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All Things Must Pass

All Things Must Pass

Happy anniversary

Released November 27, 1970

George Harrison’s “All Things Must Pass”

When Apple Records released George Harrison’s All Things Must Pass triple-album on November 27, 1970, many fans thought that George had finally written some songs. Though Beatle albums typically had a song or two by him, the Lennon-McCartney juggernaut ruled. He was seen as an important member only in terms of his playing.

In Rolling Stone’s January 21, 1971 review of the album,  Ben Gerson described Harrison as the “…young, vulnerable George the craftsman, bent over his Gretch in concert, making sure that every lick was as good as it was on record; the perfectionist who would later dismiss the majority of Beatle music as “rubbish”; briefly Haight — Ashbury George, with eyeglasses, like Lolita’s, in the shape of valentines; humble George, Ravi Shankar’s student; holy George.”

In reality, Harrison had written most of the album’s songs in the 60s. He had said, “Well before I started, I knew I was gonna make a good album because I had so many songs and I had so much energy. For me to do my own album after all that — it was joyous. Dream of dreams.

What follows is a bit of the album’s recording chronology  based on the booklet that came with its 50th anniversary re-release. as well as from the excellent Beatle Bible site. I have listed each song in the order it appeared on the original album.

All Things Must Pass

Studio Three Abbey Road

All Things Must Pass

On May 26, 1970, George Harrison, Ringo, and Klaus Voorman recorded demos for 15 songs. The next day, Harrison alone played 15 more songs for Phil Spector, the person Harrison wanted to produce the album.

Seventeen of those 30 songs would became part of the first two of the eventual three disc release.

Spector would say, “I was working with John [Lennon] on the Plastic Ono Band. I went to George’s Friar Park…and he said, “I have a few ditties for you to hear.” It was endless! He had literally hundreds of songs and each one was better than the rest…”

All Things Must Pass

Side One

All Things Must Pass

 

I’d Have You Anytime

Let me in here; I know I’ve been here

In November 1968, the Band had invited Harrison for Thanksgiving.  Bob Dylan lived nearby in Byrdcliffe and by 1968 both musicians were choosing to retreat from fame’s glare.. Harrison, a Dylan fan (Blonde on Blonde was the only album Harrison had brought on his 1968 trip to India) went to visit Bob.

The two, unable to resist, took out their guitars and played riffs for each other. Harrison played his still incomplete I’d Have You Anytime and encouraged Dylan to contribute. The two prodigious talents combined and created I’d Have You Anytime which became the  album’s opening track.

Begun on May 26 and completed on June 4, 1970.

George Harrison: vocals, guitar
Eric Clapton: lead guitar
Klaus Voormann: bass guitar
Alan White: drums
Uncredited: xylophone

My Sweet Lord

I really want to be with you.

George Harrison’s recording of My Sweet Lord (26 & 28 May 1970) was not the first one.  In January 1970, he had been working with Billy Preston on his second album, Encouraging Words(a great album that needs its own post). George gave Preston both My Sweet Lord and All Things Must Pass for the album  which would come out two months before Harrison’s.

According to Harrison, he was “just thinking of a way to combine Hallelujah and Hare Krishna…” and that the inspiration was really the Edwin Hawkins Singers Oh Happy Day. Unfortunately, others thought he’d ripped off the Chiffon’s He’s So Fine. 

George Harrison: vocals, backing vocals, slide guitar
Eric Clapton, Pete Ham, Tom Evans, Joey Molland: acoustic rhythm guitar
Billy Preston: piano
Klaus Voormann: bass guitar
Gary Wright: electric piano
Ringo Starr: tambourine
Andy White: drums
Mike Gibbins: tambourine
Bobby Whitlock: vocals
Uncredited: harmonium

Wah-Wah

Wah-wah–you made me such a big star.

A song’s inspiration varies wildly. In January 1969, the Beatles were involved with their Let It Be album. There was a lot of tension. Ringo had already “quit” (in 1968 and come back) and now George decided to do the same.

Obviously, he came back, too, but at home he wrote Wah-Wah.  Harrison ‘s initial reaction after recording the song for his album was disappointment, but other voices disagreed and he grew to like it as well.

Recorded May 27 and 28, 1970.

George Harrison: guitar, vocals, backing vocals
Eric Clapton: guitar
Pete Ham, Tom Evans, Joey Molland: acoustic rhythm guitar
Klaus Voormann: bass guitar
Billy Preston, Gary Wright: keyboards
Ringo Starr: drums
Jim Price: trumpet
Bobby Keys: saxophone
Mike Gibbins: tambourine

Isn’t It A Pity (version one)

Somethings take so long, but how do I I explain?

George had written Isn’t It A Pity in 1966 and considered for inclusion on the Revolver album. It was recorded by the band in 1969 during the Let It Be sessions, but again was excluded.

He had even considered offering the song to Frank Sinatra (who did record Yesterday and Something). 

Rolling Stone Magazine would accuse  the song of borrowing from I Am the Walrus and Hey Jude.  An impossibility, since Harrison had written the song before both songs.

Recorded May 26 and 29 and June 2, 1970.

George Harrison: vocals, backing vocals, slide guitar
Pete Ham, Tom Evans, Joey Molland: acoustic rhythm guitar
Klaus Voormann: bass guitar
Tony Ashton: piano
Billy Preston, Gary Wright: keyboards
Ringo Starr: drums
Mike Gibbins: tambourine

All Things Must Pass

Side Two

What Is Life

What I know I can do; if I give my love to everyone like you

All Things Must PassWhile George Harrison was producing That’s the Way God Planned It, Billy Preston’s first album, he wrote What Is Life for it. In fact, he wrote it in about 15 minutes on his way to Olympic Sound Studios, but Harrison decided it wasn’t right for the album.

He recorded it on May 26, Jun 22 & 23, and July 3, 1970.

George Harrison: vocals, guitar
Eric Clapton: guitar
Pete Ham, Tom Evans, Joey Molland: acoustic rhythm guitar
Carl Radle: bass guitar
Bobby Whitlock: piano
Jim Price: trumpet
Bobby Keys: saxophone
Jim Gordon: drums
Mike Gibbins: tambourine

If Not For You

I’d be sad and blue if not for you.

Harrison recorded Bob Dylan’s If Not For You on May 27 and on June 4 & 5, 1970. It should again be noted how each of the album’s “regular” songs (as opposed to jams) was first recorded on two days: May 26 and May 27, 1970. In fact, it was the last of the 30 songs Harrison demoed. Who wouldn’t have wanted to be around the studio those two days!

By the way, those demos are available on the 50th anniversary release and remastering of the album.

This, though, was not the first time Harrison had recorded the song. He’d been with Dylan in New York’s Columbia Recording Studio on May 8 helping him record the song for his New Morning album.

George Harrison: vocals, acoustic guitar, dobro, harmonica
Klaus Voormann: bass guitar
Gary Wright: piano
Billy Preston: organ
Alan White: drums
Ringo Starr: tambourine

Behind That Locked Door

Please forget those teardrops.

Obviously Harrison and Dylan were close. In August of 1969 when Bob Dylan didn’t play Woodstock but did play the Isle of Wight Festival, Harrison wrote Behind That Locked Door while staying with Dylan on Wight.

Harrison loved the sound of Pete Drake’s pedal steel guitar on Bob Dylan’s Lay Lady Lay so much that Harrison hired Drake to come over and play on Behind That Locked Door as well as a few others.

As impressed as Harrison may have been with Drake, well, let’s let Pete tell the story an interview he did for Guitar Player Magazine. “His name, you know, just didn’t ring any bells-well, I’m just a hillbilly, you know (laughter). Anyway, I ended up going to London for a week where we did the album All Things Must Pass.”

And a second by the way, it was during the recording sessions that Pete met Ringo Starr, who later asked Pete to produce his solo album. It was recorded in Nashville in June of 1970.

George Harrison: vocals, guitar
Pete Drake: pedal steel guitar
Klaus Voormann: bass guitar
Gary Wright: piano
Billy Preston: organ
Alan White: drums

Let It Down

‘Though you sit in another chair I can feel you here.

Let It Down is another example of a Harrison song offered to, but rejected the Beatles.He wrote the song in late 1968 and showed the song to the others on the first day of the Let It Be sessions.

He tried again with the group and the second time included Billy Preston.

The All Things Must Pass album version includes Ringo and Billy, but also includes the nascent Derek and the Dominoes: Bobby Whitlock, Carl Radle, Jim Gordon, and Eric Clapton as well as old friend Klaus Voormann,  Gary Wright (Spooky Tooth), Alan White, and three members of Badfinger.

Specifically:

George Harrison: vocals, backing vocals, guitar
Eric Clapton: backing vocals, guitar
Bobby Whitlock: backing vocals
Pete Ham, Tom Evans, Joey Molland: acoustic rhythm guitar
Carl Radle: bass guitar
Gary Wright: organ
Gary Brooker: piano
Jim Price: trumpet
Bobby Keys: saxophone
Jim Gordon: drums

The Dominoes “deal” was that they’d play on All Things if George allowed Phil Spector to produce some of their album.

Quite the lineup and quite a deal.

The song was demoed on May 27 and the full band recorded it on June 24, 1970.

Run Of The Mill

Everyone has choice, when to and not to raise their voices.

George wrote Run of the Mill shortly after the Let It Be sessions ended. He said of it, “I liked the words…. It was the first song I ever wrote that looked like a poem on paper.”

It was recorded on May 27 & 29 and June 24 & 30.

Many note that the song reflects Harrison’s frustration with the Beatles continued dismissal of his song offerings, yet his acceptance by such as Bob Dylan and Eric Clapton.

George Harrison: vocals, guitar
Carl Radle: bass guitar
Gary Wright: piano
Bobby Whitlock: harmonium
Jim Price: trumpet
Bobby Keys: saxophone
Jim Gordon: drums

All Things Must Pass

Side Three

Beware of Darkness

The pain that often mingles in your fingertips

 

Beware of Darkness was the last song George had written before recording the album and it was still in flux. He’d written it at home when some of his friends from the Radha Krishna temple were staying.

Like the other songs, he’d demoed it, this one on May 27. The group recording occurred on June 22 and 23, 1970 in Abbey Road’s Studio Three.

The song’s big sound is from the fact that there were two drummers, two bass players (Klaus Voorman, Carl Radle), and three guitarists (George, Eric Clapton, and Dave Mason).

Specifically:

George Harrison: vocals, guitar
Eric Clapton: electric guitar
Dave Mason: acoustic guitar
Klaus Voorman & Carl Radle: bass guitar
Bobby Whitlock: piano
Gary Wright: organ
Ringo Starr & Alan White: drums
Uncredited: xylophone

Apple Scruffs

I’ve watched you sitting there–seen the passers by all stare

According to a 2014 article by William Shaw in Rolling Stone Magazine, “The Apple Scruffs were a tiny but intense group of (mostly) young women who gained their name from the thick coats and sweaters they wore against the London cold, and from hanging around the Georgian doorstep of 3, Savile Row, London, the address of the Beatles’ Apple headquarters. This was their meeting place, from the late sixties up to the Beatle’s disintegration and even beyond. Even their names have become semi-legendary over the years: among the circle were the ringleader Margo who later became the Apple tea-girl, Sue-John, the Lennon fan, so called to distinguish herself from other Scruff Sues, Tommy – the gay Brooklynite – who loved the band, but, he told his fellow Scruffs, “not in that way.”

