HOW TO PURCHASE BOOKS BY SPENCER LEIGH
Many of Spencer Leigh’s books are
available from Amazon or from bookshops in the UK.
Copies of the following books can be obtained direct from Spencer
Leigh and he will sign them (with a dedication!) if you wish. Copies of The
Beatles Liverpool and The Beatles Hamburg DVDs are
also available by clicking here.
The books can be obtained by clicking on the appropriate buttons
below (UK, US and European Union) and ordering through Paypal. The prices include
postage and packaging. There is a space for inserting a short message such as
requesting a dedication. To review your purchases or to make payment please click here:
If you wish to contact me direct, you can email me or write to
Spencer Leigh Limited, 42 Longcliffe Drive, Ainsdale, Southport, Merseyside,
PR8 3PR, United Kingdom. If you are, for example, from Australia, you may wish
to contact me directly as the buttons would not apply to you.
All orders will be dispatched within a week. Things Do Go Wrong
will be sent on publication in January 2008.
Email: Spencer Leigh
The Cavern - The Most Famous Club In The World
by Spencer Leigh
Foreword by Sir Paul McCartney
SAF Publishing (2008)
Sample Text
This is the official history of the Cavern, published
by SAF late April 2008. Over 300 performers and Cavern staff have been interviewed
for the book and much original research is included in the text. Copies signed
by Spencer Leigh can be ordered here and will be sent as soon as available.
The retail cost is £12.99 and the book will be sent postage free in
the UK.
“We came down from Newcastle to Liverpool in a
little van in 1963 and we carried our own gear into the Cavern for a lunchtime
session. We were very nervous about playing there and I said to a girl in
a duffle coat who was watching us, ‘Do you think they’ll like
rhythm and blues here?’ ‘Like it?’ she said, ‘We invented
it.’”
(Alan Price of the Animals)
It’s the dream of my life to be here in Liverpool
and playing the Cavern because this music got me through my childhood.”
(Billy Bob Thornton)
"THINGS DO GO WRONG"
by Spencer Leigh with illustrations by John Firminger
Finbarr International (2008)
ISBN 0 9529500 7 3
Price £10 (UK), $25 (US), €18 (EU)
THINGS DO GO WRONG tells the story of
the 1960 rock’n’roll tour starring Gene Vincent and Eddie Cochran.
It was the first 100% rock’n’roll tour to tour the UK and it played
to packed houses, encouraging many young musicians who found success in the
British beat boom. However, the tour ended in tragedy with the death of Eddie
Cochran. THINGS DO GO WRONG provides an intimate, backstage picture of the tour,
going into the hotels and coaches with the stars and speaking to the participants.
THINGS DO GO WRONG is enhanced by press cuttings of the day assembled by the
pop archivist, John Firminger.
THINGS DO GO WRONG is the fifth volume about the rock’n’roll
era to be published by Finbarr International. It is a worthy successor to the
histories, HALFWAY TO PARADISE and BABY, THAT IS ROCK AND ROLL and the biographies
of Lonnie Donegan (PUTTIN’ ON THE STYLE) and Billy Fury (WONDROUS FACE).
Although this is a tragic, almost Shakespearean, story,
THINGS DO GO WRONG is also a very funny book, showing the problems that two
Americans faced in trying to cope with the Britain of 1960.
“It was dark and London Airport was just a bunch
of hangars. The plane landed and Gene Vincent came down the steps. He was a
quiet, thin, wan fellow in a baseball jacket, and he said, ‘Hello, sir,
I’m happy to make your acquaintance.’ I thought this will never
do – he’s got to be a rocker. He’s got to say, ‘Hey,
man, what’s happening?’ I was deeply disturbed and I wondered what
we were going to do.”
TV producer Jack Good
“Some of the rock’n’rollers had
rough, raunchy voices but Gene had this pure golden voice - nobody else was
singing like him. Gene was an original and apart from the echo, he wasn’t
trying to be Elvis. He had his own voice, his own songs and his own style.”
Graham Fenton of Matchbox
“The Grades had a lot of control and I couldn’t
get Gene or Eddie on ‘Sunday Night At The London Palladium’.”
