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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I agree with the first review that this is an absolutely superb book detailing in chronological order the singles, EPs and LPs with detailed historical information about the recording and history of each.
Even as a Beatles fan since 1964 I found that I learned something new virtually every time that I delved into the pages. It's an absolute must for all Beatles fans and to be honest would make a good purchase or present for even the casual music fan.
My only niggle was that, having ordered in advance and the book due out on 5/10/11, mine didn't come until around 2 weeks later, was an American copy and the cover was scuffed and dented (as described later in the copies in Amazon Warehouse deals). Also it had no dust-jacket but I was unable to establish whether that was the norm.
Though Amazon offered a refund if I returned it, I noticed that new copies appeared to be hard to get and used/warehouse deals were selling for more than the RRP so I decided not to risk returning it. I still feel that there is a large box of these warehouse-soiled or poorly quality-controlled books lurking somewhere and that they were used to fulfill advance orders.
Even as a Beatles fan since 1964 I found that I learned something new virtually every time that I delved into the pages. It's an absolute must for all Beatles fans and to be honest would make a good purchase or present for even the casual music fan.
My only niggle was that, having ordered in advance and the book due out on 5/10/11, mine didn't come until around 2 weeks later, was an American copy and the cover was scuffed and dented (as described later in the copies in Amazon Warehouse deals). Also it had no dust-jacket but I was unable to establish whether that was the norm.
Though Amazon offered a refund if I returned it, I noticed that new copies appeared to be hard to get and used/warehouse deals were selling for more than the RRP so I decided not to risk returning it. I still feel that there is a large box of these warehouse-soiled or poorly quality-controlled books lurking somewhere and that they were used to fulfill advance orders.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Being a Beatles fan since my childhood, it's obvious that, apart from the records, I would also have a fair few books about them in my collection - at last count it must be at least a couple of dozen: easily more than any other of my favourite bands. However, of all of these books, only a small handful of them - just three in fact - would prove to be completely indispensable in my view: Ian Macdonald's excellently detailed chronological song-by-song synopsis "Revolution In The Head" (so good that I have three different versions / reprints of it!), Jonathan Gould's equally thorough and similarly structured "Can't Buy Me Love", and now this offering by renowned US Beatles authors/compilers Bruce Spizer/Frank Daniels "Beatles For Sale On Parlophone Records".
Having been given a complimentary copy of this incredible volume from the author himself at last year's (2011) Beatles Convention in Liverpool, I promised to him that I would eventually put up online a review of it just to share my thoughts on it with others. And it has honestly taken me this long to get round to doing so chiefly because of one thing: the book is so astounding in the sheer amount of detail covering basically EVERYTHING about each and every single Parlophone release in the UK in the Beatles' catalogue, I was completely overwhelmed by it! It's an astonishingly in-depth overview touching on the sort of minutiae and technical particulars that would give those more fanatical followers and avid Beatle collectors the raptures. The amount of information can, at first perusal, appear overbearing, but incredibly, all of the text throughout is written in such a completely straightforward and unpretentious way that it never becomes tiresome (incidentally, hello Paul Morley!).
There really hasn't been - in my view - any other book quite like this one. Ian Macdonald and Jonathan Gould produced two of the finest volumes ever on the Fab Four and both those books are absolutely crammed with fascinating revelations and facts. But even they pale in comparison to this one : mainly because not only is it exhaustive in its detail, but it's also sumptuously illustrated with sleeve art for every single 45/EP/LP release, then alternative covers and label designs, plus unseen photos of the band, etc.... a true feast of information and trivia, making these volumes (Bruce has also published an earlier volume dealing with the US releases entitled "The Beatles Are Coming!") more akin to encyclopaedias than mere coffee-table artefacts.
Unlike with the aforementioned Macdonald and Gould books, however, Beatles For Sale is simply so immense that it's not the kind of book I would ever think to read cover to cover, but rather dip in and out of selectively as and when I feel, just like with encyclopaedias, as that would do it far better justice (I dare say anybody ever reads encyclopaedias cover to cover from A to Z anyway!). Each album and single is given equal attention, with all manner of supporting information and facts present and correct: assorted trivia such as dates, number of sessions, the number of takes, which specific take or edit, then production/engineering - the complete works. Couple this with the aforementioned huge number of illustrations, photographs, reproductions of rare promotional adverts, etc... and you have an absolutely staggering body of work - and fascinating trivia - at your disposal.
