It Was Thirty Years Ago Today

by Terence Spencer

In 1963, when Beatlemania was just beginning to explode in Britain, photographer Terry Spencer returned from working on news stories in Africa to find his daughter - then thirteen - begging him to do a feature on "the Fab Four." The editors of Life magazine were at first unimpressed by the idea; in America the group was still practically unknown. But after the Beatles had agreed to let Spencer travel with them for four months, in January 1964 Life did indeed publish a feature, just before the band launched into its historic and triumphant tour of the States.
Thirty years later, 5,000 negatives of Spencer's Beatles photographs - virtually all of them unpublished - resurfaced and were sold at auction by Sotheby's of London. It Was Thirty Years Ago Today contains the cream of these "lost" pictures, presenting a uniquely fresh and uninhibited portrait of the Beatles at a time when they were on the very brink of international stardom - still anonymous enough to allow Spencer intimate access yet already famous enough to need protection from their multitudes of fans.

Genres: Nonfiction, Music, Biography, History

223 pages, Hardback

Published November 1, 1994

Reviews

[Tobin Elliott · Rating 5 out of 5]

I happened to run across this in a funky little used book store in Northern Ontario, and I couldn't pass it up.

Filled with great candid shots of the Beatles, both individually and grouped, as well as some excellent shots of the public in reaction to them, by Life photographer Terence Spencer (who initially had no idea who they were or what all the fuss was about), this is a beautiful time capsule that captures—much like McCartney's 1964: EYES OF THE STORM, that time when the Beatles were still new and the world was still sorting out what they thought of them.

And...of course...when the world, though intrigued, also knew they'd be old news in another six months.

A great capturing of a wonderful moment in time.

[David Meyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an excellent collection taken at a fascinatingly specific time in the career of The Beatles. The author does a nice job describing his experience with the band and what he saw. While there was plenty else to like, the juxtaposition of the boys and girls in the audiences might have been my favorite thing in the entire book. That, or the shots of them just hanging around trying to kill time while hiding from the public.

[Brian Haining · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am interested in The Beatles and have read several books about the band and the individual members. This is different as it's a photo snapshot of late 1963 and early 1964. The book shows photos that I've not seen before, many on the road or backstage and shows the band at the height of Beatlemania. Everything was new, fresh and fun to them before they became a bit world weary a year or two later. Really enjoyable

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Even tho life interrupted my reading this book & reading it took WAY longer than it should have, when I was able to pick it up each time, I spent my time joyfully perusing the many pictures & learning about The Beatles through Terence Spencer's camera eye. I LOVED this book! Seeing 'real life' photos - blurry faces & all! - gives an amazing look at The Beatles. ❤❤❤💜💜💜