THE BEATLES DIARY VOLUME 2: AFTER THE BREAK-UP 1970-2001

            After The Break-Up is an attempt to list chronologically all the facts relating to the lives of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr after they ceased to be a working group in the early months of 1970. They were still Beatles, of course, and will always remain so, but this book lists all those events, crucial and otherwise, that occurred in their lives once they ceased to make music together on a regular basis.
             A compilation of this kind has not been attempted before and I am the first to admit that no matter how hard I try I cannot hope to list absolutely everything that happened in the lives of these four remarkable men from 1970 to the present day. By far the most interesting events are those that involve a combination of two or more former Beatles, be it recording sessions, live performances, business meetings or casual get-togethers. Meetings between the two principal former Beatles, John and Paul, virtually stopped at the beginning of the Seventies but became more common around the middle of the decade, only to cease completely thereafter. I believe that every such meeting is logged here, including a few unreported elsewhere. John's final meetings with George, Ringo and, most importantly, Paul are confirmed here for the first time.
             Naturally the book hinges upon their professional lives. I believe it contains the most comprehensive accounts ever published of John's activities during his final decade and Paul's adventures with Wings. For the sake of space and time, I have included only those records released in the UK and USA, unless releases elsewhere in the world are especially noteworthy, as in the case of Paul's Russian rock'n'roll album. I have included every known public performance, every film appearance, every recording session, almost every TV and radio appearance and every substantial magazine and newspaper interview that has come to my attention in the 20 years or more that I have taken a close interest in The Beatles. The text is therefore liberally enhanced by extracts from those interviews that I felt contained illuminating opinions from the former Fabs.
             Also in amongst these pages are details of every known court case involving The Beatles, be they civil cases involving disputes over millions of pounds in royalties, Paul's heavily reported drug busts or George getting yet another rap on the knuckles for speeding. And I have included as many social occasions as I know about, including births, marriages and deaths, as well as holidays, parties and nights out on the town.
             All the thousands of entries that I have listed herein pale into insignificance compared with the tragic events of December 8,1980. John Lennon's murder remains the single most tragic event in the history of popular music.
             That a book of this kind can find a publisher 37 years after the release of their first record is a remarkable tribute to the group which John assembled and led. Long live The Beatles!
             I would like to acknowledge the following individuals who have greatly assisted me with my research over the last ten months: John Bloomfield (for his most invaluable perusal of the text), Mike Dalton (for additional research and photography), Steve Holmes (Beatles For Sale) for supplying no end of source material, Pete Nash (for his hospitality and allowing me unlimited access to one of the greatest Beatles collections in the world), Terry Rawlings (my former writing partner in crime), Steve Vallis (a tower of strength and a great friend for over 25 years), Peter and Fenella Walkling (for their hospitality and allowing me unlimited access to one of the greatest private George Harrison collections in the world).
             In addition, very special thanks go to the following individuals: Jason Hobbs, Neil Sommerville (BBC), Andy Davis, Peter Doggett, Martin O'Gorman, Andy Neill, Stephen Rouse, Tony Rouse, Robert Batchelor, Miles, Simon Rogers, Jean Catherall (Liverpool Beatlescene), Spencer Lloyd, Bob Gruen, Frieda (Kelly) Morris, Tetsuo Hamada (Produce Centre, Japan), Greg Schmidt (USA), Jos Remmerswall (Holland), Andy Brooks, Rene Van Haarlem (Holland), Matt Hurwitz (USA), Dirk Van Damme (Belgium), Bob Boyer (USA), Carole Ann Lennie, Debbie Wakeford, Dawn, Mel (and all the other LIPA Scruffs, too many to mention), Paul Wayne at Tracks, Jack Douglas, Leslie Benson, Brian Durrant, Dave Ravenscroft, Mark Paytress, Dave McGlynn, Dave Carter, Janice Wallis, Dave Withers, Joerg Pieper (Germany), Paul McEvoy (MC80), Mark Saunders (for Princess Diana information), Marc Roberty (for Eric Clapton information), John Homer (Beach Boys), Dan Matovina (Badfinger), Lou Maloney (VH-1), John Hellier, the staff at Run Print Run and the staff of Upton Lea postal services.
             Beatles books & magazines: The Beatles Book Monthly, Beatles Unlimited (Holland), Beatlefan (USA), Good Day Sunshine (USA), Working Class Heroes (Neville Stannard), The Beatles - The Ultimate Recording Guide (Alien J. Wiener), All Together Now (Castleman & Podrazik), The Beatles - A Diary (Miles), Many Years From Now (Miles), The Beatles Chronicles (Mark Lewisohn), Loving John (May Pang), Living On Borrowed Time (Fred Seaman), Lennon (John Robertson) and Waiting For The Beatles (Carol Bedford).
             General newspapers & magazines: Melody Maker, New Musical Express, Playboy, Newsweek, Record Collector, the Liverpool Echo, Q, Mojo, The Times, the Sun, Daily Mirror, New York Times, Rolling Stone, Daily Star, Sotheby's auction house (London).
             TV and Radio libraries around the world: Apple, MPL, BBC TV, LWT, BVL Enterprises, ABC TV, NBC TV, CBS TV, NHK (Japan), Veronica TV (Holland), RKO Radio, VH-1, MTV, Radio Bremen, Pathe, Movietone, E Network (USA). Also the many wonderful Beatles/solo Internet sites that are available on the worldwide web (notably the most informative Abbey Road page) who have all been a most invaluable source of information.
             Other sources of information: The BBC Written Archives, Slough Public Library, Colindale newspaper library, and the Westminster reference library. Thanks to all the respective staff.
             Special inspirational thanks must go to Arsene Wenger, the finest football manager in the world, who has made Arsenal FC, once again, the greatest club in the land; and United Nations goodwill ambassador Geri Halliwell, one of the most fascinating and kind-hearted people in the world.
             Last but by no means least, a very special thanks goes to: Kathleen, Sheila, Pauline, Michael, and everyone else who's assisted me in my madness to create a (hopefully) definitive book on the solo years of The Beatles (sorry if I've missed anyone out!). My occasional, but reliable, assistant Caroline, who continues to pop in and out of my life at a most alarming rate.
             And to Bob Wise, Nikki Russell and Chris Charlesworth, of Omnibus Press, who commissioned this book and agreed with me that a tome like this is long overdue. Special thanks also to Chris, for sharing with me (and now the world) his most precious memories of John Lennon and being an absolute tower of strength as we pieced this huge book together. I just hope you all think it was worth it!

Keith Badman, May 1999.