I can't praise this volume enough, there really isn't anything else like it, and the fact that it's such a heavyweight in terms of size and content surely renders many other so-called definitive Beatles publications practically redundant. I would say that this book is an ideal companion to complement the [similar-sized] BEATLES ANTHOLOGY book that the Fab Four themselves were the chief authors of.... in that one serves the purpose of telling it like it is (from the horse's mouth so to speak), whilst the other offers an unrivalled insight to all of their recordings during their 8 productive years between 1962-1970. This volume is so thorough that there's even a checklist magazine inserted in the inside back cover (in a tastefully-done mock "Parlophone Records" sleeve) detailing every single catalogue number of all their releases, for the benefit of record dealers and collectors alike.
It's pretty much impractical to list all the specific highlights of this book chiefly because of its sheer enormity. However, I will make an allowance for citing one truly exceptional piece of information which was obtained from page 263, where the author is discussing the White Album: here I finally got to discover what exactly the full 10+ minute version of "Revolution 1" (titled Take 20) sounded like, as we get an almost minute-by-minute breakdown of this unreleased track.....and after reading about it I finally hunted down this full length version on You Tube - and what an absolute revelation it was - showing exactly where and how parts of it were eventually adapted for the (in my opinion) less satisfactory "Revolution 9" which DID end up on the album (the band sure did know how to wig out and ad-lib to excess!)....
So there you have it......an incredibly rich mine of information from which to dip in and out of at your leisure. It's undoubtedly the most comprehensively compiled/written book on The Beatles I have yet seen and one thing is for certain.....I don't think I will ever get bored of flicking through its 444 pages time and time again, alighting on a different random chapter to read and re-read as and when I wish. Don't be put off though, by the hefty price tag for this colossal book (or indeed the weight), it really is worth every penny (lane - ha!). An essential addition to any Beatle fan's book collection......
Having been given a complimentary copy of this incredible volume from the author himself at last year's (2011) Beatles Convention in Liverpool, I promised to him that I would eventually put up online a review of it just to share my thoughts on it with others. And it has honestly taken me this long to get round to doing so chiefly because of one thing: the book is so astounding in the sheer amount of detail covering basically EVERYTHING about each and every single Parlophone release in the UK in the Beatles' catalogue, I was completely overwhelmed by it! It's an astonishingly in-depth overview touching on the sort of minutiae and technical particulars that would give those more fanatical followers and avid Beatle collectors the raptures. The amount of information can, at first perusal, appear overbearing, but incredibly, all of the text throughout is written in such a completely straightforward and unpretentious way that it never becomes tiresome (incidentally, hello Paul Morley!).
There really hasn't been - in my view - any other book quite like this one. Ian Macdonald and Jonathan Gould produced two of the finest volumes ever on the Fab Four and both those books are absolutely crammed with fascinating revelations and facts. But even they pale in comparison to this one : mainly because not only is it exhaustive in its detail, but it's also sumptuously illustrated with sleeve art for every single 45/EP/LP release, then alternative covers and label designs, plus unseen photos of the band, etc.... a true feast of information and trivia, making these volumes (Bruce has also published an earlier volume dealing with the US releases entitled "The Beatles Are Coming!") more akin to encyclopaedias than mere coffee-table artefacts.
Unlike with the aforementioned Macdonald and Gould books, however, Beatles For Sale is simply so immense that it's not the kind of book I would ever think to read cover to cover, but rather dip in and out of selectively as and when I feel, just like with encyclopaedias, as that would do it far better justice (I dare say anybody ever reads encyclopaedias cover to cover from A to Z anyway!). Each album and single is given equal attention, with all manner of supporting information and facts present and correct: assorted trivia such as dates, number of sessions, the number of takes, which specific take or edit, then production/engineering - the complete works. Couple this with the aforementioned huge number of illustrations, photographs, reproductions of rare promotional adverts, etc... and you have an absolutely staggering body of work - and fascinating trivia - at your disposal.
I can't praise this volume enough, there really isn't anything else like it, and the fact that it's such a heavyweight in terms of size and content surely renders many other so-called definitive Beatles publications practically redundant. I would say that this book is an ideal companion to complement the [similar-sized] BEATLES ANTHOLOGY book that the Fab Four themselves were the chief authors of.... in that one serves the purpose of telling it like it is (from the horse's mouth so to speak), whilst the other offers an unrivalled insight to all of their recordings during their 8 productive years between 1962-1970. This volume is so thorough that there's even a checklist magazine inserted in the inside back cover (in a tastefully-done mock "Parlophone Records" sleeve) detailing every single catalogue number of all their releases, for the benefit of record dealers and collectors alike.