The Beatles Bible site quote’s Bobby Keys from Graeme Thomson’s Behind The Locked Door: “There was always a little knot of them. They weren’t fashion model types, they were just little girls – just kids. He always took time to have a word with them, and I seem to remember him going out with tea for them sometimes when it was cold. I was impressed with how caring he was about these girls. I’ve been around a lot of other folks who have quite a different way of dealing with people, let’s put it that way.”

George appreciated their dedication so much, he wrote this ode to and for them. He even invited those who were outside the studio one July 1970 July day to come in and listen. He told them, “Sit down. I’ve got something to play for you.” He told them the song would be on his album, but left as the song started.

That was George.

George Harrison: vocals, guitar, harmonica
Mal Evans: percussion

Ballad Of Sir Frankie Crisp (Let It Roll)

Fools illusions everywhere

I’m sure I had no idea who Frankie Crisp was when I first saw this title and then heard the song. I’d learned with Rubber Soul that lyrics are not what they seem to be, that lyrics are open to interpretation.

Even with the album’s 2021 booklet, I’m still not sure what the connection between the name of the song and the parenthetical title is, but there’s always the fallible omniscient internet

Songfacts saysThis song was inspired by the English lawyer, Sir Frank Crisp (1843-1919), who was the original owner of Friar Park, which Harrison purchased in 1970. A keen horticulturist, he developed spectacular public gardens in his mansion’s grounds.

And that: The lyrics are derived from phrases inscribed around the grounds at Friar Park. The song has been described as a love song to the house made with its own words.

And as you may know already, the album’s cover photo  is George on his Friar Park Estate.

George Harrison: vocals, guitar
Pete Drake: pedal steel guitar
Bobby Whitlock: piano
Billy Preston: organ
Gary Wright: electric piano
Klaus Voormann: bass guitar
Alan White: drums

Awaiting On You All

The Lord is waiting on you all to awaken and see

Despite the fact that the song’s germ simply  began with George thinking, “You don’t need a…you don’t need a…” it took awhile to reach it’s studio delivery on June June 26 in Abbey Road Studio Two. 25 takes.

According to the Beatles Bible:

The first solo outings after the implosion of The Beatles all portrayed the former members’ key interests of the time. For John Lennon it was Primal Therapy and casting off the weight of his past; Paul McCartney celebrated his home life with his new wife Linda; and Ringo Starr performed an album of standards from his childhood.

For George Harrison, the primary quest was for spiritual contentment. He had all the riches and fame one could wish for, but his needs and desires transcended the earthly.

George Harrison: vocals, guitar
Eric Clapton: guitar
Klaus Voormann, Carl Radle: bass guitar
Jim Price: trumpet
Bobby Keys: saxophone
Jim Gordon: drums

All Things Must Pass

Daylight is good at arriving at the right time

The song’s inspiration came from Timothy Leary’s Psychedelic Prayers and Other Meditations in which was a translation of  All Things Pass, a  poem by Lao Tzu.

George also said that When I wrote All Things Must Pass I was trying to do a Robbie Robertson–Band sort of tune and that is what it turned into.”

And in his mind, he heard Levon Helm singing it.

This was another song that the Beatles had rehearsed during the 1969 Let It Be sessions, but not used.

George Harrison: vocals, guitar
Eric Clapton: backing vocals, guitar
Pete Drake: pedal steel guitar
Bobby Whitlock: backing vocals, piano
Klaus Voormann: bass guitar
Ringo Starr, Jim Gordon: drums

Side Four

All Things Must Pass

I Dig Love

But you should give love,  and try to live love

As a Beatle, George Harrison was not a slide guitar player. On December 1, 1969 Harrison attended the  Delaney and Bonnie Bramlett concert at the Albert Hall in London. The following night he joined them on stage in Bristol, for his first stage appearance since The Beatles’ final concert on 29 August 1966.

Before the gig, Delaney handed a slide guitar to George and said, “Oh, you play the slide part.” Dave Mason had played it on their record. And so the slide guitar and what became part of his signature sound from that point on entered his music.

The demo version of the song (May 26, 1969) was more upbeat than the recording they did on June 2.

George Harrison: vocals, guitar
Eric Clapton, Dave Mason: guitar
Klaus Voormann: bass guitar
Bobby Whitlock: organ
Gary Wright: electric piano
Billy Preston: piano
Ringo Starr, Jim Gordon: drums

Art of Dying

There’ll come a time when all of us must leave here

Much of the spiritual basis in George Harrison’s music can be traced back to his Within You and Without You  which appeared on the Sgt Pepper album.  The sound had first been heard on Norwegian Wood

The idea behind Art of Dying, which Harrison wrote in 1966, can be found in The Psychedelic Experience: A Manual Based on the Tibetan Book of the Dead by Timothy Leary, Ralph Metzner, and Richard Albert (Ram Das).

George said, “…everybody’s worried about dying, but he cause of death, which nobody can figure out, unless you’re diseased, but the cause of death is birth. So, if you don’t wanna die, don’t get born.”

Art Of Dying is one of the album’s tracks which deployed Spector’s Wall of Sound to its greatest extent. Recording began on 29 May 1970 , but the final version was take 26, taped on 1 July.

George Harrison: vocals, guitar
Eric Clapton: lead guitar
Carl Radle: bass guitar
Bobby Whitlock: piano
Gary Wright: electric piano
Billy Preston: organ
Jim Price: trumpet
Bobby Keys: saxophone
Jim Gordon: drums
Phil Collins: congas

Isn’t It A Pity (Version Two)

After recording Isn’t It A Pity  in various ways, Harrison decided he didn’t like the first more up-tempo version and slowed it down. Later, he revised his evaluation and decided he liked both versions. Thus he included both on the album.

From Beatles BibleThe song was one of the album’s oldest; Harrison wrote it in 1966, found no outlet for it in The Beatles. He attempted to introduce the group to it on 25 and 26 January 1969, towards the end of the Get Back/Let It Be sessions, but to no avail.

