Chapter 18: The Beatles
The first iteration of the Beatles formed in 1957. That summer, sixteen-year-old John Lennon met Paul McCartney, a fifteen-year-old student from nearby Liverpool Institute, at the Quarrymen’s performance at St. Peter’s Church fete in Woolton. Impressed by McCartney’s ability to tune a guitar correctly and play songs by Little Richard and Eddie Cochran from memory, Lennon invited him to join the band shortly thereafter.
Lennon and McCartney formed a deep connection through their shared passion for American rock and roll. They admired artists like Buddy Holly, the Everly Brothers, Chuck Berry, and Gene Vincent, whose styles shaped their early musical sensibilities. Their friendship grew stronger through a mutual understanding of personal loss, as both had lost their mothers at a young age. This emotional bond helped create a foundation of trust that carried into their songwriting. They began composing together almost immediately, often sitting face to face with their guitars and exchanging lyrics and musical ideas in a back-and-forth flow they would later describe as "eyeball to eyeball." This collaborative style became a defining aspect of their work and a key element in the Beatles’ creative identity.
In early 1958, Paul McCartney introduced John Lennon to his younger friend George Harrison. Though only fourteen at the time, Harrison had already developed impressive guitar skills. Lennon was initially reluctant to bring someone so young into the group, but that changed after Harrison delivered a flawless rendition of Bill Justis’s instrumental “Raunchy” during an impromptu audition on the top deck of a Liverpool bus. His technical ability quickly won Lennon over, and with Harrison on board, the group’s guitar work reached a new level of precision and sophistication. Together, Lennon, McCartney, and Harrison began performing regularly, laying the groundwork for what would become one of the most influential songwriting and performing partnerships in the history of popular music.
During these formative years, the band cycled through a series of names including the Rainbows, the Moonshiners, the Nurk Twins (a name used when Lennon and McCartney performed as a duo), and Johnny and the Moondogs. Their musical influences were drawn from icons like Elvis Presley and Little Richard, but none shaped their early sound more than Buddy Holly and the Crickets. Holly’s clean harmonies, melodic songwriting, and two-guitar-and-bass setup became a model they would emulate. Their first known recording, made in 1958 under the name the Quarrymen, included a cover of Holly’s “That’ll Be the Day” and an original song called “In Spite of All the Danger.” Written by McCartney and Harrison, the track reveals just how closely they modeled their early work on Holly’s style.
As the group continued to develop, John Lennon’s friend from art school, Stuart Sutcliffe, joined on bass in 1960. Soon after, they recruited drummer Pete Best, completing a five-member lineup with Lennon, McCartney, and Harrison on guitars and vocals. Renaming themselves the Silver Beetles—an homage to Buddy Holly and the Crickets—they began to solidify their identity as a performing group. Lennon later suggested changing the spelling to “Beatles” as a pun on the word beat. Though their sound was still unpolished, it was gaining strength as they played more local shows and refined their stage presence. Their first informal manager, Liverpool club promoter Allan Williams, arranged a two-month residency at the Indra Club in Hamburg, Germany. This opportunity eventually expanded to other venues along the city’s bustling Reeperbahn nightlife district, where the band played marathon sets that would prove crucial in shaping their musicianship and stamina. It was during their time in Hamburg that they began sporting the mop-top haircuts which were originally adopted from their German friends Klaus Voormann and Astrid Kirchherr and would become one of their most iconic visual trademarks.
In the gritty red-light district of the Reeperbahn, the band performed marathon sets that often lasted up to eight hours a night, six or seven days a week. These exhausting gigs forced them to hone their musicianship, expand their repertoire, and develop the raw energy and charisma that would come to define their early stage presence. Living conditions were rough: they slept in cramped quarters behind a movie screen, survived on cheap food, and relied on the support of fellow expatriate musicians.
The group’s first stint in Hamburg came to an abrupt end in late 1960. George Harrison, then just seventeen, was deported for being underage. Soon after, McCartney and Best were also expelled from the country following a minor incident in which they accidentally set fire to their living space while clearing out. Stuart Sutcliffe chose to remain in Hamburg with his German fiancée, photographer Astrid Kirchherr, while Lennon returned to Liverpool and McCartney assumed the role of bassist.
By 1961, the Beatles had become a staple of Liverpool’s thriving club circuit, performing regularly at venues like the Cavern Club, where their gritty charm, sharp wit, and high-energy performances earned them a devoted local following. Brian Epstein, the impeccably dressed and business-savvy manager of his family’s record store, NEMS (North End Music Stores), first heard of the band when customers began requesting a Beatles record that didn’t seem to exist. Curious, Epstein attended one of their lunchtime shows at the Cavern and was struck not only by the group’s raw talent but also by the electric atmosphere and the audience’s fervent enthusiasm. Although their image was still rough and their act unpolished, he sensed enormous potential. Within weeks he offered to become their manager, despite having no prior experience in artist management.
Epstein’s had a swift influence on the Beatles. Drawing on his background in retail, theater, and high society, he helped refine their public image and introduce a level of discipline and professionalism that matched their musical ambitions. Out went the black leather jackets and rowdy stage antics; in came sharp matching suits, coordinated bowing, and curated setlists. He encouraged them to rehearse diligently and structure their performances more deliberately. As Pete Best later recalled, "He forced us to work out a proper program for the evening, playing our best numbers, not just the ones we felt like playing at the moment." Beyond style and presentation, Epstein was a tireless advocate. He firmly believed the Beatles were destined for greatness and worked relentlessly to secure them a recording contract with a major label.
Despite numerous rejections from major record labels, Brian Epstein remained persistent in his efforts to secure a recording contract for the Beatles. His determination paid off in mid-1962 when he caught the attention of George Martin, a classically trained producer at EMI’s Parlophone label. Known primarily for working on comedy records and niche projects, Martin was intrigued enough to meet the band. While he appreciated their vocal blend and charismatic energy, he had serious reservations about their drummer, Pete Best. Martin suggested using a session drummer in the studio, a common industry practice at the time. However, Epstein—eager to present a fully unified and professional group—and the other Beatles, who had grown increasingly frustrated with Best’s musical limitations and his perceived social distance from the rest of the band, saw this as an opportunity to make a permanent change.
Pete Best was often considered the "handsome one" of the group and enjoyed a certain local popularity, which contributed to underlying tensions and some jealousy among the other members. He was more reserved and kept to himself offstage, which contrasted with the close-knit camaraderie developing among Lennon, McCartney, and Harrison. His drumming, while serviceable in live settings, was not considered versatile or polished enough for studio work. The decision to replace him was difficult and controversial with their fans, but Epstein delivered the news shortly before their next recording session. In his place, the group turned to Richard Starkey—better known as Ringo Starr—a drummer they already knew from the Merseybeat scene. He had earned the nickname "Ringo" because of the numerous rings he wore on his fingers. Ringo had previously filled in for Pete Best on a few occasions and was known for his steady timing, unflashy style, and relaxed demeanor. With Ringo officially joining the band in August 1962, the Beatles' classic lineup was finally complete.
Their debut single, “Love Me Do,” released in October 1962, peaked at No. 17 on the UK charts—modest by later standards, but a crucial first step. With Epstein’s business acumen, Martin’s musical insight, and the Lennon-McCartney songwriting partnership beginning to blossom, the Beatles had assembled all the core elements of their creative engine. By the end of 1962, the classic lineup was in place: John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr, supported by manager Brian Epstein and producer George Martin—six individuals whose combined vision would define the most influential band in the history of popular music.