It's pretty much impractical to list all the specific highlights of this book chiefly because of its sheer enormity. However, I will make an allowance for citing one truly exceptional piece of information which was obtained from page 263, where the author is discussing the White Album: here I finally got to discover what exactly the full 10+ minute version of "Revolution 1" (titled Take 20) sounded like, as we get an almost minute-by-minute breakdown of this unreleased track.....and after reading about it I finally hunted down this full length version on You Tube - and what an absolute revelation it was - showing exactly where and how parts of it were eventually adapted for the (in my opinion) less satisfactory "Revolution 9" which DID end up on the album (the band sure did know how to wig out and ad-lib to excess!)....
So there you have it......an incredibly rich mine of information from which to dip in and out of at your leisure. It's undoubtedly the most comprehensively compiled/written book on The Beatles I have yet seen and one thing is for certain.....I don't think I will ever get bored of flicking through its 444 pages time and time again, alighting on a different random chapter to read and re-read as and when I wish. Don't be put off though, by the hefty price tag for this colossal book (or indeed the weight), it really is worth every penny (lane - ha!). An essential addition to any Beatle fan's book collection......
5 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
A book which has been carefully researched and written, and is well-documented with loads of high quality photos. Even if you are only a casual fan you will find lots of interesting facts. Lots of chart information and sales figures. However if you are an avid Beatles collector then this book is a must!
From Amazon.com
Spizer chronologically works his way through the 45 rpm singles, then the LPs, then the EPs and finally includes a section that covers a range of related topics, from histories of EMI and 33 1/3 rpm longplaying albums to trail-off area markings on vinyl LPs, the printing of labels, demo discs and Palophone's sister EMI labels. For each recording you get the release history, quotes from reviews, interesting notes about how The Beatles wrote the song and created the recording in the studio, how the label promoted and marketed the record and, of course, this being Spizer, everything you could possibly want to know about all the different release variations. If you've collected Spizer's earlier efforts, you'll definately want this one. And if you've never delved into one of Spizer's discographies, you might want to make this your first, as it covers the entire period from 1962 up through the breakup in 1970. I don't know of a better single-volume history of The Beatles' recordings. --William P. King, Beatlefan, July-Aug 2011
Product Description
Beatles For Sale on Parlophone Records covers all of the singles, albums and extended play discs issued by the Beatles in the U.K. from 1962 through 1970. Each record is given a separate chapter, which tells the stories behind how the songs appearing on the disc were written and recorded. The chapters also detail how the records were marketed and contain sales and chart information. The book has chapters on the history of EMI and Parlophone Records, how records are mastered and manufactured, how EMI contracted with other record companies to press Beatles singles and albums to help meet demand, British radio and record charts in the sixties and other record-related topics. The book has over 700 illustrations, all in either color or original black and white.
Section One - 45-RPM Singles
3 LOVE ME DO c/w P.S. I LOVE YOU
13 PLEASE PLEASE ME c/w ASK ME WHY
19 FROM ME TO YOU c/w THANK YOU GIRL
23 SHE LOVES YOU c/w I'LL GET YOU
29 I WANT TO HOLD YOUR HAND c/w THIS BOY
33 CAN'T BUY ME LOVE c/w YOU CAN'T DO THAT
37 A HARD DAY'S NIGHT c/w THINGS WE SAID TODAY
41 I FEEL FINE c/w SHE'S A WOMAN
45 TICKET TO RIDE c/w YES IT IS
49 HELP! c/w I'M DOWN
53 WE CAN WORK IT OUT c/w DAY TRIPPER
57 PAPERBACK WRITER c/w RAIN
63 YELLOW SUBMARINE c/w ELEANOR RIGBY
67 STRAWBERRY FIELDS FOREVER c/w PENNY LANE
73 ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE c/w BABY, YOU'RE A RICH MAN
