November 16th is a very important day in the history of The Beatles. It was on this day, sixty years ago, that George Martin met with the band and gave them the greenlight to record their first album.

With that as our excuse, The 2022 PopCult Gift Guide devotes this day to the Fab Four, with a three of our gifts devoted to the era of the Revolver Album. These gift suggestions, naturally, are for the devoted Beatles fan on your shopping list.

The Beatles Revolver Special Edition Super Deluxe
Available where ever boxed sets are sold on CD and Vinyl

In the grand tradition of The Beatles’ “Super Deluxe” boxed sets comes a special edition of Revolver, one of the most beloved albums by the group.

Unlike the later-era Beatles albums, Revolver did not have a wealth of multi-track recordings available, so this new mix (by Giles Martin) was created using sonic isolation technology developed by WETA during the production of last year’s Get Back documentary mini series. The results are amazing, while still respecting the original released version.

Bonus tracks are revelatory, showing us that history was not correct about who wrote which song and showing that The Beatles were much more of a collaborative than people realized.

This Special Edition of The Beatles’ REVOLVER features a new mix by Giles Martin and Sam Okell, plus the original mono mix, a 4-track EP, 28 session takes and home demos, a 100-page book with a foreword by Paul McCartney, an essay by Questlove, detailed track notes, photos and ephemera including handwritten lyrics, tape boxes and extracts from Klaus Voormann’s graphic novel on the making of the cover art. On 5 CDs or 4 LPs  in a 12.56” x 12.36” slipcase.

Prices vary, but expect to pay over a hundred dollars for the CD version, and over $170 for vinyl.

ICONIC – The Graphic Novel of The Beatles Revolver Cover Artwork
by Klaus Voorman
Pre Sale Price: 33 Euro, plus shipping
Regular Price: 38 Euro, plus shipping
This is a limited edition, on sale November 25, available directly from Klaus Voorman.

This hardcover edition is limited worldwide to 1000 books, each handsigned by Klaus Voormann.

Klaus Voormanns’ graphic novel about the cover artwork of the Beatles’ legendary album REVOLVER first appeared as key chapter in his book, Birth of an icon REVOLVER 50, released in 2016.

Excerpts of the graphic novel (7 pages) are also included in the hardcover book of the new The Beatles Revolver Super Deluxe Boxset. In response to many requests, for the first time, the graphic novel will be released as a limited hardcover book (English language) under the title ICONIC. In addition to the complete graphic novel, the book contains two more text stories, illustrations and photos.

Quote from Paul McCartney:

“His skills as an artist were first explored by our band for the cover of the Revolver album. His work was spot on and fitted precisely with what we were doing at the time“.
-Paul McCartney, October 2022

Quote from Ringo Starr:

„… I would like to thank my friend for the cover of Revolver. Incredible! And now he‘s doing a book that will show us the many moves he made to end up with that great cover…I can only say I love you man. It‘s always great when we get together in LA…Take care my friend. I send you Peace and Love,
Ringo, yeah Ringo.“
Ringo Starr, October 2022

This is a pre-order, but the book may sell out before its scheduled November 25 release.

The Beatles Rubber Soul to Revolver (Beatles Album Series)
by Bruce Spizer
498 Productions, LLC
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0983295792
$39.99 (discounted at Amazon)

The Beatles Rubber Soul to Revolver is the latest installment in Bruce Spizer’s Beatles Album Series, covering two of the Beatles most important albums, Rubber Soul and Revolver, as well as Capitol’s Yesterday And Today LP and the singles associated with these albums.

I just discovered Spizer’s incredible work last year, and I became an instant fan. I’m a bit of a snob when it comes to books about The Beatles, and unless it’s a book by Mark Lewisohn I tend to pick up a new Beatles book, flip through it and find a dozen mistakes. That’s not the case with Bruce Spizer, whose books are meticulously researched, and who presents the material like an updated and vastly expanded version of The Beatles, An Illustrated Record, one of the most fun books about The Beatles every written (back in the 70s).

