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Beatles Podcasts

Started by Satchmo Distel, May 17, 2019, 12:31:18 AM

Previous topic - Next topic

SteveDave

Someone on the Nothing Is Real Facebook group is adding downloadable bootleg things each day of advent. There's a 2 hour long American radio show about Revolver with Mark Lewisohn as one of the talking mouths. PM me if you want the Dropbox link.

Bennett Brauer

I don't know if it's come up in any of the podcasts, but Craig Brown has a new book out in April about these moptopped bastards.

Apparently it follows the same format as his (admittedly entertaining) Princess Margaret book, but given that there can't be much more information to be mined, it could turn out to be quite annoying to devotees.

studpuppet

Quote from: Bennett Brauer on January 20, 2020, 12:13:58 AM
I don't know if it's come up in any of the podcasts, but Craig Brown has a new book out in April about these moptopped bastards.

Apparently it follows the same format as his (admittedly entertaining) Princess Margaret book, but given that there can't be much more information to be mined, it could turn out to be quite annoying to devotees.

I have the manuscript in my inbox currently. I haven't bothered reading it yet though. Should do really shouldn't I? Owning a shelf-full of Beatles books and all...

Bennett Brauer

Quote from: studpuppet on January 20, 2020, 01:46:04 PM
I have the manuscript in my inbox currently. I haven't bothered reading it yet though. Should do really shouldn't I? Owning a shelf-full of Beatles books and all...

I'd be interested to hear what you think when you get around to reading it, and whether he's succumbed to the more unreliable tales for entertainment's sake.
I know Brown was a Beatles fan before he was commissioned to write the book, but I suspect his priority might be stories over truth. He was pretty snippy about Lewisohn's Tune In for that reason, I think.

studpuppet

Quote from: Bennett Brauer on January 22, 2020, 11:33:48 AM
I'd be interested to hear what you think when you get around to reading it, and whether he's succumbed to the more unreliable tales for entertainment's sake.
I know Brown was a Beatles fan before he was commissioned to write the book, but I suspect his priority might be stories over truth. He was pretty snippy about Lewisohn's Tune In for that reason, I think.

I've read the first few pages - mostly about him visiting Mendips and Forthlin Road on the National Trust tour, and getting into trouble because he's taking notes while the guides are doing basically what he's doing with this book. There's also a 'Sliding Doors' device used a couple of times where two timelines are printed side by side - eg Paul passing all his O-Levels and not being held back so he'd end up spending more time with George than with his friends who'd moved up to the Sixth Form.

It's similar in tone to the Princess Margaret book, in that it allows him to tell stories as reported by witnesses but without the need to corroborate them with other sources. It means you get more salacious tales than Lewisohn, but they're more 'remembered' than factual. I'm not an expert, but I've read and listened to a fair bit of Beatles history and folklore, and he hasn't written anything earth-shattering yet. It's more joining interesting threads together - like Speke Airport (Paul and George watch the Birdman plummet to his death/John spits in the sandwiches/now named John Lennon Airport).

SteveDave

I'm currently reading "And In The End" by Ken something about 1969. He badmouths Ringo twice on one page right near the start of the book so he's not endearing himself to me. He also doesn't talk about John and George's fight being the reason the latter left Twickenham.

Bennett Brauer

Quote from: studpuppet on January 22, 2020, 01:00:32 PM
I've read the first few pages - mostly about him visiting Mendips and Forthlin Road on the National Trust tour, and getting into trouble because he's taking notes while the guides are doing basically what he's doing with this book. There's also a 'Sliding Doors' device used a couple of times where two timelines are printed side by side - eg Paul passing all his O-Levels and not being held back so he'd end up spending more time with George than with his friends who'd moved up to the Sixth Form.

It's similar in tone to the Princess Margaret book, in that it allows him to tell stories as reported by witnesses but without the need to corroborate them with other sources. It means you get more salacious tales than Lewisohn, but they're more 'remembered' than factual. I'm not an expert, but I've read and listened to a fair bit of Beatles history and folklore, and he hasn't written anything earth-shattering yet. It's more joining interesting threads together - like Speke Airport (Paul and George watch the Birdman plummet to his death/John spits in the sandwiches/now named John Lennon Airport).

