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The Beatle Who Vanished
THE MYSTERY OF BEATLES’ DRUMMER JIMMIE NICOL, THE BEATLE WHO VANISHED, IS FINALLY SOLVED!
NEWLY DISCOVERED DETAILS ULTIMATELY ANSWER THE
WHAT HAPPENED TO JIMMIE NICOL?Is Jimmie Nicol Dead or Alive?What happened to the famous Gold Watch given to Nicol by The Beatles?Who is the clandestine “Josefina”?Learn how the Rock And Roll Detective®, Jim Berkenstadt, finally solved the mystery of Beatles drummer Jimmie NicolHOW IS IT POSSIBLE DRUMMER JIMMIE NICOL COULD SIMPLY VANISH AFTER PLAYING WITH THE BEATLES IN 1964?
The Beatle Who Vanished is the first historical account of Jimmie Nicol, an unknown drummer whose journey from humble beginnings to saving The Beatles first world tour was only one part of his legend. Though his 13 days of fame made headlines, the true mystery of Nicol’s story is riddled with blacklisting, betrayal, drugs, divorce, bankruptcy, and a search for validation as a musician, producer, arranger, teacher, and remodeler. However, his disappearance in 1965 led many to question whether he is dead or alive.
NEWLY DISCOVERED DETAILS ULTIMATELY ANSWER THE
WHAT HAPPENED TO JIMMIE NICOL?Is Jimmie Nicol Dead or Alive?What happened to the famous Gold Watch given to Nicol by The Beatles?Who is the clandestine “Josefina”?Learn how the Rock And Roll Detective®, Jim Berkenstadt, finally solved the mystery of Beatles drummer Jimmie NicolHOW IS IT POSSIBLE DRUMMER JIMMIE NICOL COULD SIMPLY VANISH AFTER PLAYING WITH THE BEATLES IN 1964?
The Beatle Who Vanished is the first historical account of Jimmie Nicol, an unknown drummer whose journey from humble beginnings to saving The Beatles first world tour was only one part of his legend. Though his 13 days of fame made headlines, the true mystery of Nicol’s story is riddled with blacklisting, betrayal, drugs, divorce, bankruptcy, and a search for validation as a musician, producer, arranger, teacher, and remodeler. However, his disappearance in 1965 led many to question whether he is dead or alive.
- GenresBiography
592 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 24, 2013
26 people are currently reading
1096 people want to read
About the author
Jim Berkenstadt
4 books43 followersAward-winning, Best-Selling author Jim Berkenstadt is the Rock And Roll Detective®. A true musical Sherlock Holmes, Berkenstadt uncovers the lost history and mysteries hidden within decades of popular music.
He currently serves as Co-Executive Producer and Script Consultant for the Ecosse Studios feature film based upon his Best Selling book, "The Beatle Who Vanished." An international authority on Rock And Roll, he served as historical consultant to Olivia Harrison's HBO Emmy winning film, "George Harrison: Living in the Material World," directed by Martin Scorsese, and as historical consultant to The Beatles’ Company Apple Corps, and the Estate of George Harrison.
The author has just released an updated version of "The Beatle Who Vanished: 60th Beatles Anniversary Tour" edition. This book, once and for all, SOLVES the mystery of drummer Jimmie Nicol. You will discover what happened to this iconic person in Beatles' history!
Berkenstadt has authored "Black Market Beatles" and "Classic Rock Albums: Nirvana -Nevermind." All of his books have been inducted into The Rock And Roll Hall of Fame Library and Archives. He also appears as an expert on the Reelz Channel TV series "Celebrity Legacies" and "Celebrity Damage Control.
Berkenstadt's book, Mysteries in the Music: Case Closed, was released in March, 2022. The book has advanced praise from Chris Frantz (Talking Heads), Butch Vig (Nirvana), and Bestselling Author Marshall Terrill.
He currently serves as Co-Executive Producer and Script Consultant for the Ecosse Studios feature film based upon his Best Selling book, "The Beatle Who Vanished." An international authority on Rock And Roll, he served as historical consultant to Olivia Harrison's HBO Emmy winning film, "George Harrison: Living in the Material World," directed by Martin Scorsese, and as historical consultant to The Beatles’ Company Apple Corps, and the Estate of George Harrison.
The author has just released an updated version of "The Beatle Who Vanished: 60th Beatles Anniversary Tour" edition. This book, once and for all, SOLVES the mystery of drummer Jimmie Nicol. You will discover what happened to this iconic person in Beatles' history!
Berkenstadt has authored "Black Market Beatles" and "Classic Rock Albums: Nirvana -Nevermind." All of his books have been inducted into The Rock And Roll Hall of Fame Library and Archives. He also appears as an expert on the Reelz Channel TV series "Celebrity Legacies" and "Celebrity Damage Control.
Berkenstadt's book, Mysteries in the Music: Case Closed, was released in March, 2022. The book has advanced praise from Chris Frantz (Talking Heads), Butch Vig (Nirvana), and Bestselling Author Marshall Terrill.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
May 11, 2013
To most Beatles fans Jimmie Nicol is merely a footnote in the history of the band - a drummer asked to fill in during the start of their first world tour when Ringo was taken ill. He played with them for thirteen days, the concerts taking him from Denmark and the Netherlands, to Hong Kong and Australia and from relative obscurity to the madness of Beatlemania. George Harrison was quite scathing in the Anthology about going on tour without Ringo, but with the tour literally days away and tickets sold, presumably Brian Epstein felt that cancelling was not an option. In this really fascinating account of Jimmie Nicol's life, the author not only tells the story of his career as a musician, but of how those thirteen days affected everything that followed.
The beginning of Jimmie's career saw him on many of the Larry Parne's package tours, including the 1960 tour with Gene Vincent and Eddie Cochran. He was a session musician and played with Georgie Fame, among others. When the Beatles needed a drummer the author explains how their paths had already crossed and he was a natural choice to fill in. Sadly, the fleeting moments of superstardom seemed to bring him more problems than success. It was nice to read that both George and Paul tried to make contact (indeed, in Paul's case offer help) even if it was rebuffed. However, this book gives as full an account of the drummers whole career as he could have wished and even turns into a detective story as Jim Berkenstadt tries to discover his whereabouts. For fans this is an intriguing and fascinating read about the man who wished he could stay a Beatle.
The beginning of Jimmie's career saw him on many of the Larry Parne's package tours, including the 1960 tour with Gene Vincent and Eddie Cochran. He was a session musician and played with Georgie Fame, among others. When the Beatles needed a drummer the author explains how their paths had already crossed and he was a natural choice to fill in. Sadly, the fleeting moments of superstardom seemed to bring him more problems than success. It was nice to read that both George and Paul tried to make contact (indeed, in Paul's case offer help) even if it was rebuffed. However, this book gives as full an account of the drummers whole career as he could have wished and even turns into a detective story as Jim Berkenstadt tries to discover his whereabouts. For fans this is an intriguing and fascinating read about the man who wished he could stay a Beatle.
October 28, 2024
This is the story of Jimmie Nicol, who will forever be known in pop culture history as "The Fifth Beatle". When Bealtes drummer Ringo Starr becomes ill and is hospitalized right before the band is scheduled to leave on a world tour, their management - including Brian Epstein - decides the show must go on, and they need to bring in a drummer to temporarily fill Starr's spot on the road.
After asking two other drummers, they settle on 24 year old Nicol, who is an up and coming drummer in London, but relative unknown. For 13 days, Nicol becomes a Beatle and experiences what it's like to be in the most famous band in the world.
When Starr recovers and returns to the band and Nicol is sent home, he hopes to take advantage of his new fame as The Fifth Beatle. However, it never really pans out for him, and ends up being a bigger negative in his life than a positive.
While the book does go into some fascinating detail about those days on the road with The Beatles, it also focuses on Nicol and his career before and after his run with the band. Nicol never really recovers from what he believes was a slight from the band after, and blacklisting he believes was done by Epstein. He eventually goes into total seclusion from the world, to the point no one knows if he is still alive or dead.
