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Post by mrmustard on Oct 31, 2013 0:46:03 GMT
In fairness though, Linda was hardly in during the sessions like Yoko was. I mean there was no bed moved in for her with a mic suspended over it in case she had anything important to say. Linda wasn't constantly whispering into Paul's ear about the others or the song. More importantly Linda didn't eat George's biscuits!!!
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Post by ROCKY on Oct 31, 2013 4:30:38 GMT
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Post by pothos on Nov 4, 2013 13:09:06 GMT
Managed to find a way to translate the book and it is proving an interesting read. Lovely depiction of Ernest and Violet how they met and how the onset of WW2 brought heartache with the loss of Violet's brother Len. You get a real insight into the utter carnage Liverpool suffered and how toddler Alan spent hours screaming in fear in the air raid shelter. Stammer apparent almost immediately with medical opinion giving him lengthy spells of hypnosis (at around 5 years old)to attempt to correct it. Adores Liverpool FC and reading about his first match as a small boy in April 1947 and his favourite player Albert Stubbins. You really get an insight just how magical and shocking going to football was (Alan cannot understand how his Dad is not registering the swearing and other stuff) as a fine upstanding Christian. The boy's pen sounds like a real right of passage from reading this book.
You get Roy Rodgers and Trigger appearing at the Empire and how Alan hung around with hundreds of other kids to see them both at the Adelphi and his love of athletics and how hard he trained (5-6 days a week with walking five minute miles regularly as a kid) and swimming Lake Windermere.
Will keep you posted.
Oh and Alan had a habit of setting fires in the bombed out rubble as a kid to see the fire engines.
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Post by ROCKY on Nov 5, 2013 13:13:31 GMT
Maybe he was the one that set that fire in the Liverpool movie 'The Violent Playground' in '58. lol
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Post by pothos on Nov 6, 2013 12:28:48 GMT
More chapters translated. Alan loses £2.00 at the Grand National betting in Devon Loch to win enough for a guitar. Obviously is distraught at the outcome meets Johnny Byrne around this period who he has heard playing in the neighbourhood. Johnny and Alan sneak into see Bill Haley when he played Liverpool and bumps into Jim McCartney who is there to pick up a 14 year old Paul. The Quarrymen start appearing in the book once Alan Caldwell and the Raving Texans start getting shows (Alan seems to be the one going out and getting the gigs for them)Lovely moment where they see the Quarrymen play and Paul is missing as he is at Scout camp on his holidays. Richard Starkey appears with the Eddie Clayton Skiffle Group whose drumming impresses Alan and Johnny and George has just auditioned for Alan and has shocked him as to how talented he is but at 14 is just too young
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Post by mrmustard on Nov 6, 2013 13:08:09 GMT
This is fascinating Pothos. Please keep the translations coming if you don't mind!
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Post by ROCKY on Nov 6, 2013 19:31:03 GMT
Yes keep the stories coming Pothos!! In the meantime some pics of Rory & the Hurricanes from the early '60's.
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Post by ROCKY on Nov 6, 2013 19:47:35 GMT
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Post by pothos on Nov 6, 2013 22:42:50 GMT
Other things of note Alan left school after Violet had such a sever mental collapse and had to be given 4 rounds of ECT therapy .Alan went to work to help out with the family earnings so iris could continue dancing and help make up monies needed for his training. He hated the cotton exchange job. The section where he tries to ask out a girl called Phyllis who has a crush on him breaks your heart as he cannot get the words out. Also George Harrisons appears to have been a real bone of contention between Lennon (anti him joining the band) and McCartney (very pro) this occurs at the opening of the Morgue Skiffle Club which seems to have been set up by Alan and Johnny in cellar on a shoestring and called the Morgue and painted black (their handy work) because it is so cold)
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Post by pothos on Nov 6, 2013 23:24:13 GMT
Club opens with Alan as Manager and The Raving Texans on the Bill with the Quarrymen. Chaos on the opening night. Alan makes Iris cry (the sod) by telling the crowd she stuffs her bra and George Harrison has to run after her to calm her down. A neighbours called Mr Brown hates all the noise and the kids next door to his house and sends the Police round for weeks on end at one point Johnny tells him to go forth and multiply. Alan spends hours writing out posters telling the audience that they must leave as quietly as possible and be courteous to the neighbours, Aln is essentially a go between for all interested parties and considering his stutter he is increasingly a powerful figure in the scene. No joy and the club is raided by the Police and eventually closed. On a visit to London Alan meets Harry Webb and has landed a show on Radio Luxemburg.
Stay tuned.
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Post by ROCKY on Nov 7, 2013 0:01:05 GMT
This is like a soap opera I love it! lol
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Post by pothos on Nov 7, 2013 12:38:45 GMT
Chapter 13 Johnny and Alan go to Butlin's in Rhyl for a lads holiday. Translation came up as a girl feast. Anyone under 18 and from Liverpool off the cards as they might get their heads kicked in by irate boyfriends. Boy they both have a good time enjoying plenty of female company, who would have thought Butlin's was such a hotbed for the nations youth in the 1950's. Alan nearly gets in a fight with a drunk over Alan O court being in the England football team Johnny sort of gets him out of the situation. Band going more Rock n Roll after seeing Cliff Richard on TV. George is in The Beatles and Lennon is still referred in the book as the front man with the big mouth.