Recorded on May 27, June 24, and July 1, 1969.

George Harrison: vocals, backing vocals, slide guitar
Eric Clapton: electric guitar
Pete Ham, Tom Evans, Joey Molland: acoustic rhythm guitar
Carl Radle: bass guitar
Tony Ashton: piano
Bobby Whitlock: organ
Ringo Starr: drums
Mike Gibbins: tambourine

Hear Me Lord

There’s no place that you’re not in

George wrote the song over a weekend and presented it to the Beatles during their Let It Be session on January 6, 1969. The song was declined.

Beatles Bible:  On that date…”He first played the song on an acoustic guitar, then several times on an electric guitar with wah-wah pedal. An attempt at putting forward the song ‘All Things Must Pass’ on the same day was met with similar indifference by the rest of The Beatles.”

Hear Me Lord is the last song on the main part of the album. He did not mention it in his autobiography, I Me Mine, and only performed it live on one known occasion.

George Harrison: vocals, guitar
Eric Clapton: guitar
Carl Radle: bass guitar
Gary Wright: piano
Bobby Whitlock: organ
Billy Preston: keyboards
Jim Price: trumpet
Bobby Keys: saxophone
Jim Gordon: drum

All Things Must Pass

Side FiveOut of the Blue

As if we hadn’t had enough outstanding music from the too-often dismissed George Harrison, the album gave us a bonus third disc: Apple Jam. He wanted it to be considered as a separate part of the whole package and thus had a different label than the first two discs.

As mentioned above, Eric Clapton et al were in the process of creating the album that would eventually become Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs and mainly recorded in Miami, Florida with Tom Dowd and not Phil Spector. Just as the band members had been an integral part of the All Things Must Pass album, George was in the studio with them.

Luckily for us, recording engineer Phil McDonald was around and astute enough to record the jams that the musicians did between doing takes.

On 2 July 1970, he recorded what he labeled ‘Jam 3’ . It would became ‘Out Of The Blue’ and was based around a single-chord riff, and featured an extended solo by saxophonist Bobby Keys. [Beatles Bible]

George Harrison: guitar
Klaus Voormann: guitar
Carl Radle: bass guitar
Gary Wright: organ
Bobby Whitlock: piano
Jim Price: trumpet
Bobby Keys: saxophone
Jim Gordon: drums

It’s Johnny’s Birthday

October 9 is John Lennon’s birthday. On October 7 (1970), George was in Studio Three mixing songs for the album when he recorded It’s Johnny’s Birthday for John.

As much as the relationships among the Beatles had deteriorated,  it is interesting to see George’s acknowledgement of John’s birthday, even if he borrowed the tune from Cliff Richard’s “Congratulations.”

From Beatles Bible: Although originally given a composer credit to George Harrison, the song takes its melody from Cliff Richard’s 1968 hit ‘Congratulations’. In December 1970, that song’s composers Bill Martin and Phil Coulter filed a claim for royalties, and subsequent pressings of the album had the credits amended to acknowledge Martin and Coulter’s contributions.

George Harrison: vocals
Mal Evans: vocals
Eddie Klein: vocals

‘It’s Johnny’s Birthday’ was the only one of the five Apple Jam tracks to feature vocals. The backing track features a fairground organ and percussion backing, although no performer credits are known.

Plug Me In

On June 18, 1970, Phil Spector and George Harrison were in Studio Three with Derek and the Dominoes. It was their first recording session. That day, Phil produced Tell the Truth and Roll It Over which would become the band’s first single. George and Dave Mason were on guitar.

All Things Must Pass

That same day, the jam that became Plug Me In happened.

George Harrison: guitar
Eric Clapton, Dave Mason: guitar
Carl Radle: bass guitar
Bobby Whitlock: piano
Jim Gordon: drums

All Things Must Pass

Side Six

I Remember Jeep

This jam’s recording first began on March 29, 1969 during a preliminary session for Billy Preston’s first Apple album.

On 12 May that year – at which point the track was titled Jam Peace – Harrison, John Lennon, and Yoko Ono overdubbed handclaps at EMI Studios, and Harrison added the Moog part live as the final mix was being done.

Had the song remained titled Jam Peace and credited to the Plastic Ono Band (as it had), it would have been the first Plastic Ono Band recording.

George was later credited and the song’s new title referred to Eric Clapton’s dog.

All Things Must Pass

George Harrison: guitar
Eric Clapton: lead guitar
Klaus Voormann: bass guitar
Billy Preston: organ
Bobby Whitlock: piano
Ginger Baker: drums

Thanks For the Pepperoni

On June 14, 1970, Derek and the Dominoes made their first public appearance at the Lyceum Theatre in London. Dave Mason was the second guitarist, but later Duane Allman would famously become  that person.

This jam was done the same day as Plug Me In, June 19, 1970.

According to Beatles Bible, the title was taken from ‘Religions, Inc.’, the final track on the 1959 comedy album The Sick Humor Of Lenny Bruce.

One of his last comments in the bit was “…and thanks for the pepperoni.” Perhaps it echoes the more famous line that Catskill, NY comedians closed their sets with: “Thank you. I’m here all week. And try the veal.”

George Harrison: guitar
Eric Clapton, Dave Mason: guitar
Carl Radle: bass guitar
Bobby Whitlock: piano
Jim Gordon: drums

All Things Must Pass

Beatles Before Brian

Beatles Before Brian

There are nearly 5 1/2 years between John Lennon’s formation of the Quarrymen and Brian Epstein becoming both the Beatles’ manager and the last piece of the puzzle that launched Beatlemania.

Here are some of the many dates between August 1956 and December 1961.

Beatles Before Brian

Quarrymen

In August 1956: named after his school, John Lennon formed The Quarrymen, The band performed what was known in England as “skiffle” music which was originally an early 20th century American style music.

