Pre:Fab!

by Colin Hanton, Colin Hall

Pre:Fab! is a memoir which tells the story of Colin Hanton’s formative years up to and including his career with John Lennon’s Quarry Men. Colin Hanton related his memories over a period of two years to Colin Hall and as a team they worked together to piece together Colin Hanton’s fascinating story. As such it is an insight not only into Colin and John’s early musical adventures but a vivid social history of war-time and post war Liverpool/ Britain. Colin was a Quarry Man when both Paul McCartney and George Harrison joined the group. Colin tells the story of these heady days and history-in-the-making days in this book.

Colin Hanton and Colin Hall were both Liverpool born and bred. Colin Hanton was born in 1938 and became the drummer in John Lennon’s very first group, The Quarry Men. He drummed for three years between 1956–1959, during which time Paul McCartney and George Harrison joined the band. In 1958 Colin Hanton played on the very first single that John, Paul and George ever recorded – their version of Buddy Holly’s “That’ll Be The Day” and a Paul McCartney and George Harrison tune, “In Spite of All Danger”, which happened to be the only song that Paul and George ever wrote together.

Colin Hall is a former and current resident of Woolton and the Wirral. He read Law at the University of Liverpool, graduating in 1970. For 14 years Colin Hall has been the custodian for ‘Mendips’, John Lennon’s former childhood home in Liverpool which is owned by the National Trust. It was donated to the Trust by Yoko Ono in 2003. Before this he managed rock musicians Sam Genders and Liam Bailey (who wrote and sang “Blind Faith” for Chase and Status, and was signed to Amy Winehouse’s record label). For years Colin has written music features and reviews for R2 and before that What’s On In London and Get Rhythm. Colin and his wife Sylvia (who is the custodian for Paul McCartney’s former home) are currently Liverpool City Region ‘Tourism Stars of the Year, 2017’. Colin was a lead member of Bob Harris’s research team on his Sony Radio Award winning BBC Radio 2 documentary, “The Day John Met Paul.”

Genres: Nonfiction

423 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 23, 2018

Reviews

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Colin Hanton was a member of the Quarrymen (or is it Quarry-Men?) and was present at many of the important, early events in the fledgling band, which later became the Beatles. The question of the name of the Quarrymen just shows how much every single detail of what, drummer Colin Hanton, thought of a fun hobby, later became of unprecedented importance in musical history. He could never have thought, when he was introduced to the other members of the skiffle group, (largely on account of having a set of drums – drummers ever being an elusive, problematic issue for John Lennon and the others), that he was doing anything other than enjoying the experience of playing live and, maybe, attracting a few girls. Instead of which, he witnessed momentous musical events and now, luckily, has written down his memories for fans to enjoy.

Oddly, Colin Hanton’s links to the Beatles may even have happened at his birth. He was born in 1938, two years before John, and four before Paul, at Walton Hospital. Mary Mohin, later McCartney, was a sister on the maternity ward at that time, so ‘Mother Mary,’ may even have delivered him. However, Colin’s path diverged from that of his future band-mates and he ended up at a different school from the other members of the Quarrymen and was later introduced to them by a friend.

Colin takes us through the bands early live shows, their constant attempts to win talent shows (they never did win, even after Colin had left the band) and other important events. He was there when the famous photograph of the band was taken at the Rosebery Street party, when the boys were threatened and had to beat a hasty retreat. It was often John who was the intended victim of the gangs of toughs who took exception to the boys on the stage (or back of a truck) and, if he couldn’t talk his way out of trouble, John usually took the first available exit and headed out of trouble.

As far as major events are concerned, in early Beatles history, there is nothing really as important as the St Peter’s Garden Fete, when John and Paul met, officially, for the first time (there are suggestions they had bumped into each other before, but this was the proper introduction). Colin was at the Fete, on the truck – another truck – with the Quarrymen in the parade, and he appeared with them live. Memories from all those there differ, including accounts from Paul and John, when they were interviewed about it. At all times, Colin is open and honest about what he remembers and what he doesn’t, so you do feel that you can trust his memories.