This book was originally published in 2013, and left readers with the question of whether Nicol was still alive. I read the 2024 update released to celebrate the 60th anniversary of Nicol's stint with the band. This edition answers the question of whether Nicol is still alive, but you will have to read it to find out!
Definite must read for fans of The Beatles, and well worth the time of any music fan.
I received an advance review copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
After asking two other drummers, they settle on 24 year old Nicol, who is an up and coming drummer in London, but relative unknown. For 13 days, Nicol becomes a Beatle and experiences what it's like to be in the most famous band in the world.
When Starr recovers and returns to the band and Nicol is sent home, he hopes to take advantage of his new fame as The Fifth Beatle. However, it never really pans out for him, and ends up being a bigger negative in his life than a positive.
While the book does go into some fascinating detail about those days on the road with The Beatles, it also focuses on Nicol and his career before and after his run with the band. Nicol never really recovers from what he believes was a slight from the band after, and blacklisting he believes was done by Epstein. He eventually goes into total seclusion from the world, to the point no one knows if he is still alive or dead.
This book was originally published in 2013, and left readers with the question of whether Nicol was still alive. I read the 2024 update released to celebrate the 60th anniversary of Nicol's stint with the band. This edition answers the question of whether Nicol is still alive, but you will have to read it to find out!
Definite must read for fans of The Beatles, and well worth the time of any music fan.
I received an advance review copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
June 30, 2014
Author Jim Berkenstadt proves he's worthy of the title The Rock'n Roll Detective by solving the mystery of the Beatle who vanished. Like many dedicated first generation Beatles fans, I knew of Jimmie Nicol. I'd seen the video of his Amsterdam television appearance backing John, Paul and George when fans stormed the stage. I've also watched film of him joining in on hotel balconies in Australia to wave at 300,000 screaming Beatlmaniacs. For almost three weeks in 1964 he was a Beatle. What I didn't know was where he came from and whatever happened to him after leaving the eye of Hurricane Beatle.
Before reading this book I had assumed Nicol was an in demand studio musician, similar to the members of Led Zeppelin that played on 60's releases by Donovan, Herman's Hermits and others. If Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones hadn't formed a band, we may never have heard of them. Similarly, Nicol was an accomplished drummer who could've remained a highly paid and unknown session man, except for a life-changing phone call that overnight made him into a Beatle while Ringo was in hospital recovering from tonsillitis.
The author's research takes readers back into the pre-Beatles days of the London rock'n roll scene. Similar but also different than the Liverpool backdrop served up in every Beatles bio, it leads to what we all know is coming; the meeting of Jimmie and The Fab Three. His trek with them as a member of most famous group in the world playing concerts and partying through Denmark, The Netherlands, Hong Kong and Australia is an insightful and fascinating look into what Nicol called the "boxes" the Beatles were forced to live in. But following his tenure behind Ringo's drums, the remainder of the book is a ride on a mystery train.
There's no way I'll serve up the ending. It has to be read to make sense. But the case of Jimmy Nicol has been solved and makes this mandatory reading for true Beatles fans that feel they know everything about the group. The book also presents a more worldly account of rock'n roll during the 1960's than just repeating tales of English rockers coming to America during the British Invasion.
One other note about The Beatle Who Vanished; the debate lingers on about who was truly The Fifth Beatle. The names are well known, such as manager Brian Epstein, producer George Martin, or assistant and road manager Neil Aspinal. Claims can be made for each of them, but no one outside of John, Paul, George and Ringo ever played on stage with them after their first hit records and during the screams of mid-60's Beatlemania. No one including Pete Best and Billy Preston felt the adulation of thousands that only hoped for a glimpse or a wave from one of the mop topped superstars. Jimmy Nicol did. He was there and had that experience, even if it was for only a brief moment of pop culture history. As it would for anyone, it had an everlasting affect on his life. This is the story of that person's life.
Before reading this book I had assumed Nicol was an in demand studio musician, similar to the members of Led Zeppelin that played on 60's releases by Donovan, Herman's Hermits and others. If Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones hadn't formed a band, we may never have heard of them. Similarly, Nicol was an accomplished drummer who could've remained a highly paid and unknown session man, except for a life-changing phone call that overnight made him into a Beatle while Ringo was in hospital recovering from tonsillitis.