Beatles Before Brian

Paul the Quarryman

November 11, 1956: Paul McCartney saw skiffle king Lonnie Donegan perform at Liverpool’s Empire Theatre. The concert inspired McCartney to start playing the guitar. Shortly afterwards he traded the trumpet he had received four months previously on his 14th birthday for a guitar.

July 6, 1957: The Quarry Men perform at St. Peter’s Church Garden Fete. John and Paul meet and find that they have similar pop idol interests: “Paul, what kind of music do you like?” asked John. “Well I used to like Lonnie Donegan but now that skiffle is fading out I love the music of Elvis Presley, Eddie Cochran, Gene Vincent, Little Richard…” “Hey,” John interrupted, “they’re all the people I’m into.”

October 18, 1957: The Quarry Men performed at the New Clubmoor Hall (Conservative Club), Norris Green, Liverpool. This was Paul McCartney’s first appearance with the group. The line-up for The Quarrymen was John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Eric Griffiths, Colin Hanton, and Len Garry. Paul McCartney, suffering from a case of the stage jitters, flubs his guitar solo on the song “Guitar Boogie”. Upset with his playing, Paul tries to make amends by showing John a song he had written, “I Lost My Little Girl”. John then shows Paul some songs that he has composed. The two start writing songs together from that moment, which marks the birth of the Lennon-McCartney songwriting partnership. Pete Shotton, out of the group by this time, had no real musical ability and knew it; he was almost relieved when, during a drunken argument, John Lennon had smashed Pete’s washboard over Pete’s head. That was the end of Pete Shotton’s career as a part of the Quarrymen.

Beatles Before Brian

The Cavern

January 24, 1958: The Quarry Men performed at the Cavern in Liverpool. This was the band’s only performance billed as The Quarrymen at the club. It would three years before the band would turn up again at the Cavern but under their new name as The Beatles.

Beatles Before Brian

George Harrison

February 6, 1958: George Harrison joined Liverpool group The Quarrymen. The group, now featured John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Len Garry, Eric Griffiths and John Lowe.

George Harrison later recalled: “I was very impressed by John, probably more than Paul, or I showed it more. I suppose I was impressed by all the Art College crowd. John was very sarcastic, always trying to put you down, but I either took no notice or gave him the same back, and it worked.”

Beatles Before Brian

Julia

Beatles Before Brian

July 15,1958: John Lennon’s mother, Julia was visiting her sister Mimi’s house where her John was living. Shortly after leaving Mimi’s house, while crossing the road to get to a bus stop, she was struck by a car driven by an off-duty policeman, 24-year-old Eric Clague. Contrary to some reports, Clague was not drunk at the time and he was driving under the 30mph speed limit. He was, however, a learner driver who was unaccompanied. “Julia,” “Mother,” and “My Mummy’s Dead.” are Lennon songs dedicated to or inspired by Julia.

Beat Brothers

In 1959: In early 1959, Tony Sheridan joined Vince Taylor and the Playboys in Hamburg, Germany where they would play. The band would eventually morph into the Beat Brothers with a line-up consisting of Tony Sheridan (vocals/guitar), Ken Packwood (drums), Rick Richards (guitar), Colin Melander (bass), Ian Hines (keyboards) and Jimmy Doyle (drums). Over the years the band’s line-up would continue to see many personnel changes. Some of the most notable inclusions were: Ringo Starr, Roy Young, Rikki Barnes, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Pete Best.

Beatles Before Brian

Ringo

In August 1959: Ringo Starr begins drumming for Rory Storm and the Hurricanes. Ringo would be Rory’s drummer until August 18, 1960.

Beatles Before Brian

The Casbah

August 29, 1959: the opening night of a new social club for teenagers, based in the cellar of a large Victorian house at 8 Hayman’s Green, Liverpool. The club was called The Casbah and run by Mona Best, mother of Pete Best and owner of the house. She had bought it after winning a horse racing bet in the 1954 Epson Derby; it had previously been owned by the West Derby Conservative Club, and had 15 bedrooms and an acre of land.

Mona Best had the idea for opening the club after seeing a television report on the 2i’s Coffee Bar in London’s Soho district. The Casbah was intended as a members-only club for Pete, his younger brother Rory, and their friends.

She charged half a crown for annual membership, and served soft drinks, snacks and cakes. The Casbah also had, unusually for the time, an espresso coffee machine. When there weren’t live performances Mona played records on a small Dansette record player, amplified through a 3″ speaker.

The Les Stewart Quartet, with George Harrison and Ken Brown on guitars, had been booked to perform on the opening night, but they cancelled after Stewart and Brown had an argument: Brown had missed a rehearsal as he had been helping Mona Best decorate the club.

As 300 membership cards had already been sold, Mona Best didn’t want to cause disappointment on the club’s opening night. Harrison suggested the Quarrymen play instead, and so they went round to arrange the booking. At this point their line-up was John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ken Brown. They didn’t have a drummer at the time, so they played without one.

John, Paul and George went around to see Mona, who told them they were welcome to play but she was still painting the cellar for the club’s opening the following week. The three boys grabbed paintbrushes and helped her finish it off. John mistook gloss for emulsion – because of his short sight – which took days to dry. Cynthia Powell also helped, and painted a silhouette of her future husband John Lennon on the wall; it can still be seen there today.

Beatles Before Brian

October 31, 1959: Quarry Men auditioned for Carroll Levis Show in Liverpool. During this audition period, the band would change its name from “Quarry Men” to “Johnny and the Moondogs” by November 15. On that day, they lose out for the Carroll Levis finals.

Beatles Before Brian

Audition

November 15, 1959: Paul McCartney, John Lennon and George Harrison auditioned for a British talent program called TV Star Search at the Hippodrome Theatre in Lancashire. They had been known as The Quarrymen but for this audition, they took the name “Johnny and the Moondogs.” They played two Buddy Holly songs: “Think It Over” and “It’s So Easy.” They must have been good as they were invited back for the next round of audition the next day.

They returned to Liverpool the same night, having no money to rent a hotel room, and therefore missing out on the next round of auditions.

Beatles Before Brian

Weekend Nerk Twins

April 23 & 24, 1960: the first of only 2 performances ever by The Nerk Twins at the Fox and Hounds pub in Caversham, Berkshire, UK. The Nerk Twins were actually Paul McCartney and John Lennon. From Paul in Anthology: “That spring of 1960, John and I went down to a pub in Reading, The Fox And Hound, run by my cousin Betty Robbins and her husband. We worked behind the bar. It was a lovely experience that came from John and I just hitching off down there. At the end of the week we played in the pub as The Nerk Twins. We even made our own posters.”

Beatles Before Brian

Silver Beatles

May 5, 1960: The Quarrymen became The Silver Beetles.

May 10, 1960: the Silver Beetles auditioned for promoter Larry Parmes at the Blue Angel (formerly known as the Wyvern Social Club) in Liverpool. Vying for the job of backing band for Billy Fury on an upcoming tour, the band was hampered by the fact their drummer, Tommy Moore, arrived late and the band had to use an unfamiliar drummer (Johnny Hutchinson from Cass & The Cassanovas, seen in photo). The Silver Beetles didn’t win the job but Parmes took the absence of their regular drummer into consideration and hired the band to back Johnny Gentle on a tour of Scotland.

Beatles Before Brian

Briefly Silver Beats

May 14, 1960: the Silver Beats (John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Stu Sutcliffe, and Tommy Moore) performed at Lathom Hall, Seaforth, Liverpool. They played a few songs during the “interval” to audition for promoter Brian Kelly. This is the only occasion on which the group used the name “Silver Beats”, quickly changing it back to “Silver Beetles”.

May 20, 1960: the Silver Beetles (John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Stu Sutcliffe, and Tommy Moore) played the first night of a short tour of Scotland backing singer Johnny Gentle, at Alloa Town Hall in Clackmannanshire. They were never billed as The Silver Beetles on the tour; all posters gave the billing as “Johnny Gentle and his group”. Paul McCartney later wrote:

Now we were truly professional, we could do something we had been toying with for a long time, which was to change our names to real showbiz names. I became Paul Ramon, which I thought was suitably exotic. I remember the Scottish girls saying, ‘Is that his real name? That’s great.’ It’s French, Ramon. Ra-mon, that’s how you pronounce it. Stuart became Stuart de Staël after the painter. George became Carl Harrison after Carl Perkins (our big idol, who had written ‘Blue Suede Shoes’). John was Long John. People have since said, ‘Ah, John didn’t change his name, that was very suave.’ Let me tell you: he was Long John. There was none of that ‘he didn’t change his name’: we all changed our names.

So here we were, suddenly with the first of Larry’s untempestuous acts and a tour of Scotland, when I should have been doing my GCE exams. A lot of my parents’ hopes were going up the spout because I was off with these naughty boys who weren’t doing GCEs at all.”

Beatles Before Brian

Pete Best

June 11, 1960: drummer Tommy Moore quit The Beatles and returned to his job of driving a forklift at Garston bottle works. Norman Chapman briefly replaced Moore, but Chapman was called into National Service after only three gigs.

August 6, 1960: The Silver Beetles went to Mona Best’s Casbah Coffee Club where they saw The Blackjacks playing.

The group had Mona’s son Pete Best playing a brand new drum kit. The Blackjacks were on the point of splitting up, so The Beatles suggested to Pete that he join them for their first trip to Hamburg. Best was interested in the proposal, and agreed to audition for them.

August 16, 1960: Pete Best becomes The Silver Beetles’ drummer. The band’s current line-up included John, Paul, George, Pete and Stuart Sutcliffe.

The band traveled to Hamburg, Germany.

Beatles Before Brian

Hamburg

August 17, 1960: arrived very early in the morning but the Indra Club was closed. A manager from a neighboring club found someone to open it up, and the group slept on the red leather seats in the alcoves.

The group played at the club on the same night, but were told they could sleep in a small cinema’s storeroom, which was cold and noisy, being directly behind the screen of the cinema, the Bambi Kino.

McCartney later said, “We lived backstage in the Bambi Kino, next to the toilets, and you could always smell them. The room had been an old storeroom, and there were just concrete walls and nothing else. No heat, no wallpaper, not a lick of paint; and two sets of bunk beds, with not very much covers—Union Jack flags—we were frozen.”[30] Lennon remembered: “We were put in this pigsty. We were living in a toilet, like right next to the ladies’ toilet. We’d go to bed late and be woken up next day by the sound of the cinema show and old German fraus [women] pissing next door.” After having been awoken in this fashion, the group were then obliged to use cold water from the urinals for washing and shaving. They were paid £2.50 each a day, seven days a week, playing from 8:30-9:30, 10 until 11, 11:30-12:30, and finishing the evening playing from one until two o’clock in the morning.

German customers found the group’s name comical, as “Beatles” sounded like “Peedles”, which meant a small boy’s penis.

Beatles Before Brian

Beatles

August 18, 1960: new stage name and first performance as “The Beatles” at the Indra Club in Hamburg, Germany. Paul McCartney (on discussing performing and other things they learned in Hamburg): “Sex…was one of the first things ’cause we were kids just let off the leash, you know. And then there was like, the amount of music we played — we played — the shear amount of music. Some evenings I think we probably…we played eight hour periods ’cause you’d come on and another band would take an hour and you’d take an hour, so we probably played four hours but we had to stretch it over an eight hour period. And that’s an awful long time, man, to play. I mean even bands now with three or four hours sets is a hell of a long time.”

