The Beatles, the Bible, and Bodega Bay: My Long and Winding Road [Hardcover]

Kenneth Mansfield (Author), Ken Mansfield (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 15, 2000

Ken Mansfield can write authoritatively about the music business of the sixties and the Beatles because he was there in the midst of it-making it happen. As a young record label executive at Capitol Records, the Beatles were his clients, and they became his friends. When the lads from Liverpool began their own record label, Ken Mansfield became the first American manager of Apple Records. The Beatles, the Bible, and Bodega Bay contains his reflections on those heady days of the Beatles era, including his personal recollections of the members of the Beatles and personal reflections and commentary on the times and the people. But that is only part of the story. Ken Mansfield reconstructs his journey of discovery that led him to faith. His personal reflection on the Bible and his faith bring the narrative into the present tense and places everything into perspective. A life that has seen the wealth and power that fame and fortune can offer, now reflects on the inescapable spiritual realities, tying together The Beatles, the Bible, and Bodega Bay.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Ken Mansfield first worked with the Beatles in the 1960s when he was the American manager of Apple Records. More than likely it was his brush with Beatles fame that landed him this publishing contract, but it is his writing talent and depth of personal story that makes this spiritual memoir rock. Mansfield jumps back and forth, from his childlike fear of landing in London for the first time to his mature and reflective life in the California fishing community of Bodega Bay (seen in Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds). Beatles fans will love all the insider's scoop about the Fabulous Four, although the more recent information about Mansfield's friendship with the currently drug-free and sober Ringo Starr seems the most fresh and intriguing.

Occasionally the Beatles references seem overdone, such as the numerous chapter headings named after Beatles songs or the conspicuous song lyrics stuck into the middle of the narrative. For example, when the 50-something Ringo Starr makes a deal with the 50-something Mansfield that will make the narrator globs of money, he writes, "It was nice to get a little help from a friend!" Biblical quotes are also sprinkled throughout. Take this memoir as a long and winding road or a joyful spiritual romp that travels here, there, and everywhere but ultimately leads to the riches of contemplative living. --Gail Hudson

From Library Journal

Written by the American manager of Apple Records (the Beatles!s well-intentioned, if ill-conceived, label), this is a ruminative and ultimately very spiritual and personal journey through a man!s life. Mansfield!s personal relationships with each member of the Fab Four (especially, in recent years, Ringo Starr) are illustrated with some fascinating signed artifacts that illustrate a great portion of the book and complement stories within its framework. A fly-by-night fan or first-time reader of the Beatles will probably be frustrated by the more philosophical aspects of Mansfield!s story. Ultimately, this insider!s work is too anecdotal and personal to interest anyone but hardcore Beatles fans. An optional purchase.?Colin Carlson, New York
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 368 pages
• Publisher: Broadman & Holman Publishers; 1st ed edition (May 15, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0805422897
• ISBN-13: 978-0805422894
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #106,638 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #50 in Books > Humor & Entertainment > Pop Culture > Beatles

More About the Author

Raised in the northern Idaho Panhandle, Ken Mansfield has experienced a life that most people can only imagine. He was in the heart and heat of the music industry when it was young--back when creativity and passion made the music.

As a top ten graduating senior from San Diego State University, Ken entered the space industry in a classified position on the Saturn and Surveyor space programs. Music was his first love, though, and he became the leader of the successful southern California folk group the Town Criers. His experience as an entertainer, coupled with a B.S. degree in marketing, soon led him to his role as a top music industry executive and producer in Hollywood and Nashville.

In his executive roles, Mansfield not only observed the music of the time; he also helped shape it. He had the great fortune of being part of the classic era of pop and jazz, working with artists such as Stan Kenton, Peggy Lee, George Shearing, the Four Freshmen, Nancy Wilson, Judy Garland, Lou Rawls, Glen Campbell, Bobbie Gentry, and Al Martino, as well being a part of the early careers of legendary country artists Buck Owens, Merle Haggard, and Sonny James. Later years led him to work with the Beach Boys, the Band, Quicksilver Messenger Service, Bob Seger, Eric Burdon and War, Ray Stevens, Hank Williams Jr., Michael Parks, Petula Clark, David Cassidy, Don Ho, Flying Burrito Bros, Andy Williams. Claudine Longet and eventually Waylon, Willie, and the boys during the exciting "Outlaw movement."

