The Beatles (165 page)

George… had remained in touch
: Best & Doncaster,
Beatle!,
p. 28.

“
real pounding rock ’n roll drummer
”: Harry Prytherch in Leigh,
Drummed Out!,
p. 43.

Best told one interviewer
: “My mother took a phone call from Paul McCartney. He said that they had an offer to go to Germany and needed a drummer.” Leigh,
Let’s Go Down the Cavern,
p. 37.

“
I’d always liked them
”: Davies,
Beatles,
p. 70.

“
He was absent too much
”: Author interview with Helen Anderson, 11/4/97.

“
feared the worst
”: Coleman,
Lennon,
p. 116.

Over Jim’s objections
: “My dad’s catch phrase was always get a job first… a serious job.” Mike McCartney in Pritchard & Lysaght,
The Beatles,
p. 38.

“
I didn’t want to go back
”: Davies,
Beatles,
p. 72.

“
buy… lots of things
”: M. McCartney,
Thank U Very Much
(unnumbered).

Paul invited Allan Williams
: “To stamp the seal of approval on things, Paul brought Alan [sic] Williams to the house.” Ibid.

“
a respectable and kind person
”: Bill Harry interview with Pauline Sutcliffe (audio), undated.

“
Allan didn’t entirely tell… the whole truth
”: Ibid.

They’d arrived at dusk
: Williams, “Liverpool Scene,” p. 84.

“
mile of sin
”:
Insight Guides: Germany,
p. 290.

“
It was an ‘anything goes’ kind of place
”: Author interview with Adrian Barber, 2/29/00.

“
was depressing
”: Best & Harry,
Best Years,
p. 45.

By contract, the Beatles
: Lewisohn,
Chronicle,
p. 24 (photo).

“
You can’t imagine the work
”: Author interview with Ray Ennis, 10/1/97.

“
were… far too deadpan
”: Williams, “Liverpool Scene,” p. 93.

“
the sexiest music of all
”: Riley,
Tell Me Why,
p. 59.

“
C’mon, boys… make a show
”: Lewisohn,
Chronicle,
p. 23, and reported variously in almost every book written about the Beatles, including Miles, Coleman, Davies, Best & Harry, and
Anthology.

“
powerhouse music
”: Best & Harry,
Best Years,
p. 47.

“
After a few weeks
”: Author interview with Johnny Byrne, 10/8/97.

“
possible to pass the whole night
”: Jürgen Vollmer, 12/84, AGA.

“
Eating wasn’t part of the equation
”: Author interview with Howie Casey, 10/27/97.

“
baptism by fire
”: Author interview with Bill Harry, 8/4/97.

“
filthy, dirty, and disgusting
”: Author interview with Howie Casey, 10/27/97.

“
the black holes of Calcutta
”: Pete Best in Pritchard & Lysaght,
The Beatles,
p. 50.

“
It was freezing cold
”: Author interview with Johnny Byrne, 10/8/97.

“
We used to work the hell out of it
”: Miles,
Paul McCartney,
p. 59.

Rosa Hoffman
: “Mutti’s real name was Rosa Hoffman. She was born on April 21, 1900, and died March 15, 1988.” Letter, Erich Weber to Bill Harry, 6/21/97.

“
We thought they were a pretty scruffy bunch
”: Author interview with Howie Casey, 10/27/97.

“
Crank it up, Pete
”: Best & Harry,
Best Years,
p. 50.

the “most absurd request
”:
Author interview with John Frankland, 10/6/97.

“
Mr. Showmanship
”: Author interview with Bob Wooler, 10/30/97.

“
crumby
”: “Rory Storm and the Hurricanes came out here the other week, and they are crumby.” Letter, George Harrison to Arthur Kelly (undated).

“
und
the Beatles
”: poster, belonging to Johnny Byrne; also John Lowe in Gottfridsson,
From Cavern to Star-Club,
p. 54 (photo).

By all accounts, they were paid more
: Clayson,
Straight Man,
p. 38.

“
blow these guys off the stage
”: Best & Harry,
Best Years,
p. 53.

Vi Caldwell… kept Paul in cigarettes
: Author interview with Iris Caldwell Fenton, 9/10/97.

“
the prettiest girl
”: Author interview with Bill Harry, 8/5/97.

“
Every night was another… jam
”: Author interview with Johnny Byrne, 10/8/97.