79 HELLO, GOODBYE c/w I AM THE WALRUS
85 LADY MADONNA c/w THE INNER LIGHT
89 HEY JUDE c/w REVOLUTION
97 GET BACK c/w DON'T LET ME DOWN
103 THE BALLAD OF JOHN AND YOKO c/w OLD BROWN SHOE
107 SOMETHING c/w COME TOGETHER
109 LET IT BE c/w YOU KNOW MY NAME
115 EXPORT SINGLES
119 Komm, Gib Mir Deine Hand c/w SIE LIEBT DICH
121 POLYDOR SINGLES
Section Two - Long-Playing Albums
129 PLEASE PLEASE ME
147 WITH THE BEATLES
161 A HARD DAY'S NIGHT
175 BEATLES FOR SALE
187 HELP!
199 RUBBER SOUL
211 REVOLVER
223 A COLLECTION OF BEATLES OLDIES
229 SGT. PEPPER'S LONELY HEARTS CLUB BAND
249 THE BEATLES (The White Album)
273 YELLOW SUBMARINE
281 THE BEATLES; GET BACK (unreleased)
297 ABBEY ROAD
311 GET BACK w/ Let It Be & 10 other songs (unreleased)
315 LET IT BE
325 "FROM THEN TO YOU" (Beatles Christmas Record, 1970)
335 EXPORT ALBUMS
343 MAGICAL MYSTERY TOUR (Import)
345 THE BEATLES' FIRST (Polydor)
Section Three - EPs
349 TWIST AND SHOUT
357 THE BEATLES' HITS
361 THE BEATLES (No. 1)
364 THE BEATLES' GOLDEN DISCS (cancelled)
365 ALL MY LOVING
369 LONG TALL SALLY
373 Extracts from the film A HARD DAY'S NIGHT
375 Extracts from the Album A HARD DAY'S NIGHT
377 BEATLES FOR SALE
379 BEATLES FOR SALE (No. 2)
383 THE BEATLES' MILLION SELLERS
385 YESTERDAY
387 NOWHERE MAN
391 MAGICAL MYSTERY TOUR
402 YELLOW SUBMARINE (Aborted)
403 TONY SHERIDAN WITH THE BEATLES (Polydor)
Section Four - An EMI Recording
407 A BRIEF HISTORY OF EMI
410 PARLOPHONE RECORDS
410 HAYES * MIDDLESEX * ENGLAND
410 331'3-RPM LONG PLAYING ALBUMS
411 45-RPM SINGLES
412 MASTERING & MANUFACTURING RECORDS
414 TRAIL OFF AREA MARKINGS
415 PRINTING OF LABELS
416 PARLOPHONE LABELS
418 APPLE LABELS
419 DEMONSTRATION RECORDS & FACTORY SAMPLES
420 TAX CODE LETTERS
422 "SOLD IN U.K." (RETAIL PRICE MAINTENANCE)
424 PUBLISHING & COPYRIGHT NOTICES
424 SOLID CENTER PRESSINGS
425 CONTRACT PRESSINGS
425 DECCA RECORDS
425 DECCA ALBUMS
426 DECCA SINGLES
427 ORIOLE
428 CBS RECORDS
429 PHILIPS
430 PYE
431 COMPARISON OF PUSH-OUT CENTER SINGLES
432 THE MYSTERIOUS TRI-CENTER PRESSING
433 COMPANY SLEEVES
440 Apple SLEEVES
441 ALBUM COVERS & INNER SLEEVES
443 BRITISH RADIO & RECORD CHARTS IN THE 1960s
444 PARLOPHONE AROUND THE WORLD
From Amazon.com
Spizer chronologically works his way through the 45 rpm singles, then the LPs, then the EPs and finally includes a section that covers a range of related topics, from histories of EMI and 33 1/3 rpm longplaying albums to trail-off area markings on vinyl LPs, the printing of labels, demo discs and Palophone's sister EMI labels. For each recording you get the release history, quotes from reviews, interesting notes about how The Beatles wrote the song and created the recording in the studio, how the label promoted and marketed the record and, of course, this being Spizer, everything you could possibly want to know about all the different release variations. If you've collected Spizer's earlier efforts, you'll definately want this one. And if you've never delved into one of Spizer's discographies, you might want to make this your first, as it covers the entire period from 1962 up through the breakup in 1970. I don't know of a better single-volume history of The Beatles' recordings. --William P. King, Beatlefan, July-Aug 2011
Product Description
Beatles For Sale on Parlophone Records covers all of the singles, albums and extended play discs issued by the Beatles in the U.K. from 1962 through 1970. Each record is given a separate chapter, which tells the stories behind how the songs appearing on the disc were written and recorded. The chapters also detail how the records were marketed and contain sales and chart information. The book has chapters on the history of EMI and Parlophone Records, how records are mastered and manufactured, how EMI contracted with other record companies to press Beatles singles and albums to help meet demand, British radio and record charts in the sixties and other record-related topics. The book has over 700 illustrations, all in either color or original black and white.
