Friday 17 June 2016

The Beatles: Six Days That Changed the World. February, 1964 by Bill Eppridge

Astonishing, richly spontaneous, and almost entirely unpublished images of the Beatles historic first trip to the United States, as chronicled by an award-winning photographer given unique access to their tour. Published to coincide with the fiftieth anniversary of the Beatles first visit to the United States, this rare and mostly unseen collection of photographs marks the beginning of the British Invasion. In February 1964, photographer Bill Eppridge was on assignment for Life magazine to cover the band s arrival at JFK airport. 

He was then invited to continue shooting in their room at the Plaza Hotel and during the days that followed, notably at the Ed Sullivan Show rehearsal and historic performance; in Central Park; on a train ride to Washington, D.C., for the concert at the Washington Coliseum; at the British embassy; and at their renowned performance at Carnegie Hall. The book is an intimate fly-on-the-wall account of a visit that introduced the Beatles to America and changed the course of music, internationalizing the industry and opening the door for other artists to achieve global success.

Arranged chronologically, Eppridge, whose LIFE credentials got him into the inner Beatles circle, snapped away as JPG&R arrived, met and conquered the U.S. press, got situated in their hotel, smoozed with fans, rehearsed and performed on the Ed Sullivan Show. Eppridge had told the Beatles to just be themselves "and I'll turn invisible." In large part, that accounts for the enchanting nature of Eppridge's pix. Though they're well-composed, they're also fresh, innocent, spontaneous and charming.



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