Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Xose]

...July the 16th., Saturday: Corporation's Grosvenor Ballroom. From now the Silver Beatles are: John, Paul, George, Stu and Norman Chapman (drums)...

I took the list in my previous post from this site. However Bill Harry, The Beatles Encyclopedia, London, Virgin, 1992, p. 255, states that Norman Chapman played at the June 18 & 25, and July 2 gigs...  Complicated..., isn't it??

Anyway, if we stick to the official date of purchase at the HP book, the facts would be:

Paul goes to Hessy's, gets the guitar, paid 10 shilling and goes to the gig at the Neston Institute (=in the Wirral Peninsula) to start playing at 20:00. But, as he uses to play drums at those days when no drummer is available, instead of playing his new Rosetti Solid 7, he plays drums...

Does it fit?? Wouldn't be more 'logical' to get the guitar ready for the Johnny Gentle tour??

Xosé

[Bobber]

It keeps us busy. .  If you go with Bill Harry, the purchase of the Rosetti on June 30 is a logical thing. They had a drummer by then.

[Xose]

It keeps us busy. .  If you go with Bill Harry, the purchase of the Rosetti on June 30 is a logical thing. They had a drummer by then.

A drummer on June 30 at Neston?? Who??

Xosé

[Bobber]

Well, Bill Harry states that Norman Chapman joined them on stage from June 18th on.

[Xose]

Well, Bill Harry states that Norman Chapman joined them on stage from June 18th on.

But only for three gigs: June 18, June 25 and July 2..., didn't he??

Xosé

[Xose]

Please do.

Something I received yesterday from Alloa. More sources on the way...

Xosé

[Bobber]

Do you own Ken McNab's book?

[Xose]

Do you own Ken McNab's book?

I ordered a copy a few days ago. It will be in my hands next week (=I hope)

Xosé

[Bobber]

I don't think there will be any new pictures tho. We would have known by now.

[Xose]

I don't think there will be any new pictures tho. We would have known by now.

Yes, you are right... Anyway, let's wait for my copy to arrive. I will let you know...

Xosé

[Xose]

I received the book yesterday and no: no new photos of the Johnny Gentle tour...

Xosé

[Bobber]

I received the book yesterday and no: no new photos of the Johnny Gentle tour...

Xosé

We predicted that. Any other interesting useful information?

[Xose]

We predicted that. Any other interesting useful information?

Well, yes: I read only the chapter dealing with Johnny Gentle touir, and there are some witnesses of those gigs who give their memories. Some photos of any of the girls (=now women in their sixties) there taken with John Lennon, which haven't surfaced so far...

No mention of the Rosetti Solid 7 guitar...

Xosé

[Bobber]

How about this then!:
from pressandjournal.co.uk:

North-east hall’s place in music history
scholar believes Peterhead venue is place where paul mccartney first went electric

By Jamie Buchan

Published: 27/03/2010

From the outside, Peterhead’s Rescue Hall is a fairly unremarkable council-owned building, popular with groups for toddlers and clubs for pensioners.

It has emerged, however, that the Prince Street venue may have played a significant role in Beatles history.

An acclaimed music scholar has revealed that the hall was the place where Paul McCartney first went electric.

The Fab Four played Peterhead in 1960 when they were known as the Silver Beatles.

Spanish music writer and Beatles fanatic Xose Crisanto Gandara believes that Paul played electric guitar for the first time at the Buchan concert.

He made the discovery while researching Paul’s original sound in the Beatles’ early days.

The guitar Paul used at this time was a Rosetti Solid Seven, and this year marks the 50th anniversary of the instrument’s debut on the Beatles’ historic Scottish tour.

“This instrument is very important because it was Paul’s first electric guitar,” he said.

“He used it until April 1961, in Hamburg.”

Mr Gandara said he hoped that music fans in Scotland who attended the gig, and others on the north-east Scotland tour, will be able to confirm his theory.

Mr Gandara, a doctor in music and philosophy, said: “I need to find people who can remember if Paul really was using that red Rosetti Solid Seven that day.

“Unfortunately, it seems there are no photos of them playing there.”

It is believed that the guitar may have been bought at a store in Liverpool.

The Beatles supported Liverpudlian singer Johnny Gentle when they came to the north-east.

They played at Peterhead on May 28, 1960, following gigs at Alloa, Inverness, Fraserburgh, Keith, Forres and Nairn.

Famously, the tour almost turned to tragedy when the Fab Four’s heavily laden tour bus was involved in a crash near Fraserburgh. The only band member injured was then drummer Tommy Moore who lost some teeth and had to be taken to hospital.

