The Songs The Beatles Gave Away’ was inspired by the 2009 BBC Radio 2 documentary of the same name on which Colin worked with/for Bob Harris and his wife, Trudie Myerscough-Harris. For his book, Bob and Trudie have kindly given Colin permission to access the interviews they conducted in 2008/9 with Sir Paul McCartney, Sir George Martin, Cilla Black, Mary Hopkin, Jackie Lomax, Billy Hatton and others. Previously only small extracts from these exclusive interviews have ever been available but now, for the first time, these gems are accessed in full. Among the last interviews they gave, Sir George and Cilla spoke candidly about their work and experiences. To read their words is a moving reminder not only of their individual talents but of a period in recent musical history, the impact of which, still resonates to this day. Since making the original Radio 2 documentary Colin has been able to speak to artists who did not contribute directly to the programme such as Billy J. Kramer, Peter Asher, Megan Davies of The Applejacks and John Clay who played with the Black Dyke Mills Brass Band in 1968 when Paul McCartney visited Saltaire, in Yorkshire, to record ‘Thingumybob’, an instrumental tune, he had written especially for a brass band to play. For extra background detail, and to further contextualise the songwriting of John, Paul and George, Colin has unearthed extensive interviews he conducted with Astrid Kirchherr and Klaus Vormann before he became custodian of the Lennon house in Liverpool in 2004. He has also spoken with eye-witness, and former member of the Plastic Ono Band, Alan White who played on many Apple recording sessions. ‘The Songs The Beatles Gave Away’ is illustrated with photographs of records culled from Colin’s private collection of original 45rpm vinyl singles, together with photographs kindly donated to the project by his friends, some of his own personal photographs as well as many promotional photographs from the period. While encompassing the origins of the Beatles as a group and the emergence of John, Paul, and George as composers, the central focus of ‘The Songs The Beatles Gave Away’ is on tunes John, Paul and George wrote for other artistes rather than just for The Beatles themselves. As such the stories featured here are not about ‘covers’ of songs the Beatles had already released. It is about songs The Beatles did not release commercially or even record at all during the active lifetime of the group. Such ‘giveaways’ were unique and each song and its singer are discussed in detail and side stories and background explored. This is the first time a book focusing on this aspect of The Beatles’ legacy has been attempted.
