Beatles books crowd shelves

With 1,400 books published about the Beatles
since their 1960's heyday, W. Fraser Sandercombe has
released "Beatle Books," which compiles all those
titles into a single reference guide.

By STEVE SEYMOUR

Without doubt, the Beatles are the most documented and researched rock band ever.

If you don't believe it, check out the more than 1,400 books written about the group from their 1960's heyday to the present time.

Heck, the Beatles even wrote a song about it called "Paperback Writer" which topped the charts in 1966.

To benefit confused bibliophiles, Beatles student W. Fraser Sandercombe has published "Beatle Books: From Genesis to Revolution."

"Quite simply, this is a book about books," Sandercombe, a resident of Burlington, Ontario, writes in the tome's introduction.

Sandercombe's efforts in compiling a list of Beatles titles may have been made easier due to the fact he owns a rare book store.

Published by Collectors Guide Publishing, "Beatles Books" lists titles by year, by author and by title.

Although it doesn't rate or put a value on the books it lists, Sandercombe's 432-page reference guide is a welcome addition to my library because it puts some organization into my collection.

I'd begun picking up Beatles books decades ago hoping to keep a complete collection along side my records albums and 45s by the famed British group.

By the 1980s, however, the publishing schedule was so packed with new Beatles books it was no longer financially possible for me to buy every one.

Nevertheless, I've amassed over 250 volumes about the Fab Four.

The books are large and small, light and heavy, significant and trivial.

The first books I purchased were cheap paperbacks capitalizing on the Beatles massive fame during the 1960s.

New York's Lancer Books quickly published both "The Beatles Up To Date" and "The Beatles Book" in paperback editions. Selling for 50 cents each, both contained text and pictures with no author credited.

Dell published "The Beatles in A Hard Day's Night," as a companion to the motion picture of the same name, released by United Artists. Author John Burke turned the movie script into a novel to accompany eight pages of exclusive photos from the movie.

Even Beatle John Lennon entered the fray. In 1964, he issued "In His Own Write," an avant-garde collection of nonsense stories and line drawings, with an introduction by fellow-band member Paul McCartney. Published by Simon and Schuster, the hardcover book carried a retail list price of $2.50.

Lennon's success as an writer was such that a French translation was also published by Simon and Schuster. "En Flagrant Delire" sits on my bookshelf, right next to the English version.

Another hardcover entry from the same year was "Love Letters to the Beatles." A sample letter: "Dear Beatles, This is my 43rd letter to you. Please answer quick, I am desperately running out of stamps. Laura A., Boston, Mass." Published by G. P. Putnam's Sons, the book originally sold for $2.

Late in 1964, Beatles manager Brian Epstein published his first-hand account of the Beatles' rise to international fame, "Cellarful of Noise." The book was first released by Doubleday, but was reprinted the following year by Pyramid in a paperback edition. Epstein revealed then little-known facts including how a request for a record led to the discovery of the Beatles and why Ringo Starr replaced the Beatles' original drummer.

By 1968, puny paperback tellings of the Beatles' story were superseded by "The Beatles: The Authorized Biography," by Hunter Davies. At the time Davies took on the book project, he was a staff writer for the Sunday Times of London

At 357-pages, Davies' book provided an exhaustive look at the Beatles, from their childhoods to their world-wide domination of the rock music scene.

Davies' book took a serious look at its subject and may have been the first to do so. The book promised the reader the "complete and unexpurgated story."

While they were reading Davies' book, fans could also listen to the band's "White Album" which was released at about the same time.

In 1970, the Beatles published a book which was contained in the U. K. edition of "Let It Be," their final album. Entitled "The Beatles Get Back," the book comprised photographs by Ethan A. Russell and dialog from the "Let It Be" film as documented by Jonathan Cott and David Dalton.

By the time the "Let It Be" album was released, the Beatles called it quits, but the flow of books continued, even escalated.

Lennon expressed his views in "Lennon Remembers," published by Straight Arrow Books in San Francisco. The book compiled two lengthy interviews conducted by Rolling Stone publisher Jann Wenner, which originally appeared in the magazine in December 1970 and January, 1971.

Ex-Beatle George Harrison told his own story in an autobiography called "I Me Mine," published by England's Genesis Publications Limited in 1980. The book first appeared as a signed, limited edition of 2,000 numbered copies, hand-bound in leather, but was later published for the mass market by Simon and Schuster.

