DISC ONE : FROM WOOLTON TO THE REEPERBAHN (30 tracks, 73:56)
July 6 1957. Woolton Parish Church Garden Fete. The Quarry Men Skiffle Group (lead singer John Lennon) are on stage and one Paul McCartney is in attendance. Astonishingly, tape of part of the Quarry Men's
performance exists to this day. John sang tracks 1 and 2 that afternoon.
1 - Puttin' On The Style - Lonnie Donegan (Norman Cazden)
Puttin' On The Style' was a UK #1 hit for Lonnie Donegan in the Summer of 57. Lonnie was born Anthony
Donegan and grew up in London. He named himself after his idol, bluesman Lonnie Johnson, and played banjo
and guitar. Although it might be said that Donegan practically invented skiffle in the mid 50s, it was inspired
by, and imitated, the blues of performers such as Leadbelly. Skiffle was huge - if you couldn't learn three
guitar chords you could always play a washboard or string bass - and Lonnie Donegan was King of Skiffle. In
1978, Lonnie's album of skiffle favourites called 'Putting On The Style' featured Ringo Starr on drums.
2 - Come Go With Me – Dell Vikings (Clarence Quick)
This was the first song that Paul remembers hearing John sing at the Woolton fete. 'Come Go…' was a smash
#4 US doo-wop hit in late 1956 for the quintet that originated at the Pittsburgh Air Force Base. It reached #2 in the R&B chart, but did not chart at all in the UK, so the fledgling Quarry Men are likely to have heard the song on Radio Luxembourg. Like many acts of the time, the Dell Vikings went through many line-ups, (and names – Del-Vikings after signing two record deals at once), but a version of the band are still active today and this single's lead, Norman Wright, remains as lead vocalist.
3 - Twenty Flight Rock - Eddie Cochran (Eddie Cochran/Ned Fairchild)
So that afternoon, Paul and John got talking, and Paul showed that he could not only play 'Twenty Flight
Rock', but knew the lyrics. John was suitably impressed. The two of them, like any other self-respecting 50s
teenagers, would have seen the song in 'The Girl Can't Help It'. Eddie was cast aged just 18, after being
spotted recording tunes for low budget movies. His electrifying appearance gained him a recording contract.
The song was Eddie's debut UK single in April '57, but did not chart. Cochran was one of the most talented of
the first generation of Rock performers - it was often said that he could easily have made a living as a
songwriter ('Summertime Blues', 'Three Steps To Heaven') or session guitarist. Eddie and Gene Vincent were
due to play Liverpool on 3 May 1960, a date the by now re-christened Beatals attended. Eddie never made it.
On route by car to the airport for an Easter trip home to the US (with driver George Martin (no relation) and
Gene), Eddie died in a car crash on 17 April 1960. He was 21.
4 - Raunchy - Bill Justis (Bill Justis/Sid Manker)
February 1958 and a soon-to-be-14 George Harrison impresses his prospective bandmates by playing this song on the bus home from a gig. At the time, the single by sax instrumentalist Justis was in the middle of a UK
chart run that saw it reach #11. In the US, Raunchy would be Sun Record's sole instrumental top 40 hit,
reaching #2 in the pop chart and topping the R&B chart. Justis never duplicated this success, and spent some
time on the other side of the microphone as an arranger and A&R man, even signing 'The Silver Fox' Charlie
Rich to Sun. Bill died aged 55 in 1982.
5 - That'll Be The Day – The Crickets (Jerry Allison/Buddy Holly/Norman Petty)
The Quarrymen recorded their version of one of Buddy Holly's best-loved songs in the summer of 1958, at Percy Philips' home studio. Born Charles Holley on September 7, 1936 in Lubbock Texas, Buddy and his school buddies formed a band called the Crickets (amongst whom was the co-credited Allison), recording in Petty's New Mexico studio. The Crickets had a series of massive hits, but this was the first and biggest, reaching #1 on both sides of the Atlantic in September 1957. After falling out with producer Petty and the Crickets, Buddy went solo. On 3 February 1959, 'the day the music died', Buddy perished in a plane crash with the Big Bopper (J P Richardson) and Ritchie Valens after a concert in Clear Lake, Ohio. Buddy's waning star was rekindled by his death. Always more popular in Europe than in the US, Buddy scored 17 posthumous top 40 hits in Britain alone and was still having them as late as 1968. Paul McCartney would later purchase Buddy's publishing rights. Buddy Holly's professional recording career lasted less than 2 years.
