Beatlemania : Four Photographers on the Fab Four

„As rich in detail and insight as it is in imagery and iconography, Beatlemania: Four Photographers on the Fab Four, is simply a must-have for any dedicated maniac.“ – Far Out magazine

The Beatles ascended like no band

before, hurtling to the dizzy heights of international stardom in the

early 1960s. Their counter-cultural vibes and unmistakable talent are

still the subject of much discussion today – as is the rabid devotion of

their fans. But how did one pop group become, as Lennon infamously

quipped, „more popular than Jesus“?

The work of four photographers

provides an enlightening insight into the band’s rise to fame. Ward

captured the Fab Four when Beatlemania was still confined to their own

home city – the band braved the icy Liverpool streets for a promotional

shoot during the Big Freeze of ’62-63. O’Neill crossed paths with The

Beatles amid the buzz of the Swinging Sixties, resonating with the band

in 1963 as a photographer of their generation. Parkinson delivered a

deceptively relaxed shoot later that year, when the band were recording

their second album; while Bayes captured never-before-published candid

shots of The Beatles filming Help! in 1965.

Accompanying

these pictures, Tony Barrell’s text delves into the Beatlemania

phenomenon – the good, the bad, the ugly and the odd. From the creation

of their early hit records to the hails of confectionery that peppered

stages after John claimed George had eaten his jelly babies, Beatlemania: Four Photographers on the Fab Four reveals how one band became a lasting sensation.