It was while he was a Capitol Records executive that Mansfield found himself propelled into the center of a rock 'n' roll whirlwind. The Beatles asked him in 1968 to help them plan the worldwide launch of their record company and to come aboard as United States manager of Apple Records. He was eventually asked to serve as their personal liaison between the U.K. and the U.S. Ken was "the" person in America when it came to matters related to the Beatles throughout the rise and phenomenal popularity of the band.

When the Beatles breakup seemed inevitable, Ken moved on to become a vice president at MGM Records and then president of a CBS label owned by Andy Williams. In 1973 he left CBS/Barnaby to set up his own company, Hometown Productions, Inc., where he began producing artists such as Waylon Jennings, Jessi Colter, Don Ho, David Cassidy, and the Flying Burrito Bros.

Then Ken entered a barren era in which the money, servants, family, career, and health that he took for granted went away, leaving him with little but a sense of confusion and despair. That is where he found Jesus - and from ashes came a beauty that led him on a whole new journey. As Ken writes, "Every day I thank God for loving me so much that He allowed all my worldly possessions to go away and in exchange gave me the one true gift of value--eternal life through His Son and my Savior, Jesus Christ. God is a loving Father who was kind enough to allow me to become broke so I could be broken."

In time, Mansfield was commissioned to produce the renowned Imperials and eventually earned a Grammy and a Dove Award when he produced the Gaither Vocal Band's classic Homecoming album.
Mansfield now takes these business experiences and spiritual insights on the road as he shares his stories through speaking engagements and writing.

PRODUCER AWARDS

Grammy Award
Homecoming (Gaither Vocal Band, 1991)
Dove Award
Homecoming (Gaither Vocal Band, 1991)

Two No. 1 singles
"Amanda" (Waylon Jennings, 1974)
"I'm Not Lisa" (Jessi Colter, 1975)

Five No. 1 albums
I'm Jessi Colter (Jessi Colter, 1975)
Diamond in the Rough (Jessi Colter, 1976)
Are You Ready for the Country? (Waylon Jennings, 1976)
Waylon and Willie (Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson, 1978)
Waylon's Greatest Hits (Waylon Jennings, 1979)

One RIAA-certified gold album
Are You Ready for the Country? (Waylon Jennings, 1976)
Two RIAA-certified platinum albums
Waylon and Willie (Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson, 1978)
Waylon's Greatest Hits (Waylon Jennings, 1979)

Record World's No. 1 Country and Western album of the year
Are You Ready for the Country? (Waylon Jennings, 1976)

ARTISTS PRODUCED

David Cassidy
Jessi Colter
The Flying Burrito Bros.
Gaither Vocal Band
Don Ho
The Imperials
Waylon Jennings
Claudine Longet
Andy Williams
and many more...


TELEVISION

700 CLUB
(2 appearances)

EO Television Network Netherlands.
Mansfield/Beatles Documentary

Fox Network News-Lauri Dhue
George Harrison Special

MSNBC-Rita Cosby Live
John Lennon Special

Fox Network News-David Asman
(three appearances)

CNN
Sunday Morning Show

Fox Network News-James Rosen
Special Edition- Wash DC

ABC Network News Now
"What's The Buzz"

Associated Press TV
(300 TV stations)

Fox Business Channel
Scoreboard

Fox Business Channel
Happy Hour

ABC News-Don Sanchez
San Francisco (two appearances)

CBS-Harry Chapman
"Talk of the Town"
Nashville, Tennessee

WPIX in NYC
Morning News

KTLN-Dave Scott
"Bridges"
San Francisco, CA

ABC-KXLY
Good Morning Northwest
Spokane, WA

Fox 59
Morning Show
Indianapolis IN

Cornerstone TV
"Focus Four"
Pittsburgh, PA

Cornerstone TV
"Getting Together"
Pittsburgh, PA

11th Hour TV
Modesto, CA


RADIO

Westwood One
Dennis Miller Show

Janet Parshall's America

Prime Time America

Moody Broadcasting

Usa Radio Network
(Nationally syndicated)

CNN Radio

CBS WCCO
Brad Scott Show (4 Appearances)

ABC Radio Network
A&E

Mancow's Morning Madness
(3 appearances)

