Week I - Notes 2: The Beatles Get Organize

The Beatles get organized See Hunter Davies, The Beatles, with a new introduction, New York: Norton, 2009. Brian Epstein (1934-1967) -Family took over Nems (North End Music Stores) in 1930s -Brian in charge of record department -By 1961 the stores are thriving and Brian is getting bored - October 28, 1961 request for “My Bonnie” starts the hunt for this group called the Beatles. He went to the Cavern to hear them November 9, 1961. -First meeting Dec. 3, 1961 Bob Wooller of the Cavern Club is there -Dec. 10, 1961 a contract is signed -Nems Enterprises is his management company -Brian finishes what Astrid started: suits, scheduling, rules of behavior (no smoking on stage, a program to follow) “making it real” - John -starts working with Decca records -audition January 1, 1962 and nothing happened and Decca passed –as did many others Beatles go to Hamburg for a third trip in April –June 1962 -recording for Polydor as backup band -Brian insists they fly to Germany May 1962 -Brian also makes the tapes into a record at HMV (retail branch of EMI) -the technician likes the tapes and connects Brian with George Martin of Parlophone, a division of EMI June 6, 1962, Beatles audition for George Martin (1926-2016) July 1962 Martin offers contract with Parlophone -this is when the Beatles replace Pete Best with Ringo Starr -Pete not told about contract and on August 16, 1962 is fired by Brian Ringo Starr (1940- ) -born Richard Starkey to Elsie Gleave and Richard Starkey -separated when Ringo was 3 - At 6 his appendix burst / peritonitis set in -hospitalized for a little over one year (ten weeks in a coma) -at 13 hospitalized for pleurisy (two years) -drummer for Eddie Clayton Skiffe band and played for other joiner apprentices -then joined Rory Storme (Liverpool’s leading group) -Ringo is a favorite with fans and other musicians -first met Beatles in 1960 in Hamburg at the Kaiserkeller -played with Tony Sheirdan in Hamburg -offered car, housing and wages for a year to stay in Hamburg -decided to come back to Liverpool and summer 1962 Beatles offered him a job 1