All The Songs
The Story Behind Every Beatles Release
Published on 1. October 2013
Book
Hardback
672 pages
978-1-57912-952-1 (ISBN)
Description
Every album and every song ever released by the Beatles - from "Please Please Me" (U.S. 1963) to "The Long and Winding Road" (U.S. 1970) - is dissected, discussed, and analyzed by two music historians in this lively, fully illustrated work.
All the Songs delves deep into the history and origins of the Beatles and their music. This first-of-its-kind book draws upon decades of research, as music historians Margotin and Guesdon recount the circumstances that led to the composition of every song, the recording process, and the instruments used.
Here, we learn that one of John Lennon's favorite guitars was a 1958 Rickenbacker 325 Capri, which he bought for AGBP100 in 1960 in Hamburg, Germany. We also learn that "Love Me Do," recorded in Abbey Road Studios in September 1962, took 18 takes to get right, even though it was one of the first songs John and Paul ever wrote together. And the authors reveal that when the Beatles performed "I Want to Hold Your Hand" on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1964, John's microphone wasn't turned on, so viewers heard only Paul singing.
The hundreds of photographs throughout the book include rare black-and-white publicity stills, images of Beatles instruments, and engaging shots of the musicians in-studio.
All the Songs is the must-have book for the any true Beatles fan.
All the Songs delves deep into the history and origins of the Beatles and their music. This first-of-its-kind book draws upon decades of research, as music historians Margotin and Guesdon recount the circumstances that led to the composition of every song, the recording process, and the instruments used.
Here, we learn that one of John Lennon's favorite guitars was a 1958 Rickenbacker 325 Capri, which he bought for AGBP100 in 1960 in Hamburg, Germany. We also learn that "Love Me Do," recorded in Abbey Road Studios in September 1962, took 18 takes to get right, even though it was one of the first songs John and Paul ever wrote together. And the authors reveal that when the Beatles performed "I Want to Hold Your Hand" on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1964, John's microphone wasn't turned on, so viewers heard only Paul singing.
The hundreds of photographs throughout the book include rare black-and-white publicity stills, images of Beatles instruments, and engaging shots of the musicians in-studio.
All the Songs is the must-have book for the any true Beatles fan.
Reviews / Votes
French musician Guesdon and music writer Margotin take an exhaustive look at the Beatles' repertoire in the meticulously researched title. Arranged chronologically by album, the book includes for each song basic information (songwriter, track length, number of takes, etc.), a brief discussion of how it was written and recorded, and an overall assessment. While the authors include thorough technical details about sound engineering and production, numerous anecdotes and quotations from the group keep the book entertaining and accessible even to more casual music fans. The design further enhances the title's appeal: yellow boxes with trivia for Beatles fanatics are interspersed throughout, and an arrary of photographs features images of the group over the course of their career. Biographical information is incorporated where relevant; however, the emphais here is on the group as they functioned within the studio, and readers will come away with a rich and rewarding appreciation of the Fab Four's innovative and evolving work. VERDICT Although some of the content may be familiar to die-hard Beatles aficionados, most pop music fans will enjoy this engaging and comprehensive guide. Highly recommended.--Mahnaz Dar "Library Journal "More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
New York
United States
Product notice
Trade binding
Illustrations
600 colour and b&w photos throughout
Dimensions
Height: 214 mm
Width: 276 mm
Thickness: 56 mm
Weight
2632 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-57912-952-1 (9781579129521)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Persons
Jean-Michel Guesdon, a musician, composer, and sound engineer. Together with Philippe Margotin, he has written All the Songs books about the Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, and Pink Floyd.
Outside of the All the Songs series, Philippe Margotin has written numerous books on music, including biographies of U2 and Radiohead. They both live in Paris.
Scott Freiman combines his career as a composer, producer, and educator with his in-depth knowledge of the Beatles to create Deconstructing the Beatles, a series of multimedia presentations about the composition and production techniques of the Fab Four. Freiman presents his lectures to sold-out audiences throughout North America and at colleges and universities. He lives in Irvington, New York.
Outside of the All the Songs series, Philippe Margotin has written numerous books on music, including biographies of U2 and Radiohead. They both live in Paris.
Scott Freiman combines his career as a composer, producer, and educator with his in-depth knowledge of the Beatles to create Deconstructing the Beatles, a series of multimedia presentations about the composition and production techniques of the Fab Four. Freiman presents his lectures to sold-out audiences throughout North America and at colleges and universities. He lives in Irvington, New York.