In this latest episode of the Liverpool Beatles podcast Liddypod, with Beatles banter from hosts David Bedford and Paul Beesley, they discuss, over a breakfast of course, the latest McCartney documentary, new Ringo album, and pay tribute to Len Garry and Joe Ankrah.
Why not catch up on all the previous episodes at www.liddypod.com
Join historian, author (and administrator of the blog) in conversation with Dale Morgan on his podcast. In part 1, David is asked about how he became an author and how his first book, Liddypool: Birthplace of The Beatles, came about, as well as the follow-up, The Fab One Hundred and Four: The Evolution of The Beatles.
They discuss the history of Liverpool and discover why, as per Liddypool, “To understand The Beatles, You Have To Understand Liverpool”. They talk about Liverpool in World War II, when The Beatles were born, the rise of Beatles tourism and important Beatles venues, like The Cavern and the Jacaranda.
This is Part 1 of 3
New Fourth Edition of Liddypool: Birthplace of The Beatles, the first book by David Bedford, the definitive book on The Beatles and Liverpool: the stories, the history, the guide.
The Fab one hundred and Four: The Evolution of The Beatles tells how the four Quarrymen became the Fab Four of John, Paul, George and Ringo.
How different would the world have been without The Beatles? What If history was different?
This book explores the many times The Beatles story could have turned out so differently. What if it didn’t happen the way it did?
Order here for the US and CANADA only
How would the Beatles story have worked out if National Service hadn’t ended? Or Ended sooner?
After World War 2 had ended, so many soldiers had been killed or wounded, and the so-called Cold War had begun, the British government brought in National Service conscription into one of the armed forces.
This has consequences for one of the Beatles drummers, Norman Chapman, who little was known about until David Bedford’s book, The Fab One Hundred and Four: The Evolution of The Beatles, when he tracked down Norman’s family and presented the first and only biography and photographs of Chapman. He had succeeded the first Beatles’ drummer, Tommy Moore, not long before they were heading to Hamburg.
The Fab one hundred and Four: The Evolution of The Beatles tells how the four Quarrymen became the Fab Four of John, Paul, George and Ringo.
But, because of National Service, the week before The Beatles headed for Hamburg, Norman got his call-up papers to join the army, and he was off to Kenya for 2 years, and not to Hamburg with The Beatles! Because of this, Pete Best was conscripted into The Beatles just days before they headed to Hamburg.
The government had decided in 1957 that National Service was to be ended for those born after 1st October 1939. With John, Stuart, and Ringo being born in 1940, they escaped National Service, but only by months! If National Service had only been extended for 12 months, then these 3 Beatles would not have been Beatles! What would have happened then? Would Paul and George have waited two years? But what if it hadn’t been ended at all? As John, Stuart and Ringo were finishing their National Service, Paul would have been starting his, and then a year later, George would have begun his conscription.
This is just one of 70 scenarios discussed in the latest book by David Bedford, with Andrew Phillips, called The Beatles: What If? Our conclusion was that if National Service had been extended, then the chance of The Beatles getting together would have been impossible and it would have been the end of the group.
Do you agree? Let us know in the comments below.
Get your copy of the book here:
US AND CANADA (For UK/ Europe see below)
How different would the world have been without The Beatles? What If history was different?
This book explores the many times The Beatles story could have turned out so differently. What if it didn’t happen the way it did?
Order here for the US and CANADA only
UK/ Europe
How different would the world have been without The Beatles?
This book explores the many times The Beatles story could have turned out so differently. What if it didn’t happen the way it did?
Order here for the UK and Europe
ORDER IN THE US VIA GOLDENAGEMUSICCOLLECTIBLES
The Beatles Decca Audition is one of the most discussed moments in early Beatles history. What really happened, and does this letter from Brian Epstein reveal something extra? Nigel Pearce investigates!
I understand that I centre in on the Apple years, but the situation regarding Decca Records will always need to be re-affirmed and discussed as it is an integral part of Beatles history, and also that all important growing curve that the band undertook during 1962 before “Love Me Do” was officially released for the first time in October that year.
