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The Longest Cocktail Party
When American teenager Richard DiLello wandered into the Beatles' Apple building in 1968, he was immediately appointed "house hippie." He began making tea, rolling joints, and listening to dozens of demo tapes. By the time Apple crumbled a few years later he was director of public relations. Along the way he noted many of the stoned conversations he heard and the insane bits of business he witnessed: one-man bands auditioning in the reception area, Hell's Angels taking over Saville Row, and the Beatles playing on the roof. Full of period detail, with a colorful cast of characters, The Longest Cocktail Party is fast-paced and funny but also manages to be poignant about the demise of the Fab Four and the death of the '60s dream.
325 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1972
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews
November 6, 2010
Having recently interviewed former Apple A&R guru Peter Asher, and in the midst of binging on the the recent spate of Apple Records reissues, I thought it'd be fun to read more about life inside this unique, short-lived company. Dilello is an entertaining narrator who doesn't take himself too seriously (thank heavens), and the material about the curious roster of Apple artists - particularly Mary Hopkin and Jackie Lomax - should make this a required read for anybody who purports to be a Beatles fanatic, and a recommended selection for music geeks in general. After all the fun froth that came before, I could've done without the courtroom coda, which simply reprints old newspaper articles detailing the dissolution of Apple and the Beatles via legal battles, but it certainly closed the book with definitive finality.
June 29, 2018
Only The Beatles could come up with Apple Corps Ltd - with the idea being they would not just have a creative outlet and greater ownership for their own music, but also offer sponsorship, artistic development, and a veritable home for other artists of all varieties. It was 1968, a time of hope, and sadly also a time of bitter divisiveness; when youth makes you wise, and fame gives you access to the press, but musical genius doesn't make you diplomatic. Reading this book now reminds me how brilliant, yet naive, The Beatles were then; the press swarmed like hyenas and the headlines were brutal.
This book is really a diary of one of Apple Corp's employees, Richard DiLello. The so-called American "house hippie," DiLello started as a marketing (lower-than) aide and, thanks to serendipity, ended up head of press relations, with the variety of functions that entailed. Unfortunately this book is indeed a document of the day to day, lacking rigor, outside context, or the editing necessary to increase accuracy. Often actual dialogue is provided, but as it's unlikely that was documented in detail at the time, including it only increases the book's dubious and casual relationship with accuracy. For example, I'm not clear about all the players, but I know there were more Hell's Angels than the specified two that showed up at HQ, so I'm sure there are a few other key incidents we're missing from the story.
DiLello does provide gossipy, if disjointed, haphazard and unverified, insight into the day-to-day operations of Apple Ltd, leaving you with the impression that the majority of the staff was drug-addled daily. (If you've never worked at a start-up, this book is a cautionary tale of how things can go south quickly without fiscal management by grownups.) After documenting DiLello's layoff, the book includes news clips on the break up of The Beatles and the resulting court case. And, at the end of the book, you'll find a handy Beatles list of key events by date, a discography, and filmography.
It would take some effort to document the story of Apple Ltd, and the amazing experiment the original concept represented. This book didn't go to that effort. It's a beginning, from the perspective of stocking the liquor cabinet and drug usage. And it gives you an idea of the parasitical types The Beatles attracted, and hired. What the book does get across is the atmosphere of chaos, and helps you understand why The Beatles would want to get away from Apple and retreat to their own estates, their own interests, and ultimately part ways. I found it an incredibly interesting but sad read.
I should also mention my copy is the original cover, with a picture of The Beatles; the reissued cover imitating the Abbey Road album cover is quite clever.
This book is really a diary of one of Apple Corp's employees, Richard DiLello. The so-called American "house hippie," DiLello started as a marketing (lower-than) aide and, thanks to serendipity, ended up head of press relations, with the variety of functions that entailed. Unfortunately this book is indeed a document of the day to day, lacking rigor, outside context, or the editing necessary to increase accuracy. Often actual dialogue is provided, but as it's unlikely that was documented in detail at the time, including it only increases the book's dubious and casual relationship with accuracy. For example, I'm not clear about all the players, but I know there were more Hell's Angels than the specified two that showed up at HQ, so I'm sure there are a few other key incidents we're missing from the story.
