Famous groups playing in The Cavern.

shamustwin · Post by **shamustwin** » Mon Mar 22, 2004 10:58 am

I like a live room, so echoy would suit me fine!
John- I imagine '66, '67 to be a happening time at the Cavern, having already been imortalized in Rock Lore. Lucky guy!

albie · Post by **albie** » Tue Mar 23, 2004 10:00 am

John - I think the group you may be referring to with the chinese lead guitarist was The Hideaways. Can't remember the guys name but he used to live round the corner from me in the Waterloo area of the city. They came to prominence at the tail end of the Merseybeat era along with The Cryin' Shames [hit 'Please Stay']

rictified · Post by **rictified** » Tue Mar 23, 2004 10:10 am

I remember the name but not the song, what a great 60's garage name. "The Cryin' Shames"

albie · Post by **albie** » Tue Mar 23, 2004 10:30 am

Not sure if they weren't related in some way to the Escorts. Something at the back of my mind links the two groups.

The chorus of the song went 'This time, Be different, Please Stay, Don't go'...

They don't write them like that any more :_0)

admin · Post by **admin** » Tue Mar 23, 2004 10:38 am

Alan: Welcome to the Liverpool Project and thanks so much for your comments.

albie · Post by **albie** » Tue Mar 23, 2004 11:11 am

Delighted to find your wonderful forums Peter. Can't remember how I came across them but obviously being a proud Liverpudlian the Scouse analyses caught my eye - especially your determination to discover just why the Beatles simply had to have been a product of their environment, something I've always considered a hitherto criminally underexplored phenomenon in the plethora of Beatle literature.

My own introduction to them was quite novel. I was an eleven year old standing round our local 'bommy' [Guy Fawkes bonfire] one evening along with the rest of our gang. I overheard some of the older lads enthusing the merits of the A and B sides of some record by a local beat group who they used to watch in town. It had evidently just entered the hit parade as it was then termed and they couldn't decide amongst themselves which side was the best side of the disc. Each side had its fervent supporters.

My curiosity whetted I dashed home to look at the top twenty in the previous days Daily Mirror. Sure enough, nestling at number 17 was this record entitled 'Love Me Do' by a mispellt 'Beetles'.

From that moment I was hooked by the incredible notion of having a link - however tenuous - with someone actually in the charts.

Incidentally, being the romantic soul I am, my own favourite side was naturally the flip side. All together now...'As I write this letter...'

:-0)

admin · Post by **admin** » Tue Mar 23, 2004 11:28 am

"P.S. I Love You" is one of my all-time favourites Alan. I have always enjoyed the chord structure and the harmony lines were very fresh and captivating at the time. They remain so today as far as I am concerned.

The Beatles were one of the first groups, to my thinking, that changed my view about the "B Side" of records. Always a fresh new sound, even their covers!

I look forward to many more interesting discussions with you about your perception of "Scouser Rock" and how it came to sweep the world.

So let's continue. "Treasure these few words ..."

shamustwin · Post by **shamustwin** » Tue Mar 23, 2004 12:51 pm

During my visit to Liverpool in the early '80's, I was struck by the sense of humor the "natives" posessed, all very charming people. And when I asked the local police for help, directions of some sort, they went off on a routine that at the time I thought was very "Beatle-like". So now I assume the humor I'd picked up from the Beatles in their movies and interviews is something endemic to Liverpudlians, and myself and the rest of the world were being let on to a sample of it through the charm of the Fab Four. Perhaps that is also why their music felt (feels) so positive.

albie · Post by **albie** » Tue Mar 23, 2004 2:02 pm

It's funny you should say that Jerry!!

:-0)

Seriously, it is something I've picked up as somewhat of an absent 'x' factor - understandably as it is not particularly well documented - from Peter's and his students' marvellous appraisals of the city's heritage.

The fact is that humour is an intrinsic characteristic of most Lancastrian folk and unfeasibly so amongst Liverpudlians who have always been renowned for their highly developed sense of 'yooma'. Within their own country that is.

It means the city has provided - except in very recent times I'd hasten to add - a staggeringly disproportionate supply of Britain's comic talent.

I'll reel off a quick assortment to add authenticity to what I say, the earlier ones being amongst the late giants of British music hall and the first giants of British radio and TV - Robb Wilton, Billy Bennett, Tommy Handley, Billy Matchett, Arthur Askey, Ted Ray, Ken Dodd, Leonard Rossiter, Jimmy Tarbuck, Freddie Starr, Stan Boardman, Eddie Flanagan [the funniest of the lot IMHO]. The list is nigh endless.

Personally I think this Scouse humour trait developed from the fusion of Irish with Lancastrian both of which have cultures where humour figures large.

What you'd find in early sixties Liverpool was that every group of mates would boast several smart alecs whose sole ambition would seem to be attempting to be wittier and more caustic [a la John Lennon]than their mates. It meant that a sharp wit became almost de rigueur.

The Beatles humour was effortless because it was for the most part pure Scouse. They were simply being themselves. Had any of the other Liverpool groups been handed the same platform to wax lyrical I've no doubt a similar impression would have been made.

The beauty of it all back then was that there was an unconscious 'innocence' about it all. The traits were already established by earlier generations and the Beatle generation of scallies was merely picking up on it and adding their own fourpennyworth.

Today that innocence has largely evaporated as Liverpudlian jack the lads have become only too aware of their heritage. The humour is still present but is not quite so natural - perhaps more 'aware' of itself.

By the way Jerry, didn't I lend you a 'fiver' when you were over here?

;-0)

miguel · Post by **miguel** » Tue Mar 23, 2004 11:55 pm

It´s great to read Alan´s comments! We will learn a lot from him, I´m sure. If you have a minute, Alan, would you please tell us about the mid-sixties Liverpool as you knew it? Not only in the music field, but as a city too.

shamustwin · Post by **shamustwin** » Wed Mar 24, 2004 4:50 am

Alan- that fiver...I mean a fiver...you must have me confused with another Jerry. Sorry. (note to self...stop borrowing money from strangers in foreign countries).
BTW, didn't the heavy Booming in Liverpool during the second WW (by the jerry's)have an affect on an aspect of British humor in general? Everyone from Lennon to "Basil Fawlty" seemed to get their jabs in.

shamustwin · Post by **shamustwin** » Wed Mar 24, 2004 2:44 pm

oops, my apologies to our german friends. I tend to be less politcally correct first thing in the morning.
To address an earlier post here: I have "Nuggets" playing in my work computer and there is an American group "The Cryan Shames" from Chicago doing of all things, the Searchers' "Sugar and Spice".

albie · Post by **albie** » Sun Mar 28, 2004 2:21 pm

Miguel - I will do my best next time I'm on.

Jerry - No problem mate. [Note to self - must stop lending fivers to guys named Jerry with short memories!!]

;-0)

admin · Post by **admin** » Tue Apr 13, 2004 2:15 am

One of my favourite Cavern photos of George Harrison with the famous Reslo Ribbon microphone and Gretsch Duojet.