The Birth of the Beatles

by Sam Leach

Sam Leach, one of Liverpool's earliest rock promoters, tells of his days working with the Beagles and other Mersey Beat groups before they were successful. This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1901442306
• ISBN13: 9781901442304
• Release Date: January 1999
• Publisher: Pharaoh Press
• Length: 240 Pages
• Weight: 1.18 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.9" x 8.6"

Customer Reviews

Best Beatles Book!

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.

Sam Leach knows...he was there!

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".

A Postively Excellent Read

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.

Sam Leach has crafted a book that really rocks!

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!

The REAL Birth of the Beatles!

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!