Cavern Rehearsal

Photo taken by George Harrison

 

Cavern Days

 

Your favorite rockers

 

August 2, 1961 - Cavern Club 

Classic Cavern Club

 July 26, 1961 

Outside of the Cavern Club

 

July 19, 1961

Never Walk Alone -- So long to Gerry Marsden

 

So sad to learn that Gerry Marsden has passed away.   Not only was he a Liverpudlian that played at the Cavern Club and Hamburg at the same time as The Beatles, but his group was also the 2nd group Brian Epstein signed.   

Gerry and the Pacemakers were an important part of the British Invasion of music in America in the 1960s.   I can't imagine taking a ferry across the Mersey and not hearing his song.   Every time I think of Liverpool football, I think of his song. 

Such a sad loss.  

Rockin' the Hofner at the Cavern

 

The Beatles with Davy Jones

Photo for sale on Ebay by Tracks

 

Tracks is selling interestingly enough part of a "new" photo of The Beatles performing at the Cavern Club.  Somehow I can just picture a girl that loved George tearing George out of the photograph to tape onto her wall or scrapbook. 

The photo was taken on December 8, 1961, and shows the Beatles backing a soul singer named Davy Jones.  Davy performed at the lunchtime session at the Cavern Club the day and it was noted that he had brought cocaine with him and it is quite possible that members of The Beatles tried some backstage.     The two songs we know that they performed for sure were Amapola (a song that Jones had a released as a single) as well as Mighty Man (which was the B-side).   The Beatles added Mighty Man to their own set.  

In regards to that new photo, it is interesting that Paul is no sitting in the chair, but his Hofner is in his place.   Now there is another photograph that I have posted on this site before from this date that has Paul playing his bass standing up near George.   Where is Paul?   Is he in the part of the photograph that was ripped off?   I'd say that we'd never know -- but someday we will.   The full photo is out there somewhere because it was sold in an auction.  Unfortunately, we can't see the full photograph in the auction listing either.   One of these days it will surface.   

The Beatles at the Cavern

Dancing in the Cavern

When we see photos of the Cavern, we typically see a band performing on the stage and the people crowding around on the sides and sitting in chairs in the front.    What we don't see too often is vintage photos of people on the side sections of the Cavern Club.   Here are some Liverpool ladies dancing at the Club in 1963 on one of the sides.  Right above the head of the blonde girl you can see the outline of a door.   That door going to the bandroom -- you know--- where The Beatles (and the other bands) would get ready for their Cavern gig. 

Badfinger at the Cavern

55 years ago at the Cavern

The Cavern Club: Rise of the Beatles and Merseybeat-- a book review

This week I am reviewing the book The Cavern Club:  Rise of the Beatles and the Merseybeat by Spencer Leigh.  This book isn't just about the Beatles (although they play a big part in the book), but about the history of the world famous Cavern Club in Liverpool.  The book tells the story of how the Cavern began on Mathew Street after the original owner went to a Jazz club in France.  From there he opened the Cavern club and only would allow Jazz and Blues music to be played.  Realizing that Skiffle also brought in customers, he would allow a little bit of Skiffle to be played but never rock n roll.  The book then tells this history about how the Cavern slowly evolved from a jazz club to a rock n roll cellar.

The book then goes into listing in diary form every single group that performed at the Cavern until 1972.  Page after page of names of different bands. Some of these bands were very familiar to those of us who know about the beat music scene in Liverpool in the 60's. Besides the Beatles,  you will recognize Billy J Kramer, Gerry and the Pacemakers, Rory Storm and the Hurricanes, The Big Three, the Undertakers, The Merseybeats, and many others.  You also will see plenty of names of groups that you never heard of.  It does get a little repetitive and boring at times. However, Leigh tries to lighten things up with interviews and little stories about certain performances.  I think he spoke with anyone who ever played at the Cavern or saw groups at the Cavern during that time.  Although I have to question how accurate the memories of these former rockers actually is, as one of the guys is quoted as saying that he remembers playing the Ballad of John and Yoko at the Cavern. The date was 1967.    

Of course the parts I liked the most was the parts about the Beatles performing at the Cavern.   The Cavern was truly the Beatles "home" in means of the early days. They played there around 275 times and each of those is chronicled by a funny story or memory, many that have never been shared before.    The book tries to answer the questions, "Did the Cavern Club make the Beatles or did the Beatles make the Cavern Club?"  It is an interesting topic for sure, and the Beatles section of the book doesn't truly answer the question, allowing you to decide on your own.

Once the Beatles left the scene, the Cavern kept going.  It wasn't exactly the same, as a new group of bands and fans were coming to the club. Instead of singing 50's rock n roll covers, many of the bands were singing Beatles songs, including one popular group, the Hideaways used to sing "You've got to love your Hideaways."  All good things have to come to an end, and in 1972, the original Cavern was knocked down.

Your truly at the Cavern Club this past June 

The story then continues into the re-vitalizing of Liverpool's tourist scene and the re-building of the Cavern Club.   It tells about the Cavern Mecca and the Cavern Walks and some of the crazy things that went on before things became more family-friendly.   And it takes you up to 2015 with the story of Ringo returning in 1992 and Paul playing the Cavern in 1999 included in the mix.   I had no idea that Paul McCartney returned in 2002 as a surprise during a lack-luster George Harrison tribute night and again a year later for a private party where the Cavern gave him a Cavern Club onesie for the soon to be Beatrice.  

This was a very informative and interesting book.   As I said, it was boring at times because it is name upon name of people that performed at the Cavern.   And so it isn't a book that I am going to re-read over and over again.  It also isn't a "bring along to the dentist with you" book because you have to be focused to read it.  However, it is an amazing reference book and one that is going on my bookshelf, and I am sure I will have a need to look up certain things.  

