“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.

Photographer(s): Norman Parkinson, Michael Ward, Terry O'Neill, Derek Bayes