“A Day In The Life Of The Beatles” book released

This day marked the publication of the photography book “A Day in the Life of The Beatles” by Don McCullin, featuring a foreword by Paul McCartney. McCullin was among the photographers who captured the Beatles during their “Mad Day Out” photo session on July 28, 1968.

Published to coincide with the thirtieth anniversary of John Lennon’s death, this previously unpublished collection of poignant photographs is a record of one day with The Beatles—just after Sgt. Pepper was released. In September 1968, critically acclaimed photojournalist Don McCullin was invited to spend a day photographing The Beatles in locations ranging from Paul McCartney’s garden to the banks of the Thames, as well as in their recording studio. The timing of this was, in hindsight, significant. The Beatles had just released Sgt. Pepper, Vietnam was in turmoil, and riots had spread through America’s cities and campuses. It was the moment when the innocence and optimism of the sixties darkened—the instant the youth movement, of which The Beatles were icons, converged with the antiwar protests, the civil rights movement, and the burgeoning counterculture. One of the most poignant photographs taken that day was of John Lennon posing as dead, surrounded by the other three band members. Lennon himself carefully choreographed the image as a pose of protest, but it is now seen as tragic and strangely prophetic. These images of four inspired artists at the pinnacle of success and on the cusp of transformation mark the passing of an era, and in them, we can glimpse our own lost youth.

From Amazon

One day in 1968 Don McCullin, then regarded as the world’s most accomplished war photographer, received a commission from the Apple Corporation to spend a day photographing the Beatles. McCullin had just returned from covering the bitter fighting during the Tet Offensive in Vietnam, and was the most hardened photojournalist in the field. He was astonished by the invitation. On Sunday 28 September he met the Beatles at the Sunday Times studio and began to photograph them in colour for a Life magazine cover. The day that followed has become known in Beatles lore as ‘The Mad Day Out’. McCullin shot twenty rolls of black-and-white film in various locations across London, from the banks of the Thames to Paul McCartney’s garden. Apart from the cover photograph and two pictures in McCullin’s recent book In England, we believe the work to be otherwise unpublished. The timing of this day was significant. At the height of their international fame following the release of Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, the Beatles were in the middle of recording the White Album. The war was raging in Vietnam and riots had spread through capital cities worldwide. It was the very moment of a generational divide, and the Beatles were the iconic figureheads of the youth movement. One of the most poignant photographs taken that day was of John Lennon posing as dead, surrounded by the other three, in an image that he himself had carefully choreographed. What was an intentional pose in protest is now seen as tragic and prophetic. These pictures are of four inspired musicians on the cusp of the change. They mark the passing of an era in which we can glimpse our own lost youth.

From Setanta Books

At first I thought that trying to create a book out of a single session would never work, but as we did so much that day, it does. For us this was a great day out.

At this point, in 1968, we were looking for something different. We were working on the ‘White Album’ and it was a dark period. It was a great album, but difficult to make. The word ‘heavy’ appeared around this time. We knew of Don McCullin from his war photography. We were all interested in photography. It was at the forefront of the culture of the time. We’d been photographed by just about everybody. We’d worked with the great photographers, with Avedon, Parkinson and Bailey. We knew how good Don was. Don’s work was never ‘bang-bang’, but really focused on the human face. We were always looking for shots for album covers or magazines, and we thought about Don. It didn’t matter that he was a war photographer. He was still a photographer.

I arrived in a pink suit and he shot some colour. We had also brought some other clothes along. We suggested some locations, and so did Don. We went to the graveyard and down to the river. We found ourselves in this hall with a piano and a parrot which was surreal, but the times were surreal.

I used to sit round at my house with Robert Fraser, the gallery owner, listening to music. I’d started talking to him about having a folly. I loved the idea of follies and he put me in touch with an English architect who came up with my geodesic dome. It was my meditation platform. The dome is still there with a little Japanese garden leading up to it. So that’s where we all ended up, in the dome.

Don’s a very cool guy. He is one of the great British photographers. We thought we’ve got to be the war. We’ll provide the battlefield and it’ll work. He’ll just click into action. That’s exactly what happened.

Paul McCartney – Foreword – May 2010

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