British Beatles Fan Club

The British Beatles Fan Club (BBFC) is run by fans for fans. We currently have over 800 members and bring together Beatles enthusiasts from the UK and across the world. We publish a highly esteemed quarterly magazine and organise Beatles related events in the London and Liverpool areas and across the UK, including monthly get-togethers in London. For those who can't make it to the meetings we have an on-line chat group for keeping up to date with the latest news and in touch with other fans.

The BBFC magazine is a glossy, full colour, 40 page publication which comes out 4 times a year. It is packed with fascinating and thoroughly researched articles on all aspects of the Fab Four past and present. We give you an insight into the Beatles' career and their associates in Liverpool, London and throughout the world.

Our correspondents include Pete Nash - former News Editor of The Beatles Book Monthly, Rod Davis of the original Quarrymen, Bill Harry - former Editor of Merseybeat, Stan Williams - former pupil of Dovedale Primary alongside John Lennon and George Harrison, David Bedford - Our Man in Liddypool, Andy Davis - former Editor of Record Collector magazine, Craig Smith, Lucy Carter, Peter Black and Ernie Sutton.

Among the regular features are:

Upcoming Events - organised by the club and anything else relating to the Beatles, including festivals, Beatles Days, concerts and conventions throughout the world
Beatles 2008 - A day-by-day diary
Media Watch
Reviews of the latest releases
Classified Ads
Twist & Shout by Bill Harry
Letters from members
The Legendary Crap Photos of the Month

Plus:

Comprehensive feature articles on every Beatle subject imaginable!
High quality colour and black & white Beatles photos throughout the magazine!

If you would like to advertise in our magazine, please contact the treasurer for further details, prices and any special offers.

Latest BBFC News

Tuesday 11th November 2008

The Revolution Collection from Lyric Culture offers updated spins on vintage rock'n'roll images, from The Beatles and David Bowie to INXS.

The British Beatles Fan Club have got together with Lyric Culture to bring readers a special deal—15% off from their on-line store.

What's more, we have this great Let It Be t-shirt to give away to one lucky reader, just in time for Christmas.

Enter our competition to win a Lyric Culture t-shirt!

Wednesday 5th November 2008

Poet John Sinclair, the activist, writer and founder of the White Panther Party, will be appearing at Bamalama Posters in London next Wednesday, 12th November 2008.

John shot to international fame in the 60s as an early victim of the war on drugs. He was arrested for selling 2 joints to an undercover cop and was given a 10 year prison sentence. Various appeals and campaigns took place, supported by John Lennon who wrote the song John Sinclair and played at the "Free John Sinclair" benefit concert in Ann Arbor, Michigan, on 10 December 1971, alongside Yoko Ono, Stevie Wonder and Allen Ginsberg.

The event at Bamalama will be spoken word and live music, will include a book signing and there will be a screening of rare Detroit-related film footage.

More about next John Sinclair's talk on our events page

Wednesday 5th November 2008

The Beatles' extraordinary music and phenomenal legacy is set to rock across the universe in 2009, in the form of a video game through an exclusive partnership between Apple Corps Ltd., Harmonix and MTV Games, a part of Viacom's MTV Networks.

The game was creatively conceived with input from Sir Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, along with Yoko Ono Lennon and Olivia Harrison, and enjoys their full blessing. In addition, Giles Martin, co-producer of The Beatles innovative LOVE project, will provide his expertise and serve as Music Producer for this groundbreaking Beatles project.

Read full press release

Wednesday 22nd October 2008

This week saw the long-awaited release of the feature-length documentary All Together Now — a full month earlier than previously advertised.

This joint production between Apple and Cirque Du Soleil is dedicated to the memory of Neil Aspinall. The BBFC's treasurer Ernie Sutton has been enjoying his copy and bring us a review here.

We always love being able to offer our readers competitions and give-aways, so we're very pleased to be able to bring you a chance to win a copy of All Together Now on DVD!

Read our review and enter our All Together Now competition!

Monday 20th October 2008

Joe Brown was one of the original rock'n'roll stars to come out of the UK. One of the first UK session men, he went on to top the charts with his own records and had The Beatles open shows for him and remained close to George Harrison.

With a career spanning over fifty years, Joe is renowned for his alarming work rate and his incredible talent. His new album, More Of The Truth is another addition to his expansive catalogue and combines rock 'n' roll, blues, folk and bluegrass - which highlights and enhances his enduring appeal.

It also includes great cover of George Harrison's That's The Way It Goes, which Joe performed live at the Concert For George in 2002.

Saturday 18th October 2008

The final London Beatles Day of 2008 takes place on Sunday 7th December at the usual venue -- the Park Inn (formerly known as the Bonnington Hotel), on Southampton Row, WC1. You will find thousands of Beatles items for sale at prices to suit every pocket!

The London Beatles Day was founded in 1990 by Steve Holmes, Rob Batchelor, Keith Badman and Jason Hobbs who between them have attended many conventions and fairs all over Europe and beyond!

The London Beatles Day has been attracting Beatles fans from all over the globe ever since, originally 2 shows a year were staged but due to increased demand this was increased to the current 4 shows per year. This enables fab 4 fans to come along and buy and trade their Fabs items on a regular basis keeping their collections updated, and of course to come along to meet all the other fans & collectors in the comfort of the recently refurbished Park Inn.