Allstar Radio Network
(Nationally syndicated)

Associated Press Radio
(Nationally syndicated)

XM Radio
Fine Tuning Channel

United Stations/PULSE Radio

Premiere Radio
Satellite Radio Tour

National Radio Network
Frankie Boyer Show

KABC
America's Earliest Morning Show

Bloomberg Radio
Joe Franklin Show
(Nationally syndicated)

WOR
Joey Reynolds Show
(Nationally syndicated)

Allan Handelman Show -
Rock Talks
(Nationally Syndicated)

Breakfast With The Beatles
(Nationally syndicated)

Beatle Brunch
(Nationally syndicated)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars How An Ultimate Beatles Insider Made Peace With His Past And With His God, August 6, 2006

By 

Glen G. Boyd "http://theglenblog.blogspot.com" (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Beatles, the Bible, and Bodega Bay: My Long and Winding Road (Hardcover)

A couple of weeks ago, I happened across an interesting advertisement in my community newspaper, the West Seattle Herald. The ad was for a presentation being given at a local Calvary Chapel church about the Beatles. What caught my eye, was the name of the speaker, a guy named Ken Mansfield.

Having been a pretty hardcore Beatles fan for most of my life, I knew that name from somewhere. I just wasn't sure exactly where the recall came from. With my curiosity appropriately piqued, and with the church in question a convenient two-block walk from my house, I decided to check it out.

Now, if your experience has been anything like mine, you already know that at least part of me expected the worst. When Christian churches or organizations do any sort of special presentation having to do with rock music, it is most often intended to expose it as the evil scourge it surely is, what with all the backward masking and those satanic heavy metal bands out there.

If you've ever come across one of those late-night broadcasts from something like The 700 Club, where some guy who worked as a roadie for say, Marilyn Manson, is dishing up salacious tales of group orgies and blood drinking, you know exactly what I'm talking about. The message is usually something along the lines of you need to burn all of your rock CDs and get with Jesus.

Which is why Mansfield's presentation ended up being such a pleasant surprise. Mansfield's church lecture turned out to be a truly wonderful remembrance of his time in the inner sanctum of the greatest band of all time, complete with music and lots of rare slides.

Mansfield did not dish up a single sordid tale of drugs or groupies (though he did verify this sort of thing went on... I mean, let's be honest here). Nor did he have a single bad thing to say about "The Lads" as he referred to them often in the most endearing of terms. In fact he described them as "the sweetest, most polite group of guys you'd ever want to meet." Perfect Gentlemen, was how he put it. I had to pinch myself to make sure I was really in church.

So the expected "burn your rock CDs" part of the program never did come. The "Get With Jesus" part, of course did. But here again I was rather surprised and somewhat taken aback by the gentle and non-judgmental way this was presented.

Mansfield wrapped up his remembrances of the Beatles with his personal testimony of his eventual fall from the music business (again revealing none of the sorry details in the same show of class that characterized his earlier memories of the Beatles). He went on to tell a simple story of finding personal peace with Jesus and settling down in the quiet California fishing town of Bodega Bay with his wife.

There was no hell and brimstone preaching to be found anywhere in the entire presentation. Yet, I was absolutely riveted by it. The part where he talked about one day not being able to find a job in the business he devoted so much of his life to hit me especially hard. As someone who worked in that business myself for over twenty years (though at nowhere near Mansfield's level), his was a testimony I had no problem relating to myself.

I decided to buy a copy from Amazon the very next day and devoured it in a single six-hour sitting. In much the same laid-back style of the presentation I saw in church, The Beatles, The Bible, And Bodega Bay alternates chapters between Mansfield's Beatles memories of the past, with his present-day prayers and meditations with God, most taking place from the idyllic Bodega Bay home he so clearly loves.

Alongside the Beatles pages, run chronological event summaries in the form of bullet points highlighting the Beatles' career milestones. Meanwhile, selected biblical passages run alongside the pages recounting his bayside devotional conversations with God. Despite what one might see as a contradiction here, the two themes weave together remarkably well, and never for one second does the Christian part of his story come across as preachy or judgmental.

