DM's Beatles forums
Solo forums => Fifth Beatles and the Merseybeat Scene => Topic started by: on March 02, 2008, 01:34:24 PM
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In June 1957 The Quarrymen entered Carroll Levis Discoveries - a talent contest - at the Liverpool Empire. From what I have read on the web the Quarrymen lost their round to The Sunnyside Skiffle Group.
I am trying to find more information about this - one of the very first Quarrymen appearances - and also about other Liverpool bands that participated in the Carroll Levis competition in 1957. There is a lot of contradictory information on the web. Many people seem to confuse it with the later Johnny & the Moondogs appearance at Carroll Levis in 1959 where they did reach the finals. Does anyone have more detailed info on the 1957 Carroll Levis competition or other Liverpool groups from 1957? Also, does anyone know which other Liverpool groups had records released before The Beatles did?
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paul mentions how some lady playing the spoons kept beating them at talent contests and also said the sunny siders had a midget as a gimmick.....it wasn't june 57 it was October 26, 1959 that the second auidition happened........
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some reading on it on wingspan.....http://www.wingspan.ru/bookseng/myfn/bmiles01.html
this is a hazy area...chas mcdevitts name pops up alot http://www.chasmcdevitt.com/Skiffle.htm...Lead singer, Freddie Garrity worked as a milkman and had played in a series of local Manchester skiffle groups - The Red Sox, the John Norman Four and finally The Kingfishers - before the latter evolved into Freddie and The Dreamers in 1959.....
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Thanks for those links!! I also read about the spoon lady :) in The Beatles Anthology. The 1957 Carroll Levis appearance at the Liverpool Empire was, of course, before Paul's time. It really was one of the very earliest Quarrymen gigs. It definitely is a hazy area - I can't find much. Maybe I need to research old Liverpool Echo newspaper clippings from 1957. As far as I know it was won by The Crescents: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qzIVlbv4qec
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there is more on lennis' page but not much....http://www.sadcafe.co.uk/lenni.htm
barry miles also has some in his book...http://books.google.com/books?id=pEHNfqJZYTYC&pg=PA16&lpg=PA16&dq=carroll+levis+mr+starmaker+talent+show&source=web&ots=VJW6j0x2to&sig=Hjdr_11-6Klzk4NjA_Xeh6Yk-E4&hl=en#PPA14,M1
i have tried to get a comprehensive reading by reading it all....but to no avail...skiffle groups changed names more than underwear back then.... ;D
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it does mention 57 in a few books but that maybe wrong...
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the paper is the best way to find out what happened during but personal accounts shed more light on the matter but not everybody recalls things the same...
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page 24 and 25 in georges book...http://books.google.com/books?id=Z3LucGjG_7AC&pg=PA24&lpg=PA24&dq=carroll+levis+mr+starmaker+talent+show&source=web&ots=0lAtgFahyM&sig=vEM4RkO5BCWEV_pFt17r3Vf-R0w&hl=en#PPA25,M1
we need an insiders story...
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http://Carroll Levis' Mr StarMaker Talent Show
this mentions the first but dwells on the second...
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there was also a canadian version of the show it seems.........http://www.broadcasting-history.ca/personalities/personalities.php?id=424
nancy whiskey should be researched too...http://mrjyn.blogspot.com/2007/11/luxembourger-skiffle-contest.html
tim fletcher did well on this page,7 pages actually...http://www.stthomasu.ca/~pmccorm/research/jandmoondogs.html
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i liken this to trying to find footage of the terry hall show,pops and lenny.no footage survives it seems...only pictures...(http://liverpoolbeatlescene.com/images/Lenny.JPG)
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Calling Mr. Harry?
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Oh, and I would almost kill for some footage of that band that was the first from Liverpool sent to Hamburg. I think they had a black front man, BlueMeanie had a picture of them in that excellent copy of the Wyvern Social Club 1960, etc.
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paul mentions how some lady playing the spoons kept beating them at talent contests and also said the sunny siders had a midget as a gimmick.....it wasn't june 57 it was October 26, 1959 that the second auidition happened........
Random questions here, but has Paul ever written a song where a midget was featured? Or maybe, is that what was in John's head when he wrote "feeling two foot small ..."? Or George, I think in one of his songs he wrote about being all very small?
Is the real reason they hired Ringo so that they would not lose to midget-containing competitors ever again?
I'm only asking!
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Oh, and I would almost kill for some footage of that band that was the first from Liverpool sent to Hamburg. I think they had a black front man, BlueMeanie had a picture of them in that excellent copy of the Wyvern Social Club 1960, etc.
Derry & The Seniors.
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i liken this to trying to find footage of the terry hall show,pops and lenny.no footage survives it seems...only pictures...([url]http://liverpoolbeatlescene.com/images/Lenny.JPG[/url])
But this pic is definately taken from a tv screen.
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bill harry has a page or 3 of articles....read a few...http://triumphpc.com/mersey-beat/a-z/index-az.shtml
this maybe your best source...
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Michael Holliday had a hit with story of my life that year....
here you can listen to what the moondogs were doing here.........http://www.beatlespennylane.com/rare_hard_to_find_beatle_MP3's-tracks.htm
watch the oh boy shows at you tube...there wasn't much rock then.....tony sheridan was popular at the time i know....and i know of another forum that can clear alot of this up....http://whirligigtv.yuku.com/
vince eager actually posts there...
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Thanks for the excellent links!!! I found a LOT of info on Carroll Levis on the whirligigtv link. Thanks!!!
I have just read that Billy Fury appeared on the Liverpool Carroll Levis in 1958.
I think Carroll Levis was like the ''Pop Idol/ American Idol" of its day. Seems like it had its fair share of weird auditions too!
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so do a little write up of the info you cyphered out of those links here,it would be interesting to read a comprehensive chronology of the events that transpired whence upon a time........
marshall
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that whirligig site is a treasure trove wouldn't you agree???
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Yes, whirligigtv is great, especially for 50s stuff. Carroll Levis is discussed quite a lot.
Interesting that the Sunnyside Skiffle Group - who beat The Quarrymen in the first round in 1957 went on to beat them (Johnny & the Moondogs) again in the finals in 1959 but had changed their name to The Connaughts. Finals were in Manchester. Quite a lot of info here: http://originalonefeather.tripod.com/id17.html
And here: http://www.kuerbiskopf.de/pageID_3459018.html
I'm busy trying to find out more about Billy Fury's Carroll Levis connection... I'm also looking into all these groups: The Clayton Squares, The Raving Texans, Billy J Kramer...
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funny thing about this link here...http://originalonefeather.tripod.com/id17.html....that is my site...
how would you say i did??????and how about the groovy sound bite???do the green and black go together????
did you veiw more than just that second page???did you visit my podcast????
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Wow - i had no idea that was your site. Well, you've definitely got more info on 1959 Carroll Levis than most other sites. I'm curious about what happened to The Connaughts...
I only read the part I was looking for info about but I'll add it to favourites and check it out later. The green is easy to read on the black background but I struggle with the blue text.
I just noticed they are they wearing cowboy boots in that top photo!!!
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But this pic is definately taken from a tv screen.
you would think so...it looks like a monitor shot tho....if you find it let me know...i'd like a copy...
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Wow - i had no idea that was your site. Well, you've definitely got more info on 1959 Carroll Levis than most other sites. I'm curious about what happened to The Connaughts...
I only read the part I was looking for info about but I'll add it to favourites and check it out later. The green is easy to read on the black background but I struggle with the blue text.
I just noticed they are they wearing cowboy boots in that top photo!!!
if you can add anything to the carroll story we can rewrite that in....there is only so much you can put in with leading into other areas but
i need to brush up some of the pages...