DiLello does provide gossipy, if disjointed, haphazard and unverified, insight into the day-to-day operations of Apple Ltd, leaving you with the impression that the majority of the staff was drug-addled daily. (If you've never worked at a start-up, this book is a cautionary tale of how things can go south quickly without fiscal management by grownups.) After documenting DiLello's layoff, the book includes news clips on the break up of The Beatles and the resulting court case. And, at the end of the book, you'll find a handy Beatles list of key events by date, a discography, and filmography.
It would take some effort to document the story of Apple Ltd, and the amazing experiment the original concept represented. This book didn't go to that effort. It's a beginning, from the perspective of stocking the liquor cabinet and drug usage. And it gives you an idea of the parasitical types The Beatles attracted, and hired. What the book does get across is the atmosphere of chaos, and helps you understand why The Beatles would want to get away from Apple and retreat to their own estates, their own interests, and ultimately part ways. I found it an incredibly interesting but sad read.
I should also mention my copy is the original cover, with a picture of The Beatles; the reissued cover imitating the Abbey Road album cover is quite clever.
February 10, 2017
Richard DiLello's Apple memoir is described as "full of period detail, The Longest Cocktail Party is paced like a fifty-yard dash. At the same time, it is an immensely poignant portrait of the demise of The Beatles, a social document of pop culture and a narrative of the death of the 60's dream."
I felt that the book was longer than any fifty-yard dash. Fifty yards is rather a long distance to dash with a mouth full of puke. Any 'immensely poignant portrait' should satisfy like a cordon bleu experience, but this was like eating cardboard. (Not cordon blue Mr DiLello please!) Yes, it may be full of period detail. The photographs are all in black and white, but most are shot out of focus and are blurred. Never mind, we all had a far out time and got very stoned!
No, this review is not from Mr. Vivian Kensington-Straight, No2 The Elms, Tunbridge Wells. I was a 'fab' from the time I saw the band on Granada tv in November '62. By the time of Apple I was a hippie/drop out/beach bum that I spun out for over five years. In March 1970 I was living in the streets of London and attended an open air gig in Bethnal Green to see The Plastic Ono Band. Sadly J. & Y., didn't turn up. I was hoping this book would throw some light on the details, but no mention. Now at retirement age my physical self may be ailing but my head hasn't moved very far spiritually or politically from my 60's dream.
It is just unfortunate that I cannot see this as being "among the most fascinating Beatles books ever written." It's a case of 'move along, there's nothin' to see here'. For those readers who were too young and missed the party, there's Philip Norman or Hunter Davies or Devin McKinney.
Once, there was a way to get back homeward.
Once, there was a way to get back home.
I felt that the book was longer than any fifty-yard dash. Fifty yards is rather a long distance to dash with a mouth full of puke. Any 'immensely poignant portrait' should satisfy like a cordon bleu experience, but this was like eating cardboard. (Not cordon blue Mr DiLello please!) Yes, it may be full of period detail. The photographs are all in black and white, but most are shot out of focus and are blurred. Never mind, we all had a far out time and got very stoned!
No, this review is not from Mr. Vivian Kensington-Straight, No2 The Elms, Tunbridge Wells. I was a 'fab' from the time I saw the band on Granada tv in November '62. By the time of Apple I was a hippie/drop out/beach bum that I spun out for over five years. In March 1970 I was living in the streets of London and attended an open air gig in Bethnal Green to see The Plastic Ono Band. Sadly J. & Y., didn't turn up. I was hoping this book would throw some light on the details, but no mention. Now at retirement age my physical self may be ailing but my head hasn't moved very far spiritually or politically from my 60's dream.
It is just unfortunate that I cannot see this as being "among the most fascinating Beatles books ever written." It's a case of 'move along, there's nothin' to see here'. For those readers who were too young and missed the party, there's Philip Norman or Hunter Davies or Devin McKinney.
Once, there was a way to get back homeward.
Once, there was a way to get back home.
May 11, 2012
I've been a long-time Beatle fan, have read many books, seen many documentaries, and even with all of that knowledge, this book was an outstanding and totally fresh read! I loved it!
Most Beatle books tend to focus on personalities, personal lives or the music. And Apple Corps was always a part of the story that I only knew a little bit about.
This perspective of that time and place, of that period in their history, of the business side of it, of what it was like on a day-to-day basis to work there, to be a part of this 'empire' or to understand what it might have been like for the Beatles themselves was enlightening, entertaining and thoroughly enjoyable.
I can't wait to watch Let It Be again after having read this book.
For any true Beatle fanatic with a working knowledge of their music and their history, this book is a revelation and a fantastic insight.
If you love The Beatles from slightly more afar, this book may not be your cup of tea.
Most Beatle books tend to focus on personalities, personal lives or the music. And Apple Corps was always a part of the story that I only knew a little bit about.
This perspective of that time and place, of that period in their history, of the business side of it, of what it was like on a day-to-day basis to work there, to be a part of this 'empire' or to understand what it might have been like for the Beatles themselves was enlightening, entertaining and thoroughly enjoyable.
I can't wait to watch Let It Be again after having read this book.
For any true Beatle fanatic with a working knowledge of their music and their history, this book is a revelation and a fantastic insight.
If you love The Beatles from slightly more afar, this book may not be your cup of tea.
February 7, 2021
an interesting read which shines a light on a fairly shambolic final few years for the Beatles and chronicles their well meaning attempt at bringing creativity to the masses and offer opportunity where it didn't lie before.
given how short lived Apple was and given the fact that it seems as a company to lurch from one bad decision to another..not really investing in talent outside of the Beatles being the main problem....plus encouraging hangers on, its amazing than in many ways given its small roster it was actually pretty successful.
infights within the Beatles and John's campaigns all ultimately confused the public these are recorded and show how creatively the Beatles never lacked passion even if their talents ran rampant and seemed to lead ultimately to the breakdown.
given how short lived Apple was and given the fact that it seems as a company to lurch from one bad decision to another..not really investing in talent outside of the Beatles being the main problem....plus encouraging hangers on, its amazing than in many ways given its small roster it was actually pretty successful.
infights within the Beatles and John's campaigns all ultimately confused the public these are recorded and show how creatively the Beatles never lacked passion even if their talents ran rampant and seemed to lead ultimately to the breakdown.
November 22, 2013
Fab read of the disheveled life behind the doors of Apple Records as the Beatles were coming apart as a band, while creating the magnificent Abbey Road and lesser Let It Be. As seen from the "house hippie," a sort of assistant/runner-type employee, Richard DiLello, it is amazing that any business ever got done, given the hangers-on, manipulators, crooks and other cons who made their way through the doors at 3 Savile Row in London, and all through the haze of marijuana smoke. Richard is present for some amazing moments in Beatles history, however, and it's a really fun read.
May 31, 2012
If you want to know what working for Apple Records in its heyday felt like, this is the book to read. Fun, wild, intriguing and insightful. Not a dry bio; this puts you right in the middle of the action, with hippies, Hell's Angels, drug use, theft, backstabbing, artist promotion and general weirdness prevailing on a daily basis.
You can't run a company this way, which is why Apple went under for years, but it sure must have been a blast to experience.
You can't run a company this way, which is why Apple went under for years, but it sure must have been a blast to experience.
August 22, 2023
Though it’s padded out at the end with some generic Beatles info and articles you can easily find elsewhere, this is a very shockingly entertaining and vivid account of what it was really like to work at Apple Records in the late ’60s. It’s written in a very distinctive (some would say druggy and dated) swinging ’60s manner, but for me that just made it livelier and more accurate to what really seems to have been a genuinely bizarre collision of art and business interests at a moment when certain segments of youth culture really did believe the world was their oyster. And the older I get, the more I wonder if maybe we should’ve given them all free reign. It’s not as if the straight world has done any better. DiLallo sprinkles the chapters with colorful dialogues, usually tete-a-tetes between himself and Derek Taylor, and the whole thing has a flavorful, fly-on-the-wall appeal; you really do get the picture of how, even in so flamboyant a dream job as this, office politics and drudgery could still sometimes take over as in any job. At this point I’ve read so many Beatles books and it’s hard to think of new angles from which I might find someone approaching the story, but this book offers just that, and so it was quite a pleasure. (That is, except for the fact that the library copy I checked out from UNCW, a very flimsy paperback from Playboy’s publishing arm, was literally falling apart in my hands as I went through it! It made me sort of scared to read it, honestly.) This is so vastly superior to the virtually concurrent Apple to the Core (above) that it induces whiplash; and by the way, considering the potential for Mad Men-like dirt here, it’s kind of pleasing how wholesome and naive the Beatles — who are mostly present as shadows — end up looking. George genuinely thinks the Hell’s Angels want to be friends with them!
