Beatles insider disputes PR man didn't help make the Beatles

A story in The Telegraph in the UK earlier this week reported that while well-known UK publicist Max Clifford (left) has undoubtedly helped to make his client Jade Goody famous, the author Hunter Davies, who had become acquainted with The Beatles during the 1960s when he was working on their authorized biography, disputes Clifford's claim that he somehow "made" the pop group when, at the age of 19, he was working in the EMI press office.

However, longtime Beatles friend and business associate Tony Bramwell tells Beatles News he believes that, on the contrary, Mr. Clifford and the EMI press department did indeed play an important role in the Beatles story.
Mr. Bramwell said, "Hunter Davies may have written the authorised biography, although while he researched it he never spoke to me, but he seems to be under the impression the only person who did anything for the Moptops was Brian Epstein. On the contrary, EMI played a huge part in the Beatles' success, and Syd Gillingham and Max Clifford in the EMI press department did a grand job augmenting what Tony Barrow did for Brian."

Bramwell went on to explain, "Max Clifford is now one of top P.R. men in the U.K., handling many top stars, he has always said he started his career aged 19 working in the press department at EMI records, and he was there at the time that The Beatles broke through. Some years ago, Hunter Davies asserted that Max could not have any involvement with thier success, saying that it was all down to Brian Epstein and Tony Barrow handling the press for the Beatles. But obvously EMI, in all departments, was involved promoting the band. Now, once again Hunter has once again claimed that Max was not involved. But it's a fact, Syd Gillingham, EMI's chief press officer, oversaw all the public relations of the Beatles records, and Max worked for Syd."
Tony Bramwell was there with the Beatles from the beginning, was one of their earliest roadies, and worked for N.E.M.S. during Beatlemania, and later Apple. He's chronicled the whole story in his book, Magical Mystery Tours: My Life with The Beatles.

Beatles News Exclusive by Dave Haber, Beatles News Editor