Before They Were Beatles

In this episode, we complete our journey as The Beatles return to the recording studio, make their TV debut, and say goodbye to Hamburg.

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This is the story of how one of the thousands of amateur British schoolboy skiffle bands in the mid-1950s evolved into the beginnings of the greatest band in popular history. It’s a story of hope, creativity, and exploring musical boundaries. It’s also a story of tragedy, coincidence, and at times just sheer luck.

It is a story of beginnings, the story of John, Paul, George, and Ringo - Before They Were Beatles.

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Before The Beatles 20th Anniversary edition newsletter

To mark both the 20th anniversary of the original BEFORE THEY WERE BEATLES book’s publication and the popularity of the podcast, we have decided to answer many long-standing requests for an updated and expanded version of the book with a new 20th Anniversary edition.

In this episode, we will take a deep dive into the events surrounding Pete Best’s departure and Ringo’s arrival as a member of The Beatles.

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This is the story of how one of the thousands of amateur British schoolboy skiffle bands in the mid-1950s evolved into the beginnings of the greatest band in popular history. It’s a story of hope, creativity, and exploring musical boundaries. It’s also a story of tragedy, coincidence, and at times just sheer luck.

It is a story of beginnings, the story of John, Paul, George, and Ringo - Before They Were Beatles.

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Before The Beatles 20th Anniversary edition newsletter

To mark both the 20th anniversary of the original BEFORE THEY WERE BEATLES book’s publication and the popularity of the podcast, we have decided to answer many long-standing requests for an updated and expanded version of the book with a new 20th Anniversary edition.

In this short bonus episode I’m delighted to announce the first in-person “Before They Were Beatles” event.

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In this special episode, we take a look at what it takes to start a new Beatles tribute band with interviews with the folks behind The Savage Young Beatles and the organizers of the Abbey Road on the Road Festival.

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This is the story of beginnings, the story of Tom, George, Booby, and Ed - The Savage Young Beatles.

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Links mentioned in this episode.

The Beatles make their first visit to Studio Two at Abbey Road, continue to expand their gig schedule, make their final line-up change, and attract the attention of a local TV station.

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This is the story of how one of the thousands of amateur British schoolboy skiffle bands in the mid-1950s evolved into the beginnings of the greatest band in popular history. It’s a story of hope, creativity, and exploring musical boundaries. It’s also a story of tragedy, coincidence, and at times just sheer luck.

It is a story of beginnings, the story of John, Paul, George, and Ringo - Before They Were Beatles.

The music heard in this episode included:

• The Beatles - Money (Intro from Decca auditions)
• The Beatles - Love Me Do (Anthology 1)
• The Beatles - Ask Me Why (Teenager’s Turn radio show)
• Bruce Channel - Hey Baby
• Joe Brown - A Picture of You
• Johnny Kid & The Pirates - Shakin’ All Over
• The Beatles - Some Other Guy (Granada TV recording)

The Beatles make their radio debut, change leather for suits, and make a return to Hamburg.

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This is the story of how one of the thousands of amateur British schoolboy skiffle bands in the mid-1950s evolved into the beginnings of the greatest band in popular history. It’s a story of hope, creativity, and exploring musical boundaries. It’s also a story of tragedy, coincidence, and at times just sheer luck.

It is a story of beginnings, the story of John, Paul, George, and Ringo - Before They Were Beatles.

The music heard in this episode included:

• The Beatles - Money (Intro from Decca auditions)
• The Beatles - Dream Baby (How Long Must I Dream)
• Royal Waterford Showband - Hucklebuck
• Emile Ford & The Checkmates - What Do You Want To Make Those Eyes At Me For?
• Roy Young - Hey Little Girl
• Gene Vincent - Be Bop Lula ‘62
• Tony Sheridan  & The Beat Brothers - Sweet Georgia Brown
• Tony Sheridan - Swanee River
• Tony Sheridan  - Skinnie Minny

The Beatles' wild ride continues with the formation of a one-off Liverpool ‘supergroup,’ and a momentous lunchtime visit to the Cavern by a local record store owner

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This is the story of how one of the thousands of amateur British schoolboy skiffle bands in the mid-1950s evolved into the beginnings of the greatest band in popular history. It’s a story of hope, creativity, and exploring musical boundaries. It’s also a story of tragedy, coincidence, and at times just sheer luck.

