The Day the Beatles became THE BEATLES

 

As far as I am concerned, August 18, 1962, is the day that The Beatles became the band that I love and adore.  It was on this very day 60 years ago that Ringo Starr first officially played with John, Paul and George.   Sadly there are not any photographs of this historic occasion.  However, you can visit Port Sunlight and see the sign on the wall on the outside of the building like I did with my mom in 2017.  

The virtual Fest for Beatles Fans -- was it worth it?

 

My mom, Coral, and I at the virtual Fest For Beatles Fans

This past weekend was the Fest for Beatle Fans (known far and wide as "Beatlefest").   This was the first Fest held in person since 2019.  I thought about going to the Fest in New Jersey in person, but there weren't any rooms available.   So I decided to give the virtual ticket a try.   For the first time ever, they were doing what we in education call the "hybrid method."    It is both live in-person and online through Zoom. 

If I am honest, I didn't have very high hopes for the virtual Beatlefest.   I figured there would be a lot of technical problems and confusion, and some of it would be boring due to dead airtime.   And I am very happy to say that I was wrong!

My mom and I always attend the Fest together and so we decided to have our own Fest at my new condo.  My mom spent the weekend with me and we wore our Beatles t-shirts.   We rearranged the room, ordered food, and as usual, went into the event with the attitude that we would have a good time. 

There were two Zoom rooms available to watch.  The first one was the Main Stage Zoom.  This was the one that showed all of the concerts and interviews with the main guests.   The other Zoom was the interactive room.   This room had a variety of things going on.   I enjoyed the "virtual hub."  Roland was the guy in charge of grabbing various guests and interviewing them on the fly for us virtual fest-goers.  Roland was amazing at interviewing and keeping things alive and positive.  The virtual hub also showed some live recordings of different Beatles-themed podcasts.   At the times when the virtual hub was not going on, the camera would switch over to the room where they had panel discussions. 

The highlight of the entire event was the Zoom discussion between Peter Jackson and Michael Lindsay-Hogg.   This is the one area where I feel that those of us with the virtual ticket got the best part of the deal.   We were able to watch this amazing discussion without the instruments from the bands or that annoying tall guy in the front row blocking part of our view.  It was quiet and you could actually hear and concentrate on what was being said.  Having watched films at Beatlefest in person in the past, I know seeing and hearing can be a challenge at times.   This discussion was amazing to say the least.  

There was a lot of disappointment with the virtual attendees because Mark Lewisohn was listed as being a special guest and we were led to believe that we would be able to hear his two presentations on The Beatles in India.   Unfortunately, due to copyright material being shown, we were unable to see these presentations.   This was not known until we logged into the Main Stage Zoom to watch it and saw random fans jamming to Beatles songs.   And while I do agree, that Mark should not have been listed as a guest on the virtual ticket originally, I do believe that he made up for it.   Mark Lewisohn took the time to go to the virtual hub and spend a good amount of time answering questions directly from the hundreds of fans that were there.   So while we couldn't see the presentations, we did get a private Q & A that those in person missed out on. 

Roland interviews Mark Lewisohn in the virtual hub 

Another virtual event that in-person attendees missed out on was the interview via Zoom with Michael Lindsay Hogg.  That was not something that was publicized at all and I am so glad that we stumbled into the interactive zoom room and saw most of it. 

The music over the weekend was also really great.  I especially enjoyed the band, The Black Ties.  They performed on Friday night and sang songs The Beatles covered during the  Cavern/Hamburg days.  Laurance Juber (from the later years of Wings) as always did a wonderful set, Don from the Cyrkle's interview was so great!  And I was happy to hear him perform a few songs on Sunday night.   I have not always been a big fan of the Beatlefest house band, Liverpool -- but I really enjoyed the final Sunday night concert. 

Don (with the cap on his head) sings "Red Rubber Ball."

The one thing that I thought I would miss out on the most by having a virtual ticket and not being in person was the connection with other Beatles fans.   And while I really did miss seeing all my Beatles friends in person (especially when I was seeing them on my screen), I also enjoyed chatting in the Zoom chat with some new Beatles friends.   A big shout out to Edward, Ruthie, Nancy, Chris, George, and Annette!   It was great to make new Beatles friends!   

