The Beatles (166 page)

“
It was loud
”: Jürgen Vollmer, 8/82, AGA.

“
In my art school
”: Astrid Kirchherr in Pritchard & Lysaght,
The Beatles,
p. 67.

Out of ignorance
: “This was going too far, we all thought…. ” Best & Doncaster,
Beatle!,
p. 94; Davies,
Beatles,
p. 103.

“
The pills and booze
”: C. Lennon,
A Twist,
p. 55.

“
he seemed more grown-up
”: Author interview with Dot Rhone Becker, 11/19/98.

John took Cynthia
: C. Lennon,
A Twist,
p. 54.

“
She sounded as though she could
”: Ibid., p. 55.

Astrid and John… held hands
: “We would hold hands occasionally, but he would find it hard even to do that.” Astrid Kirchherr in Coleman,
Lennon,
p. 129.

Paul and Dot bunked
: “We had our own bedroom. I don’t remember seeing much of Rosa.” Author interview with Dot Rhone Becker, 11/19/98.

“
with such a wallop
”: Best & Doncaster,
Beatle!,
p. 103.

“
They beat the shit out of each other
”: Author interview with confidential source.

“
It was the beginning of the end
”: Best & Doncaster,
Beatle!,
p. 103.

“
he was only lending it
”: Paul McCartney in Pritchard & Lysaght,
The Beatles,
p. 70.

a gold band
: Author interview with Dot Rhone Becker, 11/19/98.

“
like lepers
”: Author interview with Ray Ennis, 10/1/97.

Tommy Kent
: Gottfridsson,
From Cavern to Star-Club,
p. 68.

“
He said we were the best
”:
Liverpool Echo,
2/20/96.

Kaempfert’s response was polite
: “He certainly showed little excitement at what we were doing.” Best & Doncaster,
Beatle!,
p. 104.

The Beatles were stunned
: Best & Harry,
Best Years,
p. 108.

It was a sticky piece
: “It was presented as: ‘That is the deal you’re going to get.’ ” Ibid.

“
What the hell
”: Ibid.

along with George’s instrumental
: Pete Best in Pritchard & Lysaght,
The Beatles,
p. 71.

“
represented something new
”: “They were a new invention in those days.” Karl Hinze in Gottfridsson,
From Cavern to Star-Club,
p. 83.

the 500 Limited bus
: Author interview with Bob Wooler, 10/30/97.

“
Look at this. I’ve just received it
”: Pritchard & Lysaght,
The Beatles,
p. 73.

“Mein Herz ist bei dir nur”
:
Polydor, no. NH 24673; English release date: BBC,
Arena
archives.

“
Up until then
”: Author interview with Bob Wooler, 10/30/97.

“
Let me play it tonight
”: Ibid.

“
Go and tell him to get fucking well stuffed
”: Ibid.

“
There was only one record store
”: Pritchard & Lysaght,
The Beatles,
p. 73.

In a datebook he carried
: Personal diary of Brian Epstein, 1949; courtesy of Bryan Barrett.

“
lived for Beethoven, Mozart
”: Author interview with Alistair Taylor, 1/17/98.

a collection of the Brandenburg Concertos
: “My mother gave them to me when I was nineteen, for my birthday.”
Desert Island Discs,
11/30/64.

“
The closest Brian ever got
”: Author interview with Peter Brown, 12/3/97.

He was born on September 19, 1934
: Stella Epstein Cantor,
Arena
archives.

“
She knew what it meant to be a lady
”: Author interview with Rex Makin, 11/1/97.

“
Tell me, Auntie
”: Stella Epstein Cantor,
Arena
archives.

“
Queenie treated him as an equal
”: Author interview with Rex Makin, 11/1/97.

“
one of those out-of-sorts boys
”: Epstein,
Cellarful,
p. 25.

“
problem child
”: “When my mother, distressed and weeping, pleaded with the head-master that I should be given another term, he replied, ‘Madam, we have no room for your problem child.’ ” From Brian Epstein’s handwritten journal, 1957.

“
It was at this school
”: Ibid.

“
benevolent academies
”: “They solved [my school problem]… by sending me to one of those benevolent academies where failures are welcomed…. ” Epstein,
Cellarful,
p. 29.

