Movatterモバイル変換

"It occurs to me that I'm going to be askedwhy in the midst of a busy life I should take time off from thepersonal management of my artistes to whom, after all, I have signedmyself, to write my own autobiography when I'm not yet thirty. It is simply that I wanted to put down at an early stagean accurate account of the emergence of the Beatles and other artistesfrom my own point of view. So much has been said that is exaggerated,inaccurate, extravagant, and open to misinterpetation that I thoughtthat a detailed account could only help and, I hope, prove ofconsiderable public interest..."

Brian Epstein wrote the above words in 1964 as a prologue to hisautobiographyA Cellarful of Noise.

Long out-of-print,Cellarful gives readers an inside storyof his discovery and management of the world's most famous rock 'n'roll band. From their initial struggles to their rise to the pinnacleof success, his story includes:

• how a request for a record led to his discovery of the Beatles
• why Ringo Starr replaced the original Beatles drummer Pete Best
• details of the Beatles' legendary first visit to America

A new edition ofCellarful of Noise was published in the USAin 1998, featuring a new, specially commissioned introduction byworld-renowned Beatles historian and authority Martin Lewis, which, alongwith Epstein's own words, creates a compelling insightful exploration ofthe life and times of a gifted man who had an ear for genius.

Derek Taylor and Martin Lewis in 1995

In his 45-page narrative, Martin Lewis offers an illuminating perspectiveon how Epstein's death contributed to the Beatles' break-up, and he shedslight on why Epstein then became practically a "nowhere man" in Beatleshistory despite his significant role in their success. Lewis alsoexplains the role ofCellarful's co-author DerekTaylor, who subsequently became Epstein's assistant and the Beatles'publicist. Lewis, who worked for Taylor in the early 1970's, and remainedfriends with him until Taylor's untimely death in September, 1997, includesa separate tribute to this legendary Beatles figure in the book.

Lewis, one of the driving forces behind the current campaign to restoreEpstein's reputation, summarizes the enormity of Epstein's incredibletrack record, and gives clear perspective on 1960's Britain and that era'smusic industry, a social, cultural and political milieu radicallydifferent from today's world.

The new edition ofA Cellarful of Noise also includes a newforeword from Sir George Martin.

A Cellarful of Noise is an inside account of the Beatles'fast-paced ascendancy, as seen through the eyes of Brian Epstein, theman who was steering their course. As Paul McCartney recentlyacknowledged...

"If anyone was the fifth Beatle, it was Brian."