6 - Hallelujah I Love Her So - Eddie Cochran (Ray Charles)
In Paul McCartney's Forthlin Road home, April 1960 saw the Quarrymen record their repertoire, including
Eddie's version of this Ray Charles number (R&B #5 for Ray in June 56). Eddie Cochran's 'Hallelujah…' was
released in the UK in January 1960, reaching #22 – his US chart career had ended a year
earlier.
7 – Movin' And Groovin' - Duane Eddy (Duane Eddy/Lee Hazlewood)
Still in 20 Forthlin Road, the Quarry Men taped this Eddy number, along with his 'Ramrod'. In 1957, New
Yorker Duane met Lee Hazlewood, an Arizona DJ. At Hazlewood's suggestion, he started to play his guitar
differently by concentrating on the bottom end of the guitar strings. This, his debut US single, was the first to
feature the resulting trademark Twang, reaching #72. Eddy was a session man who eventually became
embarrassed by the simplicity of his sound, despite his popular billing as 'Duane Eddy His Twangy Guitar and
the Rebels'. His best-loved hit is undoubtedly 'The Peter Gunn Theme'. In 1987, Paul McCartney and George
Harrison helped Duane record his album 'Duane Eddy'.
8 – The World Is Waiting For The Sunrise - Les Paul and Mary Ford (Ernest Seitz/Gene Lockhart)
April 23 1960, and Paul and John play a Caversham pub as 'The Nerk Twins', opening with this number, which also wound up on the Forthlin Road tapes. Les Paul's name is synonymous with guitar music and guitars, in particular the Gibson Les Paul. From the 30s to 50s, Les dabbled in a number of musical areas, finding greatest success with his wife Mary Ford. Les & Mary's version of this standard was released in 1951. George would back Carl Perkins on 'The World…' on Carl's 1985 TV Special.
9 - That's When Your Heartaches Begin - Elvis Presley (Fred Fisher/ William Raskin/George Brown)
Back at Forthlin Road, the drummerless Quarry Men cover this Elvis number, a cover of an Inkspots original. On both sides of the Atlantic, it had been the B-side to 'All Shook Up'. Released in March/April 1957, the A-side reached #1 in the UK and US, while 'That's When…' made it to #58 in the US. Elvis Aaron Presley was born in Tupelo, Mississippi in January 1935. After some success on the highly influential Memphis based Sun label, he signed to RCA in 1955. The world has never been quite the same since. On March 28 1958, Elvis joined the US Army, and according to John Lennon, died the same day. Notwithstanding his artistic passing, the Beatles had an awkward meeting with Elvis on 27 August 1965.
10 - Wildcat - Gene Vincent & His Blue Caps (Aaron Schroeder/Wally Gold)
This Gene number was recorded twice at Forthlin Road. It charted in the UK in early 1960, reaching #21.
Virginian Vincent Eugene Craddock's leather clad image undoubtedly influenced the Beatles' Hamburg look.
Curiously, he acquired it in England when TV producer Jack Good decided he needed a look to match his
reputation. One of the original rock n roll bad boys, he was signed by Capitol in 1956 as their answer to Elvis.
Their optimism was sadly unfounded, as Gene scored only 2 US Top 20 hits, 'Be Bop A Lula' (see 19) and
'Lotta Lovin''. Gene turned to Europe after a US Musicians Union spat. In 1960, he and Eddie Cochran toured the UK to packed houses – genuine US rock 'n' roll heroes were in short supply. During April and May of 1961, the Beatles shared the Star Club bill with Gene, by now some years past his peak. Having toured the UK and Europe extensively during the 60s, including a night at the Cavern, Gene died in Los Angeles on October 12th 1971 of an alcohol-induced bleeding ulcer. Aged 36, he left 4 wives.
