by Malcolm Pheby | Sep 14, 2019 | 1960s, Liverpool, Music
It was probably a bad idea for the Beatles and their manager Brian Epstein to snub a breakfast invitation from Imelda Marcos, the first lady of the Philippines. Especially as they were staying in her country. The Fab Four were in the Far East on a concert tour in July...
by Malcolm Pheby | Aug 17, 2019 | Liverpool, Music
American editor Art Unger was looking for provocative quotes when he was putting together the August 1966 issue of teen magazine Datebook. He was planning a ‘Shout-Out’ edition to showcase the voice of youth – and was delighted when the Beatles’ press office offered...
by Malcolm Pheby | Jul 31, 2019 | Music
Half a century ago in upstate New York, a festival took place at a 600-acre dairy farm near White Lake in Bethel which completely transformed popular music. The festival was Woodstock – and more than 500,000 of the flower-power generation flocked to it for three days...
by Malcolm Pheby | Jul 20, 2019 | Liverpool, Music
Over the years, many people have laid claim to the informal title of the fifth Beatle. Some say it was original band member Stuart Sutcliffe. Others reckon it was the group’s first drummer Pete Best. Many point to the influence of manager Brian Epstein or producer...
by Malcolm Pheby | Jul 17, 2019 | Manchester, Music
Who would have thought that two of the most memorable one-hit wonders of all time would come out of Manchester? And that a children’s choir from a Stockport primary school would be heavily involved in both of them! The two singles were There’s No One Quite Like...
by Malcolm Pheby | Jul 7, 2019 | Liverpool, Music, TV
When Beatlemania gripped the country in the early 1960s, it wasn’t just the Fab Four’s music that made a splash. Everything from wallpaper and waxworks to toys and tribute bands became part of the Merseyside phenomenon. Even hairsprays got the Beatles’ treatment,...
