THE CD

THE STORY

THE SONGS

Höfner 500/1

LADY MADONNA

GEORGE HARRISON

 

Photo :- George, Paul, Pete and John on Stage at the Cavern - 1962. Interesting photo ... with Paul being left handed, it was quite a palaver to get into this position - the arms of George's Gretch and Paul's Höfner pointing at each oher

Please understand that because of the variety of resources from which the material has been harvested, the quality is variable, and you will have to be patient in adjusting your equipment. It’s at its best when played directly through your PC speakers, especially if you have a sub-woofer, or when you have saved it in another format suitable for playing on your stereo or car equipment.You can use a program like CDEX to do that ..  details on the accompanying readme.doc file. 

These tracks are recordings of songs that helped to make the Beatles famous in 1961 and early 1962, many of which they continued to sing on stage through later years.  There are no Beatles recordings here. The fame of the Beatles was built on their renditions of these songs.  Some of them appeared later on their own records.

How do I know this .... for the record I was a member of the Cavern Club from 1961 to 1964 ….  and saw the Beatles many, many times in those years, maybe a hundred times or so at the Cavern, then many times in other places including Chester and New Brighton. 

For the record, the Beatles performed at the Cavern maybe 292 times in this period - I say "maybe" as on occasions one of them might not turn up - often Pete who was somewhat unreliable, was just plain "missing" or one of them was sick or missed the bus; however the quantum range of 280-310 appearances is pretty accurate. In addition, as they did not have a real job, they might just drop in and play with whoever else was on stage as the Cavern was that sort of place - where the bands used to just drop in on a casual basis.

These are the songs that thrilled the audience, brought them back, made them scream, drove the stompin' and snoggin'.... the Beatles were just overwhelmingly so good with these songs; these songs were the foundation on which they built their tremendous support in Liverpool and provided such excitement for all who saw them. They were good, they were entertaining, they looked like nothing else, they sang songs that nobody had heard of and turned them into something special ...  and later, after 1962, they built on this foundation, and changed the world. They became symbols of peace, musical innovation, goodwill, love and fairness ... and nothing can take away their collective achievements over the last 40 years.

For this compilation, I have only included those songs that I remember …. other stompers and snoggers will perhaps recall a different repertoire .. so it excludes material of which I am unsure, and numbers that they stopped using in 1960 or before;  it also excludes most of the material they wrote themselves, by definition – as this was not the material that made them famous - and other songs they may have commenced using in late 1962 or afterwards.   On this CD, we have the songs they sang that made them famous, not the songs that the famous Beatles started to write and/or sing AFTER "Love Me Do" was recorded.

Of course, it wasn’t just the material itself, the success came from what they (and nobody else) did with it. 

We in the crowd were also having heaps of fun … well, the music was raw, relentless and driving … the Cavern was outrageously Spartan, grotty, claustrophobic, dark, foul and full of "talent" of both sexes ...  and very, very loud music.

We often had to queue up for hours in snaking lines that curled up Mathew Street, just to get in the dive. 

I have created this CD for the Liobians, and my idea was to do this as an interesting project, as I don’t think such a project has been attempted before.  So if there are any copyright issues, I’m the one to sue.  I’d like to thank Alex Choraffa and Iain Taylor and the other Liobians for supporting this project.  Now, down to business. 

The Cavern was heavily populated at lunchtimes with lads from the Institute – ties stuffed in their pockets, trying to desperately hide behind clouds of smoke the fact that they were wearing a school blazer … there to watch their erstwhile pals, peers and predecessors, Paul and George (both of course were LIOBIANS), as well as to absorb the magic of their spell, and to escape the drudgery of Mount Street, shove ha’penny, prefects, playing bridge, another f&*%#*n' game of 3-card brag and Mrs. G’s tiresome, bloody tuckshop. In order to get out of the place, some of us traded our sarnies in order to afford the one shilling entrance fee, often sagging off at 12 noon and returning through the Covered Yard or the kitchens at 2-15 pm. 

What Influence Did These Songs Have   ?    

Back to the CD and the Beatles …. they possibly based their rendition of these songs on the versions and artists identified on this CD, although this is by no means certain.  For some older songs, perhaps many of the versions of previous artists created a combined influence ….. for instance, which version of The Sheik of Araby caused it to be sung by George in his style  …. the Fats Waller version or perhaps the Gene Vincent version, or both   ?      

Sometimes I have chosen a version for nostalgia reasons … for example I have chosen Arthur “Big Boy” Crudup’s original of “It’s Alright Mama”, although it is more likely that Paul was influenced by the Elvis version and probably Gene’s Vincent’s attempt at singing it.  You will be pleased to hear that with “Love Me Tender”, I have resisted the satirical temptation to include the version by Demis Roussos and Nana Mouskouri, or that by Rolf Harris. 

It was Paul who also sang Fats Wallers’ “Yer Feets Too Big”. So, perhaps he was the Fats fan. As they used to find songs they liked individually, and then farm them out to each other to get some spread (e.g. Ringo got to sing “Boys” and “Honey Don’t” – both previously sung by John), or to fit the song to a voice. 

On the other hand, there is not much doubt about the general delivery of “Nobody But You” by the Lafayettes on John’s acquired, singing lexicon and style;  nor was there any doubt about the raucous Larry Williams and Little Richard’s influence on Paul; nor the Crickets’ guitar work on George. You may like to have a listen to these original tracks and you may hear what I mean, or think I mean. 

  Then there is the richness in the quality of three very special artists, each of whom recorded a clutch of gems … Arthur Alexander, Chuck Berry and Carl Perkins; these songs and their flavours seemed to rub off  on them (and us) all. Most if not all of these are here on this CD. 

  Chuck gave them his unique, erratic guitar style, intros and R & B dance material that was so infectious with its rhythm … also, the heartstring puller “Memphis Tennessee”, as delivered by the Beatles with Pete Best’s very special drumming.  

  Carl gave them a swag of country, hill-billy material, that the Beatles turned into either infectious warmth, or raucous rock ‘n roll; and finally  ...

  Arthur Alexander … who laid down these tremendously rich, five songs …. that were in my opinion the pivotal differentiators in the all that followed on the Mersey Liverpool phenomenon.   

The Beatles as Musicians 

I am not qualified to pass any opinion, so this is subjective, but from the heart ... I have a guitar, and have played it very badly for 40 years, although if others get the pots and pans out, we can have a great party  ...... 

I think that George was “an ok” guitarist, who just fitted in with the rest of them … some of the solos he played, in these times on his black Gretsch semi acoustic, show a limited creative, interpretive or spontaneous ability. In fact some of them are just dead boring. On the other hand he was indeed able to follow and remember others riffs very easily. 

    Paul had become a talented bass player … his ability was I would say, second to none in this genre, only perhaps Johnny Gustafson of the Big Three showing more colour and breadth in the way he used the fretboard. Paul’s ability to play in so many rhythms always amazed me, especially as he was singing at the same time. He made full use of the acoustic capacity of his semi acoustic Höfner Club “fiddle” bass. 

  As for Pete Best – he did a pretty good job, smouldering at the back of the front line up, saying very little, although this mean, moody and magnificent demeanour didn’t translate into much drumming excitement. As to whether he could handle the perhaps, testing rhythms of “Love Me Do”, well I don’t know either, although they played it in a live situation a great deal more slowly than the versions which were later recorded. 

I have tried to match the bass drum, high hat and snare work in a desk-top environment ... jeez, it is indeed very difficult, but then I am rhythmically dyslexic when I have to transfer what I hear to feet and hands.

In Pete’s defence, of course it is no secret that Ringo is not playing the drums on “Love Me Do” ... it’s a session drummer, even on the “Please, Please Me” album.  

Whether George deserved the black eye I saw him sporting that day in Mathew Street 1962, I guess we will never know.  If you don't know what I am talking about, you don't need to know.

A Certain Magic Created Anthems 

Behind all of this was a natural vision to identify ways of turning what might be considered as very ordinary music into a special magic …. there is no doubt in my mind that it was the Beatles who turned  

• Chuck Berry’s “Memphis Tennessee” (it was Pete Best not Ringo who emphasised the Peggy Sue-style, snareless and tom-tom drumming); 

• Arthur Alexander’s suite of 5 songs into real magic, with their infectious sound management; 

• Barrett Strong’s “Money” (originally, in the live Cavern environment of course without the piano, although there was one available on the right hand wall in the Cavern – often later receiving on the keyboard, the foot of fellow LIOBIAN, Stu Slater with the Nomads/Mojos); and 

• Ritchie Barrett’s “Some Other Guy” (injected with some ripping enthusiasm) ...

into Liverpool anthems. 

“Anthems”, oh yes, absolutely ...  anthems  ... because all the other bands copied the Beatles repertoire …. particularly these songs.  No matter where you went in 1962-1963, the bands would include these songs in their show.

The Sound 

Do yourselves a favour ... turn up the volume ... have a listen to the original “Boppin’ the Blues” track here from Carl Perkins …. “ … bop-bop boppin’ the blues …bop-bop … boppin’ the blues” …. or the electrifying “Shot of Rhythm and Blues” from the original recording by Arthur Alexander …. yes, these originals do lack the final magic overlayed by the Beatles, but you can understand when listening to them, why John and Paul selected them for their special, supercharged  treatment.  

Paul bought his Höfner Club 500/1 bass from Steinway in Hamburg for 287 Deutchmarks. It was made especially for him by Hofner, as of course it is left handed. As it was a symmetrical shape, it wasn't difficult to locate the pick guard and the hole for the electronics to the other side of the body. In 1961, he was using a Selmer Truvoice amp which he later powered through the coffin speaker box with its 15 inch speaker made at Paul's request, by Adrian Barber. Later Adrian modified a QUAD II valve amp to deliver not its rated 15 watts, but a wopping 40 watts, partly by modifying the model 22 pre-amp to pass more bass.

From 1961 through to 1964, George played a 1957 Gretsch Duo Jet guitar, which he bought from a sailor who advertised it for sale in the Liverpool Echo - for 75 pounds. In 1961, George was usind a Gibson GA-40 Les Paul amp.

John used his Rickenbacker 325 with a Kauffman Vibrato, which he soon changed for a Bigsby. He used a Fender Deluxe amp in 1961.

Pete's drum set was a Premier.

  In late 1962, Brian Epstein convinced Tom Jennings who owned Jennings Musical Industries, to "give" two top of the market VOX AC 30 amps to the Beatles, in return for a gentleman's agreement that they would only ever use VOX kit. Epstein did the deal, and kept his word. Nobody who heard that music coming out of those VOX amps that John used for his Rickenbacker and George used for his Gretsch - and those coffin speakers that Paul used for his Höfner bass, powered by the QUAD II - both components customised by the amazing Adrian Barber, will ever forget the unbelievable sound in that small, stone cellar.    It was just so loud - and in the Cavern, the noise from those amps could be heard half way down Mathew Street ... this was indeed something else.

I remember that the Beatles often tuned their gear onstage .. Paul tuning the Höfner bass against the piano ... this gave the first awesome idea of what was about to happen .... on many occasions the first song to get the session going was "Some Other Guy" (yes, it's on this CD) .... which the Beatles started with those two, awesome intro notes, played 1 second apart ... amazing sounds, followed by that very unusual full-on "duet" by John and Paul.

Adrian and those Amps 

How they ever got those goddam amps down the steps past Paddy Delaney was always a mystery to me – Paul’s was five foot high, a huge piece of equipment in those days. They dwarfed nearly every other band’s speakers in size and sound.   On reflection, I am unsure whether the coffin that Paul had also came with an inner or separate amp .. I think not; I thing he disconnected the speakers from the Selmer Truvoice and shot the wires out to the speakers in the coffin ... maybe the noise came from some pre amps .. I do not recall, but I am sure that others will know the answer to that one.

They were made by Adrian Barber ... Adrian was the guitarist with the Big Three before being replaced by Brian Griffiths.  Adrian made the coffins for the Big Three, and he made three others, one for Paul McCartney and the others for Tony Jackson of the Searchers and Tony Stratton.  They were awesome.  

  On the photograph that accompanies this CD from the Jewel Case, you can just make out the top of Paul’s bass coffin speakers specially made for him by Adrian, above George’s shoulder in the corner where it was normally placed by Neil Aspinall.  The guest singer on the right is Davy Jones … he’s sitting on the piano, again where it was permanently located. 

Carl Perkins 

Back to Carl Perkin’s “Boppin’ the Blues” …. John Lennon heard the possibilities in this basically C& W hill-billy song, the potential for some great rock ‘n roll ….  It’s easy to hear that now in hindsight … Bob Wooler used to play the originals like these on this CD, between the sessions when the lads were putting on their makeup (joke), and Neil was carrying in the amps …. these tracks on this CD from Carl Perkins  … all those tracks … “Boppin’ the Blues”, “Honey Don’t”, “Matchbox”… turn ‘em up real loud.

This is the music that came over the speakers between the acts … turn up the volume ... when most folks liked to dance, well you wouldn’t wanna dance when the Beatles were on stage.

You can almost most breathe the dank and throbbing hormonal heat and chlorine, in that small, smelly, subterranean, triple-arched health hazard of a warehouse, deep in the salty bowels of a dirty old town by the docks - our town, home of the Liobians.

Arthur Alexander 

With regards to the Arthur Alexander suite of five songs on this CD, they really are quite exceptional, due to the qualities achieved in that Muscle Shoals studio.  Each of the five songs (Soldier of Love, Where Have You Been, Anna, You Better Move On and Shot of Rhythm and Blues) became Liverpool anthems, as defined above.

In each, there is a haunting but driving bass line (Shot of Rhythm and Blues), striding but restrained use of drums and cymbals ("You Better Move On"), and the staccato upstroke rhythm guitar playing on the counter to the drums ("Where Have You Been") … not that I am much of a musician, but I can hear  these special qualities, in addition to which there was the ability for a John Lennon, middle stanzas "blow up" as in Soldier of Love.

The classic Lennon "blow up" soon became a fundamental feature in the songs they started to write themselves, such as "This Boy" and the arrangement style can be identified on “She’s a Woman”.  In Anna, you can hear the secrets of balancing the sound on piano, minimal but strong bass intrusion as it was instilled in that strange Muscle Shoals studio, with egg cartons absorbing the depth of the reverberations. 

Some of these tracks when turned up loud, will still test the capacity of modern equipment. So yes, the same qualities still come through even on this MP3 translation on our Liobians CD ... a well crafted and deep sounding, beautifully produced classic suite of the early 60s. 

Of course, this style suited the Big Three who could pull off terrific renditions of all five songs with their limited range of three instruments – but then, the Big Three were excellent musicians in their own right, John Hutchinson was in my view a strong singer and drummer, Brian Griffith’s (“Crisp” or “Griff”) a guitarist whose very simple, single pick-up, solid guitar could make you weep, and Johnny Gustafson was a very good singer  whose bass playing was quite exceptional. 

Brian Griffiths subsequently featured in the Griff Parry Five (singer Steve Aldo), co -led by Ronnie Parry (L5A in 1952 – born 1938) …. thanks to Billy Morton for that gem. Johnny Gustafson went on to become a highly regarded session man and I think played with Roxy Music and Genesis.

Chuck Berry 

There are many Chuck Berry tracks on this CD, in particular I like two live recordings of "Maybelline" and "Reelin' & Rockin'" ... the latter is a 7 minute version, and Chuck is obviously enjoying himself, in fact he is having a great time - he obviously finishes the song doing his famous stooped walk across the stage while still playing.

What comes through for me, apart from the great time he is having, is the natural, stacatto, chopped guitar style that he invented ...and of course, as in all his songs, the sexual depravity and innuendo of the man, well who ever believed that this song was about a Saturday night, church dance ... luved him myself ... I especially liked the bit