Harrison's book reprints his song lyrics and includes a section of photographs. He uses just 60 pages to write about his life.

The story of the Beatles was most thoroughly covered in "The Beatles Anthology," published by Chronicle Books in San Francisco in 2000. The weighty 367-page coffee table book was a companion to the Beatles' six-CD audio set also called "Anthology."

The lavishly illustrated book, complete with a $60 pricetag, told the Beatles story in their own words. But, it wasn't the last word on the Beatles.

In the decade since, hundreds of additional books have crowded bookstore shelves.

While the Beatles' music resonates well into the 21st century, it seems the public also has an insatiable appetite to read about them.

It's unlikely I'll ever own a complete collection of Beatles books, but with Sandercombe's new guide I'll know exactly where I stand.

Grooves reveal 45 pressing facts

Competing record pressing plants in Cincinnati,
Ohio used machines like this one to manufacture 45 rpm
singles for four Delta County acts during the 1960s and 70s.

By STEVE SEYMOUR

Just like the hit records of the day, vintage 45 rpm singles by Upper Peninsula recording artists were manufactured at various pressing plants around the country.

Often where and when those discs were made can often be determined by their matrix numbers, inscribed in the run-off groove, or "dead wax."

The seven-inch records, popular in the 1960's, were how musicians, both local and nationally-known, brought their product to the marketplace.

Local acts looked to issuing their own singles to distribute to radio disc jockeys and sell at dances. Discs could also be mailed to booking agents and venues looking to hire bands.

To make contact with potential customers, custom pressing plants advertised their service in music-business trade magazines, such as Cash Box or Billboard.

In the midwest, Michigan had American Record Pressing Co. in Owosso, while Minneapolis, Minn. was the home to Kaybank. Pennsylvania had Specialty Records Corp. in Olyphant and a Capitol Records facility in Scranton. Nashville offered Precision Record Press and Sounds of Nashville.

A number of U. P. labels and recording artists were drawn to Cuca Records, located in Sauk City, Wis., but others approached Rite Record Productions, Inc. and rival Queen City Albums, both located in Cincinnati.

Rite bought space in Billboard under the slogan "The Rite Way Is The Right Way."

In an ad published in April, 1960 the company promised a "completed deal of low cost, top quality, fast service, guaranteed record processing and pressing, from tape to finished product."

Rite's service included "studio mastering, metal work, stampers, labels as well as record sleeve and album cover design and printing."

In the early 1960s ad, the company offered quantities ranging from 50 to 1,000 copies for both 45s and LPs. Fifty 45s cost $48 (96 cents each), while an order for 1,000 copies was priced at $165 (less than 17 cents each).

Complete package deals were aimed at schools, songwriters and small labels.

Rite caught the attention of Escanaba's fledgling Peninsula Records, operated by Leon Smiltneck. His brother Gene owned Bands Unlimited a local booking agency with clients including the Riot Squad and Prophets of Doom.

Looking to increase the band's profile with a 45 rpm single, Gene Smiltneck brought the Riot Squad into his basement studio to record two cover songs. The teenagers taped "Come On, Let's Go," originally a hit for Ritchie Valens, and "Ferry 'Cross the Mersey," by Gerry and the Pacemakers.

Not long after, the recordings were shipped to a facility in Cincinnati in the first step to producing the records.

Initially, it was assumed Queen City Albums manufactured the Riot Squad product, but information contained on the 45's run-off groove show the work was done at Rite, instead.

The matrix number and other codes in the dead wax provide information needed during the manufacturing process. Specifically, a filing number is assigned to the record stamper which must match a corresponding number on the record label. The stamper and label on the flip side will carry a different matching number.

One thousand copies of the Riot Squad disc were pressed, given the catalog number Peninsula 001.

The Riot Squad's disc actually carries the Rite imprint and the A-side matrix number 20997. The number indicates the 45 was manufactured in 1967, according to data from Rite. Further, record researcher Max Waller told me the 45 can be dated to December of that year.

Waller is a contributor to the respected "Fuzz, Flowers and Acid" record compendium. The book is a comprehensive guide to American garage, psychedelic and hippie-rock from 1964 to 1975, published by Borderline Productions.

As Peninsula Records and the Riot Squad promoted their first single, rival band Prophets of Doom set about recording their own 45 debut. The band taped "I Told You" and "Baba-Do-Wah, both original songs.