Rubber Soul and Revolver set new standards for pop and rock records, and presented a maturing and evolving Beatles to the world. The 16 tracks recorded during the Rubber Soul sessions are among the group’s finest.

With Revolver, the Beatles were looking for more color in their recordings, trying new instruments and techniques. But they were not using studio wizardry to cover weaknesses; they were looking for new sounds to enhance their already brilliant songs.

The book contains chapters on the British, American, and Canadian perspectives, an extensive treatment on the infamous Butcher Cover (featuring all of the significant images from the photo sessions and the true story behind the controversial cover). There are also chapters on the recording sessions and album covers, as well as on the news, music, and films of the era to place these albums in their proper context. And, of course, dozens of fan recollections.

This one is a must-have for the die-hard Beatles fan.

Joy and Fear
The Beatles, Chicago and the 1960s
By John F. Lyons
Permuted Press
ISBN13: 9781682619322
$19.99

Published last year, this intriguing book escaped my notice until about a month ago, and it’s a fascinating time capsule how Beatlemania played in Chicago. As the blurb says, it’s “A riveting look at the polarizing nature of the Beatles phenomenon, and how it transformed a generation, through the lens of a singular city in the center of America.”

For many, the Beatles offered a delightful alternative to the dull and the staid, while for others, the mop-top haircuts, the unsettling music, and the hysterical girls that greeted the British imports wherever they went were a symbol of unwelcome social and cultural change. This opposition to the group—more widespread and deeper rooted in Chicago than in any other major American city—increased as the decade wore on, especially when the Beatles adopted more extreme countercultural values.

At the center of this book is a cast of characters engulfed by the whirlwind of Beatlemania, including the unyielding figure of Mayor Richard J. Daley who deemed the Beatles a threat to the well-being of his city; the Chicago Tribune editor who first warned the nation about the Beatle menace; George Harrison’s sister, Louise, who became a regular presence on Chicago radio; the socialist revolutionary who staged all of the Beatles’ concerts in the city and used much of the profits from the shows to fund left-wing causes; the African-American girl who braved an intimidating environment to see the Beatles in concert; a fan club founder who disbelievingly found herself occupying a room opposite her heroes when they stayed at her father’s hotel; the University of Chicago medical student who spent his summer vacation playing in a group that opened for the Beatles’ on their last tour; and the suburban record store owner who opened a teen club modeled on the Cavern in Liverpool that hosted some of the biggest bands in the world.

Drawing on historical and contemporary accounts, Joy and Fear brings to life the frenzied excitement of Beatlemania in 1960s Chicago, while also illustrating the deep-seated hostility from the establishment toward the Beatles.

Joy and Fear: The Beatles, Chicago and the 1960s should be available from any bookseller, using the ISBN code.

Ringo Starr – EP3
Available on CD, Vinyl and cassette from Ringo, himself.

Ready for shipping later this week, you’re safe getting Ringo’s new EP in any physical formate, in plenty of time for holiday gift-giving.

Ringo Starr’s newest EP, cleverly named “EP3,” features 4 brand new tracks featuring longtime collaborators Steve Lukather, Linda Perry, Dave Koz, José Antonio Rodriguez, and Bruce Sugar. With Ringo’s instantly recognizable vocals, feel-good lyrics, and easy-breezy melodies, EP3 is now available on CD.

The four songs included are:
World Go Round
Everyone and Everything
Let’s Be Friends
Free Your Soul (feat. Dave Koz and José Antonio Rodriguez)

If you’re a fan of Ringo, you need this. Now that he’s sworn off albums for annual 4-track EPs, Sir Ringo has been treating his fans to a steady supply of great, fun new tracks, recorded in his home studio with a rotating crew of guest musicians.

It’s the music of Peace and Love, so sit back and enjoy.

Tomorrow The 2022 PopCult Gift Guide will recommend pop culture books.