Undoubtedly, Paul coming into the Quarrymen changed the group dynamics. From the start, John changed from being the front man, to there being two lead singers, side by side, at the front of the stage. Initially on lead guitar, Paul’s famous ‘fluffed’ guitar solo led to him pushing for George to enter to the group, which ultimately led to Quarryman, Eric Griffiths, being ousted. The sacking of Eric did foreshadow later events with Pete Best; with John and Paul bluntly telling their young manager, Nigel Whalley, that he was responsible for sacking Eric and leading Colin to feel his own days were numbered. He was slightly older, working and did not completely share the musical obsession that John, Paul and George obviously did.

Later, Colin was there, playing drums, on the recording of, “That’ll be the Day,” and “In Spite of all the Danger,” and witnessed the effect of Julia’s death on John. His last live show with the band was a rather drunken shambles, which caused George, in particular, some embarrassment, as his father had helped arrange the date, and a possible audition, for them. Afterwards, Colin, who does admit that he was a rather sulky teenager, ended up turning his rage, and frustration, on Paul and he walked away from the band. He did see John a few times afterwards, but he was never asked to go back, and he gradually lost interest in drumming. Indeed, as a working man, it is unlikely that he would have been able, or willing, to accompany them to Scotland, Hamburg and beyond. His last glimpse of them was in 1964, when they returned to Liverpool for the premiere of, “A Hard Day’s Night,” and he felt proud of his links to them then and still does.

The Quarrymen still do perform live and are much beloved by Beatles fans. This book was co-written by another Colin, Colin Hall, who will also be known to fans as the guide who shows fans around John’s childhood home, ‘Mendips,’ while he wife, Sylvia, does the same at Paul’s former Forthlin Road address. Much of this book is in interview form, with Colin Hanton allowed to tell his story, in his own words. However, the book is giving definition and background by the rest of the text, so it reads well and is not at all amateurish.

For many fans, the early days of the Beatles are the most exciting, and Colin Hanton has his place in musical history more than assured, as he was there right at the beginning. We are very lucky that he has put down his story in words, which will be appreciated, and enjoyed, by all fans. Although there are serious historians, such as Mark Lewisohn, whose work is without compare, there is still a need for those who were actually there to share their stories as they are the best source of information. This may not be for the casual fan, but it is certainly a book that all fans will want to read. Great title too!

[Stephen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very enjoyable read which really told you the Beatles origin story as it was from their humble beginnings as the Quarry Men. It is also a fascinating social history as it shows how Britain changed after the war and the influence of Rock and Roll in that.

It was made all the more special for me as we recently had a visit to Liverpool and did a Beatles tour where we were taken round all of the Beatles related sites (all of the band members' homes, Penny Lane, Strawberry Fields, Eleanor Rigby and Father McKenzie's graves and the church hall where John and Paul first met) and then went to the Cavern Club in the evening to see the very realistic Cavern Club Beatles tribute band. While we were doing the tour, we bumped into and got our photos taken with Colin Hanton who was a guide that was taking another group round - towards the end he was the only remaining original Quarry Man apart from John Lennon who had founded the group and part of a 4 member band including them plus Paul McCartney and George Harrison. Perhaps because he owned a drum kit more than because of his ability as a drummer but it is an amazing story and you do feel sorry for the way that Colin was treated in the end.

Recommend both the book and a weekend in Liverpool if you have any interest in the Beatles.

[Lisa Shafer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was in Liverpool in July of 2018, and I met Colin Hall, who was the guide at Mendips. I was thoroughly impressed with the man's knowledge and expertise, so, when he mentioned this book (just to me, not to the whole tour as a promotion, but when I complimented him at the end of the tour), I made a note of the title and bought it when I returned home.
It did not really live up to my expectations.
The information is fascinating, but it is not for the casual or newbie Beatles fan. However, since I have been researching the Beatles since John Lennon was killed, I'm no newbie. This info is for die-hard Beatles fans and WWII history buffs, as much of the book deals with the aftermath of the War and its effects on Liverpool. All of this was good.
What was less good was that Mr. Hall spends much of the book trying to sugarcoat that Colin Hanton was clearly a jerk, an ignorant teen (who worked in a furniture shop for 6 months and still didn't know what upholstery was) with a bad drinking habit, a penchant for sulking, and very little musical skill. This is tedious, even though Mr. Hanton's adventures with the Quarry Men give valuable insight into the teen lives of John, Paul, and George.
What is downright bad is the editing, or lack thereof. The book is FILLED with errors in punctuation (Yes, errors in British punctuation, which is different from American; I'm familiar with both.), grammar, and sometimes spelling. It reads like a first draft of someone's very first attempt at writing a book, which it probably is. I cannot imagine why the publishers did not bother to get at least a copy editor to go over this thing.
Thus, I have given it three stars: it's a 5-star book for information, but it's a 1-star book for writing and editing.
That being said, i plan to buy more copies to give to friends who are Beatles fans -- but I will warn them!