“
I tried very hard
”: Brian Epstein’s datebook, 1949.

A portfolio of eight drawings
: Brian Epstein, portfolio, courtesy of Bryan Barrett.

Harry… “went up the pole
”: Stella Epstein Cantor,
Arena
archives.

it “was impossible”/“it would be stupid
”: Brian Epstein’s handwritten journal, 1957, p. 6.

“
In a rage of temper
”: Ibid.

“
reported for duty
”: Epstein,
Cellarful,
p. 31.

“
a keen interest in display work
”: “I worked well and had some new ideas.” Brian Epstein, handwritten journal, 1957, p. 6.

The window sets he redressed
: “I placed chairs in the windows with their backs to the window shoppers.” Epstein,
Cellarful,
p. 33.

Isaac was neither amused
: Author interview with Rex Makin, 11/1/97.

“
latent homosexuality
”: “It is possible even then I may have been able to settle down after all that had happened, remaining, as I did, unaware of my latent homosexuality.” Brian Epstein, handwritten journal, 1957, p. 6.

“
Within the first few weeks
”: Ibid.

“
confused
”: “My mind was confused and my nervous system weakened.” Ibid., p. 7.

About the same time, he was robbed
: Ibid., pp. 7–8.

In his autobiography, Brian invents
: Epstein,
Cellarful,
p. 36.

“
on medical grounds
”: Ibid., p. 37.

“
homosexual life and its various rendezvous
”: Brian Epstein, handwritten journal, 1957, p. 8.

“
My life became a succession
”: Ibid.

At twenty-one, he was appointed
: Ibid., p. 9.

Without any warning, he packed
: Ibid., p. 8.

“
I confessed everything
”: Ibid., p. 9.

Incredible as it may seem, Brian impressed
: Norman,
Shout!,
p. 131.

Peter O’Toole, Albert Finney
: Brian Epstein, handwritten journal, 1957, p. 7.

His own class boasted
: Epstein,
Cellarful,
p. 40.

“
the narcissism… and the detachment
”: Ibid.

“
a second male lead
”:
Norman,
Shout!,
p. 131.

Loneliness was partly to blame
: “Living alone in London I felt acute frustration and loneliness.” Brian Epstein, handwritten journal, 1957, p. 5.

On the evening of April 17
: Ibid., p. 11.

“
mind went in great fear
”: Ibid.

“
[And] after a few minutes
”: Ibid., p. 14.

Miraculously, a family solicitor
: Author interview with Rex Makin, 11/1/97.

This time, he got involved with
: Ibid.

“
They arranged for a drop
”: Ibid.

“
he was oblivious
”: Author interview with Peter Brown, 12/9/97.

“
My girlfriend and I
”: Author interview with Mike Rice, 7/27/98.

“
the most important record outlet
”: Author interview with Alistair Taylor, 1/17/98.

“
There was really no radio
”: Author interview with Peter Brown, 12/9/97.

A grainy picture of Gene Vincent
:
Mersey Beat,
7/6/61.

He split the cover price
: Author interview with Bill Harry, 8/4/97.

“
He looked extremely smart
”: Ibid., 8/2/97.

“
I can’t understand it
”: Ibid.

BEATLES SIGN RECORDING CONTRACT!
:
Mersey Beat,
7/20/61.

“
This is actually in
Liverpool?
”: Author interview with Bill Harry, 8/2/97.

“
Record Releases by Brian Epstein
”:
Mersey Beat,
8/3/61. “He became our record reviewer.” Author interview with Bill Harry, 8/2/97.

“
What about these Beatles?
”: Ibid.

Legend has it that Brian
: Epstein,
Cellarful,
p. 43.

“
The name ‘Beatle’ meant
”: Ibid.

“
He would have had to have been blind
”: Author interview with Bill Harry, 8/2/97.

“
Do you remember that record
”: Author interview with Alistair Taylor, 1/17/98.

“
The Beatles are at the Cavern
”: Author interview with Bill Harry, 8/2/97.

A letter from Stuart had indicated
: Jürgen Vollmer, 8/82, AGA.

“
I showed them all the places
”: Ibid.

“
We both detested pop
”: Author interview with Alistair Taylor, 1/17/98.

“
hovering around the counter
”: Author interview with Bob Wooler, 10/30/97.

