When They Were Boys (19 page)

A
T ONE TIME
, S
TU AND
I
WERE GOING TO PRODUCE A BOOK ABOUT
L
IVERPOOL
. I
WOULD WRITE ABOUT INTERESTING AND UNUSUAL FACETS OF THE CITY AND ITS PEOPLE, AND HE WOULD ILLUSTRATE IT
. W
E NEVER DID THE BOOK, BUT THE SEEDS OF
M
ERSEY
B
EAT
WERE SOWN
.

I
N ADDITION TO
Y
E
C
RACKE, THE COLLEGE CANTEEN, AND VARIOUS STUDENTS
'
FLATS, WE WOULD ALSO HANG AROUND THE
J
ACARANDA COFFEE BAR, RUN BY A GREGARIOUS
L
IVERPOOL
W
ELSHMAN
, A
LLAN
W
ILLIAMS
. I
T WAS HERE IN
M
AY 1960 THAT
I M
ET
V
IRGINIA
. S
HE WAS SIXTEEN YEARS OLD, WAS WEARING BLACK BARATHEA TROUSERS AND A GREEN SWEATER, AND HAD FLOWING AUBURN HAIR
.

T
HE LADS WERE PLAYING DOWNSTAIRS IN THE “COAL HOLE,” WHILE THEIR GIRLFRIENDS HELD BROOM HANDLES TO WHICH THEIR MICS WERE ATTACHED
. I
N THOSE DAYS WE WERE ALL SKINT, YET MANAGED TO GET BY,
EVEN WHEN WE DIDN
'
T HAVE THE PROVERBIAL
“
TWO HALFPENNIES TO RATTLE TOGETHER
.”

V
IRGINIA BECAME MY GIRLFRIEND AND THE VISIONS OF CREATING A MAGAZINE GREW
. I'
D INITIALLY BEGUN THINKING IN TERMS OF A JAZZ MAGAZINE BECAUSE THERE WAS A HUGE
T
RAD
J
AZZ BOOM AND
L
IVERPOOL WAS A THRIVING CENTER
. T
HERE WERE CLUBS SUCH AS THE
C
AVERN, THE
L
IVERPOOL
J
AZZ SOCIETY, AND THE
T
EMPLE
J
AZZ
C
LUB, AND PROMOTERS SUCH AS
A
LBERT
K
INDER REGULARLY BOOKED ARTISTS OF THE CALIBER OF
C
HRIS
B
ARBER AND
L
ONNIE
D
ONEGAN AT THE
E
MPIRE AND
P
AVILION
T
HEATRE
.

O
NE LOCAL PROMOTER SAID HE
'
D ADVANCE ME TWENTY-FIVE POUNDS TO LAUNCH THE JAZZ MAGAZINE, BUT HE NEVER DID
.

B
Y THIS TIME, MY THOUGHTS WERE DEVELOPING IN A NEW DIRECTION
. M
Y EXPERIENCE WRITING FOR
F
RANK
C
OMMENTS
HAD TAKEN ME TO PLACES AROUND
L
IVERPOOL SUCH AS
W
ILSON
H
ALL, WHERE LOCAL ROCK
'
N
'
ROLL GROUPS USED TO PLAY
. I
BEGAN TALKING TO MEMBERS OF GROUPS WHO DROPPED BY THE
J
ACARANDA AND SENSED THAT SOMETHING UNIQUE WAS HAPPENING IN
L
IVERPOOL
. T
HE ROCK
'
N
'
ROLL SCENE WAS LARGER THAN ANYONE—EVEN THE GROUPS THEMSELVES—REALIZED
.

T
HE LITTLE RED NOTEBOOKS
I
CARRIED AROUND WITH ME BEGAN TO FILL UP WITH INFORMATION ON VENUES, PROMOTERS, AND GROUPS
.

I
DECIDED TO WRITE TO NATIONAL NEWSPAPERS, SUCH AS THE
D
AILY
M
AIL
,
TO INFORM THEM THAT WHAT WAS HAPPENING IN
L
IVERPOOL WAS AS UNIQUE AS WHAT HAD HAPPENED IN
N
EW
O
RLEANS AT THE TURN OF THE CENTURY, BUT WITH ROCK
'
N
'
ROLL GROUPS INSTEAD OF JAZZ
.

N
O ONE TOOK ANY NOTICE
. L
IVERPOOL, IT SEEMED, WAS ISOLATED
. I
T DIDN
'
T HAVE ANY MEDIA THAT COULD REACH OUT NATIONALLY
.

