Johnny Gentle and the Beatles: A Book Review

 

Not too long ago, I posted about the recent death of Johnny Gentle and said how I discovered that his book, Johnny Gentle and the Beatles, which has been out of print for a long time, was available as an ebook.   I warned that I would be reviewing it soon -- and yes -- I have finished the book and am ready to tell you my thoughts. 

I was extremely impressed with this book.   It was very well written and researched.   For a book that is about just a few weeks in the life of The Beatles, it was detailed and interesting.  

Johnny Gentle was an early 1960s "crooner" who was fairly popular in the UK in 1960.  He just never quite made it big.  He had some hit songs, but they never moved up the charts.  He was talented and could sing rock and roll but was pegged as a singer of ballads.  However, teenage girls loved him, and he was very popular in Teenage Magazines.  This was where Johnny Gentle was at the time The Silver Beatles auditioned for Larry Parnes and were hired to tour Scottland for one week as Johnny Gentle's back-up band.  

What I guess I didn't realize (or maybe forgot) was that after Johnny's set with the Beatles backing him, the Beatles went and did their own concert.  It is great to read about the Beatles' setlist and how it changed during the tour and how the reaction to The Beatles just got better and better.  Even without a hit record or any exposure, teenagers who came to hear Johnny Gentle absolutely LOVED the Beatle's music.  

One of my favorite stories in the book told the story of when The Beatles were hungry and went to a beach because they figured they'd find food cheap there.  Some girls who had seen them at the Johnny Gentle concert recognized them and invited them to come to one of their houses for lunch.   So there she had The Beatles in her house eating sandwiches.  I bet that is a story those girls told years later! 

Check out this book if you are someone who doesn't mind reading an ebook.

https://amzn.to/3vjA632

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Rest in Peace Johnny

 

Johnny Gentle autograph from Sara's collection 

John Askew, better known to Beatle fans as Johnny Gentle passed away on February 29, 2024.  He was 87 years old.  

I admit to not knowing a lot about Johnny Gentle or the week-long tour the Beatles spent in Scotland in 1960.  I do recall reading about it in Tune In.  I just learned that the book about the tour (which I have the cover page autographed for but don't have the full book) is available as an ebook.  I just purchsed it, so expect a review at some point this year.  

The Johnny Gentle tour is such an important part of early Beatles history.  I express my sympathies to Johnny's family and friends.  

Paris 1960

 

I scanned this photo from a poster.  It looks much better than what I previously had of this photo.   Previously, John sort of looked very washed out and you couldn't tell there was someone in the background. 

Hello Madame!

 

The Originals

 

Hamburg Clock Shop

 

In 1960, one of the early Hamburg Beatles fans was  Monika Pricken.  At the time she was just 17 (see what I did there?) and since George was the same age, she became friends with him.  According to Monika's account, it was not a romantic friendship at all.   Her Dad owned a clock shop in town and here you can see Paul and George photographed inside her Dad's shop.    When George eventually got deported for being underage, it was Monika's mum that packed him the sandwiches to take on the trip back to Liverpool.   I am sure George's mum, Louise, appreciated her looking after her son like that.  

Rory Storm and the Hurricanes know how to rock n roll

Photo Booth Shot

 

Ringo's other band

Photos from July 1960 of Rory Storm and the Hurricanes

Stu's birthday!

If Stuart Sutcliffe were still alive, he would have turned 80 years old today.   It is a little difficult to imagine Stu as an older man, isn't it?    If Stu had lived, think of the amazing Beatles album covers we might have gotten?   I am sure that John would have asked his friend to do art for a cover or two as Klaus Voorman did the art for the cover of Revolver.   


It is a wonderful day today to celebrate the life of Stu and his time with The Beatles and friendship with John. 

The future's so bright in those suits

I have this photo of Rory Storm and the Hurricanes labeled as May 30, 1960.   That is 60 years ago!  Were those suits really popular 60 years ago?  I understand they were for the stage and you want to be in bright colors when performing.  Yet I still think the color of the Hurricanes suits are cringy

Early in their career

Quarry Bank throw back tie

Photos were taken by Vinnie Zuffante

I am sure I have posted these two photos before, but I like them so I am posting them again.

Rory Storm Kicks it

You can just barely see Ringo there at the drums....but he is there!

Pre-fab friends

Remembering Stuart

55 years ago today, the Beatles' original bass guitarist, artist, and friend Stuart Sutcliffe died at the age of 21.  

Photo by Sara Schmidt 

Stuart's death is part of the sad tragedy that is woven into the Beatles' story.    And unfortunately, because Stu died at such a young age, we as Beatle fans never really got the chance to know him.  He has always remained sort of a mysterious figure that is overshadowed by his early death.   Sure we know about the love story of Stu and Astrid and that they were engaged to be married, but even that is punctuated by the sad ending that Stu died in Astrid arms before the wedding ever took place. 