It is a story of beginnings, the story of John, Paul, George, and Ringo - Before They Were Beatles.

The music heard in this episode included:

• The Beatles - Cry For A Shadow
• Johnny Hallyday - Tout Bas-Tout Bas (All Low, All Low)
• The Beatles - A Taste of Honey
• The Beatles - Twist & Shout
• Davy Jones - Amapola
• Danny Williams - Moon River

The leather-clad “Savage Young Beatles” continue to take Liverpool by storm.

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This is the story of how one of the thousands of amateur British schoolboy skiffle bands in the mid-1950s evolved into the beginnings of the greatest band in popular history. It’s a story of hope, creativity, and exploring musical boundaries. It’s also a story of tragedy, coincidence, and at times just sheer luck.

It is a story of beginnings, the story of John, Paul, George, and Ringo - Before They Were Beatles.

The music heard in this episode included:

• The Beatles - Cry For A Shadow
• Bobby Day - Rockin’ Robin
• Cilla Black - Love of The Loved
• Kenny Ball and His Jazz Men - Rampart Street Blues
• Acker Bilk - Strangers on the Shore
• Ray Charles - What I’d Say
• Ken Dodd - We Are The Diddymen

The Beatles return to Hamburg under promises to behave, take up residence at a new venue, make a record, sack their manager, and discover a haircut.

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This is the story of how one of the thousands of amateur British schoolboy skiffle bands in the mid-1950s evolved into the beginnings of the greatest band in popular history. It’s a story of hope, creativity, and exploring musical boundaries. It’s also a story of tragedy, coincidence, and at times just sheer luck.

It is a story of beginnings, the story of John, Paul, George, and Ringo - Before They Were Beatles.

The music heard in this episode included:

• The Beatles - Cry For A Shadow
• Donna Lynn - My Boyfriend Got A Beatle Haircut
• Bert Kaempfert - Wonderland By Night
• Elvis Presley - Wooden Heart
• Tony Sheridan and The Beat Brothers - My Bonnie
• Tony Sheridan and The Beat Brothers  - The Saints
• The Beatles - Ain’t She Sweet

Ringo gives up the day job, while the Silver Beetles find another drummer, fail a major audition, but still end up going on their first tour.

Before They Were Beatles - Episode 13 - First Tour

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This is the story of how one of the thousands of amateur British schoolboy skiffle bands in the mid-1950s evolved into the beginnings of the greatest band in popular history. It’s a story of hope, creativity, and exploring musical boundaries. It’s also a story of tragedy, coincidence, and at times just sheer luck.

It is a story of beginnings, the story of John, Paul, George, and Ringo - Before They Were Beatles.

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The music heard in this episode included:

• The Quarrymen - In Spite of All The Danger
• Gene Vincent - Somewhere Over The Rainbow
• Casey Jones & The Governers - Dizzy Miss Lizzie
• Kingsize Taylor & The Dominies - Clarabella
• Sensational Alex Harvey Band - Boston Tea Party
• Johnny Gentle - Wendy
• Lindsay Ross & His Dance Band - title unknown  (Scottish traditional)
• Darren Young (Johhny Gentle) - I’ve Just Fallen For Someone

The first half of 1960 turned out to be a significant one for John, Paul, and George as they find a new bandmate, a manager, and even a new name for their band.

Before They Were Beatles - Episode 12 - A Man On A Flaming Pie

This is the story of how one of the thousands of amateur British schoolboy skiffle bands in the mid-1950s evolved into the beginnings of the greatest band in popular history. It’s a story of hope, creativity, and exploring musical boundaries. It’s also a story of tragedy, coincidence, and at times just sheer luck.

