Tuesday, September 30, 2014

Beatles Week: Part II -- The Rhythm Section Vanishes

Well, I think we may have discovered the all-time absolute bottom of the barrel in terms of Beatles tell-all books.


Ladies and germs, the biography of Jimmy Nicol, the guy behind the drum kit in the photo below...


...whose fifteen minutes of fame only lasted only about as long as a couple of paradiddles.

I don't know which is more amazing -- the fact that somebody actually took the time and effort to write a book about a guy whose claim to history is that he subbed for Ringo while he (Ringo) was having his tonsils out, or that the book comes with a foreword by "former Beatle Chas Newby."

Who is, apparently, a real person, albeit one whose name could have been invented by Monty Python. Seems he played four shows as the Fabs bassist immediately after the departure of Stu Sutcliffe.

All I can figure is that both of those guys must be really pissed they weren't even mentioned in Good Ol' Freda.

Heh.

[h/t Todd Everett]

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

PREDICTION:

Coming soon to a museum or auditorium near you:

THE DIRT FROM UNDER THE BEATLES' NAILS

The promoters will sell this show with the tag line:

WE'RE NOT SAYING HOW WE GOT IT BUT WE GOT IT

The opening act, just to make things even more crass and desperate, will be an actual band called:

THE STOMACH CONTENTS

No word if Nicol or Newby are in the line-up but I suppose they could audition.

J. Lag

Anonymous said...

What's with all the ridicule of Nicol and Newby?:-) I don't think they're making a dime off of this. They've never previously tried to cash in as far as I know. Did Jimmy Nicol contribute, in any way, to the book?

So some schmuck wants to self publish a labor of love about Jimmy Nicol. It has little or no commercial potential. I'm sure the author knew that going into it.

Haven't read the book so I can't pass judgement. I suspect it's amateurishly written. But you never know, Jimmy Nicol's life might be fascinating and of peripheral interest to Beatlemaniacs. I've read online that Butch Vig likes the book. But, then again, Muddy Waters wrote the liner notes to A Full Spoon of Seedy Blues.

Vickie Rock - See Sin in State, majestically drunk; Proud as a Peeress, prouder as a Punk

Off to the Court of the Crimson King

John Werner said...

Gotta love a dude who, somehow, comes up with an actual book about a short-lived stand-in for Ringo. Seriously, how this made a book is "off the hook" desperation.