Thanks. "If you like David Hepworth and The Word podcast you'll like this..."  Hopefully it doesn't have the whimsical fictional interludes that his Mad Meg book has.

Bennett Brauer

Quote from: SteveDave on January 22, 2020, 09:09:04 PM
I'm currently reading "And In The End" by Ken something about 1969. He badmouths Ringo twice on one page right near the start of the book so he's not endearing himself to me. He also doesn't talk about John and George's fight being the reason the latter left Twickenham.

Despite it being the inspiration for the title, one of the reviews says that the book cites "... the love you make is equal to the love you make". 


Annie Labuntur

Quote from: Bennett Brauer on January 22, 2020, 11:36:21 PM
Hopefully it doesn't have the whimsical fictional interludes that his Mad Meg book has.

Unfortunately it does. Brown imagines a parallel reality where McCartney's parents never meet each other, Ringo owns a hairdressing salon, and Gerry and the Pacemakers are the world's biggest group with Gerry Marsden marrying Yoko Ono.

Cardenio I

Nothing is Real did a lockdown livestream which is available to stream here: http://mixlr.com/nothing-is-real-radio/showreel/nothing-is-real-radio-on-mixlr-5/

Apparently they had 4 of 8 shows in the can before The Event, looks like they'll work on finishing up remotely and releasing a new run soon.

Replies From View

Quote from: Annie Labuntur on April 10, 2020, 01:54:19 PM
Unfortunately it does. Brown imagines a parallel reality where McCartney's parents never meet each other,

They fuck through a hole in a sheet or something?

What a strange thing for him to want to fantasise.

SteveDave

The new I Am The Eggpod is a delight. Andy Miller goes through Tug Of War and it's just lovely.

I agree with him about The Pound Is Sinking.

Ballad of Ballard Berkley

Quote from: SteveDave on April 28, 2020, 02:14:13 PM
The new I Am The Eggpod is a delight. Andy Miller goes through Tug Of War and it's just lovely.

I agree with him about The Pound Is Sinking.

It's my favourite episode so far. Andy's enthusiasm for the album is contagious, and he's really good at articulating precisely why it works for him. I suppose it helped that I found myself agreeing with pretty much everything he said.

Keebleman

Back to the point of the thread, I don't think this title has been mentioned yet.

https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/will-hines/screw-it-were-just-gonna-talk-about-the-beatles

Only listened to two so far, one discussing Tune In and one that asks the useful question, Who was the 20th Beatle?  The hosts are young and American, so there will be a few moments of incredulity at their general ignorance (in the Tune In episode they all sound rather bewildered at the concept of 'reading a book'), but it's a generally amiable listen, and the 20th Beatle episode is a great idea well executed, plus it's impressively rude about Pete Best.

massive bereavement

Lewisohn has done a zoom chat with Hepworth and Ellen....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_P_dKmxKU50


massive bereavement

Quote from: Satchmo Distel on May 01, 2020, 09:59:05 PM
LIBB 6 parts, of which this last part is Listeners' Questions

https://soundcloud.com/user-86154098/libb-2020-our-new-mark-lewisohn-interview-part-6


Interesting to hear that Ron Richards' wife wouldn't allow George Martin's name to be mentioned in the house. The general perception seems to be that George Martin is the perfect gentleman, hard to imagine him making any enemies but Lewisohn also mentions that Norman Smith wasn't too keen on him either.

Head Gardener



it was 53 years ago today, Sgt Pepper taught the band to play!


Retinend

#111
Quote from: studpuppet on October 17, 2019, 10:20:31 PM
I think there are two sides to this, but we only get one side of it aired. I've heard Lewisohn interviewed more than a couple of times, and each time I've been left with a 'feeling' that although he seems an affable, genuine character, there's something underlying his manner that seems to rub people up the wrong way. You sometimes hear it in his 'jokey' self-effacing answers that somehow leave me feeling that they aren't jokey or self-effacing at all.
To bar him from archives etc is a silly thing to do, but I think it might be more to do with personal animosity rather than brand management. I obviously could be totally wrong though!

