Anything related to the Beatles of course grabs some attention, and this new pre-Beatles piece of nostalgia is no different.
Your average rock or pop music fan may not know, but Beatle fans worldwide know that John’s Liverpool band that eventually became the Beatles was called The Quarrymen. This skiffle/rockabilly band had several members, including John Lennon (of course), but also Paul McCartney and George Harrison. Another longtime member was Mr. Len Garry.
In 2022, the eighty-year-old Garry performed at George Harrison’s former Liverpool home- in front of a select group of attendees. He played nine songs, and Len recently released a vinyl EP which includes 3 of those songs, plus a nostalgic story of how and when he met a teenage John. The EP is called “The Quarrymen’s Len Garry – at Upton Green”, and is being offered by elasticStage.
The songs Garry covers on this record are: That’ll be the Day, Twenty Flight Rock, and In my Life.
It is believed that this new vinyl EP is the only time an act performing as a Quarryman has been publicly released on vinyl.
Sadly, Len has experienced several medical and health issues over the past 18 months, and this LIVE recording in October 2022 was one of his last public performances. Len had traveled all over the world performing as part of the reformed Quarrymen since 1997.
Len has been unable to play guitar in recent years, due to arthritis, but his singing voice was still spot-on during the songs used for this record.
The songs included on the record are all key in the Beatles story.
In my Life, written and sang by John, is of course one of the Beatles most cherished songs. Hearing his old mate sing the song in current times- in George’s old home- is special.
That’ll be the Day, by Buddy Holly, was on the first record (a 7” single) that the Beatles ever did- with George, John, and Paul joining 2 others back in 1958 as the Quarrymen.
Twenty Flight Rock, by Eddie Cochran, was the song used by Paul to audition for John’s band in the summer of 1957.
Note that this record was not professionally mixed or mastered; the audio quality is similar to what one would hear on a bootleg tape. But that does not diminish the relevance of this record, or the likely interest this release might get from both new and old “Beatlemaniacs”.