It is a story of beginnings, the story of John, Paul, George, and Ringo - Before They Were Beatles.

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The music heard in this episode included:

• The Quarrymen - In Spite of All The Danger
• Eddie Cochran - Come On Everybody
• The Crickets - I Fought The Law
• The Beatles (with Stuart Sutcliffe) - Hallelujah I Lover Her So / You’ll Be Mine / Cayenne

It’s late 1959 and The Quarry Men have a new gig, but not for long, while Ringo continues to rock the joint with The Hurricanes. The Quarry Men transform into The Moondogs and John gets persuasive with his friend Stuart.

Before They Were Beatles - Episode 11 - Rocking The Casbah

This is the story of how one of the thousands of amateur British schoolboy skiffle bands in the mid-1950s evolved into the beginnings of the greatest band in popular history. It’s a story of hope, creativity, and exploring musical boundaries. It’s also a story of tragedy, coincidence, and at times just sheer luck.

It is a story of beginnings, the story of John, Paul, George, and Ringo - Before They Were Beatles.

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The music heard in this episode included:

• The Quarrymen - In Spite of All The Danger
• Acker Bilk & The Paramount Jazz Band - Ackers Away
• Rory Storm & The Hurricanes (feat Ringo Starkey) - Something Else
• Buddy Holly - It’s So Easy / Think It Over / Rave On / Words of Love
• The Hollies - Bus Stop
• Billy Fury - Don’t Jump
• Freddie & The Dreamers - You Were Made For Me

We pick up our journey in early 1959 when we find “Three Cool Cats” anxious to find somewhere to continue playing, while some other guy with a drum set finds himself in high demand.

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This is the story of how one of the thousands of amateur British schoolboy skiffle bands in the mid-1950s evolved into the beginnings of the greatest band in popular history. It’s a story of hope, creativity, and exploring musical boundaries. It’s also a story of tragedy, coincidence, and at times just sheer luck.

It is a story of beginnings, the story of John, Paul, George, and Ringo - Before They Were Beatles.

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The music heard in this episode included:

• The Quarrymen - In Spite of All The Danger
• Anthony Newley - Personality
• Gene Vincent - Wedding Bells
• Paul McCartney - I’ll Follow The Sun
• The Clash - Rock The Casbah
• The Beatles - Three Cool Cats (from Anthology Vol. 1)

In this episode, we take a break on our journey through the Beatles’ past and jump ahead to 1969 and the tail end of the group’s creative output as we will discuss the “Get Back” project.

We’ll be dividing the discussion into three parts:

• The TV documentary series
• The “Let It Be / Get Back” vinyl box set
• The “Get Back” book

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Thanks for listening to this episode of the Before They Were Beatles podcast. If you would like to leave a rating or review on your favorite podcast platform that would be great, and don’t forget to subscribe so you don’t miss out on future episodes.

The music heard in this episode included:

• The Quarrymen - In Spite of All The Danger
• Paul McCartney - Get Back (initial creation)
• George Harrison - I Me Mine (first demo)
• The Beatles - Come Together (intro)
• Yoko Ono (with John Lennon and Paul McCartney) - Freak Out Jam
• The Beatles with Billy Preston - Don’t Let Me Down - (rehearsal)
• Streetband - Toast
• The Beatles - Let It Be (2021 Mix)
• The Beatles - One After 909 (1969 Get Back mix)
• George Harrison with Paul McCartney, John Lennon & Ringo Starr - All Things Must Pass (intro and first rehearsal)
• The Beatles - Across the Universe (1970 Get Back mix)
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In this episode, we enter 1958, a year of personal tragedy and the first few steps towards recording for The Quarrymen.

