Showing posts with label Let It Be. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Let It Be. Show all posts

Thursday, April 17, 2008

Rock Star Gallery features Beatles insider



ROCK STAR GALLERY FEATURES BOOK SIGNING FOR BEATLES INSIDER AND MUSIC INDUSTRY EXECUTIVE

Ken Mansfield to sign The White Book: The Beatles, the Bands, the Biz: An Insiders Look at an Era

(Scottsdale, Az.) Ken Mansfield has worked with some of the biggest giants in the rock 'n roll and the country music genres and is coming to ROCK STAR Gallery in Scottsdale, Arizona for an exclusive book signing on Saturday, April 26.

As the U.S. manager of the Apple Records label, Mansfield was invited by his bosses, The Beatles to be among only a handful of eyewitnesses to catch their last-ever gig on the rooftop of their London headquarters on January 30, 1969. He was a loyal employee and companion to John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr both during the band years and well after their breakup in 1970. He was present when they composed some of their most enduring tunes. As a record label exec and Grammy Award-winning producer, he also worked on the marketing, promotion and production of dozens of top-selling artists, such as the Beach Boys, and was also a major player in country music in the 1970s as producer of choice of the groundbreaking Outlaw movement, whose impact is still felt in the genre to this very day.


Now, Mansfield's experiences with the Fab Four and the music industry - many of which are told for the first time - are recounted in his first all-music tome, The White Book - The Beatles, the Bands, the Biz: An Insider's Look at an Era (Thomas Nelson, $22.99).

Through exclusive, never-before-seen photos and personal stories, Mansfield – one of the very last Fab Four insiders to pen a book – offers a compelling memoir that delves into his life in the 1960s and '70s and his unique partnership with The Beatles and other musicians who had orbited their world, from James Taylor to Harry Nilsson. It also includes fleeting, yet unforgettable encounters with Mama Cass Elliott, Eric Clapton, Donovan, Glen Campbell and Dolly Parton. As observer, friend and colleague, Mansfield attended Beatles recording sessions, partied in their swimming pools, took their irate calls, witnessed the madness of Beatlemania, and publicized their success.

In addition to aggressively promoting the various artists in the Apple Records stable like James Taylor, Badfinger, Mary Hopkin and Jackie Lomax, he became a trusted member of his bosses' inner circle and got to know them intimately - he was among a small, privileged audience as the four Beatles played a casual cocktail set at noontime in London during a break from a meeting, he would join them at local boutiques or cafés, and was around when they composed their songs. Entertaining, historically accurate, and illuminating a side of the Fab Four known only to a few like Mansfield, The White Book shines fresh light on the true characters behind the cultural phenomena that revolutionized a generation.

Mansfield will give a 45-minute talk with a question and answer session, followed by a book signing that starts at 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday, April 26. This event is open to the public and will be held at the ROCK STAR Gallery, 15220 N. Scottsdale Road, Suite 160, Scottsdale, Ariz., 85254. ROCK STAR Gallery is located next to Crate and Barrel in the Kierland Commons.

To R.S.V.P. for this event and secure a book, please contact ROCK STAR Gallery at (480) 275-4501 or email info@rockstargallery.net. For more information please go to http://www.rockstargallery.net/

Friday, March 28, 2008

Average Joe loves "The White Book"

March 25, 2008
The White Book, by Ken Mansfield

Just when you thought you had read and seen everything about The Beatles... Author Ken Mansfield provides one of the more entertaining and fascinating books about the Fab Four in years. The White Book isn't just another Beatles book because Mansfield isn't just another music critic with a new angle; he's the guy who used to run the U.S. arm of Apple Records, the label started by The Beatles.

The White Book is loaded with stories and photos that I've never seen before, and believe me when I tell you I've gone through my share of Beatles books. In addition to the many unique photos of the band, there are also pictures of memorabilia and letters. It was interesting to read not just the facts about each event/document but Mansfield's behind-the-scenes explanations, the real insider's perspective.

Mansfield's music experience isn't limited to The Beatles and neither is the coverage in this book. He dedicates the latter part of the book to his work with other big names such as James Taylor, Waylon Jennings, David Cassidy and several others. The White Book is a wonderful book and one that every Beatle fan needs for their collection.

Posted on Joe Wickert's Publishing 2020 Blog.

Sunday, December 9, 2007

Chicago Daily Herald heralds "The White Book"

Ken Mansfield, "The White Book: The Beatles, the Bands, the Biz: An Insider's Look at an Era" (Thomas Nelson)
Another Christmas season, another book on the Beatles. This newest is penned by Ken Mansfield, the U.S. manager of the band's Apple Records label and one of the few people who can claim he stood on the same London rooftop while the band played their farewell performance in 1969, captured in the film "Let It Be." Mansfield lends an insider perspective into the financial grappling that would eventually lead to Paul McCartney suing the rest of the band, the unconventional business climate at Apple, his informal job escorting the Beatles through L.A. nightlife and the recording sessions behind "The White Album." For long-suffering Beatles fans managing their way through towers of books, this one offers fresh stories right from the source.

Source: Chicago Daily Herald

To order "The White Book," go to www.amazon.com.