Ian Macdonald explains in the preface of Revolution In the Head, that Pete Best's Biography contains interesting and much needed detail about the Hamburg period - information that the Anthology series notably skips over.
This is not a new book, it's the third one by Pauline Sutcliffe in which she is once again using a ghost writer. Having denied in print Albert goldman's fantasy that John Lennon was responsible for killing Stuart by kicking him on the head in Hamburg, she has that same myth in this book. As a result, of course, it was serialised in a national British daily, which is where the money really is. She also intimates that John and Stu were lovers, which is complete bollocks.
She was far too young for John. I think she resented the fact that none of the Beatles turned up for Stuart's funeral or to his exhibition at the Walker Art Gallery. Actually, the Beatles happened to be on holiday at the time of the exhibition. But after Stu died there was no contact between the Beatles and Stu's mum Millie. I was farily close to Millie and she kept in touch with me when Stu was in Hamburg, relating all the events there from Stu's point of view - including his fall down the attic steps. She phoned me at least once a month for over 15 years until she died. I went to the Empire when the Beatles were appearing and after the show, Virginia and I told John we were going to take him to see Millie. Pete Shotton and his wife came along too. We got to Millie's house in Sefton Park and she was obviouslky thrilled with the surprise visit. She gave John a copy of a book on how to draw horses, which he'd lent Stuart, together with a clip from a Wallasey paper with the first report of a show by the group, plus some other things. Then she took John and I all around the flat, showing us all the artwork of Stu which she possessed. She then asked John and I to take our pick of his work. John chose a blue abstract oil painting and I chose a red college he'd done in Hamburg, which is now on my living room wall.
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The Beatles were in Hamburg at the time of funeral, bound to their new Star club contracts Allan Williams had set-up according to Cynthia's book. I am just co-incidentally reading about the same period.
She was far too young for John. I think she resented the fact that none of the Beatles turned up for Stuart's funeral or to his exhibition at the Walker Art Gallery. Actually, the Beatles happened to be on holiday at the time of the exhibition. But after Stu died there was no contact between the Beatles and Stu's mum Millie. I was farily close to Millie and she kept in touch with me when Stu was in Hamburg, relating all the events there from Stu's point of view - including his fall down the attic steps. She phoned me at least once a month for over 15 years until she died. I went to the Empire when the Beatles were appearing and after the show, Virginia and I told John we were going to take him to see Millie. Pete Shotton and his wife came along too. We got to Millie's house in Sefton Park and she was obviouslky thrilled with the surprise visit. She gave John a copy of a book on how to draw horses, which he'd lent Stuart, together with a clip from a Wallasey paper with the first report of a show by the group, plus some other things. Then she took John and I all around the flat, showing us all the artwork of Stu which she possessed. She then asked John and I to take our pick of his work. John chose a blue abstract oil painting and I chose a red college he'd done in Hamburg, which is now on my living room wall.
It's great to hear a personal opinion at last from someone who was there at the time.
Ditto! What a great memory, Bill. Thanks for sharing that.
All you've got to do is choose love. That's how I live it now. I learned a long time ago, I can feed the birds in my garden. I can't feed them all. -- Ringo Starr, Rolling Stone magazine, May 2007
For all I know, Ringo might be a yogi disguised as a drummer! - George Harrison
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