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The Beatles: The True Beginnings
The Casbah Coffee Club, which opened in Liverpool on August 29, 1959, was the brainchild of Mona Best, the mother of Pete Best. It is well known that Pete Best was the drummer for The Beatles in their early days in Liverpool and Hamburg. But less well known is that The Beatles’ origins were in fact at Pete’s mother’s club-it was at the Casbah and with Mona Best’s blessing that the greatest popular music phenomenon of the twentieth century began.
And now, the basement club where The Quarrymen, The Silver Beatles, and finally The Beatles played over 90 times before they hit the Cavern has been reopened and revealed by this remarkable new book. The Casbah’s significance cannot be overestimated-it brought together some of the greatest names in rock music and became the catalyst for the Mersey Beat phenomenon that swept Liverpool in the early 1960s.
Seen here for the first time in forty years is the basement’s interior as it was at the very beginning, juxtaposed with the rooms as they are today, where the ceilings painted by John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Pete Best still rest. A wealth of rare material from the club and the Bests’ own archives, together with newly-commissioned images by renowned photographer Sandro Sodano, documents the club’s and The Beatles’ intertwined stories.
The The True Beginnings also features accounts from early fans hearing the Beatles for the first time. Stunning new color photography of the rooms and memorabilia of the Casbah Coffee Club. Gritty, never-before seen photos of the young Beatles playing for hundreds of of their very first fans. And comments from the Beatles and their closest friends from the period.
Accompanied by a fascinating personal memoir of this extraordinary time, written by Roag Best with his brothers Pete and Rory, this is both a moving family tribute and a unique insight into a remarkable period of Beatles history. The glory of the Casbah has hidden for almost half a century in the Best family’s basement rooms. This account of their earliest days promises to blow back its roof, and that of the Beatles’ unbelievable history, forever.
And now, the basement club where The Quarrymen, The Silver Beatles, and finally The Beatles played over 90 times before they hit the Cavern has been reopened and revealed by this remarkable new book. The Casbah’s significance cannot be overestimated-it brought together some of the greatest names in rock music and became the catalyst for the Mersey Beat phenomenon that swept Liverpool in the early 1960s.
Seen here for the first time in forty years is the basement’s interior as it was at the very beginning, juxtaposed with the rooms as they are today, where the ceilings painted by John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Pete Best still rest. A wealth of rare material from the club and the Bests’ own archives, together with newly-commissioned images by renowned photographer Sandro Sodano, documents the club’s and The Beatles’ intertwined stories.
The The True Beginnings also features accounts from early fans hearing the Beatles for the first time. Stunning new color photography of the rooms and memorabilia of the Casbah Coffee Club. Gritty, never-before seen photos of the young Beatles playing for hundreds of of their very first fans. And comments from the Beatles and their closest friends from the period.
Accompanied by a fascinating personal memoir of this extraordinary time, written by Roag Best with his brothers Pete and Rory, this is both a moving family tribute and a unique insight into a remarkable period of Beatles history. The glory of the Casbah has hidden for almost half a century in the Best family’s basement rooms. This account of their earliest days promises to blow back its roof, and that of the Beatles’ unbelievable history, forever.
- GenresMusic
200 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2002
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
July 3, 2019
Found a couple of unfortunate errors. 1) "Ain't She Sweet" is not a Beatles "original" and 2) there was a photo of a harmonica, with a caption says "John Lennon gave this harmonica to Mona after The Beatles' first US tour in 1969". Now that sentence is not well worded; it's POSSIBLE that John gave Mona the harmonica in 1969, but The Beatles' 1st tour of the US was definitely NOT in 1969; so, is the date a typo, or should they have constructed the sentence a bit differently?
In any event, apart from those two errors (which are not a good thing in historical books), the book was truly enjoyable, and helped me to relive my 2018 trip to the Casbah. Roag Best (the author of this book) was an OUTSTANDING tour guide; his energy and enthusiasm are contagious. When you get to Liverpool, the Casbah is a MUST see. If you can't make it to The Casbah, this book is the next best thing.
In any event, apart from those two errors (which are not a good thing in historical books), the book was truly enjoyable, and helped me to relive my 2018 trip to the Casbah. Roag Best (the author of this book) was an OUTSTANDING tour guide; his energy and enthusiasm are contagious. When you get to Liverpool, the Casbah is a MUST see. If you can't make it to The Casbah, this book is the next best thing.
August 25, 2024
Some nice images of the Casbah, but truly the Bests really overstate their role and significance. Worth a read.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews