Boxing Day Party

 

December 26, 1963 -

Did John give Julian that big Panda bear those fans gave The Beatles earlier in December to Julian for Christmas?  

John's first best friend: Pete

John, Paul & Me Before the Beatles : A Book review

It is the first Wednesday Review of 2018 and it will be for a book I bought directly from the author this past summer while in Liverpool.   John, Paul &Me Before the Beatles was written by one of the original members of the Quarry Men, Len Garry.


Len Garry played the tea chest bass in the band started by John Lennon.  But his story with Lennon-McCartney begin way before the famous Garden Fete in 1957.      Len went to the same school as Paul.   And while they were not buddies, they knew one another well enough to say "hello" in passing and for Len to know that Paul was a guitar player and a singer.     John, on the the other hand, was someone that Len hung around when they were young teenagers.   You might recall from various John Lennon biographies that John's first girlfriend was a gal named Barbara?   Well --- she was Len's girlfriend first.  It seems that Lennon would pick up Len's girls after he was done with them.   I really enjoyed reading about the friendship Len had with John.   In so many books you read time and time again all about what a "bad" kid John was.    From Len Garry's viewpoint, John liked to have fun and pull some pranks, but was overall a good kid who cared for his strict Aunt. 

The whole Quarry Men story from the eyes of one of the members is very fascinating.    Len Garry was there when the Quarry Men performed on the back of the Lorry on Rosebery Street.  He was there for the Church Fete and remembers when John and Paul first met.    And his story is slightly different than some others I have read.    And that is what is amazing about first hand accounts.  He remembers it from his point of view.   And it isn't wrong because there are a few minor differences.  For example -- he says that Paul heard the first set and John suggested to their common friend, Ivan Vaughn that Paul go back home and get his guitar and maybe they could jam a little.    I have heard conflicting reports concerning if Paul had his guitar with him, etc.   But this is what Len remembers.

Len was there when Paul and John first performed together on stage at the Clubmoore in 1957 and he remembers getting kicked out of the Cavern Club for playing rock n roll in a jazz club.    All sorts of little stories that you have heard, but a different take on them because it is a first hand account.

The book moves along quickly mostly because there is a lot of dialogue.   However -- you have to wonder -- how much of this can he truly remember?    Does he really remember that he ate lemon meringue pie on such and such a day before going to hang out with John Lennon and his other buddies at the park?     How did he know that he and John had that exact conversation.   

The biggest issue I had with this book is the editing.    I bought the "new revised edition" of the book that was published in 2014.    The book was originally published in 1997, and it sold out quickly.  So a new edition was released.   However ---   there are so many typing and editing mistakes in this book that you wonder why they got by an editor in the first place and why they weren't fixed for the revised edition.    A lot of typing mistakes.  Like the number 2 was placed where there should be quotation marks,  strange word spacing and editing errors like explaining who someone was at the end of the chapter instead of the beginning and saying "John" when he obviously meant "Paul."   But the biggest issue I had was with the story at the Clubmoore.    The infamous story goes that Paul played his first guitar solo, Guitar Boogie, and totally messed it up.   It is such a legendary tale that the Clubmoore has a the story framed and hanging in the front of the building!   However, in this book, Len says "We had about 20 songs in our repertoire which included a few solo numbers for Paul to sing which included Guitar Boogie, which Paul performed first.  The response from the audience was encouraging...."     Alright---so that sounds like Guitar Boogie was a success after all.   Turn to the next page and you will read, "Paul by this time had recovered his composure and confidence after the comparative disaster of playing Guitar Boogie."     If I didn't know my Beatles history, I would have been completely confused -- and even so I had to re-read this several times.

My mom with Len Garry this past summer  in Liverpool 

But do not allow the editing errors to hinder you from enjoying this book.  It really is a good one, especially for those who really enjoy reading about what Liverpool was like in the mid 1950's. 

It seems to still be difficult to find, which is a shame.   Here is a link to order the 1997 version from a 3rd party seller on Amazon, which is the best I can find right now.   Keep an eye out for this one!

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/3wLICYJ

Photos from 60 years ago

Shennon and Lotton

Very sad news earlier today that John Lennon's best friend forever, Pete Shotton passed away from apparently a heart attack.    Pete and John were two peas in a pod during the time they grew up in Liverpool.   They caused mischief everywhere they went together.    Pete played the washboard with the Quarry Men for awhile, but wasn't very musically inclined, so it ended with the washboard being broke over his head.

Once John Lennon became famous, he never forgot his best childhood pal.    Pete was often around and ended up working for Apple for a time.  


Pete Shotton's book is a must read for all John Lennon fans.  He was someone that knew John Lennon better than just about anyone else (with a few exceptions) and he will be missed.

Ivan Vaughn and Pete Shotton

John Lennon- the Boy who Became a Legend -- Book Review

Over the years I have written and heard from many, many of John Lennon's childhood chums. Pete Shotton's book, for example, is a great book and Pete has many amazing stories to tell as being John's best friend during his school years.  I have heard the Quarry Men perform and talk at various Beatles conventions, and I always enjoy the stories they share about knowing John. When I picked up Michael Hill's book, John Lennon:  The Boy Who Became a Legend, I had no clue who Michael Hill was in relation to John.  Come to find out, most of us Lennon lovers know of Michael Hill but do not know his name.  Michael is overlooked in every Lennon biography, with the exception of Goldman's book (interesting).

Michael Hill was a classmate of John Lennon's. But unlike Shotton and the others, Hill went to school with John from the age of five up to the end of John's schooling at Quarry Bank. And they weren't just classmates; Michael was someone in John's circle of friends. They spent a lot of time over the years playing together and causing mischief.

Do you see Pete and John in the middle of the photo? Then there is someone with their head down, and next to that guy is Michael Hill. 

What I found interesting is that Michel recalls how John was during his early school years, when he was between the ages of 5 and 7. He suggested (and rightfully so) that John misbehaved so much because he was confused and angry that both of his parents had left him and that he was now living with his strict aunt. He was most likely acting out his frustrations and lack of understanding.  

Michael's big claim to fame in the life of John Lennon is that Michael was the guy that John and his buddies used to skip lunch hour and go to his house in Liverpool. They would smoke and eat fish and chips while listening to records on Michael's family record player.  Michael worked as a newspaper boy and saved up his money to buy records.  However, the record that influenced John Lennon so much was one that Michael picked up when he and Pete Shotton and other classmates went on a class trip to Holland--one that John didn't go on.  That record was Little Richard's "Long Tall Sally"  with "Slippin' and Slidin'" as the B-side.  John says in several interviews about how he used to go to a friend's house and listen to records and how when he heard "Long Tall Sally," he knew he wanted to be a rock n roll singer.  It was shortly after hearing that record that John got his first guitar and started the Quarry Men.

I really enjoyed the book. It was a quick read and was upbeat and fun.  It retold some familiar stories and also told some new ones about John's childhood and school days.  The only thing I could do without is the speculation that the author had that some Beatles song was written about something from Liverpool.  Lucy in the Sky could be about a candy shop in Liverpool?   Magical Mystery tour might have been thought of because of some mystery park in Liverpool?  A little bit of a stretch for me, but then again---who knows?

The copy I read was purchased the book through The Fest for Beatle Fans.  But it is also available on Amazon


 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/3T9MRoL

The Sandbanks Rooftop

Hyde Park 1967

I have always loved this beautiful photo. Mal Evans took almost all of the photographs of the Beatles at Hyde Park in May 1967. However, this is the only colored one that has ever surfaced, which makes many people believe that it was taken by a fan. I believe you can see John's dear, old friend, Pete Shotton in the background.