All You Need Is Love By Steven Gaines and Peter Brown Review (Random Things Tours)

Today dear readers I am on the blog tour for All You Need Is Love ; The End of the Beatles – An Oral History by Those Who Were There (Published 11th April) By Steven Gaines and Peter Brown. A big thank you to the publishers Monoray/Octopus Books for sending a copy to read and review. Also to the wonderful Anne, always a pleasure to work with.

 

All You Need Is Love

All You Need is Love is a ground-breaking oral history of the Beatles and how it all came to an end. Based on never-before-published or heard interviews with Paul McCartney, Yoko Ono, George Harrison, Ringo Starr, and their families, friends, and business associates, this is a landmark book, containing stunning new revelations, about the biggest band the world has ever seen.

In 1980-1981 former COO of Apple Corp, Peter Brown and author Steven Gaines interviewed everyone in the Beatles’ inner circle and included a small portion of the transcripts in their international bestselling book The Love You Make, which spent four months on the New York Times bestseller list. But left in their archives was a treasure trove of unique and candid interviews that they chose not to publish, until now. A powerful work assembled through honest, intimate, sometimes contradictory and always fascinating testimony, All You Need is Love is a one-of-a-kind insight into the final days, weeks, months and years of the Beatles phenomenon.

About the Author

STEVEN GAINES is the New York Times bestselling author of Philistines at the Hedgerow: Passion and Property in the Hamptons and The Love You Make: An Insiders Story of the Beatles (with Peter Brown). His journalism has appeared in Vanity Fair, the New York Times, and New York magazine, where he was a contributing editor for 12 years. Mr. Gaines is the co-founder and a past vice-chairman of the Hamptons International Film Festival. He has lived in Wainscott, a small hamlet on the East End of Long Island, for 40 years.

PETER BROWN is the former COO of Apple Corp, the Beatles’ financial empire. He’s been a Beatles intimate since their earliest days in Liverpool. Their passports were locked in his desk drawer. He was best man at John and Yoko’s wedding, he introduced Paul to Linda Eastman, and perhaps the most charming of his credentials is that he’s the only real person ever mentioned in a Beatles song, “Peter Brown called to say, you can make it okay, you can marry in Gibraltar near Spain,” from the “Ballad of John and Yoko.” Mr. Brown

 

My Review

There has never been quite an act to follow in the magical, strange but unique footsteps as The Beatles. Four lads from Liverpool with bowl haircuts, sharp snazzy suits and a sound that would become legendary. John, Paul, Ringo and not forgetting of course George had it all. The houses, the girls, the cars, anything they wanted was within reach. With Brian Epstein as their manger who was sophisticated, classy and owned a Zodiac (the lads were impressed by his car) the world was their oyster. They couldn’t go anywhere, turn on the radio, tv, without seeing themselves. Over the years it started to become too much, they felt trapped and needed space. Just what exactly went on behind the scenes? What changed in those final years of the Beatles that ended it all? In never-before-published or heard interviews with the men themselves along with their families, friends and business associates All You Need Is Love sheds light on how and why one of the greatest British bands to date, came to an end.

In 1980-1981 Peter Brown and Steven Gaines conducted interviews with everyone in the Beatles inner circle. However they were left in their archives for over forty years until now. These interviews are powerful as they coincide with the final days, weeks and years of the Beatle phenomenon.

These interviews are raw and unique. The reader is reminded at the start of the book that the interviewees don’t always remember events or people the same way. Or tell the truth so to expect to find contrasting versions throughout the interviews. It is left up to the reader to decide what they believe is true. However everyone does agree that the story of the Beatles was meant to end when it did.

When I read Paul McCartney’s interview, it filled me with sadness. A sadness that he had no idea of what unfortunate fate was in store for John. Paul’s interview was the last he gave before John was killed in December of 1980. He talks about the loss of trust between him and John. He could feel the band growing apart as they were hardly writing together. Paul mentions how he was always outvoted by the others and would dig his heels in which would cause tension.

A lot of people have the impression that it was Yoko Ono who broke up the band. She would attend recording sessions sitting on their amps, lending her vocals and ideas to songs. It would often throw the lads’ game off as they thought it was crazy. However when you learn of the infamous gig in Manila, you start to wonder if that was the beginning of the end. George comments in his interview how it was one of the nastiest times that led them to stop touring. 

I give All You Need Is Love a Five out of Five paw rating

This is a must for any die hard fan of the sensation that was the Beatles.

It is fascinating to read each interview and see similarities or contradictions. You feel as the reader that you are there in the room with them all. The relaxed atmosphere with some of the interviews is inviting as you ease into a flow with the conversation. I highly recommend this book, it allows a peek, an insight into what goes on behind the scenes from one of the most loved bands to every come out of Liverpool.

Don’t forget to follow the rest of the blog tour, dates below, enjoy,

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