The Cavern Club turned 60 this year.  For 60 years, this little club has been used to entertain people from all around the world.  It is one of the top tourist attractions in the world and is the #1 music site for tourists in England. I am glad that Spencer Leigh had the insight and connections to write about the history of this club and talk to so many who were there from the beginning. It is a story that was worth telling and is a book that should be on a Beatle fans' bookshelf.


The link below is the affiliate link to Amazon, where you can purchase this book.  I get a small percentage of anything purchased through this link.  Money made from the Amazon Afflication is used to pay the annual fee to keep this site online.  Thank you for your support.  Sara

https://amzn.to/436aKSs

This is the Cilla I recognize

Many of you have commented that the photo that I posted yesterday is John and Cilla Black.   Thank you!   I sure didn't recognize her (although it isn't the clearest photo), but I do recognize her in this great photo of Cilla at the Cavern.

With the original Davey Jones

December 8, 1961 at the Cavern Club

60 Years of the Cavern Club!

In Liverpool today, there was a celebration for the Cavern Club's 60th anniversary!   The Cavern Club is a special place for Beatles fans all around the world.     And while the new one that is currently on Mathew Street is not the original, it is as close as you are going to get.   If you have never been to the Cavern Club, I can't emphasize how you must find your way to Liverpool and go there.   You will never forget it.  

In celebration of the Cavern Club, let's take a look at some kids doing the ever popular dance:  The Cavern Stomp!

Wednesday Review: Cavern Club--The Inside Story (Book Review)

Wednesday Review is back for the new year and to kick things off, I have a neat book about one of my favorite topics:  The Cavern Club in Liverpool!

The book Cavern Club:  The Inside Story was written by Debbie Greenburg. Debbie was a Cavern girl who saw the Beatles lunchtime shows in the early 1960s almost on a daily basis.  She loved going to the Cavern and spent most of her time there. It didn't matter who was playing; if the Cavern was open, then Debbie was there.

In 1966, the owner of the Cavern Club, Ray McFall, went bankrupt and was unable to do the required by fire laws remodels that the Cavern needed to stay open. Debbie's father, Alf Geoghegan thought it would be a good idea to purchase the Cavern Club and so with Debbie enthusiasm, he did just that.    The book is Debbie's story about how her father ran the Cavern Club in Liverpool from 1966-1970 and stories of things that happened along the way during that time.

If you are looking for stories of seeing the Beatles in concert at the Cavern, you aren't going to find them in this book. I was a bit disappointed that Debbie didn't go into more about her experience with the Beatles, but she does talk about it some. That just isn't the focus of the book.

However, this book has plenty of Beatles content to keep fans hooked until the end.  Plus, there was so much information about the Cavern that I never knew.  During the time that the Beatles had the Apple Boutique in London, the Cavern Club had its own boutique in Liverpool.  I also didn't know that there was a recording studio located in the Cavern Club. I found it interesting that as early as 1967, Beatles fans from around the world were traveling to Liverpool and making the important trip to the Cavern Club.   Alf saw that fans were wanting to take home a souvenir of their trip and he opened up a Cavern shop that sold t-shirts, necklaces, and other goodies that fans could buy. Thinking about how things are today, he was way ahead of his time.

Photo taken by Linda McCartney

The best part of the book is the story about when Debbie met Paul at the Cavern in 1968. There has been a lot of misunderstandings about this visit, and I remember arguing once with a fan who didn't believe it ever happened.  I am glad that Debbie put the truth down in a book so that we don't have to guess about it any longer.  A few things I didn't know about when Paul was there include the fact that Paul opened up the piano in the band room and played "Hey Jude."   Also after the trip, Paul made a collect call to the Cavern from somewhere in the United States (he mentions Ohio?) and thanks Debbie for letting him stop by.  While he was there, Paul gets a red Cavern Club t-shirt---the t-shirt that you see him wearing in photos in the 1970s.  They still sell that shirt at the new Cavern--I bought one in 2013 for myself!  

A sad day for Beatle fans everywhere--the day the Cavern Club was torn down.

In 1970, Alf decided it was in his best interest to sell the Cavern.  Right before he sold the club, he got a letter stating that the city wanted to tear down the Cavern Club to use as a ventilation shaft for a new train system.  If he paid 500 pounds, they would move it down farther along Mathew Street.  According to Debbie, her Dad went to the new owner several times to talk about this matter. He told him how important it was to pay the money so that the Cavern didn't get torn down.  The owner didn't seem to care and as we all know, the original Cavern was torn down and the new train system wasn't ever built. This is the first I have ever heard that the original Cavern didn't have to be torn down, and I thought it was an interesting twist.

Debbie and her husband with Paul and Linda in 1982

Later, in 1982, Debbie got to see Paul again at his brother Mike's wedding. Debbie's husband was hired to video tape the wedding and reception and Debbie came along to help.  Mike had been a friend of her husband's for a long time. Debbie tells some great stories about the wedding reception and it made for a great end to her story.

I really recommend Cavern Club- the Inside Story because it gives insight to the Cavern after the Beatle years and it is a really fun book to read.

I ordered my copy from Amazon because I wasn't able to find it anywhere else  (plus I got an Amazon gift card for Christmas--thanks Mom!)


The link below is the affiliate link to Amazon, where you can purchase this book.  I get a small percentage of anything purchased through this link.  Money made from the Amazon Afflication is used to pay the annual fee to keep this site online.  Thank you for your support.  Sara

https://amzn.to/4ccyQPU

Celler Dwellers

Where it all began

People dancing on Mathew Street outside of the Cavern Club.   Pictures like this make Liverpool seem like such an amazing place in the 1960's.