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Beatle!: The Pete Best Story
John, Paul, George . . . and Pete. Few people know much about the Beatles original drummer, Pete Best. His career with the Beatles spanned the riotous Hamburg club days, and the zenith of the Cavern gigs, only to be cut short just before the group hit the big time. His book gives a unique insight into the formative years of the worlds greatest pop group.
192 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1985
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
July 19, 2010
This book drips with bitterness, but (because of this?) the slanderous stories that come out of it are fabulous. We get to see the disgusting, sordid, and downright criminal that the original Silver Beatles wallowed in during their stay in Hamburg, Germany. I read this in high school. An old copy I bought on Ebay with a split apart spine. For someone my age with an unhealthy obsession with cute non-threatening boys from the 1950s and 60s, this was a goldmine. I remember feeling like I was getting away with something very naughty while reading this book. And I suppose I was. It's graphic.
I still love the story about George's puke growing into "The Thing" in one of their rooms.
I still love the story about George's puke growing into "The Thing" in one of their rooms.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 14, 2009
Great book, but somewhat lopsided regarding the reason why Best was kicked out of the band - then again, since Paul and John never really owned up to it, who knows? Plus, Pete autographed this for me back in 1986 when he was the special guest at a Beatles Convention in Akron, Ohio - I was working there with my brother-in-law, who designed the t-shirts for the event. Pete's a nice guy, but aloof. Probably ticked off he signed some shirts right over Ringo's head. I thought it was funny . . .
March 28, 2015
Amazon Version
They say that you can't tell a book by its cover. But the photograph on the cover of "Beatle! The Pete Best Story," speaks volumes. The photo, taken circa 1962, shows John Lennon, Paul McCartney and George Harrison sporting early versions of the famous Beatle haircuts that would help usher in "The Sixties." Meanwhile, the hairstyle of their drummer at the time, Pete Best, the most handsome of the four, has an iconic Fifties look. In short, Pete just didn't fit in.
Flashback: November 22, 1963. President John F. Kennedy is gunned down in triangulated gunfire in Dallas Texas. The TV networks cancel their regularly scheduled programming to cover the assassination. Two days into that coverage, JFK's accused "lone-nut assassin," Lee Harvey Oswald--later shown (for anyone truly paying attention) to be a patsy for the coup d'etat that eliminated JFK and launched the Vietnam War--is shot dead by Jack Ruby on live TV while Oswald is in police custody. Numerous replays follow. The country goes into shock.
About two months later, in January 1964, the Beatles exploded onto the American music scene and began to change the world. "I Want To Hold Your Hand" zoomed to Number 1 on the Billboard charts, and held that position for seven weeks. In February of 1964, the Beatles performed on The Ed Sullivan Show and their popularity in the U.S.A. soared beyond anyone's expectations. They seemed to be just what was needed--a breath of fresh air that literally helped lift the country out of a state of dazed mourning and into a positive reality.
Back in 1964, here in America, we knew the Beatles as John, Paul, George and Ringo [Starr]. Initially, there was no knowledge of prior drummer Pete Best, or bassist Stu Sutcliffe. The "Fab Four" seemed so perfect together, and in retrospect, they were. Only later would there emerge mention of Best and Sutcliffe, and the Beatles' early exploits in Hamburg, Germany.
In his book, Best (with Patrick Doncaster), gives us the early Beatle backstory--the inside look into the heart and soul of the Beatles during their formative years. We get to know them as people, not images. It's truly a great read, if you (as I do) prefer fact to fiction. Highly recommended, especially for Beatle fans. Early photographs of the band (and other people, places, and things), interspersed throughout Best's book, help bring this entertaining tale to life.