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Post by pothos on Nov 7, 2013 18:33:25 GMT
Ringo Star crosses paths with the band again. He is miserable in his job and is a freelance drummer and on the point of emigrating to the US (was this common knowledge?)Johnny and Alan are now professional with Vi taking the bookings. Lads off again on a lad's hols this time in Pwllheli where again the ladies are entertained by the charms of our hero's. Alan wins a swimming contest and as he is awarded the prize (in little more than his trunks)one bloke heckles him with a derogatory comment to which Alan replies "That was not what your wife said yesterday" this leads to a dash to escape with their belongings and Alan trying to convince Johnny he could have took the bloke on. Johnny is suitable unimpressed.
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Post by ROCKY on Nov 7, 2013 21:31:33 GMT
Excellent info pothos! I think they patterned this movie over the Butlins era.
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Post by pothos on Nov 8, 2013 13:01:26 GMT
The band play at The Cambrige Hall Southport. The audience are partly teddy boys and a massive fight erupts and knives are pulled show stopped and fight continues outside people are getting battered with chairlegs fight so bad even the bad are involved and Johnny is really beaten up, but just manages to escape worse.
Band wants to play at the Casbah Mona Best has fallen out with the MoonDogs as Ken Brown was ill and the other three still played but only got three quarters of the fee with Ken getting the other 1/4
The Hurracaines play the Cavern to a jazz crowd and all hell breaks loose with the coin throwing audience ending the gig ewarly. Owner docs them £2 out of the agreed £4 fee however However Johnny got £6 picking coins off the floor which means they were ahead cash wise.
Johnny buys a second hand 1938 Jag that is unreliable and either breaks down or bits drop off. Johny smashes it into a kiosk and eventually sells it on for £25 Rory who was only bothered about Johny not buying a Hillman rues that this is because Johnny got it from Everton.
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Post by pothos on Nov 8, 2013 23:44:12 GMT
Another fight after a gig this time Ty takes on an irate boyfriend after he spends a show winking at a pretty girl in the fron row. Her boyfriend goes after him with Rory and Johnny stating they will back him up. He tells them to get inot the van and after knocking the bloke out jumps into the moving van. The mates of the unconscious man chase the can throw a stone through a window that hits Rory on the head. (there is a pattern forming here)
Rory meets John Lennon who is with Stuart Sutcliffe. They are obsessed with modern art and are at art school. The band seems to be without a drummer and on the back burner and now called Long John Silver and the Beatles. (not sure if that was translated correctly). Rory thinks the name does not work.
The Gene Vincent Eddie Cochrane show is put together with loads of local bands The Silver Beatles are invited as the promoter is trying to tell them that they need to be more like the more experienced and sharper bands like Rory Storm and the Hurricanes. Eddie Cochrane is killed Rory is distraught after the recent deaths of Buddy Holly and James Dean. The show goes ahead with Rory and the Hurricanes doing a staggering well received set. The Beatles are in the audience.
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Post by pothos on Nov 9, 2013 10:41:19 GMT
Larry Parnes is in town to audition the Liverpool acts. The Silver Beatles play and Stuart Sutcliffe plays with his back to the audience Larry offers Lennon work if they drop Sutcliffe. Lennon turns him down flat and is stroppy. Parnes is not impresses but Rory and everyone else is full of admiration for Lennon standing up for his mate. Ernie thinks Lennon's actions are of a great man. Violet gets a very well paid Butlin's gig for the band Ty looses his job and goes full time with the band after a row with his mum and dad. Ritchie is engaged and Geraldine is angry she rarely sees him, Rory visits the family to try and smooth things over so that Ritchie can do the gigs with the support of the family and Geraldine. An ultimatum is issued it is her of the drums. Ritchie is obsessed with the drumming.
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Post by pothos on Nov 9, 2013 13:36:34 GMT
The band play Pwllheli Butlins. More girls throwing themselves at the band Rory has own room so especially happy. Dramatic incident involving Ringo who cannot swim. Lou and Ty offer to teach him although he is not keen as there are plenty of kids about. He gives in and is making p0rogress when Lou and Ty leave him in the deep end and he panics ands goes under. Rory notices that ringo has been under for way too long as he has been diving from the 10 meter board he can see things more clearly. He make a massive dive from the top board and lands close to Ringo pulling him out of the water. Everyone is laughing except Rory who realises that was way more dangerous than the other thought. Rory spend night in bed with girl from Leeds whoses name he cannot recall but gets call that they can get work in Hamburg. They are excited all except Vi who is stiol upset about the war.
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Post by pothos on Nov 9, 2013 22:27:11 GMT
Hamburg is a real slog Rory will not take pills to stay awake as he sees it as a challenge to his fitness. Also does not smoke. Miserable time for all Astrid takes the photograph of Rory, Stage is broken but Rory and people get beaten up. Beatles have it worse and George gets deported while McCartney and Best get arrested for arson. All return home but Johnny is ill al the way home on the ferry.
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Post by pothos on Nov 10, 2013 10:47:22 GMT
The return home all battered by the Hamburg experience George looks ill to people. Stormville is born with the bands all returning after gigs to eat sandwiches and drink tea playing and chatting while Iris talks about dancing and Ernie reads his bible to himself. The Iron Door club holds all nighter's Liverpool is finding it's feet musically. McCartney tells Rory that they are off to Hamburg again and they are writing their own stuff. Priscilla White appears and starts singing onstage and gets attention from the press with Rory et al only mentioned as a afterthought. Pwllheli wants another band instead of Rory and offers them work in Skegness.
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