Thanks for pointing this out. People are obviously very thankful for Lewisohn for undertaking this project before the principle players are all dead and buried, but wit and insight is what makes a book a classic, not mere information. The way Lewisohn talks about his work (no I've never read him, but don't feel particularly inclined to) makes him seem very dismissive of the classics that already exist, and intent on "correcting" them, rather than adding to pile of works that have, by any reasonable judgement, already done the subject justice.

edit: I'm also not inclined to buy his book because I always read a Beatles book from the middle point to the end, and then from the beginning to the middle. Does any one else do this?

Retinend

Also, has anyone heard Tim Heidecker and Eric (not Wareheim but) Notarnicola podcast, "Please Please Let it Be"? Paywalled but I have the episodes uploaded (hint). I really really enjoyed it and loved the way Notarnicola could spontaneously and effortlessly play the basslines and drum rolls under discussion, as well as the combination of deep knowledge and down-to-earth humour.

massive bereavement

Quote from: Retinend on May 26, 2020, 02:31:12 PM
Thanks for pointing this out. People are obviously very thankful for Lewisohn for undertaking this project before the principle players are all dead and buried, but wit and insight is what makes a book a classic, not mere information. The way Lewisohn talks about his work (no I've never read him, but don't feel particularly inclined to) makes him seem very dismissive of the classics that already exist, and intent on "correcting" them, rather than adding to pile of works that have, by any reasonable judgement, already done the subject justice.

edit: I'm also not inclined to buy his book because I always read a Beatles book from the middle point to the end, and then from the beginning to the middle. Does any one else do this?

What are the "classics" though? Hunter Davies and Anthology are officially sanctioned. Everything else is concerned with a specific aspect of their career (some extremely good, others extremely bad) aside form a handful of other biographies which include the blatantly biased "Shout", the badly researched "Love You Make" (generally hated among fans but for the wrong reason), Schaffner's effort was well written but not a proper biography as such and "Apple to the Core" is very good but chiefly concerned with their business dealings. I can't think of any others of significance.  I'd say there is definitely a huge void that Lewisohn has the ability to fill.

Hand Solo

Quote from: Retinend on May 26, 2020, 02:31:12 PM
edit: I'm also not inclined to buy his book because I always read a Beatles book from the middle point to the end, and then from the beginning to the middle. Does any one else do this?

Christopher Nolan. But he does that with everything, books, scripts, Xmas cracker jokes.

Quote from: massive bereavement on May 26, 2020, 04:52:24 PM
What are the "classics" though? Hunter Davies and Anthology are officially sanctioned. Everything else is concerned with a specific aspect of their career (some extremely good, others extremely bad) aside form a handful of other biographies which include the blatantly biased "Shout", the badly researched "Love You Make" (generally hated among fans but for the wrong reason), Schaffner's effort was well written but not a proper biography as such and "Apple to the Core" is very good but chiefly concerned with their business dealings. I can't think of any others of significance.  I'd say there is definitely a huge void that Lewisohn has the ability to fill.

A lot of Beatles books, even the big ones are full of hand-me-down stories that nobody has bothered to actually put in the effort to find out if they were true. As drab as Lewisohn is, he manages to expose a lot of them as falsities or exaggerations, things even the Beatles themselves believed due to the muddying of the years, like George Martin never signing them and it having nothing to do with their 'charm' when meeting him, he was lumbered with them as a punishment for other transgressions within EMI.

Retinend

Quote from: massive bereavement on May 26, 2020, 04:52:24 PM
What are the "classics" though? Hunter Davies and Anthology are officially sanctioned. Everything else is concerned with a specific aspect of their career (some extremely good, others extremely bad) aside form a handful of other biographies which include the blatantly biased "Shout", the badly researched "Love You Make" (generally hated among fans but for the wrong reason), Schaffner's effort was well written but not a proper biography as such and "Apple to the Core" is very good but chiefly concerned with their business dealings. I can't think of any others of significance.  I'd say there is definitely a huge void that Lewisohn has the ability to fill.

My favourites are Shout!, Revolution in the Head, Many Years From Now, The Lives of John Lennon and The Love You Make.

Always loved The Lives of John Lennon, due for a critical reappraisal I say.

