The Beatles Lyrics: The Unseen Story Behind Their Music edited by Hunter Davies | Fab Forum | The Beatles Bible

This is out on 25 September. My guess is it’s similar in format to the Lennon letters, but with Beatles handwritten lyrics. Probably a typed transcript next to it, plus some well known facts about the songs. Still, I bet it’s interesting to read, and at 560 pages there’s bound to be a lot of good stuff.

Amazon link (please note Amazon.co.uk is showing reviews for the Alan Aldridge Illustrated Lyrics book, which is different)

Description:

Never before has anyone attempted to track down and publish the original versions of the classic songs, many of which have never yet been published. These documents have ended up in the hands of collectors and friends of the Beatles, scattered across the world at museums and universities. Hunter Davies knew and worked with the Beatles during their heyday, and wrote their first and only authorized biography. In this collection, he has tracked down and reproduced over 100 original handwritten manuscripts of their songs, reproduced here – and, in almost every case, for the very first time. For the Beatles, writing songs was a process that could happen anytime and anywhere – songs might begin as a scribble on the back of an envelope, a napkin or on hotel stationery. From them we gain a unique insight into the remarkable creative process of the greatest songwriters of all time; what they were thinking, how they changed their minds, and then came up with the words which are now known the world over – complete with all the scribbles and crossings out. Each song is given its context: what the Beatles were doing at the time, how and when they came to write and record it, how the original version differs from the final one. Almost every Beatles song has a great story behind it, whether it is ‘Yesterday ‘, ‘Eleanor Rigby ‘ or ‘Yellow Submarine ‘. Many books have appeared about the Beatles, but in the end what really matters – and will always matter most – is their music. Their music comes out of their lives, just as their lives and emotions are reflected in their music. The Beatles Lyrics is the definitive story of their lives, as uniquely told through their music.

Publisher info:

THE BEATLES LYRICS: THE UNSEEN STORY to be published in hardback by Weidenfeld & Nicolson in 2014.

Alan Samson, Publisher Non-Fiction, has bought World Rights from Robert Kirby of United Agents for THE BEATLES LYRICS: THE UNSEEN STORY edited by Hunter Davies, which will be published in hardback by Weidenfeld & Nicolson in September 2014. 

Many books have appeared over the years about the Beatles lyrics — about the words of those songs which the whole world knows and sings, and will sing for ever, as long as we have the breath to hum the tunes. But no one has ever tried to track down and publish the original versions of the classic songs — showing the words in the Beatles’ own handwriting, how they first wrote them, how they scribbled them down on pieces of paper or backs of envelopes, with all the crossings out and changes.  And the titles, for sometimes that changed as well.  By using their original manuscripts, Hunter Davies plans to tell the story of their music.

By revealing and publishing these original manuscripts for the first time we gain a unique insight into the creative process of Lennon and McCartney, how they did it, what they were thinking, how they changed their minds, and then came up with the words we now all know.

Such a book has never been published because of copyright reasons, first of all, and secondly because no one has been able to track them all down. The author of the only authorised biography of The Beatles, Hunter Davies, has sought out nearly one hundred Beatles lyrics. His expert introduction describes the creativity of the greatest ever rock band — then he lists and illustrates each song, in chronological order, putting each song in context: what the Beatles were doing at the time, how and when they came to write and then record it, how the original version differs from the final one. The wonder is that almost every Beatles song has a great story behind it — whether it is ‘In My Life ‘, ‘For No One ‘, ‘Yesterday ‘, ‘Eleanor Rigby ‘, or ‘Yellow Submarine ‘.

Alan Samson says: “This visually arresting book places the reader at first hand with lyrical genius. It will enthrall Beatles fans and music-lovers everywhere.”

 “There have been hundreds if not thousands of Beatles books in the last 40 years, coming out on the hour,” says Hunter Davies. “It is now rare for any new material to emerge –   so I am thrilled and excited to be digging out stuff which will be seen for the first time and is important.  After all, the Beatles, in the end, are their music…”

Hunter Davies, editor of THE BEATLES LYRICS: THE UNSEEN STORY, is the author of the only authorised biography of the Beatles. He is the Editor of The John Lennon Letters, published in October 2012 He lives in London NW5.