The author's research takes readers back into the pre-Beatles days of the London rock'n roll scene. Similar but also different than the Liverpool backdrop served up in every Beatles bio, it leads to what we all know is coming; the meeting of Jimmie and The Fab Three. His trek with them as a member of most famous group in the world playing concerts and partying through Denmark, The Netherlands, Hong Kong and Australia is an insightful and fascinating look into what Nicol called the "boxes" the Beatles were forced to live in. But following his tenure behind Ringo's drums, the remainder of the book is a ride on a mystery train.
There's no way I'll serve up the ending. It has to be read to make sense. But the case of Jimmy Nicol has been solved and makes this mandatory reading for true Beatles fans that feel they know everything about the group. The book also presents a more worldly account of rock'n roll during the 1960's than just repeating tales of English rockers coming to America during the British Invasion.
One other note about The Beatle Who Vanished; the debate lingers on about who was truly The Fifth Beatle. The names are well known, such as manager Brian Epstein, producer George Martin, or assistant and road manager Neil Aspinal. Claims can be made for each of them, but no one outside of John, Paul, George and Ringo ever played on stage with them after their first hit records and during the screams of mid-60's Beatlemania. No one including Pete Best and Billy Preston felt the adulation of thousands that only hoped for a glimpse or a wave from one of the mop topped superstars. Jimmy Nicol did. He was there and had that experience, even if it was for only a brief moment of pop culture history. As it would for anyone, it had an everlasting affect on his life. This is the story of that person's life.
January 29, 2014
My full and detailed review is on my website. Excellent book about a very obscure moment in Beatles history. I wasn't sure going in how the author would write an entire book about it but he succeeded in making it interesting and enjoyable
http://rnrchemist.blogspot.com/2014/0...
http://rnrchemist.blogspot.com/2014/0...
July 20, 2014
This is everything a book on The Beatles (or anyone for that matter) should be written. Factual, well researched, and more not a book filled with opinion. It is a joy to read, well written and fascinating. He actually wrote a book about a topic connected to The Beatles that has not been covered. As with his other books, well worth a read.
June 5, 2013
Great book. Always wanted to know what happened to Jimmie Nichol after he subbed for Ringo in the Beatles in '64. He seemed to just 'disappear". Some great detective work shows that this just isn't true.
July 26, 2022
A must read for any Beatles fan.
I thought the book might be a dull rehash of some of the stories I already know. Was I ever wrong. The author describes the early rock and roll scene in a great amount of detail.
Jimmie's life is amazing. Even a non-Beatle fan would love this book. The ups, the downs, the downs some more, the ups again and the what happened to him makes for a wonderful read.
I thought the book might be a dull rehash of some of the stories I already know. Was I ever wrong. The author describes the early rock and roll scene in a great amount of detail.
Jimmie's life is amazing. Even a non-Beatle fan would love this book. The ups, the downs, the downs some more, the ups again and the what happened to him makes for a wonderful read.
June 27, 2024
Enjoyable read on the life of the "Fifth Beatle" Jimmy Nicol who had apparently vanished after his 13 days as Ringo's stand in during his illness in June 1964.
Far from it , this book covers his interesting life before he joined the Beatles which including stints with Vince Eager and Tony Sheridan and what happened after.
The Beatles stint is incredible ,living in the eye of the storm at the height of Beatlemania and travelling the world to Denmark, Holland , Hong Kong and Australia.
After he arrived back to London feeling on top of the world, his 2 projects that were put together fell flat and he thought he'd been blackballed by Brian Epstein the Beatle's manager.
He subsequently divorced and became a bankrupt then got some secret help from Paul McCartney getting a call from Peter Asher to tour with him.
The biggest surprise was his time with famousc innovative space rock Swedish group the Spotnicks who had a number 1 hit in Japan while he was with them.
His move to Mexico where he got remarried and becoming an A&R man for RCA , unsuccessfully searching for talent and starting his own group there.
Then his move back to England where he became a home renovator, reconciled with his son and basically disappeared until appearing at a Beatles convention in Holland years later performing on stage for the last time "I Saw her Standing There".
Finally disappearing for good and rumoured to have died, but finally seen in Holland where he may be to this day.
Well worth a read for any Beatles aficionado.
Far from it , this book covers his interesting life before he joined the Beatles which including stints with Vince Eager and Tony Sheridan and what happened after.
The Beatles stint is incredible ,living in the eye of the storm at the height of Beatlemania and travelling the world to Denmark, Holland , Hong Kong and Australia.
After he arrived back to London feeling on top of the world, his 2 projects that were put together fell flat and he thought he'd been blackballed by Brian Epstein the Beatle's manager.
He subsequently divorced and became a bankrupt then got some secret help from Paul McCartney getting a call from Peter Asher to tour with him.
The biggest surprise was his time with famousc innovative space rock Swedish group the Spotnicks who had a number 1 hit in Japan while he was with them.
His move to Mexico where he got remarried and becoming an A&R man for RCA , unsuccessfully searching for talent and starting his own group there.
Then his move back to England where he became a home renovator, reconciled with his son and basically disappeared until appearing at a Beatles convention in Holland years later performing on stage for the last time "I Saw her Standing There".
Finally disappearing for good and rumoured to have died, but finally seen in Holland where he may be to this day.
Well worth a read for any Beatles aficionado.
January 28, 2021
Fascinating Book
A great book about the mysterious Jimmie Nicol who got to go on the ride of a lifetime when he subbed on drums for the Beatles while Ringo Starr was sidelined with illness. As soon as Ringo returns, poor Jimmy is quickly dumped back into obscurity. His life becomes complicated as he deals with his brief foray into Beatlemania and the difficulties that follow as he tries to recapture that brief moment of lightning in a bottle. He’s sort of the JD Salinger of the music world as he remains the object of fascination for Beatles fans all over the world, but has seemingly left that long ago amazing period of his life well behind him and has no interest in revisiting it. A great read with a great amount of detail by the author who traversed the world to gather great amounts of information on the Beatle who vanished.
A great book about the mysterious Jimmie Nicol who got to go on the ride of a lifetime when he subbed on drums for the Beatles while Ringo Starr was sidelined with illness. As soon as Ringo returns, poor Jimmy is quickly dumped back into obscurity. His life becomes complicated as he deals with his brief foray into Beatlemania and the difficulties that follow as he tries to recapture that brief moment of lightning in a bottle. He’s sort of the JD Salinger of the music world as he remains the object of fascination for Beatles fans all over the world, but has seemingly left that long ago amazing period of his life well behind him and has no interest in revisiting it. A great read with a great amount of detail by the author who traversed the world to gather great amounts of information on the Beatle who vanished.
December 23, 2022
Not the most well-written book I've read. It's probably only worth two stars, but as a Beatles megafan I'll give it three, given the niche topic.
For a man who calls himself "The Rock b Roll Detective," this book is incredibly lazy. There are several places where he just gives up and says "subject X is lost to time." Moreover, the editor must have been even lazier. Aside from just not being written very well, there are many many grammatical and editing errors in the book. Those don't negatively affects the reading experience, but they don't help it, either.
For a man who calls himself "The Rock b Roll Detective," this book is incredibly lazy. There are several places where he just gives up and says "subject X is lost to time." Moreover, the editor must have been even lazier. Aside from just not being written very well, there are many many grammatical and editing errors in the book. Those don't negatively affects the reading experience, but they don't help it, either.
November 5, 2023
I really wanted to enjoy this book. The main complaint I have is that there are frequent words that have random spacing between them. For example London appears as Lon don. These errors effect the flow of the book and make what should be a quick read into a slog.
I would recommend this book to any Beatles fan or a fan of obscure musicians. Fortunately at the time I write this Jimmie Nicol's early work and solo work post Beatles is available on YouTube and I encourage readers to listen to his music as they read this book because it adds a great amount of context.
I would recommend this book to any Beatles fan or a fan of obscure musicians. Fortunately at the time I write this Jimmie Nicol's early work and solo work post Beatles is available on YouTube and I encourage readers to listen to his music as they read this book because it adds a great amount of context.
June 14, 2015
If you are a Beatles fan this one is for you. Also a great chapter on the historic 1964 Australian tour in which Jimmie subbed for Ringo. Relive Beatlemania and follow the tale of Jimmie post Beatles as he chases his artistic dream around the globe.
April 3, 2015
Very well written book about the fifth Beatle, Jimmie Nicol.
It's a search for a drummer that spent some days as a replacement for Ringo Starr, then disappeared.
Except for when he starts writing about Zodiac signs, This journey was highly entertaining. I read it all I one day.
It's a search for a drummer that spent some days as a replacement for Ringo Starr, then disappeared.
Except for when he starts writing about Zodiac signs, This journey was highly entertaining. I read it all I one day.
July 5, 2024
Interesting Footnote
Jim Berlin staff's updated version of The Beatle Who Vanished is an interesting and entertaining look at one of the most obscure stories in the Beatles' legacy. After a three week gig subbing for Ringo, Jimmy Nichol moved on to a varied musical career. The book recounts some of his successes and failures, and underscores the elusive nature of establishing a musical career. The updates provide more insight into the author's motivation to locate artist who ultimately disappeared. It's a great read for any serious fan of Beatles' music and history.
Jim Berlin staff's updated version of The Beatle Who Vanished is an interesting and entertaining look at one of the most obscure stories in the Beatles' legacy. After a three week gig subbing for Ringo, Jimmy Nichol moved on to a varied musical career. The book recounts some of his successes and failures, and underscores the elusive nature of establishing a musical career. The updates provide more insight into the author's motivation to locate artist who ultimately disappeared. It's a great read for any serious fan of Beatles' music and history.
March 5, 2022
A very interesting book that had to be wrote. I can't believe nobody else every commenced the research of which this author did. However, I was very disappointed at the end, as I don't think the author should have gave up. But that's just my opinion. Well done Jim.
Regarding the digital copy of the book, I read this book on Amazon Kindle Unlimited and the book is full or errors, with spaces between letters where there shouldn't be. This makes it very difficult to read at times.
Regarding the digital copy of the book, I read this book on Amazon Kindle Unlimited and the book is full or errors, with spaces between letters where there shouldn't be. This makes it very difficult to read at times.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 15, 2024
A fascinating look into the life, times, music, and gradual disappearance of Jimmie Nicol. Highly recommended for hardcore Beatles fans. The early chapters, detailing Nicol's days a jobbing musician in the earliest days of British rock and roll were especially interesting to me. One of the most interesting and original Beatles books of the past several years.
March 17, 2024
if you love the Beatles, you will like this
The book is deeply researched and filled with hour to hour details of the Fifth Beatles’ life journey. The book isn’t a novel. It is a dissertation based on the research.
The book is deeply researched and filled with hour to hour details of the Fifth Beatles’ life journey. The book isn’t a novel. It is a dissertation based on the research.
May 22, 2024
After 16 years of research, I (the author) have finally completed my investigation of little known drummer Jimmie Nicol, who went from relative security to saving The Beatles' first world tour, 60 years ago this June, 2024. However, that was only one part of Nicol's legend. Though his 13 days of Beatles fame made worldwide headlines, the true mystery of his story is riddled with blacklisting, bankruptcy, drugs, divorce, career resurrection, and an eventual disappearance that led many to question whether he was dead or alive. In this updated version of my award-winning, bestseller, I have discovered new details to finally answer the question: What happened to Jimmie Nicol? What happened to the famous Gold Watch given to Nicol by The Beatles? And, who is the mysterious 'Josefina?' Learn how I finally solved the mystery of Jimmie Nicol, one-time Beatles drummer at the height of Beatlemania! It was sixty years ago today, Jimmie Nicol helped The Beatles play!
January 4, 2016
Be careful what you wish for. A tale probably for beatlemaniacs only but still a good read. Jimmy or Jimmie (depending on which page your on) Nicol subbed as a drummer for the Beatles, had talent but by marching to his own beat (pun intended)never quite got where he might have. He alternately ignored and embraced in his short time with the Fabs and eventually withdrew from music and society.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews