Peter Asher, the child star turned pop star turned record producer who helped shape modern music, is the subject of a new documentary now showing in UK cinemas. The film, titled Peter Asher: Everywhere Man, traces a career that placed him at the centre of pop culture through the latter half of the 20th century.
Directors Dan Geller and Dayna Goldfine brought the movie to Liverpool for a special screening at FACT Picturehouse on Sunday (November 1). The San Francisco couple insisted on the Liverpool event because Asher's contribution to the Beatles story makes him a vital part of the city's history.
A Liverpool Connection to the Beatles
Dan told the ECHO: "It's amazing to do this. There's such a connection because so much of Peter's earlier life and the propulsion behind his career comes out of the Beatles, Paul and Apple Corps."
Asher was a close confidant to all four members of the Fab Four. Paul McCartney lived in his family house after first moving to London at the start of Beatlemania, during which time McCartney was in a high-profile relationship with Asher's sister, Jane Asher. It was then that McCartney broadened his artistic horizons in the countercultural movement of the Swinging 60s.
Apple Corps and the Indica Gallery
Asher's bond with the band continued after the couple split. He was appointed the first head of A&R at Apple Corps and also founded Indica Gallery in London, the location where John Lennon met Yoko Ono.
However, a scene in the movie sees Asher hilariously reject the idea that he was indirectly responsible for The Beatles breaking up.
Still Touring at 82
The 82-year-old remains as busy as ever touring his musical memoir. Peter Asher: Everywhere Man features archive footage from the 1960s, with the directors granted permission to use McCartney's voice from recording tapes he made for his biography, Many Years From Now.
The documentary also covers Asher's success with the duo Peter and Gordon, whose hit A World Without Love, written by McCartney, reached number one in the charts.