In the Beatles portion of the narrative, Mansfield traces his journey from his humble Idaho beginnings to the ivory tower of Capitol Records in Hollywood, to being asked by the Fab Four themselves to run their Apple Records operation in the United States. Along the way, Mansfield recounts numerous personal recollections from those heady days in the form of some very interesting and telling anecdotes.

This is all wonderfully illustrated with priceless, never before seen pictures and memorabilia from his personal collection. He even tells the story of nearly selling one such piece -- a handwritten and signed note from John Lennon -- to a used record dealer when he was later down on his luck. As soon as he realized what he almost did, he snatched back the picture as well as the 25 cents the dealer was about to pay him for it.

Mansfield describes the thrill of being at the Beatles historic final London rooftop concert for the Let It Be film, with all of the excitement and awe of being a kid in what had to be the world's greatest candy store. He also details the negotiation tactics of a ruthless Allen Klein as he was in the process of taking over Apple. In what came down to a tennis match for Mansfield's job, Mansfield won, enabling him to wisely walk away from Klein's offer. He talks about how Capitol Records handled the "Paul Is Dead" rumors which swirled about after the release of Abbey Road. They eventually got a handwriting expert to verify that everything Paul had signed for Capitol came from the same man.

There are also the numerous personal stories of his private moments with the most famous four men on earth. Such as the time Mansfield had to be literally saved by Paul McCartney at a meeting where he was first shown the nude photographs of John and Yoko for the Two Virgins without prior warning. Or when he witnessed an impromptu living room jam session at George's house with the likes of Eric Clapton, Donovan, and the Jefferson Airplane's Jack Casady taking turns trying to one-up each other.

Of course there are also tragedies as Mansfield recounts the deaths of close friends such as Beatles confidant Mal Evans, who was found shot under mysterious curcumstances while Mansfield was across town accepting a Grammy Award. The two had spoken earlier the same day and Mansfield recalls sensing there was something terribly wrong. When Mansfield got the news of John Lennon's death, he was in the process of going through his archive of Lennon photos at his home in what proved to be a moment of bittersweet, poetic irony.

Amazingly, Mansfield recounts these stories (and many more) not only fondly, but without even a hint of the scandal which colors so many of the other Beatles biographies and tell-all books which have come out over the years.

His credentials of having actually been there at a very high level are without question, having run Apple in the U.S. for the Beatles. The numerous photographs and personal recollections which color this book only further cement Mansfield's credibility. Yet it's clear that despite being the ultimate insider, Mansfield was also the Beatles' friend first and foremost. And that he remains so without a single ax to grind here.

It is little wonder that this book is the only Beatles retrospective outside of the official Anthology that McCartney, Harrison, Starr, and the Lennon estate represented by John's widow, Yoko Ono, personally signed off on and approved.

Likewise, Mansfield never really dishes up any dirt on his own eventual fall from grace in the music industry, though it is clearly implied that such a fall did in fact take place at some point. Rather he fast forwards throughout the book to the present. This is a time which finds Ken Mansfield at peace. With his past. With his family and his marriage. With his life. And at peace with the God who he finds himself in deep devotion and prayer with in his daily walks along his beloved Bodega Bay.

Mansfield is a man who has lived several lifetimes worth of experience, and any one of us should find ourselves so lucky at the journey's end.

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars All You Need is Love (and this book), May 26, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Beatles, the Bible, and Bodega Bay: My Long and Winding Road (Hardcover)

This is an amazing book. Ken Mansfield has done a masterful job of relating stories and anecdotes about his days with the Beatles that will satisfy and intrigue any fan, while working in more meaty matters of faith and personal examination. The photos are great, the writing in first-rate, and the website on the back of the book .................... is fabulous. Highly recommend!

27 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An old California rocker who is still rollin along!, June 8, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Beatles, the Bible, and Bodega Bay: My Long and Winding Road (Hardcover)

After all these years and after all the things I have read about the Beatles, for the first time I finally feel like I know them. What a refreshing view of these wonderful people. To cap it all off-as a baby boomer who grew up with the Beatles it is incredible to have such a beautiful pictorial about what is important in my life at this stage. Ken Mansfield describes his spiritual journey in such a non preachy way that I feel I have been given some direction in mine. I totally recommend this as a unique rock and roll historical journal with great new unseen pics of the Fab Four and as a personal level must read. I was totally surprised because I have never read a book so unique and unlike anything I have ever seen before.