2easyco 41 Posted February 1, 2012 Report Share Posted February 1, 2012 It was March 7th, 1963 when The Beatles unloaded their own equipment from the back of an old Thames van and took the lift up to the Elizabethan ballroom at the top of the Co-op House on Parliament Street. That night they played to an half-empty audience despite their record, Please Please Me being top of the charts! Later that year, however, they returned to Nottingham (May 23rd) topping the bill with Roy Orbison at the Odeon. Their final appearance of 1963, December 12th at the Odeon, Beatlemania was in full swing, all Police leave being cancelled and special constables and a fleet of ambulances being called up in reserve! The hysteria was such, that a plan was devised where the band left the Central Police station for the Odeon and a series of decoy vans was used to confuse the fans. But back to that first appearance at the Co-op. The man who booked them for the Co-op was Bob Sturgeon, a 28year old sales rep from Chilwell, who borrowed £20 from his father and booked The Beatles for nothing with their manager Brian Epstein, who wanted to showcase his Mersey acts around the country. Epstein took 50% of the takings on the night, which included Cilla Black, Billy J Kramer, Gerry and The Pacemakers and The Big Three. Their final appearance in Nottingham was November 5th 1964, by then they were a worldwide musical phenomenon! 4 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jackson 301 Posted February 1, 2012 Report Share Posted February 1, 2012 Hi 2easyco, wonderful stuff you've put on - So Interesting. I saw the Merseybeats at the Elizabethan Rooms during the 60's, wasn't it a great place for a venue? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Beefsteak 305 Posted February 1, 2012 Report Share Posted February 1, 2012 Wow , what a line up . (Apart fron Cilla .....LOL) We've been discussing the visits on here, on and off, for ages. We've never managed to get to a conclusion on the dates. !! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Cliff Ton 10,458 Posted February 1, 2012 Report Share Posted February 1, 2012 I can't guarantee the accuracy of the information but this site http://www.dermon.co...tails/tours.htm seems to give all the dates, and if you go through the lot, Nottingham appears several times with various locations eg 7th March 63 - Elizabethan Ballroom (where was that?) 23 May 63 - Odeon 12 December 63 - Odeon And others... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mick2me 3,033 Posted February 1, 2012 Report Share Posted February 1, 2012 As above Cliff above Coop. On one of the visits, werent the Beatles smuggled into the gig dressed in Police uniforms. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mudgie49 401 Posted February 1, 2012 Report Share Posted February 1, 2012 Went to see the Small Faces at the Elizabethan rooms,winter of 65 or 66,good show,good venue. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
nnsc 131 Posted February 4, 2012 Report Share Posted February 4, 2012 Would have loved to have been there but alas I wasn't old enough at the time! 3 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Ashley 288 Posted February 4, 2012 Report Share Posted February 4, 2012 Hermans Hermits also played Elizabethan rooms, they were crap! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mick2me 3,033 Posted February 4, 2012 Report Share Posted February 4, 2012 NNSC's post needs the 'LIKE' button pressing. Two coaches with 80 fans! and only '6 bob' to get in! And who the hell were 'The Big Three'! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
2easyco 41 Posted February 4, 2012 Author Report Share Posted February 4, 2012 NNSC's post needs the 'LIKE' button pressing. Two coaches with 80 fans! and only '6 bob' to get in! And who the hell were 'The Big Three'! The Big Three were a Liverpool band who evolved from Cass and The Cassanova's, regarded for a time as the top Merseyside group.Despite the fact that they were a trio, they were one of the loudest Merseybeat bands, due to their guitarist Adrian Barber's electronic wizardry. He produced giant amps nicknamed 'coffins' standing over five feet high, and were in great demand by The Beatles and other groups. Their leader and drummer Johnny 'Hutch' Hutchinson was, according to Cilla Black, considered as replacement for Pete Best in The Beatles but didn't get on with John Lennon. Ringo stepped in and the rest is history. Incidentally, I met Hutch several years ago, and he told me of the time in Hamburg when Lennon fell asleep (head in his breakfast) after an all nighter! 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mick2me 3,033 Posted February 4, 2012 Report Share Posted February 4, 2012 All the other groups became famous What happened to them? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
2easyco 41 Posted February 4, 2012 Author Report Share Posted February 4, 2012 Brian Epstein signed them, but Adrian Barber wasn't happy with this, particularly as Eppy wanted to make them a fourpiece group, and put them in suits a.k.a. Beatles! Long story short they auditioned with Decca and Eppy released a poor demo tape, arms up the back situation. They parted company but later their EP ‘The Big Three at The Cavern' was released (I have a copy, quite rare). This is a live recording introduced by Bob Wooler, the Cavern DJ. In 1963 they tried to revive the group with Elton John's drummer Nigel Ollsen on an album called 'Resurrection'. Adrian Barber now lives in Hawaii, Brian Griffiths in Canada, Johnny Hutchinson remains in Liverpool working as a builder. 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
2easyco 41 Posted February 5, 2012 Author Report Share Posted February 5, 2012 This picture was taken on March 7th 1963 in Nottingham of two Beatles fan's, but anyone know where this memorial was? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jackson 301 Posted February 5, 2012 Report Share Posted February 5, 2012 2easyco, have you had your photograph of The Beatles' van valued? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Ashley 288 Posted February 5, 2012 Report Share Posted February 5, 2012 re the memorial, first thoughts were Queen Victoria, but don't think it;s big enough? I've seen that type of chain link before! maybe the arboretum? if visiting beatles fans possibly somewhere local to city centre? Re the van a guy I knew a lorry driver out with his dad on early mornings paper run saw a van parked up, not the beatles but thought it was the jimi hendrix experience, tried to get his dad to stop but all he said was "got to get the papers out" years later Noel Redding (Bass) told him it was them, been there all night broken down Quote Link to post Share on other sites
.... 23 Posted February 5, 2012 Report Share Posted February 5, 2012 I had thought it might be the Victoria monument too but look at old pics it looks dissimilar. I'll be interested to find out where it was. Just wanted to say thank you 2easyco for reproducing some fantastic and memorable stuff on this thread. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
2easyco 41 Posted February 5, 2012 Author Report Share Posted February 5, 2012 2easyco, have you had your photograph of The Beatles' van valued? It's actually a photocopy I found in an old scrapbook and I forget where it originated, only wish I did own the original!I wish even more I'd gone to their gig, a ticket alone now commands several hundred pounds! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Badman 1 Posted February 7, 2012 Report Share Posted February 7, 2012 Although its not in "city"-THE GREY TOPPER CLUB at Jacksdale was one of the top venues for "big groups" in the 60's and 70's. The Sweet, Johnny Johnson and the band waggon, the Beatles were booked but their van broke down so they did not get there. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jackson 301 Posted February 7, 2012 Report Share Posted February 7, 2012 Hi Badman, 'The Sweet', now there's a great group; have you ever heard their: 'Peppermint Twist'? I wonder if the van that broke down was the same one in 2easyco's photo? You can imagine the frustration the music makers felt breaking down on the way to a venue. John Lennon said that he was the most happiest when success was just a dream. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Beefsteak 305 Posted February 7, 2012 Report Share Posted February 7, 2012 Ayup Badman and welcome on board The Grey Topper is discussed at some length on here in one way or another , and yes it was a great venue. Lets have some of your memories. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
bilpol47 0 Posted October 27, 2012 Report Share Posted October 27, 2012 i saw the beatles at the odeon on long row with peter jay and the jay walkers about 1964 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Ashley 288 Posted October 28, 2012 Report Share Posted October 28, 2012 straying a bit here, but that's another "Jay" band, Around that time the "most famed" or popular band was the Jaybirds? (later 10 Years After, Alvin Lee etc) I also recall The Jaycats, saw them supporting Herman's Hermits at Co-Op, the hermits should have been made a support band, in something like the Clifton bridge or Dunkirk flyover pillars 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Rob J 13 Posted January 29, 2016 Report Share Posted January 29, 2016 Went on the Magical Mystery Tour in Liverpool last week visiting the Beatles haunts which brought back great memories of the 60s. I was at the Mersey Beat Showcase that night in the Elizabethan Rooms and was amazed at the meagre attendance as the lads at my school, Henry Mellish were going crazy over this new group with Love me do and Please Please Me having just been released and gone to no 1. What amazed me even more was the fact that we were dancing to the support acts (the likes of Billy J, Gerry Marsden and the Big 3!!) and the Beatles just strolled right past us on the dance floor carrying their equipment!! It seem ironic that I couldn't get a ticket for the subsequent gigs at the Odeon,etc for love nor money!! Unfortunately I lost the ticket but I recall that it cost 6/6 or 33p in today's money - pretty good value for money. 3 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Vintageann 66 Posted January 31, 2016 Report Share Posted January 31, 2016 I still have a flyer produced by The Odeon announcing the booking arrangements for The Beatles concerts there. Prices for the later concerts were 17/6, 15/-, 12/6, 8/6. It was a "lucky draw" you had to send a postal application with a postal order and a sae. I went to the 1st performance at 6.30pm, then when that finished and we were let out, we ran round to the front for the second performance which was at 8.30. The first time they appeared at The Odeon my ticket cost 7/6. Still have all three ticket stubs. The concerts were incredible but the screaming meant you couldn't really hear any of the music. Incidentally, re earlier posts about the Elizabethan rooms...I saw The Kinks there, and being right at the front got crushed and had to be pulled out of the crowd, carried across the stage, and taken round the back to recover. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MickH75 2 Posted February 7, 2016 Report Share Posted February 7, 2016 The biggest clanger I dropped on that day -mind you I was used to dropping clangers at that time as I was 23 years old just, because Chester the head chef at the Elizabethan rooms asked me are you going to the show tonight I bet you'd get in free? I said who's on & he said the Beatles -they're supposed to be good you know. I said --never heard of em..... nobody next day spoke of anything else but that show........... Ah well haven't we all got a soft spot for them even after all this time. One of my lads bought me the whole set of disks which has all their recordings, the whole lot........ fancy me being such an idiot not getting those autographs .......... wasn't into autographs mind you, took a girl to see Lonnie and she got his autograph the second time he was at the Empire but I didn't know about that look he gave 'Carol' while he was signing at the back stage door, but I soon learned better since ! We were only sixteen ! 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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