Retinend

It's a brilliant book. I'm anticipating a lot of "how the hell can you say that Goldman's book is classic?" on the horizon, so I will take a moment to explain and evidence what I liked about it:


I thought it had its fair share of musical insight:

Quotep.538
"#9   Dream"   is   in   the   tradition   of   Lennon   compositions   about   altered   states   of consciousness.   It   was   also   an   attempt   to   make   amends   to   George   Harrison   for   John's failures   as   a   friend.   The   cosmic   sound   of   the   track   is   highly   reminiscent   of   Harrison,   as is   the   sensitive   playing   of   Jesse   Ed   Davis   in   George's   signature   style.   Buried   in   the track   is   the   voice   of   May   Pang   whispering,   "Hare   Krishna,   George."   Speaking   of
452
George,   for   whom   John   had   a   love   he   could   never   voice,   Lennon   said:   "He   [George] has   less   respect   for   himself   than   I   have   for   him."   To   which   Jesse   Ed   replied:   "He's more   intent   on   being   a   conduit   than   a   musician,"   a   penetrating   observation.   What makes   the   song   John   Lennon's   last   important   composition,   however,   is   not   its   homage to   Harrison   but   its   dreamlike   atmosphere,   particularly   that   sense   of   bewitchment   we feel   while   seeing   spectral   shapes   we   cannot   bring   to   focus   or   hearing   words   that   we cannot   understand.

psychological insight (this passages stands in contrast to Rodriguez's wishful thinking about the Lost Weekend):

Quotep.549
The   John   and   Yoko   of   the   Druid   wedding   ceremony   were   the   same   kids   playing grown-ups   who   had   made   Imagine,   with   all   its   solemn-silly   rituals.   Their   capacity   to stimulate   each   other   imaginatively   had   always   been   the   most   enchanting   aspect   of their   relationship.   Yet   there   was   far   more   to   John's   joy   than   just   the   recovery   of   his favorite   playmate.   He   was   manifestly   relieved   to   be   back   behind   the   sheltering   walls of   the   Dakota.   May   Pang   has   described   with   great   satisfaction   how   pleasant   it   was   to see   John   spending   evening   after   evening   in   the   company   of   the   famous   rockers,   but what   May   never   seems   to   have   realized   was   how   draining   and   exhausting   these
evenings   were   for   John,   who   experienced   these   social   calls   not   only   as   invasions   of privacy   but   as   temptations   to   slide   back   into   that   self-destructive   life-style   he   had   just escaped   from   on   the   Coast.   As   a   boy   who   could   never   say   no,   John   Lennon   longed   for a   protective   presence,   a   firm   negator,   who   would   stand   between   him   and   the   world, rejecting   its   demands   and   accepting   the   blame   for   telling   all   these   nice   people   to   go   to hell.   May   Pang   offered   a   protective   screen,   but   it   was   like   rice   paper   in   comparison with   the   massive   granite   of   Yoko   Ono's   presence.

and, of course, the juicy and outrageous:

Quotep.593
[on their May 1977 visit to family in Tokyo] Lennon   turned   sullen   and   refused   to   participate   in   any   outings.   Day   after   day   he sulked   in   his   vast   suite.   Morosely   he   eyed   Japanese   TV ,   which   offers   one   channel   for tourists,   showing   travelogues.   Then,   one   night,   he   allowed   himself   to   be   coaxed   into going   out   to   supper   at   one   of   Tokyo's   most   prestigious   restaurants.
502
No   sooner   were   John   and   Yoko   seated   than   John   cast   an   appraising   look   about   the room,   filled   with   wealthy   and   elegant   patrons.   "Ya   know,   what   they   say   about   the Japanese   is   right!"   he   exclaimed   in   a   loud,   strident   tone,   like   the   worst   white-devil foreigner.   "They   all   do   look   alike!"
Yoko   was   horrified.   She   knew   that   virtually   everybody   in   the   room   was   capable   of understanding   John.   Whispering   frantically,   she   begged   him   to   lower   his   voice   and hold   his   tongue.   John's   only   response   was   to   continue   speaking   in   the   same   loud, provocative   tone,   inquiring,   "Which   is   the   preferred   term   for   these   people   -   'nip'   or 'gook'?"   That   did   it!   Yoko   jumped   to   her   feet   and   dragged   John   out   of   the   restaurant.

