Magical Mystery Tours: My Life with the Beatles [Paperback]

Tony Bramwell (Author), Rosemary Kingsland (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 4, 2006

A Top Ten Music Book Bestseller in The Independent (UK)

"Brings the era to vivid life. The mythic moments are all here. Magical Mystery Tours is a tour de force." ---Entertainment Weekly

Growing up in a postwar Liverpool suburb, Tony Bramwell was boyhood friends with three of the Beatles long before they were famous. And by the time he caught up with George Harrison on the top of a bus to check out "The Beatles, direct from Hamburg"---one of which George turned out to be---Tony was well into a life story absolutely unlike any other.
Tony carried George's guitar that night, and he stayed with the band from the first Number 1 to the last. From overseeing the tours of Brian Epstein's Merseybeat stars to producing shows for Jimi Hendrix, the Who, Cream, and Pink Floyd at Epstein's Savile Theatre; and from producing and directing Beatles videos to heading Apple Films, Tony's life really did encompass a who's who of rock.
With an insider's shrewd eye, Tony describes the rise and fall of the Apple empire, Brian Epstein's frolics, Ken Kesey's Merry Pranksters, Phil Spector's eccentric behavior, and stories never before told about Yoko Ono. He uncovers new information about the Shea Stadium concert footage, John Lennon's late-night "escapes," and more. From the Cavern Club to the rooftop concert, and from scraps of song lyrics to the discovery of the famous Mr. Kite circus poster, Tony Bramwell really did see it all.
It's a story in which every character is one of the musical 1960s most colorful. Conversational, direct, and honest, the ultimate Beatles insider finally shares his own version of the frantic and glorious ascent of four boys from Liverpool lads to rock and roll kings.

Praise for Magical Mystery Tours
"A must-read for anyone interested in the history of the Fab Four. Bramwell doesn't hold back with his tales of the grand insanity that tailed The Beatles."--The New York Post
"Energetically written…a vivid and intensely personal look at not only the Beatles but at a storybook trip from the docks of Liverpool to swinging London and the very epicenter of the British invasion."--Publishers Weekly
"A sprawling, amiable account of life near the world's most famous and most gifted pop group. A welcome addition to Beatles lore."--The Globe and Mail (Canada)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Bramwell, a longtime Beatles business associate and childhood friend, offers a fond, intimate portrait of the Fab Four. His often gossipy recollections illuminate the players from their days as young "scousers" in working-class Liverpool to their formation as a group, and from their exhausting early stints in Hamburg to their astonishing stardom. Readers will be surprised to learn how much money the Beatles left on the table owing to the bad deals that Brian Epstein, the Beatles' respected but conflicted manager, made. Still, the group remained fiercely loyal to Epstein, who made them—and many others—rich beyond their dreams, cutting deals in what was then uncharted business territory. Throughout, Paul comes off as down to earth, Ringo as sophisticated and "Hollywood," and George, charming and gentle, if a bit unusual. Not surprisingly, it is John who piques the most interest. Bramwell blisters Yoko Ono, "the Princess of Darkness," and suggests that either she brainwashed John or that he was suffering from mental illness. Although music historians and Beatles collectors may feel they know the story, Bramwell's memoir is much more than Beatles history. Energetically written, this is a vivid and intensely personal look at not only the Beatles but at a storybook trip from the docks of Liverpool to swinging London and the very epicenter of the British invasion. Photos not seen by PW.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

"'If you want to know anything about The Beatles, ask Tony Bramwell.' - Paul McCartney" --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 448 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin (April 4, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312330448
• ISBN-13: 978-0312330446
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (49 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #637,475 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

34 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Sparkling Emerald of a Book, April 13, 2005

By 

Doctor Quartz (Huntington Beach, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Magical Mystery Tours: My Life with the Beatles (Hardcover)

I love this book. I stopped reading Beatles books after the Goldman Lennon biography, partly out of disgust, but this one is a great one to come back to. It's a bittersweet joy. Bramwell, who basically knew all the Beatles since they were pretty-much kids is full of great stories I've never read anywhere else (or forgotten), like how Stuart Sutcliff got the head injury that eventually killed him or what Paul did the night he joined the Beatles. On several pages you get a marvelous feel for exactly what it was like to be sitting with John or Paul, rubbing elbows, talking, in a pub, or at Mick and Keith's house. Bramwell's take on Yoko and Lennon's initial negative reaction to her is fascinating--as are his tales about Brian. Some of the dollar/pound figures he tosses about, estimating how much the Beatles lost to bad deals, will leave you slack jawed. Thanks for this fantastic book Tony! It's got a lion's heart. Both the beginning and ending of this book left me sighing, sadly, gladly...

23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Magical!, June 23, 2005

By 

travelling librarian - See all my reviews

This review is from: Magical Mystery Tours: My Life with the Beatles (Hardcover)

I bought this book because, while not a hardcore Beatles fan, I lived through that magical era when I and my friends were young and anything was possible. It's an evocative gem, a little chunk of history, one that brilliantly paints the fun, the music, the madness. Tony Bramwell tells his story in an intimate way, as if you're his best mate, drinking a pint of beer down at the local. You can imagine yourself sitting there half the night, talking, discussing, having a laugh, remembering.

There are moments of irony, witty stories, sad stories. There are many wonderful pages when whole scenes come vividly to life, such as the opening scene, riding through snowy Liverpool Streets one Christmas with a young George, when the world lay before them and the future seemed bright and shining with promise; or later, riding on a midnight train with a jaded John, who was totally off his rocker. We read of Paul in sunny, languid Hotel California, and then move with him to a rainy day in London Town when he discusses his hero, Buddy Holly. The Stones talk of music; Ringo shaves his head in Paris and wonders how he looks ("Bald" Bramwell tells him.) I'll never forget reading of the summer's day when Paul escapes the pressures of fame, to walk along a meandering stream in the country with his dog, Martha. The day ends with Paul playing the piano in a traditional country pub while the locals sing along. Bramwell was there; but even though people like me weren't, every word paints a picture and you can imagine that you were.

Much is made of Brian Epstein, full of angst and torment. His kindness, genius and neuroses are portrayed vividly. His bizarre sex life and manic use of drugs, when everyone thought he was goody two shoes, is discussed. Bramwell runs a theatre for him and some moments leap off the page: such as James Baldwin - fresh from his exile in France - telling Brian to admit that he's a queer; Jimmy Hendrix dazzling London; an unknown Yoko Ono running across stage like a spider, then sitting stoically while the audience cuts off her clothes. When Brian sees her, starkers and illegal, he almost swoons in dismay. Bramwell goes on to describe how Yoko initially stalked John before capturing him. He describes rave-ups in erotically charged mews flats all over town; dinners with Joan Crawford, millionaire Getty and the louche Chelsea set; the hilarious punch-up in Cannes with Sharon Osbourne; the night Bruce Springsteen ran away from his big come back concert and ended up watching films in Bramwell's home... the stories just keep on coming. You feel you were actually there, caught up in the frenzy and the fun. And yet -- don't get it wrong -- this isn't a drug or sex-driven book, or even a tell-all. It's charming and kindly told. And, although you would need to go to the index to appreciate the full extent of all the famous and great names mentioned, the Beatles are its core and its strength.

I wish more books had the narrative story-telling voice of Dickens, or R.L. Stevenson, as this biography does. Bramwell actually lived through those vanished years and lived to tell the tale. This book is as enjoyable and as deeply satisfying as a pint of good nutty ale. Cheers!

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One nugget of gold after another, October 11, 2005

By 

C. S. Overfield (Santa Monica) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Magical Mystery Tours: My Life with the Beatles (Hardcover)

If you're a Beatles "scholar" like myself who has read virtually every single book on The Beatles, this book will immediately jump to the top of your pantheon. I frequently read entire books on The Beatles just to learn a single fact about the boys that I did not already know. This book was, cover to cover, packed with new anecdotes and stories with which I was unfamiliar. Bramwell's accounts are warm and frank. This book is also, after years of indecision, and along with Pete Shotton's, the book that finally convinced me that Yoko Ono was not only the disruptive force that split the Beatles but also an out and out evil woman. I loved every page of this book and read it slowly to savor the experience.