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This is the story of how one of the thousands of amateur British schoolboy skiffle bands in the mid-1950s evolved into the beginnings of the greatest band in popular history. It’s a story of hope, creativity, and exploring musical boundaries. It’s also a story of tragedy, coincidence, and at times just sheer luck.

It is a story of beginnings, the story of John, Paul, George, and Ringo - Before They Were Beatles.

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Thanks for listening to this episode of the Before They Were Beatles podcast. If you would like to leave a rating or review on your favorite podcast platform that would be great, and don’t forget to subscribe so you don’t miss out on future episodes.

The music heard in this episode included:

• The Quarrymen - In Spite of All The Danger
• Quarrymen ‘58 - Raunchy
• Buddy Holly & The Crickets - Live - Peggy Sue
• Paul McCartney - Cats Walk
• John Lennon - Julia
• Quarrymen - First recording - That’ll Be The Day
• Quarrymen - First recording - In Spite Of All The Danger
• Trinidad Steel Band: - "Steel Meringue" (1957)
• Paul McCartney (on piano at his childhood home) - When I’m 64

In this episode we look at a vital three months in our story as the boys face changes in their lives, and John and Paul start their song-writing partnership.

This is the story of how one of thousands of amateur British schoolboy skiffle bands in the mid 1950s evolved into the beginnings of the greatest band in popular history. It’s a story of hope, creativity and exploring musical boundaries. It’s also a story of tragedy, coincidence and at times just sheer luck.

It is a story of beginnings, the story of John, Paul, George and Ringo - Before They Were Beatles.

The music heard in this episode includes:

• The Quarrymen - In Spite of All The Danger
• John Lennon - Hound Dog
• The Beatles - Bye Bye Love
• The Beatles - Long Tall Sally
• Les Paul - Guitar Boogie
• The Goons - Eh! Ah! Oh! Ooh!

For this episode, we focus on one single day. The date is 6th July 1957 - some say the most imporatnt day in the Beatles story. The day that Paul McCartney was introduced to John Lennon.

This is the story of how one of the thousands of amateur British schoolboy skiffle bands in the mid-1950s evolved into the beginnings of the greatest band in popular history. It’s a story of hope, creativity, and exploring musical boundaries. It’s also a story of tragedy, coincidence, and at times just sheer luck.

It is a story of beginnings, the story of John, Paul, George, and Ringo - Before They Were Beatles.

The music heard in this episode included:

• The Quarrymen - In Spite of All The Danger
• The Original Quarrymen (2017) - Midnight Special
• John Lennon - Blue Suede Shoes
• Quarrymen (recreation from the movie Nowhere Boy) - Maggie Mae
• Quarrymen (from Beatles Anthology) - That’ll Be The Day
• Paul McCartney - TwentyFlight Rock
• Eddie Cochran - Twenty Flight Rock (from The Girl Can’t Help It)
• Quarrymen - Puttin on the Style & Baby Let’s Play House (recorded on 6th July 1957)

You can find full versions of the music heard in this episode in the dedicated Before They Were Beatles Podcast YouTube channel 

It's 1957 and the boys start to take the stage with the first public performances by the Quarrymen (John), The Rebels (George), and the Eddie Clayton Skiffle Group (Ringo).

This is the story of how one of the thousands of amateur British schoolboy skiffle bands in the mid-1950s evolved into the beginnings of the greatest band in popular history. It’s a story of hope, creativity,  and exploring musical boundaries. It’s also a story of tragedy,  coincidence, and at times just sheer luck.

It is a story of beginnings, the story of John, Paul, George, and Ringo - Before They Were Beatles.

The music heard in this episode includes:

• The Quarrymen - In Spite of All The Danger
• The Merseysippi Jazz Band - Snake Rag
• George Harrison & Eric Clapton - While My Guitar Gently Weeps
• The New Rebels - Young Blood
• Elvis Presley - All Shook Up

It's fall 1956 and a return to school means new friends and new ideas for John Lennon - and one idea, in particular, that will be the catalyst for everything that follows - the formation of a schoolboy skiffle group - The Quarrymen.