216–17 “
It was such an incredible number
”: Ibid.

“
I pay five men!
”: Ibid.

“
There was a stunned
”: Best & Harry,
Best Years,
p. 78.

“
the guy tried to climb up
”: Author interview with Gibson Kemp, 8/12/97.

“
like winning the lottery
”: Author interview with John Frankland, 10/6/97.

“
he fixed [them] up
”: Author interview with Howie Casey, 10/27/97.

“
German customers would say
”: Best & Harry,
Best Years,
p. 78.

mobsters “would come in late at night
”: Miles,
Paul McCartney,
p. 66.

“
they were so exhausted
”: Lewisohn,
Chronicle,
p. 23.

“
Once you had a few beers
”: Author interview with Ray Ennis, 10/1/97.

“
gobbled them down
”: Miles,
Paul McCartney,
p. 66.

“
eating Prellie sandwiches
”: Letter, George Harrison to Arthur Kelly (undated).

“
was dodgy… you could get a little too wired
”: Miles,
Paul McCartney,
p. 67.

“
We tried any number of crazy things
”: Author interview with Johnny Byrne, 10/8/97.

“
like a waterbed
”: Ibid.

“
high-class call girls
”: Best & Harry,
Best Years,
p. 74.

“
Nobody really looked at the stage
”: Jürgen Vollmer, 12/84, AGA.

“
rockers
”: “The rockers were exactly like the Beatles—rough.” Ibid.

Eventually, during a break
: Norman,
Shout!,
p. 97.

In fact, Stuart had spotted all three
: “They wandered into the club about a week ago and seated themselves at a table near the band, where I soon became aware of them.” Letter, Stuart Sutcliffe to Susan Williams, 10/60.

“
typical bohemians
”: Ibid.

The three, it turned out
: “Stuart, we knew immediately, was one of us.” Jürgen Vollmer, 12/84, AGA.

“
The minute she walked into a room
”: Author interview with Bill Harry, 8/5/97.

Neither outwardly personable
: “Astrid was always… unsocial, she was always a loner.” Jürgen Vollmer, 8/84, AGA.

“
She had a tremendous feel
”: Author interview with Gibson Kemp, 8/12/97.

“
I had never met anybody like them
”: Letter, Stuart Sutcliffe to Susan Williams, 10/60.

“
My impression was that Stuart
”: Jürgen Vollmer, 12/84, AGA.

“
exis
”: “ ‘Exis,’ that’s what I called them.” Davies,
Beatles,
p. 83.

“
totally and immediately fascinated
”: Jürgen Vollmer, 8/82, AGA.

“
It was like a merry-go-round
”: Astrid Kirchherr in Pritchard & Lysaght,
The Beatles,
p. 48.

der Dom
: Norman,
Shout!,
p. 97.

“
Cocteau phase
”: Jürgen Vollmer, 8/82, AGA.

He proved more than capable
: “What They Played,” Lewisohn,
Chronicle,
pp. 361–65.

“
a very charming image
”: Jürgen Vollmer, 8/82, AGA.

“
I was always practical
”: Miles,
Paul McCartney,
p. 65.

“
weak link
”:
Ibid.

“
I have definitely decided to pack in
”: Letter, Stuart Sutcliffe to Susan Williams, 10/60.

“
He was always kidding
”: Jürgen Vollmer, 8/82, AGA.

“
But he just seemed to take it
”: Author interview with Bill Harry, 8/2/97.

occupied by a peep show
: Lewisohn,
Chronicle,
p. 23.

Sheridan’s repertoire
: Author interview with Johnny Frankland, 10/6/97.

“
He would play solos
”: Author interview with Johnny Byrne, 10/8/97.

“
He’d get guitar diarrhea
”: Author interview with Gibson Kemp, 8/12/97.

“
In the end
”: Author interview with Johnny Byrne, 10/8/97.

“
We suddenly realized
”: Best & Harry,
Best Years,
p. 82.

along with a clause that forbade
: Author interview with Johnny Byrne, 10/8/97.

Eckhorn recognized
: “They came to me…. I liked them and offered them a contract.” Davies,
Beatles,
p. 87.

He terminated the Beatles’ contract
: Lewisohn,
Chronicle,
p. 24.

The band was required to make an announcement
: Miles,
Paul McCartney,
p. 70.