Visit our events page to find out about more Beatles events in London, Liverpool and around the UK

Wednesday 15th October 2008

[The Quarrymen - Never Stop Rockin' and Rollin'!]

John Lennon's Original Quarrymen have been busy in a Liverpool recording studio. The resulting single, entitled Never Stop Rockin' and Rollin'! is written by Vic Elmes, whose group Christie enjoyed a series of hits in the 1970s.

It's a great country/rock style number and the band have made it available as a downloadable MP3 -- but you can only get it during October 2008. The single coincides with their U.S. tour this month.

Wednesday 15th October 2008

On Wednesday 12th November, John Sinclair will be appearing at the Bamalama Music & Movie Posters store in London at their Beatles Promo & Movie Poster Exhibition.

John Sinclair is the political activist who John Lennon wrote a song for on the 1972 Sometime In New York City album. He will be doing a reading and signing starting at 7.30pm.

See our events page for more info

Monday 13th October 2008

Issue 30 of the British Beatles Fan Club magazine is now on sale. If you're a BBFC member you should be receiving your copy in the mail very soon -- and if you're not, you can order it now from our shop (or why not join the BBFC?)

This issue's big cover story is Ringo & his All-Starr Band's 2008 tour. We bring you eleven pages with some fabulous glossy colour photos, an interview and gig-by-gig reviews from along the tour.

Also in this issue: we look at some newly found facts about Stuart Sutcliffe from previously ignored witnesses, translated letters and a look at Stuart's student records. And Lucy In The Sky is back -- Lucy looks at the way the Beatles have influenced so many of us, the fans.

Wednesday 8th October 2008

Paul McCartney is to release a new album on along with Youth under their dance music alter-ego The Fireman.

Electric Arguments is an eclectic and varied album consisting of thirteen tracks recorded in thirteen days over the period of nearly a year. Each track was written and recorded in the space of one day. The Fireman went into the studio with no plan or clear direction of how they wanted the album to sound. The project took a life of its own and the results will surprise anyone expecting to hear the previous sound of the band.

The album will be released on 18th November 2008.

Wednesday 1st October 2008

The BBFC have heard about a couple of Beatles-related features coming up on the radio this Saturday -- 4th October -- that we thought you'd want to know about.

The first is during Richard Atkins's show on BBC Radio Gloucestershire. Richard brings you classic album tracks and singles with the very best music from four decades, and this week features the Beatles' albums Beatles For Sale and Let it Be. You may well hear a plug for the BBFC too, so listen in. The show starts at 12.00 and the Beatles feature is expected to be shortly after 1pm.

Then at 5.30pm, tune in to BBC Radio Merseyside for Spencer Leigh's 'On The Beat' show. Spencer will be doing a feature on Phillips Sound Recording Services, where in 1958 the Quarrymen made their first ever record. Spencer visited the studios and speaks with Peter Phillips, Percy Phillips's grandson. It's bound to be a facinating story -- well worth tuning in!

You can listen to BBC Radio Gloucestershire and Merseyside on-line via the links above if you are not in the UK and the shows are expected to be available to 'listen again' for a week after broadcast.

Sunday 7th September 2008

Award-winning screen and theatre star Victor Spinetti has appeared in over thirty films including three with The Beatles, A Hard Day's Night, Help! and Magical Mystery Tour, as well as co-writing a play, In his Own Write with John Lennon which appeared at the National Theatre in 1968.

Victor is touring the UK with A Very Private Diary... Revisited starting in Inverness on 9th September 2008 in a run that continues until 20th December 2008. There will also be three dates in New York in January 2009.

In his one-man show, Victor unlocks his very private diary and tells stories about The Beatles, Peter Sellers, Sean Connery, Richard Burton, Elizabeth Taylor, Salvador Dali, Marlene Dietrich, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Mick Jagger, Franco Zeffirelli, Laurence Olivier, Brendan Behan, Richard Attenborough, Keith Richards, Princess Margaret and many more.

More information and full tour dates for Victor Spinetti - A Very Private Diary... Revisited

Friday 5th September 2008

There aren't many artists who worked with The Beatles as much as Donovan did. He went to Rishikesh with them to study with the Maharishi and showed John Lennon how to finger-pick a guitar by the banks of the Ganges, he wrote a line of the lyrics to Yellow Submarine and also sang backing vocals, he was part of the recording session for A Day in the Life -- he even contributed some songs to Mary Hopkin for her first album Post Card, released by Apple Records.

Now, seven years in the making, a three-hour feature-length documentary -- Sunshine Superman - The Journey of Donovan is due to be released on 29th September 2008. It will trace his career, music and cultural impact. Among the footage is a scene from India where Donovan, four Beatles, one Beach Boy, and others meditate with the Maharishi.

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'I have really enjoyed reading your fan club magazines and I am proud to wear the fan club pin' - Terje Solbakken, Norway.

Join the British Beatles Fan Club!

'I spent a wonderful year reading your magazine, which I find very interesting and I hope you'll carry on the good job.' - Dimitris Tacticos, Greece.

'Thanks for the badge and membership card. I wear the badge on my school uniform blazer, which is breaking the school dress code slightly as badges aren't allowed. I don't think the teachers mind much though as it's a band they like as well!' - Roisin Mulligan, age 15.