But, for balance, I will say it has its fair share of rubbish in there, too,  including a suspicious defence of Klein and an account of this NY session guitarist / lover of Yoko Ono, David Spinozza, which gives him a peculiarly central role in the saga. I presume that he negotiated a positive portrayal in exchange for his testimony:

Anecdote of Spinozza being a cunt for no reason (but presented as Linda being the cunt):

Quotep. 452 "Out of the Dragon's Lair, Into the Lion's Den"
[Linda] the   queen   was   so   confident   that   any   musician   would   snap   to   attention   at   the   mere sound   of   her   name   that   she   barely   troubled   to   identify   herself.   "What's   this   for?" Spinozza   had   demanded,   not   having   caught   the   name.
"My   husband   heard   of   you,"   drawled   Linda   in   her   carefully   cultivated   British   accent. "He   wants   to   get   together   with   you   and   play   with   you   and   check   you   out   because   we're going   to   make   an   album."
David   still   didn't   click.   "I'm   a   studio   musician,"   he   snapped.   "You   can   check   me   out   on hundreds   of   dates.   There's   no   need   to   get   together.   You   can   book   me   through   my service.   Just   call   Radio   Registry,   and   say   you   want   David   Spinozza,   two   to   five,   seven to   ten,   which   guitars   -and   I'll   be   there!"   "No!   You   don't   understand!"   cried   Linda.   "My husband..."   Before   she   could   say   another   word,   Spinozza   exploded   with   exasperation. "What's   this   with   your   'husband'?"   he   shouted.   Finally,   Linda   got   across   the   fact   that she   was   the   mouthpiece   of   Paul   McCartney.   That   revelation   only   made   matters   worse because   now   Spinozza   recognized   the   true   purport   of   the   call.   "What's   this,"   he   barked, barely   able   to   utter   the   hateful   word,   "an   audition?"

The   whole   scene   had   disgusted   David.   "Here   I   am   meeting   Paul   McCartney,"   he recalled,   "and   he   played   these   basic   rock   'n'   roll   things   -   ching,   ching,   ching.   It   was embarrassing!   He   had   to   sing   every   note   or   hit   it   on   his   guitar,   like   the   three   notes   of the   major   seventh.   He   didn't   even   know   what   the   chord   was   called.   He   called   it   the 'pretty   chord'!"   Spinozza   did   work   for   weeks   on   Ram,   but   when   the   gig   was   over,   he gave   a   sneering   account   of   the   experience   to   Melody   Maker,   objecting   particularly   to Paul's   keeping   his   children   in   the   studio   till   four   in   the   morning.


...incredible braggadouchery (presented as mere objective fact - what the hell, Goldman?):

Quotep.455
The   more   Yoko   worked   with   David   Spinozza,   the   more   she   came   to   dig   him.   Swarthy, straight-backed,   sternly   mustachioed,   Spinozza   looked   like   a   young   Turk,   though   he was   actually   from   a   working-class   Italian   family   in   Brooklyn.   Already   he   enjoyed   a great   reputation   not   only   for   his   playing   but   for   being   a   "player."   He   would   startle   the other   musicians   with   his   tales   of   racing   dirt   bikes,   an   absolute   no-no   for   guys   who can't   afford   the   slightest   injury   to   their   hands.   He   also   boasted   that   he   had   scored   three ballerinas   in   the   Balanchine   company.   While   the   boys   had   to   strain   to   imagine   what those   dancers,   with   their   rock-hard   asses,   could   do   in   the   sack,   they   didn't   have   to   do anything   but   glance   across   to   the   next   music   stand   to   see   what   Spinozza   brought   to these   encounters.   He   was   notorious   at   the   studio   for   whipping   out   his   king-size   shlong.
(to be fair this is establishing how Yoko took Spinozza as a lover, but it's a bit much all the same)

To be honest, it was probably worth stoking Spinozza's ego, because (presuming he was actually her lover - the book is ambiguous on this point) we are given a lot of insight into Ono's character:

