Adventures in Beatles Archiving: Sunday Mirror news story about The Beatles from Apple booklet
I mentioned in my update to the "Whose minutes are crumbling away?" post that I was going to post an article from the Sunday Mirror, describing the Beatles from Apple booklet "annotated" by John in 1971 and sold at auction in 1983 and 1986. Images of the article, from 4 September 1983, are below, along with my transcription. Because the image from newspapers.com wasn't photographed very well - a lot of words are lost in the crease - I've put words I guessed in square brackets, as well as a few corrections (MMT was released December 1967, not 1968, for example).
The article confirms that John wrote "The minutes are crumbling away" over a photo of himself and Yoko, not him and Paul, as also suggested by the 1986 Observer article. The Associated Press article that claimed it was on a photo of John and Paul seems to have made an error.
There are lots of John comments mentioned in this article I hadn't heard about before - accusing Paul of plagiarising Yoko in "Oh Woman Oh Why?" is an, er, interesting one, as well as snark about his A levels and John's crankiness that Pattie's attendance at Oh! Calcutta was deemed worth writing about, lol.
This article, along with the other news stories about the booklet and a few images, are preserved in the McLennon Files archive.
Thanks to anon who found this article for me - I am in your debt! <3
Sunday Mirror, 4 September 1983
By Jean Carr
The songs they sang were of love and peace. But for John Lennon, the years of Beatlemania were often filled with bitterness and anger.
The Fab Four they might have been. But Lennon had no doubt who was Number One - himself.
His jealousy of Paul McCartney was intense and burning. His bitterness at the other Beatles, who he felt neglected his second wife, Yoko Ono, was just as strong.
The depth of Lennonâs feelings and his true thoughts about the Beatles are revealed in a sensational document which has just come to light. The facts are contained in his own words scrawled inside the pages of a black and white booklet, The Beatles from Apple.
The booklet was published in 1971 by the Apple Company, the business once owned by the Beatles.
It includes photographs and biographies of all four Beatles and a diary of major events in their lives.
John Lennonâs personally altered copy was sold by Sothebyâs, the London auctioneers, on Thursday for ÂŁ9,000 to an anonymous buyer.
The most telling entry in the book is the page at the beginning where Lennon has numbered the names of the four Beatles below their photograph [actually on the cover under a photo of fruit].
He lists himself as No.1, Paul 2, George Harrison 3 and Ringo Starr 4.
First break
Incredibly, he marks out March 1964 - the publication date of his book John Lennon In His Own Write - as his âfirst breakawayâ from the group.
This was the year the Beatles topped the record charts with I Want to Hold Your Hand.
Lennonâs handwritten comments and alterations were made with red, brown and green felt tip pens with the occasional scribble in black ballpoint.
The largest lettering is in red ink, as if written in anger as Lennon first flicked through the book.
On the back page Lennon, who obviously feels more mention should have been made of Yoko, has scrawled in capital size red letters: âWhere is my wife. All these events were done with her you blind, deaf, reactionary bastards.â
The comments in green and brown ink are neater and smaller, perhaps added at a later date in a calmer mood when he brooded over events recorded in the book.
Referring to the release of Paul McCartneyâs record âAnother Day/Oh Woman, Oh Why,â Lennon ringed the words âOh Whyâ and added the following postscript âWhat an interesting title, not unlike Yokoâs âWhyâ. Do you think little Paulie was trying to loosen up in the studio and it sounds just like it. (In fact it nearly always sounded phoney).â
Below two cartoon drawings of George Harrison and Ringo Starr he has penned â2 Virgins Apple held back.â
On one formal picture of all four Beatles posed around an ornate garden well [from the Mad Day Out shoot], he writes âStaged photo - pretending to be fab four, all waiting stoned for it to be over.â
Most intriguing of all is a pensive photograph of Lennon and Yoko taken around the time of their marriage in 1969. Over it, John [has] poignantly written âThe minutes are crumbling away.â
Lennon saves his [unclear word] comments, usually in red ink, for Paul McCartney. The jealousy [is] fully obvious.
The biographical [details for] Paul record that he [got] one âAâ level and [number] âOâ level GCE exams. [Lennon] comments: âHeâs been a good little [unclear word] baby face.â
Personal [notes]
More disturbing [is Lennonâs] reaction to the [entry on] Paulâs 1969 marriage to Linda Eastman.
Lennon has scored [out] the word âMarriageâ [and] inserted âfuneralâ.
While for the [diary] that reads â1971, [June] 20, Paul and Linda [leave for] Americaâ, Lennon has [waspishly] added the [comment] âwhoopee.â
An entry for 27 [July 1970] records the attendance of George Harrisonâs [wife Pattie] in the London [newspaper?] of the review of Oh! [Calcutta], featuring a Lennon [scene].
Lennon has [furiously] scribbled alongside [in [colour] ink] âAs if her going was more important [than] the fact I wrote [a scene]âŚ.bastards at Apple.â
Some of the [word] details in Lennonâs biographical notes also upset him. He changed the entry that his mother died on 15 July 1958 to âkilled by an off-duty cop drunk.â
And ringing the entry recording his 1968 divorce from his first wife Cynthia, he has added: âHe and Cynthia divorced - I didnât do it alone.â
He dates 26 December, 1968 [actually 1967] - the premiere of the Beatles TV film Magical Mystery Tour - as the start of his âanti-Beatleâ period.
He didnât have to wait long for results. Three years later, almost to the very day, Paul McCartney sued to dissolve the Beatles.
