IN 3,000 books about the Beatles, Paul Murphy’s name never appears. Yet, but for him, the Beatles would never have recorded with George Martin and Parlophone and might never have recorded at all.
Paul was born in Walton Hospital in 1943 shortly before a famous Paul was born there. This was Paul McCartney, of course.
Paul Murphy was an early entrant in the Mersey music scene, recording She’s Got It with Johnny Guitar of Rory Storm & the Hurricanes at Philips Recording Studio in Kensington in 1957, months before the Quarrymen made their debut disc there.
Johnny, of course, was a member of Rory Storm & the Hurricanes, as was Paul for a time. He then embarked on a solo career and it was while he was performing at Liverpool’s Latin Quarter club that he was spotted by comedians Mike & Bernie Winters. The comedy duo recommended him to EMI’s Walter Ridley (who was later to reject the Beatles) and Ridley signed him to a recording contract.
He made his debut disc with Four & Twenty Thousand Kisses, a record he placed on the jukebox at the Zodiac club in Duke Street where Cilla Black worked in the evenings and where the Beatles, the Big Three and other bands used to hang out.
When he returned to London to pursue his career singing with the Cyril Stapleton Orchestra, he dropped into a hotel in Half Moon Street one day to have a drink at the bar. He noticed Brian Epstein, who he knew as manager of the NEMS record store in Liverpool.
Brian was rather dejected at the time. He had been extending his energy on seeking a recording contract for the Beatles, without much success. Every major label had turned him down – EMI, Pye, Piccadilly, Oriole, Philips, Decca – and people in Liverpool were jokingly saying that they’d end up on the Woolworths label.
He’d initially approached EMI and due to his status as a major record retailer met with Ron White, the general marketing manager. EMI’s A&R men at the time were Norrie Paramor, Wally Ridley, Norman Newell and George Martin. Paramor, Ridley and Newell, immediately turned them down and Martin was on holiday at the time, but it was doubtful whether he would have accepted a band that all his colleagues had rejected.
Although Brian managed to arrange a recording audition with Decca Records, Decca also turned them down. However, they at least gave Brian the tapes to their recording session, which he hoped to interest other record companies with, although there were only a few minor labels that he hadn’t yet approached.
Paul greeted Brian who said: “Hello Paul, I’m having terrible trouble with these,” and displayed some reel-to-reel tapes. When he explained to Paul his attempts to try and get A&R men to listen to the tapes, Paul told him not to be silly, because no one would listen to reel-to-reel tapes. He would need to have acetates made.
Paul mentioned the HMV Centre in Oxford Street and said “I’ll take you there, that’s where I have my own acetates made.”
So Paul took Brian along to the EMI Store where another example of serendipity occurred.
Sir Paul McCartney's son is to follow in his father's footsteps by playing Liverpool's Cavern Club - where the Beatles made their name.Sir Paul McCartney's son is to follow in his father's footsteps by playing Liverpool's Cavern Club - where the Beatles made their name.
James McCartney - also a musician - has lined up a show at the venue next month, as part of a short series of dates.
The Fab Four were regulars at the Cavern in the early 1960s, performing nearly 300 shows.
James said: "Of course I'm really looking forward to playing at the legendary Cavern venue in Liverpool.
It's where so many great music careers began and of course where my dad's band used to play, so it's a special moment."
The 34-year-old has performed on a number of his father's albums and has pursued a musical career in his own right, with low-key releases for his own EPs.
The childhood homes of John Lennon and Sir Paul McCartney have been listed as Grade II buildings by English Heritage.
Lennon's house - Mendips, on Menlove Avenue in Woolton, and McCartney's home on Forthlin Road in Allerton, are both in Liverpool.
English Heritage said the two houses were where The Beatles composed and rehearsed many of their early hits.
Tourism and Heritage Minister John Penrose said The Beatles were "tremendously important".
He said that the listing meant the houses were "legally protected from being bashed around or altered in future".
Paul McCartney ON THE RUN tour Photo: MPL Communications Ltd
LIVERPOOL FC, Everton FC and The Beatles are some of Liverpool's most famous exports and tomorrow night they could unite at the ECHO arena when Sir Paul McCartney will end his world tour in his hometown.
The legendary Beatle has invited the first team players from both Liverpool FC and Everton FC to help him celebrate.
Sir Paul, 69, said: “Over the years I’ve become friends with Kenny Dalglish – he came to one of the first Wings gigs and really supported us.
“One time he brought the whole Liverpool team with him to a gig. He’s always given us a lot of support.
“I hope he comes to the ECHO arena. I’ve got a ticket for him if he wants it. In fact the whole Liverpool team can come if they want to – and the Everton team too. We’ll get them all in if they want to come.”
When it comes to derby day though Sir Paul is clear about who he’s cheering on.
He said: “My dad was born in Everton, so I’m an Evertonian. Yes, I’ll cheer Liverpool on too. People say you can’t support them both but I got a special dispensation from the Pope. But if it comes down to a derby match I would have to support Everton.”
But wherever he plays around the world he says there’s always someone in the crowd wearing a Liverpool shirt or scarf.
He said: “At first I thought they were Scousers who’d travelled to see the gig. I’d say ‘hey, where are you from?’ and they’d be from whatever country we were playing in.
“The other night we played Moscow and we had it there. It gets me every time.”
This will be the last of the On The Run shows. Will there be any surprises to mark the end of the tour?
Sir Paul said: “These days there are no surprises. The minute you say anything it’s on Twitter and Facebook. So yes, there are a few surprises. But I can’t tell you what they are – it would ruin it for you.
“I look forward to playing Liverpool more than anywhere else. I’d play in my old back garden if it meant I got to play my home town. Actually, that’s the surprise – next year I’ll be playing a show in my old back garden!”
Last Christmas Sir Paul played the 02 Academy.
He said: “We had a great time that night. It was good to play in a little club. It felt almost like when we used to play the Cavern and other small venues around Liverpool.”
That night Sir Paul expressed regret that the original Cavern has never been excavated.
He said: “It seems a shame. Like I said on the night, if they can excavate the pyramids, why not the Cavern? It can’t be that difficult. Maybe there are too many big buildings on top of it, I don’t know.
They built the replica to one side, but it seems daft that no-one will dig out the old one and at least see what state it’s in.
“It’s like if you had a replica of the Houses of Parliament people would still want the real thing. Saying that, it wouldn’t be the same without Paddy, the old doorman.”
At last year’s gig Sir Paul also surprised fans by laying on free chips for everyone in the audience. He said: “Well, I was ordering them for me and the band anyway and I thought ‘why not order some for everyone?’. It was a cold night and it’s a real Liverpool thing to get chips on your way home from a gig so I thought ‘let’s make sure everyone’s got a bag of chips to warm them up on the way home’.”
This time, rather than 1,000 fans, he’ll be performing to 11,000.
He said: “I was impressed by the ECHO arena when I came for the MTV Awards with Bono. Back then it occurred to me that it would be a good place to play. Then, when the opportunity came to finish the tour somewhere I knew that was where I wanted to do it.”
At the MTV ceremony Bono mentioned that he’d had the full tour of the city from Sir Paul.
Sir Paul said: “Oh yes. I’m thinking of setting up as a tour guide. I love showing new people around the city. Each time I come I point everything out.
“Normally it starts at the airport. I point out Ardwick Road in Speke where I used to live. One time I knocked on the door of our old house there . I said to the fella who answered ‘this used to be my house’. He was great and invited us in.
“It’s wonderful for me seeing our old haunts. From Speke we go through Garston, past the gas works. I point out the place in Woolton where we played our first gig. I like to go through Allerton from there and take a look at Forthlin Road.
“I’m kind of busy at the moment, but if the work ever dries up I’ll set up as a tour guide!”
It has been a busy year – in October he married New Yorker Nancy Shevell.
He said: “She’s a lovely girl. “We’re very happy. I’m very lucky – she understands my sense of humour. A lot of people don’t. "I can be in America and I’ll say something as a joke, but they’ll take it dead seriously. I think there’s a particular Scouse sense of humour. Maybe it’s something to do with the Irish connection and all the immigration. You see it in the comedians.” He pauses for a second and chuckles. “Actually I’m related to half the comedians in Liverpool.”
After the last night of the tour in Liverpool, he is looking forward to a break for Christmas.
He said: “I love Christmas. It’s a real family time for us. We all get together. I’ve got eight grandchildren now and I love seeing them. I’ve done most of the present shopping now so most of my job is done.
“I cook a little bit of the dinner – not much. Mary and Stella are very good cooks – they learnt it off their mum. They tend to do most of the cooking.
“I get to slice the vegetarian turkey. We always do a really good vegetarian roast. These days it’s so much easier than when we were first vegetarian. In those days I used to miss the little traditions. At home my dad would always carve the turkey, and I missed not having that.
“Now we make our own roast and I get to slice it, just like my dad did. I’m pretty good – I make sure it’s really neat before I serve it up.”
Sir Paul also campaigns on behalf of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. He said: “It makes sense to be vegetarian. “Ethically, environmentally, economically. You can feed 20 times more people with a vegetarian diet than a meat one.”
Flags will fly at half-mast for George Harrison on two public buildings in Liverpool
Two concerts will take place in Liverpool later to mark the 10th anniversary of George Harrison's death.
The lead guitarist of The Beatles, who also had a notable solo career, died aged 58 from cancer.
The concerts will take place at 14:00 GMT at St George's Hall, and at 20:00 GMT at The Cavern Club where the Fab Four often played.
Flags will also fly at half-mast at both the Liverpool City Hall and St George's Hall.
Performers at the concerts will include two acts that Harrison signed to The Beatles' Apple label - Brute Force and The Radha Krishna Temple.
Other guest performers will include Jeff Slate, The Mersey Beatles, Singh Strings, The Liverpool Ukulele Orchestra, The Rebels, Tsema and Andre Barreau from The Bootleg Beatles.
Fans are also being invited to call in at Liverpool Anglican Cathedral for a special ceremony and asked to bring a "paper flower or dove or another symbol of peace or love with perhaps the words of a prayer or lines from one of George's many tunes."
SIR Paul McCartney’s Christmas return to Liverpool sold out within two hours yesterday, after “unprecedented” demand.
But the huge response to the Echo Arena concert in December left some fans who had queued for hours disappointed and ticketless.
. At least 250 more joined throughout the night and early morning. The vast majority of tickets – limited to four per person – sold out within an hour.
Dominique Smith, 28, from Kirkby, among the last to secure tickets at the Box Office, said: “I’ve dragged my three friends along with me and we’ve been here since 5.30am. I should have been in work at 8am, but I’ve taken holiday leave to be here.”
When the girls eventually got to the front of the queue, they were told the only remaining tickets were the expensive ones at £95.
Tim Banfield, general manager of the Echo Arena, said they had tried hard to strike a successful balance between online, phones and in-person.
He said: “It’s Paul McCartney and it’s Liverpool, so we didn’t expect anything other than massive demand and a sell-out.”