If I was asked for any improvements, I would say that three Zoom links needed to be provided instead of the two.   One for the Main Stage, one for the interactive room, and another in the room where the panel discussions are held.   I missed out on a lot of great discussions because they were not showing that room.    I also think there needs to be a virtual schedule that is different than the regular schedule. Not knowing what they were going to show next, made it difficult to decide what to watch. 

I also recommend that people attend The Fest for Beatles Fans and if you can go in person that is the way to go.  However -- I now will recommend that you get a virtual ticket if you cannot go in person.  It is well worth the money spent PLUS you get a week to watch it all over again and catch the things you missed. 

www.thefest.com  

Get Back at the IMAX - Film review

 

This past Saturday I was was fortunate to be able to go to an IMAX theater in St. Louis that was showing The Beatles Get Back Rooftop Concert. 

First I have to say how great it felt to be back at a Beatles event with other fans for the first time in over 2 years.    Since I had Covid for the 2nd time this past August, I have been extremely careful about being around large groups of people, but the IMAX theater is big and had very large seats that kept you from being too close to a stranger. 

What I saw on the big IMAX screen was the exact same thing that was shown during Part 3 of the Get Back documentary on Disney +.     Literally -- it was the exact same thing.    Well -- at the beginning they showed the introduction from Part 1.   I was a little disappointed by the introduction.   It seemed to have been thrown together quickly after the fact.    

That isn't to say that the Get Back Rooftop at the IMAX wasn't worth going to.   It was great.  Every time I have watched "Get Back" I notice or hear something different.    The sound in this theater was so great, it was almost like hearing the classic Beatles songs performed on the rooftop again for the first time.   

Would it have been nice to have seen the Rooftop Concert without the footage of the people on the ground being interviewed in the midst of the music?   Sure.   However -- I was more than happy to be able to watch the amazing footage Peter Jackson put together on a large screen.    I do like hearing the interviews with the people on the street, but I would still like to hear the full concert uninterrupted.  

If this comes back to an IMAX theater again, it is well worth the money to see it.   If you haven't seen "Get Back" on Disney +, you really need to OR you will need to buy the Blu-Ray when it eventually comes out.    The Rooftop concert is such an important part of The Beatles that no fan should miss out on watching it as much as possible. 

I met a Beatle...for Real!!!!!!

Blog owner, Sara and her mom, Coral with Ringo Starr September 7, 2018 backstage at the Fox Theater in St. Louis
Copyright belongs to Sara and Coral Schmidt.  Do not use the photo without permission.

I met a Beatle...for Real!!!
By Sara Schmidt (exclusively for Meet the Beatles...for Real)


Dreams can come true.  I always knew that I would someday meet one of the Beatles and I ever gave up hope.   It always annoyed me that I ran a blog about people that met one of the Beatles in person and I never had a story myself (well except when Paul read my sign in Memphis in 2013 -- that was pretty amazing).   

How my mom and I got to meet Ringo Starr is all about money and luck.     Here is a short version of how it came to happen.    Several months ago I saw posted on the facebook page for Ringo's art stating that you can meet Ringo during his next tour.    Since I  already had tickets to see Ringo in St. Louis, I contacted the site and was told that I would get an email with details in early September.   Meanwhile, I went to the Fest in Chicago and talked to the someone at Ringo's art room there and learned that the meet and greets only take place in certain cities on the tour and that St. Louis was not on the list of meet and greet cities, but sometimes exceptions can be made, but it is rare.      It costs money to do a meet and greet with Ringo.  It isn't a free thing, which I know I have written about before.    The deal is that you buy a piece of Ringo's artwork that is autographed by Ringo and you get to meet him backstage for a few minutes and get photos taken.    You get one piece of artwork and two people can meet him.   