“
Then, I’m sorry to have to tell you
”: Ibid.

They knew who he was
: Davies,
Beatles,
p. 125.

“
And what brings Mr. Epstein
”: Ibid.

“
We just popped in
”: Author interview with Alistair Taylor, 1/17/98.

“
absolutely awful”/“remarkable
”: Ibid.

“
Do you think I should manage them?
”: Ibid.

“
delicious-sounding” names
: Author interview with Bill Harry, 8/2/97.

here
Names of Liverpool bands: Leigh,
Let’s Go Down the Cavern,
dedication page; and
Mersey Beat,
various issues, 7/6/61–2/13/64.

Slightly over three hundred… bands
: Author interview with Bob Wooler, 10/30/97.

Bands played what they wanted
: Author interview with Howie Casey, 10/27/97.

Brian was “besotted
”: Author interview with Alistair Taylor, 1/17/98.

“
John, especially
”: Author interview with Peter Brown, 12/9/97.

“
with all the pride of a peacock
”: Author interview with Bob Wooler, 10/30/97.

“
for a chat
”: Epstein,
Cellarful,
p. 48.

“
never know what made [him] say
”: Ibid.

On December 3, 1961
: Lewisohn,
Chronicle,
p. 35; Epstein,
Cellarful,
p. 49.

“
rattled on the glass
”: Author interview with Bob Wooler, 10/30/97.

“
This is me dad
”: Davies,
Beatles,
p. 126; confirmed by Bob Wooler in author interview, 10/30/97.

“
Apparently quite a number of people want it
”: Davies,
Beatles,
p. 126.

“
he was picking his words very carefully
”:
Best & Doncaster,
Beatle!,
p. 127.

“
Certainly there were several things
”: Ibid.

“
they were delighted that a proper businessman
”:
Hello!,
5/14/94.

Paul… “was more ambitious
”: Author interview with Dot Rhone Becker, 11/19/98.

wiles of “a Jewboy
”: Author interview with Bill Harry, 8/2/97.

“
The novelty” would eventually wear off
: Davies,
Beatles,
p. 129.

“
They were as unruly a bunch
”: Author interview with Bob Wooler, 10/30/97.

“
thieves
”: Brown & Gaines,
Love You Make,
p. 68.

“
a right load of layabouts
”: Leigh,
Drummed Out!,
p. 28.

“
I wouldn’t touch ’em
”: Williams, “Liverpool Scene”; Lewisohn,
Chronicle,
p. 35.

“
there was an immediate bond
”: Author interview with Peter Brown, 12/3/97.

same compatible relationship with Andrew Lloyd Webber
: Ibid.

“
Presumably I looked as if I were… perfectly normal
”: Ibid.

“
a very unhappy man
”: Ibid.

“
Money was the deciding factor
”: Author interview with Peter Brown, 12/9/97.

“
he’d discovered a gold mine
”: Author interview with Rex Makin, 11/1/97.

“
Harry was indignant
”: Ibid.

“
the Beatles would be bigger
”: “He assured my parents and me that they would be bigger than Elvis Presley.” Clive Epstein in Coleman,
Lennon,
p. 158; also author interview with Alistair Taylor, 1/17/98.

if Queenie wasn’t any more optimistic
: Author interview with Peter Brown, 12/3/97.

Besides, she knew how stubborn Brian was
: Brown & Gaines,
Love You Make,
p. 67.

“
Okay, you’re on
”: Best & Doncaster,
Beatle!,
p. 130.

276–77 “
Right, then, Brian—manage us
”: Norman,
Shout!,
p. 140.

Stuart wasn’t expected to return
: Bill Harry interview with Pauline Sutcliffe (audio), undated.

Both Beatles had kept up a… correspondence
: Author interview with Bill Harry, 8/7/97.

“
a restlessness about life
”: Coleman,
Lennon,
p. 159.

“
clearly distressed—bizarre
”: Bill Harry interview with Pauline Sutcliffe (audio), undated.

“
Stuart looked absolutely god-awful
”: Author interview with Bill Harry, 8/5/97.

“
there was no supporting evidence
”: Bill Harry interview with Pauline Sutcliffe (audio), undated.

“Stuart fell over”
: Rod Murray, 8/82, AGA.