Beatles Biography by Mark Lewisohn (6th edition)- plus Lewisohn news. *

I will guess a large number are worrying not so much as to Mark finishing. The real concern is they may not finish the project of reading them.

 

Well, I suppose we know how the story ends...

 

We think we do. Just wait!

 

Link, please? I haven't heard any interviews with him during this year at all. He said that if he suddenly will go quiet then he's busy writing.

 

Latest interview, published today, 22 May

#1 (Part One) - Beatles Authority Mark Lewisohn on Travel, Duty, the Creative Process, and the World's Greatest Rock n' Roll Band - Zachary Stockill

 

Do you have a link to that interview?

 

Mark also says on this podcast that the Beatles history might be 4 books, "if I still have my health." Listening to Part 1 of the interview now. But Part 2 is also available.

 

Oh boy, reminds me of George R.R. Martin, who has a habit of threatening a 8th book in his Song of Ice and Fire series even though it's supposed to end at 7 and theres still no release in sight for the sixth volume !

 

On the podcast Mark says the writing phase of Volume 2 will begin "soon." He says it took him 3 years to write Volume 1. He says he's spent 15 years on this project so far -- 12 years doing research and 3 years writing Volume 1. So if it takes 3 years to write Volume 2, that puts us into 2021. He said Vol 2 will be far more complex to write.

He says people have started to get "more aggressive" lately in pressuring him about Vol. 2.

 

Thanks. Such a great interview.

 

Some of you probably know more than I do about Mark's history but before that interview I didn't know that:

1) As a clerical worker at the BBC aged 16 to 18 he used his lunchtimes to research Beatles-related info in the in-house library resources.
2) He was a researcher for Philip Norman's Beatles and Elton John books.
3) He was a researcher for Ray Coleman's John Lennon, Brian Epstein and Eric Clapton books.
4) Philip Norman wanted him to be a researcher for his John Lennon book around the time he started Tune In, but he said no.

None of that is on his wikipedia page.

 

Lewisohn is to Beatles Biographies as Neil Young is to Archives Vol 2. Hurry up and wait.

 

Oh, that will give him excuse probably to end Vol.2 at the beginning of first Sullivan Show on 1550 page.

Seriously - I though he's already writing book. It's very hard to cross the border when to stop research and actually to start writing. Making it one man operation is not good decision in that regard. Someone need to press him to start writing it. Otherwise it can turn into Brian Wilson "Smile" thing..

 

One of the best Lewisohn interviews I've listened to. Not least because the interviewer just asked his questions and let Mark reply, however long that took, rather than constantly interrupting and talking over him as far too many podcasters do. It's not a coincidence that we learned quite a lot of new stuff about Mark and his process. The idea that his archive is one day going to be made available I found particularly tantilising.

I genuinely don't understand this 'where is the book?' nonsense. If you've read Tune In, you'll know the level of research he undertakes will be well worth the wait. If you want a Beatles biography that just rehashes what all of us think we know, there are quite a few already to choose from.

 

One question is never came up in his interviews - what other 60's bands Mark enjoy besides Beatles? I would love to hear his thoughs about Byrds & Stones as he mentioned it to me as his favourite bands besides Beatles. And he reportedly knows about Stones more than guys who writing books about them

 

A tip for those waiting for volume 2. Dominic Sandbrook's 'Never Had it So Good' is a wonderful portrayal of Britain in the late 50s and early 60s. Especially his coverage of the events of 1963 - really gives a deep insight into the context of Beatlemania. I actually skipped the chapter on skiffle and rock'n'roll because I thought it would be impossible for him to match Lewisohn's portrayal.

No doubt some of you have already read it - I'm a bit late on this one - it was published in 2005 and several subsequent volumes have been published since.

 

Has it not already? I'm really looking forward to the next volume, but I have very little confidence he'll complete the history.

Compare his approach to Winston Churchill's. I've been reading his 5 volume WWII history, which is incredibly detailed. He didn't type a word, though. It's all dictated to a staff who took care of the heavy lifting. He wouldn't have finished even volume 1 in his lifetime on his own.

I think Mark makes enough money that doing this full time is something he just loves. I don't think he's bringing a project management view to the whole enterprise.

 

Yes, I am worried we won't get to Vol III. I'm guessing Vol. II takes us to the death of Brian.

 

I thought Mark was research volumes 2 & 3 concurrently? If so, there’ll likely be less of a delay between the two.

 

I'm guessing Vol. II takes us to the death of Mark ...

 

I think he is re-researching Volume 1 to correct the mistakes he made ...

 

It should go beyond the Sullivan show. Probably to the end of 1964 at least, or through Help! The transition from Help! to Rubber Soul is a good breaking point.

 

On your game lately!

 

I work best under hot, humid, and sweaty conditions.

Like in the original Cavern Club ...

 

It should really go through all of 1967 (including the showing of Magical Mystery Tour on the telly). Because if not, how the heck is Mark going to fit 1967, 1968, 1969, and 1970 into one Volume 3?

Then, again, how the heck is he going to fit 1963, 1964, 1965, and 1966 into one volume?

Which also points out that he should have planned on doing 5 or 6 volumes, which would say cover 2 years at a time.