Len had emigrated to New Zealand, then returned to Liverpool, working as a care worker. Colin, the drummer, had remained all the time in Liverpool, still working as an upholsterer.
I was so fascinated by their stories when I met them in Cuba, and also, of course, by Pete’s first-hand knowledge of John from the age of six to the end of his life, that I did a book about the Quarrymen, past and present, which came out in 2001.
Eric Griffiths has since died — in Edinburgh in 2005 — leaving a wife, Relda, and three sons. Pete Shotton has retired from playing with the present-day Quarrymen.
The last time I met Pete, in 2007 when he visited me in London, he seemed to be living mainly in Cyprus. He’d come in contact again with John, so he maintained, through an American medium. This didn’t sound like Pete, who had always appeared a no-nonsense sceptic, but he swore that John was now communicating with him, talking about the old days, and they were making music together.
However, the other three were still doing Original Quarrymen gigs in 2009, playing old skiffle music at Beatles functions around the world, and had produced several successful CDs. They had been joined by John Duff Lowe who had also been an early member of the Quarrymen — having played the piano on that first amateur record. During all those intervening years, before meeting up again, Duff, as he was always called, had settled in Bristol and become a financial advisor.
Let’s hope the Quarrymen continue for a few more years. After a gap of four decades, they did finally make it, doing world tours, making records, just like the Beatles.
They even attract groupies. ‘The trouble is,’ so Pete told me in Cuba, ‘they’re all getting into their sixties, but at our age we can’t be choosy…’
appendix b
Discography of Beatles’ original records
all compositions by Lennon and McCartney unless otherwise stated
Germany 1961
As the backing group for singer Tony Sheridan they recorded eight numbers. Only one was an original composition, an instrumental number called ‘Cry For A Shadow’, written by Lennon and Harrison. On one other, ‘Ain’t She Sweet’, John Lennon was the lead singer. On the other six they were simply the backing group: ‘My Bonnie’, ‘The Saints’, ‘Sweet Georgia Brown’, ‘Take Out Some Insurance On Me, Baby’, ‘Why’, ‘Nobody’s Child’.
Single playing records by The Beatles issued by Parlophone Records in England
1962 Oct Love Me Do/PS I Love You
1963 Jan Please Please Me/Ask Me Why
Apr From Me To You/Thank You Girl
Aug She Loves You/I’ll Get You
Nov I Want To Hold Your Hand/This Boy
1964 Mar Can’t Buy Me Love/You Can’t Do That
Jul A Hard Day’s Night/Things We Said Today
Nov I Feel Fine/She’s A Woman
1965 Apr Ticket To Ride/Yes It Is
Jul Help!/I’m Down
Dec Day Tripper/We Can Work It Out
1966 Jun Paperback Writer/Rain
Aug Yellow Submarine/Eleanor Rigby
1967 Jan Penny Lane/Strawberry Fields Forever
Jul All You Need Is Love/Baby, You’re a Rich Man Nov Hello, Goodbye/I Am The Walrus
1968 Mar Lady Madonna/The Inner Light (Harrison)
Single playing records issued by Apple Records
1968 Aug Hey Jude/Revolution
1969 Apr Get Back/Don’t Let Me Down
May The Ballad of John and Yoko/Old Brown Shoe (Harrison)
Oct Something (Harrison)/Come Together
1970 Mar Let It Be/You Know My Name
Long playing records issued by Parlophone, England
1963 May PLEASE PLEASE ME
I Saw Her Standing There; Misery;
Ask Me Why; Please Please Me;
Love Me Do; PS I Love You;
Do You Want to Know A Secret;
There’s A Place
Songs not composed by the Beatles:
Anna; Chains; Boys; Baby It’s You;
A Taste of Honey; Twist and Shout
Dec WITH THE BEATLES
It Won’t Be Long; All I’ve Got To Do;
All My Loving; Don’t Bother Me (Harrison);
Little Child; Hold Me Tight;
I Wanna Be Your Man; Not A Second Time
Songs not composed by the Beatles:
Till There Was You; Please Mister Postman;
Roll Over Beethoven;
You Really Got A Hold On Me;
Devil In Her Heart; Money
1964 Jul A HARD DAY’S NIGHT
A Hard Day’s Night;
I Should Have Known Better; If I Fell;
I’m Happy Just To Dance With You;
And I Love Her; Tell Me Why;
Can’t Buy Me Love; Any Time At All
I’ll Cry Instead; Things We Said Today;
When I Get Home; You Can’t Do That;
I’ll Be Back
Dec BEATLES FOR SALE
No Reply; I’m A Loser; Baby’s In Black;
I’ll Follow The Sun; Eight Days A Week;
Every Little Thing;
I Don’t Want To Spoil The Party;
What You’re Doing;
Songs not composed by the Beatles:
Rock And Roll Music; Mr Moonlight;
Kansas City; Words Of Love; Honey Don’t;
Everybody’s Trying To Be My Baby
1965 Aug HELP!
Help!; The Night Before;
You’ve Got To Hide Your Love Away;
I Need You (Harrison); Another Girl;
You’re Going To Lose That Girl;
Ticket To Ride; It’s Only Love;
You Like Me Too Much (Harrison);
Tell Me What You See; I’ve Just Seen A Face;;
Yesterday
Songs not composed by the Beatles:
Act Naturally; Dizzy Miss Lizzy
Dec RUBBER SOUL
Drive My Car; Norwegian Wood;
You Won’t See Me; Nowhere Man;
Think For Yourself (Harrison); The Word;
Michelle; What Goes On (Lennon, McCartney
and Starkey); Girl; I’m Looking Through You;
In My Life; Wait;
If I Needed Someone (Harrison);
Run For Your Life
1966 Sep REVOLVER
Taxman (Harrison); Eleanor Rigby;
I’m Only Sleeping; Love You To (Harrison);
Here, There And Everywhere;
Yellow Submarine; She Said She Said;
Good Day Sunshine; And Your Bird Can Sing;
For No One; Dr Robert;
I Want To Tell You (Harrison);
Got To Get You Into My Life;
Tomorrow Never Knows
1967 Jun SERGEANT PEPPER’S LONELY HEARTS CLUB BAND
Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band;
With A Little Help From My Friends;
Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds;
Getting Better; Fixing A Hole;
She’s Leaving Home;
Being For The Benefit Of Mr Kite;