The Birth of the Beatles by Leach, Sam - 1999

Pwllheli, Great Britain: Pharaoh Press. Near Fine. 1999. First US Edition. Paperback. 1901442306 . Unread with mild shelf wear. 70 b&w photos, many rare. Many of the photographs were published here for the first time. The Birth of the Beatles is Leach's fascinating account of the early days of rock and roll in Liverpool, circa 1961, where he booked and promoted such Merseybeat groups as the Beatles, Gerry and the Pacemakers and Rory Storm and the Hurricanes. Beatles fans everywhere will enjoy this look at their favorite group just right before they hit it big. Paul McCartney called the time period of 1961 in Liverpool "the Sammy Leach era" and indeed Leach was a major figure in the lives of many of the bands that had formed. Sam Leach was a packager, who brought groups together for an evening's worth of entertainment. His influence extended to Hamburg, Germany, where many groups, including the Beatles, were able to hone their craft in the clubs there and become a tight performing unit. The Birth of the Beatles is a fascinating look at the early days of rock and roll in Liverpool. Insightful and captivating, music fans will appreciate the candor and history of a time when groups were struggling to survive and when dreams were being formed. Sam Leach writes with an unmistakable clarity about those days when Lennon's swagger and biting wit were formidable weapons and Paul McCartney harbored jealousy toward Pete Best's popularity (Best was to be replaced by Rory and the Hurricanes' drummer, Ringo Starr, just before the Beatles signed with EMI records). The Birth of the Beatles definitely fills in the gap of their days in Liverpool just before the explosion the world would soon know as the British Invasion. ; 240 pages .