New Beatles biography from Bradford publisher Great Northern Books

Today, he feels the Beatles’ UK origins have been overlooked for too long - so the bestselling author and music journalist has written a fascinating new biography of the Fab Four.

With the Beatles: From The Town Where They Were Born To Now And Then contains previously unpublished interviews with Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr conducted by Humphries. Paul talks about the controversial Lennon/McCartney songwriting credit, George reflects on Beatlemania and Ringo reveals his skiffle musical roots.

Billed as the “first full biography of the group in nearly 20 years”, the book also reveals details of an unmade Beatles’ film, plans for Lonnie Donegan to coax John Lennon out of his New York exile, firsthand accounts of the Beatles in Liverpool, and an exhaustive analysis of their American breakthrough.

Humphries’ book also offers fly-on-the-wall accounts of Paul rehearsing for a world tour, the Beatles’ Love musical in Las Vegas and never-before-printed insights with producer George Martin, ‘fifth Beatle’ Chas Newby and Cavern DJ Bob Wooler. There are memories of Beatlemania from E Street Band drummer Max Weinberg, and Tom Jones discusses plans for him and Elvis Presley to recruit the Beatles as their backing band. You can also read the very last words that John Lennon said to Paul McCartney...

With the Beatles contains never before printed interviews (Image: Great Northern Books)

Published by Bradford-based Great Northern Books - which celebrates its 25th anniversary this year - With the Beatles has several regional references, including the Beatles eating Yorkshire puddings, a Sheffield gig booked by Peter Stringfellow, and the influence of Billy Liar, filmed in Bradford, which, writes Humphries, “equally marked the changes they (the Beatles) would soon be applying to British society”.

“On August 15, 1963, John Schlesinger’s Billy Liar premiered. It is the key Swinging 60s film”... “crucially, it remains the only film of the kitchen sink period to pay any cognizance to pop music. To get a flavour of venues the Beatles would have been familiar with, watch the rockers in the film roar up to the Locarno (Manningham’s Mecca Locarno dancehall), proudly boasting ‘Mecca Dancing’. Follow Billy in and negotiating his way through the hundreds of twisting couples: the girls all beehives and stilettos, the preening boys, faded Teds. A brazen show of young adulthood beneath the revolving glitter ball. And marvel again as Rodney Bewes’ ‘Twisteralla’ is performed to the twisting teens.

“Located in an anonymous northern town, (actually Bradford, in the process of having its Victorian heritage gutted), Tom Courtenay is the dreamy eponymous hero. Courtenay, along with Albert Finney and Alan Bates, came to represent a Northern English breakthrough in cinema, in the same way and at the same time as the Beatles and their Merseyside musical peers.”

Humphries tells of how the Beatles’ brand continues to live on. He traces their progress in cyberspace, on film and in print and reveals how the group dominates auction house sales. There’s an interview with Hilary Kay from BBC’s Antiques Roadshow on their enduring appeal. The long battle with Steve Jobs’ Apple is chronicled and how the Beatles’ own Apple meticulously guards their legacy with box sets, re-releases and documentaries.

With the Beatles is a new look at the enduring impact and legacy of the world’s most influential band.

* ALSO published by Great Northern Books is the latest book in TV vet Julian Norton’s popular Diary series.

Ruminations of a Yorkshire Vet is a collection of anecdotes from the star of hit Channel 5 series The Yorkshire Vet. It’s the continuing chronicle of his challenging and varied veterinary work in North Yorkshire. As well as dealing with farm animals - calving cows, treating milk fever, even removing an eye from a bull - Julian’s other cases include lopsided fish, accident-prone cats, bald guinea pigs and a three-legged hedgehog.

Julian Norton continues his stories of life as a country vet (Image: Great Northern Books)

The diary also documents how the pandemic affected Julian’s work, as he reflects on life and chews the cud over his unexpected but happy television career. Written in the charming manner familiar of his TV show, it’s an enjoyable read, beautifully illustrated.

Julian has been working in mixed practice in rural North Yorkshire for most of his 27 years as a vet. Much of his career has been in the market town of Thirsk, made famous by James Herriot’s books. Julian, who has been part of TV ‘s The Yorkshire Vet series since 2015, helps to run vets practices in Wetherby and Thirsk, where he works with his wife Anne, also a vet.

Ruminations of a Yorkshire Vet will be followed by New Pastures for a Yorkshire Vet this autumn.

* SERIAL entrepreneur and philanthropist Graham Leslie is one of life’s mavericks. He grew up in a council house and went on to meet presidents, prime ministers and members of the royal family and, along the way, created Galpharm International Ltd - “one of the most pioneering pharmaceutical companies the UK has ever seen”. Since selling the company, for $86m, he has dedicated his life to helping other businesses and charities.

Graham was chairman of Huddersfield Town Football Club in the early 1990s and kick-started the project that led to a new stadium in Huddersfield - the first all-seater football stadium in the country, which set the standards for UK sports grounds and inspired the new Wembley stadium. Graham’s autobiography is called Ahead of the Curve because the stadium’s famous design, with its banana-shaped trusses, threw a curve ball into stadium design.

Graham, who is dyslexic and left school with no qualifications, is currently creating the world’s first AI app for young musicians to distribute their music globally. He tells his remarkable life story with honesty and humour, revealing how, often against all odds, he has survived, physically and financially.

Graham Leslie with his autobiography (Image: Great Northern Books)

Ahead of the Curve, written with Yorkshire journalist Andy Hirst, includes a competition to win a personally commissioned painting by internationally-renowned royal artist Richard Gower, featured in the book. Graham’s and Andy Hirst’s proceeds from the book will go to charity.

* For more about these Great Northern Books call (01274) 735056 or visit greatnorthernbooks.co.uk