How does a girl keep her “coif” neat while taking a spin in her boyfriend’s convertible? Wrap it with a Beatles Scarf, and all will be well, especially since it advertised “for the girls to wear on their heads or around their necks.”
Beatles Square Silk Scarf
NEMS Ent.
One style came as a square silk-type scarf measuring 26½” x26½” (66cm) and licensed with NEMS Ent. Ltd. The scarf fabric was white, with vivid colors of yellow, blue, red, and black. One corner of the material had silk-screened repeating image patterns of headshots of the band in black and white, as well as graphics of guitars, drums, and printed names of songs – Don’t Bother Me, Hold Me Tight, I Saw Her Standing There, Not A Second Time, Little Child, I Want To Hold Your Hand.
Seltaeb
The scarf came trimmed with a delicate fringe along the edge. The scarf also came in a 15″ x15″ version. These Beatle’s scarves (and same-design handkerchiefs) were produced under license from NEMS via Seltaeb by Durlacher & Company Limited.
These Beatle’s scarves (and same-design handkerchiefs) were produced under license from NEMS via Seltaeb by Durlacher & Company Limited, a scarf manufacturer and dealer in New York established in 1909. One address was 4711 Van Dam Street, Long Island City, NY 11101.
Lawsuit
Durlacher & Company was named in a NEMS Enterprises, Ltd. vs. Seltaeb, Incorporated lawsuit filed in the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of the State of New York, First Judicial Department, dated: New York, New York, July 6, 1965.
These original scarves had a fringe trim around the edges on a white background. Some reproductions have a different color background, and many do not have the fringe on the material.
Groovy Design
Another groovy design offered at this time was a 27″ square scarf that had Beatle autographs printed on the entire surface of the fabric. Also published on the material were four large records with “Beatles” in the center of each. Red, gold, and black print complemented the white fabric.
“I had Beatle stuff, too! I remember the charm bracelet, pencils, notebooks, purses, and scarves. I lived in Michigan in the early ’60s and used my lunch money to buy everything at the 5 and 10. Oh wow, I wish I still had it all!!!!” – Karen Glasgow McGee
Scarf with The Beatles Printed On
Beatles Official Headband
Dame Belt & Bag also made a slightly different style from cloth or canvas fabric. The triangular-shaped scarf measured approximately 23″ x15½” x15½” (another was 13″ x11″ x11″) and had leather ties sewn along the top edge for fastening. A repeated pattern of Beatle faces and autographs in black print adorned the fabric print. Sold in a plastic package – which included a group picture printed at the top and advertised the piece as the “official headband – the scarves came in various colors (blue, yellow, white, or red). The accessory was attached to a colored photo card that read “Beatles Official Headband.” Another packaging variation had a group picture with the identification: “The Beatles.” Other companies other than Dame also made a triangle scarf variation, but their licensing is yet to be determined.
Made for Seltaeb
The backing card on the package included a color photo of the group in a standing position. The item’s plastic packaging announced: “Made for Seltaeb by Dame – The Beatles Official Headband,” with a black and white headshot of the band.
Dame Belt & Bag was named in a NEMS Enterprises, Ltd vs. Seltaeb, Incorporated lawsuit filed in the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of the State of New York, First Judicial Department, dated: New York, New York, July 6, 1965.
Terry Crain
Find out More in Terry’s Book
NEMS and the Business of Selling Beatles Merchandise in the U.S. 1964-1966 (2ND EDITION)
The book covers the approximately 150 licensed items that dotted store shelves and helped fuel the band-crazed fan during the time right after the band landed in America and performed on The Ed Sullivan Show. Toys, games, dolls, jewelry, clothing, wigs, and more!
This enjoyable book is not long, just 104 pages, but I found it an interesting read. Really, it is a collection of five essays about the Beatles broken down by five eras defined by the author.
Before The Beatles
The first, “Before the Beatles”, explores the forces that came together to create the magic that produced The Beatles and their success. Some of this has been written about before, but I found Peter’s take on it a bit broader than usual incorporating facts about the vinyl record production process, for example, and its impact on their rise to fame.
The Beatles Years
The second section, “The Beatles Years”, focuses on more subtle impact The Beatles had on the world. As the author states, in the first paragraph, there are many other books that will tell you the facts and timelines about The Beatles from their time in Germany to their breakup. In this section he explores impacts of their fame on other artists, album cover imagery, religion and more.