Read more: http://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/Article.aspx/1664720#ixzz0l5ED8yCa

and

Pensioner disputes claim over Beatles’ Buchan gigs
paul Mccartney didn’t play electric guitar at peterhead in 1960, insists broch music fan

Published: 13/04/2010

A PENSIONER who saw two legendary north-east performances by an early incarnation of The Beatles has dismissed claims by a music scholar that Peterhead was the place where Paul McCartney first went electric.

George Borthwick, 70, of Westray Park, Fraserburgh, saw the Fab Four take to the stage as The Silver Beatles both in the Broch and the Blue Toon in 1960.

Spanish music writer and Beatles fanatic Xose Crisanto Gandara believes that Sir Paul played electric guitar for the first time at the Rescue Hall at Peterhead.

But Mr Borthwick insists this was not the case.

He says Sir Paul played either a Framus or Hofner guitar at the Buchan gigs, not a Rosetti Solid Seven as Mr Gandara claims.

“I remember both concerts quite well because Sir Paul is a left-hander and as a guitar player myself that sort of detail sticks in your mind,” said Mr Borthwick.

“I was speaking to another musical friend of mine last week who had attended the gigs and he too agreed that there was no sign of the Rosetti on those nights.”

Mr Borthwick said he has now contacted Mr Gandara who had appealed for locals with any information about the Peterhead concert to get in touch.

Mr Gandara, a doctor in music and philosophy, contacted the Press and Journal as part of his research into Sir Paul’s original sound in the early days of The Beatles.

The band played at Fraserburgh’s Dalrymple Hall on May 23, 1960 and at Peterhead five days later.

They were supporting Liverpudlian singer Johnny Gentle on a tour that also visited Alloa, Inverness, Keith, Forres and Nairn.

Read more: http://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/Article.aspx/1687696#ixzz0l5DjWjPo

[Xose]

Thanks Bobber!!

I had written to those Scottish villages a couple of weeks ago, asking for witnesses of those gigs to confirm or not if Paul McCartney's Rosetti Solid 7 was really used at that tour, as Johnny Gentle says in his book. Now I'm still waiting for Mr. George Borthwick email, from Fraserburgh, as he seems a very interesting witness. His account confirms that Johnny Gentle's statements in his book were wrong: according to Mr. George Borthwick, Paul didn't use his Rosetti Solid 7 guitar at the Scotland tour but his Zenith...

Why did Johnny Gentle tell that?? I don't know...

Best!!

Xosé

[Bobber]

Didn't I tell you that already?    Good luck on the research and keep us informed.

[Xose]

Didn't I tell you that already?   Good luck on the research and keep us informed.

Thank you!!

I will...

BTW, see here:

http://www.aboutmyarea.co.uk/Cheshire/Neston/CH64/Who-When-Why/Answers-to-Correspondents/160548-Did-Paul-McCartney-play-his-first-electric-guitar-in-Neston

Xosé

[Xose]

...Good luck on the research and keep us informed.

Mr. George Borthwick, from Fraserburgh, a 70 years old man who attended two gigs (=Fraserburgh and Peterhead) at Johnny Gentle tour in May 1960, has finally written to me today:

"...Dear Xosé

I'm glad that you managed to contact me. I tried to Email you twice but my
computer did not send for some reason.

I'll do my best for you, it [Paul's guitar] was a FRAMUS Zenith model, at that time I had a
FRAMUS Capri model. I think George had a FUTURAMA, Stu a Hofner
semi-accoustic bass and I'm not sure about John but I think he had an EGMOND
(they were made in Holland).
At that time ,50s and 60s, we could only look at FENDERS and GIBSONS in
photographs in magazines. We could not get them in the UK and could not
afford them when they became available.
Around then I played bass in a group and one of the guys had a ROSETTI
guitar.
Anyway, back to the subject. I can't help you regarding amps, I did not
notice.
I'd be very happy if could Email me the photos you mentioned, plus a copy of
the article you are writing.
I hope this has been of some help to you.
All the best,
George..."

Xosé

[Bobber]

Excellent!

[Xose]

I finally could manage to reach John Askew (=aka Johnny Gentle). Someone from his family emails me the following:

"...Hi again. I have just spoken to Johnny G and he hasn't got a book with him as he is away on his holidays but he has said that he can't remember exactly where in the book Paul's guitar is mentioned but did say that the co author Ian Forsyth did a lot of research for the book and feels it may be something he added.
He seems to think as you said that Paul didn't have the [Rosetti Solid 7] guitar for the Scottish tour and it was only when The Beatles returned from Hamburg that Paul took up base [sic] as Stu was no longer playing
with them. JG will have a closer look when he has a look at the book. I hope this helps with your article but suppose it is a little vague...."

Xosé