It all started really sometime in December 1961 when Decca A & R man Mike Smith came to The Cavern, and this single event caused quite a commotion in itself!! (How Mike Smith was encouraged to the Cavern has still a little mystery about it, though Tony Barrow, who worked at Decca, definitely helped!). Brian Epstein entertained Mike Smith and amongst a quota of things delved into the Liverpool scene. At this stage Brian kept this information from the group at first, but told them soon after. Mike saw The Beatles perform and informed Brian that he liked very much what he had seen them do and the reaction. His comment was “I will see what I can do”. The outcome of all this was that an audition was secured at Decca’s studios in Hampstead, London on New Years Day Jan 1st 1962 – No Bank Holiday then at all; perhaps there should have been.
They journeyed to London and stayed at The Royal Hotel paying the princely sum them of 27/- shillings a night. That equates in today’s money to 1 pound and 35 pence including Breakfast in Woburn Place – very swish indeed!!.
They arrived at Decca’s Hampstead studios at 11am in a bitter cold wind with ice and snow laying on the ground, and apparently Mike Smith himself was late. This only served to heighten the tension still further. It is worth remembering that at this time there were no tapes of any songs that Brian had to play so all of their material had to be played for recording purposes.
Apparently the session was done in a very impersonal and somewhat brutal fashion, and The Beatles felt that there was no encouragement or warmth from the Decca staff at all. This unfortunately gave everyone, including the Decca staff, an edge of unease on the day.
With no promise of further progress, the session was done and all returned to Liverpool and carry on and wait for things to happen.
February 1962 came and Brian found himself back in London at Decca, apparently to have lunch with some people, so Brian had built up some hopes that things might well be a little positive – how wrong!! He was to be hit and hurt like never before, and it hit home like a sledgehammer to the stomach.
There were two people to meet Brian, Dick Rowe and a Mr Beecher Stevens. As the pre lunch meeting turned to coffees, it was Dick Rowe that delivered that brutal – and now infamous – statement – “Not to mince words Mr. Epstein, we don’t like your boys sound. Groups of guitarists are on the way out.”
A very hurt Brian cut in and replied with the following statement: “You must be out of your minds. These boys are going to explode, and I am completely confident that they will be bigger than Elvis Presley!!”
Dick Rowe and Beecher Stevens were amazed at his reply and then rammed their point home with: “The boys won’t go Mr. Epstein. We know these things. You have a very good record business in Liverpool, just stick to that”.
With this statement, the meeting was apparently deemed over and they went for lunch. Brian took this opportunity to impress further the impact of the group on the local scene and was tirelessly pursuing and pushing their talent. Brian did sense just a little crack in their self-determination not to record the group. After this apparent onslaught from Brian, it was Dick Rowe himself who came up with a possible solution, and Tony Meehan’s name was mentioned, with the caveat that Tony would produce a few records and give his experience, but that this would cost 100 pounds to be done.
This hurt and also annoyed Brian tremendously, but Brian went back to Decca the next day and met with Tony Meehan. After a wait, they both went to another room and once again, this time through Meehan, the cold shoulder and heart of Decca reared itself with the following comment.” Look Mr. Epstein, Mr Rowe and I are very busy men, we know what you want, and need. We will fix a date for a tape to be made of these Beatles and if you phone my secretary, I will make sure that I am available to do the session etc. This will cost you 100 pounds”. With that the meeting was deemed over and after this passage of time, Brian left Decca for the third time and knew that Decca records was not for The Beatles in any way. A date was fixed for this session and Brian had already decided that the group and himself would not attend at all. The rest they always say is history.
So this letter was sent by Brian to Decca Records in London, and has become one of the most talked about and glossed over periods in their history.
Decca tried with all of their PR might to block it out when The Beatles became world famous, and it followed Dick Rowe around for the rest of his life. What happened to Beecher Stevens is never talked about, but that decision was not just Dick’s alone, but it seems he has taken all the flak, and others have quietly hidden away.
So I hope that this does explain and clear the air, but it is worth noting that EMI also turned the group down in 1961, and again I have a copy of that rejection letter. It will appear one day I am sure!
What do you think of the Decca Audition? Was it a disaster? Were there some good elements to it? Would you have signed them? Let us know in the comments.
Nigel Pearce
Inside No3 takes you through that famous door, deep into the minds of all who worked there at Apple Records. This is done also in a very different way. This is not a kiss-and-tell diary, it is through fan adulation and understanding via a personal collection of artifacts and memorabilia that author Nigel Pearce has built up over the last 50 years.