The Solo Years
The next two sections cover the solo careers of the Beatles broken into “The Solo Years” and “The Reduced Solo Years.” In these chapters the author attempts to determine if The Beatles maintained the same level of creativity as solo artists or was the magic of the foursome more than the sum of the parts. It also touches on the fact that despite the fact that they broke up years ago, the have somehow become bigger rather than fade away.
After The Beatles
The final section is titled “After the Beatles”, and interestingly states that the “after” has not yet begun. Interest in The Beatles is still huge and with Paul and Ringo still producing great music 5o years later, they are still huge. He wonders will the after period happen gradually as the remaining two Beatles age or will it begin suddenly where there are no more Beatles left to make new music?
Great Questions for Debate
I’ve deliberately not given away too much since the book is not long. This is a wonderful book to sit down with on a rainy day that will get you asking yourself questions. It would be a great book for a book club discussion as it poses great questions for debate, rather than just detailing timelines and documenting facts that we’ve all read before.
4th September 1962: Love Me Do – The Beatles at EMI Studios
September 4th marks the 59th anniversary of Ringo Starr’s first recording session with the Beatles. Having endured one disastrous ‘test’ session on June 6th (with Pete Best behind the drum kit), the Beatles, with new drummer Ringo Starr, made an attempt at recording a potential first 45rpm single with Parlophone.
The session was once again a disaster for the Beatles’ drummer. Perhaps overly nervous, and keen to impress after Pete Best’s rejection by George Martin and his assistant Ron Richards, during the rehearsal of Please Please Me, Ringo had a rush of blood to the head.
“I was playing the bass drum and the hi-hat, and I had a tambourine in one hand and a maraca in the other, and I was hitting the cymbals as well …… trying to play all the instruments at once”.
Recording!
Ringo was susceptible to a deadly trap a studio ‘ virgin’ could fall into, namely the dreaded ‘red light syndrome’. The new recruit appears calm and collected, until suddenly the studio red light flashes on, and a voice from the control room booms – ‘RECORDING!’. All of a sudden, bowels churn, you break into a cold sweat, your mouth is dry and miraculously, your sticks turn to rubber. After all, this could be your one big chance and now you are about to ruin it for everyone. You just freeze. Once again, at the crucial moment, the Beatles’ drummer had come unstuck, and his card was marked.
“How Do You Do It?”
The Beatles soldiered on, and begrudgingly recorded Mitch Murray’s How Do You Do It, turning in a workmanlike yet professional performance. Love Me Do however, took 15 takes to record, requiring a lot of editing to create the final, coherent version. As a result, the session over-ran. A further session was scheduled exactly a week later.
“Love Me Do” with Andy White
Love Me Do was now being recorded for the third time – such a luxury could not be tolerated, especially as this session was to last no longer than one and three-quarter hours, half the time usually allowed. The song had to be recorded professionally and swiftly. This time, Martin was taking no chances – he had booked session drummer Andy White to take Ringo’s place. White was one of the country’s top drummers, and was well aware of the demands and constraints of the recording studio environment.
A session musician would have to be able to perform perfectly and precisely with discipline, control and without error. Ringo however, was a different animal, the studio being alien to him. With a session man behind the kit, Richards knew he could rely on White to lay down the drum track with minimum fuss, and maximum results. And so it proved, White earning his £5.15s session fee with consummate ease.
Ringo on Tambourine
This remake of Love Me Do was completed with Ringo playing alongside White on tambourine, this being the easiest way to distinguish which version has Andy White on drums. It certainly has a punchier feel to it than Ringo’s version, due to the fact the rest of the band were more familiar with the song and had probably rehearsed it in preparation for their third attempt at recording it. There is a more confident, professional presentation, due mainly to the added luxury of a tambourine.
“Love Me Do” master destroyed
Oddly, Ringo’s September 4th recording of Love Me Do was released as the Beatles’ first single, the Andy White version being included on the Please Please Me LP, and becoming the official version for all future releases – the master tape of Ringo’s version was either destroyed, or more likely recorded over. Future releases of the Ringo version (from a 1982 anniversary release onwards) were taken from a pristine copy of an original single.
The Quarrymen at The Casbah opening night: George, Paul, Ken Brown and John
The Casbah Coffee Club Opens in West Derby 29th August 1959
“Come on down to the Casbah”
Much has been written about the Cavern and its place in Beatles history. However, there is a great chunk of Beatles history that has been overlooked for many years. While The Cavern was entertaining jazz fans, The Casbah became the place to be. Why was it so important? Why was Mona (Mo) Best, Pete Best’s mum, so important?
