Leslie Cavendish, The Beatles hairdresser recalls the time he was visiting George at the London University Hospital on February 1969, as he had his tonsils removed and  he wanted to see a friendly face. So, Derek Taylor asked me to go and visit him at the hospital.

Because the world’s press was waiting outside Derek told me not to say anything, especially as I told a journalist that Lennon was going bald!

A Day in his Life

I walked in and a few recognised me, but I just went straight into reception and went to the ward. I mentioned that I had never seen so many press people, before but George said that it was a normal day in his life.

When I came down and came out of the entrance they asked if I had any news about Beatle George. “Will he be able to sing again, how ill is he?” etc. etc.

I have always watched people on the TV say this and now I had my chance; “NO COMMENT”, and then I smiled and went back to work.

George had this very special peaceful aura around him and all the times I had been in his company you felt it and maybe it was “SOMETHING IN THE WAY HE SMILED.”

Leslie Cavendish

Read more about this story and so much more in Leslie’s book, The Cutting Edge.

It was 25th October 1968 and I had paid my usual Friday visit to the hairdressers and arrived at the club mid-morning to start work. Dad was stocking the Top Bar when I arrived.

“We’ve had a visitor,” he said.

“Who was it?” I asked.

“Paul McCartney,” he said.

“So I’ve missed him?” To say I was disappointed doesn’t come close.

“Don’t worry, he’s coming back,” Dad assured me. “You finish stocking the bar and put some champagne on ice. I’m going to the photography shop to buy a camera.”

Dad walked across North John Street to Photo Optics in Dale Street. He had to spin the photographer a yarn that he wanted to take photographs of a group in the club and asked if he’d come over and set up the camera so he wouldn’t have to do anything but take photos.

Paul had just walked into the club and out of the blue, while Dad was stocking the Top Bar ready for the evening.

Recognising him instantly, Dad held out his hand.

“Hi, Alf Geoghegan, the Cavern.”

Paul shook his hand and replied, “Hi, Paul McCartney, the Cavern. I’m going over to the Wirral to deliver a record player to Ruth, my stepsister, and I’d like to come back later. I’ve got my girlfriend in the car and I’d like to show her the Cavern, on one condition – you don’t tell the press.”

“You’ve got it,” Dad said. “Would you mind if we took some photographs?”

“No, that’s fine, I’ll be back in about an hour.”

Dad locked the main door to prevent any visitors wandering in. We gathered by the bar where Dad offered them a drink and proceeded to open the champagne.

Linda Eastman Takes a Photograph

“I’ll do that,” Linda said. “I’m a good bartender.” She took over and served the champagne.

Dad made a toast: “To Paul and the Cavern.”

He asked Paul again if he could take some photographs and was about to pick up the camera, when Linda said, “I’ll do that, I’m a good photographer.”

She picked up the camera and after altering all the settings started to take the shots. Dad was afraid she’d messed up the camera!

Discover this story and so much more in Debbie’s book; “Cavern Club: The Inside Story”.

In the early days in the Cavern,  1957/1958, John would upset Alan Sytner by playing the odd rock’n’roll number in amongst the skiffle. Alan Sytner who owned the Cavern wanted it to remain purely as a Jazz club. In 1959, Ray McFall bought the Cavern from Alan Sytner and he was also a Jazz fanatic. The Beatles returned from Hamburg from their first trip and had their debut at the Cavern on 9th February 1961 and there was no stopping the rock’n’roll after that.  

Every Beatles performance at the Cavern was like being part of a private party. John and Paul would bounce off each other with funny quips. John could be quite cutting at times but he had a great sense of humour.  We got used to his abrasiveness. It was just John’s way. He would hold his guitar high up on his chest, a posture that he had copied from watching Tony Sheridan whilst they were in Hamburg.  John was very short sighted and wasn’t able to see much of the audience at all as he would never wear his spectacles on stage.

A few years after The Beatles had hit the ‘big time,’ A film crew travelled slowly, followed by George, driving a convertible car, with John seated in the back. He drove past Ringo’s house in Admiral Grove and down North Hill Street. They came past our butchers’ shop, and I was on the pavement in my butcher’s coat and apron. Even though they were driving very slowly, it was over in a flash.

Debbie Greenberg

Read more of Debbie’s memories of growing up in the Dingle, following the Beatles, before he father bought the Cavern Club, in her book, Cavern Club: The Inside Story.

In the week when we are celebrating what would have been John Lennon’s 80th birthday, our new book of the week is one of the most important books about John Lennon ever written. We have read so many stories over the years from people who knew John at different stages of his life.

Michael Hill became John’s friend at the age of 5 at Dovedale Primary School, and accompanied John to Quarry Bank when they reached 11.

The foursome of John Lennon and his best mate, Pete Shotton, stand next to Don Beattie and his best friend, Michael Hill. On many occasions, the four of them would head out of Quarry Bank school at lunchtime and go to Michael’s house on Dovedale Road, a short bike-ride away. They would have fish and chips and listen to some records, of which Michael was the primary supplier.

It was here that John Lennon’s life was to change forever, when Michael played John a record he had picked up on a school trip to Amsterdam: “Long Tall Sally” by Little Richard.

As John said:

“Little Richard was one of the all-time greats. The first time I heard him, a friend of mine (Mike Hill) had been to Holland and brought back a 78 with ‘Long Tall Sally’. That’s the music that brought me from the provinces of England to the world. That’s what made me what I am.”

Read the compelling story of Michael’s friendship with John Lennon and how he changed music history:

Celebrating Lanea Stagg’s book of the week, “Recipe Records”, Here is one of her amazing “Beatles-themed” recipes. This one is based upon The Beatles 1967 album, Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.

Why not buy the book and get more amazing recipes like this?

Happy Birthday Brian by Terry Crain

Today is Brian Epstein’s birthday.  When Brian’s name comes up in the context of merchandising, everyone comments about the ‘agreement’ surrounding merchandise – 10% to Brian and the Beatles, and 90% to the management company.  This always reminds me of a simple mantra – hindsight makes us all brilliant by giving us perfect 20/20 vision after the fact.

What makes it interesting is that Brian had no guide book to follow, no playbook to help, no experiences of other marketing campaigns before of this size to learn from…they were writing the rules as they went along. There had never been mass merchandising of an entity on this scale before anywhere, including Disney, Marvel, Superman, Elvis, etc. So I cut Brian a break.

He could have easily thought, “let me get this straight…we get 10% of monies, and we don’t have to do anything? We just loan you our name and a couple of photos and likenesses, and you hand us a check? This is the greatest gig ever!” And the precedent had been set…they had been doing UK deals in late ’63 at the 10%, so this wasn’t such a stretch.

Now it didn’t take long for him to change his mind. When they handed him the first royalty check in early 1964 for $9000, he thought it was great…until they reminded him that was his 10%. He did the quick math, realized they kept about $80,000 and immediately had the lawyers work to change it to more of a 50-50 split. That took six months, but by then, things had changed.

So Brian did his best with what was the current knowledge at hand, and we toast him on his birthday. Mark it ‘faB!’

Terry Crain

Get your copy of Terry’s great book on Brian and The Beatles merchandise – “NEMS and the Business of Selling Beatles Merchandise in the US 1964-66”