LibGuides: UGS 303: The Beatles and Beyond / Slawek: Primary sources (and popular sources)

Why seek out primary sources for your research?

In this topic, what qualifies as a primary source?

Scores and lyrics of the songs
Recorded performances
Reviews written at the time of the music's release or re-release or performance - these are also considered popular sources
Recollections of events by people who participated in or witnessed them (this could be a Beatle, someone who saw them play, etc.)

Thinking through that list, what role could each of these types of information play for your in your research? How could you use them as evidence? Why are they compelling?

Suggestions

Beatles Interview Database

Entertainment Industry Magazine Archive This link opens in a new window
US and UK magazines scanned cover to cover (from 1880s onward)
An archival research resource containing the essential primary sources for studying the history of the film and entertainment industries, from the era of vaudeville and silent movies through to 2000. The core US and UK trade magazines covering film, music, broadcasting and theater are all included, together with film fan magazines and music press titles. Magazines have been scanned cover-to-cover in high-resolution color, with granular indexing of all articles, covers, ads and reviews.
Newspaper Source Plus This link opens in a new window
Dates of coverage vary. Unlimited
Newspaper Source Plus provides a full-text digital collection of the world's major news content. It includes millions of articles from newspapers, newswires and news magazines. In addition, it offers television and radio transcripts and ongoing daily updates from popular news sources.

Reach out to me if you are looking for a particular newspaper or magazine or a specific type of coverage. We are mostly online and so it's tough to get ahold of print items - but we can try.