Brian Epstein & the Beatles - what he did and what he hid

About this episode

The episode features Philip Norman discussing his book on Brian Epstein and the complexities of his life and impact on The Beatles.

Philip Norman has written books about the Beatles – and John, Paul and George - and now turns the spotlight on the man who launched them and the extreme personal and professional obstacles in the dramatic path of his short life, the man who built a shield around them but couldn't protect himself. We talk to him here about ‘Mr Moonlight: Brian Epstein and the Making of the Beatles’ with particular attention to …   … how he changed Britain’s image and was mortified to get no recognition for it   … the Beatle whose demands he was always fastest to execute   … the level of homophobia and anti-Semitism he had to absorb   … his reckless pursuits in the days when homosexuality could mean life imprisonment   … contract killers, blackmail, rigged roulette wheels and why the Krays said “it wasn’t us” when they heard he’d died   … the way he fashioned his own myth and airbrushed others who’d helped the Beatles succeed   … why McCartney’s 21st birthday party could have ended the band   … his genius (and fraudulence) as a salesman      … the double catastrophe of Brian’s US merchandising deal   … John, Aunt Mimi and “a story…

People in this episode

Hosts: Mark Ellen, David Hepworth, Alex Gold

Guest: Philip Norman

Topics covered

• Brian Epstein
• The Beatles
• music history
• homophobia
• personal struggles
• merchandising
• class system

Keywords

• Brian Epstein
• The Beatles
• Philip Norman
• music history
• homophobia
• merchandising
• class system
• John Lennon
• Paul McCartney
• George Harrison

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: The Krays, Simon & Schuster

Books & works: Mr Moonlight: Brian Epstein and the Making of the Beatles

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