QuoteSpinozza   also   noticed   that   Yoko   had   a   very   peculiar   attitude   toward   people   in   general. She   was   always   seeking   the   love   and   tribute   of   the   world,   working   day   and   night   to become   a   famous   person;   yet   her   basic   attitude   toward   society   was   summed   up   in   the phrase   "They're   just   a   bunch   of   assholes!"   She   talked   about   John   Lennon   as   if   he   were a   mere   newcomer   to   the   world   of   art,   where   she   had   long   since   made   a   great reputation.   Eventually   Spinozza   would   say:   "Why   do   you   keep   putting   his   name   on everything   you   do   and   dragging   his   name   into   everything   you   say?   Why   don't   you   go out   on   your   own   if   you're   so   sure   you   don't   need   him?"
(yet of course, the subtext is yet more ego-stoking for Spinozza)


The other mentions of Spinozza also carry weirdly bragadocious vibes, but you get the picture by now. He was a valuable source, extremely vain and Goldman played quid pro quo with him, I suspect. Then again, maybe Goldman was playing a double game in order to let the reader know the type of personality we are dealing with - but that thought only occurs me me now; it didn't then.

massive bereavement

The big outrage at the time Goldman's book came out was the idea that Lennon had mucked about with Brian, which was odd because Lennon's best mate Peter Shotton had detailed what had happened between them 4/5 years earlier. Lennon even told Hunter Davies about it but Davies has since said he didn't believe him! (probably wouldn't have included it anyway for fear of upsetting or incurring the wrath of Mimi, Lennon lamented that Davies had left out all the controversial stuff he'd told him and recommended Michael Braun's 1963 "Love Me Do" book as being a truer representation of what they were really like "which was bastards"). Goldman's book is a good read but there's no doubt that it is a ridiculously over the top character assassination. You should definitely give Lewisohn's book a go, though I get a lot of people aren't going to be much interested in pre-fame days and it that it will require a reading of Volume 2 to spark their interest.

Retinend

Yeah I'll definitely get volume 2 of Lewisohn ...As I said it's just that I get bored very quickly with the Hamburg stories.

I'm not against him per se - I'm just against how he implies that the true story of the Beatles has not yet been told. Are the Beatles not the most documented human beings ever to have lived?

Here's the bit in Goldman that Massive Bereavement is alluding to (my emphasis):

QuoteOnce   he   had   gotten   John   this   far,   Brian   sought   to   complete   his conquest.   He   proposed   to   John   that   they   take   a   brief   trip   to   Spain,   a   country   with which   Brian   was   always   enamored   and   where   he   later   courted   a   number   of   young bullfighters.   John   agreed   to   go,   but   first   he   made   a   flying   trip   home   to   Liverpool   to   see the   baby."   John's   flight   from   the   responsibility   of   parenthood   began   now   to   assume   the form   of   a   flight   from   manhood,   as   he   prepared   to   slip   away   with   a   homosexual   who   he knew   was   intent   on   seducing   him. The   British   press   announced   on   the   last   weekend   in   April   that   the   Beatles   were   leaving for   a   twelve-day   holiday   in   the   Canary   Islands.   John   Lennon   went   out   of   his   way   to make   it   appear   that   he   would   be   one   of   the   party,   remarking   that   they   would   be   taking their   guitars   because,   "who   knows,   we   may   be   able   to   make   those   canaries   swing!" The   other   three   Beatles   did   fly   to   Tenerife   on   28   April;   a   few   days   later   Paul McCartney   nearly   lost   his   life,   swimming   in   the   sea.   Meanwhile,   John   and   Brian   went off   alone   to   Barcelona,   where   night   after   night,   according   to   Peter   Brown,   they   would sit   at   sidewalk   cafes,   playing   a   peculiar   game.   "John   would   point   out   some   passing man   to   Brian,   and   Brian   would   explain   to   him   what   it   was   about   the   fellow   that   he found   attractive   or   unattractive.   'I   was   rather   enjoying   the   experience,'   John   said, 'thinking   like   a   writer:   "I   am   experiencing   this.""' Soon   John   was   experiencing   it   not   as   a   writer   but   as   a   man.   He   and   Brian   had   sex.
114
Naturally   John   was   not   eager   to   avow   this   fact   or   to   explain   his   motive,   but   when challenged   by   Pete   Shotton,   John   came   up   with   an   explanation   that   echoed   the   line   he had   taken   with   Cynthia.   "Eppy   just   kept   on   and   on   at   me,   until   one   night,   I   finally   just pulled   me   trousers   down   and   said   to   him:   'Oh,   for   Christ's   sake,   Brian,   just   stick   it   up me   fucking   arse,   then.'   And   he   said   to   me,   'Actually,   John,   I   don't   do   that   kind   of   thing. That's   not   what   I   like   to   do.'   'Well,'   I   said,   'what   is   it   you   like   to   do,   then?'   And   he   said, I'd   really   just   like   to   touch   you,   John.'   And   so   I   let   him   toss   me   off   ...   Yeah,   so   fucking what!   The   poor   bastard.   He's   having   a   fucking   hard   time   anyway.   So   what   harm   did   it do,   then,   Pete,   for   fuck's   sake?   No   harm   at   all.   The   poor   fucking   bastard,   he   can't   help the   way   he   is." John   Lennon   the   humanitarian,   offering   his   body   to   the   afflicted   -   a   sympathetic picture   but   one   that   does   not   ring   true.   Far   more   convincing   is   the   account   of   the matter   that   John   offered   Allen   Klein   many   years   later.   John   told   his   new   manager   that he   had   jerked   off   Brian   because   "I   had   to   control   the   man   who   had   control   over   our lives   and   careers."   That   sounds   right,   and   it   conforms   with   the   subsequent   history   of the   relationship,   for   John   and   Brian   did   not   confine   themselves   to   a   single   sexual experiment   in   Spain.   They   were   sexually   involved   for   the   balance   of   Brian's   life,   and their   relationship   was   a   controlling   one,   with   John   playing   the   cruel   master   and   Brian the   submissive   slave.   As   for   who   did   what   to   whom   in   Spain,   Brian   told   Peter   Brown the   real   story:
Epstein      had   given   John   a   blow   job.   Lennon   couldn't   afford   to   acknowledge that   sort   of   intimacy   because   it   would   have   stigmatized   him   as   a   queer.   Indeed,   the first   time   someone   got   on   John   about   his   trip   with   Brian,   John   nearly   killed   the   man.