Beatles Before Brian

Recording

October 15, 1960: in a small Hamburg recording studio, the Akustik, The Beatles (minus Pete Best) and two members of Rory Storm’s Hurricanes (Ringo Starr and Lou “Wally” Walters) recorded a version of George Gershwin’s “Summertime”, which is cut onto a 78-rpm disc. This is the first session that included John, Paul, George, and Ringo together. Two other songs were recorded, but Ringo plays on those without John, Paul, or George. Nine discs are cut, but only one is known to have survived.This was the first time Lennon, McCartney, Harrison and Starr recorded together.

Beatles Before Brian

Cancelled

Beatles Before Brian
Bruno Koschmiderbeat

November 1, 1960: furious that The Beatles had made a verbal agreement to play at rival Peter Eckhorn’s Top Ten Club, Kaiserkeller owner Bruno Koschmider terminated their contract. Despite this, they continued to perform at the club for another three weeks.

An additional reason why Koschmider wanted them out: at 17 years of age, George Harrison was too young to be working in the club. Eckhorn’s statement read: I the undersigned hereby give notice to Mr George Harrison and to Beatles’ Band to leave [the Club] on November 30th, 1960. The notice is given to the above by order of the Public Authorities who have discovered that Mr George Harrison is only 17 (seventeen) years of age.

Beatles Before Brian

George deported

November 20, 1960: German authorities ordered Harrison deported. He stayed up all that night teaching John Lennon his guitar parts, so The Beatles could continue without him.

November 21, 1960: George Harrison deported. From his Anthology: It was a long journey on my own on the train to the Hook of Holland. From there I got the day boat. It seemed to take ages and I didn’t have much money – I was praying I’d have enough. I had to get from Harwich to Liverpool Street Station and then a taxi across to Euston. From there I got a train to Liverpool. I can remember it now: I had an amplifier that I’d bought in Hamburg and a crappy suitcase and things in boxes, paper bags with my clothes in, and a guitar. I had too many things to carry and was standing in the corridor of the train with my belongings around me, and lots of soldiers on the train, drinking. I finally got to Liverpool and took a taxi home – I just about made it. I got home penniless. It took everything I had to get me back.

Beatles Before Brian

Arrested

November 29, 1960: Having been told on 1 November that their contract to perform at his Kaiserkeller club was being terminated by owner Bruno Koschmider, The Beatles began moving their belonging to the attic room above the nearby Top Ten Club. At the time The Beatles were staying in the Bambi-Filmkunsttheater cinema, where the accommodation was basic and sanitary facilities minimal. John Lennon and Stuart Sutcliffe had already moved out, and Paul McCartney and Pete Best were to follow. George Harrison had already been deported (Nov 21). It was dark as McCartney and Best gathered their belongings in the Bambi Kino. As there were no lights they set lit an object – different accounts mention rags, a wall tapestry, or a condom attached to a nail – in order to see. There was no damage apart from a burn mark on the wall, and the fire eventually extinguished itself on the damp wall. Bruno Koschmider, however, was furious, and told the police that The Beatles had attempted to set fire to the cinema. McCartney and Best were arrested.

Beatles Before Brian

John, Paul, Pete deported

November 30, 1960: after being released from St Pauli police station after being held overnight, McCartney and Best went to their new lodgings above the Top Ten Club to get some rest. In the early afternoon, however, they were awoken by heavy banging on the door. Best opened the lock and was greeted by two plain-clothes policemen. They were told to get dressed and were taken by car to Hamburg’s Kriminal police headquarters. The officer in charge told them they were to be deported at midnight.They were taken back on last time to the Top Ten where they were given five minutes to pack up their possessions; Pete Best was forced to leave his drums behind. They were then held in prison before being escorted to the airport in the evening.

They Beatles were not entirely sure why they were being deported, as their limited command of German made it difficult to understand the police procedures. Their request to telephone the British Consul was refused.

December 1, 1960: McCartney and Best arrived at London Airport. They spent their remaining money on a bus to Euston Station and a train ticket to Liverpool. John Lennon stayed behind in Hamburg for a while.

December 10, 1960: John Lennon traveled back to England by train and boat. Stuart Sutcliffe continued stay in Hamburg, , effectively signified the end of his time in The Beatles.

Beatles Before Brian

Back to the Cavern

February 9, 1961: the group makes their first lunchtime debut as The Beatles at the Cavern.

March 21, 1961: their first night-time appearance at the Cavern. The band gets $42.00 per night.

Beatles Before Brian

Back to Hamburg

March 24, 1961: Beatles returned to Hamburg, Germany.

June 22 & 23, 1961: Tony Sheridan and The Beatles do first session recordings for Bert Kaempfert with the following songs: My Bonnie (Lies Over the Ocean); The Saints (When the Saints Go Marching In); Why; Cry For a Shadow; Ain’t She Sweet;Take Out Some Insurance On Me Baby and Nobody’s Child.

July 3, 1961: the Beatles return to England from Hamburg.

Beatles Before Brian

My Bonnie released

In August 1961: Tony Sheridan and the Beatles or Beat Brothers released “My Bonnie/The Saints (Go Marching In) in Germany.

October 28, 1961: “My Bonnie” is a success in Germany and eventually heard and released in England.

Beatles Before Brian

My Bonnie requested

October 28, 1961:  according to Beatles legend, it was on this day that a fan named Raymond Jones attempted to purchase the single “My Bonnie” from Brian Epstein’s NEMS record store in Liverpool. Brian managed the record shop, which was part of a large department store owned by his father. The legend states that this was the first occasion on which Brian Epstein heard of the single or, indeed, of The Beatles. “Mersey Beat” editor Bill Harry discounts this story as improbable. Harry claims to have discussed The Beatles and other local groups with Epstein well before this date, and he adds that Epstein was already writing record reviews for “Mersey Beat” and selling copies of the paper in his shop. Further, Epstein was selling tickets to Sam Leach’s ‘Operation Big Beat’ concert, and The Beatles’ name was at the top of the list of groups that were scheduled to appear at the November 10 event.