Impresario Larry Parnes
“Eddie Cochran was dynamic. Nobody could hold
a candle to him. The Americans seemed to have this glowing, positive way of
doing things and Eddie Cochran, he was swagger, man, he was cool, he was it.
He was a tremendous performer.”
Wally Whyton of the Vipers
“Eddie had a great trick, it had probably been
used in America for years, but we didn’t know about it over here. He used
to put a second string instead of a third string on his guitar, so that he had
an unwound string and he could bend it and get those bluesy sounds that you
never heard in England.”
Joe Brown
“Coming to England was a big culture shock for
them. The first time they were given fish and chips, it was in a great soggy
mess, huge lumps of mush. They couldn’t believe that we ate it.”
Big Jim Sullivan
“I don't think they thought about food too much.
Whatever they ate was washed down with drink. They were the wildest characters
that we’d ever come across. They used to disappear into the night. We
didn’t know where they went but in the mornings they were always very
quiet.”
Brian Bennett
Some reviews:
"The story of the Gene Vincent/Eddie Cochran tour
has been told many times, but never as completely as in this remarkable book."
(Chris Woodford, Now Dig This, March 2008)
"It's a great read, it's tremendous." (Frankie
Connor, BBC Radio Merseyside)
"It's a journey that Spencer Leigh recreates in
amazing detail in a slender but thrilling book that captures not just the personalities
of these prototype rock gods but the culture clash between their Technicolor
lives and the black and white austerity of a post-war Britian they left in shock.
A fabulous selection of period news cuttings add to the appeal of a complete
must-have for rock'n'roll fans." (Douglas McPherson, Classic American,
May 2008)
WONDROUS FACE - THE BILLY FURY STORY
by Spencer Leigh with illustrations by John Firminger
Finbarr International (2005)
ISBN 0 9529500 5 7
Price £10 (UK), $25 (US), €18 (EU)
"For the first time, Billy Fury's short,
explosive life has been packed into a biography." (David Charters, Liverpool
Daily Post)
"Any Fury obsessive will find something new" (Bob
Stanley, The Times)
"Essential for anyone fascinated with what made Britain
tick before the Beatles" (Kieron Tyler, Mojo)
"Wondrous Face is a much needed and comprehensive
appraisal of one of Liverpool’s biggest stars." (Paul Coslett, BBC
Liverpool Online)
"Each and every fan will have to form their own opinion
about this very interesting and informative Billy Fury biography" (Chris
Eley, Sound of Fury fan club magazine)
"The mix of triumph, tragedy and farce
is brilliantly captured by Leigh, whose chatty but wry reportage style mostly
lets the huge cast of characters speak for themselves." (Alan Lewis, Record
Collector)
"As usual, Spencer explores all the avenues and so
the book is as much a commentary on the British music scene of the 1950s and
60s as it is a Billy Fury biography. It is a very good read and an authoritative
reference point for anyone with an interest in the era." (Chris Woodford,
Now Dig This)
"If Spencer's going to challenge idealised celebrations
of Billy's life (and at times he does so provocatively) then let's welcome the debate. Make no mistake - this is an essential purchase for anyone who has an
interest in the the days before the music died." (Harry
Whitehouse, billyfury.com)
Wondrous Face can also be purchased through www.billyfury.com
with part of the proceeds going to Alder Hey Children's Hospital in Liverpool.
1000 UK NUMBER ONE HITS
by Jon Kutner & Spencer Leigh
Omnibus Press (2005)
ISBN 1 84449 283 4
Very bulky book which makes postage uneconomical. In UK shops at £18.95.
