The White Book: The Beatles, the Bands, the Biz: An Insider's Look at an Era [Paperback]

Ken Mansfield (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 30, 2007

Through exclusive photos and personal stories, former US manager of Apple Records and Grammy Award winning producer Ken Mansfield offers a compelling memoir that delves into his life in the 1960s and '70s and his unique partnership with the Beatles and other musicians who orbited their world. As observer, friend, and colleague, Mansfield sat in their recording sessions, partied in their swimming pools, took their irate calls, and publicized their successes. Entertaining, historically accurate, and illuminating a side of the Fab Four known only to a few like Mansfield, The White Book shines fresh light on the true characters behind the cultural phenomena that revolutionized a generation. As the former Head of Apple Records International, Jack Oliver, has said of Ken, "He is one of the few insiders left that bore witness to the highs and lows of those insane days when we ruled the world."

"Ken has a unique gift. He can take you in the room and have you sit with the folk he knows and make you one of the gang, part of the plan. and considering these folk include the Beatles, Dolly Parton, Waylon Jennings, the Beach Boys, Roy Orbison, David Cassidy and a whole host more that is some doing. I really enjoyed sitting in on his world and I respect the affection he has for our game, and what he brought to it, will get you."

ANDREW LOOG OLDHAM
Rolling Stones Manager and Producer

"Ken Mansfield brings us a new and closely personal perspective not only on the Beatles, but on a whole cast of musical characters from Brian Wilson to Don Ho. An observant and perceptive man in the centre of the storm; a contradictory man, both ambitious and spiritual, but at the heart of the record industry during its most exciting years and enjoying every minute of it. I lived through those years with Ken and we became friends. It is a pleasure to experience so much of it all again through the accuracy of his story telling and the clarity of his memory."

PETER ASHER
Peter and Gordon/A&R Chief Apple Records/Producer-Manager (James Taylor, Linda Ronstadt, Carole King et al)

"Journalism is normally a very inexact science. Many of the countless books about the Beatles have been written by researchers-not by people who were actually there. Everyone has experienced reading a book or article where one's own inside knowledge about a particular person or event shows up inaccuracies on the part of the writer that totally distort the truth. This book is an exception-I know because I was there for some of it myself. Ken Mansfield and I unknowingly shared the experience of the famous Apple rooftop session where I was nervously adjusting mikes and cables for the sound recording of that unforgettable day. Ken was not only working for the Beatles through their heyday, he was also their trusted friend. There is no one better equipped to tell the Beatles' story-truthfully-and more importantly-factually, from the inside."

ALAN PARSONS
Engineer to the Beatles/Pink Floyd, Multi Platinum Producer, Alan Parsons Project

"Unlike many people claiming a Beatles connection, Ken Mansfield doesn't have an agenda or try to elevate his role or importance. Ken comes across as a man who knows how lucky he was to be where he was and enjoys sharing his stories with us. Ken was there and that is why The White Book is informative, fresh and entertaining without being ego-driven."

BRUCE SPIZER
Author, Beatle Historian

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The second memoir from record-industry vet Mansfield (The Beatles, the Bible and Bodega Bay), a simple look at a complex happening, recounts his overwhelmingly positive experiences working with the Fab Four (and others) as they put together their late-career masterpiece The White Album. Mansfield relates how a lucky break in the 1960s took him from promotions executive for Hollywood's Capitol Records to U.S. manager of Beatles-owned Apple Records. One of the few Americans allowed into the group's inner circle, Mansfield presents revealing one-on-one time with each band member, yielding insight beyond their public personas. He notes, for instance, that mere words can't explain how intimidating John Lennon and Yoko Ono were. Though he provides his side of artistic debates (should Hey Jude or Revolution be the first Apple single?), and eyewitness accounts of key Beatles moments (including the group's final public performance atop the label's London headquarters), Mansfield misses numerous opportunities to provide insider details and to comment on the progress (or lack thereof) in the recording industry; further, Mansfield's awkward writing style—clumsy metaphors and alliteration, short chapters and confusing chronology—gives the work an amateurish feel. As Mansfield notes in the foreword, this book is something to enjoy because of its simplicity: engaging but hardly essential reading for the casual fan. (Oct. 30)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Thomas Nelson; Collectors edition (October 30, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1595551018
• ISBN-13: 978-1595551016
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6.9 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #464,494 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Insightful, funny, engaging, a must read!, November 13, 2007

By 

Cie (MI United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The White Book: The Beatles, the Bands, the Biz: An Insider's Look at an Era (Paperback)

"When I picked up "The White Book," I honestly had no idea what to expect. What a pleasant surprise! I had never heard of Ken Mansfield before, and I consider myself a fairly knowledgeable Beatles fan. Mansfield, who was the former U.S. Manager of Apple Records, opts to take the high road in this engaging, funny and touching memoir that lifts up the Beatles rather than tears them down like so many other books. The Idaho-native made his way through the music business ranks in the 1960s and 1970s and knows how to tell a story, often sprinkling his prose with self-effacing humor and Lennon-esqe wit. Mansfield offers insightful and anecdotal information on the Fab Four, the Beach Boys, Waylon Jennings, David Cassidy and Dolly Parton. Not only does Mansfield give readers untold stories and beautiful pictures of the lads from Liverpool but us an insiders peep into the insane world of the recording industry. Required reading for Beatles fans and those looking to earn a living in the music business."

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A splendid time is guaranteed for all, November 13, 2007

By 

Dwight T. Shaw - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The White Book: The Beatles, the Bands, the Biz: An Insider's Look at an Era (Paperback)

This is one of the most accurate and detailed accounts of what it was like to be in the most exclusive "circle" in the history of contemporary music. While I have read numerous articles and books describing these events from an "outsiders" perspective, this book actually recreates the amazing energy generated by The Beatles from an "insiders" viewpoint. To be able to sit next to The Beatles and watch their legendary rooftop performance speaks for itself. This book will surely become a collectors item, and will be useful to historians who study the Beatles phenomenon for generations to come. This book deserves an A+ in all respects.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars With a Little Help From My Friends..., November 13, 2007

By 

Max Clendaniel (Seattle, WA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The White Book: The Beatles, the Bands, the Biz: An Insider's Look at an Era (Paperback)

How fortunate we are that Ken Mansfield is finally sharing his memories about his old friends; friends who just happen to be John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison & Ringo Starr - The Beatles. What's unique in reading Ken's catbird seat perspective, is that not only was he working for The Beatles, he was their valued friend. He has no other agenda when telling his insider recollections, than to share and reflect on a unique time in history, that he was a very real part of. What I love about this book is that we're hearing stories about the Beatles by a venerable part of their world; intimate memories from a man who's kept quiet for a long time so as not to betray a sacred trust. I am touched by the raw honesty he reveals about how his life was changed by being with exceptional people in exceptional times. Knowing that his book was done with the blessing of Yoko Ono, Olivia Harrision and the surviving Beatles, tells you that this is a rare edition, indeed.