Sixty Years Ago — An Encounter that Rocked the World
On Saturday, July 6, 1957, St Peter’s — a parish church in Woolton, England — held a garden fete. There were games for children and a 25-piece military band. A “Rose Queen” was crowned. Oh, and to keep the teenagers interested, there was also one of those “skiffle groups,” a British take on an American jug band that performed an amalgam of folk, country, and blues. Ivan Vaughn, who played bass, invited along a friend and introduced him to the group’s leader. Ivan’s friend was Paul McCartney. The leader of the group, then known as the Quarrymen, was John Lennon.
According to Phillip Norman’s recent biography of McCartney, he had actually seen Lennon on prior occasions in their Liverpool neighborhood. But Lennon looked to him like a “Teddy boy” — one of those young men who responded to the advent of rock and roll by donning “Edwardian-stype velvet-collared jackets” and narrow trousers “with accessories often including switchblade knives, razors, brass knuckles and bicycle chains.” McCartney recalled that when Lennon got on the bus, “I wouldn’t stare at him too hard in case he hit me.” This time, McCartney had the chance to audition. Lennon invited him to join the Quarrymen and the rest is history.
Although McCartney did not play that day, the Quarrymen’s performance happened to be captured on a reel-to-reel recorder by a man in the audience named Bob Molyneau. Thirty-seven years later, he found the tape. While the quality is poor, you can listen to it here:
In the interest of celebrating this special anniversary, I’ll also share another exceptional clip. This may not be one of the Beatles’ best songs, but the energy and audience enthusiasm are irresistible. And it illustrates a side of Lennon’s character that is often overlooked.