Roag, Rory and Pete’s book ‘The Beatles – The True Beginnings’ opens with this quote:
“I think it’s a good idea to let people know about the Casbah. They know about the Cavern, they know about some of those things, but the Casbah was the place where all that started. We helped paint it and stuff. We looked upon it as our personal club.”
Sir Paul McCartney
What else can you say? If Paul says it, it must be true.
You may have heard about the Casbah as a club at which the Quarrymen played, but not much else.
8 Haymans Green – Home to The Casbah
So let’s consider the facts about The Casbah:
The Casbah was the first ‘Beat’ club in Liverpool – all the others (like the Cavern) were still jazz clubs.
This is where George Harrison and Ken Brown re-formed the Quarrymen after not playing together for months.
The Casbah was hand-decorated by John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Pete Best, Ken Brown and Cynthia Powell.
It was here that John and Paul convinced Stuart to join the band by spending his money on the bass guitar – under duress – as remembered by Paul McCartney and witnessed by Rory Best.
The Casbah was home to all of the major Merseybeat bands to emerge in the 60s, like The Beatles, The Searchers, Gerry & The Pacemakers, Rory Storm and the Hurricanes, Derry & the Seniors, Billy J Kramer, The Big Three, Faron and the Flamingos, The Undertakers, and so the list goes on (which is why the musicians called Mo the “Mother of Merseybeat.”)
This was the first place they played outside of Hamburg as ‘The Beatles’.
The Beatles had to regroup after being thrown out of Hamburg, so they came back together to perform at The Casbah.
Paul had found a job and the others were disillusioned. John had stayed in Hamburg for a few weeks but eventually returned. It was Mo who got them back together again and let them play at the Casbah. She also took a more pro active role in getting them bookings. Would they have disbanded otherwise?
It was at the Casbah that The Beatles always played before going to Hamburg and immediately after they returned. They rehearsed there, often in the lounge.
It was Mo who got The Beatles back into Germany after they had been deported, after contacting Peter Eckhorn, who owned the Top Ten Club.
It was Mo who got them their first proper rock ‘n’ roll gig at the Cavern after convincing Ray McFall, who took advice from Bob Wooler, to book The Beatles.
When The Beatles played at the Tower Ballroom, New Brighton, it was the biggest indoor concert The Beatles ever gave in Britain – around 4,500 people. The poster for the night proclaimed The Beatles – “by kind permission of Mrs. Best.”
Mo bought and let them use the equipment she had bought for the Casbah, and they stored everything there. If The Beatles were playing elsewhere, she would close the Casbah, as everyone would follow the band around the city. Even after Pete was dismissed, they continued to go there. In fact, The Beatles still stored their equipment at the Casbah until the summer of 1963 – which shows the true character of Mo.
She formed Casbah Promotions and took ‘her’ bands to bigger venues. (Image casbah ticket “Casbah Promotions”)
The Beatles’ first radio broadcast was in Manchester on 7 March 1962 for a show called ‘Teenager’s Turn (Here We Go).’ As the show was pre-recorded, all but George came to the Casbah the next day to listen to it on the radiogram in the lounge.
Just as John, Paul and George as the Quarrymen opened the club, it was The Beatles – John, Paul, George and Pete – who closed it on 24 June 1962.
Ironically, the Casbah marked the birth of The Beatles when they opened it on 29 August 1959, and The Beatles’ last live concert was at Candlestick Park exactly seven years later – 29 August 1966.
Discover More about The Casbah
Any place that has all of that as history should be the focus for all Beatles fans across the world. When fans visit the Casbah they are amazed that such an important place has remained hidden for all these years.
The Casbah Coffee Club
The Quarrymen and The Casbah
The whole story of the Casbah is amazing, yet I was stunned when I realised that I wasn’t aware of it – and I live in Liverpool! I had to find out more. When you read the whole story you too will be ‘gobsmacked’.
Most fans will know of Hunter Davies’ ‘definitive’ first biography and will notice The Casbah hardly gets a mention. Even years later when he had the chance to correct things in his book ‘The Quarrymen’, the Casbah’s only real mention is:
“In August 1959, they had a bit of luck – the Casbah opened. It provided them with regular bookings and also their next drummer, Pete Best.”