October 30, 1961: two days after Beatles fan Raymond Jones asked for The Beatles’ German single “My Bonnie” (recorded with Tony Sheridan) at Brian Epstein’s NEMS record store, two girls ask for the same record. Brian Epstein begins to search foreign record company import lists to find the single. Since Epstein had already sold at least 12 dozen copies of Liverpool’s “Mersey Beat” magazine (and had written a column for it), it is highly unlikely that he doesn’t already know who The Beatles are. Still, Epstein’s difficulty in locating the record is probably due to his not knowing that the record was released, not by The Beatles, but by Tony Sheridan and ‘The Beat Brothers’ (‘Beatles’ resembles a vulgar slang word in German, so The Beatles’ name was changed for this historic single).

Beatles Before Brian

Brian Epstein listens

November 9, 1961: The Beatles performed at the Cavern Club at lunchtime. That night they appear at Litherland Town Hall, Liverpool (their final performance at that venue).

This is a major day for The Beatles, although they are unaware of it at the time–in the audience at the Cavern Club show is Brian Epstein, dressed in his pin-stripe suit and seeing The Beatles for the first time. Accompanying Epstein is his assistant Alistair Taylor.

Epstein will recall his first impressions in a 1964 interview: “They were fresh and they were honest, and they had:star quality. Whatever that is, they had it, or I sensed that they had it.” Over the next few weeks, Epstein becomes more and more interested in possibly managing The Beatles and he does a lot of research into just exactly what that would entail. When he speaks with the group’s embittered ex-manager Allan Williams, he is told, “Brian, don’t touch ’em with a fucking bargepole.” Nonetheless, Epstein invites The Beatles to a meeting at his record store on December 3.

Beatles Before Brian

Brian manages

December 3, 1961: The Beatles’ first formal meeting with Brian Epstein, where he proposed to them that he become their manager. The Beatles are interested, but they are not ready to make a commitment, so a second meeting is arranged for December 6.

December 6, 1961: The Beatles (John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Pete Best) meet with Brian Epstein for further discussions about his proposal to manage them. He wants 25 percent of their gross fees each week, in return for which he will be responsible for arranging their bookings. He promises that their bookings will be better organized, more prestigious, and will expand beyond the Liverpool area. He also promises that they will never again play for less than 15 pounds, except for Cavern lunchtime sessions, for which he will get their fee doubled to ten pounds. Most important of all, he promises to get them out of their recording contract with Bert Kaempfert in Germany, then use his influence to garner them a contract with a major British label. John Lennon, as leader of The Beatles, accepts on their behalf. There is no contract signing at this point, because the standard contracts are so exploitative that Epstein is disgusted by them; he promises The Beatles that he will prepare a fairer document.

December 10, 1961: their first contract was for a five year period. The contract was formally signed at Pete Best’s house on January 24, 1962, with Alistair Taylor as witness, although Brian, himself, didn’t sign it.

When asked why later, Brian answered “Well, if they ever want to tear it up, they can hold me but I can’t hold them.”

Beatles Before Brian

John George David

John George David

September 29, 1967

John George David

George Harrison Sitar

The path that led the Beatles to transcendental meditation was mainly through George Harrison’s use of the sitar, the Indian instrument he used on Rubber Soul’s “Norwegian Wood.” Harrison used the sitar simply because he liked its sound, but he wanted to learn more.

Harrison first met master sitarist Ravi Shankar in June 1966 in the UK and Shankar gave a couple of lessons to Harrison.

On September 14, 1966, a Mr and Mrs Sam Wells, aka George and Pattie Harrison, flew to Mumbai.  The main reason was to take sitar lessons from Shankar. Because the sitting position was so difficult for Harrison, Shankar had a yoga instructor help him.

The following year Pattie attended a lecture on Transcendental Meditation at Caxton Hall, London, where she received her mantra.

John George David

see Beatles meet Maharishi Mahesh Yogi for more

Encouraged by Pattie Harrison’s interest and enthusiasm, on August 24, 1967  the Beatles met Maharishi Mahesh Yogi at a lecture in London. All except Ringo and his wife Maureen (she had just given birth to to their son) attended. While there, they found out that he was giving a series of classes. They all decided to attend.

Of course if the Beatles found something interesting, fans followed suit. Ravi Shankar became part of the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967 and famously played in the rain at the Woodstock Music and Art Fair.

John George David

The Frost Programme

On September 29, 1967 John Lennon and George Harrison were guests on David Frost’s The Frost Programme.

Among the comments were:

Lennon: “Buddha was a groove, Jesus was all right.”

Harrison: “I believe in reincarnation. Life and death are still only relative to thought. I believe in rebirth. You keep coming back until you have got it straight. The ultimate thing is to manifest divinity, and become one with The Creator.”

Because viewers found that  program so interesting, John and George returned for another interview a week later.

Again, the subject of the 45-minute show was Transcendental Meditation. Lennon and Harrison answered questions that Frost and studio guests asked as well as from letters sent in. There was also a pro- and con- discussion about meditation.

John George David

No Mas Maharishi

The interest continued and on February 16, 1968 John and Cynthia Lennon, and George and Pattie Harrison flew to India for further study with the Maharishi. Paul McCartney, Jane Asher, Ringo and Maureen Starr followed on the 20th. The plan was to stay at least six weeks.

Ringo found the food there too difficult and he and Maureen returned to England less than two weeks after their arrival. Paul and Jane returned on March 20.

The stay for the others came to an abrupt end when one of the members of the Beatle party told John and George that the Maharishi was sexually inappropriate with one of the female guests.

John and George confronted the Yogi, but he didn’t take the accusation seriously which convinced John, George, and the others that he was guilty.

John left, but George, rather than return straightaway to England, went to visit Ravi Shankar and didn’t return until April 28.

The accusations were likely untrue.

John George David