This is indeed an infuriating passage.

I mean.... I'm liable to defend Goldman in most of his choices: it is Lennon himself who said that the tabloids were shockingly accurate about him...

But in this case it makes a BIGGG difference to how we perceive the Lennon-Epstein relationship whether they had a one-off fling or whether John was regularly mucking around with Epstein just purely for the pleasure of playing mind games.  For one thing, the latter scenario it would basically implicate John in Epstein's suicide. Talk about a lack of journalistic ethics.

I hate how he gives a source for everything except the most explosive claim (the one I put in bold). To recap, that one night in Barcelona, according to Shotton John got tossed off by Brian; gave a toss off according to Klein, and got gobbled according to Brown... but where is the source for the notion of an ongoing relationship? Never mind one that could be characterized as "master/slave"!!!

Peter Brown is ostensibly Goldman's source for the blowjob version of that night, but there's not a whiff of this in his book The Love You Make. Here is the relevant passage:

Quote"If you had a choice, Eppy," John said, "if you could press a
button and be hetero, would you do it?"
Brian thought for a moment. "Strangely, no," he said.
A little later a peculiar game developed. John would point out
some passing man to Brian, and Brian would explain to him
what it was about the fellow that he found attractive or
unattractive. "I was rather enjoying the experience," John said,
"thinking like a writer all the time: I am experiencing this."
And still later, back in their hotel suite, drunk and sleepy from
the sweet Spanish wine, Brian and John undressed in silence.
"It's okay, Eppy," John said, and lay down on his bed. Brian
would have liked to have hugged him, but he was afraid.
Instead, John lay there, tentative and still, and Brian fulfilled
the fantasies he was so sure would bring him contentment,
only to awake the next morning as hollow as before.

CHAPTER 5

It wasn't long before word spread among the Beatles' families
and close friends that John and Brian had gone off to Spain
together. The trip became the number-one topic of conversation
and conjecture around NEMS and the Cavern Club. The most
puzzling question was, "What could have gotten into John to
agree to such a trip? He knew that Brian had been trying to
'set him up' for years." The person most confused by this
question was Cynthia Lennon. John's explanation, that he owed
Brian the pleasure of his company, didn't make much sense to
her in retrospect.