Pop’s original ‘Fab Four’ the Beatles have inspired countless fake fours over the years.
Now a new book by two University of Winchester academics explores what it’s like to be in a Beatles tribute act.
Co-author Danniel Ash has first-hand knowledge - for three years he was John Lennon in the Silver Beatles, one of the best-known band of mock mop-tops.
Daniel, a Visiting Lecturer on the University’s Composing Song Lyrics module, has drawn on these experiences in Exploring Personality and Performance in The Beatles, co-written with Dr Glenn Fosbraey, Associate Dean in the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences.
Thirty-four-year-old Daniel said: “The Beatles have been an obsession for me since about the age of five,” he explained.
“My love of their music then went hand-in-hand with me learning to play the guitar and keyboards.”
Taking over as Lennon in the Silver Beatles strengthened his relationship with the music and also gave him the chance to create an alternative reality.
“We are playing music that was never performed live - it’s adding to the fiction,” said Daniel.
Although performing songs never played outside the studio may be moving into the realms of fantasy, many tribute bands go to extraordinary lengths to stay true to life.
“It’s not just about reproducing the sound it’s about staying in character between the songs, talking like the Beatles and interacting as they would have done,” said Daniel.
“I even know a ‘Paul McCartney’ who is right-handed but learned to play the bass left-handed to be like Paul.”
Daniel Ash in John Lennon mode
While Daniel’s half of the book examines being a Beatle, albeit a bogus one, Glenn delves into the clues to the characters of John, Paul, George and Ringo, which can be derived from interviews, articles and sleeve notes, and looks at the way their personalities were sold to the public.
Glenn said: “As fellow Beatles obsessives, Daniel and I have spent hours retracing the footsteps of The Fabs, fanboying in London, Liverpool, Hamburg, and Rishikesh. The next logical step was to channel our obsession into this book, where we explore some of the reasons why the world remains fascinated with John, Paul, George, and Ringo over 50 years since they broke up.”
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Glenn Fosbraey (right) meets Giles Martin
Glenn was thrilled to meet Giles Martin, the son of The Beatles' producer George, at a recent graduation ceremony for University of Winchester students held in the city’s cathedral.
Giles, who helped his father remaster several Beatles recordings and is an award winning producer in his own right, received an Honorary Doctorate in Music from the University.
In 2022, Giles won an Emmy award for his work on the documentary, The Beatles: Get Back!
Since 2018, Giles has been Head of Audio and Sound of the Universal Group, based at the legendary Abbey Road Studios
"Giles Martin is Beatles royalty, which means he’s music royalty! It’s a real privilege to be able to welcome him into the Winchester Uni family," said Glenn.
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