Beatles trivia at any level is fun and Brooke Halpin's book, "Do You Really Know the Beatles: A Quiz Book?" is definitely that. The questions are at a level that are both enjoyable and interesting. The difficulty level of the questions vary, making it something fans of all ages can enjoy. We interviewed Brooke about the book and the author's love of the Beatles.
Q: Are you a first generation fan, second generation fan or later?
Brooke Halpin: I'm proud to say that I'm a first generation Beatles fan. I was swept up into Beatlemania the instant I saw them on The Ed Sullivan Show, February 9, 1964. (There's that number 9 again!)
Q: When was the first time you saw any of the Beatles?
Brooke Halpin: I had the great fortune to be a guest at John Lennon's 31st birthday party on October 9th, 1971, in Syracuse, New York. At the party, I met John, Ringo, and Yoko. When I shook hands with John, he had so much energy it felt like a lightening bolt!
Q: How did you work up the questions in the book?
Brooke Halpin: For years, I would ask questions about The Beatles with a variety of different people. Because I was there living and experiencing The Beatles while they were together, recording, performing, and making movies, they made a deep lasting impression on me, along with the details of what they were doing. So I have a lot of Beatle information in my head and I thought it would be good and fun to get it into a book. One question would naturally lead to another. I thought it would be good to put the questions in categories like "The Beginning Years & Beatlemania," "Performances & Tours," "The Movies," "The Singles Songs & Recordings," "The Paul McCartney Death Hoax," "Finish The Lyrics," "The Solo Years," "And In The End," and "Yesterday and Today."
Q: Your favorite Beatles trivia question?
Brooke Halpin: That's a tough question because there's so many - 540! But I'd have to say my favorite is: What is the name of the only Harrison/Lennon credited song? That's because I've been asking that one for decades. It's like an old friend. And because most people don't know the answer, and they should know, because it's great!
Q: Your favorite Beatles album?
Brooke Halpin: While I love them all for different reasons, I'd have to say "Rubber Soul" is my all-time favorite. The were evolving together as a single unit - the band, not four individuals. The lyrics, the vocals and harmonies are extraordinary.
Q: Have you had any other Beatle encounters?
Brooke Halpin: In addition to meeting John and Ringo at John's birthday party, I met Paul in Beverly Hills at an Adopt-A-Minefield fundraiser in June, 2001, where he performed with his newly formed and current band. It was a small venue and Paul and his band sounded great! It was a very memorable evening.
Q: Is your book geared toward a certain segment of Beatles fan?
Brooke Halpin: My book is for Beatles fans of all generations, young and old alike. Fans from yesterday, today, and tomorrow.
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Comments
I have Brooke's book and I've found a lot of info that I didn't know, and I thought I knew everything (well a lot anyway!) ...haha! As Brooke says it's logically laid out according to topics with varying degrees of difficulty. I'm waiting for Brooke to come up with 540 more Beatle facts!! Never too much Beatle info. Great job Brooke!
I have this book and it is FULL of great Beatles info! There were facts in the book that I didn't know and I thought I knew a lot,but a lot is never enough when it comes to knowing about all things Beatles. The book is laid out logically according to topics with varying degrees of difficulty. Now I'm waiting for Brooke to come up with 540 more Beatle facts! Great job Brooke! Oh, the Harrison/Lennon composition? "Cry For A Shadow!"
Last time I saw him, Brook Halpin was a man, unless he has since had a sex change operation.
Great interview!
OK, so you piqued my interest- now what was the only Harrison/Lennon credited song? Was it Bluejay Way???
No, it's not Blue Jay Way. You need to buy my book!
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