I got the email and sure enough St. Louis was not one of the two cities on the list.   Only eight groups of people would be able to meet Ringo on this tour and with St. Louis not on the list, it wasn't likely my mom and I were going to get to do it, but I emailed and asked if an exception could be made just in case.   Long story short, Ringo had to be asked more than once if it would be okay to meet some major fans in St. Louis and he usually just likes to stick with the planned cities, but for some reason, he agreed to meet us!      The concert was on Friday and on Thursday, I still wasn't totally sure if it was going to happen, so I kept it a secret (although if you look back on my Thursday post of the young Ringo I said I was "spending some time with Ringo" which was a mini clue).     


That was HOW it happened, but now let's talk about WHAT happened.    My mom and I were told to stand in the line to get into the theater.  So we got in a very long line that was wrapping around the Fox Theater and stood there, expecting to go in and have our tickets scanned, meet up with the person we were to meet and then wait another half hour or so to meet Ringo.     While in line I get a phone call saying to get to the door that has a lady in a Paul McCartney t-shirt standing out front and have the guard let us in because Ringo was ready for us right now, so we better hurry!     So we practically run to the front of the line and low and behold there are several ladies wearing Paul McCartney t-shirts standing outside the different doors.    I start looking inside and the guard is telling me I have to get in line and wait.   I try to explain through the glass that I was told I was going to be let in.    I am sure he thought "yeah right lady...whatever"  but then I saw the man that was going to take us backstage and he vouched for me.   Thank goodness!

We are rushed through the bag check and ticket scan and before I could even comprehend what was going on, we were rushed through the theater and to the backstage area.    I think I can speak for my mom on this -- we were standing backstage and we were so nervous.   I felt like my heart was beating out of my chest.   Was this really going to happen?    I started to worry about how we would act -- would my mom faint?  Would I cry?    What if I have bad breath from the salad I just ate?   

The Ringo appeared from behind a door and my nerves were a lot less.   He was so friendly.   He said, "I am here to meet you!"   First, he gave my mom a hug.    She said "Oh I guess I have to let go" and we all laughed.  Mom had dreamed of hugging Ringo since 1964 and told him how she had been a fan of his since she saw him on the Ed Sullivan Show.   Ringo said, "Oh that can't be -- how old were you then, 6?"   Again we all laughed.   Then he hugged me.   Ringo felt so small, although he was taller than I thought.  I couldn't believe that Ringo Starr gave me a hug.    Then I gave Ringo a copy of my book.    I told him that it was a book a wrote about the Beatles in St. Louis and it talks about all the concerts he has given here as a solo artist as well.    He happily took the book from me and flipped through it.   He saw the photo of his drum kit that I took at the Rock n Roll Hall of fame and said, "there's my old kit."    Then he flipped to a photo of The Beatles playing at Busch Stadium in 1966 and stated, "There I am with the lads."    He really seemed happy.   He put my book inside a trash can.   He must have noticed the strange look on my face because he said, "Oh--there is just towel in there."      I was nervous about giving the book to him.   I didn't want to seem too crazy of a fan, but now I am glad that I did it.   I mean how many Beatles authors can say that one of the Beatles looked at their book in front of them?   Even if Ringo let it behind in St. Louis, at least he flipped through it!

Ringo Starr looking at "Happiness is Seeing the Beatles" book written by Sara Schmidt
Copyright by Sara & Coral Schmidt DO NOT USE THIS PHOTO!

After that, we got our photographs taken with Ringo.    He told us "peace and love" and we said, "Peace and love Ringo."  I told him that we are looking forward to the show tonight and he said something like "enjoy it" and gave us another "peace and love" and left.   

We were then rushed out of the backstage area and out into the lobby where we saw our friends and were freaking out that it all really happened.    We showed them our photographs and gave them both a hug so that they could be the next people we hugged after hugging Ringo. 

It happened fast but yet it was so memorable and is the new highlight of my life.

Lastly, I want to say that I wish each of you were there and could have met Ringo too.  He was so nice to agree to meet up and was just so nice to us.    You read that Ringo isn't very nice and all sorts of stuff about his personality, but for the five minutes or so we spent with him -- he couldn't have been nicer.    I think he really loves his fans, but gets tired of the fame.     

I will review the concert on Wednesday and share my concert photos then.    If you have any questions feel free to ask, although I don't really want to talk any more about how I got to meet him.   I would rather focus on meeting him, because that is a much more exciting thing to talk about.

PEACE AND LOVE!

Report from Beatlefest -- top 5 highlights of the weekend.

I am here for my annual report back from the Fest for Beatle Fans in Chicago.    2018's Fest was a great time.   I was on four panels and gave a presentation -- so I was pretty busy.    I did not have a table set up to sell anything, so I was still able to see a lot of great things.    It was AWESOME talking to so many of you at the Fest!     A special hello to Kristine, Lola, and Kaeli who I met for the first time at this year's Fest and to all the people that stopped me and said "hi."   It really made me happy to see so many blog visitors in person.   You guys are really out there! 

Here are my personal top 5 best things about the Fest this year....


5.    Jude Southerland Kessler's Book Release Party

Before the Fest got going on Saturday morning, there was a special party to celebrate the release for Jude Southerland Kessler's 4th book in the John Lennon series called Should have Known Better.     What a great party that was!   Scott Erickson played John Lennon songs on the guitar,  there were donuts, door prizes, and lots of mingling and chatting about the Beatles and John Lennon.     

4.  Little Nicola

Remember the adorable Little Nicola from the Magical Mystery Tour film?   Well, she is now all grown up and was a delight to hear speak at the Fest.    Her memories were so cute!  It was a treat listening to her and meeting her after her talk.

3.  Seeing the next generation of fans

No need for more cowbell on this great rendition of "Everybody's Got Something to Hide Except for Me and Monkey" by the Chicago School of Rock 

I can't tell you how much I love 3rd generation Beatles fans.   You guys are amazing!    Let's just stop and think about the fact that The Beatles have three generations of die-hard major fans.    I love the fact that places like The Fest for Beatle fans, all three generations can gather together and express the same passion for the guys.     The third generation fans made a big impression on me at the Fest this year.   The Chicago School of Rock did an amazing job on songs from the White Album and Hey Bulldog on Sunday morning.    If this is how we are going to hear Beatles music performed live in the future, then we have nothing to be concerned about because they play music that rocks!     I also enjoyed talking to several third gen fans.       These are the ones that will keep the Beatles legacy going, so more power to them!

2.  Tea and memories

On Friday night there was a nice session called "Tea and Memories" where those of us who regularly attend these conventions came together and shared our favorite Fest memories, photographs, programs along with a lot of laughs.    The Fest has become a sort of family reunion among all of us that go and it is a great time to spend with each other.   We have made so many wonderful memories and so many unforgettable things have happened over the years that it was so great to share those memories and be reminded of things forgotten.    Wally was a wonderful host. 

1.  Jack Douglas

John Lennon's producer, Jack Douglas was one of the best guests the Fest has ever had.    He really was the star of the weekend.    He told so many stories about John while making Imagine and during Double Fantasy.    His stories really brought out John's humor and personality.    Jack showed some photos and then he played the songs "Watching the Wheels" and "Woman" starting with the demo, then the rough mix and the final mix.    Hearing those songs like that was really emotional for everyone, but it was so appreciated that Jack brought them for us.     He was such a nice man.  He met with every one after his talks and his line was really long because he spent time telling more stories at the table.    He signed the book "Starting over" for me underneath a photo of him in the book and he told me all about when the photo was taken.    Such an unforgettable moment, especially since I am such a John lover.   

Honorable mentions go to All of the panel discussions, Geoff Emerick, late-night sing-alongs, singing "Hey Jude" on the stage, the artwork in memory of Nicole,  Ringo's drum kits,  and the brownies at the staff party.         It was great and I hope to do it again next year.     Attendance was noticably low, but it was pretty crowded on Saturday and everyone I spoke with was having a great time.   

Peter Asher and Albert Lee Concert: A review

Photo by Sara Schmidt 

Last week I was in Ohio, doing research for my book and I not only got to meet up with the girls that once ran the "With a Little Help from my Friends" fan club, but I was also invited to join them in Kent, Ohio to see Peter Asher and Albert Lee in concert. 

I wasn't quite sure if I knew who Albert Lee was, but as soon as I saw him, I recognized him.   He is the white-haired guitarist that plays in the Concert for George!    Come to find out, I have heard him many times and just never realized who he is.

Photo by Sara Schmidt 

Peter and Albert have a very laid-back set where Peter (and sometimes Albert) share the stories that go along with the songs they performed.    A lot of the show was a time-travel back to when they were teenagers and they played songs by the Everly Brothers, Elvis, etc.      Albert is an outstanding guitarist as well as keyboard player and Peter plays rhythm guitar and sings harmony.     The setlist was heavy on these songs from the 1950's but Peter did include three songs from Peter and Gordon and Albert performed an amazing version of Greenday's "Time of your Life."

Peter Asher by Sara Schmidt 

The best part of the night was hearing Peter Asher talk about being in Peter and Gordon and his experiences in the U.S and the U.K.    The stories about managing James Taylor was also interesting.   Unfortunately, Peter's voice isn't very strong.   He needed to talk-sing through "I go to Pieces" because he voice just isn't able to sing it.      Peter sounded good when he was singing harmony on a song, but his voice just didn't seem like it could handle taking the lead.

Peter Asher playing banjolele on "Lady Godiva"  by Sara Schmidt 

The concert was quite enjoyable and a calm evening out.     As I listened to the performance, I couldn't help but think how blessed we are right now that so many of the Beatle people are still alive and able to share their stories and music with us.    The group that falls into that category is getting smaller and smaller every year and so that is why you should not miss a chance to see Peter Asher and Albert Lee if you get the chance to see him.

Albert, Peter, mom and me 

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

Denny Laine and the Cryers - A concert review

On October 21, 2017 my mom and I saw Denny Laine and the Cryers at the Trainwreck in St. Louis as part of the St. Louis Classic Rock Society Celebration.     We had seen Denny Laine in a full concert a few years ago and had seen him with other members of Wings at the Fest in August.   It is always hard for me to resist going to a concert (especially when it is an affordable $10) with a Beatles connection when it is happening in my area and so we went to see the 3rd member of Wings again.


There was a time when I didn't really like Wings.   However, once the Wingspan documentary came out, I decided to give them another chance and I started to really appreciate Wings as a band separate from the Beatles.    I think the harmony parts that Linda and Denny did really make the band. 

Of course Paul and Linda weren't with Denny Laine in this concert and it wasn't a Wings show.   Denny started off singing some songs that he did with the Moody Blues.    Besides the song "Go Now."  Speaking of this well-known song, when Denny did it at the Fest, his voice couldn't hit the notes.    This time his voice sounded stronger and he had a member of his back-up band (the Cryers) singing some of the higher notes.    I don't mind the older performers using the assistance of another younger person in hitting the notes.   

Denny went right into the Wings portion of the show and sang all of the songs you think of when it comes to Denny Laine and Wings (Time to Hide,  Spirits of Ancient Egypt,  No Words, Again and Again and Again) with a lot of energy and got everyone dancing or signing a long.      Those songs I expected to hear him sing --  I didn't expect to hear Picasso's Last Words and it just might have been my favorite song of the night.      I also really enjoyed when he sang the song Paul left off the Red Rose Speedway album,  "I would only smile."     Of course songs like "Mull of Kintyre," "Live and Let Die" and "Band on the Run" are always fun and get the audience singing along, but I much prefer when Paul sings them.

I have to mention that Denny's backing band, the Cryers, are outstanding.   You have to watch the girl on the keyboards.    I think she was channeling Linda some of the time and her harmony was spot on. 

Denny was happy to sign things that fans brought with them and he had a few Wings promo photos for sale that he would sign.  He also posed for photos and chatted a bit.    He was charging money for this at the Fest.   It was all free of charge at his concert.   

If Denny Laine is a guest at the Fest for Beatle fans again, I think I will skip it and go see him in concert again instead -  it was an overall better experience. 

The Cutting Edge by Leslie Cavendish : A book Review

Paul and Leslie look over the newspaper before boarding the Magical Mystery Tour bus 

Every year there are a few new Beatle books that stand out to me as being better than the rest.  I am happy to say that The Cutting Edge by Leslie Cavendish is one of those books.   When you first hear that the man who was the "hairdresser for the Beatles" wrote a book, most people roll their eyes and say something like "wow--anyone that ever knew the Beatles are coming out of the woodwork and writing tell all books.  Now it is the barber-- who next??"     Push those thoughts straight out of your mind because while Leslie was the Beatles hairdresser during their recording years, he was also a contemporary of the Beatles that spent quite a bit of time with them.   He was invited into Paul's home, spent time at Apple, EMI studios and participated in the Magical Mystery Tour among other Beatles adventures.    He was there and experienced things with the Beatles as someone not quite in the Beatles inner circle, but close enough to have an interesting perspective and tells new and different Beatles stories.

The party for Apple Tailoring.  That is Leslie in the hat on the very end. 

Leslie was a Beatles fan, just like most every other young person in the UK in 1963.   He listened to their music and loved it.  He even saw the Beatles in concert on April 21, 1963 at the "Jew-do" dance and was in awe of them.      Never in his wildest dreams did he think when he began working at Vidal Sasoon in London that it would lead to him becoming the Beatles official hairdresser.    However, through pure luck, that is exactly what happened.

In 1966, Leslie found himself at 7 Cavendish Avenue (with his last name being Cavendish -- it must have been fate!) cutting Paul McCartney's hair in his bedroom.    Soon after that he was cutting George and John's hair as well as many of the people that worked for the Beatles.  (He didn't cut Ringo's hair because Ringo's wife was a hairdresser and took care of Ringo's locks.)      When Apple came along,  he got the amazing opportunity to open up a shop in the basement of Apple Tailoring.  Things ended for him, as they did for many people when the Beatles broke up. 

What I liked about this book was that it was written in a very casual way.    It felt like Leslie was telling you these stories over a cup of coffee at a cafe -- although maybe I felt that way because I was fortunate to hear a few of these stories in person with Leslie at the place that was once his shop in London on a tour this summer.     Regardless, I think anyone that read The Cutting Edge will be able to relate to Leslie and find his writing to be very personable.     I also did not find any mistakes in this book.   He obviously had his research down because all of the dates and locations were correct and if there were any errors, they weren't obvious on my first reading unlike so many other books that have been published recently. 

Me and Leslie on a tour in England (we are standing outside of the building that was once Apple Tailoring.  It is now an art studio and had Beatles art in the window)

My mom and Leslie standing where he once washed George Harrison's hair 

As we see time and time again with those who remained employed by the Beatles for long periods of time, Leslie has a lot of integrity.   He never sold locks of the Beatles hair, even though he easily could have.   He never asked them for autographs (with one special exception), and he always treated them with total professionalism and respect.    It couldn't have been easy for him at times since he was a big Beatles fan before he met them   However,  because he chose to treat them this way and not go blab their secrets to every newspaper in town, the Beatles rewarded him with not only their businesses but with other special treats that you read about in this book.

As far as I am concerned, The Cutting Edge by Leslie Cavendish is a "must read" Beatles book of 2017.


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/3P8WYch

Sara's Beatles travels in the Netherlands

Like many people, I enjoy to travel.   I just love seeing new places and experiencing the culture as well as meeting the people.    Part of my traveling experience is to track town Beatles things wherever I go.    

Last month I went to Liverpool, London and the Netherlands.    I have reported about Liverpool and London in the past, and so I am not sure if anyone wants the whole "what I did on my summer vacation" to those places again.    I can tell you that I had an amazing time.   We celebrated Paul's 75th birthday with a bus load of likeminded fans in Liverpool,  went to the Whirral,  spent time in the Cavern Club and the typical Beatles sites.    In London we crossed Abbey Road, went into the Abbey Road shop, had lunch with a Beatles friend, went on a great Beatles tour and got to go inside of 3 Savile row.   

The last part of our trip took us to Amsterdam and since it was a new experience, I thought I would share a little bit about Beatles traveling in Holland. 

The Netherlands is a very small country, especially if you are from the United States.     We stayed in Amsterdam, but I am pretty sure we saw the entire country.         It was fairly easy to get around in Amsterdam because they had a tram that you rode around the city.   As long as you knew where you were going once you got off the tram, you were all set.  

Everyone in Amsterdam rides a bike.    I have not been a bike since I was a kid.   Here in the United States, bikes are sort of thought of as a child's toy and is not a major mode of transportation for most adults.    There were bikes everywhere and they seem to have more rights than people walking.   Just something to remember if you are ever in Amsterdam.

There are a lot of museums in Amsterdam, but the only one that we went to was the Anne Franke House.    If you are ever in Holland, you must see the Anne Frank House.  It is an unforgettable experience.

 One of the first places we went was to the Amsterdam Hard Rock Cafe.    I make a point of going to the Hard Rock at any city where I am staying.      They did not have a lot of Beatles things on display, but they did have this box that John and Yoko gave out to friends for Christmas in 1980.  

If you are a Beatles fan in Amsterdam you have to go to the Amsterdam Hilton, right?     The outside of the hotel looks very much like it does in the photographs of the hotel from the 1969 Bedin.    I am told that room 702 is decorated in John and Yoko decor.    I tried to get into the room myself.   It costs over $1000 a night to stay there, so that was out of the question.    I went to the front desk and asked the woman there and she told me that they were too busy at the time to take guests up to the suite, but I could come back at 11pm.    It just wasn't possible for me to return so late.   I asked her if I could just go up to the door.   To use the life, you have to have a keycard.    She again told me no and so I left the Amsterdam Hilton with some disappointment.

Speaking of hotels, there was a record shop near ours that had a big Sgt. Pepper display in the front window.    Look what was #2 that week!   Who would have ever thought that the Beatles would be back on the charts after 50 years!

Something else we did that had a Beatles connection was go on a canal boat ride.   As I am sure you recall, the Beatles (without Ringo) did this in 1964 when they were on their world tour.    It was fun to imagine the streets and bridges filled with fans as we took our one hour boat trip around the canals. 

We also made a visit to Alkmaar.    Alkmaar is a quick train trip from Amsterdam--about 30 minutes.   Here is my advise if you want to go to Alkmaar from Amsterdam.   Don't use the ticket machines at the Central Station.   Go to a live person and purchase your ticket.    The machines are for people with the "Dutch card," which if you are from the Netherlands, you don't have. 

Why did we go to Alkmaar?   It wasn't for the cheese---it was for the Beatles museum!   There is a large Beatles museum in Alkmaar.   Once you leave the train station, look for blue signs that say "Beatles museum"  and follow them across a bridge and you are there. 

The Beatles Museum is the personal collection of the fan that runs that place.   I was impressed by how organized it was.    Everything is laid out by album.  So anything that has to do with " With the Beatles" is grouped together, etc.    There is just so much original Beatles memorabilia to look at.  If you go, plan on spending well over an hour to look at everything.    "Let it Be" was showing on a big screen in the back and there was a lot of stuff for sale, including a great selection of "Dutch imports" (which aren't imports since they are in Holland!  I got a good laugh out of that).      My only issue with the museum is that a few of the items on display there (Ringo's Abbey road jacket, Paul's Shea Stadium jacket and George's first guitar to name a few) were labeled as being the original, when I am certain that they are reproductions.    

The last day we were in the Netherlands, we spent on a tour with Guus and Gabreilla of Beatles International.     They couldn't have been nicer or more helpful.    They drove us all around Holland and we saw Beatles things along the way as well as plenty of wooden clogs and windmills.      We went to Blokker and saw where the Beatles (again without Ringo) performed in 1964.   They have a monument build to honor this occasion of the Beatles' performance. 

Another one of the really amazing sites we saw was the WWII memorial where Alan Williams took the Beatles right before they went to Hamburg as well as the store where John stole the harmonica.

The trip ended to a visit to a Beatle friend, Ed's house.   Ed is one of the co-writer of the A is for Apple series, which I contributed to.   It is great to meet Beatles people in person after knowing of them online for so long.   Ed has a great Beatles collection and it was  a real treat to see it in person.

As you can see, the Netherlands has a lot to offer Beatle fans.    I know it isn't on the top of the list like Liverpool or London, but I think it is well worth the time to go and check out these sites as well.