The Beatles Christmas Book
by Belmo & Garry Marsh

Not quite the turkey it might have been

The vice-like grip Apple holds on all things Fabs-related, be it music, images or merchandise, makes it hard for any independent publishing house to add something worthy to the over-stocked shelves of Beatles books. Though Belmo & Marsh’s fanzine-like festive effort has many shortcomings, it just about gets by on its charm.

Concentrating on the group’s annual fan club flexi-discs (most of which are transcribed here) and various accounts of their panto-like shows in 1964 and ’65, the authors sketch out an affectionate portrait of early Beatles innocence. Monochrome Xeroxes of ticket stubs or local press reviews give the project a scrapbook feel, arguably in keeping with the kind of book fans themselves would have kept 40-odd years ago.

The chapter on radio sessions may only be repeating information that’s been documented in more detail elsewhere, but the section on Beatles-inspired novelty records is a hoot. Does anyone out there have a copy of James Kochalka’s Twinkle Twinkle Ringo Starr?

ISBN 9780951525586

Reviewed by Terry Staunton
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