SNAP HAPPY
How many books have been written about The Beatles? (Probably hundreds). What do we know about the Fab Four that we don’t know already? Obviously not enough, otherwise Richard Starkey – aka Beatles drummer Ringo Starr – wouldn’t have bothered publishing his personal archive of previously unseen pictures. The 140 images that make up Photograph shed a fascinating light on one of the biggest bands of the twentieth century giving us an intimate view of the lovable lads at work, rest, and play.
You don’t have to be a Beatles fan to appreciate this gentle stroll down memory lane, just as it doesn’t take a genius to recognise that the book pulls off an interesting feat. On the one hand it charts Ringo’s life, while also capturing the Liverpool music scene of the late 1950s/ early 1960s and how it felt to be young in post war Britain. Images abound of Ringo with his family; partying with his mates “a good time was had by all in those days”; drumming in nightclubs, and cheerfully revelling in some of the stand-out moments of his life such as the day he bought his first car (a standard Vanguard costing £75.00). It’s the very ordinariness and innocence of these pictures that make them so appealing, complementing the ones he later took of The Beatles. Today’s pop stars may be cosseted by PR advisers, spin doctors, mind medics and other hangers-on, yet it’s refreshing to look back on an era when the trappings of fame were not as ostentatious.
We get to see the Beatles as they really were: four likeable lads from Liverpool childishly bemused by their rapid vault into international stardom. What’s not to like about Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and John Lennon larking around in five- star hotels, or of Brian Epstein (The Beatles legendary manager), jokingly wearing a mop-top wig? They’re priceless images that will always linger in the mind. Ringo is an excellent guide with a self-effacing manner, a delightful sense of humour, and a deep respect for family especially his mother who “loved every second of my life”.
It’s not hard to see why Beatlemania struck such a chord and Photograph has many qualities that are likely to appeal to every generation. It’s funny, sad in one or two places, but genuinely entertaining and I hope that someday Ringo might be persuaded to revisit his massive archive to serve up a few more helpings of Beatles nostalgia. Rock on!
Reviewed by Juliette Foster
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