It's not exactly known how many there were but four or five offers to appear in films and they had said no to those. Now, very few artists ever said no because usually the management wouldn't allow them to say no and they themselves think, "I want to be in a film." The Beatles had the bravery to accept that in saying no to the films they were being offered they might never get to make one but they agreed among themselves.

On researching the Beatles

The Beatles is an extraordinary subject to research because the trail of material is so deep and so rich and so strong all the way down. No matter how deep you dig with this subject you continually find gold. There is something extraordinary. It's all part of what made them so special is that everything around them was special, everything they touched was interesting, everybody who had an association with them is a fascinating character and it all weaves together in the most extraordinary way.

On his planned three-volume biography (The first book, Tune In, came out in 2013.)

For as long as there are humans on this planet and we haven't bombed or gassed ourselves out of existence or whatever it might be, we will be listening to The Beatles and appreciating them and wanting to know who they were and how they did it. If this trilogy isn't done it'll never be as well-understood or appreciated in its many levels as it actually occurred. I think it's an important book to write. I think it's important that it's done now whilst the paperwork is still around and whilst the witnesses to the history are still alive to tell it.