Apparently satisfied with the Riot Squad disc, Peninsula Records went to Rite to press the Prophets of Doom 45 as well.

At the factory, the disc's A-side was assigned the matrix number of 21891, dating it to May, 1968, according to Waller.

Rite, located at 9745 Lockland Road in Cincinnati, also pressed 1,000 copies of the Prophets of Doom disc, which was assigned catalog number Peninsula 002.

An ad in the May 4, 1968 issue of Billboard for Rite offered discs in quantity at less than nine cents each, on a cash only basis.

In Rite, Peninsula chose a firm with considerable experience. Founded in 1950 by Carl Burckhardt as Gateway Records Inc., the company was later given the Rite moniker. They began custom pressing records in 1955 and continued until the business closed in 1985 at the onset of the compact disc era.

Rite was very busy. The company completed over 21,000 jobs during its 30-year run, including 1250 in 1967 and another 1150 in 1968.

Records by many soul labels and groups were pressed at Rite.

Today, many discs pressed by Rite are sought after by collectors. "Garage Records Price and Reference Guide" by Barry G. Wickham and Geoffrey M. Richman places values on thousands of garage and psychedelic 45s from the 1960s as well as discs which didn't make the national charts.

The book values the Riot Squad 45 at $50 and the Prophets of Doom disc at $75.

Cincinnati's custom pressing plants got jobs from other Delta County acts, too.

A 45 by The Coppertones was manufactured by Rite. Featuring "Coquette" and "Wedding Bells," the single was produced by Wayne Nault. The A-side's 39163 matrix number indicates the disc was made in early 1978. The record was pressed on the custom DL&T Enterprises label and carried a catalog number of 2001.

Escanaba homemaker Lorraine Irving, meanwhile, chose Rite's local competitor, Queen City Albums, also known as Q. C. A. Custom Pressing, to manufacture her 45. Her recordings of "If You Were Losing Him to Me" and "Just Married" appeared on the company's own Queensgate label. The dead wax reveals the QCA imprint and the 8061Q27A matrix number, showing that this disc was also pressed in 1978.

When deciphered, the coded matrix numbers of 45s tell stories beyond the music in the grooves.

Geraci paired bands, top hits

Singer Sonny Geraci had a smash with
the Outsiders, pictured here, and another big
hit as vocalist for the rock band Climax. The
Outsiders included standing, from left, Merdin
Madsen, Geraci, Rick Baker, and Bill Bruno.
Tom King is seated in front.

By STEVE SEYMOUR

Sonny Geraci's vocal on "Time Won't Let Me" caught my attention the first time I heard it in early 1966.

As recorded by the Outsiders, "Time Won't Let Me" became a Top Five hit and is regarded as a rock classic.

Such was my appreciation for the chestnut, a clever mix of British Invasion sounds and Motown soul, that I still perk up my ears when I hear it on oldies radio.

In fact, I own three of the four LP's the Cleveland-based group released during their brief career.

The band consisted of Sonny Geraci (lead vocals), Tom King (rhythm guitar), Bill Bruno (lead guitar), Merdin Prince Gunnar Madsen (bass and harmonica) and Rick Baker, among others (drums).

Although I don't play guitar, I also have a 48-page songbook with words and music to 16 tunes the Outsiders recorded.

The color photograph on the front of the book, taken by George Jerman, is the same one used to illustrate the cover of the band's first LP, also titled "Time Won't Let Me."

As was often the custom at the time, the album contained covers of some recent hits such as Herman's Hermits' "Listen People," the Temptations' "My Girl" and "She Cried" by Jay & the Americans.

Guitarist King and his brother-in-law Chet Kelley were also able to include a handful songs they composed, including "Girl In Love," which reached No. 21 when issued as their follow-up single.

The debut LP's highest chart position was No. 37.

"Respectable (What Kind of Girl Is This)," written by the Isley Brothers, was molded by the Outsiders into their third single. The recording reached No. 15 in the summer of 1966.

The track was included on their second LP, imaginatively titled "Album #2."

Their sophomore effort followed the same formula as their first album. It contains a number of covers, such as "(Just Like) Romeo & Juliet" by the Reflections, "Cool Jerk" by the Capitols and even Tommy James & the Shondells' "Hanky Panky." The Outsiders added their own compositions such as "Since I Lost My Baby" and "Backwards, Upside Down."

