Early Paul McCartney Letter Offers Drummer Tryout

[JerseyGirl]

Early Paul McCartney Letter Offers Drummer Tryout - Stop The Presses!

Somewhere, an aging drummer (identity unknown) is probably still kicking himself. A newly discovered letter found folded in a book at a Liverpool yard sale has shed new light on the Beatles' early days, revealing that Paul McCartney offered an audition to a mystery drummer in 1960, just a few days before the band left for a formative two-month gig in Hamburg, Germany.

The letter, to be auctioned next month by Christie's, has surprised Beatles scholars. It was written two years before the band bounced drummer Pete Best in favor of Ringo Starr, who arrived just in time to help the Beatles' conquer first England and then the world, earning untold millions along the way.

The Aug. 12, 1960 letter handwritten by McCartney offers an audition to someone who had advertised their availability in the Liverpool Echo newspaper four days earlier. The unsigned ad said simply: "Drummer--Young--Free."

McCartney, who was then playing guitar in the band while the late Stuart Sutcliffe handled bass guitar, offered the drummer an audition with the caveat that if he joins the band he must be ready to travel almost immediately to Hamburg. The Beatles honed their musical chops playing at low-rent clubs in the German's city's famed red-light district.

"Expenses paid 18 pounds per week (approx) for two months," McCartney writes. "If interested ring Jacaranda club."

The letter is signed, "Yours sincerely, Paul McCartney of the BEATLES."

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[METALPRIEST]

WOW

 

[Astrid Kirchherr65]

I just saw this on the news JG


So cool, imagine that guys reaction NOW ?

I'm 'friends' with Pete Best on fb since my trip to see The Casbah and meeting him and brothers..very nice people ! I love Ringo. but I feel the sadness of Pete's bad luck too..

incredible how fate can change lives,,thanks for sharing this !

 

[METALPRIEST]

I met Pete at a Beatlefest one year and got a cool video of the meeting. A REAL nice guy. I had my wife pose with him and said "Give him a peck"

She gave him an innocent kiss on the cheek, and he was all, "Hey hey...Is this ok man?" or something to that effect.

 

[Astrid Kirchherr65]

I met Pete at a Beatlefest one year and got a cool video of the meeting. A REAL nice guy. I had my wife pose with him and said "Give him a peck"

She gave him an innocent kiss on the cheek, and he was all, "Hey hey...Is this ok man?" or something to that effect.

Yep , Metal ..I believe you..I found him very humble and very shy-bashful for a celeb ...it was very sweet,

I mean I was blown away by how real he was..his brothers talked to us for ages when we toured the Casbah..

Pete {my bf}and I kept joking if we didn't have somewhere to go after, I bet they'd have invited us to go the local pub with them ,,seriously

there was another couple on that tour with us but they were your basic Beatles fans and you could tell they were on planned tour ..they left quickly after the tour, but Rory and Roag Best kept chatting with for about 1 hour past the tour lol

We asked good questions and we felt they enjoyed us as much as we did them..great people

ps sorry if i derailed the thread a bit jg

 

[JerseyGirl]

No need to apologize for a derail. I knew you would find this interesting.