This is the story of how one of the thousands of amateur British schoolboy skiffle bands in the mid-1950s evolved into the beginnings of the greatest band in popular history. It’s a story of hope, creativity, and exploring musical boundaries. It’s also a story of tragedy, coincidence, and at times just sheer luck.

It is a story of beginnings, the story of John, Paul, George, and Ringo - Before They Were Beatles.

The music heard in this episode included:

• The Quarrymen - In Spite of All The Danger
  
• The Vipers - Don’t You Rock Me Daddy’O
  
• The Stanley Brothers and the Clinch Mountain Boys - Worried Man Blues
  
• Paul McCartney - I Lost My Little Girl
  
• Lonnie Donigan - John Henry
  

Our journey continues as we meet the teenage George Harrison, James Paul McCartney, and Richard Starkey, plus take a side trip to discuss the impact on British rock of guitar virtuoso Bert Whedon.

This is the story of how one of thousands of amateur British schoolboy skiffle bands in the mid-1950s evolved into the beginnings of the greatest band in popular history. It’s a story of hope, creativity, and exploring musical boundaries. It’s also a story of tragedy, coincidence, and at times just sheer luck.

It is a story of beginnings, the story of John, Paul, George, and Ringo - Before They Were Beatles.

The music heard in this episode included:

• The Quarrymen - In Spite of All The Danger (Harrison & McCartney)
  
• Burt Weedon - Guitar Boogie Shuffle
  
• The Beatles - extract from A Day in the Life (Lennon & McCartney)
  
• Louis Armstrong - When The Saints Go Marching In (trad.)
  
• Gerry & The Pacemakers - Ferry Across the Mersey (Gerry Marsden)
  

We begin our journey in January 1956, with the rise of Elvis and the beginnings of rock-n-roll, the British skiffle craze, and the impact they had on the young John Winston Lennon.

This is the story of how one of the thousands of amateur British schoolboy skiffle bands in the mid-1950s evolved into the beginnings of the greatest band in popular history. It’s a story of hope, creativity, and exploring musical boundaries. It’s also a story of tragedy, coincidence and at times just sheer luck.

It is a story of beginnings, the story of John, Paul, George, and Ringo - Before They Were Beatles.

The music heard in this episode included:

• The Quarrymen - In Spite of All The Danger
  
• Bill Haley - Rock Around The Clock
  
• Lonnie Donegan - Rock Island Line
  
• Elvis Presley - Heartbreak Hotel
  
• Fats Domino - Ain’t That A Shame
  
• Little Richard - Long Tall Sally
  

In Liverpool , England, October 1956. Schoolboy John Lennon and his best friend, Peter Shotton, decide to start a skiffle group as “a bit of a lark.” Four years later John, now accompanied by Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Stuart Sutcliffe, and Pete Best, left Liverpool to start a series of near-legendary gigs in Hamburg, Germany. His group now performing under their newly acquired name – THE BEATLES.

This is the story of those four years. The story of how one of the thousands of amateur schoolboy skiffle bands evolved into the beginnings of the greatest band in popular history. It’s a story of hope, creativity, and exploring musical boundaries. It’s also a story of tragedy, coincidence and at times just sheer luck.

It is a story of beginnings, the story of John, Paul, George, and Ringo - Before They Were Beatles.

The first introductory episode covers host Alan J. Porter's personal connections with Strawberry Fields and how the genesis of his original Before They Were Beatles book.

The music heard in this episode includes:

• The Quarrymen - In Spite of All The Danger
  
• John Lennon - Strawberry Fields For Ever (acoustic)
  
• Various voices - Imagine (John Lennon)
  
• Lonnie Donegan - Rock Island Line
  

You can find full versions of the music heard in this episode in the dedicated Before They Were Beatles Podcast YouTube channel  at https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLP0CDQdLe-G141LlqyBu8rC8ap6voBhZe