If you have only read the early editions, you have missed out. When Hunter Davies later updated his book, he rectified the original omission after meeting Pete, and inserted a chapter of its own for the Casbah, giving it its rightful place.
So, as Mo would say, “Come with me to The Casbah”.
How did Mo buy her house? She decided to take her valuable Indian jewellery to the pawnshop and then took the cash to the betting shop. Mo placed it on a horse that was entered in the 1954 Derby, one of the biggest horse races in Britain. She liked the sound of a horse named ‘Never Say Die’, which was ridden by a young unknown jockey called Lester Piggott – who went on to become one of Britain’s best-known jockeys. The horse wasn’t fancied but won at the juicy odds of 33-1. This win enabled Mo to realise her dream of owning the big house at 8 Haymans Green.
Never Say Die
Creating the Casbah Coffee Club
One night, all the friends had gathered at Haymans Green to watch a television show – they were one of a few houses to have a television – when Mona saw the famous club, ‘Two I’s Coffee Bar’, which was based in London on the television. She decided that she should open a coffee club for young people.
Rory Best remembers:
“Mo stood up and declared: ‘I’m going to turn the basement into a little coffee club’. My father turned round and said, ‘Over my dead body!’
John Best apparently just kept repeating the phrase ‘You’re crazy!’ and shaking his head.
What happened next and who said what has not been recorded, but we know they started clearing the basement the next day to prepare for a new coffee club!”
And what about the name, Rory? Why the Casbah?
“Mo had remembered seeing the film Algiers with Charles Boyer, and remembered the line, ‘Come with me to the Casbah’ and so decided to call it the Casbah Coffee Club.”
From a house initially nicknamed Dracula’s Castle by Pete and Rory, and eventually renamed Shangri-La, it was about to be transformed. And that was that. On 29 August 1959, the Casbah Coffee Club opened.
However, The Casbah was more than just a club.
Birthplace of The Beatles
The Best family claims that The Casbah was actually the birthplace of The Beatles – with some justification.
The Quarrymen were effectively reborn on 29 August 1959 when they opened The Casbah. By the time The Beatles closed the club in June 1962, they had played there at least 44 times.
As there was still a lot of work to do to get the club ready for opening, they were all asked to help out – John, Paul, George, Cynthia, Ken and Pete, Rory and Mo Best.
This is the amazing thing about the Casbah. There is nothing else like it in the world. Still untouched after more than 40 years, you can see the work carried out by them all: a club that was hand painted by John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Pete Best and Cynthia Powell…not a bad firm of interior decorators!
The first room you enter is the Aztec Room, painted by John. Rory remembers what happened. “Originally, John painted his now famous three-legged pot-bellied caricatures, but when Mo saw what he’d done she went mad! She hated what John had done, so she told him to change it. John then painted over them with green gloss paint – he should have used matt emulsion but, not wearing his glasses, he used the wrong paint. Mo also hated the colour green, so she told him to get rid of it. He then produced something with a more Aztec feel, which is what Mo wanted.
John Lennon’s Aztec Ceiling
To leave his mark, John started to engrave his name into the wooded wall paneling and got as far as ‘John’ before Mo caught him and stopped him. She slapped him across the back of the head and his glasses fell off. He then trod on his glasses and so had to borrow Mo’s mother’s glasses to finish the job – we still possess both pairs of glasses! The scratched name is still there, standing out in Mo’s beautiful new woodwork.”
Paul Paints a Rainbow
Rory continues: “Not to be outdone, Paul painted a rainbow ceiling, with stripes for each colour.”
With George Harrison, Pete Best, Stuart Sutcliffe and Cynthia Powell also lending a hand, The Casbah is the only club that, as well as being the Birthplace of The Beatles, is the only club hand-painted by The Beatles!!
Liddypool: Birthplace of The Beatles – New Fourth Edition (Softback)
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.
On 11th August 1960, Paul McCartney telephoned Mona Best to ask if Pete could come for an audition on the 12th August and if he wanted to come to Hamburg with them.
Pete was delighted and made his way to the Wyvern Club (later the Blue Angel) where he passed the audition.
The Unknown Drummers
There was an “unknown drummer” who was also approached who decided not to go for an audition. When researching Finding the Fourth Beatle, David Bedford unearthed another drummer who could have gone for an audition, but decided not to!
How Many Beatles Drummers?
How many Beatles drummers can you name? In our book, we have 23 drummers between 1956 and 1970. If you can’t get 23 drummers, then you need this book!
