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The Beatles Live: The Ultimate Reference Book
Describes every Beatles live performance between 1957 and 1966, lists their repertoire during each period, and includes brief newspaper accounts of selected concerts
- GenresRock N RollMusic
Paperback
Published January 1, 1986
65 people want to read
About the author
Mark Lewisohn
41 books283 followersMark Lewisohn is the acknowledged world authority on the Beatles. Before embarking on The Beatles: All These Years his books included the bestselling and influential The Complete Beatles Recording Sessions and The Complete Beatles Chronicle. He was a consultant and researcher on all aspects—TV, DVDs, CDs and book—of the Beatles own Anthology and has been involved in numerous additional projects for them. Married with two children, he lives in England.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
January 14, 2010
My jaw dropped when I first bought this book and began reading it. The amount of research Lewisohn did is simply incredible. He did his best to track down EVERY live performance the Beatles ever gave, starting with their very first dates as the Quarrymen (when John was the only Beatle in the band). Of course, most of the early material is guesswork, but this book cleared up a lot of misconceptions that fans had about how John and Paul met, what songs they performed, how often they played and the like. As Paul commented to Lewisohn in THE BEATLES' RECORDING SESSIONS interview, "God bless them, the Beatles worked their little cotton socks off!" These guys earned their way to the top, and this book proves it. Sadly out of print, but it's all been compiled in THE COMPLETE BEATLES CHRONICLE.
Oh, the flexi-disc record is worth about one listen. It's the typical for-the-fans PR interview.
Oh, the flexi-disc record is worth about one listen. It's the typical for-the-fans PR interview.
May 16, 2015
Lewisohn's entry into the world of Beatle lore was like an announcement of a new standard in biographical research, causing Paul McCartney, (sheepish about reading Beatle biographies because of the number of aggregious errors he'd spot), to acclaim it unilaterally as such.
Lewisohn has gone on to issue definitive documents on The Beatles' recording career, sourcing and collating documents to make a coherent narrative of facts, and he starts here as he meant to go on by doing the same for their live career.
An official consultant to the band's Apple corporation for many years, this debut, although now out of print and hard to find, will form the research basis for the forthcoming movie of the same title directed by Ron Howard.
Lewisohn has gone on to issue definitive documents on The Beatles' recording career, sourcing and collating documents to make a coherent narrative of facts, and he starts here as he meant to go on by doing the same for their live career.
An official consultant to the band's Apple corporation for many years, this debut, although now out of print and hard to find, will form the research basis for the forthcoming movie of the same title directed by Ron Howard.
November 19, 2020
I can't help but be blown away by this formidable undertaking.
So much more than a simple reference book of dates and locations, this slim volume is bursting with facsimiles of every kind. Telegrams and letters, newspaper articles, and enough concert posters to make your head spin. And as we watch these concert posters fly by, we see the Beatles rise in ranks to go from tiny, unadorned print at the bottom, to the most celebrated and festooned headliners at the very top. Live performances are a great lens through which to view the trajectory of the band. As they grew more professional and sophisticated, they made less and less life appearances, ending in 1966, which only lasts for a few pages of live performances.
Adding to the media included within, there are some truly incredible rare photos. Such as an early gem, featuring Ringo with the Eddie Clayton Skiffle Group during a performance at Wilson Hall, Garston, dated 23 May 1957. This photo is remarkable not just for its historic quality but also because it bears an uncanny resemblance to a much more famous and widely distributed photo of the Quarrymen, that adorns Len Garry's memoir. Comparing the two photos makes for a thrilling "spot the similarities" game.
Lewisohn is very famous for his Beatles research and at this point his shrewd reputation precedes him. It is quite amusing throughout to see him reference the fact that oh so many Beatles books published before his, contained this inaccuracy or that. He takes these small errors very seriously, which is admirable. Anyway, the book itself boasts a few different categories of referential information. For 8 chapters, spanning the live performances of 1957-59, 1960, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, and 66, the date and time (if known) is listed. And often additional notes are provided, mentioning the size and type of audience and venue, or any notable incidents from the event, or peculiarities. Even though this is a reference book, I found it beneficial to read through the whole thing front to back in order, because it helped reinforce my geographical knowledge, and overall knowledge of the band. One grows familiar with the halls they played often through all the repetition. Especially since I'm not a native to Britain.
It was only 1987 when this book was published, but even then, Lewisohn finds himself with lots of errors from other authors and reports published before him to correct. Despite this, some of what he says, about the Quarrymen in the early pages, isn't quite true, my source being their official website. The site has done some myth busting for us to reference easily in this modern age of the internet. I'll briefly go over a few examples:
The Blackjacks name was not changed because they heard another band had the name
- They couldn’t remember why, but not because of that, apparently
- It’s not a satisfying answer, but it’s what the people who were there say, so it must be the official reckoning, unless they’re lying, but why would they?
(Lewisohn avoids this error, not giving a reason why they changed the name besides them simply realizing it would fit better, since they went to Quarry Bank High School.)
They actually could tune their guitars themselves.
- They even had a tuning fork to do so. And there was only one man in King's Drive who they knew played guitar, and they never went to him.
- This is hard to believe. Especially after reading Tune In. It's well known that John tuned his guitar like a banjo, leaving one or two of the lower strings out of commission. And part of what impressed John, when he met Paul, was that Paul could tune his guitar properly for him. (And play it upside-down to boot!) So, I am a bit on the fence here. I don't want to dismiss Lewisohn's hard work with the blink of an eye, especially when it'd be in favour of a slightly sketchy outdated website.
It's spelled Nigel Walley.
Never with an H, that is a mistake!
(Lewisohn states that Walley “occasionally dropped the H from him surname”.)
The Quarrymen. One word.
- Only broken up sometimes like on the drum head for spacing reasons or newspapers choosing the other way. But decided on one word, as per the website.
(Mark writes it as two words, even while including photos of contemporaneous papers writing it as one word. Granted, papers didn't stick to one way of writing it, the situation being very informal. Plus, in Tune In, he maintains the two word spelling. So, maybe I should concede. Plus, it is displayed "Quarry Men" on the plaque at St. Peter's Church.)
According to their website, the Quarrymen first played the Cavern before the popular date of August the 7th. “Early 1957” the website says.
- It's hard to call the shots on this one. It's pretty hazy for everyone involved, as it was so long ago and there are hardly any records to prove anything. So we'll have to take their word for it.
Anyway, back to the greatness of this book. It takes us way back to dig into the minutiae, and I guarantee everyone reading will be surprised to have some of their knowledge brought into question. For example, here are some pretty uncomfortable cases of myth busting, where we have to face the cold hard truth, or maybe a "perhaps"-truth, as some things are never quite certain:
Raymond Jones Story Untrue?! I am clutching my pearls.
- Brian knew of the Beatles prior to Raymond Jones requesting “My Bonnie”??
- He had already been selling copies of Mersey Beat which prominently featured the Beatles as front page news??
I agree with Mark that the truth probably lies somewhere in between the two possibilities: Brian having the Beatles already on his radar; and having been first introduced to them when “My Bonnie” was requested.
Here are some things Lewisohn states here in 1987 that would be corrected in Tune In (2013):
-Years later Mark would stress that Ringo never spelled his “Richie” nickname with a “t”. Either “Richy” or “Richie” but no “t”. Here, it’s spelled “Ritchie”.
- Here Mark falls for the “Brian bought 10,000 copies of 'Love Me Do'” myth, to “fiddle the charts” as John later phrased it (while denouncing it). In Tune In, (2013) Lewisohn thoroughly dismisses this claim.
A minor quibble: sometimes Lewisohn overlays photos on top of newspaper articles, and some of their text is obscured, or he has the newspaper running off the page. I understand this is for aesthetic, stylistic reasons, but sometimes I would like to be able to read the whole article, and doing this impedes it.
All in all, however, this book far exceeds any expectations. We are brought right back to the early Glory Days, the era when, as John claims, they were playing at their best. We go way back, to when the Dakota was an airplane, and Chapman's first name was Norman. One gets a sense of just how much, as Mark puts it, they "slogged" for their success. And boy did they earn it. All those halls and theatres and clubs. They've been everywhere and had so many adventures. May their names liveth for evermore. Even you, John. Especially you. And once more, these rare photos, clippings, and posters are just fascinating. The enriching power of context.
So much more than a simple reference book of dates and locations, this slim volume is bursting with facsimiles of every kind. Telegrams and letters, newspaper articles, and enough concert posters to make your head spin. And as we watch these concert posters fly by, we see the Beatles rise in ranks to go from tiny, unadorned print at the bottom, to the most celebrated and festooned headliners at the very top. Live performances are a great lens through which to view the trajectory of the band. As they grew more professional and sophisticated, they made less and less life appearances, ending in 1966, which only lasts for a few pages of live performances.
Adding to the media included within, there are some truly incredible rare photos. Such as an early gem, featuring Ringo with the Eddie Clayton Skiffle Group during a performance at Wilson Hall, Garston, dated 23 May 1957. This photo is remarkable not just for its historic quality but also because it bears an uncanny resemblance to a much more famous and widely distributed photo of the Quarrymen, that adorns Len Garry's memoir. Comparing the two photos makes for a thrilling "spot the similarities" game.