In the chapter entitled "The Bombshell," Best explains how he was cut from the band in 1962, as Beatlemania was just taking off in England. Beatles manager Brian Epstein broke the news to him, this way: "The boys [John, Paul and George] want you out and Ringo in. . .They don't think you're a good enough drummer." Best writes that he was shocked as he considered himself as good as, if not better than, Ringo. Other accounts of the Best-era Beatles--one involving a quote from a music insider describing the Beatles as having `a pounding pulsating beat which I knew would be big box office;' plus quotes of producer George Martin saying that he never wanted Best out of the group--support Best's position.
Best states, "A conspiracy had clearly been going on for some time behind my back, but none of the other Beatles could find the courage to tell me. The stab in the back had been left to Brian. . . Even Ringo had been a party to it, someone else I had considered to be a pal. . . I had been betrayed." (Until reading Best's book, I had no idea that he and Ringo had been friends, or that Best later successfully sued Ringo for libel over comments Ringo made about Best.) As Best explains, he had been good friends with the rest of the Beatles, not just some hired hand, as has been implied. Thus, Best's allegations of conspiracy and betrayal ring true. His friends and bandmates had turned on him.
As has been reported elsewhere, Best points out that John Lennon later admitted, `We were cowards when we sacked him. We made Brian do it. But if we told Pete to his face, that would have been much nastier. . . It would probably have ended in a fight.' To which Best replies, "What would have been so terrible about that?"
Indeed, the early Beatles were no strangers to violence. In fact, during the Hamburg days, Lennon (later to champion "Give Peace a Chance") and Best actually tried to roll a sailor who had befriended them (after McCartney and Harrison had wisely backed off), according to Best. Long story short, the sailor won, and that was the end of it, except for the grueling fears Lennon and Best held that the sailor would one day return with reinforcements.
This was clearly not the sanitized version of the Beatles adroitly packaged by Brian Epstein. Indeed, Best's account of the group's Hamburg days portrays the Beatles as being often wild and out of control. Orgies were common in the Beatles' uninhabitable living quarters, not only with female fans but also with the local prostitutes who, after working hours, would pursue the boys in the band. The Beatles' bizarre antics on stage included masturbatory pantomimes, mooning the audience, and mock and real (Sutcliffe vs. McCartney) fist fights. Their conduct off stage was even worse: they incited a riot, and one Beatle (guess who) urinated from a balcony onto nuns who were passing by.
It was news to me that Best's mother Mona (aka, "Mo") had opened a night club ("The Casbah") in the cellar of her Liverpool home where the Beatles and many other local stars performed the new emerging brand of music.
Interesting to read how Best actually became the original "fifth Beatle" when the band needed a drummer to be with them on their trip to Hamburg. (Stu Sutcliffe was the bass player at the time.) Best's description of the loving relationship between Astrid Kirchherr (who "gave" the Beatles their mop-tops) and Sutcliffe, is quite endearing.
At one point, Best describes how he and McCartney were together arrested for arson and deported from Hamburg. All in all, stories like this demonstrate that Best was not just some drummer the lads picked up until they could find a replacement (as has been propagandized), but one of the boys in the band, a friend, whom John, Paul, and George simply discarded in ruthless fashion.
Other points of interest (fully detailed in the book) include: how Best was the acting manager of the Beatles before Epstein came along; the Beatles' complaining of Sutcliffe's bass playing but (apparently) never complaining of Best's drumming (to his face, at least); the Beatles recording and other adventures with Tony Sheridan; the emergence of Beatle boots; and how Best was the most popular Beatle in Liverpool among the girls, as acknowledged indirectly by McCartney's father, and also supported by the photo on the book's cover, with Best upstaging the others looks-wise.
So sad to read that when Best was trying to make it with his own band after being unceremoniously discarded that "The Beatles contributed to [Best's band's] destruction with their readily-printed gossip that I had never really been a Beatle, that I didn't smile, that I was unsociable, and definitely not a good mixer." I have always loved the Beatles, but love them less after reading Best's book.
