The Beatles (168 page)

“
Imagine having her there all the time
”: Letter to Cynthia Lennon, 4/62.

“
The pressure was really getting to him
”: Author interview with Alistair Taylor, 1/17/98.

CONGRATULATIONS BOYS
: Lewisohn,
Chronicle,
p. 56.

HAVE SECURED CONTRACT
: Ibid., p. 55 (picture).

None of the Beatles had been forewarned
:
“It was only Brian telling us we were going to make it and George.” John Lennon, 1972 interview, in
Anthology,
p. 68.

By way of celebration
: Best & Doncaster,
Beatle!,
p. 159.

Unable to make ends meet
: C. Lennon,
A Twist,
p. 61.

“
they played tick with hatchets
”: Author interview with Dave Foreshaw, 10/3/97.

“
money had run out
”: C. Lennon,
A Twist,
p. 70.

“
period got later and later
”: “Cynthia Lennon: In Her Own Words,”
Hello!,
5/21/94.

“
The horror of it
”: “Cynthia Lennon: In Her Own Words,”
Hello!,
5/14/94.

Bursting with shame
: “For awhile I tried to ignore the problem. The difficulties were almost too great to contemplate.” Ibid.

“
crummy” meals
: Author interview with Dot Rhone Becker, 11/19/98.

took the stairs “two at a time
”:
Hello!,
5/14/94.

“
As the words sunk in
”: Ibid.

“
I thought it would be goodbye
”: Davies,
Beatles,
p. 153.

Resignedly, he proposed
: “There’s only one thing for it, Cyn, we’ll have to get married.” C. Lennon,
A Twist,
p. 73; “I was a bit shocked when Cynthia told me, but I said, ‘Yes, we’ll have to get married.’ ” John Lennon in Davies,
Beatles,
p. 153.

“
John didn’t share much
”: Author interview with Bill Harry, 8/5/97.

“
was [their] last chance
”: “According to Brian, it was very much a case of like—‘okay, this is your last chance.’ ” Pete Best,
Abbey Road
transcripts, 2/19/97.

“
Where’s the recording studio?
”: Ibid.

“
It’s a house!
”: Ibid.

It had originated in 1831
: Southall,
Abbey Road,
p. 14.

the world’s first “purpose- (or custom-) built” studio
: Spitz, “The Long and Winding Abbey Road,”
Sky,
9/97, p. 53.

The fundamentals of stereo
: Author interview with Alan Brown, 6/23/97.

“
stepping into… another world
”: Pete Best,
Abbey Road
transcripts, 2/19/97.

“
Coming into Abbey Road
”: Paul McCartney in Southall,
Abbey Road,
p. 130.

“
corner suite
”:
Sky,
9/97, p. 56.

“
We were nervous
”: Pete Best,
Abbey Road
transcripts, 2/19/97.

“
Look at the size of this place!
”: Ibid.

“
it was love at first sight
”: Martin,
All You Need,
p. 122.

“
wasn’t terribly impressed
”: Author interview with Ron Richards, 12/27/97.

John had patterned it after
: “It was my attempt at writing a Roy Orbison song.… I heard Roy Orbison sing ‘Only the Lonely’ or something. That’s where the song came from.” Sheff,
Playboy Interviews,
pp. 142–43.

“
They didn’t impress me at all
”: Southall,
Abbey Road,
p. 81.

George Martin shared their reservations
: “Frankly, they didn’t impress me, least of all their own songs.” Martin,
All You Need,
p. 123.

“
They were rotten composers
”: Ibid.

“
Their own stuff wasn’t any good
”: George Martin,
Arena
archives.

“
suitable material
”: Martin,
All You Need,
p. 123.

“
embellish[ing] the sound
”: Norman Smith in Southall,
Abbey Road,
p. 81.

“
the drummer was no good
”: Author interview with Ron Richards, 12/27/97.

“
During that one conversation
”: Dowlding,
Beatlesongs,
p. 35.

refer the band to a venereologist
: Author interview with Rex Makin, 11/1/97.

“
[Paul] was trying to be good about it
”: Author interview with Dot Rhone Becker, 11/19/98.

Jim McCartney… “was delighted
”: Ibid.

