Fifty-seven years ago this November (1963), December, into January 1964 and February, Beatles merchandising got jump-started.
The Beatles Merchandise
STRAMSACT?
NEMS (the band’s management company), not wanting to get involved with merchandising, organized a subsidiary company named Stramsact. They were to handle the U.K. and the rest of the world licensing rights for merchandise. Stramsact created its own subsidiary company called Seltaeb (Beatles spelled backward) to take care of licensing products in the U.S.
For the most part, starting in November, the licensing of everything from jewelry, dolls, shirts, games, egg-cups, blankets, chairs, food, perfume, fabric, garters, pompons, calendars, bedspreads, wigs, and much more started. Beatlemania, carried over to store shelves, was reaching a new level! Mass merchandising around the world would never be the same!
Christmas Presents?
Back in the ’60s, parents all over the world were buying Beatles-related Christmas presents for their children and those children now have their own children and grandchildren too!
However, Brian Epstein was not the first candidate for the position of Beatles manager. A Liverpool-based promoter called Sam Leach, who regularly organised dances and live shows in local venues, frequently hired the Beatles. As he was giving them regular work and they were all very good friends, he suggested he should become their manager.
The group agreed and on the strength of a handshake with John Lennon, the group’s leader, he thought he’d secured the position as their first manager.
The Beatles Play Aldershot
Sam Leach, George Harrison, John Lennon and Dick Matthews
On the 9th December 1961 Sam booked the Palais Ballroom in Aldershot, about forty miles outside London. He paid for a full-page ad in the Aldershot News and expected a good turnout for the gig. However, he had paid by cheque and the newspaper would not insert the ad until the cheque had cleared.
The cheque didn’t clear in time and on that night only 18 people turned up to see the Beatles.
George Harrison and John Lennon dancing together
After the hiccup at Aldershot everything was going very well for a few weeks until Brian Epstein stepped into the frame. The Beatles, ever eager to climb the ladder of success, were tempted by Brian’s obvious wealth and promises of fame and fortune. With a heavy heart John Lennon had to break the news to Sam that they had signed with “Eppy”.
This first-hand account of Debbie’s teen years frequenting and eventually helping to run the original Cavern Club is the authentic inside story of the Beatles launch pad, full of triumphs and failures – and surprise celebrity encounters.
£17.25Original price was: £17.25.£13.50Current price is: £13.50.
It seems incredible to think that it is 40 years since John Lennon was senselessly murdered in New York outside the Dakota building. I was 15 at the time and remember it clearly. My alarm/clock/ radio went off at the same time every morning. This time, on 9th December in the UK, the usual jingle music wasn’t playing on BBC Radio Merseyside. I just heard the radio click, and a voice saying, “John Lennon is dead…..” The rest was a bit of a blur. I was stunned.
At Least He Was 40
It is strange but I remember thinking that at least he was 40. After all, I was 15 and 40 seemed old. When I reached 40 and had 3 young children, I realised how young 40 was. It made it all the more poignant.
Let us try and remember the positives about his life and what he contributed to this world and our lives.
At the Beatles Bookstore, we are fortunate to have several authors who have been writing about John and studying his life.
One of those people who knew John personally in his formative years is Michael Hill. Michael became friends with John at Dovedale School aged 5, and accompanied John to Quarry Bank School. It was Michael who introduced John to the music of Little Richard, a moment that John said changed his life. Read his incredible story in “John Lennon: The Boy Who Became A Legend.”
A brand new book to the Beatles Bookstore is “To Know John Lennon” by Aidan Prewett, which is a fascinating collection of interviews from people who personally knew John Lennon as Aidan tells us more about the real John Lennon.
If you want a different take on the John Lennon story, then Tony Broadbent’s great book, “The Only After 9:09”, named after John’s great rock ‘n’ roll song. It is a mystery story, joining fact with fiction into a great story!
Beatles Historian David Bedford to Release New Book
LIVERPOOL, England – Renowned Beatles historian and author David Bedford – a Liverpool native and lifelong resident of the city – is releasing his new book on 1 December, 2020.
The first of its kind, The Country of Liverpool delves into the strong yet often overlooked influence of country music on the Beatles. At the center of the story is Phil Brady, a Liverpool music legend who became the UK’s #1 country artist, and his personal scrapbook of memories.
Phil Brady and the Ranchers
“Phil’s story is essential to the country music scene in Liverpool,” says Bedford. “In fact, a lot of that story is untold – and its roots are at the heart of the Beatles’ recording career. The Quarrymen, the group that became the Beatles, were rooted in the skiffle music of Lonnie Donegan; the skiffle was rooted in American country and folk music. And John Lennon was a huge fan of country legend Hank Williams, too.”
That influence followed the band throughout their career and even after their breakup. Ringo Starr’s solo music probably leans the most towards country, though Paul McCartney and Wings and the others had their moments as well. As Bedford says, “Even die-hard fans of the Fabs and their solo work might be surprised at some of the country influences they didn’t realize were there.”
Bedford, who grew up in the Dingle near where Starr was born and also attended the same primary school as Starr and Alf Lennon (John’s father) did, has dedicated his life’s work to the music of Liverpool. He was a founder of the British Beatles Fan Club, is the author of multiple books including Liddypool, The Fab One-Hundred and Four and Finding the Fourth Beatle, and was associate producer on the film Looking for Lennon.
Kevin McManus, Head of UNESCO City of Music in Liverpool, wrote the foreword for The Country of Liverpool and said, “This is a must-read not just for those interested in country music but for anyone with even a passing interest in Liverpool’s rich music history.” Beatles scholar Kenneth Womack, author of Solid State: The Story of Abbey Road and the End of the Beatles and John Lennon: 1980, says The Country of Liverpool “provides a superb, granular history of Liverpool’s affinity for country music and roots music.” And John Lennon Series author Jude Southerland Kessler calls it essential for “Beatles fans and music scholars alike.”
The Country of Liverpool is 408 pages with full-color photos, and is available from Amazon and on beatlesbookstore.com. A select number of limited-edition signed copies are also available through: thecountryofliverpool.com
The Country of Liverpool
You can get the book in either Limited Edition Hardback, Softback and Black and White Softback too.
David Bedford is represented by 910 Public Relations, and is available for interviews, book signings, and speaking engagements. Copies of his book are available for review upon request. For more information, please contact nicole@910pr.com
Cavern Club: BBC Radio Merseyside, still the most popular regional radio station in the UK, launched on 22nd November 1967. Debbie Greenberg remembers:
The Cavern Club
On 22nd November 1967, the Cavern hosted the launch party of BBC Radio Merseyside on the Mersey ferry, Royal Daffodil. The boat sailed at noon from the Pier Head. Dad (Cavern owner Alf Geoghegan) was the first person to be interviewed on Radio Merseyside by Keith Macklin.
An icy wind was blowing as we sat shivering on a wooden seat on the ferry’s top deck. It was slightly warmer on the enclosed lower deck where Keith and DJ Tony Wolfe played sixties music. Local groups – the Detours, Excelles, Tremors and King Bees – entertained us with live music, as guests drank and danced to keep warm.
This first-hand account of Debbie’s teen years frequenting and eventually helping to run the original Cavern Club is the authentic inside story of the Beatles launch pad, full of triumphs and failures – and surprise celebrity encounters.
£17.25Original price was: £17.25.£13.50Current price is: £13.50.
Author Joyce Isaacson shares a glimpse into her fascinating book, based on the story of the band, Badfinger.
The Pink Panther? Peter Sellers?
What can possibly be in Heaven now? Will the Pink Panther strike again? Yes, this segment of Wish You Were Here: Heavenly Encounters was inspired by Peter Sellers. Also, this segment is inspired by Tom Evans, Pete Ham, Mal Evans and the Beatles.
“I’m so charged, I don’t feel I need to go home,” I told meself flying to Level Four. “I’m going to visit an old friend.” First, I meditated on the house. Nobody is home? I never see this in Heaven. I knocked as loud as I could.
The door opened.
I wanted to blurt out what I witnessed, but…
“Hi, Paul. A friend and I went to the park where you perform. How come we didn’t see you there?”
