From Chazz's site on the first picture:
The Quarry Men
Sometime 1958-1959
location unknown
presumably Liverpool
Photographer: unknown (Mike McCartney?)
This photo first surfaced in late 2006 on Paul McCartney's concert DVD The Space Within Us. It can be presumed the photo is from Paul's personal archive with a good possibility that it was taken by his brother Mike. However, the DVD provided no definitive date or info. Thus, for researchers, the precise dating of this photo is very vague.
I asked Beatles historian Mark Lewisohn what he thought. He replied that he was, in fact, researching the same thing. The only thing he had were the conclusions I had already come to...
George joined in Feb. 1958 and, according to Andy Babiuk (Beatles Gear), George had the President before joining The Quarry Men. John purchased a Hofner Club 40 in August 1959. The photo HAS to date between that time.
At some point 1958-59, John no longer had his Galloton and performed for some time without a guitar. In the photo from 20 December 1958 at George's brother's wedding, John is seen without his Galloton. However, I almost have to think that doesn't indicate that he didn't have it. I can't see John going from Dec 1958 to August 1959 without some sort of guitar. I have found no specific dates but I would suspect he had the guitar well into 1959.
In Hunter Davies' The Beatles Authorized Biography (page 63), in the chapter "From Quarrymen To Moondogs", Davies writes, "For their public performances, they were usually all dressed like Teddy-boy cowboys, with black-and-white cowboy shirts with white tassels from the top pockets and bootlace ties."
However, there is no clear date indication other than it was after George joined. In the surrounding text, Duff Lowe is mentioned as well as the band entering in skiffle competitions and that John was still at art college. So, we're still at 1958-59 in general. Still nothing to narrow that date down.
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It has been suggested that the fourth fellow is the photo is one-time Quarry
Men member, the late Eric Griffiths and, indeed, he does look similar to Eric.
However, as is implied in Hunter Davies' The Quarrymen, he was ousted
from the group shortly after George joined if not almost immediately. And it
appears as though he severed contact as well.
I asked former Quarry Men member, Rod Davis, what info he might be able to provide. His reply was...
"Several people have already emailed me and asked me if I know who this is. I'm afraid I have no idea who it is. I'm sure it's not Eric, I knew him pretty well and this guy's ears are the wrong shape for Eric's for a start.
Regarding the cowboy shirts, you could be right, but it was after my time so I can't offer an authoritative opinion."
Recently, Mark Lewisohn informed me he has learned the fourth fellow in the photo is Arthur Kelly who, along with George's brother Pete, had been in George's previous band The Rebels in 1957. He is probably the same person
seen in the photo with George on this page.
More comments on Chazz Avery's site here:
http://www.beatlesource.com/savage/1950s/58.xx.xx%20unk/58.xx.xxunk.html
