Customer Reviews

The Birth of the Beatles

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I've read just about every Beatle related book there is and "The Birth of The Beatles" (NOT to be confused with the TV Movie of the same name) is my current favorite. Written with an authentic Liverpudlian accent, Sam Leach gives a first-person eye-witness account of the earliest days of The Beatles. Going beyond the myths of the Fab Four, Sam Leach brilliantly, and with the voice of a street poet, describes the days BEFORE Beatlemania; when they still had to hustle to get fannies into ballrooms, mixed it up with the local hooligans, and played for hours on end for little or no money merely for the love of rock and roll! It's a rare look at the least publicized period in The Beatles storied history, told in a compelling and vivid voice. Whether you're just discovering The Beatles or a veteran BeatleFreak, you'll enjoy this FAB book!

When history takes a critical look back on the formative years of The Beatles, it will discover Sam Leach at the very epicenter of the story. This was the man, the savvy promoter who took The Beatles from the smaller Liverpool clubs and first booked them into the larger venues like the Tower Ballroom where their unique style of rock 'n roll could be heard by a greater number of locals. Sam's promotions (like his "Operation Big Beat" concert series of 1961-62) are the stuff of legend! His wonderful style of storytelling takes you back to those halcyon days when The Beatles were honing their playing skills, building their fan base and crafting the persona that would blast them to international fame just two short years later. But most revealing are Sam's stories of the intense rivalries between the local promoters...conflicts which seemed to escalate with the unexpected appearance of Brian Epstein. Sam Leach places readers in a Liverpudlian Time Machine, transporting them back to the heart-pounding, adrenalin-pumping early Beatle days when pure rock 'n roll was all they played! "The Birth of the Beatles" is an amazing document filled with story after amazing story...written in the words of an underappreciated, but pivotal character in the evolution of the world's greatest band. So grow those sideboards, grease back your hair, slip into a pair of black leather pants and sit down for one tremendous read!

Sam Leach's book, Birth of The Beatles, is a MUST HAVE for Beatles fans, music historians, Mersey Beat fans, deejays, and music promoters. Leach's amazing way with words help the reader to actually feel as if they are living through the amazing rock 'n roll concerts he promoted. His narrative preserves an amazing, exciting era through brilliant descriptions of the people, sounds, shows, the bands' interpersonal dynamics, horseplay and even the fights. The book gives the reader a perfect, behind-the-scenes view of the early concert promotion business, before there were any rules! And Leach should know! He was the music promoter for Liverpool. His name is probably on more collectible British concert posters than anyone else. There would have been no Mersey Beat and indeed The Beatles might never have been discovered by Brian Epstein, without Leach's effort. Sam Leach knew the true meaning of "A Hard Day's Night" as a concert promoter. And the reader learns this along the way. The narration and crisp Liverpool dialogue brings to life the backstage dressing room banter and on-stage rock of the early Beatles, Gerry and the Pacemakers, Rory Storm and the Hurricanes and other Merseyside groups. The raw, powerful rock and roll competition between these bands provides plenty of drama throughout the book, in a manner that makes the reader feel as if he or she is sweating out front of the stage on the dance floor. And all of these great shows are occurring long before The Beatles were stolen away by The Cavern Club (which the mass media incorrectly credits for discovering and first promoting the group). The story of Leach's dealings with The Cavern and Brian Epstein are wonderful revelations to understanding the complete Beatles story. The book is rounded out by amazing, previously unpublished photos of The Beatles and the other bands promoted by Leach. The groups are shown on stage and at play. History will always remember that before Shea Stadium, Ed Sullivan, George Martin and Brian Epstein, there was the humble, hard working Sam Leach to encourage and promote The Beatles, The Pacemakers, The Hurricanes, Cilla Black and many more. This is truly the best book on The Beatles' early years. Sam Leach made it possible all those years ago. Now his book reveals how it all happened. Long live the Mersey Beat and long live Sam Leach. Jim Berkenstadt Author: Black Market Beatles: The Story Behind The Lost Recordings and Nevermind: Nirvana Editor: Before The Beatles: John, Paul & Me by Len Garry

I think it's really weird and slimy that this person, obviously with some vested interest, is slamming the book totally anonymously (yes, if you've got something to say that you believe in, why not put a name to it?). The fact is, it's rather silly to say that Sam Leach had little to do with the Beatles when all you have to do is to go to....... and check out the photo page. There are pictures there of Sam with Paul on stage, The Beatles at Sam's engagement party, etc., etc.. The Birth Of The Beatles is an interesting and informative insight into what life was like at grassroots level in the early days of Liverpool and The Beatles' pre-fame. I have no idea how or why anyone other than some rival would even attempt to claim otherwise. Or, as old Albert Einstein once said, "Greatness will always be challenged by mediocrity." Gonna come out of the closet, Seattle?

Sam Leach has written the best Beatles book of its kind. He takes you back - back to the days before Beatlemania and tells how it actually was when the Fabs were unknown to the rest of the world. He offers a rare glimpse into the beginning of an era that has affected us all. You feel like you are there, transported back to a more simple, less complicated time. You get an insider's view to an exciting time in Liverpool.

It is one of those books that you want to read from cover to cover, again and again. I could not put it down. The local flavor is fantastic. The style in which it was written makes you feel as if you were there. You can touch the buildings, feel the beat, see the groups, and hear the music. You can taste the fish n' chips! The energy jumps off the pages at you. It leaves you wanting for more when you are finished reading it.

Sam deserves much more credit than the world has given him for the early days of the true Merseybeat. I sincerely hope this book is just the start of the recognition for him that he truly deserves. Sam should be included in every discussion, program, documentary, TV show, and movie about the emerging Beatles.

Tell everyone you know to buy this book for the real story of how the Beatles started. They will thank you and you will be doing your part to set history straight.

Thank you Sam, for letting us know how it really was and for writing such a great account of what must have been a great time to witness! Peace.

Before the world first heard about The Beatles, Sam Leach was booking them in dance halls all around Liverpool. His book captures the raw energy of the Merseyside music scene in a way that only a person "close to the action" could have described.

At times, he makes you laugh. At times, he forces you to pause...and reflect on the music and the personalities that emanated from the place where Beatlemania first began.

Sam Leach may have "never found his pot of gold" but fate placed him in a unique and wonderful spot in music history. He talks about it, here, with a genuine fondness for the era, and a certain amount of pride.

Make no mistake about it, as John Lennon once said, "Sam Leach WAS the pulse of the Merseybeat".

If you think you know everything there is to know about John, Paul, George, Ringo -- and even Pete and Stu -- you'd better think again. Why? Because chances are, you don't. The early years of the Beatles are the most elusive to us all. What really happened? How did the four dashing young lads from Liverpool really get their start? Was Brian Epstein really the man who "discovered" the Beatles? Was the Cavern Club always so gracious and open to the Fab Four? Where else did Beatlemania begin? The answers to all of those questions (and many more) can be found in Sam Leach's marvelous book. Mr Leach does an excellent job of relaying the hidden truth behind Lennon, McCartney, Harrison, Starr, Best and Sutcliffe. The stories within the book do an outstanding job of providing insight into the personalities of the men involved in changing the world -- and are reason enough to read (or at least buy) this book. Throw in some excellent (and exclusive photographs) and you have a perfect addition to any library -- especially yours.

Odd that Nameless in Seattle should dispute Mr Leach's relationship with the Beatles-the photographs in the book show Sam onstage with Paul-They also show all the Beatles carousing youthfully at Sam's engagement party etc-and as for being a 'legend in his own mind' the stance taken in the book is that of the eternal fan made even more endearing by Sam's own hilarious descriptions of his ineptitude as a musician-Im puzzled- Did we read the same copy of the book?-or is it a cse of "Hell hath no fury like a vested interest posing as a moral principle? However if you want a good read and are an ardent peruser and purchaser of all things Beatle this is the book for you.

An unprecedented personal and humanizing account of The Beatles on the rise in early-60s Liverpool. Moreover, the author provides a no-holds-barred look into what the early years of rock `n' roll promotion were like before the corporations took over. The blow-by-blow writing style places the reader in the thick of all the action, and the generous collection of rare photographs is well worth the cover price alone.

If you're a Beatles fan, or even just interested in the Mersey sound aborning, you must read this book! I recently had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Leach at a Beatles Faire in San Diego, California. He is a charming, delightful man who tells his story of the birth of not just the Beatles, but the whole phenomenon of Merseyside rock 'n' roll, with wit and wisdom. Make no mistake, this is not just another me-too book from some Beatles hanger-on. This man was a player, an active participant who helped to make it all possible. Without him it would not have been quite the same. Who knows, fate is a fickle thing: without him it might not have been at all. Read the book and you'll see what I mean.