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked up this book while in Liverpool earlier this year. Colin Hanton was the original drummer in the Quarry Men. The book begins at the beginning with his birth in 1938 - two years before John Lennon, 3 1/2 years before Paul McCartney and just over 4 years before George Harrison. Colin may even have had a connection to Paul from his birth as he was born at Walton Hospital, where Mary Mohin was a sister on the maternity warn. Miss Mohin later wed James McCartney in 1941 and James Paul was born about a year later.
Colin fell in love with rhythm as a child growing up listening to the radio with his family. He would tap out the beat of the jazz music especially. He grew up in Bootle but at war's end the family to moved to Woolton. The last German air raid on Liverpool was 10 JAN 1942. Over 4000 people died in Liverpool, 6500 homes destroyed and 190,000 left uninhabitable. It literally was a war zone. Ironically, the book points out that on that last raid one of the homes destroyed had been the home of Alois Hitler, Adolf's half-brother, whom Adolf had visited in Liverpool in his younger days.
In Dec 1953, at 15 years of age, Colin left school and began work immediately soon becoming an apprentice upholsterer. In the Summer of 1956, with his Mother to guarantee the payments, Colin bought a drum kit for the princely sum of £34.19s.6d where his weekly wage was less than £4/week. He practiced on them as often as he could playing along to favourite records and the radio. One fateful day a couple of months later, his friend Eric Griffiths came around and asking to hear him play his drum kit. Eric lived around the corner and often played pick up cricket matches with Colin and other neighborhood boys. Being dutifully impressed, Eric asked Colin if he wanted to bring his drum kit round to his friend's home and meet the group. Colin had been auditioned. And for the two and a half years Colin played most of the gigs the Quarry Men did. He was present for all the talent contests, which the band played many and never won. He was there when John met Paul and when John met George. Colin was also on the first recording of the Quarry Men with John, Paul, George and piano player John Duff Lowe: That'll Be The Day and In Spite Of All The Danger (Paul's original song). Colin also dives into how teen culture evolved in the mid to late 50's in England - where most people barely made enough to survive.
Cinema, or the "flicks" as it was known, was cheap, very few familes owned TV's; radio and singing in the home were the main forms of family entertainment. Films such as The Wild One, Rebel Without a Cause, Giant, Blackboard Jungle, Rock Around the Clock, The Girl Can't Help It and later Jailhouse Rock. And the huge influence that Lonnie Donegan and the Skiffle craze, which showed you could make a happy noise without having the dosh to lay out for those expensive American guitars used in rock n roll. All one needed was a washboard, a tea chest, broom handle and cheap acoustic guitars. Lonnie was a star quite a few months before Elvis and other rockers hit the UK shores.
This is a great backstory to the origin's of The Beatles, told by one who was there. And yes, he still has that original drum kit with a cute picture of his granddaughter in the back of the book sitting playing the kit.

[Ruby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Colin Hanton is one of the original Quarry Men - that is, he was in John Lennon's band pre-Paul McCartney and George Harrison - he was there on the day when John met Paul, and played behind the changing lineup of John Lennon's The Quarry Men until 1959.

In this book, he tells his story; of the boy who grew up in immediate post-war Liverpool, who fell in love with the drums and then rock 'n' roll, and who then met and played with some of the best musicians in history. It is a phenomenal tale, and one that only a select few can tell; the remaining Quarry Men being the others.