“Oh.”
Paul Buyers wore a smoking jacket and a white scarf wrapped around his neck. Hmm. I remember the first time I met him in Heaven years ago. He had paintings he created of all his wives doing different household chores. I also recall that I convinced him to leave his house for a more a more lucrative venture doing Shakespeare in the park.
“Please, come in.”
We sat on his cloth-checkered couch.
“I haven’t even put the show together yet.”
“Why? You’re the master of comedy, I know.”
“Let me show you. If you come this way.”
I followed Paul into one of his bedrooms. Me mouth was agape because I couldn’t believe what I saw. “Blimey! I’m surprised! I see videotapes in boxes and a decent twenty-eight-inch TV and finally a VCR. When did you get all the VHS stuff?”
“A couple of months back.”
“What do they have?”
“I got all kinds of movies at this place called Video Unlimited; you won’t see them anywhere else. Let me put one in the telly.”
“Does it show actual programs from Earth?”
“No, just recorded things.”
I sat on a chair as Paul pressed the play button. I don’t dare tell Paul about me angel telly since Gabriel only picked a select few for me to tell.
The program came on. Right away, Duck Broth.
“Yes, the Larks Brothers at their finest, Tomas.”
“So this is what you have been doing instead of your show at the park?” Me eyes stared at the screen.
“Don’t worry, my boy, inspiration comes in many ways.”
“I hope you’re right.” What will Gabriel think of me watching the telly? Will he come back? I can’t believe Paul and I are watching a tape that Paul owns while looking at the TV screen. The funny part is, I don’t need me tea break on Level Four. While watching, the laughs unfolded.
“This is a new, interesting situation. Where on your level can I find this place, Paul?”
“After the movie, I will take you.”
I reached into me pocket and pulled out some gold coins. “How much do they cost, besides the telly and the VCR?”
“The gold coins in your hand will cover it.”
I put the coins back in me pocket and put the gem in me hand, lighting up the whole room. Wow, it even makes the telly look dull.
“Put whatever it is away,” Paul said, a bit annoyed. “I had never seen a stone that bright before. What incarnation was that?” Paul asked as he paused the tape.
“It’s a stone. I picked it up on a beach on Level Five. It’s brighter than a diamond. I wanted to make it a necklace. The jeweler said it can’t be cut. Sometimes, I think it resembles the jewel in the movie Rescue. There’s more to the story. We should watch the tapes. It will help you find material for the one-man show at the park.”
“Can I see that diamond again?” Paul Buyers asked me before we left his house to go to the Unlimited Video.
“Sure.” I took the stone out of me pocket again. “It isn’t a diamond, although, it sure shines like one and/or more. I’m told it is some kind of brilliance stone from somewhere around the Garden of Eden.”
Paul put his face near the rock. “You know, you could fetch some pretty pounds for this, Tomas.”
“Even though I almost bloody well tripped on this stone, I don’t want to sell it. I’ve grown very comfortable with it.”
Paul stood up. “It sounds reminds me of the gem in The Pink Tiger.”
“Yes, I remember the movie.”
“Quite.” Paul made a small grunting noise.
I put the stone back in me back-left pocket.
“Shall we go, Tomas?”
“You know the directions; you lead the way.”
Instead of flying, we walked to Level Four. I remember, Al Alvers, a friend of The Silver Crickets. He produced Str8Up’s first album and is on me level, and I have not seen him in a while. I didn’t include him in me rock finding and, of course, I was stuck in that cave for three months. He must think I fell off the face of Heaven. Maybe he is just busy producing groups.”
“You’re kind of quiet, me friend. Is all this overwhelming you?”
“Oh, I was just thinking about a friend I haven’t talk to in a while.”
“Oh, you mean Paul Lamb.”
“That’s always on me mind, Paul, but I was thinking about Al Avers.” I told Paul what happened with Paul Lamb.
You have to think positive. Heaven can surprise you. Well, we are almost there.”
I can’t believe this is happening. Can this be true, videotapes in Heaven? Can Paul Lamb be there?”
