Published April 9, 2024

Summary

This is a collection of interviews with people in the Beatles’ inner circle. The interviews took place in 1980, several weeks before John Lennon was murdered. The interviews were used to write the book The Love You Make published which was published in 1983. These aren’t the full interviews, but selections that were left out of the first book. 

In addition to the interviews, the authors include snippets of information about what has since happened to the interviewees. 

My Thoughts

I very much enjoyed this book. I found it while I was wandering through the library with some time to kill, and I sat down and read the entire thing in one afternoon. 

That said, I’m a serious fan of the Beatles who is interested in everything to do with the band. While there is some information about the personal lives and music of the Beatles, a substantial amount of material in the interviews is related to the break-up of their business, legal wrangling and the details of contracts.

The interview with Yoko was fascinating. The interview with Allen Klein was oblique. It interested me to see how different individuals remembered the same events. It was also interesting to read when people said things that have since been contradicted by themselves or others.

The introduction in this book is important to understanding the context of the interviews. I know some people skip intros, but I wouldn’t recommend doing that in this book. 

Recommendations if you need more books about the Beatles

If you are interested in what the Beatles had to say:

• The Beatles Anthology – Transcripts from the documentary

If you are most interested in the music:

• All You Need is Ears – George Martin

• The Lyrics – Paul McCartney

• A Hard Days Write – Steve Turner

• The Complete Beatles’ Recording Sessions – Mark Lewisohn

If you are interested in the perspectives of the Beatles’ ex-wives and girlfriends:

• John – Cynthia Lennon

• Instamatic Karma – May Pang

• George Harrison: Living in the Material World – Olivia Harrison (Slightly less intimate than the others, it also includes interviews with his friends)

• Wonderful Tonight – Pattie Boyd (I only gave this 3 stars because though it was very interesting, it wasn’t exceptionally well organized)

If you are interested in the later years:

• Miss O’Dell: Hard Days and Long Nights with The Beatles, The Stones, Bob Dylan and Eric Clapton – Katherine Ketcham and Chris O’Dell. (The first half of the book is dedicated to O’Dell’s time at Apple Corp. The second half is about her work with other bands though it does talk about her continuing friendships with some members of the band.)

About the Authors

Peter Brown was a part of the Beatles’ management team and he helped establish and operate Apple Corps. After the break-up of the Beatles, he went on to lead other music and entertainment businesses before founding a global public relations company. This is his second book with Steven Gaines.

Steven Gaines is an author, journalist, and radio show host. He has written both novels and biographies. To learn more about Gaines and his writing, you can check out his website.