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About Melissa Davis
Expertise
I feel extremely comfortable with my ability to answer questions regarding The Beatles personally - backgrounds, family, education, and the genesis of the group from inception to the end. I do not feel that I have the expertise to answer extremely technical questions regarding equipment, other than to refer the questioner to other sources.
Experience
Besides having been the right age at the right time to live through and enjoy The Beatles, I have continued my interest in them, in their music, and their influence on 20th century - in everything from the obvious, music, to fashion, humor, film, politics, and the music industry. As a dedicated Anglophile, I have studied at the University of London as an undergraduate and traveled in the UK extensively - yes, walked across Abbey Road, visited Savile Row - all of it. Beyond that, I am a teacher and a writer with excellent writing, editing, and research skills.
Publications
The Copy Workshop advertising series
Colorado Law Journal
Various magazines
Education/Credentials
B.A. History & Political Science, M.A. English History, J.D.
Awards and Honors
Teacher of the Year, Archdiocese of Dallas (2000)
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You are here: Experts > Music/Performing Arts > Classic Rock > Beatles, The > Books
Expert: Melissa Davis
Date: 7/4/2008
Subject: Books
Question
What books did George like to read? I know he read one on Adeous Huxley but I don't know the name. And something about Krishna.
Also, what is 'Mono'? I see that on their early albums.
Answer
Hi Ava!
First, about 'Mono'. It stands for 'monoaural' and referred to the sound engineering of recordings before the widespread use of stereo in the mid-to-late 60s. Although stereo can refer to any number of speakers, it is commonly used to mean two speakers.
With stereo, the sound is mixed so that certain instruments or voices were heard from each speaker separately and then the listener balanced them by adjusting the controls on their own sound system (called 'stereos'). So that for instance, if you turned the volume completely down on one speaker, the voices would completely disappear and all you could hear might be the some of the instruments. You're familiar with this based on present day sound systems.
There were no adjustments like that with monoaural recordings. Great care was taken during the recording and mixing at the studio to balance the sound exactly right.
The Beatles, actually, did not care for stereo at all when it was developed. While they might work with George Martin for long periods to get the sound just the way they wanted it on their monoaural recordings, they often didn't stick around as the stereo version was mixed when stereo first was introduced.
Later, they adapted to it, but they always felt that it interfered with the 'pure' sound of rock the way it was intended and liked getting back to that sound. They enjoyed experimenting with it and you can certainly see that on some of their later work, but they generally left most of that work to George Martin and the engineers at Abbey Road.
Second, about George's reading habits. Whereas John was a very avid reader from a young age and filled his songs with literary illusion, George never spoke about reading so it is a little difficult to surmise an answer.
This may strike you as silly, but I do know for a fact that during their summer tours in 64, 65, and 66 they all read Ian Fleming's James Bond books, sharing them with each other, trading them back and forth and memorizing their favourite lines. Of course, that's what most guys were doing at the time - but it's a fun fact!
Aldous Huxley would make sense as a choice because he was a part of the British literary movement that address social issues, as he did in Brave New World.
As far as George's more serious reading later, I know he read Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramhansa Yogananda when he became interested in Indian culture, religion, and music and can only guess that he read similar books after that. Yogananda's work is a classic, though, and still very widely read. You can find it at the library or online.
Sorry there isn't more information out there, but I hope this helps a little.
MDavis
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