Something

Everyone thinks they know the story of John, Paul, George and Ringo. But the greatest cultural phenomenon of the twentieth century was created not only by four moptop young men in suits - but also by the extraordinary women around them. In Something, celebrated cultural journalist Helen Barrett delivers a fresh, page-turning and ground-breaking revision of Fab Four lore. This is a book that spotlights nine key architects behind the Beatles' magic: Mimi Smith, Astrid Kirchherr, Queenie Epstein, Maureen Cox, Maureen Cleave, Jane Asher, Ronnie Spector, Pattie Boyd and Yoko Ono. Far from background extras, screaming fans or mere muses, these nine women changed the Beatles’ trajectory forever. They shaped their world, forged their style, pushed their sonic boundaries, elevated their status and inspired swathes of their legendary expansive musical catalogue. Through original research and substantial interview access, Barrett offers us a new narrative on the band - one in which these women were true catalysts in a cultural revolution. As 2027 marks 60 years since the release of Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, there has never been a better time to pay attention to who really made the Beatles the seismic movement they were. Clever, vibrant and deeply researched, Something brings nine women to the forefront of the story, where they belong. It’s time for these women to take the stage alongside the Beatles.