BEFORE THEY WERE BEATLES

The Early Years 1956 - 1960

By Alan J. Porter

BOOK SIGNINGS  

• Friday July 2nd - BookPeople, Austin TX. Celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the day Lennon and McCartney Meet with a reading from Before They Were Beatles and a performance from Day Tripper.

Additional signing dates are being organized - details as they are confirmed

Also by Alan J. Porter BLOG, BLOG ME DO - The Essential Beatles Blog "The Top Beatles Blog on the 'net" - The TIMES

You Can Now Search The Full Content of  "Before They Were Beatles" at Print.Google. - Just click here.

AVAILABLE AT:

BEFORE THEY WERE BEATLES is available at the following book stores:

• Book People - 603 N. Lamar, Austin TX.  Phone 512-772-5050

• Hastings Bookstore - 2200 S IH-35, Round Rock, TX. Phone (512) 244-2223

• Waterloo Records - 600A N. Lamar, Austin TX. Phone (512) 474-2500

And at 30 on-line stores including Amazon.com, Borders, Barnes&Noble etc.

REVIEWS

BEFORE THEY WERE BEATLES gets the seal of approval from "Sir Paul"

"I read it from cover to cover without putting it down ... excellent job. It was a great read."

- Rod Davis, of the original Quarrymen.

Just finished reading Alan J. Porter's incredible  book about the teen years of four young men who would one day take the world by storm. "Before They Were Beatles" goes where most books on the Beatles rarely go. We get an intimate look into the teen years of John, Paul, George, and yes, even Ringo as they grow up in 1950s era Liverpool.

While some of the information has been in print before, primarily Hunter Davies, who was the Beatles' official biographer. The major difference is, this time we get to hear it right from the mouths of the people who grew up with the Fab Four, especially, Rod Davis.

Without going into details, I can say the book moves along at a different pace from other Beatle books. Porter has done a wonderful job of putting the reader right into the thick of the Liverpudlian atmosphere. At times you can almost feel the breath of John Lennon on your neck as he reads over your shoulder.

Once I started reading, I found I was unable to stop, except for brief periods to take care of the kids, eat dinner or . . . well, life's other little callings, but, I came right back to this slice of life. I also have to give Porter credit for trying his best to make sure the book moved along in chronological order and the way he ended the book with a where are they now section. While all of us know about the Fab Four, most might not know about people like Colin, Len and Eric.

If you get a chance, grab a copy of this book. - Robert Rouse - Columnist

"This is a truly excellent book about the formative years of The Beatles from January 1956 (John buys his first guitar) until August 1960 (The boys arrive at the Indra Club in Hamburg). It has been well researched and where dates and events are mentioned in the book, they have been verified with multiple sources wherever possible. The story is presented in a chronological order, and charts the converging paths of the main players in Beatles history. Of course due attention is paid to the original Quarry men members, but the focus is clearly on John, Paul, George and Ringo. If you're at all familiar with the pre-Beatles years, this book will probably not provide you with a wealth of new information, but it is very handy to have the story told the way that it's been done here. At the end of the book some very interesting sections have been included about some key players in Beatles history, the different line-ups and the songs they played. All in all a very through piece of work, enjoyable to read and therefore warmly recommended." - Beatles Unlimited magazine.

"With the sheer number of books that have been published about The Beatle’s history, you’d think that yet another might be overshadowed by such tomes as The Beatle’s own ANTHOLOGY. After all it is their story in their words. ANTHOLOGY is nice eye candy, but there are a number of lesser known books that I often refer to when researching or confirming facts in articles we publish. I just added another gem to my favorite section – BEFORE THEY WERE BEATLES. Small in comparison to most other books on their history for a very important reason, this book focuses on the four years that forged the way in which John, Paul, George and Ringo would come together.

The book is straight forward in presentation simply because the best way to look at history is chronologically. Starting at January 1956 you suddenly get the sense that you are entering a time machine and you’re being somewhat voyeuristic. It amazes the reader to realize that John was 15 at the time, and Paul a scant 13. Imagine standing a few feet away from any one of them as their history unfolds. The book allows you to sense that and it’s exciting.

I could pick out any number of key passages that are very well documented and annotated in the book but my favorite has to be John and Paul’s witnessing of Buddy Holly’s first and only visit to England in the March of 1958. The book details Lennon and McCartney’s awe of and obvious desire to learn some of that Buddy Holly magic.

There are three quick reference sections at the back which detail the who, what and when (and) will no doubt serve the casual reader and meticulous researcher quite well.

The first hand quotes and references make it more of a first person look at the rag-tag bunch of teenagers. As the book comes to an end they are on their way to their first Hamburg gig in August 1960. Porter could have gone further, but then as he ends it, “..that’s a whole other story.”

I highly recommend this book for all Beatles fans." - Andrew Croft, Publisher, Beatlolgy Magazine

"The book focuses on the early years of The Beatles, up to their first visit to Hamburg. It contains a month by month examination of every major event in the development of the band. It also includes a nice "Whatever Happened To...?" section for all of the major players in the story, an excellent "evolution" chart detailing every lineup of the group, and a complete list of every song played during this time. " - BeatleLinks

"A seriously good read." - Lee "Budgie" Barnett

"A Wonderful read. Just great" - Oscar Decker, Day Tripper (Beatles tribute band)

"Loved it.  It's very informative...many things that I didn't know.." - Jim Meehan - Host "Now & Then"  - Z88.9 WBCZ Philadelphia

"An amazing chronological exploration of the way the "Fab Four" formed ....   enthralling and fascinating. draws readers into the history, geography, and background of Paul, John, Ringo, and George in a way that is unobtrusive yet engaging. Each year has been extensively researched and documents they unique way the boys came together to form the world-wide phenomenon they became. Thoughtful, thorough, and thrilling in his expose of the lives of the rising stars. It is a book that appeals to many and would be a much welcomed additioned to any library." - Cassidy Patton (Amazon.com reader review)

"A wonderful exploration of the early years of the Fab Four and those that encountered them .... the reader is drawn into the lives of the young men as they strive to hone their craft.  This is ultimately a must have for any Beatles fan or student of music and popular culture." - Ray Feighery (Amazon.com reader review)

Scheduled Book Signings and  Events

• Friday July 2nd - BookPeople, Austin TX. Celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the day Lennon and McCartney Meet with a reading from Before They Were Beatles and a performance from Day Tripper.

• Thanks to all those who supported recent book signings in Austin, Spicewood and Round Rock TX.

• Thanks to everyone who showed up at the last Book People, Austin signing. It was a great event.

• Photos here.

Feature Article in CAPITAL ON SUNDAY - April 18th, 2004 - available on-line here.

SEVERNA PARK VOICE - April 16th, 2004 and September 14th, 2004

BEFORE THEY WERE BEATLES was reviewed in Beatlology Magazine

BEFORE THEY WERE BEATLES was reviewed in  Beatles Unlimited

WEB SITE LINKS

• Beatle Links
• The Beatles Website
• Day Tripper
• Paul McCartney Look-A-Like "Sir Paul of Livermoore"
• John Lennon's Original Quarrymen.

Before They Were Beatles is cited as a research source on the following sites:

Beatle Money

You can order a signed copy of BEFORE THEY WERE BEATLES direct from the author

On-Line

Books will be shipped Priority Mail (in US) or AirMail (outside US) as soon as they are available.

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