Beatles Radio Review of 50 Things You May Not Know About The Beatles by "Lovely Rita"
David Roberts establishes himself as a long time Beatles fan in the introduction to this e-book and offers up his list of list of trivia apparently hoping there are still people interested enough in these facts ( or fictions ) who haven't already heard them or some version of them. The Internet is littered with such lists and many of the entries are, in this reviewers opinion, irrelevant or in some cases second hand gossip that has been circulating for years. There is a disclaimer from the publisher at the beginning stating that no responsibility is taken for the accuracy of the information presented and since there are no citations for resources, we must proceed with caution.
There are, however, some fun facts and interesting stories included. One of my highlights would be the number 7 entry which tells the tale of the missing cardboard cut-outs used for the Sgt. Pepper album cover. It is not a new bit of information for me but every time I come across this I am astonished that none of these props have turned up to be auctioned, pawned, or sold on e-bay. Of course, if I personally was in possession of any of them, I would not part with them for the world, so I guess it's understandable that whoever has them is keeping it hush-hush.
There was at least one bit of information I was not previously aware of presented in number 14. The sheepdog pictured on the cover of Paul McCartney's 1993 live album is actually an offspring of Martha, Paul's often photographed dog and inspiration for the song 'Martha My Dear' on the White Album.
Another entry that caught my eye was number 25 as I used to listen to Desert Island Discs on the BBC when I lived briefly in England. I had wondered how many times Beatles' songs were chosen by the castaways.
Perhaps the most bizarre entry here is number 22. The story of the Canadian dentist who purchased John Lennon's tooth and has publicly stated that he hopes to clone the former Beatle from DNA extracted from the tooth. Although I am positive this will not actually take place, it is a testament to the enduring fascination with these 4 lads from Liverpool who changed the world so many years ago. To deny their impact is simply to deny the truth. It just does not exist today. I cannot imagine anyone wanting to clone Justin Bieber from spare body parts in 50 years.....but I could be wrong.
So, all in all, I would say that 50 Things You May Not Know About The Beatles makes for a good casual read and even as a Beatles fan you may come across something you hadn't known.
Lovely Rita / Beatles Radio
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