Product Description

When American teenager, Richard DiLello, wandered into the Beatles' Apple building in 1968, he was immediately appointed 'house hippie'; he began making tea, rolling joints and listening to dozens of demo tapes. By the time Apple crumbled a few years later he was director of public relations. Along the way he noted many of the stoned conversations he heard and the insane bits of business he witnessed: one-man bands auditioning in the reception, Hell's Angels taking over Savile Row and The Beatles playing on the roof. Full of period detail, The Longest Cocktail Party is fast-paced, witty and immensely poignant about the demise of the Fab Four and the death of the '60s dream.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #101484 in Books
• Published on: 2005-06-16
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 363 pages

Review
"Marvellous. If you want to know what Apple was like, this is the book." Alastair Taylor, former General Manager, Apple; "Incisive, evocative and hilariously funny. The Beatles are shadowy figures, but this is a fine view of rock's most inspired folly." Mojo; "Vivid... it views the band's disintegration with the same excluded bafflement with which Stoppard's Rosencrantz and Guildenstern follow the plots of the Danish court." Guardian"

Customer Reviews

Swinging London, The Beatles and Associated Madness
One of the best Beatle Books around. Richard Di Lello, breezed into the newly formed Apple Corps in 1967, and landed a job in the Beatles press office. This book is his account of the madness that ensued until 1970, when a few careless words to a journalist landed Di Lello out on his ear. Yet he witnessed more funny,sad,poignant and weired moments than most would see in a lifetime. The Beatles pop in and out of the book. Di Lello gives an honest account of his time amongst this chaos, and leaves you with the feeling that you wish you had been there too.

Very entertaining, but probably not for everyone
Let me start by saying that I enjoyed this book immensely. It actually made me laugh, and not very many Beatles books can say that.
But it is probably not for everyone. The reason I say that is because of the writing style. It's flows along without punctuation for pages at a time and can be difficult to read. It is also highly personal - seen through an office boys eyes who never really got close to the Beatles. But the insights he gives into day to day running of the Apple office is very illuminating. You really get a sense of the fun and craziness that pervaded the place.
He also tells some stories that simply don't appear anywhere else.
But he gives very little insight into the band themselves. And there is really nothing about their history or their music.
But if you have read all of the other Beatles books and you are looking for something a bit different, then this might be just the book you're looking for.

Every day was like this?
My treasured original copy of this item, bought when first published, is now somewhat bedraggled so I'm glad to see this new edition. Read how George evicts the Hell's Angels; how the lead is stripped from the roof of the building; how Adolph Hitler called round regularly; how the splendid Derek Taylor sat in a wicker chair at the eye of the storm. The Beatles have been blessed with a number of very good books about them, this is in the top five.