“[W]e Nearly Always Went Up To His Little Music Room That He’d Had Built At The Top Of The House,

Rare photos

May 23, 1957. The Liverpool band Eric Clayton's Skiffle Band performs. This is the first shot of Ringo playing the drums (far left).

The photo on July 6, 1957 (the day John met Paul), where Lennon sings standing on an open truck, has become a textbook and is found in many books and websites. And this picture, taken a little later in the day, is not well known to many people.

The bassist and an important member of the early line-up of the band was Stuart Sutcliffe, who unfortunately passed away early. In all his short life, only one color shot of him was taken, this one, where he is captured with singer Tony Sheridan. Stewart is on the right.

Most likely, you don't know who it is. Meanwhile, this man turned the history of world music around. This is Kurt Raymond Jones, the same customer who came into the store and asked for the Beatles record My Bonnie, which is why Brian Epstein first heard about the band, began looking for them and eventually turned into a manager. For a long time it was believed that there was no Raymond Jones. Like, it's just a character invented for the convenience of telling a story. However, here he is!

The only shot where you can see drummer Pete Best, who will later be fired, and Ringo Starr, who will take his place, together.

The Beatles are on the verge of fame performing in Liverpool. As you can see, they have someone else's drum kit, left on stage after the previous band.

Have you ever seen John's mother-in-law? Here she is, the mother of his first wife, Cynthia, next to him.

The only picture where Brian Epstein holds a musical instrument in his hands and seems to extract sounds from it.

This is a giant shoe from the movie "Help!", which was needed to shoot a scene where the Floor shrank in size. As the photo shows, this piece of props later became a decoration in the garden near Lennon's house.

The Beatles in a hippie look ride in an ordinary subway car, and no one recognizes them? How can this be? This is 1967, the picture was taken in Greece, where a harsh political regime reigned at that time and the group was not so well known.

Now and Then handwritten lyrics

that last part (never included in the demo)

"Remember when

we thought our life had ended

the gods had been offended

then we started again as friends

now we start again as friends

somehow we start again as friends"

(the doodle) (the phone number)

JAY LENO: Who was the best cuddler?

RINGO: Ohhh. Georgie loved a hug.

“We’d walk down Lilly Lane which was like a lovers’ lane and kiss and cuddle.” - Iris Caldwell 

“He was just standing there. Little George, all lost. I gave him a big bag of sweets and some apples. He threw his arms around me and Stu, which was the sort of demonstrative thing they never did.’" - Astrid Kirchherr

“George giving me a bear hugggg. My first time in London and…what a welcome!!! ‘It’s Klaus!’ George Harrison called, setting his guitar aside and walking toward me to give me a firm hug.” - Klaus Voormann

“I was surprised to see how affectionate he was with Olivia, holding hands, heads touching as they talked, snuggling up next to her at every opportunity…” - Chris O’Dell

“Olivia was in the room and asked Madeleine her name. The next thing [Madeleine] knew, George was walking across the room directly to her, and as if they were old friends, put his arms around her! She was so overwhelmed and she automatically put her arms around him and hugged him back.” - A fan

“Even hugging George was a psychedelic experience, what a gem of a man. Love him forever.” - Dave Stewart

“George was the kind of guy who wasn’t going to leave until he hugged you for five minutes and told you how much he loved you.” - Tom Petty

“Just a few months after his death, I was in Bungalow 8, a New York club that Paul Shaffer dragged me to, when I noticed a skinny fellow who was the spitting image of George - only young George - coming right toward me. Before I could say anything this young man embraced me in a tender hug and then pulled back to explain himself. ‘I’m Dhani Harrison,’ he said. ‘One of the last things my father told me was that if I ever come across people who were important to him, I should give them a hug.’” - Martin Short

there’s a lot of bullshit lennon/mccartney quotes out there, misattributed by biases in biographers or straight-up fabrications. but there’s also “if i was a girl”. there’s also “if he had been a woman”. there’s also “is this a self-portrait?” there’s “in bed.” there’s “maybe that would’ve satisfied it”. there’s “nothing to worry about”, and “life begins at 40”, and “it’s only me.” there’s “the emperor of eternity”. “he chose me.” “i’m still in love with you”. there’s “i can always deny that it was ever written about him.” so who cares

I copied and pasted another article about this, fearing the lost of information, since most blogs like these lead to dead links in a few years or so

When Paul met George [article]

George Harrison did not recall his time at Liverpool Institute High School with affection. “That’s when the darkness came in. Be here, stand there, shut up, sit down. You could punch people just to get it out of your system. It was the worst time of my life.”

The ‘punch people’ reference confirms that George was not a model pupil. Paul also refers to George ‘head-butting’ an older boy a perceived slight.

Harrison & McCartney had both passed their 11+ exams, a year apart. This enabled them both to attend selective school in the city centre. The Liverpool Institute High School was a prestigious, academic school — and Harrison hated it from the start.

The Liverpool Institute High School for Boys offered a course in music. To George Harrison’s disappointment, this did not cover either guitars or rock and roll. He did not partake — a statement that could have been applied generally to his secondary education. Most classroom time he spent drawing his favourite guitars.

The school for its part was not impressed by Harrison’s disruptive behaviour. And while over at Quarrybank, John Lennon’s similar unruliness was accompanied by signs of artistic talent, George had no obvious redeeming features.

As Aunt Mimi would disapprovingly observe he presented as ‘very dose’ — in short a lower class loudmouth from Speke, then a notoriously tough area. His loathing of the Liverpool Institute was palpable and the contempt was mutual. His teachers wrote George off as someone destined for factory work, at best.

This was not its perception of Paul McCartney, who while not an academic star, showed promise. Paul (usually) did his homework and (largely) kept himself off the naughty step. He was even enthusiastic about English, though his may be overplayed in his later reflections.

Like George, Paul had no interest in studying music at school. He, too, saw no connection between the rock and roll they listened to and the dusty scores studied in music class.

In playground the age difference between Paul and George was a practical and psychological barrier to socialising. Kids hung out with kids in their year group. Other fraternising was largely reduced to brief nods when you passed your brother/cousin/next door neighbour.

Outside the school’s premises the social rules were looser. Though they lived in different areas, both boys took the same bus into town. This is where their paths would cross, as George would later explain:

he … had the same uniform and was going the same way as I was so I started hanging out with him.”

George later joked that Paul had struck him as odd

he sitting by himself & laughing! I thought we had a real nut on our hands!

Nonetheless, the two boys quickly found they shared musical tastes. Paul was then learning the trumpet his father had bought him for his birthday but not enjoying it. He swapped it for a guitar, which instantly took to.

Soon they were swapping notes, in every sense. They studied chord charts together and carefully observed other musicians trying more advanced sequences. Once they even travelled across the city to meet a man who knew a magical new chord: B7

Even at this stage, Paul was the senior partner and not just because of age. His stronger musical background and innate gifts allowed him to master an instrument intuitively. By the age of fifteen he was confident enough to approach Lennon as an equal if not superior musician.

Very soon a vacancy came up for a third guitarist Quarrymen. Paul knew just the man — or rather boy, as George was still only fourteen. Lennon hated the idea of ‘a bloody kid’ joining his band but Paul persuaded give George an audition.

This famously occurred on the deserted top-deck of a late-night bus. George played Raunchy — note perfect.

Though he may at this stage have lacked Paul’s musical creativity, George was fiercely committed. The endless practice hours of guitar practice had paid off. He was in.

How George and Paul met Being childhood friends George and Paul knew each other the longest. Meeting when they were 12 and 13. They met on the bus. They would take the same bus route into town, they both went to Liverpool Institute of High School, it wasn't common to have younger or older friends, you would stick to your own year, but on the outside it was different. This is where they’re paths would cross.

George says Paul struck him as odd. When George was getting on the bus, he thought Paul was laughing at him, but then realized Paul wasn’t laughing at anyone around him, he was giggling at his own reflection.

“Q: How did you first meet Paul?

A: On a bus coming home from school. He was sitting by himself and laughing! thought we had a real nut on our hands!”

On the cover of Tan magazine, September 1965. (Featuring a photo of The Beatles with Mary Wells in October 1964.)

“I’d never really heard Marvin Gaye, The Miracles and all that until George played me the records up in their flat [on London’s Green Street] and they absolutely blew me away. I then went on a sort of crusade for Motown!” - Tony Hall, The Beatles: The BBC Archives

Cathy McGowan: “What records do you like, other than your own?” George Harrison: “All the Motown Tamla records, Mary Wells, Miracles, Marvin Gaye, Impressions, all that crowd.” - Ready, Steady, Go!, March 20, 1964

“[The music] that we play at home — like Mary Wells, Miracles and not to mention Marvin Gaye.” - George Harrison, BBC’s Public Ear, January 12, 1964

“Tamla Motown artists are our favorites. The Miracles, The Impressions, Marvin Gaye, Mary Wells, The Exciters.” - George Harrison, The Beatles’ Detroit press conference, September 6, 1964

“That boy George — he’s very quiet, but he’s cute.” - Mary Wells, Melody Maker, November 7, 1964

“Labeling the various members of the Beatles, Mary [Wells] recalled that Paul McCartney is the ‘real life of any party; Ringo Starr is a complete clown; George Harrison is kind of on the quiet side; and John Lennon is more of a businessman than the other three and he’s the toughest one to get to know.’” - Tan, September 1965

“The Beatles — who were always among Mary’s very early fans — are now her own favorites. She thinks they are very adorable and feels dreadfully sorry for them. ‘You have no idea how surrounded they are. There’s always someone wanting them. Their lives are certainly not their own. You know sometimes Paul or George will come into my dressing room and play a couple of records and then leave again.’” - Disc, October 31, 1964 (x)

" we sort of conned my way out of hospital so i didn't have to be there for my 15th birthday. we went down to romford, where my stepdad's family lived. his dad was great, and he knew london like the back of his hand. we went walking all over london and saw the sights, the british museum and the searchlight tattoo.

it was a great day out, but it was a bit long for someone who'd just come out of hospital. "

- ringo starr, PHOTOGRAPH (2013)

Drawings by Paul McCartney of John Lennon and George Harrison | 1967

You can immediately spot John Lennon’s sideburns and glasses, as well as George Harrison’s distinctive hair and eyebrows. The artist of the exquisite pen sketch? Their bandmate Paul McCartney.

It was 55 years ago today (or thereabouts) when the Beatle was asked by the journalist Hunter Davies how Lennon and Harrison had looked when they played in their previous incarnation, the Quarrymen. Rather than answer the question, McCartney grabbed a notebook and drew them.

Beatles’ biographer donates his magical mystery hoard The Sunday Times | 25 September 2022