And we know that Stu was a talented artist and John met him in Art College.   There are books that tell about his life, and yet I still feel like we lost the chance to truly get to know him.   It is such a shame because I think as Beatle fans we really would have loved him. 

Imagine if Stu had lived.  Would he and John remained friend thoughout Beatlemania?    Would Stu and Astrid go on holidays with John and Cynthia?    Would Stu's art become well known and loved and hanging in some gallery that Yoko was involved in?   Would John have talked Stu into playing bass again on the Live Peace in Toronto gig?   Today would he be a favorite guest at Beatle conventions?   Talking about the old days in Hamburg and selling his art?   

Like so many in the Beatles story, we lost Stu way too soon---way before he could really make the impact that he could have made on this world. 

Another piece of the puzzle gone---goodbye Allan Williams

When I posted the list of influential Beatle people that passed away in the early hours of this morning, I had no idea that another person would make the list.     The Beatles first manager, Allan Williams passed away today.

Allan will be remembered for a variety of things.   Most of all for being quite an eccentric character who was very good at telling a story.    Sometimes you weren't sure how much of his story was to be believed, but it was a good story  nonetheless.    Allen was the guy who ran the Blue Angel Club and the Jacaranda Clubs in Liverpool and who got the Beatles the audition and tour on the Johnny Gentle tour of 1960.  

Allan at the Jac

But Allan Williams's most notable part of the Beatles' history is that he is the guy that got them to Hamburg.    Allen was at the 2 i's coffee club in London where he met up with Bruno Koschmider who was looking for British arts to play at his clubs in Hamburg.     Williams was familiar with the  music scene in Hamburg because the steel drum group from the Jacaranda had left to perform there.  Williams suggested the Beatles and drove them himself in a van from Liverpool to Germany to make history.

This is the only photo I could find that has Williams and the Beatles in it

Allan Williams wrote a book that is worth reading called "The Man who gave away the Beatles."  I just might need to re-read it again soon.  

Liverpool is losing some of it's first hand Beatles connections and that is really sad.    However, through those of us that love the lads, the stories and the music of the Beatles will never die.

The Tielman Brothers .,

One of the early world-wide rock n roll bands was the Tielman Brothers from Indonesia.     This five member band of brothers started out playing folk  music in their home country in the mid-1940's  and eventually started adding songs that were more rock n roll.  When Indonesia became independent in 1949, the country's first president condemned rock n roll music because of the western influence and the Tielman Brothers took their band to Holland.

By 1959 the band had found a regular gig in Hamburg, Germany and had a big following on the Reeperbahn.   Well I am sure that you know where this story is going.     By the time the five Beatles arrived the Tielman Brothers were playing rock n roll songs in both German and English.  They had cut a record and they truly knew how to "Mach Schau."    The bass player would frequently play his instrument with his teeth, the other guitar players would lay down on the floor and perform among other crazy things.   The audience loved it!

The Tielman Brothers "Mach Shau" photo posted by Creative Commons law 

And the Beatles loved them as well.    It has been said that Paul first saw the Hofner Bass being played by a member of the Tielman Brothers, which made him want to play one in the Beatles.    George Harrison is quoted in Rolling Stone magazine when talking about his time in Hamburg about a great performer, "Andy, the Indo man," which was Andy Tielman the leader of the group.


All of this is nice and everything but then tonight I found this amazing photo.    In the 1960 photo, the Tielman Brothers are performing in Hamburg and who do you spot in the audience?   It sure looks like Paul McCartney and John Lennon to me!   What do you think???

Edit:   Alright---so I have been tricked and this has been manipulated to look like John and Paul were in the audience in the photo and it is not legit.    I was fooled.    I spent a lot of time making sure that the Tielman brothers really were in Hamburg at the same time as the Beatles and it never even dawned on me that the photo was a fake.    However--I most likely believe it was made as a fan piece to show what it might have looked like because the Beatles DID see them in concert.    Regardless of the photo (which I am leaving up), it is neat to learn a tiny bit about the other bands that were in Hamburg at the same time as the Beatles. 

The Beat Brothers

Play with Tony Sheridan and not looking too happy about it.....

John Lennon's fan photo

I think this is just really neat.... On May 10, 1960 The Silver Beatles backed up Johnny Gentle during a concert in Scotland and while there, John Lennon met Billy Furry and got his autograph. This is the photo of John obtaining that autograph! So while I typically post photos of Lennon fans getting John's autograph, this time I am posting a photo of John getting someone else's autograph!