Between the Parlophone audition
: Lewisohn,
Chronicle,
pp. 70–71.

“
the Eppy-center
”: Author interview with Tony Barrow, 10/31/97.

Everyone was crammed
: Author interview with Beryl Williams, 10/7/97.

“
He was very meticulous
”: Author interview with Frieda Kelly Norris, 10/5/97.

“
We’d talk in his office
”: Author interview with Bob Wooler, 10/30/97.

“
Sometimes he’d rub his hands
”:
Ibid.

“
It was an amazing scene
”: Author interview with Bill Harry, 8/1/97.

“
reminded him of a German concentration camp
”: Author interview with Johnny Byrne, 10/8/97.

“
boring” image
: “We had our original names at Butlins. Rory said, ‘It doesn’t sound good, it sounds boring.’ ” Ibid.

The only group member who balked
: “Ringo was a bit reluctant to do that.” Ibid.

one of the city’s fleetest dancers
: “His dancing used to amaze us.” Ibid.

“
Rings
”: “In Liverpool, I was still wearing a lot of rings, and people were starting to say, “Hey, Rings!’ ” Ringo Starr in
Anthology,
p. 39.

an effort to amend it to Johnny Ringo
: Clayson,
Ringo Starr: Straight Man or Joker
(hereinafter,
Straight Man
), p. 34.

“
Ritch wasn’t that interested
”: Author interview with J. Byrne, 10/8/97.

“
Starr was a natural
”:
Melody Maker,
11/14/64.

“
He was an excellent drummer
”: Author interview with Adrian Barber, 10/4/97.

“
There was a feeling we all had
”: G. Harrison & D. Taylor,
I, Me, Mine,
p. 33.

“
always made for the drums
”: Richie Galvin in Leigh,
Drummed Out!,
p. 56.

“
Paul was showing Pete
”: Ibid.

it was no secret that the other Beatles resented Mona
: Clayson,
Straight Man,
p. 56.

“
Mona was an attractive, strong… woman
”: Author interview with Bill Harry, 8/4/97.

“
she could also be a harridan
”: Leigh,
Drummed Out!,
p. 67.

“
If she said it was Sunday
”: Richie Galvin in ibid.

“
didn’t want her interference
”: Bill Harry in Clayson,
Straight Man,
p. 56.

Kingsize Taylor’s band, on tour
: Clayson,
Straight Man,
p. 54.

“
Teddy wrote to Ringo
”: Leigh,
Drummed Out!,
p. 44.

“
the lifestyle… was ideal
”: Author interview with Johnny Byrne, 10/8/97.

“
fabulous… the best place
”: Ringo Starr in
Anthology,
p. 39.

“
But Ringo was… ruthless
”: Author interview with Johnny Byrne, 10/8/97.

“
Is it possible for us to talk later?
”: Author interview with Bob Wooler, 10/31/97.

“
his face looked scared
”: Davies,
Beatles,
p. 137.

“
found Brian in a very uneasy mood
”: Best & Doncaster,
Beatle!,
p. 166.

“
hedged a little
”: Epstein,
Cellarful,
p. 69.

“
Pete, I have some bad news
”: Best & Harry,
Best Years,
p. 157.

“
in a state of shock
”: Ibid., p. 159.

“
Why?
”: Best & Doncaster,
Beatle!,
p. 166.

And neither did George Martin
: “George Martin had not been too happy about Pete Best’s drumming.” Epstein,
Cellarful,
p. 68.

“
The lads don’t want you
”: Pete Best in Leigh,
Drummed Out!,
p. 41.

“
my mind was in a turmoil
”: Best & Doncaster,
Beatle!,
p. 166.

“
stab in the back
”: Ibid.

Brian offered to form another group
: “I suggested many alternatives. That he could be the nucleus of a group that I would form, that he could be fitted into one of my existing groups…. ” Epstein,
Cellarful,
p. 69.

“
What’s happened?
”: Best & Doncaster,
Beatle!,
p. 166.

Pete was stunned
: “The fact that they weren’t at my dismissal hurt me a lot more than the fact that Brian told me that I wasn’t a Beatle any longer.” Leigh,
Drummed Out!,
p. 49.

