THE CONTENT

The year 1965 was an incredibly important one for The Beatles. That summer's Help! was not only the band's last feature film, it was their last stand as loveable mop-tops. In October they would record Rubber Soul and begin a period of unprecedented musical and lyrical innovation that would change the face of popular music forever. It was the year The Beatles evolved from mere pop stars into the most important band in history, icons of the age.

It was also midway through a decade of incredible social and cultural change. If, in Britain at least, The Beatles came to reflect and embody such change, their popularity was also a result of it. As such, also included in NOW THESE DAYS ARE GONE are examples of Michael Peto's further work as a photojournalist, rooting the lives of The Beatles in the everyday world of the Sixties, of fishmongers, steel-workers and dockers.

Renowned music journalist Paolo Hewitt contributes an essay reflecting on the pivotal importance of 1965 in Beatle history, while Professor Jim Tomlinson of the University of Dundee provides a deeper insight into the historical context of The Beatles' success.

Acclaimed photographer Colin Jones writes the book's Foreword. Michael Peto met Colin when the latter was a dancer with the Royal Ballet. He showed Colin's photos to The Observer's picture editor, and soon Colin's career on Fleet Street was underway.