11 - Ain't She Sweet - Gene Vincent & His Blue Caps (Milton Agar/Jack Yellen)
And so to Hamburg. June 24 1961, and the Beatles' first professional recording. Needing a backing band for
Tony Sheridan, Bert Kaempfert chose the Beatles, having seen their stage act. By now, Pete Best was the
drummer. A number of acts, including Eddie Cantor, originally recorded this song in the 20's. The Beatles
rocked up Gene Vincent's version, a standby of their German club act, with John singing lead. In 1969, while
trying to record 'Get Back' bored, tired and looking for something to lift them, they would play it again, in
Gene's laid back style, as found on his 1956 'Bluejean Bop!' LP.
1 January 1962, and the Beatles travel to Decca's West Hampstead London studio for an audition. Tracks 12 to
18 were among the 15 numbers they played. Manager Brian Epstein had secured the audition, and hand picked
the songs to be aired; 3 originals and 12 covers. It was not a success. In February, word arrived that Decca
would not require the Beatles' services, as 'Guitar groups are on the way out', though this view would stop
Decca signing Brian Poole & the Tremeloes.
12 - Memphis Tennessee - Chuck Berry (Chuck Berry)
'Memphis…' would not be a hit in the UK for Chuck Berry until 1963, when it charted in the midst of
Beatlemania. A Beatle favourite, they would play it many times for the BBC. In the US, it crept out as the flip
to Chuck's 'Back In The USA' in July 1959. See disc 3 for a biography.
13 - Three Cool Cats - The Coasters (Jerry Leiber/Mike Stoller)
This track appeared as the B-side to the #2 US hit 'Charlie Brown' in February 1959. See disc 4 for a
biography.
14 - September In The Rain - Dinah Washington (Harry Warren/Al Dublin)
A #23 hit in the US, and a #35 UK hit, both in late 1961. 'Queen of the Blues' Dinah excelled in every area of
music, blues, jazz and R&B. Her declamatory style was often imitated, but never bettered. She teamed up
with Brook Benton to make the #1 R&B hits 'Baby (You've Got What It Takes)' and 'A Rockin' Good Way'. Born
Ruth Jones in Tuscaloosa Alabama, in 1924, Dinah led a turbulent life (7 marriages), and her music frequently
reflected it. Having abandoned R&B for lush covers of standards (like 'September…' and 'Red Sails…' see track
22),critics turned against her. 'September…' was her last US R&B hit, reaching #5. She died of an accidental
overdose in 1963, aged 39.
15 - Take Good Care Of My Baby - Bobby Vee (Gerry Goffin/Carole King)
At the time of the audition, Bobby Vee was in the middle of a series of UK hits. This song was on a chart run
that saw it reach #1 in the US and #3 in the UK, Bobby's biggest hit. His big break was to fill in for Buddy Holly
at an Iowa concert days after Buddy's sad death. That Vee ended up recording Brill Building material testifies
to the quality of his management. Ironically, the advent of the Beatles spelt the end of his era. For a very short time in 1959, Bob Dylan played piano in Vee's band calling himself Elston Gunnn. Bobby is still
performing, and can be found headlining oldies package tours.
16 - Crying, Waiting, Hoping - Buddy Holly (Buddy Holly)
Buddy's original version had been taped in his NYC apartment weeks before his death. His demo was
overdubbed with additional guitars, bass, drums, and backing vocals, and released in two different versions in
1959 and 1963. This is the second version, produced by Buddy's usual producer, Norman Petty and backed by the Dick Jacobs Orchestra and the Ray Charles Singers, though the Fabs' version echoes the first, produced by Jack Hansen, and backed by the Fireballs. The Hansen version was released in the US and UK in July/August 1959 as the b-side to 'Peggy Sue Got Married' (also overdubbed, and the single reached #13 in the UK. Despite being the first posthumous US single, it didn't chart, sadly reflecting Buddy's home
popularity.
17 – The Sheik of Araby - Fats Waller & His Orchestra (Harry B Smith/ Francis Wheeler/Ted Snyder)
Though we hear Fats Waller here, it is likely that the Beatles were influenced by Joe Brown's version (see disc
2 track 2). Fats recorded his version in 1938. Thomas 'Fats' Waller was unique. A Jazz pianist and singer, his
prime objective was always to entertain. In spite of a massive humorous bent, Fats never lost his credibility
with his Jazz contemporaries - probably because he was so good. Born the son of a preacher, he learnt to play
the organ in church. His songwriting partnership with lyricist Andy Razaf is considered one of the 20th
century's greatest, producing 3 musicals, and the classic 'Ain't Misbehavin''. Fats died of pneumonia aboard a
train in 1943, aged 39.