Section One - 45-RPM Singles
3 LOVE ME DO c/w P.S. I LOVE YOU
13 PLEASE PLEASE ME c/w ASK ME WHY
19 FROM ME TO YOU c/w THANK YOU GIRL
23 SHE LOVES YOU c/w I'LL GET YOU
29 I WANT TO HOLD YOUR HAND c/w THIS BOY
33 CAN'T BUY ME LOVE c/w YOU CAN'T DO THAT
37 A HARD DAY'S NIGHT c/w THINGS WE SAID TODAY
41 I FEEL FINE c/w SHE'S A WOMAN
45 TICKET TO RIDE c/w YES IT IS
49 HELP! c/w I'M DOWN
53 WE CAN WORK IT OUT c/w DAY TRIPPER
57 PAPERBACK WRITER c/w RAIN
63 YELLOW SUBMARINE c/w ELEANOR RIGBY
67 STRAWBERRY FIELDS FOREVER c/w PENNY LANE
73 ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE c/w BABY, YOU'RE A RICH MAN
79 HELLO, GOODBYE c/w I AM THE WALRUS
85 LADY MADONNA c/w THE INNER LIGHT
89 HEY JUDE c/w REVOLUTION
97 GET BACK c/w DON'T LET ME DOWN
103 THE BALLAD OF JOHN AND YOKO c/w OLD BROWN SHOE
107 SOMETHING c/w COME TOGETHER
109 LET IT BE c/w YOU KNOW MY NAME
115 EXPORT SINGLES
119 Komm, Gib Mir Deine Hand c/w SIE LIEBT DICH
121 POLYDOR SINGLES
Section Two - Long-Playing Albums
129 PLEASE PLEASE ME
147 WITH THE BEATLES
161 A HARD DAY'S NIGHT
175 BEATLES FOR SALE
187 HELP!
199 RUBBER SOUL
211 REVOLVER
223 A COLLECTION OF BEATLES OLDIES
229 SGT. PEPPER'S LONELY HEARTS CLUB BAND
249 THE BEATLES (The White Album)
273 YELLOW SUBMARINE
281 THE BEATLES; GET BACK (unreleased)
297 ABBEY ROAD
311 GET BACK w/ Let It Be & 10 other songs (unreleased)
315 LET IT BE
325 "FROM THEN TO YOU" (Beatles Christmas Record, 1970)
335 EXPORT ALBUMS
343 MAGICAL MYSTERY TOUR (Import)
345 THE BEATLES' FIRST (Polydor)
Section Three - EPs
349 TWIST AND SHOUT
357 THE BEATLES' HITS
361 THE BEATLES (No. 1)
364 THE BEATLES' GOLDEN DISCS (cancelled)
365 ALL MY LOVING
369 LONG TALL SALLY
373 Extracts from the film A HARD DAY'S NIGHT
375 Extracts from the Album A HARD DAY'S NIGHT
377 BEATLES FOR SALE
379 BEATLES FOR SALE (No. 2)
383 THE BEATLES' MILLION SELLERS
385 YESTERDAY
387 NOWHERE MAN
391 MAGICAL MYSTERY TOUR
402 YELLOW SUBMARINE (Aborted)
403 TONY SHERIDAN WITH THE BEATLES (Polydor)
Section Four - An EMI Recording
407 A BRIEF HISTORY OF EMI
410 PARLOPHONE RECORDS
410 HAYES * MIDDLESEX * ENGLAND
410 331'3-RPM LONG PLAYING ALBUMS
411 45-RPM SINGLES
412 MASTERING & MANUFACTURING RECORDS
414 TRAIL OFF AREA MARKINGS
415 PRINTING OF LABELS
416 PARLOPHONE LABELS
418 APPLE LABELS
419 DEMONSTRATION RECORDS & FACTORY SAMPLES
420 TAX CODE LETTERS
422 "SOLD IN U.K." (RETAIL PRICE MAINTENANCE)
424 PUBLISHING & COPYRIGHT NOTICES
424 SOLID CENTER PRESSINGS
425 CONTRACT PRESSINGS
425 DECCA RECORDS
425 DECCA ALBUMS
426 DECCA SINGLES
427 ORIOLE
428 CBS RECORDS
429 PHILIPS
430 PYE
431 COMPARISON OF PUSH-OUT CENTER SINGLES
432 THE MYSTERIOUS TRI-CENTER PRESSING
433 COMPANY SLEEVES
440 Apple SLEEVES
441 ALBUM COVERS & INNER SLEEVES
443 BRITISH RADIO & RECORD CHARTS IN THE 1960s
444 PARLOPHONE AROUND THE WORLD
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