Quarry Men is Correct! Quarrymen is not? Nigel Walley was The Quarrymen’s Manager. That topic has been the subject of much discussion and debate over the years!!!
Bill Harry – in the last link of this blog post (at the bottom of the page) quite clearly states that the Quarry Men should be listed as two words not one word (Quarrymen) which has become the far more common usage of the group name for some inexplicable reason over the years! Though members of The Quarrymen don’t agree!
I have the administrator of this group, David Bedford, to thank, for me being able to acquire this wonderful piece shown below signed by early John Lennon friend, Nigel Walley. Nigel helped to organize some of the early bookings for John’s Quarry Men group. He was also probably the last person who ever saw John’s mom, Julia alive, as he was walking her to the bus stop away from Mimi’s house when Julia was hit by a car. Just before the accident Nigel had made the turn in a different direction to head to his own home which was near to Pete Shotton on Vale Road. Nigel later expressed the feeling that he felt that John always quietly harbored resentment towards him after Julia’s death, as if he could have done something differently to have prevented Julia’s accident and tragedy.
Nigel was to become quite the golfer in his professional career after the Quarry Men ended!
As you can see from the signed card below, the photo was seemingly taken on Lime Street, immortalized in the Liverpool traditional song, “Maggie May” which was about “ladies of the evening.” The date on the photo appears to be May the 5th, 1958.
A rare YouTube interview with Nigel:
The Quarrymen Episode 6 – Nigel Walley Quarrymen Manager and John Lennon #quarrymen – YouTube
An excellent article about Nigel from former Mersey Beat editor, Bill Harry: Nigel Walley: Their First Manager – Bill Harry – Mersey Beat
More confirmation about the two names to the group rather than the one:
.: Nigel Walley remembers the Quarry Men 1963
KEEP ON ROCKING AT THE QUARRY THIS WEEKEND!!!
Our blog administrator, David Bedford, this weekend on Friday, June 20th through Sunday June June 22, plays bass as a member of the Quarry Men at a special Beatle convention at THE SPA PAVILION THEATRE – FELIXSTOWE – SUFFOLK! There are many wonderful Beatles-related activities being planned for this event!
For further information and details:
Call Nigel Pearce on 07388 638719, Email contact is redleadernigel@hotmail.co.uk
or Ray Anderson on 07774 801945 – Email eapstudios123@gmail.com or ray.anderson@spapavilion.net
Buzz
OUR BOOK OF THE WEEK – SONGS WE WERE SINGING
Songs We Were Singing
Take A “Magical Mystery Tour” through the Beatles’ Deep Tracks. The Beatles’ music has become so ingrained in our culture that their songs have become an integral part of our everyday lives. Who doesn’t know the words to “Hey Jude” or “Let It Be”? Who hasn’t been moved by the poetry of “Eleanor Rigby” or energized by that opening chord of “A Hard Day’s Night”?
Songs We Were Singing uncovers the buried treasures that deserve a second listen.
Im not so sure, as I recall QUARRY MEN
was split in the song
And although
The word (of) didn’ t
Appear, it was sung
As if it were,
As in say, Knights
Of Old,
Indeed as if referring to individuals
Working in quarrys,
It wasnt even a direct
Reference to the people who attended the school.
The line
Straining each muscle and sinew,
Appears.
There wasnt much
Straining of anything
When I was there.
Apart from the pain
Inflicted by a few perverted masters
Frequently mentioned on the
Quarry Bank Forum.
With the greatest respect to Rod as an individual. We had a few collective nouns
For the prefects !!
None of which I care to repeat !!!
It’s easy to drift from
Reality all those
Years ago, as
An example I have
Seen all sorts of descriptions for the bands performance
At the school.
I recall it to be a Prefects Rag
Something cobbled
Together by the aformentioned collective nouners.
To pretend to be part of the university Rag Week scene.
Liverpool
Was growing as a university city and its
Students wore differing statement
Scarves striped and in various colours,
Suddenly there appeared a striped
School scarf allegedly for old boys
And prefects who wanted to pretend
They were at uni’
I could be completely
Wrong but I don’t
Think I am far off the
Mark.
Especially when it
Came to the prefects,
The word posturing
Comes to mind !!!
And I daresay that was a driver to some of Lennons Rebellious
Attitude.
His was a talent that
Needed recognising
And nurturing, that he had problems were
Obvious from his
Behaviour and school records.
Todays schools
Have Pastoral
Departments
That certainly
Was not the case at
Quarry Bank
In the fifties.
I never heard a “how
Can the school help
You ?
The answer to everything pre Pobjoy was detention and
The cane.
I’m not having “a go”
That’s how it was then !
Just recording events as they were
And them being a small contribution perhaps
to the shaping of
John Lennon and his
Future.
I’ve never seen it
Mentioned but in those days
The advice was
University
College
Apprenticeship
Steady job.
Playing in a band was looked down on
Going no where
Waste of time.
There can’t be many of us left can say
We saw the Quarrymen (spell it as you will) and then
The Beatles hundreds of times.
Of which I am grateful.
How many times did you see them and how far back do you go Hunter Davies ?
Just Wickkied you,
Only authorised
Biography !
Thank goodness we
Have a revival if interest
Written by people in and from Liverpool.
With local knowledge
And access to memories.
And that theres still
A few of us around
Who were there and
Remember
Just saying
Thank you,John for your comments and observations!. Whether it is Quarrymen or Quarry Men, the bottom line is it was the beginning of a fantastic story that still continues to this day, and that story will be in the history books long after we are all gone!
Hello Nigel, the correct wording is QUARRYMEN- One word as you say. Part of the confusion was caused by my poster for Colin’s drum, which was two words, in order for the name to be as
large as possible. To everyone reading this, take no notice of misinformed claims,.
Nigel was there and so was I,
Take care Nigel,
Charlie Roberts.
Thanks Charles! Thanks for being there to take those wonderful Quarrymen on Roseberry Street photos! I encourage viewers to buy and read your book:
Just Like Starting Over: John and The Quarrymen, My Teenage Years
Yes, on Nige Walley’s business cards the Quarry Men was written as two words. However, Nige did not go to Quarry Bank, and presumably he copied the name either from Colin’s drumkit or the tea-chest bass, on both of which – for reasons of space – the word was split into two, but all in capitals as QUARRY MEN, not as Quarry Men. Everyone in Britain has heard of Robin Hood and his Merry Men, there is a stress on Merry and an equal stress on Men. It is not Robin Hood and his Merrymen, with just one stress on Merry. Nobody calls us the Quarry Men, with a stress on each word, it is alway Quarrymen, with one stress on Quarry. It was frequently mis-spelled in adverts for gigs, but what did we care as long as we got the gig. The name comes from the first line of the School Song, in which the word is clearly written as Quarry-men. It is hyphenated to stretch the word over several notes. it is NOT Quarry Men. End of! – Rod Davis Quarrymen banjo playes and ex Head Boy of Quarry Bank School.
Thanks for the wonderful reply, Rod! You as an original member of the Quarrymen should certainly know. Now I want to see the Woolton Village Fete tape cleaned up by Peter Jackson and have it released to the public so you guys can get a few quid in your retirement years!