The liner notes to the second long-player declared: "There's only one way to describe the Outsider way with music: wild, wilder, wildest!" The album reached No. 90 on the charts.

Looking for another hit, the group recorded "Help Me Girl," written by British songwriters Scott English and Larry Weiss. Not long after, Eric Burdon and the Animals issued their own version of the song and a chart duel was on.

The Outsiders rendition first charted on Oct. 29, 1966, while the rival version didn't register until Nov. 26. Still, the Animals' gritty take on "Help Me Girl" reached No. 29, while the Outsiders' cleaner-sounding recording stalled at No. 37.

With 1966's breakout success, the Outsiders were the subject of a full-page advertisement in Billboard magazine's "1967 International Record Talent Guide."

The Outsiders carried on with their third LP, "In!" The album contained some catchy originals as well as their takes on "Kind of a Drag" by the Buckinghams and "Gimme Some Lovin'," by the Spencer Davis Group. The band gave the English/Weiss team another chance by recording their then-unknown "Bend Me, Shape Me."

Released in 1967, "In!" failed to chart.

"Bend Me, Shape Me" would become a hit, but not by the Outsiders. The American Breed recorded their own version in 1967 and took the song to No. 5.

Capitol Records opted for the Outsiders to release a simulated live album for their next project. "Happening 'Live'" was actually configured in the studio.

Various original recordings were stripped of organ, string and brass overdubs. Clapping and cheering were added to the basic tracks to create a live feel.

The album contains some new recordings, notably "Michelle" by the Beatles and "Good Good Loving," by James Brown. The latter track is credited as the Rascals song "Good Lovin'" on the record label.

"Happening 'Live'" charted at a disappointing 103 when issued in 1967, perhaps indicating that rock fans were moving beyond the confines of garage rock.

With a lack of chart success the Outsiders disintegrated the following year.

Geraci moved to California and issued two singles under the Outsiders moniker, while King was also recording under the same name in Ohio. Legal wrangling ensued over ownership of the group's name and in 1970 it was awarded to King, who had conceived the group.

Consequently, Geraci renamed his group Climax.

Based in Los Angeles, Climax consisted on Geraci (vocals) and Walter Nims (lead guitar), along with various studio musicians.

The act was signed by owner Marc Gordon to the Carousel label, later renamed Rocky Road.

Nims, who was lead guitarist in the Outsiders on their final recordings, penned a number called "Precious And Few." As recorded by Climax, the song rose to No. 3 in 1972, selling a million copies.

The ballad returned Geraci's voice to the high reaches of the charts for a second time.

Billed as Climax featuring Sonny Geraci, the group's follow-up, "Life And Breath" was a minor hit. A 12-track album containing both singles was also released but Climax issued no further long-players.

Geraci even recorded an early version of "Rock And Roll Heaven," written for him by keyboardist John Stevenson, a member of the Climax studio band. But, another hit slipped away as the Righteous Brothers issued their hit version of the tune, as revised by songwriter Alan O'Day.

As the 1970s waned, Geraci left show business.

After being largely away from music, Geraci returned to touring in 2007.

The Sonny Geraci saga continues this summer when the singer is scheduled to perform at Porterfield's Cruisin' Oldies Concert in Marinette, Wis. on Sunday, July 18.

Rest assured he'll sing "Time Won't Let Me" and "Precious And Few," the two Top Five smash hits he had with two different bands.

Blues roots nurture Joe Moss

Chicago bluesman Joe Moss brought his band
to the Terrace Bay Inn on Jan. 30 for a concert
organized by "Blues For a Cause."

By STEVE SEYMOUR

Witness a Joe Moss concert and you'll see how his deep-running blues roots have shaped his songs and career.

Nearly two hundred fans saw the bluesman and his band play at Gladstone's Terrace Bay Inn, where Moss demonstrated how two Kings and a pair of Buddys have influenced his work.

The Jan. 30 concert was sponsored by Escanaba resident Wendy Pepin's "Blues For a Cause" to aid the Upper Peninsula Diabetes Outreach Program.


Freddie King

Moss acknowledges a debt to B. B. and Freddie King by performing some of their songs, although he writes most of his material. As a young blues player, Moss was tutored by the late Windy City blues icon Buddy Scott, and is a regular fixture at Buddy Guy's Legends club in Chicago.

With Moss performing lead vocals and lead guitar, the Joe Moss Band includes Greg Sesner (Hammond organ), Dana Thompson (drums) and Dave Wood (bass).