November 27, 2023
Richard DiLello had a firsthand look at the goings on of Apple in the late 1960s. This book certainly had the potential to be quite intriguing because (as I just mentioned) he had an insider's view. The trouble is I kind of feel like it's all over the place. There would be conversations between people but you'd have no idea who's speaking. I also found it strange he'd refer to himself in the third person (this is a minor complaint but it's weird). I also felt like the final part was a bit of a cop-out to just include news articles but I do realize he was obviously not there on the scene for that part and probably felt like he needed to include the conclusion of it all. Part of me thinks the problem is I believe this came out in 1972 so basically right after everything and yes, it makes sense for the purpose of remembering details but I dunno...I basically felt this should have been composed and edited better.
Overall, I'll give it a C.
Overall, I'll give it a C.
August 27, 2017
This subject interests me so much, but this book is so poorly written that I struggled to finish. In the introduction the author states he had difficulty publishing the book in the 70s due to lack of interest in the topic. I sense the publishers actually looked at this messy manuscript puffed up with self-importance and took a hard pass.
Yes, Apple was chaotic. The book captures that well, but repetitiously and joylessly.
I didn't glean any new information from this book. So if you're thinking of reading, and are a Beatles fan who has already read a few books on the subject, you can safely skip this one. If you haven't read anything start somewhere else - Tony Bramwell's book is very good, and Chris O'Dell's is a more readable insight into Apple.
Yes, Apple was chaotic. The book captures that well, but repetitiously and joylessly.
I didn't glean any new information from this book. So if you're thinking of reading, and are a Beatles fan who has already read a few books on the subject, you can safely skip this one. If you haven't read anything start somewhere else - Tony Bramwell's book is very good, and Chris O'Dell's is a more readable insight into Apple.
January 3, 2026
I read this book when I was a teenager, and a huge (albeit a bit late) Beatles fan. It stayed with me all these years. It’s possible that I read it another time in the past as well. Reading it now it still resonates as a memoir of an important place and time in popular culture. The writing style is a bit disjointed, and I didn’t love that the final dissolution of the Beatles was told via a newspaper court reporter, but I’m glad I spent the time to reread it.
March 27, 2019
A friend gave me this since as he knew I like The Beatles and also music books. Unfortunately, I couldn't finish it. Yeah, the writing is a bit weird but that usually doesn't bother me. I put it down and picked it up a few times but just couldn't keep going. It's a good premise but just not for me at this time I guess.
February 10, 2020
Very unique, it’s like being a fly on the wall as a bunch of super creative, heavy drinking hippie stoner artists run a lunatic business. And when those people are the Beatles, it’s gonna be interesting. It was a blast to read and I couldn’t put it down, and even I learned something about The Beatles as individuals, as they were breaking up and growing up
July 24, 2025
Tyvärr en ganska plumpt sammansatt bok. Det är kul med de unika ögonblicksskildringarna från mitt i kaoset på Savile Row, men merparten av denna bok är olika pressutdrag och någon slags ambition av att berätta Beatles historia, åtminstone slutet på den, vilket inte alls är vad man vill läsa i en sån här bok.
March 12, 2026
i knocked through this rather quickly on the flights to/from Big Sky
it was okay, though the general structure of the book was a big turn off for me, personally. many quick tidbits/anecdotes that are dropped in as a half page "chapter"
5/10 - wouldn't necessarily recommend, though there were some neat tales
it was okay, though the general structure of the book was a big turn off for me, personally. many quick tidbits/anecdotes that are dropped in as a half page "chapter"
5/10 - wouldn't necessarily recommend, though there were some neat tales
January 11, 2018
An intriguing read of the rise and fall of the Beatles Apple empire. Not terribly specific on details, but a pleasing to read account of an insider who witnessed much - sonted and sober! It really must have been a trippy experience working at Apple in the late 1960s.
August 5, 2018
Served more like an encylopedia, than a straight through read . I found myself jumping around reading sections, then going back to find context. I doubt the casual fan wound find their interesting.
Read
February 24, 2021Dnf .. wasn‘t really my cup of tea and honestly I didn‘t understand like 20% per sentence 😂
March 21, 2023
I've been searching for this book for decades. It is a hilarious, sometimes sad account of Apple Corp and an insider's account of a really crazy, Looong Cocktail Party !!!
June 16, 2023
A decent read. A ride on the Beatles money machine till it wasn't.
September 18, 2023
I thought 'ha a book on Apple, that'll be fun!' but, no. At best a useful but very boring to read inadvertent debunking of the idea London in the late 60s was an interesting place to be.
January 11, 2024
#3 of 120 books in 2023
March 20, 2018
I loved this insider view of the chaos that grew from the idealistic origins of Apple.
Read
September 6, 2020Gave up after 200 pages of some of the worst writing about the Beatles I've ever read, and I've read a lot of bad and boring stuff. Clearly cobbled together from press clippings decades after the fact. dogshite.
March 19, 2017
A nasty ending to the whole ride that was the Beatles.
Everyone was taking advantage and Lennon got beat upon by bikers at the Apple staff Christmas party when he rubbed them the wrong way with some stupid Lennonish remarks.
Apple was destined to fail due to the lack of organization and infighting between mostly John and Paul. Egos destroyed what had been the world's greatest band.
Everyone was taking advantage and Lennon got beat upon by bikers at the Apple staff Christmas party when he rubbed them the wrong way with some stupid Lennonish remarks.
Apple was destined to fail due to the lack of organization and infighting between mostly John and Paul. Egos destroyed what had been the world's greatest band.
August 21, 2023
Not a Beatle book for neophytes, but for those well-versed in the group and its history, this is an amusingly wild ride through the waning days of Apple. The author, a sort of gofer in the label's publicity department, was witness to all kinds of insanity - donkeys in the elevators, Hell's Angels trashing the Christmas party, would-be Janis Joplins literally screaming for attention outside the windows. (And then there was the hippie tribe camped out on the top floor, including a barely-teenage girl who asked the author to pimp her out to George Harrison . . .) This is all recorded in a freewheeling, you-are-there series of vignettes that range from straightforward narrative to dialogue snippets to press releases. Truthfully, there's more about Apple artists and would-be artists than the Fabs themselves - one story thread involves a Scottish blues band on the verge of getting their big break with the label. But it's all part of the crazy-quilt world of Apple, a dream of total artistic freedom that spiraled out of control. Well worth a look for the amusement factor and the insider's perspective.
October 10, 2012
When American teenager Richard DiLello wandered into the Beatles' Apple building in 1968, he was immediately appointed house hippie. He began making tea, rolling joints, and listening to dozens of demo tapes. By the time Apple crumbled a few years later he was director of public relations. Along the way he noted many of the stoned conversations he heard and the insane bits of business he witnessed: one-man bands auditioning in the reception area, Hell's Angels taking over Saville Row, and the Beatles playing on the roof. Full of period detail, with a riotously colorful cast of characters, The Longest Cocktail Party is fast-paced and funny but also manages to be immensely poignant about the demise of the Fab Four and the death of the '60s dream.
November 11, 2013
This book was a tough read. There was little interesting and relevant information about Apple Corps. and The Beatles within the ramblings of Mr. Dilello. The end of the book contains newspaper extracts of the prolonged legal battles of the Beatles. These extracts do not add to the book, but are simply tacked on.
The book has interest as an artifact the late 1960s and early 1970s hippie culture. Beyond that, it's simply one of the lesser Beatles books.
The book has interest as an artifact the late 1960s and early 1970s hippie culture. Beyond that, it's simply one of the lesser Beatles books.
November 4, 2011
I love the Beatles and I could barely get through this book. Don't get me wrong, the stories are really interesting and it's cool to get a different perspective. But I had a really hard time focusing on the stories because the writing is all over the place. Sort of stream of consciousness. I suppose if you have better focus than I do, you might enjoy this book a lot more.
July 22, 2014
The Longest Cocktail Party is a must for your Beatles bookshelf. The book was originally published in 1972 and Apple Records employee Richard DiLello's memory is fresh and his recollections interesting and amusing. It's a fun, breezy read that covers the years 1968 to 71 when The Beatles became businessmen in an era of hippies and drug addicts. One for the die hard Beatle fans and historians.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews