101 things you didn’t know about the Beatles

Posted on October 6, 2009 - Filed Under General, Humor, News, Personal, Technology

I have been doing some cleaning up around the house and came across a page out of an old newspaper. Perth's "Daily News", Wednesday, November 17, 1982, pages 28, 29, 47 and 48. The reason I had hung onto the page was because one was dedicated to 101 things you didnt know about the Beatles. So I thought I would share, after a lot of typing lol. Just remember this is from 1982, so you will likely know most of it. :- Twenty years ago a record was released - "Love me do" by a group called the Beatles. The disc struggled up the charts, finally settling uneasily at 17th position. Fine, said the music press - now lets get back to Bobby Vee and Roy Orbison....But the Beatles weren't so easily dismissed. Extending their influence way beyond the bounds of music, they literally reshaped the attitudes of an entire generation. Here, as a twentieth anniversary tribute, we present 101 things you (probably) did not know about the Beatles. 1. The Beatles has such a matey relationship with the Caverngoers that they could look up the group's home telephone numbers in the local directory and call a Beatle with requests. 2. "Pinwheel Twist" one of the least known Lennon-McCartney compositions, was used briefly during 1961 as a solo singing spot for Pete Best. 3. John edited the Dovedale Primary school newspaper, the Daily Howl, aged nine. 4. "Love me do" was written in summer 1958 and used in auditions for several record companies before being recorded on September 11 1962 - in 17 takes. 5. Percy Phillips recorded John, Paul and George as the Quarrymen in his front room in 1957. He later erased it. 6. Brian Epstein was expelled from Liverpool college in 1944 aged 10. 7. The Beatles backed a stripper called Shirley in a club in Liverpool in 1960. 8. in Autumn 1960 John, Paul, George, Stu Sutcliffe and Ringo backed Lu Walters of Rory Storm and the Hurricanes on a 78rpm recording in the Akustik Studios, Hamburg, for $20. 9. The Beatles appeared 294 times at the Cavern between December 1960 and August 1963. 10. Paul and John performed as a duo the Nurk Twins at Bending, Berkshire, in 1960. 11, John slept in a coffin when he shared a flat with Stu Sutcliffe in Gambia Terrace, Liverpool, in 1960. 12. The Observer reported on February 9, 1964, that an American company was making 35, 000 Beatle wigs a day. 13. The screams of a woman being murder were ignored at the Hilton hotel in San Fransisco in August, 1964. She was thought to be just another hysterical teenager welcoming the Beatles. 14. "Lady Madonna" was recorded by Paul with session musicians, not the Beatles. 15. After Paul was rude about his drumming, Ringo left the group, while recording the "Double White" album in 1968. Back two weeks later. 16. "Double White" was originally to be called "A Dolls House". 17. "Eleanor Rigby" was originally called Daisy Hawkins. None of the Beatles played instuments in it. 18. A group called the Bumblers made a record parodying the Beatles in 1964. They were Bing Crosby, Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis Jr. 19. Actor Geoffrey Hughes, Eddie Yates in Coronation street, dubbed Pauls voice in the cartoon film "Yellow Submarine". 20. "Sergeant Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band" was to be called Dr Pepper but they changed it because of an American soft drink of the same name. The album took 700 hours to make. 21.John sang the lead vocals on "Revolution" on his back. 22. The Beatles appeared on television worldwide 84 time. Their first appearance was in 1959: John, Paul and George appeared as Johnny and the Moondogs. 23. In the eight years they released singles in the UK they had a record in the charts for 298 out of the 416 weeks available 24. In the seven years they released singles in the US they had a record in the charts for 297 out of the 364 weeks available - plus an LP continually in the charts. 25. The Quarrymen, the Rainbow, Johnny and the Moondogs, Long John and the Silver Beatles were all names used by the Beatles before the final choice. 26. The Ladders was the proposed name of a group formed after the Beatles split, with John, George, Ringo and old friend from the Hamburg days, Klaus Voorman. 27. The Beatles had at least six drummers - including Pete Best - before settling on Ringo 28. Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin - despite considerable effort and unlimited money - were unable to get tickets for the group's 1964 Hollywood Bowl concert. 29. At their very first meeting with Brian Epstein, Paul said: "I believe and I hope we're going to make it as a group and be big. I ai, to be a star with or without the other three" 30. Fan club secretary Freda Kelly earned $13 a week working for Brian Epstein as a shorthand typist in 1962. 31 A group of celebrities planned to take a full page advertisement in The Times in favour of legalising pot smoking. John, Paul and George signed but at first Ringo's name was missing. The press asked why. Ringo replied: "What advert? Nobody told me." 32. Backstage at East Ham's Granada theatre on November 9, 1963, record producer George Martin broke the news to the Beatles that the single "I want to hold your hand" had advanced orders of over a million copies, the largest in British record history. 33. During the 1965 American tour, the Beatles had to use a rather antique aircraft. George harrison found a dusty coil of rope from a rack. "It's an escape ladder." explained the stewardess. "How long is it?" Asked George and was told it was about 12 feet. "I take it we shall fly to California tonight at a steady 13 feet then." he said. 34. When running Apple the Beatles terrified staff. Former Press officer Derek Taylor said: "They fired more people than any comparable employer unit in the world." 35. John Lennon always desperately wanted to be thin. But Yoko says he never achieved it: "Even when he was a Beatle, there was a little pot belly under the Beatle jacket. 36. After they began to live together John told Yoko: "Do you know why i like you? Because you look like a blog in drag. You're like a mate." 37. On the first night Ringo replaced local hero Pete Best in the Cavern, there was uproar among the fans. The music was drowned out by cries of "We want Pete." 38. Brian Epstein on becoming the Beatles' manager, reassured John's Aunt Mimi: "I promise you, John will never suffer, He's the only important one." 39. Epstein's original written contract with the Beatles had no legal validity. Paul and George were still under 21 and their signatures should of had parental endorsement. 40. The Beatles were notably unreliable and unpunctual in thier Liverpool days. If one of them didn't turn up, Gerry Marsden (of Gerry and the Pacemakers) stood in. 41. Epstein told them to change their cigarette brand to Senior Service. Woodbine, he said, was too working-class. 42. When the Beatles got their first record with Parlorphone, it was for only 1 penny a record. 43. Ringo suffered appalling health as a child. At six he lay in a coma for weeks after an emergency operation for a burst appendix. At 13 he had pleurisy and remained in a sanatorium for two years. 44. John's first marriage to Cynthia - who was pregnant with Julian - was farcical. The register office service was drowned by road drills outside. The reception was in a restaurant which had no licence, so toasts were drunk in water. 45. Early in 1963, when "Please please me" was number one, the Beatles were evicted from a Young Conservative dance for wearing leather jackets. 46. The Beatles' first album was completed in one 13 hour session on February 11, 1963. There were 14 songs. 47. In May, 1963 with john's son only four weeks old, he and Epstein shared a one week holiday alone in Spain. 48. When the Beatles landed in America on February7, 1964 - with "I want to hold your hand" at number one - the first welcoming words they heard came from a policeman: "Boy," he said "can they use a haircut!" 49. The New York Herald-Tribune's verdict on the group after 60 percent of Americans had seen them on the Ed Sullivan Show was: "75 percent publicity, 20 percent haircut and 5 percent lilting lament." 50.Pul McCartney's original words to "Yesterday" were: Scrambled eggs - Oh, my girlfriend has got lovely legs." 51. "I want to hold your hand," still the Beatles top selling single with world wide sales of 13 million, was composed in the London home of Jane Asher, then Pauls girlfriend. 52. Paul says of "Love me do," the Beatles' first single, released on October 5, 1962: "I was terrified out of my wits and quaking...i can still hear it on the vocals." 53. While recording their 12 albums in Abbey Road Studios, London, the four would relax by disappearing into the basement. 54. Ringo Starrs' father Richard is still a window cleaner in Crewe. 55. The group loved comedy sketches. They appeared with Mike and Bernie Winters in the TV show "Blackpool night out" in 1964. John also appeared in BBC2's series "Not only...But also." 56. When John first met Yoko, he broke all unspoken rules by bringing her to the recording studio. 57. Two of the Beatles, Ringo and John, were born during German bombing raids. 58. The creator of the Beatles' haircut, German art student Astrid Kirchherr, was the girlfriend of Stu Sutcliffe, the fifth Beatle, who died of a brain hemorrhage at 21. 59. A single posy is laid on the grave of Brian Epstein on his birthday (September 19) each year. It comes from his former friend Joe Flannery. 60. Ray McFall, owner of the Cavern, at first refused to let the Beatles play there because they wore jeans. 61. There are only eight unknown faces among the 68 photographs on the "Sergeant Pepper" album. 62. "Norwegian wood" was written by John about an affair he had, to describe his feelings without letting his wife Cynthia know. 63. "I feel fine" released on November 27, 1964, sold 800,000 copies in five days - still the fastest growing single in Britain. 64. Dick Rowe, the Decca recording manager who turned down the Beatles (later signed to EMI's Parlorphone label), saved his reputation by signing the Rolling Stones - Thanks to a tip off from George Harrison. 65. After "Love me do" was released 20 years ago, the Beatles could still only make second on the bill to Scottish singers Robin Hall and Jimmy McGregor at the Corn Exchange, Bradford. 66. Linda McCartney's family name was really Epstein. Her family had changed it to Eastman. Not related to Brian. 67. Paul's mother Mary was a district nurse known as "The Angel" in Liverpool. She died in 1956. 68. The Beatles' last concert together was at Candlewick Park, San Francisco, on August 29, 1966. 69. The official date for the outbreak of Beatlemania was November 4, 1963 when the Beatles appeared in the Royal Variety Performance. 70. The Beatles never sent each other birthday cards. "None of us is sentimental," said George. 71. As teenagers, Paul and George had crushes on Iris Caldwell - dancer sister of Liverpool pop group leader Rory Storm. She was the subject of "Love Me Do." 72. The Beatles only had two "roadies," Neil Aspinall and Mal Evans. 73. Lennon and McCartney's "World without love" - recorded by Peter and Gordon - was registered under false names. The record had all ready reached the hit parade before its authorship was known. 74. Shortly before "Love me do" became a hit Paul took a labouring job in a Liverpool timber yard. He was quickly promoted to executive status. 75. George is the first Beatle to write his autobiography, called "I Me Mine," an autographed copy sells at $368. 76. In 1964, when the Beatles were booked for Sweden, Ringo Starr became ill with tonsillitis and a substitute drummer, Jimmy Nicol, took his place for a few nights. Nicol later based his career in Sweden. 77. While the Duke of Edinburgh was touring Canada in 1964 he was reported as saying "The Beatles are on the wane at the moment." He quickly cabled Brian Epstein explaining that his actual words were: "The Beatles are away at the moment." 78. When John was studying at Liverpool Art College, and Paul and George were achoolboys at Liverpool Institute, in 1958, they would meet to rehearse at the college in the artists' models cubicles. 79. Ringo was an apprentice engineer when he left his job for a season at Butlin's, Skegness with Rory Storm, He quit to join the Beatles. 80. German band leader Bert Kaempfert was the person to give the Beatles a recording contract. They backed singer Tony Sheridan. 81. When Brian Epstein first met the Beatles, their appearance shocked him. The first appointment he made for them was to get their hairs cut...at his own barber's. 82. The first Beatle composition ever recorded - under their German contract - was a George Harrison instrumental "Cry for a shadow." 83. Larry Parnes, Britains first rock impresario, engaged the Beatles when the were still the Silver Beatles to back one of his discoveries Johnny Gentle. They were not asked back. 84. The Beatles played background music for a Hamburg stripper called Janice. 85. The Beatles only ever entered one talent contest. They were beaten by a lady playing the spoons. 86. John and Paul first teamed up together as songwriters in their school days, in 1955, after being introduced by mutual friend, Ivan Vaughan, at a church garden party. By the time "Love me do" was recorded they had written 70 songs. 87. When the Beatles went to India in 1967 to study under the Maharishi, the first to return was Ringo. "It was great. Just like Butlin's." 88 In their early days of fame the Beatles always traveled to engagements in an Austin Princess car driven by one Bill Corbett. They called him "the big Cockney." He came from Southampton. 89. The first non-Beatle to have a hit with a Lennon-McCartney song was Billy J. Kramer with "Do you want to know a secret" in 1963. 90. By March, 1966, the Beatles' official shared fee per concert was $2000, plus a percentage of takings which could more than treble that figure. 91. George's first fife Patti introduced the Beatles to the Maharishi. 92. In July 1964 John bought his first house, at Weybridge, Surrey, for $40,000. 93. At one time all four Beatles were vegetarians; they also went through a tea-drinking and a scotch-and-Coke phase. 94. The official Beatles fan magazine was called Beatles monthly. The last regular issue appeared in December 1969, priced 2s 6d. Now revived, the current issue costs 80p (about $1.60). 95. The first Beatle to tire of touring was George. 96. John was educated at Liverpool's Quarry Bank High School, noted for producing politicians. Old boys include Bill Rodgers and Peter Shore. 97. Before setting the Beatles on the path to success, recording manager George Martin had produced the Peter Sellers - Sophia Loren duet "Goodness gracious me" and hits for Matt Monro, Bernard Cribbens and Peter Ustinov. 98. Ringo is the only one who married one of the Beatles early fans. He met his first wife Maureen, by whom he had three children, at the Cavern, when she was a 16 year old hairdresser. 99. Ron Kass, now husband and manager of Joan Collins, was first business head of Apple. 100. When Paul received his first 1 million pound ($2,000,000) bank statement, he proudly showed it to a $60 a week Beatles employee. 101. The first song Paul wrote was "My little girl," in 1955. Also on the other pages you can buy a Datsun (now Nissan) Pulsar for $6,790au or a 280ZX for $20,825au, or a gas BBQ from $27.50au. or a great invention, the National Satellite stereo am/fm radio  cassette player, and the cassette player comes out, for truly portable sound for around $319au. maybe i should take some pics 🙂

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