"An essential reference work as well as
being a genuinely fascinating read" (Record Collector, Pick of 2005, January
2006 edition)
SOUND! - THE LIVERPOOL POP QUIZ BOOK
by Spencer Leigh
Capsica (2004)
ISBN 0 9548431 1 8
Price £5 (UK), $12.50 (US), €9 (EU)
"The Beatle in question is nowhere to be
seen, but in evidence everywhere. On the wall opposite, there is a framed poster
for Liverpool Oratorio, the classical work he co-composed in honour of his native
city and a framed Ordnance Survey map of the same city. On the table there is
a copy of Sound! - The Liverpool Pop Quiz book" (Sean O'Hagan visits Paul
McCartney, Observer Music Monthly, September 2005)
TWIST AND SHOUT! - MERSEYBEAT, THE CAVERN, THE
STAR-CLUB AND THE BEATLES
by Spencer Leigh
Nirvana Books (2004)
ISBN 0 9506201 5 7
Price £15 (UK), $32 (US), €25 (EU)
Sample text
2004 reissue of Let's Go Down The Cavern with
much additional material. Includes full Merseybeat discography.
"The nearest anyone has ever come to capturing
the spirit of Merseybeat." (Amanda Griffiths, Lancashire Life)
"This book is unique for it not only deals
with the Fab Four's early career but offers an extensive insight into the origins
of the whole Merseybeat scene." (Ray O'Brien, Beatles Unlimited)
"As a native Liverpudlian who discovered
rock'n'roll at the same time as the Fabs, Leigh can write about the city and
its music scene with an authority other authors lack." (Gillian Gaar, Goldmine)
And from a happy reader...
"By the way, I just wanted to tell you,
Twist and Shout! was terrific. It really re-created the feel of that time and
place and it was a really entertaining and informative read. It gave me something
to do between shows on the rest of the tour and I finished it when I got back
to the States. Great work." (Dean Friedman, following his UK tour, 2005)
THE WALRUS WAS RINGO - 101 BEATLES MYTHS DEBUNKED
by Alan Clayson and Spencer Leigh
Chrome Dreams (2002)
ISBN 1 84240 2056
Price: £15 (UK), $36 (US), €25 (EU)
"This book lifts the lid on popular
myths that have dogged the history of the Beatles." (Philip Key, Liverpool
Daily Post)
"Page after page of pub arguments waiting
to happen." (Sid Griffin, Mojo)
"Was Yesterday partially inspired by
Nat King Cole's Answer Me, as the authors suggest. We'd love to know Paul
McCartney's feelings on the subject." (Gillian Gaar, Goldmine)
THE BEST OF FELLAS - THE STORY OF BOB WOOLER,
LIVERPOOL’S FIRST DJ
by Spencer Leigh
Drivegreen Publications (2002)
ISBN 0 9543839 0 7
Price: £15 (UK), $36 (US), €25 (EU)
Packed with Woolerisms! The new ones include
"John Lennon went from rage to riches."
"It has taken the author almost six
years to pull the tome together. Wooler's irascible nature often thwarting
Leigh's attempts to garner the facts and the truth." (Lew Baxter, Liverpool
Daily Post)
"Leigh's excellent book is full of Wooler's
observations, anecdotes and sharp comments on this extraordinary pop moment."
(Jon Savage, Mojo)
"Bob's Woolerisms has hilarious and
truly embellish this book. It is a vital book on the early history of the
Beatles and a must-read for any true Beatle fan." (John Whelan, Ottawa
Beatles site)
"Refreshingly different. Instead of
being a biography or an autobiography, it is the story of ghosting Bob Wooler's
autobiography." (Phillip Key, Liverpool Daily Post)
"Littered with entertaining and original
Woolerisms, and not so much an autobiography as Spencer's expereices as a
patient ghost-writer." (Tony Barrow, The Beatles Book)
"Leigh has an unparalleled knowledge
of Merseybeat, a similar sense of humour to Wooler's penchant for puns, and
the stamina to stand up to his subject's evasive nature. The Best Of Fellas
is extremely readable, very amusing and full of new information. It's a worthy
tribute to an unfairly overlooked figure in British pop history, unravelled
with great skill by Spencer Leigh." (Peter Doggett, Record Collector)
"Bob Wooler was the key player in a
modern myth and Spencer Leigh has produced a warm, enjoyable read, which must
be the definitive assessment of his contribution to Merseybeat." (John
Cornelius, author "Liverpool 8")
SWEEPING THE BLUES AWAY - A CELEBRATION OF THE MERSEYSIPPI
JAZZ BAND
by Spencer Leigh
Institute of Popular Music, University of Liverpool (2002)
Price: £ 10 (UK), $25 (US), €18 (EU).