For prices and dates please contact Nigel again via the website
The term “fifth Beatle” has been used for so many different people over the years, with many fans having it as a close tie between George Martin and Brian Epstein. Others like Stuart Sutcliffe, Pete Best or Neil Aspinall also get mentioned.
The first one to be given the title by the press was Jimmie Nicol after he stepped in for Ringo in June 1964 for their world tour, when Ringo Starr was rushed to hospital on the verge of the tour starting.
However, as featured on the cover of The Beatles: What If? is one man who could have become the fifth Beatle back in 1962, but who was he?
he is the guy at the top of the picture of The Beatles, expertly drawn by artist David Rainey on the cover below.
Got it yet?
His name was Roy Young, and he was the booking manager at the Star Club in Hamburg, the club that The Beatles opened in April 1962. He was also Britain’s answer to Little Richard, with an incredible singing voice and a boogie-woogie piano style to rival The Beatles’ hero, Little Richard.
On stage, Roy had his piano, and he was often pictured on stage playing with The Beatles.
Can you imagine what adding a piano permanently to The Beatles would have changed?
This is one of those key “What If” moments in Beatles history examined in The Beatles: What If? by David Bedford and Andrew Phillips.
David interviewed Roy Young and got his incredible story, which you can read in the book. See how close he came to being the first Fifth Beatle!
You can order it for US/ Canada or UK/Europe below.
How different would the world have been without The Beatles? What If history was different?
This book explores the many times The Beatles story could have turned out so differently. What if it didn’t happen the way it did?
Order here for the US and CANADA only
October 17, 2012
In honor of their old band-mate John Lennon, his first band, The Quarrymen, reunited last week in London on October 11th and 12th. Rod Davies, guitarist for the group, has just written us with his enthusiastic comments about the events, the attendees, as well as an exclusive photo with author Hunter Davies.
Rod wrote, “On Thursday night we played for the after-party of Hunter Davies’ ‘The John Lennon Letters’ Book Launch at the British Library in London. Here is a photo you can share with your readers.” Rod added, “It was attended by (John’s sisters) Julia and Jackie, and also Yoko, who made a short speech.”
Hunter Davies just published the book, “The John Lennon Letters,” a 400-page book that includes almost 300 letters, postcards and notes penned by Lennon throughout his life.
Yoko Ono has provided the Foreword. Read our in-depth review here.
The big performance the next night was at the North London Rock ‘n’ Roll venue Castle Rocks. “It
was great if I do say so myself,” Rod said, adding, “Julia and Jackie also attended that event, which was very nice of them. We had Chas McDevitt—the next biggest skiffler to Donegan in the sixties (watch this Lonnie Donegan video)—come and play his big hit with us, “Freight Train”, and an American friend came and sat in on musical saw and jug…(not at the same time of course) for a few numbers.”
Watch the video of the Quarrymen performing the Del Vikings’ ‘Come Go With Me.’ This was one of the songs they sang with John Lennon on July 6, 1957, the day John met Paul. The Quarrymen, you’ll note, use John’s “wrong-words” version of the song!
In the photo this page, see the line-up from the evening of Hunter Davies’ book launch: John Duff Lowe (keyboards), Len Garry (guitar/vocal), Colin Hanton (drums), Hunter Davies (Blue Shirt), Frank Cairns, (guest bassist) and Rod Davis (guitar/vocal).
The Quarrymen were John Lennon’s first group, before the line-up that became the Beatles. The name was taken from his school in Liverpool, Quarry Bank. The group was a skiffle group; the band still performs at Beatles functions, leaving a microphone open in honor of John. They still do their old favorites (included on their 2004 CD): Maggie May, I’m left, you’re right, she’s gone, Twenty flight rock,Down by the riverside, Come go with me, Mean woman blues, Puttin’ on the Style, That’ll be the day,Baby let’s play house, Memphis Tennessee, In spite of all the danger, All shook up, Rock Island Line, Blue Suede Shoes.
Shelley Germeaux
The Beatles What If? Limited Edition Hardback (US & CANADA)
£28.50
The Quarrymen in Rosebery Street Compilation Poster
£40.00
The Quarrymen in Rosebery Street Poster
£40.00
The Quarrymen in Rosebery Street (Compilation) - Signed Photograph
£150.00
The Quarrymen in Rosebery Street (Red) - Signed Photograph
£125.00