The book is co-authored by Colin Hall, who was a music critic for many years, and who is now the custodian of Mendips, John Lennon's childhood home: it seems that there could be no better person to write a book with about time spent with John Lennon pre-Beatles fame.

Pre:Fab!: The Story of One Man, His Drums, John Lennon, Paul McCartney and George Harrison is a fantastic read which, despite starting off a little slower than I like, quickly picked up the pace and got to the point which, I am sorry to say, Mr Hanton, most people want to get to - when John Lennon comes into the picture, and Colin Hanton joins The Quarry Men and begins to spend more time with its members.

There are some grammatical and spelling errors within the book, which really irked me because I am a complete sucker for these things; it made the book less professional and harder to read in places, though these were fairly minor and probably only numbered about twenty throughout the whole thing.

At some points in the book, particularly after George Harrison joins and Colin Hanton starts to feel left out by the Fab Three, it becomes bittersweet. This was because whilst you feel extremely bad and sorry for Colin Hanton as a character within the story, there is a bit of joy and excitement in the back of your mind because you know what the three of them are becoming, and will become... these are the early days which, as previously mentioned, not many people can say they witnessed and were a part of.

Overall, the book is presented in easily readable, enjoyable way, and the information in it is as reliable as I believe it could be because no Quarry Man kept a diary of specific shows which were played on what dates - however the memory of Colin Hanton and research of Colin Hall has meant that this is perhaps as complete of a guide as there will ever be. Colin Hanton also does his best to correct any mistruths which have cropped up in The Quarry Men story over the years, which is invaluable for those of us who have a particular interest in the early years and the pre-Beatles, which is not so well documented.

[Ella Schilling · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very nice social history and account of Colin’s time in the “Quarry Men”. (The preferred printing of the name is still murky to me since on the Quarrymen’s official website they say it should be spelled as one word.)

I agree with one reviewer that some content is superfluous and I think this book could probably be edited down to 350 pages or less. Then again I do see value in talking about the banana shortage and whatnot; it helps paint a picture of those austere times. And it’s funny how Len and Colin have the same stories of reverence and unfamiliarity with bananas.

Overall this book is very refreshing after reading Len Garry’s book which is far less professional and clear-sighted. Documentation of sources is appreciated as well.

[Sirilee · Rating 3 out of 5]

It started well. I liked the description of life in Liverpool during and after the war up to late fifties and how the bands were popping up everywhere, mostly with home-made instruments. But, then it became repetitive and monotonous. When you’re told umpteenth time that people were riding busses because they could not afford cars, how Paul was musically very talented and John very original and witty, how Colin taped the Quarry Men name on his drum or went to have a pint with his drinking buddies, it becomes boring.
The book needed a firm editor who would have cut out such repetitions. It would have made it shorter and more enjoyable.

[John Laidlaw · Rating 5 out of 5]

An informative and enjoyable read.

An interesting read. All that happened at that time coincides with my own growing up in the music world being a drummer in the Blackpool area. It was interesting to read in this book the full story of the pre Beatles formation.

[Jeff Mohr · Rating 5 out of 5]

An essential book for those who want to be as knowledgeable as possible about the pre-Beatle days.

[Aaron Badgley · Rating 4 out of 5]

A first hand look at The Beatles before they were The Beatles. Readable, enjoyable and I learned a great deal.

[Steve Chilton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hanton's book tells the background story of formation of the Beatles. He was the drummer in the band when they were known as the Quarrymen. It casts an interesting light on those early days, including how Paul and John got involved, and what their early characters were like. It is also good on what post-war Liverpool must have been like.

[Sarah Tummey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really glad I stuck with this till the end. The info on 1950s Britain and people's post-war attitudes was fascinating.

I've also discovered I'm similar to John when it comes to guitar-playing, I.E. I want to be learning chords and songs immediately, not doing scales etc, but sadly I didn't have a teacher like Paul McCartney to make this possible! I particularly liked the discography at the end, listing songs mentioned in the book and those they might have performed. Having a subscription to a music service is an advantage with a book like this because when it talks about "The piano part on 'Mean Woman Blues', particularly the arpeggio at the beginning", I can look it up and have a listen.