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Post by OldFred on Jun 20, 2013 18:28:34 GMT -5
I'm currently reading Jim Berkenstadt's book 'The Beatle Who Vanished', about Jimmie Nicol, the drummer who substituted for Ringo Starr for two weeks on the Beatles' first 1964 world tour when Ringo got sick. It's a fascinating book that chronicles Nicol's career prior to the Beatles, during his short stint on their world tour, and what happened to him after Ringo returned to the group. For those who think that Nicol just came out of nowhere, did his bit, then disappeared without a trace, you've got to read this book. Berkenstadt's reputation as the 'Rock & Roll Detective' is well-earned and deserved, and his research skills matches those of Bruce Spizer and Mark Lewisohn. Berkenstadt painstakingly traced every aspect of Nicol's life and career and what he turned up is amazing. You'll learn about Nicol's pre-Beatles bands and career, the reasons he was chosen to sub for Ringo, the incredible ride he had inside the eye of the hurricane of Beatlemania, what happened when Ringo returned, and the direction his career and life took after he was sent packing back to England, how Paul McCartney lent Jimmie an anonymous helping hand and the Beatles song Nicol inspired. For a brief two week period, Jimmie Nicol was officially a Beatle, and how that experience affected him for the rest of his life is both fascinating as well as sad. It's always interesting to come across a Beatles book that gives you a new spin on the story we think we know. Jim Berkenstadt's book throws a spotlight on how a brief, but hectic, entrance into the whirlwind that was The Beatles completely affected and altered the life of one individual. Berkenstadt takes Jimmie Nicol out of the footnotes of the majority of Beatles books and presents him as a real, flesh and blood character with a life story as fascinating as that of the four individuals whose world he was briefly a part of. If you want to know who Jimmie Nicol was and whatever happened to him, I highly recommend you pick up Jim Berkenstadt's book 'The Beatle Who Vanished'. www.thebeatlewhovanished.com/ |
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Post by Steve Marinucci on Jun 20, 2013 23:09:55 GMT -5
I'm currently reading Jim Berkenstadt's book 'The Beatle Who Vanished', about Jimmie Nicol, the drummer who substituted for Ringo Starr for two weeks on the Beatles' first 1964 world tour when Ringo got sick. It's a fascinating book that chronicles Nicol's career prior to the Beatles, during his short stint on their world tour, and what happened to him after Ringo returned to the group. For those who think that Nicol just came out of nowhere, did his bit, then disappeared without a trace, you've got to read this book. Berkenstadt's reputation as the 'Rock & Roll Detective' is well-earned and deserved, and his research skills matches those of Bruce Spizer and Mark Lewisohn. Berkenstadt painstakingly traced every aspect of Nicol's life and career and what he turned up is amazing. You'll learn about Nicol's pre-Beatles bands and career, the reasons he was chosen to sub for Ringo, the incredible ride he had inside the eye of the hurricane of Beatlemania, what happened when Ringo returned, and the direction his career and life took after he was sent packing back to England, how Paul McCartney lent Jimmie an anonymous helping hand and the Beatles song Nicol inspired. For a brief two week period, Jimmie Nicol was officially a Beatle, and how that experience affected him for the rest of his life is both fascinating as well as sad. It's always interesting to come across a Beatles book that gives you a new spin on the story we think we know. Jim Berkenstadt's book throws a spotlight on how a brief, but hectic, entrance into the whirlwind that was The Beatles completely affected and altered the life of one individual. Berkenstadt takes Jimmie Nicol out of the footnotes of the majority of Beatles books and presents him as a real, flesh and blood character with a life story as fascinating as that of the four individuals whose world he was briefly a part of. If you want to know who Jimmie Nicol was and whatever happened to him, I highly recommend you pick up Jim Berkenstadt's book 'The Beatle Who Vanished'. www.thebeatlewhovanished.com/That's one of the good things about the book ... that Jimmy wasn't a nobody. But on the other hand, for whatever reason, he became a nobody again ... and it appears to have been somewhat on purpose. That's something Berkenstadt didn't really answer, probably because no one, except Jimmy, really knows. My guess is the brush with Beatle fame had a bigger effect on him that anyone realized. |
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Post by Panther on Jun 22, 2013 21:54:20 GMT -5
I would personally refuse to read this book for two reasons: (1) I don't really care that much about Jimmy Nichol (good luck to him and everything, but I'm not interested in random musicians' happenstance encounters with Beatles), and (2) The title foolishly refers to him as a Beatle, something no fan (or actual Beatle) considers him to be.
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Post by Steve Marinucci on Jun 23, 2013 0:39:16 GMT -5
I would personally refuse to read this book for two reasons: (1) I don't really care that much about Jimmy Nichol (good luck to him and everything, but I'm not interested in random musicians' happenstance encounters with Beatles), and (2) The title foolishly refers to him as a Beatle, something no fan (or actual Beatle) considers him to be. I'd always wondered (and the book answers) exactly how the Beatles connected with him. Plus his musical experience was interesting to me. |
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jun 23, 2013 1:51:13 GMT -5
How many Beatles were there..
The Beatle that vanished...
Foreword by former Beatle Chas Newby
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Post by Joe Karlosi on Jun 23, 2013 5:48:40 GMT -5
I would personally refuse to read this book for two reasons: (1) I don't really care that much about Jimmy Nichol (good luck to him and everything, but I'm not interested in random musicians' happenstance encounters with Beatles), and (2) The title foolishly refers to him as a Beatle, something no fan (or actual Beatle) considers him to be. Perhaps you don't like the idea of Jimmy being a Beatle, but the fact is that he WAS one of them for that brief time while subbing for Ringo. I am a fan and I considered him to be one during that time. (I'm talking strictly on a technical level). |
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Post by OldFred on Jun 23, 2013 6:04:59 GMT -5
All the more reason to read the book. Nicol had a fascinating career prior to the Beatles, with several interesting close run-ins, including a stint with Tony Sheridan. What happened to him afterwards is just as fascinating as well as sad. He wasn't just picked out of nowhere, he was a top notch musician with a respected industry reputation, and his Beatles ties were closer than people think they know. If the Beatles were going to pick somebody who was going to replace Ringo for the period of time he was ill, it had to be someone they and Brian knew was good, and once you delve into Jimmie's backstory, you'll learn why he was the perfect choice. And once he signed the contracts and was in the inner circle, he WAS a Beatle. Brian Epstein considered him a Beatle. Mal Evans and Neil Aspinal considered him a Beatle. The fans who saw him perform with the group considered him a Beatle. And most importantly, the Beatles considered Jimmie to be a Beatle! This book presents the story of an individual who was in the Beatles inner circle for a very brief period of time and how the experience forever affected his life. If you think you know the story, you really don't. Jim Berkenstadt's research on his subject is incredible, as Our Steve can attest. This is a totally different spin on the Beatles story which is quite riveting, with lots of rare photos and fascinating information. It has the makings of a great film documentary like 'Good Ol' Frida!' and a bio-pic like 'Nowhere Boy'. It's an incredible story of a guy who for a very brief moment in time, experienced the ultimate in superstardom, and what it did to his life afterwards. This is perhaps the most famous and saddest picture of Jimmie Nicol during his tenure with the Beatles. It was taken the day after Ringo returned to the group and Jimmie was sent back to England alone after experiencing the biggest ride of his life. His eyes and the expression on his face speaks volumes. Don't tell me there's isn't a story to be told here.  Steve can back me up on this, this is a Must Read book and I can't recommend it enough. |
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lowbasso
A Hard Day's Knight
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Post by lowbasso on Jun 23, 2013 13:07:46 GMT -5
I would personally refuse to read this book for two reasons: (1) I don't really care that much about Jimmy Nichol (good luck to him and everything, but I'm not interested in random musicians' happenstance encounters with Beatles), and (2) The title foolishly refers to him as a Beatle, something no fan (or actual Beatle) considers him to be. Perhaps you don't like the idea of Jimmy being a Beatle, but the fact is that he WAS one of them for that brief time while subbing for Ringo. I am a fan and I considered him to be one during that time. (I'm talking strictly on a technical level). Agree completely with JoeK. And we both count as Beatle fans.... Nichol was a Beatle, and the others accepted him as such while he played on the '64 Tour to Scandanavia and Down Under. So Stuart Sutcliffe, Johnny Hutch, The Quarrymen, Tony Sheridan, Billy Preston, Eric Clapton, et al. all have no interest to you as "random musicians' happenstance encounters with The Beatles."  ? |
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lowbasso
A Hard Day's Knight
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Post by lowbasso on Jun 23, 2013 13:15:24 GMT -5
All the more reason to read the book. Nicol had a fascinating career prior to the Beatles, with several interesting close run-ins, including a stint with Tony Sheridan. What happened to him afterwards is just as fascinating as well as sad. He wasn't just picked out of nowhere, he was a top notch musician with a respected industry reputation, and his Beatles ties were closer than people think they know. If the Beatles were going to pick somebody who was going to replace Ringo for the period of time he was ill, it had to be someone they and Brian knew was good, and once you delve into Jimmie's backstory, you'll learn why he was the perfect choice. And once he signed the contracts and was in the inner circle, he WAS a Beatle. Brian Epstein considered him a Beatle. Mal Evans and Neil Aspinal considered him a Beatle. The fans who saw him perform with the group considered him a Beatle. And most importantly, the Beatles considered Jimmie to be a Beatle! This book presents the story of an individual who was in the Beatles inner circle for a very brief period of time and how the experience forever affected his life. If you think you know the story, you really don't. Jim Berkenstadt's research on his subject is incredible, as Our Steve can attest. This is a totally different spin on the Beatles story which is quite riveting, with lots of rare photos and fascinating information. It has the makings of a great film documentary like 'Good Ol' Frida!' and a bio-pic like 'Nowhere Boy'. It's an incredible story of a guy who for a very brief moment in time, experienced the ultimate in superstardom, and what it did to his life afterwards. This is perhaps the most famous and saddest picture of Jimmie Nicol during his tenure with the Beatles. It was taken the day after Ringo returned to the group and Jimmie was sent back to England alone after experiencing the biggest ride of his life. His eyes and the expression on his face speaks volumes. Don't tell me there's isn't a story to be told here. Steve can back me up on this, this is a Must Read book and I can't recommend it enough. That photo has become one of my all-time favorites of historical importance in Beatles History. Why? Because it represents what it would have been like to have been in that band for a few precious days, and then the dream is over..... |
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Post by OldFred on Jun 23, 2013 18:55:03 GMT -5
How many Beatles were there.. The Beatle that vanished... Foreword by former Beatle Chas Newby This is borrowed from a post by 'Arnold Grove' on the Hoffman Board: forums.stevehoffman.tv/threads/jimmie-nicol-the-beatle-who-vanished.321421/page-2Chas Newby played 4 shows total with the Beatles as a bassist, all in December 1960, including the legendary Litherland Town Hall gig on December 27. This was the gig where the Beatles were billed as "Direct From Hamburg" and where they proceeded to blow everyone away by doing their Hamburg repertoire. Lewisohn calls it their "turning point" gig. Chas though returned to school instead of joining the others when they went back to Hamburg in 1961. Arnie
Additional Note from the Hoffman Board: Chas subbed for Stu Sutcliffe on bass in December 1960. My Note: Chas appeared at the NJ Fest for Bealtefans in March and performed bass on stage and was very good and was well received by the Fans in attendance. Chas signed my copy of the Nicol book along with author Jim Berkenstadt. |
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Post by John S. Damm on Jun 23, 2013 21:28:20 GMT -5
I think this would be an interesting book. It is an interesting, if brief, chapter in the Beatles story.
I think though the biggest story in this Jimmy Nicol saga is how willing the powers that be in Beatledom were willing to replace Ringo, even if temporary, to keep the money game going. Bottom line, Ringo was expendable and that is the big story there.
There is no way in hell that if John or Paul fell sick that either would have been replaced even if for just two weeks. What does Berkenstadt say about George Harrison's attitude to Jimmy? By all previous accounts George absolutely, positively hated the idea of Ringo being replaced temporarily and said as such but he was "just George."
The Jimmy Nicol chapter proved forever that all Beatles were not created equal and that it was really just the John and Paul show.
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Post by Steve Marinucci on Jun 23, 2013 23:39:31 GMT -5
I think this would be an interesting book. It is an interesting, if brief, chapter in the Beatles story. I think though the biggest story in this Jimmy Nicol saga is how willing the powers that be in Beatledom were willing to replace Ringo, even if temporary, to keep the money game going. Bottom line, Ringo was expendable and that is the big story there. There is no way in hell that if John or Paul fell sick that either would have been replaced even if for just two weeks. What does Berkenstadt say about George Harrison's attitude to Jimmy? By all previous accounts George absolutely, positively hated the idea of Ringo being replaced temporarily and said as such but he was "just George." The Jimmy Nicol chapter proved forever that all Beatles were not created equal and that it was really just the John and Paul show. John, I'd suggest the Beatles were still on the rise when they used Jimmy. I doubt they'd have done that a year later. Also, too, if you wanted to "blame" anyone, it would have to be Brian Epstein, since he approved Nicol. Was it money or just not hurting the Beatles? |
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Post by OldFred on Jun 24, 2013 4:33:59 GMT -5
I think this would be an interesting book. It is an interesting, if brief, chapter in the Beatles story. I think though the biggest story in this Jimmy Nicol saga is how willing the powers that be in Beatledom were willing to replace Ringo, even if temporary, to keep the money game going. Bottom line, Ringo was expendable and that is the big story there. There is no way in hell that if John or Paul fell sick that either would have been replaced even if for just two weeks. What does Berkenstadt say about George Harrison's attitude to Jimmy? By all previous accounts George absolutely, positively hated the idea of Ringo being replaced temporarily and said as such but he was "just George." The Jimmy Nicol chapter proved forever that all Beatles were not created equal and that it was really just the John and Paul show. Johnny, the book does fully cover George's position on starting the tour without Ringo, and bottom line, George was not pleased. More details in the book. |
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Post by Joe Karlosi on Jun 24, 2013 6:02:16 GMT -5
Bottom line, Ringo was expendable and that is the big story there. I don't think this is true at all. There is no "big story" ... Okay, so Jimmy could sit in as a temporary figure for Ringo for several days to drum "live" while Ringo was going through tonsilitis ... but Jimmy never truly replaced Ringo, nor could he ever in the long term, and I don't think he ever could have on the records and in the studio, and in the eyes of the fans looking at the big picture. There is an even an interview in 1964 with Jimmy sitting in with the other three, and Jimmy says "I can never make up for what Ringo is", or something. I would tend to agree with you in my gut, but I mean really, it is easier to replace a silent drummer who doesn't need to sing on the tours, than the two main singers, John and Paul. It's really as simple as that. There is a promotional film clip of when Jimmy first joins the other three and George pretends to throw a false punch at him. That's just not true -- as Beatles Fans we all know (or should know) that "The Beatles" would not have been what they were without the traits and qualities of all four members, Ringo included. We're only talking about a short period of time on tour where there was money invested, and it wouldn't be so outrageous to have a body sit in for a silent drummer. If it was one of the lead singers, it would have been much harder, if not impossible. Another book, so now another slew of gossipy "scandals" ... sigh...  |
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Post by Panther on Jun 24, 2013 6:19:37 GMT -5
If you think you know the story, you really don't. It's not that I think I know the story -- it's that I don't need to know the story. My interest in Nichol is 0%, at most. I'm not dissing anyone for enjoying it. To each his own. If a book about a barely tangential figure in Beatledom -- no more important than, say, John's valet or the trash cleaner at Abbey Road -- is your idea of a desirable biographical story, then go to it! |
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Post by Panther on Jun 24, 2013 6:23:10 GMT -5
So Stuart Sutcliffe, Johnny Hutch, The Quarrymen, Tony Sheridan, Billy Preston, Eric Clapton, et al. all have no interest to you as "random musicians' happenstance encounters with The Beatles." ? Stuart Sutcliffe was actually a Beatle (unlike Nichol) -- that in itself makes him interesting. Further, Stuart was in and around The Beatles' inner circle for a couple of years. That's also interesting. None of this applies to Nichol. Tony Sheridan, Billy Preston, and Eric Clapton are major stars with or without The Beatles' association. I find them all interesting in ways that have nothing to do with The Beatles. Believe it or not, not everything in the world revolves around The Beatles. I honestly think some of you would like to own the square-inch bedsheet that The Beatles slept on in New York in 1964. Or, failing that, you'd probably like to read a biography of someone who owns one. |
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Post by Panther on Jun 24, 2013 6:25:50 GMT -5
The Jimmy Nicol chapter proved forever that all Beatles were not created equal and that it was really just the John and Paul show. I don't think so. Do we know for certain how or if John and Paul petitioned Brian Epstein to cancel the Ringo-less tour? I suspect they said nothing, and just went along with the plan (leaving George no choice but to do the same). No doubt John and Paul had slightly bigger 'Beatle-authority' than George by 1964, but I don't think John or Paul had a great deal of clout in planning the group's schedule then either. We all know Lennon's real feelings about the silly mop-tops movies, the suits, the bowing, the kow-towing to politicians and the like -- but he did it all because Beatle management told him to. Likewise, touring without Ringo. |
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Post by Joe Karlosi on Jun 24, 2013 7:00:08 GMT -5
It's not that I think I know the story -- it's that I don't need to know the story. My interest in Nichol is 0%, at most. I'm not dissing anyone for enjoying it. To each his own. If a book about a barely tangential figure in Beatledom -- no more important than, say, John's valet or the trash cleaner at Abbey Road -- is your idea of a desirable biographical story, then go to it! I don't buy most Beatles-related books these days, and I'm still not sure whether I'll get this one or not. But I think that if the book was honest and had a lot of accurate and true accounts from Jimmy that we've not heard about before, this could be very interesting. How could it not be interesting to hear from a man who lived and played with the Beatles for two weeks? These days there isn't much left to write about Beatle-wise, and this is a chapter that is at least fresh and as of yet, unexplored. And this is all in 1964 during the heart of Beatlemania, for cryin' out loud! No, it is not at all as trivial as reading about John's valet or the trash cleaner -- though even if they did encounter the Beatles and had anything interesting to relate, I wouldn't mind. |
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Post by Joe Karlosi on Jun 24, 2013 7:16:55 GMT -5
Believe it or not, not everything in the world revolves around The Beatles. I honestly think some of you would like to own the square-inch bedsheet that The Beatles slept on in New York in 1964. Or, failing that, you'd probably like to read a biography of someone who owns one. Not everything in the world revolves around The Beatles (though they'd come closer than any other musical group of all time). But everything in 'Music', yes  ). Sounds like you've really got a beetle or some other bug up your ass. I'm getting pretty tired of hearing people complaining when fans are very into The Beatles on what is a "Beatles Message Board". If you're not so serious about them, or look down your nose at fans who find happiness with them instead of relying on drugs or dangerous stimulants, why even bother to come here? I don't have nearly everything there is to collect or read, but I wouldn't mind owning a genuine square inch Beatles bedsheet from '64 if I could get my hands on a legitimate one and it didn't cost a fortune. Why not, as a fan and collector? And if there was going to be only one musical group that would warrant such an item, it would The Beatles, so it's at least of some interest; I wouldn't bother with The White Stripes. |
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Post by OldFred on Jun 24, 2013 8:04:01 GMT -5
Jimmie Nicol's story is fascinating because, unlike a book by 'John's valet' or 'Ringo's gardener', this is a guy who for a brief time was actually in the thick of Beatlemania during its 1964 peak, who worked with the Beatles, shared the same rooms with them, was involved in the press conferences and TV and public appearances, whom the inner circle, which included Brian, Mal and Neil, considered a Beatle. You don't get more inside than that!
Just as fascinating is the turn Jimmie's life took after that incredible experience. As I said, this is a totally new spin on a familiar story, a slice of the Beatles' history that is well worth investigating.
If you were ever curious to know what it must have been like to be in the Beatles during the height of their success and what happens after you're no longer in that world after you've had a taste, then this is the book to read.
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Post by Steve Marinucci on Jun 24, 2013 10:23:14 GMT -5
I honestly think some of you would like to own the square-inch bedsheet that The Beatles slept on in New York in 1964. I hate to admit this publicly, but I do have a piece of a Beatles bedsheet. I picked it up very cheaply a long time ago.  It's one of those "souvenir" thingies they sold in the '60s. |
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Post by John S. Damm on Jun 24, 2013 10:46:25 GMT -5
John, I'd suggest the Beatles were still on the rise when they used Jimmy. I doubt they'd have done that a year later. Also, too, if you wanted to "blame" anyone, it would have to be Brian Epstein, since he approved Nicol. Was it money or just not hurting the Beatles? I absolutely agree that it was Brian driving the decision to press on for two weeks without Ringo but John and Paul were kind of devious for staying silent because nothing was going to stop them from achieving the fame they were chasing. Only George Harrison had the courage to do the right thing and spoke out against what was a bad decision in my opinion. Good for George! Ringo hates this chapter in Fab history to this day, he still bristles that they would go out without him when he was ill. It was as humiliating as being handed a tambourine for "Love Me Do!"  It was also unfair to those fans who loved Ringo and got Jimmy! Oh well, I'd read this book if my local library had it. I was not overly impressed that the Intro was by Chas Newby. Of course, Tommy Moore died in 1981 so he couldn't write it and he was a Beatle a month longer than Chas in 1960! Remember, everyone gets warmly greeted at Beatlefest including backstabber Peter Brown who I saw at maybe the 1982 Chicago Beatlefest and Mark Lapidos and the crowd gave him a conquering hero's welcome despite writing the first of the "dirty" books on the Beatles and shameless Louise Harrison who has been trying to make money off The Beatles from the start thus George disavowed her the majority of his adult life! I am glad Fred reviewed the book here. I know there is an interesting book on this small chapter in Beatles lore. My point is it was not one of those great moments in Beatle history, where perhaps greed and the lust for fame got in the way of loyalty to an ailing bandmate. |
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Post by OldFred on Jun 24, 2013 10:51:19 GMT -5
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Post by Joe Karlosi on Jun 24, 2013 12:50:10 GMT -5
I absolutely agree that it was Brian driving the decision to press on for two weeks without Ringo but John and Paul were kind of devious for staying silent because nothing was going to stop them from achieving the fame they were chasing. Only George Harrison had the courage to do the right thing and spoke out against what was a bad decision in my opinion. Good for George! Ringo hates this chapter in Fab history to this day, he still bristles that they would go out without him when he was ill. It was as humiliating as being handed a tambourine for "Love Me Do!" It was also unfair to those fans who loved Ringo and got Jimmy! Do you think it would have been more unfair to fans for The Beatles to cancel their gigs all together? Sorry, JSD, but once again I just sense that you're again thinking in a tabloid and 'scandalous' way. Big deal, the Beatles pressed on with their commitments by having another drummer sit in for shows very temporarily. I just don't see any problems with this -- and I really love Ringo! Isn't "greed and lust for fame" a little too much like a courtroom drama? Don't turn John and Paul into money grubbers with no loyalty. Come on, JSD, it's not like Ringo was going to be permanently replaced or that they were going to make more records without him. Is it not the case that the tour was probably already set, or am I wrong about that part? By the way -- I love your new John signature photo.  |
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Post by Joe Karlosi on Jun 24, 2013 12:51:44 GMT -5
I honestly think some of you would like to own the square-inch bedsheet that The Beatles slept on in New York in 1964. I hate to admit this publicly, but I do have a piece of a Beatles bedsheet. I picked it up very cheaply a long time ago. It's one of those "souvenir" thingies they sold in the '60s. Good for you, Steve - I think that's really neat. No need to feel funny about admitting it. |
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Post by John S. Damm on Jun 24, 2013 15:31:27 GMT -5
I hate to admit this publicly, but I do have a piece of a Beatles bedsheet. I picked it up very cheaply a long time ago. It's one of those "souvenir" thingies they sold in the '60s. Good for you, Steve - I think that's really neat. No need to feel funny about admitting it. I think it would depend on what piece of Beatle bedsheet one got! I'd want one with nasty stains, body fluids like blood or "other," something to give me a DNA sample. |
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lowbasso
A Hard Day's Knight
Posts: 2,776
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Post by lowbasso on Jun 24, 2013 16:35:13 GMT -5
So Stuart Sutcliffe, Johnny Hutch, The Quarrymen, Tony Sheridan, Billy Preston, Eric Clapton, et al. all have no interest to you as "random musicians' happenstance encounters with The Beatles." ? Stuart Sutcliffe was actually a Beatle (unlike Nichol) -- that in itself makes him interesting. Further, Stuart was in and around The Beatles' inner circle for a couple of years. That's also interesting. None of this applies to Nichol. Tony Sheridan, Billy Preston, and Eric Clapton are major stars with or without The Beatles' association. I find them all interesting in ways that have nothing to do with The Beatles. Believe it or not, not everything in the world revolves around The Beatles. I honestly think some of you would like to own the square-inch bedsheet that The Beatles slept on in New York in 1964. Or, failing that, you'd probably like to read a biography of someone who owns one. To each his own.... Though your idea of who was a Beatle and who wasn't, is clearly open to interpretation. No, I am not interested in bedsheets. But I am interested in Nicol's story of his roughly two weeks when he played drums for the band at the absolute height of their fame. As much as I am interested in Clapton's time in the studio with them for "While My Guitar Gently Weeps", Sheridan's time with them in the studio and clubs in Hamburg, Preston's gig with them on the rooftop in 1969, and The Quarrymen's stories of working with John, Paul & George. And unfortunately, we'll never know Stuart's side of the story due to his premature death. I find them all very interesting in ways that have lots to to with The Beatles.... That's because I am a fan.... |
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Post by debjorgo on Jun 24, 2013 18:19:28 GMT -5
"What?! I paid all that money for a Beatle bed sheet square and it's Jimmie Nicol's? Damn!!!"
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Post by OldFred on Jun 24, 2013 18:24:09 GMT -5
When I first wrote my initial review of 'The Beatle Who Vanished' book, I was only partially finished in reading the book, but was impressed enough to write something on it. I've now completely finished reading the book, and all I can say is 'WOW!!!' This is definitely one of the best Beatles books I've ever read. The last few chapters alone read like a detective novel. I've learned things about Jimmie Nicol and his stint with the Beatles, before and afterwards, which are incredibly fascinating. Kudos to Jim Berkenstadt for the research he put into this book, he's definitely in a class with Mark Lewisohn and Bruce Spizer when it comes to thorough research on his subject. I don't want to give too much away, but I can say with assurance that the Beatles, Brian Epstein, Mal Evans and Neil Aspinal did consider Jimmie Nicol to be a Beatle and he was treated as a Beatle during his short tenure with the band while Ringo was ill. Paul McCartney was definitely trying to look out for Jimmie when he was going through a bad patch of luck and Paul anonymously lent a hand on several occasions which are revealed in the book. One interesting fact that I won't go into too much detail on that you can read more fully about in the book is that Nicol's son, by shear conicidence, worked on the 'Beatles Anthology' project (and later 'Wingspan'), and when Paul found out who he was, wanted to get in touch with his father so that Jimmie could be interviewed for and be a part of the Anthology! That alone should answer the question of whether any of the Beatles considered Nicol to be a Beatle. I came away from this book with an all new admiration and respect for Jimmie Nicol, and it just makes it all the more sadder the way his life and career turned out after he was no longer in the spotlight. It's a tragic Beatle-related story along the lines of Badfinger, but with more of a twist to it. Again, I can't recommend this book enough. It belongs in any serious Beatles scholars' library. And check out Jim Berkenstadt's website on the book, with lots of rare photos, clippings and videos of Jimmie Nicol before, during and after the Beatles. You can also download a free sample excerpt of the book to check it out. www.thebeatlewhovanished.com/ |
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Post by John S. Damm on Jun 24, 2013 21:03:04 GMT -5
Do you think it would have been more unfair to fans for The Beatles to cancel their gigs all together? Just postpone, not cancel, the tour. The Beatles were John, Paul, George & Ringo(in that exact order) and fans got cheated when old Jimmy was at drums. Jimmy Nicol had the charisma of used toilet paper! Sorry, but if Ringo counts, and I say he does, then The Beatles without Ringo ain't The Beatles. We are seeing here who the real Ringo fans are and who are the pretenders.  I'd have an easier time accepting your argument if I didn't already know about the infamous tambourine incident of "Love Me Do," Ringo's first appearance in the recording studio as a Beatle and they wouldn't let him play drums. If John and Paul were as loyal as you say they would have walked out right then and there and I know George Harrison was ready to. George Martin was nothing without the Beatles, history has proved that and John Lennon had the balls to say it, "Please show me what George Martin has ever done on his own, please what?" [Something close to that] |
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? 
). Sounds like you've really got a beetle or some other bug up your ass. I'm getting pretty tired of hearing people complaining when fans are very into The Beatles on what is a "Beatles Message Board". If you're not so serious about them, or look down your nose at fans who find happiness with them instead of relying on drugs or dangerous stimulants, why even bother to come here? 
It's one of those "souvenir" thingies they sold in the '60s. 
It was also unfair to those fans who loved Ringo and got Jimmy!