“
So I had to leave
”: Davies,
Beatles,
p. 87.

“
This gave us just enough light
”: Best & Harry,
Best Years,
p. 82.

“
attempting to burn down
”: Ibid., p. 83.

“
felt ashamed
”: Davies,
Beatles,
p. 89.

A week before Christmas
: “Oddly, it was George and I who made the first moves, running around town in search of venues to play.” Best & Doncaster,
Beatle!,
p. 81.

“
disgruntled and very angry
”: C. Lennon,
A Twist,
p. 52.

Williams was in no mood
: “There’s nothing I can do for you at the moment,” he told them. “I’m up to my eyes in trouble.” Williams, “Liverpool Scene,” p. 113.

“
job for life”/“drinking heavily
”: Author interview with Bob Wooler, 10/30/97.

“
She was always there
”: Best & Doncaster,
Beatle!,
p. 81.

“
She gave them the kind of work
”: Author interview with Bob Wooler, 10/30/97.

The Seniors had played there
: Davies,
Beatles,
p. 91.

“
a revelation to behold
”: Author interview with Bill Harry, 8/4/97.

“
and had the nerve to play
”: John Cochrane in Leigh,
Drummed Out!,
p. 19.

“
We’d been pussyfooting
”: Pat Clusky in ibid.

“
were utterly,
utterly
devastated
”: Bill Harry interview with Pauline Sutcliffe (audio), undated.

He had written before Christmas
: Ibid.

“
He didn’t seem keen
”: Letter, Stuart Sutcliffe to Pauline Sutcliffe, 12/24/60.

“
anybody would be taking her son
”: Bill Harry interview with Pauline Sutcliffe (audio), undated.

“
picking on him
”: Davies,
Beatles,
p. 98.

“
Come home sooner
”: Letter, George Harrison to Stuart Sutcliffe, 12/16/60.

Without a bass
: Gottfridsson,
From Cavern to Star-Club,
p. 64.

“
put Liverpool on the map
”: Ray McFall in Leigh,
Let’s Go Down the Cavern,
p. 26.

“
doing the jazzy-type stuff
”: Author interview with Ray Ennis, 10/1/97.

An ersatz ventilation pipe
: Leigh,
Let’s Go Down to the Cavern,
p. 24.

“
The Cavern was a shithole
”: Author interview with Adrian Barber, 10/4/97.

“
At first, it was difficult to breathe
”: Author interview with Bob Wooler, 10/30/97.

“
It was as if they’d gone
”: Author interview with Dot Rhone Becker, 11/19/98.

“
Lovely lovely lovely… Cyn
”:
Hello!,
5/7/94.

“
John was a flirt
”: Ibid.

For months, Peter Eckhorn
: Miles,
Paul McCartney,
pp. 74–75.

Pete Best worked the same
: Best & Doncaster,
Beatle!,
p. 89.

Impervious to his parents’ dismay
: “They were going to be together and that was that, whether we liked it or not.” Bill Harry interview with Pauline Sutcliffe (audio), undated.

In January he had been beaten
: Millie Sutcliffe in Pritchard & Lysaght,
The Beatles,
pp. 60–61; Best & Harry,
Best Years,
p. 92.

John also broke
: Best & Harry,
Best Years,
p. 92; Aspinall,
Rave,
1966; also “John dived to Stuart’s defense and got his finger broken in the process.”
Hello!,
5/7/94.

“
We’d listen to both sides
”: Best & Harry,
Best Years,
p. 99.

they “clubbed together
”: “NEMS had fantastic listening booths. They’d take a stack of records in there and if someone really loved one…” Author interview with Gibson Kemp, 8/12/97.

“
If someone got out of line
”: Author interview with Adrian Barber, 8/4/97.

“
He liked us backing him
”: Best & Harry,
Best Years,
p. 106.

powsas
: C. Lennon,
A Twist,
p. 57.

“
Here’s something to keep
”: Best & Doncaster,
Beatle!,
p. 95.

“
in letters from Germany
”: Bill Harry interview with Pauline Sutcliffe (audio), undated.

“
It was loose
”: Author interview with Beryl Williams, 11/2/97.

“
[It] struck me as being
”: Williams, “Liverpool Scene,” p. 123.

Stuart’s follow-up letter
: Ibid.

“
he wasn’t disappointed
”: Author interview with Beryl Williams, 11/2/97.