Review of "The Beatle Who Vanished" by Jim Berkenstadt

​Score: 94/100 (9.4 out of 10)

One of the most ambitiously researched books of the year so far!

The Beatle Who Vanished by Jim Berkenstadt, a premier music historian, tells the extraordinary and largely forgotten story of Jimmie Nicol, the drummer who briefly replaced Ringo Starr in The Beatles during their 1964 world tour. This book is a blend of biography, music history, and investigative journalism, attempting to piece together the enigmatic life of Nicol—his rise, his fleeting moment in the global spotlight, and his mysterious disappearance from the public eye.

If you are a lover of music history (particularly some niche, obscure music history), this is the book for you!

If you are a hardcore, passionate fan of The Beatles, this is an indispensable book!

Ok, we'll digress a little... The Beatles are arguably the furthest thing from niche or obscure.
The Beatles are—by multiple expert accounts—the most famous, popular, and successful band in music history!

Think about that.

Think about all the bands you know and love. Think about the many decades of music history. The Beatles still stand the test of time.

In fact, this is the second book about The Beatles that have been sent our way in recent years, the other being Any Rhyme At All by Terri Whitney. This indicates that they remain relevant and popular with a fan base that remains fanatical, devoted, and—above all—passionate to this day!

With that said, it's interesting to note that even some of the most hardcore fans still might not know all there is to know about the iconic band.

Jimmie Nicol is the perfect example of that—a largely unsung and forgotten part of that band's unforgettable journey.

Despite the unfamiliarity of his name, especially compared to members like John, Paul, George, and Ringo, it can be argued that each and every one of us has a Jimmie Nicol in us. In other words, he represents and exemplifies something very familiar to all of us: the dream of MAKING IT.

Many of us live our lives hoping, praying, dreaming, and working toward that moment—that one big break.

Well, Jimmie Nichol did it. He lived it. He had his one big break, and he made the most of it.

He's kinda like Rocky Balboa, in a sense!

For 13 days in June 1964, Nicol lived what many could only dream of—playing with The Beatles at the height of Beatlemania. He stepped behind Ringo’s drum kit, toured with the band, stood in front of screaming fans, and then, just as quickly as he appeared, he was gone. His brief time with the Fab Four was a footnote in rock history, but Berkenstadt’s meticulous research ensures that it is no longer a forgotten one.

Although this book keeps referencing and going back to those legendary 13 days, most of this book is actually about the aftermath, the part(s) of the story that not many people know.

For example, did you know that Jimmie Nicol founded his own bands like Jimmie Nicol and the Shubdubs and later played with The Spotnicks, a Swedish instrumental rock group?

Did you know that his dad, a World War II veteran who helped evacuate Dunkirk, was an honored member of the Scots Guard and played the drums on the Military Pipe Band? Music ran in the family!

Did you know that Jimmie Nicol was heavily involved in the bizarre, surrealist film Anticlimax in which he appears numerous times and co-produced the soundtrack?

Did you know that he traveled and toured Mexico, playing in various bands and even becoming a music producer there?

Did you know that Jimmie Nicol was in Mexico during the infamous Tlatelolco Massacre of 1968? This tragic event took place on October 2, 1968, just days before the Summer Olympics in Mexico City. Thousands of students had gathered in the Plaza de las Tres Culturas to protest government repression, only for the demonstration to be violently suppressed by the Mexican military and police. The massacre resulted in an unknown number of deaths—official estimates were low, but eyewitnesses and historians believe hundreds may have been killed.

At the time, Nicol was living and working in Mexico, attempting to rebuild his career after his brief stint with The Beatles. While it's unclear whether he was directly caught up in the violence, his presence in the country during such a politically turbulent period adds another layer of intrigue to his story.

Speaking of political and social turbulence... it's sobering to think about the time in which The Beatles and Jimmie Nicol were in action. The 60s were a time of racial segregation, the Civil Rights Movement, the assassinations of both JFK and Martin Luther King Jr., the Vietnam War, and so much more.

Yet, this book demonstrates something very special about The Beatles that we previously did not appreciate or recognize (as readers)... they brought joy. They provided an escape from the unrest, chaos, violence, and uncertainty.

One of our favorite quotes from the book, recounting a concert, is:

"The police had closed the street to traffic in an attempt to protect the Southern Cross,
which is today an office building. Cooke recalls a radio broadcast chastising during all
of the chaos, 'Parents, if your children are out there, you should be ashamed.' However,
Cooke defended the event. 'It wasn’t like that; the event was filled with goodwill. These kids were laughing and crying and happy. And that’s what The Beatles sort of conveyed, happiness.'"

In all honesty, our interest in this book waxed and waned, particularly in the beginning and middle portions. The writing is a bit plain and flat, albeit fact-based (as you might expect from a historical book). We wish that these sections had a bit more personality and zest, though we understand the difficulty in doing that with a man as mysterious, secretive, and lesser known as Nicol.

One missed opportunity that we noticed is how the author really skipped and skimmed over Nicol's apparent struggles with substance abuse. We think this might simply be due to the fact that Nicol, as we mentioned, was mysterious and secretive. At the same time, wouldn't you like to know a bit more about that struggle?

With all that said, this book really picks up near the end—ironically when news spreads that Nicol had suddenly died of cancer before a big event.

We soon learn that things aren't exactly what they seem. Is Jimmie Nicol alive?!

This book then becomes an investigative journalism or even private detective story!
We gradually get more and more stories of people randomly spotting (or believing they've seen) Jimmie Nicol alive despite the death reports.

He becomes like the Loch Ness Monster or Big Foot!

It's actually fascinating as the author spends years and years working with numerous private detectives traveling to different countries to find clues of Jimmie Nicol's continued existence.

Did he find a new life in another country like Mexico?
And who is the mysterious woman who picked up his award, the "spinster" woman, Josefina?

Check it out on Amazon!