A Liverpool institution, the Merseysippi
Jazz Band has been going since 1949 and has four original members in its lineup.
John Lennon called them "the old buggers" in 1962!
"The book conjures up a world bursting
with life, enthusiasm, creativity and musicians where continuing love for
their craft would put many 'serious' practitioners to shame." (Brian
Blain, Musician magazine 2003)
PUTTIN’ ON THE STYLE - THE LONNIE DONEGAN STORY
by Spencer Leigh with illustrations by John Firminger
Finbarr International (2002)
ISBN 0 9529500 2 2
Price £8 (UK), $15 (US), €12 (EU).
Sample Quotes
Sample Text - 1956 Rock Island Line
The first and only book on the skiffle king.
"This very readable book works from
a bunch of interviews with musical figures who were there at the time. It
is all nicely wound together." (John Koenig, Discoveries)
"A very affectionate biography of a
larger than life character" (Philip Key, Liverpool Daily Post)
"Spencer Leigh delivers facts in a breezy,
non-academic manner. There are no signs of hero-worship even though Leigh's
respect for Donegan's place as a musician is apparent throughout." (Keith
Parkinson, Now Dig This)
"Leigh's fact-filled biography is deadpan
and wry, full of quiet humour. It also displays Donegan's gift for appalling
rudeness." (Roy Kerridge, Spectator)
"The book bounds along with the same
energy as Lonnie himself." (Beatles Unlimited)
BROTHER, CAN YOU SPARE A RHYME? - 100 YEARS
OF HIT SONGWRITING
by Spencer Leigh
Spencer Leigh Limited (2001)
ISBN 0 9538233 0 X
Price: £17 (UK), $45 (US), €32 (EU).
"Spencer Leigh is simply one of Britain's
leading authorities on the popular music of the 20th century." (David
Charters, Liverpool Daily Post)
"Wherever you look in the book, something
will grab your attention and hold you for a lot longer than you intended."
(Ossie Dales, Mitchell Music)
"Worth owning for the Sammy Cahn interview
alone." (Fred Dellar, Mojo)
"A worthy addition to any serious and
broad-minded pop fan's library." (Michael Heatley, Record Buyer)
BABY, THAT IS ROCK AND ROLL, AMERICAN POP,
1954 - 1963
by Spencer Leigh with illustrations by John Firminger
Finbarr International (2000)
ISBN 0 9529500 1 4
Price: £12 (UK), $28 (US), €20 (EU).
Sample
text
"Unusually for someone of his generation,
Spencer Leigh doesn't accept that rock and roll is simply the fusion of black
blues and white country/folk music, believing its roots also draw from the
traditions of show music, pop, vaudeville and music hall." (David Charters,
Liverpool Daily Post)
"Trivia lovers will feel they've stumbled
onto a goldmine as they make their way through a treasure trove of quotes
and reproductions of contemporaneous articles and ads from various music papers."
(Gillian Gaar, Goldmine)
"A thematically linked compendium of
quotes, calling over 150 expert witnesses to the stand, from Bo Diddley to
Johnny Cash. The quip-meister, though is Ronnie Hawkins: 'Abraham Lincoln
said that all men were created equal, but he never saw Bo Diddley in the shower."
(Paul DuNoyer, Mojo)
"The quality and depth of the quotes
make this book an interesting purchase for anyone interested in the era."
(Kingsley Abbott, Record Collector)
"An essential read for music enthusiasts."
(Craig Baguley, Country Music People)
BEHIND THE SONG - THE STORIES OF 100 GREAT
POP AND ROCK CLASSICS
by Michael Heatley and Spencer Leigh
Blandford (1998)
Sorry - out of print.
This book sold out of its first print within
a few months but the publishers didn't reprint - curses!
DRUMMED OUT! - THE SACKING OF PETE BEST
by Spencer Leigh
Northdown Publications (1998)
Sorry - out of print.
"What makes the book worthwhile are the
insights spawned by Leigh's research. There's an excellent account of the first
Parlophone audition, plenty of background on the Liverpool club scene and an
insight into how manager Brian Epstein's homosexuality spurred his initial interest
in the band." (Johnny Black, Q Magazine)
HALFWAY TO PARADISE, BRITPOP 1955 - 1962
by Spencer Leigh with illustrations by John Firminger
Finbarr International (1996)
ISBN 5 026363 000049
Price £8 (UK), $18 (US), €15 (EU).
This book is about British popular music before
the Beatles and involved 150 interviewees. Joe Brown talks about how badly the
tours were planned: Frankie Vaughan reveals that Marilyn Monroe wanted to bed
him, and Anthony Newley says that President Kennedy would make love to his record,
'Bee-bom'. As well as rock'n'roll, the book deals with the balladeers like Ronnie
Hilton, Ronnie Carroll and Liverpool's first pop star, the wonderful Lita Roza.
It has had steady sales since it has been published and everyone seems to like
it.
MEMORIES OF BUDDY HOLLY
by Jim Dawson and Spencer Leigh
Big Nickel Publications (US, 1996)
ISBN 0-936433-20-5
Price £8 (UK), $22 (US), €15 (EU)
A trawl through our interviews to find people
talking about Buddy Holly and there are plenty of additional essays and some
great photos. I like the book but everytime I pick it up, I think, "Why
did we say Andy Williams' It's So Easy was a Holly song?"
"The book contains something for everyone
and has several chapters for the specialists. Fascinating and at times hilarious
reading." (Chris Woodford, Now Dig This)
Memories Of Buddy Holly is now sold out.
ASPECTS OF ELVIS - TRYIN' TO GET TO YOU
edited by Alan Clayson & Spencer Leigh
Sidgwick & Jackson (1994)
ISBN 0 283 06217 7
Out of print
I thought that Alan and I had hit paydirt with
this book as it is a terrific collection of new essays about Elvis including
contributions from Pete Frame (a real family tree!), Mort Shuman (the last thing
he wrote), Tony Barrow (who was there when Elvis met the Beatles), Alan Bleasdale
(an outtake from his play, 'Are You Lonesome Tonight'), Simon Frith, Chas White
('Dr Rock'), Todd Slaughter, Adrian Henri, Patrick Humpries, Peter Doggett,
Mike Evans, Fred Dellar, John Tobler and several more. A real A-team and all
good stuff, but Sidgwick and Jackson did nothing to promote it.
SPEAKING WORDS OF WISDOM - REFLECTIONS
ON THE BEATLES
by Spencer Leigh
Cavern City Tours (1991)
ISBN 1 873111 00 02
Out of print
500 quotes about the Beatles from a range of
celebrities including many who worked with them. I'd like to update this someday,
but all these things depend upon finding a publisher who is interested.
LET’S GO DOWN THE CAVERN
by Spencer Leigh
Vermilion (1984)
ISBN 0 09 158541 4
Although out of print, 90% of it has been incorporated in the 2004 book, Twist
And Shout.
I am often asked about this book but there are no
spare copies left. Try e-bay or buy Twist And Shout.
STARS IN MY EYES - PERSONAL INTERVIEWS WITH TOP
MUSIC STARS
by Spencer Leigh
Raven Books (1980)
ISBN 0 85977 016 8
Out of print, but a few remaindered copies are available solely through this
website.
Price £6(UK), $18 (US), €12 (EU)
A name-dropping project really - interviewees
include Charles Aznavour, Sammy Davis Jr and Burl Ives. I've often been asked
(though not by publishers!) to do something similar. The thing is, books of
interviews don't sell.
PRESLEY NATION
by Spencer Leigh
Raven Books (1976)
ISBN 0 85977 015 X
Out of print
This slim book was about Elvis' fans in Liverpool.
The first printing was shortly before Elvis' death and the second shortly after.
PAUL SIMON - NOW AND THEN
by Spencer Leigh
Raven Books (1973)
ISBN 0 85977 008 7
Out of print
This was among the first rock books and so
it goes for silly amounts on ebay. I haven't opened it for years as I suspect
it was badly written and I am writing much better now. If I am wrong and I haven't
improved, then I will feel even worse about it. My copy will remain unopened,
and I make this public apology to Paul Simon that I started my writing career
with his biography!