Where were the Beatles?
: John said, “We were cowards when we sacked him.” Davies,
Beatles,
p. 140.

“
disgusted
”: Best & Doncaster,
Beatle!,
p. 167.

Throughout his residency there
:
Author interview with Bill and Virginia Harry, Johnny Byrne; also Leigh,
Drummed Out!,
pp. 36–37.

The birth certificate
: City of Liverpool, Legal Services, Registrar of Births.

It was all Pete could do
: Best & Doncaster,
Beatle!,
p. 167.

“
I’m not going to the gig
”: Best & Harry,
Best Years,
p. 159.

“
Once I was home
”: Best & Doncaster,
Beatle!,
p. 167.

“
I never felt sorry
”: Ringo Starr in
Anthology,
p. 72.

“
ordinary, poor
”: Ringo Starr in
Anthology,
p. 33.

“
He was not a barefoot, ragged child
”: Author interview with Marie Crawford, 11/1/97.

“
really rough
”: Ringo Starr in
Anthology,
p. 34.

“
artisan working class
”: Author interview with Quentin Hughes, 10/3/97.

“
Most of us were brought up there
”: Author interview with Marie Crawford, 11/1/97.

“
palatial
”: Ringo Starr in
Anthology,
p. 33.

“
the cherry on top
”: Author interview with Marie Crawford, 11/1/97.

Big Ritchie
: Clayson,
Straight Man,
p. 1.

“
no real memories of dad
”: Ringo Starr in
Anthology,
p. 33.

“
filled me up with all the things
”:
Beatles Book Monthly,
12/86.

Richard provided support
: Norman,
Shout!,
p. 160.

“
You kept your head down
”: Author interview with Adrian Barber, 10/4/97.

told by his doctors to prepare for the worst
: “They told my mother three times that I’d be dead in the morning.” Ringo Starr in
Anthology,
p. 34.

“
was very lucky to survive
”: Ibid.

“
doted on him
”: Author interview with Marie Crawford, 11/1/97.

“
cotton bobbins to hit
”: Ringo Starr in
Anthology,
p. 36.

“
Someday, I’m going to play
”: Author interview with Marie Crawford, 11/1/97.

never went back to school
: “I never went back to school after 13.” Ringo Starr in
Anthology,
p. 36.

“
biscuit tins
”: Ibid.

“
He was a really sweet guy
”: Ibid., p. 35.

339–40
Harry had access to all the luxuries
: Author interview with Marie Crawford, 11/1/97.

“
great gentleness
”: Ringo Starr in
Anthology,
p. 37.

“
because they give you suits
”: Ibid., p. 36.

“
But it was a great gang
”: Author interview with Roy Trafford, 11/3/97.

“
We knew him pretty well
”: Author interview with Johnny Byrne, 10/8/97.

Ritchie borrowed £46
: Ringo Starr in
Anthology,
p. 36.

“
lapped” pigskin
: Clayson,
Straight Man,
p. 23.

“
had about three lessons
”: Ringo Starr in
Anthology,
p. 37.

Ritchie was influenced
: “I went through modern jazz—Chico Hamilton, Yusef Lateef, people like that.”
Melody Maker,
8/7/71.

“
a bubble of personality
”: Author interview with Iris Caldwell Fenton, 9/10/97.

“
who liked to take care of the other guys
”: Ibid.

“
He always loved his rings
”: Author interview with Marie Crawford, 11/1/97.

“
was nominally of the Orange lodge
”: Ibid.

“
to say [he] was actually
something
”: Ringo Starr in
Anthology,
p. 38.

“
It was a difficult decision
”: Author interview with Johnny Byrne, 10/8/97.

“
Why not?
”: Author interview with Roy Trafford, 11/3/97.

“
We felt sorry for him
”: Author interview with Ray Ennis, 10/1/97.

“
I felt sorry for the lads
”: Author interview with Colin Manley, 10/2/97.

“
From the time the doors opened
”: Author interview with Bob Wooler, 10/30/97.

“
very solid beat
”:
Paul McCartney in
Anthology,
p. 72.

“
Ringo didn’t try and direct the beat
”: Author interview with Adrian Barber, 10/4/97.

“
it had all been settled
”: Author interview with Dot Rhone Becker, 11/19/98.