New book charts early days of The Beatles – 60 years ago

Author Dafydd Rees who is based on Cape Cod Massachusetts has rigorously researched every day in the life of The Beatles in over 620 pages with photos, reviews and for the first time eyewitness accounts from those who were there.

At the start of the year, they were a local Liverpool band with one minor hit single but in that year, they would hit number one, play the Royal Variety Performance, and be just six weeks away from US domination on the Ed Sullivan TV show in New York with 73 million tuning in.

Their year all started with a Scottish tour playing for £42 a night in freezing conditions and dates like the Two Red Shoes ballroom in Elgin and the Museum Hall in Bridge Of Allan.

For the month of February, they toured with Kenny Lynch as Helen Shapiro topped the bill and on their days off were still playing the Cavern Club in Liverpool.

The next single Please Please Me was climbing the charts and the popularity was growing and by the time From Me To You was recorded another UK tour was on this time supporting Americans Chris Montez and Tommy Roe. Lots of ‘one-night stands’ followed, BBC radio sessions and TV’s Thank Your Lucky Stars as From Me To You topped the chart and the debut LP was released.

Another tour as well with Gerry And The Pacemakers and the first UK shows for Roy Orbison. As the summer of 1963 progressed The Beatles were now headlining tours and had outgrown the Cavern.

Their last show there, their 274th was on August 3 for £300 and with a crowd limit of 500 the club lost money on the deal.

By October, promoter Albert Bonici, with Andy Lothian, had secured them for £500 a show for the Scottish mini tour of Glasgow, Kirkcaldy and Dundee. So, on October 6, the boys got on the train at Queen Street and were picked up at Kirkcaldy Station and taken direct to the Carlton bingo hall in Park Road. Rita Muir (nee Page) was just 17 when she entered a competition to meet the Beatles and won along with five others. She was to have afternoon tea with them too at the Station Hotel but that did not happen.

They did two shows that night and between shows was ushered into the manager’s office at the Carlton where they chatted and had their photo taken for the press. John was the chatty one she recalls for the book and Paul quite standoffish, but a wonderful experience and a cherished moment remembered forever.