep or profund to me; but they are interesting. And their searchings reveal much of what is common to everyone, as reflected in the songs. So as artists I like and enjoy them even though I wouldn't have wanted them dating my daughters!
I have not heard that album. I would like to. After Bangladesh, which I owned, I kind of forgot about Harrison until the Traveling Wilburys. And I think of him every time I listen to Layla, or Have You Ever Loved a Woman.
Ginger,
While My Guitar Gently Weeps is playing right now, and it got me thinking of the story in the book of George bringing Eric Clapton in on that. He was bummed because he thought the others were holding back on the song because it was his and they did not take him seriously as an artist/song writer. He didn't ask, he just did it. Clapton's guitar really makes that song work in the end. Anyway, that all made me think of your post. Has anyone ever written a book about the Pattie Boyd, George Harrison, Eric Clapton story? I mean to have had Something and Wonderful Tonight written about you, not to mention Clapton's songs on Layla, is no small deal.
Why did While My Guitar Gently Weeps make you think of my post?
Because Harrison wrote it and I mentioned Harrison?
Anyway, Harrison, for me, transcended the Beatles as an artist.
And I'm not into who slept with whom or left whom.
Ginger, well, yeah, because you spoke so highly of Harrison. The Harrion/Boyd/Clapton thing for is not who slept with whom, though this triangle was intenely real for these very real human beinga, but all the music that came out of that whole deal. Anyway, that's why.
I hadn't mentioned Harrison as a songwriter, only as the best of them, so I just wondered.
My focus and post wasn't on his songwriting abilities, though I think he's the greatest, it's the music I find of Harrison's that is quite spiritual in nature.
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