Years ago, when I became aware of the Pete Best saga, I wondered how he managed to go on after being deprived of such unimaginable fame and fortune. He writes, "In the depths of depression I decided to take my life, a secret I have kept closely until now," i.e., until the publication of his book. Read about Best's attempted suicide, how he was saved, and later came to write the best book on the Beatles I have ever read.
They say that you can't tell a book by its cover. But the photograph on the cover of "Beatle! The Pete Best Story," speaks volumes. The photo, taken circa 1962, shows John Lennon, Paul McCartney and George Harrison sporting early versions of the famous Beatle haircuts that would help usher in "The Sixties." Meanwhile, the hairstyle of their drummer at the time, Pete Best, the most handsome of the four, has an iconic Fifties look. In short, Pete just didn't fit in.
Flashback: November 22, 1963. President John F. Kennedy is gunned down in triangulated gunfire in Dallas Texas. The TV networks cancel their regularly scheduled programming to cover the assassination. Two days into that coverage, JFK's accused "lone-nut assassin," Lee Harvey Oswald--later shown (for anyone truly paying attention) to be a patsy for the coup d'etat that eliminated JFK and launched the Vietnam War--is shot dead by Jack Ruby on live TV while Oswald is in police custody. Numerous replays follow. The country goes into shock.
About two months later, in January 1964, the Beatles exploded onto the American music scene and began to change the world. "I Want To Hold Your Hand" zoomed to Number 1 on the Billboard charts, and held that position for seven weeks. In February of 1964, the Beatles performed on The Ed Sullivan Show and their popularity in the U.S.A. soared beyond anyone's expectations. They seemed to be just what was needed--a breath of fresh air that literally helped lift the country out of a state of dazed mourning and into a positive reality.
Back in 1964, here in America, we knew the Beatles as John, Paul, George and Ringo [Starr]. Initially, there was no knowledge of prior drummer Pete Best, or bassist Stu Sutcliffe. The "Fab Four" seemed so perfect together, and in retrospect, they were. Only later would there emerge mention of Best and Sutcliffe, and the Beatles' early exploits in Hamburg, Germany.
In his book, Best (with Patrick Doncaster), gives us the early Beatle backstory--the inside look into the heart and soul of the Beatles during their formative years. We get to know them as people, not images. It's truly a great read, if you (as I do) prefer fact to fiction. Highly recommended, especially for Beatle fans. Early photographs of the band (and other people, places, and things), interspersed throughout Best's book, help bring this entertaining tale to life.
In the chapter entitled "The Bombshell," Best explains how he was cut from the band in 1962, as Beatlemania was just taking off in England. Beatles manager Brian Epstein broke the news to him, this way: "The boys [John, Paul and George] want you out and Ringo in. . .They don't think you're a good enough drummer." Best writes that he was shocked as he considered himself as good as, if not better than, Ringo. Other accounts of the Best-era Beatles--one involving a quote from a music insider describing the Beatles as having `a pounding pulsating beat which I knew would be big box office;' plus quotes of producer George Martin saying that he never wanted Best out of the group--support Best's position.
Best states, "A conspiracy had clearly been going on for some time behind my back, but none of the other Beatles could find the courage to tell me. The stab in the back had been left to Brian. . . Even Ringo had been a party to it, someone else I had considered to be a pal. . . I had been betrayed." (Until reading Best's book, I had no idea that he and Ringo had been friends, or that Best later successfully sued Ringo for libel over comments Ringo made about Best.) As Best explains, he had been good friends with the rest of the Beatles, not just some hired hand, as has been implied. Thus, Best's allegations of conspiracy and betrayal ring true. His friends and bandmates had turned on him.
As has been reported elsewhere, Best points out that John Lennon later admitted, `We were cowards when we sacked him. We made Brian do it. But if we told Pete to his face, that would have been much nastier. . . It would probably have ended in a fight.' To which Best replies, "What would have been so terrible about that?"
Indeed, the early Beatles were no strangers to violence. In fact, during the Hamburg days, Lennon (later to champion "Give Peace a Chance") and Best actually tried to roll a sailor who had befriended them (after McCartney and Harrison had wisely backed off), according to Best. Long story short, the sailor won, and that was the end of it, except for the grueling fears Lennon and Best held that the sailor would one day return with reinforcements.
This was clearly not the sanitized version of the Beatles adroitly packaged by Brian Epstein. Indeed, Best's account of the group's Hamburg days portrays the Beatles as being often wild and out of control. Orgies were common in the Beatles' uninhabitable living quarters, not only with female fans but also with the local prostitutes who, after working hours, would pursue the boys in the band. The Beatles' bizarre antics on stage included masturbatory pantomimes, mooning the audience, and mock and real (Sutcliffe vs. McCartney) fist fights. Their conduct off stage was even worse: they incited a riot, and one Beatle (guess who) urinated from a balcony onto nuns who were passing by.
It was news to me that Best's mother Mona (aka, "Mo") had opened a night club ("The Casbah") in the cellar of her Liverpool home where the Beatles and many other local stars performed the new emerging brand of music.
Interesting to read how Best actually became the original "fifth Beatle" when the band needed a drummer to be with them on their trip to Hamburg. (Stu Sutcliffe was the bass player at the time.) Best's description of the loving relationship between Astrid Kirchherr (who "gave" the Beatles their mop-tops) and Sutcliffe, is quite endearing.
At one point, Best describes how he and McCartney were together arrested for arson and deported from Hamburg. All in all, stories like this demonstrate that Best was not just some drummer the lads picked up until they could find a replacement (as has been propagandized), but one of the boys in the band, a friend, whom John, Paul, and George simply discarded in ruthless fashion.
Other points of interest (fully detailed in the book) include: how Best was the acting manager of the Beatles before Epstein came along; the Beatles' complaining of Sutcliffe's bass playing but (apparently) never complaining of Best's drumming (to his face, at least); the Beatles recording and other adventures with Tony Sheridan; the emergence of Beatle boots; and how Best was the most popular Beatle in Liverpool among the girls, as acknowledged indirectly by McCartney's father, and also supported by the photo on the book's cover, with Best upstaging the others looks-wise.
So sad to read that when Best was trying to make it with his own band after being unceremoniously discarded that "The Beatles contributed to [Best's band's] destruction with their readily-printed gossip that I had never really been a Beatle, that I didn't smile, that I was unsociable, and definitely not a good mixer." I have always loved the Beatles, but love them less after reading Best's book.
Years ago, when I became aware of the Pete Best saga, I wondered how he managed to go on after being deprived of such unimaginable fame and fortune. He writes, "In the depths of depression I decided to take my life, a secret I have kept closely until now," i.e., until the publication of his book. Read about Best's attempted suicide, how he was saved, and later came to write the best book on the Beatles I have ever read.
January 2, 2024
In the mid 90s I walked into a bookshop in the musically famous Denmark St which only stocked rock and music books and biographies. On one of the shelves was this book and I couldn't really afford it so I kind of slyly read as much as I could in the shop without being noticed. This is 30 years ago but I still remember a few things. One moment is in Hamburg when Lennon announces to everyone that he's going to go abuse himself and walks into the next room and closes the door only to walk out moments later with a big smile on his face ha. Also, Pete goes into more detail about Lennon's plan to rob a sailor who from memory had actually bought the band drinks on that night, a very ill-conceived plan in which Paul and George declined to take part. And of course that terrible moment for Pete when he was fired from the band just as they were about to make it. The 60s must've been torture for him and thankfully he was finally paid healthy royalties in the 90s because he frankly deserved them. I would really only read this book to hear more about Lennon's antics as Pete Best was a nice humble bloke but not the most entertaining of personalities. Probably unlikely, but if I saw this book somewhere for $30 I'd definitely buy it.
April 17, 2018
An Awesome autobiography about Pete Best...The original Beatle's drummer.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews