INTERVIEW WITH CRAIG BROWN AUTHOR of 'ONE TWO THREE FOUR, THE BEATLES IN TIME'
The Cambridge Critique talked to author Craig Brown at his home. Despite the shattering blow dealt by the Coronavirus, he was still the philosophical whimsical and amusing persona you meet in the quirky new publication One Two Three Four, a brilliantly original and hugely amusing take on the Beatles.
AG This must be the most dreadful time to bring out a new book, apart from war time I imagine.
CB The project began with a walk with my editor. I was working on a book about the Thames and I just mentioned to him in the course of the walk that I had an idea at the back of my mind, of writing a book about the Beatles. He immediately lighted on it and we planned to have it ready for April 9th and 10th 2020 – the 50th anniversary of the Beatles’ break up. I do write three newspaper pieces a week and despite that I have to say, I stuck with the deadline and got it in on time 2019 December. It nearly finished me I have to admit, but I got it in on time - only to coincide with this national shutdown The book shops have closed and even Amazon propose to cease their book delivery. So there is no way of getting it out.”
I imagined I would organize the book in the same way at my previous biography of Princess Margaret (Ma’am Darling). I planned to do it in small snatches. In the Princess Margaret book I range around time. But I soon realized that the Beatles story was not the same at all. Whereas Princess Margaret had a linear thread, with the Beatles it was important to stick to a chronological framework. Princess Margaret’s life was far more static and predictable. With the Beatles, readers needed to know they began from nothing, had the Hamburg years, then the phenomenal success then the Hippy days and so on.
AG Do you favour any one of them?
CB Strangely I thought, a journalist accused me of overlooking Ringo which I found odd since I do think he was the most resilient and steady and often funny. When he had a death threat – which someone was going to shoot him in a stadium he coolly got on with the show – and was funny about it. It reminded me that Princess Margaret had often complained that she had not been educated unlike her sister who had intensive lessons in British Constitution, as she was to be the Queen. It made me crosser with Margaret because compared to Ringo she had it easy. Gore Vidal said at the time, and he was a great supporter of hers, she could have educated herself, Not like RIngo who was in hospital for years and only learned to read because an aunt taught him. He was confined with dreadful illnesses for two and then five years and drumming was the only thing he could do. Yet he was not resentful ( like John and even George) and had no chips on his shoulder.
AG Yoko Ono does not emerge well from the book, I had always imagined John and Cynthia’s marriage was a bit flakey and brief. You tell a very different story.
CB Yes Yoko has always promoted that idea very fiercely. And she does make up stories. She gave an interview where she talked about how, when they were in Liverpool, John always talked about his old home and wanted to go past it. But, John did not return to Liverpool after the move to London so all these stories must be invented. Cynthia says in one of her autobiographies that John and Yoko were really unpleasant to Julian, their little boy, whenever he came to stay with them. Why Yoko is so popular still I do not know. Money probably
AG I do like your comparison of her work with that of Shirley Temple.
CB Thank you for that. I am actually the most proud of that section.
AG Have you considered a biography of The Rolling Stones?
CB. I think one book about Royalty was enough, and one about the world of pop will do”
AG It is funny how people positioned themselves as Stones and Beatles fans. The idea is that the Rolling Stones were much more raunchy and edgy and the Beatles more conventional
CB.They still do. People are still really defensive of them. Only the other day an interviewer told me I had unfairly claimed they were not original. John Lennon had always complained about that but it is true to say they haven’t produced any fresh material for many years. People go and see them to relive their glory days. Their band has become their own tribute to themselves. And they haven’t produced anything new since 1983.
The Beatles came to an end just at the right time. They finished on a high really and it is surely a good thing they did not go on.