Lewisohn is very famous for his Beatles research and at this point his shrewd reputation precedes him. It is quite amusing throughout to see him reference the fact that oh so many Beatles books published before his, contained this inaccuracy or that. He takes these small errors very seriously, which is admirable. Anyway, the book itself boasts a few different categories of referential information. For 8 chapters, spanning the live performances of 1957-59, 1960, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, and 66, the date and time (if known) is listed. And often additional notes are provided, mentioning the size and type of audience and venue, or any notable incidents from the event, or peculiarities. Even though this is a reference book, I found it beneficial to read through the whole thing front to back in order, because it helped reinforce my geographical knowledge, and overall knowledge of the band. One grows familiar with the halls they played often through all the repetition. Especially since I'm not a native to Britain.
It was only 1987 when this book was published, but even then, Lewisohn finds himself with lots of errors from other authors and reports published before him to correct. Despite this, some of what he says, about the Quarrymen in the early pages, isn't quite true, my source being their official website. The site has done some myth busting for us to reference easily in this modern age of the internet. I'll briefly go over a few examples:
The Blackjacks name was not changed because they heard another band had the name
- They couldn’t remember why, but not because of that, apparently
- It’s not a satisfying answer, but it’s what the people who were there say, so it must be the official reckoning, unless they’re lying, but why would they?
(Lewisohn avoids this error, not giving a reason why they changed the name besides them simply realizing it would fit better, since they went to Quarry Bank High School.)
They actually could tune their guitars themselves.
- They even had a tuning fork to do so. And there was only one man in King's Drive who they knew played guitar, and they never went to him.
- This is hard to believe. Especially after reading Tune In. It's well known that John tuned his guitar like a banjo, leaving one or two of the lower strings out of commission. And part of what impressed John, when he met Paul, was that Paul could tune his guitar properly for him. (And play it upside-down to boot!) So, I am a bit on the fence here. I don't want to dismiss Lewisohn's hard work with the blink of an eye, especially when it'd be in favour of a slightly sketchy outdated website.
It's spelled Nigel Walley.
Never with an H, that is a mistake!
(Lewisohn states that Walley “occasionally dropped the H from him surname”.)
The Quarrymen. One word.
- Only broken up sometimes like on the drum head for spacing reasons or newspapers choosing the other way. But decided on one word, as per the website.
(Mark writes it as two words, even while including photos of contemporaneous papers writing it as one word. Granted, papers didn't stick to one way of writing it, the situation being very informal. Plus, in Tune In, he maintains the two word spelling. So, maybe I should concede. Plus, it is displayed "Quarry Men" on the plaque at St. Peter's Church.)
According to their website, the Quarrymen first played the Cavern before the popular date of August the 7th. “Early 1957” the website says.
- It's hard to call the shots on this one. It's pretty hazy for everyone involved, as it was so long ago and there are hardly any records to prove anything. So we'll have to take their word for it.
Anyway, back to the greatness of this book. It takes us way back to dig into the minutiae, and I guarantee everyone reading will be surprised to have some of their knowledge brought into question. For example, here are some pretty uncomfortable cases of myth busting, where we have to face the cold hard truth, or maybe a "perhaps"-truth, as some things are never quite certain:
Raymond Jones Story Untrue?! I am clutching my pearls.
- Brian knew of the Beatles prior to Raymond Jones requesting “My Bonnie”??
- He had already been selling copies of Mersey Beat which prominently featured the Beatles as front page news??
I agree with Mark that the truth probably lies somewhere in between the two possibilities: Brian having the Beatles already on his radar; and having been first introduced to them when “My Bonnie” was requested.
Here are some things Lewisohn states here in 1987 that would be corrected in Tune In (2013):
-Years later Mark would stress that Ringo never spelled his “Richie” nickname with a “t”. Either “Richy” or “Richie” but no “t”. Here, it’s spelled “Ritchie”.
- Here Mark falls for the “Brian bought 10,000 copies of 'Love Me Do'” myth, to “fiddle the charts” as John later phrased it (while denouncing it). In Tune In, (2013) Lewisohn thoroughly dismisses this claim.
A minor quibble: sometimes Lewisohn overlays photos on top of newspaper articles, and some of their text is obscured, or he has the newspaper running off the page. I understand this is for aesthetic, stylistic reasons, but sometimes I would like to be able to read the whole article, and doing this impedes it.
All in all, however, this book far exceeds any expectations. We are brought right back to the early Glory Days, the era when, as John claims, they were playing at their best. We go way back, to when the Dakota was an airplane, and Chapman's first name was Norman. One gets a sense of just how much, as Mark puts it, they "slogged" for their success. And boy did they earn it. All those halls and theatres and clubs. They've been everywhere and had so many adventures. May their names liveth for evermore. Even you, John. Especially you. And once more, these rare photos, clippings, and posters are just fascinating. The enriching power of context.
February 2, 2026
Remarkable resource for the time that is no longer factually relevant and could do with more punctuation in parts. The structure is a good visual for understanding just how sharply the Beatles' touring schedule dropped off following their explosion in the U.S.
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November 12, 2023This is the book that put Mark Lewisohn rightfully on the map of Beatles scholars.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews