The Beatles' Genesis

Curious just how The Beatles were formed? Do you think it was always just John, Paul, George & Ringo? Well, then read on and be amazed!

1. The Black Jacks (1956)

The first time we can really talk of a group, we should credit to The Black Jacks, a group formed in 1956 by kids studying at Quarry Bank High School. They played skiffle music (inspired by Lonnie Donegan) and the line-up conisted of:

- John Lennon: Guitar, Vocals
- Rod Davis: Banjo
- Eric Griffiths: Guitar
- Pete Shotton: Washboard
- Bill Smith: Bass (actually a tea chest!)

2. The Quarrymen (1957)

The name "The Black Jacks" was changed before they gave any real public appearances, and also the line-up was different:

- John Lennon: Vocals, Guitar
- Rod Davis: Banjo
- Eric Griffiths: Guitar
- Pete Shotton: Washboard
- Ivan Vaughan, Bill Smith, Nigel Whalley, Len Garry: Tea chest bass
- Colin Hanton: Drums

3. The Quarrymen (October 1957)

From October 1957 Paul McCartney joined the band. The line-up was:

- John Lennon: Vocals, Guitar
- Rod Davis:Guitar
- Paul McCartney: Guitar
- Eric Griffiths: Guitar
- Len Garry: Tea chest bass
- Colin Hanton: Drums

4. The Quarrymen (1958)

 From February 1958 George Harrison joined and the group started looking more like the band which would take on the world in 1963. Their line-up was:

- John Lennon: Vocals, Guitar
- George Harrison :Guitar
- Paul McCartney: Guitar
- Eric Griffiths: Guitar
- Len Garry: Tea chest bass
- Colin Hanton: Drums

5. The Quarrymen (March 1958 - September 1958)

 A radical change with the introduction of a piano player

- John Lennon: Vocals, Guitar
- George Harrison :Guitar
- Paul McCartney: Guitar
- John Charles Lowe: piano

- Colin Hanton: Drums

6. The Les Stewart Quartet (1959)

A little side project of George Harrison, a quartet that was composed of three members:

- George Harrison: Guitar
- Les Stewart: Bass
- Ken Brown: Drums

7. Johnny & The Moondogs (1959-1960)

 George came back to The Quarrymen, and brought The Les Stewart Quartet's drummer with him, who played...bass.

- John Lennon: Vocals, Guitar
- Paul McCartney: Vocals, Guitar
- George Harrison: Vocals, Guitar
- Ken Brown: Bass

8. The Beatals (1960)

John asked his friend Stuart Sutcliffe if he didn't want to play bass with them:

- John Lennon: Vocals, Guitar
- Paul McCartney: Vocals, Guitar
- George Harrison: Vocals, Guitar
- Stu Sutcliffe: Bass

9. The Nerk Twins (1960)

For a couple of days in 1960, John & Paul performed together in a pub in Berkshire as "The Nerk Twins". Lucky for us they didn't continue

10. The Silver Beetles/The Silver Beatles (1960)

Now again with a drummer like in the "old" days:

 - John Lennon: Vocals, Guitar
- Paul McCartney: Vocals, Guitar
- George Harrison: Vocals, Guitar
- Stu Sutcliffe, Chas Newby: Bass
- Tommy Moore, Norman Chapman, Pete Best: Drums

11. The Beatles (1961)

From 1961 onwards Stu dropped out (preferring to stay in Hamburg) and the final name (The Beatles) was adopted.

 - John Lennon: Vocals, Guitar
- Paul McCartney: Vocals, Guitar
- George Harrison: Vocals, Guitar
- Pete Best: Drums

And it would have stayed like this if Pete Best had not been fired on 16 August 1962, just at the treshold of eternal fame. Poor Pete, imagine how he must have felt.

12. The Beatles (1962)

 - John Lennon: Vocals, Guitar
- Paul McCartney: Vocals, Guitar
- George Harrison: Vocals, Guitar
- Ringo Starr: Drums

The Quarrymen live at the Morgue Skiffle Cellar

The story of the Morgue Skiffle Cellar is a very interesting one. It was an illegal club in the basement of a house located at 25 Oakhill park in Liverpool, and run by Alan Caldwell.

Maybe the name Alan Caldwell doesn't ring a bell, but if I tell you it is the real name of Rory Storm, you'll probably go 'aaaahhh'. Yes, Alan Caldwell was the singer of Al Caldwell's Texans, the group that Ringo Starr would join one year later (23 March 1959) and which would evolve into Rory Storm and the Hurricanes.

On 13 March 1958 the club opened for the first time, and the Quarrymen appeared on stage, probably in the following line-up:

- John Lennon: Vocals, Guitar
- George Harrison :Guitar
- Paul McCartney: Guitar
- John Charles Lowe: piano
- Colin Hanton: Drums

The illegal club did not have a long life-span: on April 1st 1958 the police raided the place a first time, and by April 22nd the club was closed permanently.

The Quarrymen probably played more than once here, but no reliable info is available. If somebody out there knows a bit more, please feel free to comment below

Incidentaly, Alan (alias Rory Storm) had a sister (Iris) who first dated George Harrison, later Paul McCartney, and who ended up marrying Alvin Stardust.