H
ISTORICALLY
, L
IVERPOOL HAD LOST A GREAT DEAL OF POWER AND PRESTIGE WHEN THE
M
ANCHESTER SHIP
C
ANAL WAS BUILT, ALLOWING A LOT OF TRADE TO BYPASS
L
IVERPOOL AND GO STRAIGHT TO
M
ANCHESTER
. M
ANCHESTER BECAME THE CAPITAL OF THE
N
ORTH AND WAS HOME TO
BOTH
G
RANADA
T
ELEVISION AND THE
BBC TV S
TUDIOS, IN ADDITION TO RADIO STATIONS AND THE NORTHERN EDITIONS OF THE NATIONAL NEWSPAPERS
. M
OST
N
ORTH
-W
EST NEWS ON
TV,
RADIO, AND IN THE PRESS HAD A
M
ANCHESTER BIAS
. I
N COMPARISON
, L
IVERPOOL SEEMED TO BE ALMOST A BACKWATER
. A
S A RESULT, WHAT WAS HAPPENING THERE DEVELOPED WITHOUT ANYONE REALIZING IT AND WITHOUT ANY UNDUE OUTSIDE INTERFERENCE
.

H
AVING RECEIVED NO REACTION TO MY APPEALS TO THE PRESS TO COVER WHAT WAS HAPPENING
, I
DECIDED TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT MYSELF
. I
NSTEAD OF A JAZZ MAGAZINE
, I'
D WRITE ABOUT THE LOCAL ROCK
'
N
'
ROLL SCENE
.

A
LTHOUGH
I'
D RECEIVED MY
N
ATIONAL
D
IPLOMA IN DESIGN
, I
WAS STILL AT THE ART COLLEGE, HAVING BECOME THE FIRST STUDENT OF THE NEW
G
RAPHIC
D
ESIGN COURSE AND LATER WINNER OF THE
S
ENIOR
C
ITY
A
RT
S
CHOLARSHIP
. J
OHN
L
ENNON HAD HOPED TO ENTER THE
G
RAPHIC
A
RT DEPARTMENT WITH ME, BUT THE LECTURER
, R
OY
S
HARPE, WOULDN
'
T ACCEPT HIM
.

M
ONEY WAS STILL A PROBLEM, BUT
D
ICK
M
ATTHEWS, A FRIEND FROM THE
J
ACARANDA, INTRODUCED ME TO A CIVIL SERVANT
J
IM
A
NDERSON, WHO OFFERED TO LEND
V
IRGINIA AND ME THE FIFTY POUNDS WE NEEDED TO LAUNCH THE PROJECT
. B
Y THIS TIME
, I'
D DECIDED ON A FORTNIGHTLY NEWSPAPER, COMPLETELY DEVOTED TO THE MUSIC OF
M
ERSEYSIDE, WHICH WOULD ALSO BE A
“
WHAT
'
S ON
”
OF EVERY MUSICAL EVENT DURING THE FORTNIGHT
.

V
IRGINIA
'
S SUPPORT IS WHAT REALLY KEPT ME GOING AND ENSURED THAT THE VISIONS IN MY HEAD BECAME A REALITY
. S
HE GAVE UP HER JOB TO WORK FULL TIME ON THE PROJECT, AND
J
IM FOUND US AN OFFICE ABOVE A WINE MERCHANT
'
S SHOP IN
R
ENSHAW
S
TREET
. J
IM
, D
ICK
, V
IRGINIA, AND
I E
NTERED THE TINY ATTIC OFFICE ROOM CARRYING A TYPEWRITER, A DESK, AND A COUPLE OF CHAIRS, WHICH JIM HAD PROVIDED US WITH
. D
ICK ALSO TOOK OUT HIS CAMERA AND PROMISED TO COVER THE LOCAL MUSIC SCENE FOR THE NEW PAPER
.

S
ITTING IN THE
J
ACARANDA WITH
J
OHN AND
S
TU
, I'
D TELL THEM OF OUR PROGRESS
. B
Y THAT TIME THEY
'
D LEFT THE COLLEGE AND WERE ABOUT TO GO TO
G
ERMANY
. I
ASKED
J
OHN IF HE COULD WRITE A BIOGRAPHY OF THE
B
EATLES FOR THE NEW PAPER, WHICH
I
COULD RUN IN THE FIRST ISSUE
. W
HEN THE
B
EATLES RETURNED FROM
G
ERMANY
, J
OHN GAVE ME THE BIOGRAPHY, WRITTEN IN HIS OWN INIMITABLE STYLE, WHICH
I
ENTITLED
“B
EING A
S
HORT
D
IVERSION ON THE
D
UBIOUS
O
RIGINS OF
B
EATLES
(T
RANSLATED FROM THE
J
OHN
L
ENNON
).”

B
Y THIS TIME, OF COURSE
, I
WAS FRIENDLY WITH ALL MEMBERS OF THE GROUP
. A
S WELL AS KNOWING
P
AUL AND
G
EORGE FROM COLLEGE DAYS AND ATTENDING THEIR EARLY GIGS
, I
ALSO GOT TO KNOW
P
ETE
B
EST, WHO JOINED THEM AT THE
J
ACARANDA
. T
HEY WERE THE GROUP
I
WAS CLOSEST TO AND WERE THE ONES
I
WAS OBVIOUSLY GOING TO PROMOTE THE MOST
.

S
ITTING ALONE IN THE OFFICE AT ABOUT TWO IN THE MORNING
, I
WAS ATTEMPTING TO THINK OF A NAME FOR THE NEW PAPER
. H
AVING DECIDED THAT
I'
D COVER THE ENTIRE
M
ERSEYSIDE REGION
—L
IVERPOOL, THE
W
IRRAL
, S
OUTHPORT
, C
ROSBY
, S
T
. H
ELENS
, W
IDNES
, W
ARRINGTON
, R
UNCORN, AND SO ON
—I
SUDDENLY VISUALIZED IT AS A POLICEMAN
'
S BEAT
. T
HE IMAGE OF A COPPER WALKING AROUND A MAP OF THE SURROUNDING AREA CAME INTO MY HEAD, ALONG WITH THE NAME
, “M
ERSEY
B
EAT
.”

T
HE REACTION TO
M
ERSEY
B
EAT
WAS LITERALLY PHENOMENAL LOCALLY, AND ALL FIVE THOUSAND COPIES OF THE FIRST ISSUE SOLD OUT
. T
HE THREE MAIN WHOLESALERS
, W. H. S
MITH
, B
LACKBURN
'
S, AND
C
ONLAN
'
S, TOOK COPIES
; I
DELIVERED COPIES PERSONALLY TO ANOTHER TWO DOZEN NEWSAGENTS, IN ADDITION TO THE MAIN LOCAL VENUES AND MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS AND RECORD STORES
.

A
T
N
ORTH
E
ND
M
USIC
S
TORES
(NEMS),
WHEN
I
ASKED TO SEE THE MANAGER
, B
RIAN
E
PSTEIN CAME DOWN FROM HIS OFFICE
. I
SHOWED HIM THE PUBLICATION AND HE AGREED TO TAKE A DOZEN COPIES
. H
E PHONED ME SOON AFTER TO TELL ME HOW SURPRISED HE WAS THAT THEY
SOLD OUT ALMOST IMMEDIATELY
. H
E ORDERED MORE, AND MORE, AND MORE
. F
OR THE SECOND ISSUE, HE PLACED AN ADVANCE ORDER FOR TWELVE DOZEN COPIES, AN INCREDIBLE AMOUNT OF COPIES FOR A SINGLE PUBLICATION IN ONE OUTLET
.

T
HAT ISSUE, PUBLISHED ON
20 J
ULY
1961,
DEVOTED THE ENTIRE FRONT COVER TO THE
B
EATLES
'
RECENT RECORDINGS IN
H
AMBURG UNDER THE HEADLINE
“B
EATLES
S
IGN
R
ECORDING
C
ONTRACT
!” T
HERE WAS ALSO A PHOTOGRAPH OF THE
B
EATLES BY
A
STRID
K
IRCHHERR, WHICH
P
AUL
M
C
C
ARTNEY HAD BROUGHT BACK FROM
G
ERMANY FOR ME, TOGETHER WITH
A
STRID
'
S PERMISSION FOR ME TO USE ANY OF THE
B
EATLES PICTURES SHE
'
D TAKEN AS PUBLICITY FOR THE GROUP
.

B
RIAN
E
PSTEIN INVITED ME TO HIS OFFICE FOR A SHERRY, AND WANTED TO DISCUSS THE GROUPS HE
'
D READ ABOUT IN
M
ERSEY
B
EAT
. H
E WAS INCREDULOUS THAT SUCH A THRIVING MUSIC SCENE EXISTED ALL AROUND HIM, WHICH HE
'
D BEEN UNAWARE OF
. H
E WAS ALSO AMAZED AT THE NUMBER OF YOUNG PEOPLE WHO CAME INTO HIS STORE JUST TO BUY COPIES OF THE PAPER
.

B
RIAN ASKED ME TO DESCRIBE THE LOCAL SCENE, AND WAS PARTICULARLY INTERESTED IN THE
B
EATLES
'
COVER STORY AND THE FACT THAT A LOCAL GROUP HAD MADE A RECORD
. H
E IMMEDIATELY BOOKED ADVERTISING SPACE AND ASKED IF HE COULD REVIEW RECORDS
. I
APPOINTED HIM RECORD REVIEWER, BEGINNING WITH ISSUE
N
O
. 3,
AND HIS COLUMN WAS HEADED
“S
TOP THE
W
ORLD
—
AND
L
ISTEN TO
E
VERYTHING IN
I
T
. B
RIAN
E
PSTEIN OF
NEMS.”

H
IS ADVERTISEMENTS AND REVIEWS SHARED THE SAME PAGES AS THE ARTICLES AND PHOTOGRAPHS ABOUT THE
B
EATLES, AND HE WAS PARTICULARLY IMPRESSED BY
B
OB
W
OOLER
'
S ARTICLE ABOUT THE GROUP IN THE
31 A
UGUST ISSUE
. O
VER THE MONTHS, HE LIKED TO DISCUSS THE STORIES IN
M
ERSEY
B
EAT
WITH ME AND THEN ASKED IF
I
COULD ARRANGE FOR HIM TO VISIT THE
C
AVERN TO SEE THE
B
EATLES
. I
DID THIS AND HE VISITED THE CLUB, LESS THAN A HUNDRED YARDS FROM HIS STORE, DURING A LUNCHTIME SESSION ON
T
HURSDAY
, 9 N
OVEMBER
.