18 – Searchin' - The Coasters (Jerry Leiber/Mike Stoller)
The Fabs had been playing this song since 1957. One of The Coasters few UK hits, it hit #30 for 1 week in
September 1957. The Coasters had a good deal more success in the US, and this song reached #3 in the pop
chart, and topped the R&B chart for 12 weeks.The rest of disc 1 are songs performed by the Fabs at the Hamburg Star Club over Xmas 62. Now signed to
EMI, and with new drummer Ringo, the Beatles were seeing out their Hamburg obligations. In the week of the Hamburg
recording, 'Love Me Do' was climbing the UK chart.
19 - Be-Bop-A-Lula - Gene Vincent & His Blue Caps (Gene Vincent/ Sheriff Tex Davis)
'Be Bop A Lula' was Gene Vincent's trademark song, reaching #7 in the US pop chart, #8 in R&B and #16 in the
UK in summer 1956. How the song was written is less clear. Gene had been in the US Navy, but was injured in
a motorcycle accident, and met one Don Graves in a hospital ward. Legend has it that they wrote the song
together, and that Sheriff Tex saw Gene perform it, signed him up and paid Graves $25 for his credit. Another
version holds that Graves wrote it all himself, but sold it for $50, while a 3rd take is that Gene and producer
Tex really wrote it.
20 – Red Hot - Ronnie Hawkins (Billy Emerson)
Ronnie Hawkins was nicknamed 'Mr Dynamo'. Turned down by Sun in 1957, he started working regularly in
Canada. When his US band the Hawks decided to go home, he turned to a young group of Canadians as the new Hawks. They would later back Dylan and find fame as The Band. Ronnie's only hit was 'Mary Lou', which reached #27 on the US chart, though he is best known for 'Forty Days', his version of Chuck Berry's
'Thirty Days'. In 1969, John and Yoko stayed with Ronnie on his farm during their peace crusade and took the Hawkins to see Canada's Prime Minister Trudeau. 'Red Hot' can be found on Ronnie's debut 1960 LP, though it was written and recorded in 1955 by Billy 'The Kid' Emerson, while he was signed to
Sun.
21 - Sheila - Tommy Roe (Tommy Roe)
This was Tommy's debut hit, producing a #1 US and #3 UK hit in late 1962, even reaching #6 in the R&B chart. In March 1963, the Beatles toured with Roe and Chris Montez, and headlined, despite being booked as a support act. Somewhat unusual in that he wrote most of his songs, Tommy was born in Atlanta in 1942, and formed The Satins at high school. They recorded Tommy's 'Sheila' in 1960, and Tommy returned to the song when he got a recording contract with ABC. His biggest hit 'Dizzy' came some years later in 1969, though Tommy still tours on the nostalgia circuit.
22 – Red Sails In The Sunset – 'Big' Joe Turner (Jimmy Kennedy/Hugh Williams/Will Grosz)
The 1956 version by actor Tab Hunter (B-side to 'Young Love', it hit #57 in the US) might be the one that the
Beatles heard first. 'Big' Joe Turner, 'Boss of the Blues', was born in Kansas City in 1911. Joe was a Blues
'shouter' extraordinaire. In the 40s, he recorded for many labels, in many styles, before signing for Atlantic in
1950 and settling on R&B. 16 R&B top 10 hits flowed from 1951 to 1956; 'Honey Hush' (see d4t12), and 'Shake Rattle & Roll (d4t26) the best known. Seen as a father of rock 'n' roll, Big Joe worked regularly for the rest of his life. He suffered a fatal heart attack on November 24th 1985.
23 - I Remember You - Frank Ifield (John H Mercer/Victor Schertzinger)
Born in England, Frank emigrated to Australia as a kid, and returned a singer. In July 1962, he reached #1 in
the UK with his most enduring record 'I Remember You'. It was to be his sole US hit, reaching #5. What made him different was the yodel. 'I remember you oo oo oo oo.'. He yodelled a lot - one song was 'She Taught Me How To Yodel'. He had other hits (three UK #1s) but by 1964 Frank was no longer a force to be reckoned
with. Just a month before the Hamburg recording, the Beatles supported Frank in Northampton. In front of Frank's fans, they bombed.
24 - Shimmy Like Kate – The Olympics (Armond Piron/Fred Smith/Cliff Goldsmith)
A minor #42 US and #45 UK hit in September 1960 and January 1961 respectively. Coasters soundalikes The Olympics recorded several hits in the late '50's and early '60's, most notably 'Western Movies', which reached #8 in the Hot 100. They were formed at high school in Compton, LA. The four Olympics to be heard on this tune were Walter Ward, Eddie Lewis, Charles Fizer and Melvin King. Fizer was killed in the 1965 Watts riots. Ward and Lewis still play and record as The Olympics. (I Wish I Could) Shimmy Like (My Sister) Kate is an old Dixie jazz tune, sung by the Virginians in 1922. Oddly, Pete Best chose to cover the song on his 1965 debut LP.
25 - Falling In Love Again - Marlene Dietrich (Sammy Lerner/Friedrich Hollaender)
Sung by Marlene in the film 'The Blue Angel' in 1930. The Beatles' version could be down to either Paul's
fondness for standards, or perhaps an attempt to 'Germanify' their act for Hamburg. Maria Magdelene Dietrich
was born near Berlin in 1901. She starred in a few German features before being spotted and cast as a cabaret
singer who beguiles a professor in 'The Blue Angel'. The film was an international success, and launched
Dietrich as a major star, with all the trappings and tantrums that entails. She died a recluse in Paris, in 1982.
If you want to know what the fuss was about, try 1939's 'Destry Rides Again'.
26 - Where Have You Been - Arthur Alexander (Barry Mann/Cynthia Weil)
Arthur Alexander was a particular favourite of John's. This tune hit #58 on the Billboard hot 100 in May 1962.
Gene Vincent released a cover of the song as a single when he signed to British EMI in 1963. See disc 3 for a
biography.
27 - Your Feet's Too Big - Fats Waller (Ada Benson/Fred Fisher)
Fats' version was recorded in 1939. It was itself a cover of an Inkspots original from 1935. Also recorded by
Chubby Checker in 1960, and to be found on Chubby's 'For Twisters Only' LP, (a twisting selection of rock n
roll favourites) which made #8 in the US album chart in the same year, though it only reached #17 on the UK LP chart in March 1962.
28 - Little Queenie - Chuck Berry (Chuck Berry)
The 'Get Back' sessions would see the Fabs return to this tune, the flip to 'Almost Grown' from April 1959.
'Little Queenie' reached the dizzy heights of #80 on the Billboard pop chart.
29 - Road Runner - Bo Diddley (Ellas McDaniel)
Bomp Da Bomp- Bomp Bomp-Bomp. No, not 'I Want Candy', or 'Not Fade Away', it's the unmistakable sound of Bo Diddley. He found it in trying to replicate drum sounds on his guitar. Road Runner hit #20 in the R&B chart and #75 in the Hot 100 in April 1960 for the man born Ellas Bates McDaniel in Mississippi, in 1928. Small wonder that he changed his name to Bo Diddley – a one stringed African guitar. Signed in 1955 to Checker (after being turned down by Vee-Jay), Bo had his biggest hit with his very first single – Bo Diddley/I'm A Man – which topped the R&B chart. A series of late 50s hits followed, but Bo never found the success that his talent merits, a situation he summed up; 'I opened the door for a lot of people, and they just ran through and left me holding the knob...' A number of his records had his name in the title ('Hey Bo Diddley', 'Diddley Daddy', 'Story Of Bo Diddley', 'Bo Diddley Is Loose' ...) and many of them confirmed that, yes indeed, he was, and is, indisputably Bo Diddley.
30 - Reminiscing - Buddy Holly (King Curtis)
A posthumous #17 hit in the UK in September 1962, the song did not chart back in the US. Norman Petty
supervised an overdub session by the Fireballs over Buddy and the Crickets' original.