Read Online Best of the Beatles by Spencer Leigh - Free Book Online
Authors: Spencer Leigh
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a father and he had to write songs for the Beatles’ recording session. Writing about Pete Best in his autobiography, Brian Epstein said, “He was friendly with John; he was not with George and Paul.” If there was to be a spirited defence to retain Pete, John would be too preoccupied to give it.
On Wednesday 15 August 1962, the Beatles played lunchtime and evening sessions at the Cavern. This marked Pete Best’s final appearances with the group – and indeed, the last time he would ever speak to any of them.
Pete Best says, “I’d been with the Beatles for 2 years. We’d been through thick and thin together. There were times when the money from bookings wasn’t enough to keep things going. There was a strong fellowship about the group and I never thought that they wanted to get rid of me. On Wednesday night when we’d finished, Brian said he’d like to see me in his office the next morning. This was quite normal because, with the family phone, I fixed the bookings and he used to ask me about venues and prices.”
Bob Wooler: “I learnt that Pete Best was going to be sacked on that night, not before. I could imagine it with someone who was constantly late or giving problems, but Pete Best was not awkward and he did not step out of line. I was most indignant and I said, ‘Why are you doing this?’ but I didn’t get an answer.”
Pete went to bed a happy man. Eppy had a sleepless night.
It was not a foregone conclusion that any drummer, if invited, would want to join the Beatles. Norman Kuhlke of the Swinging Blue Jeans: “A lot of drummers wouldn’t havewanted to join the Beatles. I was having such a good time in the Blue Jeans that I don’t think I would have wanted to change groups. The Beatles were just another Liverpool group at the time.”
In the Anthology 1 video, Paul McCartney says, “We started to think that we needed the greatest drummer in Liverpool.” Was that automatically Ringo Starr?
The Beatles were very impressed with Joe Brown’s drummer, Bobby Graham, formerly with Mike Berry and the Outlaws. “Brian Epstein invited us back to the Blue Angel after a show. He called me to one side and told me that he was having problems with Pete Best’s mum and he wanted him out of the Beatles. He asked me if I would take his place. Although I liked the Beatles, I turned him down because I didn’t want to come to Liverpool. Besides, I liked Joe Brown, who was having hit records. I met George Harrison about five years ago and he had no idea that Brian had asked me.”
Strangely enough, Bobby’s path kept crossing with the Beatles. “George Martin used me for session work and I did get involved in one of the Beatles’ early sessions although I’ve no idea which one. When Ringo had his tonsils out, I was asked to take his place on tour for a few days, but I was getting so much session work that I couldn’t do it and I recommended Jimmy Nicol instead. I did play with the Beatles on one of their Pop Go The Beatles sessions from the Paris Theatre and that was because the BBC didn’t think Ringo was adaptable enough for what they wanted at that time.”
From Gerry Marsden’s autobiography, I’ll Never Walk Alone : “Whatever they planned for the Beatles, Pete certainly didn’t figure in it, which was a tragedy of a kind. They asked my brother Fred to play with them, go to Hamburg with them, but he told them that he had decidedto stay with me, the biggest mistake he’d made in his life!” A nice quote, but Fred Marsden tells me not to believe everything I read in books. “Also, I could never have had a Beatle hairstyle. They’d have looked stupid with William Hague on drums.”
When Mike McCartney was interviewed by Libby Purves about a children’s book on Radio 4 in December 1992, he added that he had once been a drummer with the Quarry Men and that he would have replaced Pete Best in the Beatles, had he not broken his arm. Why did he feel after 30 years that he had to declare this?
On Wednesday 15 August 1962, the Beatles played lunchtime and evening sessions at the Cavern. This marked Pete Best’s final appearances with the group – and indeed, the last time he would ever speak to any of them.
Pete Best says, “I’d been with the Beatles for 2 years. We’d been through thick and thin together. There were times when the money from bookings wasn’t enough to keep things going. There was a strong fellowship about the group and I never thought that they wanted to get rid of me. On Wednesday night when we’d finished, Brian said he’d like to see me in his office the next morning. This was quite normal because, with the family phone, I fixed the bookings and he used to ask me about venues and prices.”
Bob Wooler: “I learnt that Pete Best was going to be sacked on that night, not before. I could imagine it with someone who was constantly late or giving problems, but Pete Best was not awkward and he did not step out of line. I was most indignant and I said, ‘Why are you doing this?’ but I didn’t get an answer.”
Pete went to bed a happy man. Eppy had a sleepless night.
It was not a foregone conclusion that any drummer, if invited, would want to join the Beatles. Norman Kuhlke of the Swinging Blue Jeans: “A lot of drummers wouldn’t havewanted to join the Beatles. I was having such a good time in the Blue Jeans that I don’t think I would have wanted to change groups. The Beatles were just another Liverpool group at the time.”
In the Anthology 1 video, Paul McCartney says, “We started to think that we needed the greatest drummer in Liverpool.” Was that automatically Ringo Starr?
The Beatles were very impressed with Joe Brown’s drummer, Bobby Graham, formerly with Mike Berry and the Outlaws. “Brian Epstein invited us back to the Blue Angel after a show. He called me to one side and told me that he was having problems with Pete Best’s mum and he wanted him out of the Beatles. He asked me if I would take his place. Although I liked the Beatles, I turned him down because I didn’t want to come to Liverpool. Besides, I liked Joe Brown, who was having hit records. I met George Harrison about five years ago and he had no idea that Brian had asked me.”
Strangely enough, Bobby’s path kept crossing with the Beatles. “George Martin used me for session work and I did get involved in one of the Beatles’ early sessions although I’ve no idea which one. When Ringo had his tonsils out, I was asked to take his place on tour for a few days, but I was getting so much session work that I couldn’t do it and I recommended Jimmy Nicol instead. I did play with the Beatles on one of their Pop Go The Beatles sessions from the Paris Theatre and that was because the BBC didn’t think Ringo was adaptable enough for what they wanted at that time.”
From Gerry Marsden’s autobiography, I’ll Never Walk Alone : “Whatever they planned for the Beatles, Pete certainly didn’t figure in it, which was a tragedy of a kind. They asked my brother Fred to play with them, go to Hamburg with them, but he told them that he had decidedto stay with me, the biggest mistake he’d made in his life!” A nice quote, but Fred Marsden tells me not to believe everything I read in books. “Also, I could never have had a Beatle hairstyle. They’d have looked stupid with William Hague on drums.”
When Mike McCartney was interviewed by Libby Purves about a children’s book on Radio 4 in December 1992, he added that he had once been a drummer with the Quarry Men and that he would have replaced Pete Best in the Beatles, had he not broken his arm. Why did he feel after 30 years that he had to declare this?
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