It's All Too Much - Adventures of a Teenage Beatle Fan in the 60s and Beyond
David Stark - This Day In Music Publishing
Fortune, they say, favours the brave, but I wouldn't really know as I'm not the type of guy who takes chances. On the other hand, from a very early age, David Stark has been a music superfan determined to meet his heroes and as he then became an important figure in music publishing, he has been able to talk to his heroes much more easily. This book is mostly about his teenage years and his relentless pursuit of the Beatles and his considerable talent for thinking on his feet. I did wonder if some of these comical stories had been embellished with the years or puffed up for publication but I don't think they have.
Take the première of the Beatles' animated film, 'Yellow Submarine' in July 1968 at London Pavilion. David and his friend join the crowds but as soon as they spot an open door, they are through it. They go to the top floor and then down to the cinema entrance, thereby avoiding the lobby. They are asked for their tickets and David says they have already handed them in, but they are guests of Clive Epstein, Brian's brother. Quite by chance, the music publisher Dick James gets involved in the conversation and says that Clive and his wife aren't able to make it today. So, not only has David's blag worked, he now knows there are two empty seats. They make their way to the front and see a couple of vacant seats next to Keith Richards and his girlfriend. Keith says that Mick and Marianne aren't coming, so sit there if you like - and who is sitting in front of David but Paul McCartney.
I was planning to read this book in one sitting but the law of diminishing returns set in as there is not enough variety in the text. The start of the chapters set up some event like the 'Yellow Submarine' or 'The Magic Christian' premieres, the Rolling Stones' filming their 'Rock And Roll Circus' or John and Yoko appearing in court, and you just know that rather like the lead character in Woody Allen's 'Zelig', David Stark is going to be there. David Stark is aware of this himself as he adds comments like "Sounds familiar?"
I can tell from the asides that David Stark must have another book about the other musicians he has met. His memory or his notes are spot on: for example, if he goes to a concert, he knows exactly what was played. At one stage, he thinks his father has the symptoms of OCD but he seems to have the same traits himself. Also, nobody dies in the book: they 'sadly die' and this gets a bit wearing after a while.
Some years ago I had an interview arranged with Ray Charles and when I got there, his minders told me, very unpleasantly, to get lost. Another time an interview with the Kinks went out of the window as first Ray and then Dave told me to scarper. I wish I'd had David Stark with me as he would have got through to them.
Spencer Leigh
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