The quartet played 17 songs during two sets, showcasing the high-energy guitar style Moss has developed since beginning his career in the blues at age 15.

They opened with "Love My Baby," a track from 2003's "Monster Love" compact disc, which appeared on 212 Records, an independent label owned by Moss.

"Suburban Glory," a number detailing the singer's experiences as a guitar teacher, followed. The song opens the "Maricela's Smile" CD which Moss issued in 2008.

Another selection from the same CD, "I Am Feeling You," came next. Explaining the song is about commiserating, Moss sang: "I can feel your pain," and expressed it with some fierce fret work.

Singing about his joy when a failed relationship finally ended, Moss added stinging guitar to "You Made Me So Happy" with the addendum, "when you said you're going to go." The tune is a highlight of the "Maricela's Smile" release.

Moss returned to "Monster Love," his second CD, for "Please Love Me." B. B. King wrote the song, which he took to No. 1 in 1953.

Another "Monster Love" track, the Moss-penned "Need Your Love" came next. The song featured Wood's bass and Thompson's drumming.

The title cut to "Monster Love" was a fitting start to the second set. The song encapsulates the bluesman's style, incorporating soul, rhythm & blues and jazz into an extended form. Moss wrote the song about his wife Sandra and daughter Maricela and their future as a family.

The uniquely named "She Put a Stick in My Spokes," followed. The song was a lengthy, crowd-pleasing guitar work-out, from "Maricela's Smile." Moss even played his guitar behind his head for part of the song, demonstrating both his flexibility and guitar prowess.

"Black Boots," a song about lust and betrayal, slotted next. The song has yet to appear on compact disc.

Other standout numbers from the second set were "My Life" and "Lost My World," both Moss originals.

To end the program, Moss played two numbers associated with blues legend Freddie King.

Moss dedicated "Ain't Nobody's Business" to Buddy Scott, a Chicago blues institution who died in 1994. Moss sang the blues standard when he was a young guitarist in Buddy Scott and the Rib Tips.

"Buddy Scott brought me into this business," Moss recalled. "He's the heaviest blues musician you never knew."

Scott, signed to Verve Records, released the CD "Bad Avenue" just month before he died of stomach cancer. Moss played guitar on the album, Scott's only album for a major label.

The evening's final selection was "Going Down," written by Don Nix, but originally recorded by King. The song first appeared on King's 1971 "Getting Ready" album on Leon Russell's Shelter Records.

In a fine tribute to King, Moss and the band roared through their version of the song.

Now a veteran of the Chicago blues scene, Moss was discovered during a jam session at Rosa's Blues Lounge on Chicago's west side when he was a teenager. Recruited into Scott's Rib Tips, Moss earned his blues chops as a sideman with many of Chicago's best blues bands.

After Scott died, Moss entertained the notion of becoming a bandleader himself. In 1997, the singer and guitarist released his debut CD, dubbing it "The Joe Moss Band."

The disc contained 11 originals and "Just Pickin'," an instrumental composed by Freddie King. One song Moss wrote, "Oh Sandra," was about his wife. In the liner notes, Moss thanked Scott "for being my second father and friend."

Recorded at Acme Studios in Chicago, the project was produced by Jay Newland and maintains an appealing straight-ahead blues sound.

The "Monster Love" and "Maricela's Smile" CDs complete the Moss catalog, although a live album may be forthcoming, Moss told me.

Moss returned to Acme for "Monster Love," which was completed just days before the 9/11 terrorist attack on the United States. This time Moss produced the recording sessions.

"Maricela's Smile," meanwhile, was recorded at 4 Deuces/ Clava Studios and Semaphore Studios in Chicago with the disc being co-produced by Moss and Kris Poulin.

While Moss has awed blues fans with his playing, he also inspired his younger brother Nick to appreciate the blues. In fact, his sibling fronts Nick Moss and the Flip Tops, another band gaining recognition by the blues community.

As he has for years, Joe Moss continues to tour heavily both in the United States and abroad.

The day before his recent U. P. gig, Moss opened for Buddy Guy at the music icon's Legends club at 754 S. Wabash Ave. in Chicago.

Guy has praised the bluesman and books him regularly at his club.

Sustained by the blues and with a helping hand from Buddy Guy, Moss should have an outstanding future based on his terrific live shows and skillfully-crafted studio recordings. He deserves it.