First published 2014
Hunter Davies examines the Beatles' songwriting process through their original manuscripts and handwritten lyrics. The book reproduces over 100 songs as they first appeared on envelopes, hotel stationery, and scraps of paper. Davies shows how familiar songs began as rough scribbles, with crossed-out sections and rewrites visible on the page. He places each manuscript in context, explaining the circumstances behind the writing. The collection includes many documents never before published, gathered from museums, universities, collectors, and friends around the world. Davies reveals how words that made it into final recordings sometimes never appeared in written form. The book commemorates the 50th anniversary of the Beatles' arrival in America. Through these intimate reproductions, Davies demonstrates that songwriting for the Beatles could happen anywhere, anytime. The visible creative process offers musicians, scholars, and fans direct access to how these songs took shape.
Genres: biography, art, 20th-century, non-fiction, music, 21st-century
Vibes: intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: creative-process
Period: 1960s
384 pages · Hardcover · Little, Brown and Company