Sunday, February 21, 2021
Thursday, February 18, 2021
Skis and a Broken Toe
January 25 - February 7, 1965
Andrea Badrutt, John, Han Haas, Cynthia, Judy Lockhart Smith, and George Martin in front of Badrutt's Palace Hotel in St. Moritz, January 1965
"St. Moritz, Switzerland, skiing."
John, 1965
"This will be the first time we ever been on skis."
John, 1965
It's been said that John went on a skiing vacation so he could get a better grasp of skiing to prepare himself for his upcoming film, Help!, that was set to start filming in March of 1965. However, Cynthia wrote in her first book that the idea to go on a skiing holiday was from Judy Lockhart-Smith. Maybe John learning to ski for the film is true, yet George and Ringo didn't bother (Ringo said since that that was his only time on skis) while Paul took his own skiing vacation a year later in 1966 with Jane and occasionally since then with wives Linda, Heather (who is an accomplished sports skier), and Nancy. Anyway, skiing... why not? I personally wouldn't, too much of a Floridian... maybe beginners sloop for the fun of it would be as far as I could do. Judy was George Martin's girlfriend; they got married in 1966 and remained married until George's death in 2017; at the time of this writing, Judy is still alive. I'll write more of her another day; let's continue on to St. Moritz.
Cynthia and John in St. Moritz outside their hotel
I personally love this vacation for John and Cynthia: in pictures there's quite a lot of affection going on from John tying Cynthia's shoelaces to helping each other up from the snow after falling down. Of course, how could I forget those bench pictures?! This is the only vacation that John took with George Martin. I don't know how they decided to go as it seems like an unlikely match (think School Principal and pupil) but obviously they were social and seemed like a fun idea.
John and Cynthia traveling to St. Moritz on January 25, 1965
On January 25, 1965, with Julian under the care of housekeeper Dot Jarlett, John, Cynthia, George, and Judy went to Switzerland. They arrived in Zurich and traveled two and half hours or three hours to St. Moritz by train, staying at Badrutt's Palace Hotel for two weeks.
"Yeah, I didn't take Julian, because it's too young, two, to learn to ski, they learn about four. I'll take him when he's four. But I took my wife, yeah. It was great."
John, 1965
"A marvelous winter skiing holiday in St. Moritz secured us one such break from pressure. George Martin and Judy suggested it. George was a true gentleman and Judy a perfect lady. George's quiet manner, and shy humor, and tall elegant stature reminded me a great deal of Prince Phillip and if you had the pleasure of sitting next to Judy in a restaurant, her voice would ring out more queenly than the Queen. A delightful couple, beautifully matched. Judy was the only one of us to have skied before, so we all started from scratch. Our ski instructor was a very dishy Swiss and obviously fond of the ladies. We had our first hilarious lesson and returned to our hotel for a few drinks in our rooms before changing for dinner. As John and I were about to get changed we heard a lot of giggling and shrieking from the next room. Judy was having a fit.
'John, Cyn, you must come here and have a look at George,' another burst of laughter followed. 'Oh, George, you do look an idiot!'
We rushed in to be confronted by George dressed only in his black tights and ski under garments posing with arms outstretched in a very dainty fashion about to attempt a 'pas de deux'. He pointed his long legs in readiness for his dance and promptly tripped. Poor George fell in an agonizing heap at our feet, clasping a badly injured ankle to him like a baby. Whenever I remember that holiday I get a picture of us all rushing into the plush hotel lounge after a day's exhilarating skiing to find George sitting glumly and miserably in an armchair with his foot on a stool encased in plaster of Paris.
'Are you all right, George, did you have a good day?' we would ask, trying hard not to show our amusement, 'No, I damn well haven't. If anyone else asks me where the accident happened and on which mountain, I'll scream. I have never felt such a fool in all my life.'"
Cynthia, from her book A Twist of Lennon, 1978
Han Haas, Cynthia, and John skiing in St. Moritz
Their ski instructor was Hans Haas. On their second day, George injured his toe in his hotel room. I think it was reported somewhere that George injured his toe while skiing ... maybe that was for the press to hide the real story of injuring his toe by acting foolish in his hotel room? Soon, word got out that a celebrity was there and photographers started coming around. There was an agreement for John (and Cynthia) to pose and allowed to be photographed for a day in exchange to spend the remaining holiday in peace.
Cynthia helping John up from the snow in St. Moritz
Photographed by Arthur Steel
“I started work on the Daily Herald in London in January 1965 and I invited my girlfriend Irene down from Manchester. However, as she was travelling down on the train to see me I was sent off to St. Moritz to photograph John Lennon skiing with his wife Cynthia. When Lennon fell over in the snow, Cynthia came to his rescue and he shouted, ‘Come on! Me bum’s getting cold!’ – On my return, Irene eventually forgave me and we later married.”
Arthur Steel, Photographer
"Yeah, well I fell down a few times, but for that actual photograph, I couldn't fall over. It was one - you know, when they waited for the fall, I didn't- I kept doin' it right, so I had to - the ski instructor taught me how to go down a hill and fall over, as well. So, I did- but I did fall over a lot, obviously, everybody does."
John, 1965
"Well - both my wife and I did well because we had a private instructor, you see, and all the people that sort of were in big classes were still doing the same stuff at the end of the two or three weeks. And we were going down from the top, so I suppose we were just above average, because it takes a long time if you're in a big class of forty, they can't teach you properly."
John, 1965
John was heard telling Cynthia to grab hold of him whenever he fell and felt skiing was grotty. One time, John went skiing 20 yards then his enthusiasm and energy vanished. Only when a taxi was found to take him the remaining 180 yards to the cable railway did he continue. After 10 minutes of tying boots and fitting skis, John got exhausted. Eventually he arrived at the nursery slopes at Chantarella Station where he promptly fell. While he was still untangling, two chic English women swept expertly by and one said to the other, "I think that's Ringo, darling!" They didn't spend all their time skiing: they shopped (bought Dot an ivory clock), and John was writing songs, most notably Norwegian Wood that later appeared on Rubber Soul later that year.
“It was during this time that John was writing songs for Rubber Soul, and one of the songs he composed in the hotel bedroom, while we were gathered round, nursing my broken foot, was a little ditty he would play to me on his acoustic guitar. He’d say, ‘What do you think of this one?’ It had a slightly sick lyric, which was very apt to me nursing my injured toe. The song was ‘Norwegian Wood.’”
George Martin
Peter Baumgartner, Luc Modolo, John, Fredy Enz, Franco Bussmann, Walti Grütter, Cynthia, unknown, Hans Haas, George Martin, and Judy Lockheart-Smith at the nightclub at the Palace Hotel.
More about Norwegian Wood another day. Occasionally at night when not so tired, John, Cynthia, George, and Judy took in on the entertainment to see The Five Dorados in the hotel's nightclub. They even played a few Beatle songs, which John thought was wonderful. George was impressed enough to want to record in England but there was a problem with work permits so it couldn't be done
John and Cynthia arriving home in London from Zurich on February 7, 1965
On February 7, 1965, John, Cynthia, George, and Judy arrived home.
"On their return from one holiday, John gave me a gift and thanked me for the nice holiday they were able to have, knowing Julian was well cared for. John and Cynthia went away for a holiday. I'm not sure where, but I believe it was Switzerland. I stayed at Kenwood with Julian, and when John came back, he thanked me for his best holiday ever, and gave me a little ivory clock."
Dot Jarlett
Friday, February 5, 2021
Proud Married Man
The Beatles (with Jimmy Nichol on drums while Ringo Starr was in the hospital for tonsillitis and fever) went on tour as planned to Holland on June 5th or 6th, 1964. Like as they've done so many times, there was a news conference and it's one of the few where fans got to participate on the questioning. I actually love this interview, it's funny and it's a rare moment where John opened by slightly on his married life. He also looked incredibly proud as a married family man.
Question: Question from the audience was were any of you in love...
"Me!" John
"Yes, he's married." Paul McCartney
"That's right!" John
Question: [inaudible]
"Yes, of course." John
Question: Does that put you in an exceptional position? Are you married?
"I hope someday, yeah." John
Question (to Paul): Would you get married to the others?
"No, I don't like marriage, no good, no good marriage." Paul McCartney
"It's good! Hmm hmm hmm" John to Paul, pretending to rock a baby in his arms.
Then came a discussion on needing money to get married, as George Harrison put it, for a suit and a hat.
Question (to John, regarding to have money to get married): Was your wife expensive?
"Quite, quite." John
"How much did she cost when you bought her?" Paul McCartney
"She was 50 pounds in Nairobi." John
John pulled a smiley face while Jimmy started laughing hysterically. I loved how John was pretending to rock a baby in his arms to Paul, trying to show why marriage was good. Ironically, Paul apparently thought marriage was good after all, considering he's now been married three times! At the time, he was going out with Jane Asher for about a year.
Speaking of Jimmy, this may be the only time I could really talk about him for this blog. I honestly do not know if Jimmy ever met Cynthia? He was a last minute replacement when Ringo collapsed and went to the hospital a day before the tour started. It was a tough decision to continue on; John,Paul, and especially George were not happy and would've preferred to be postponed but there were hotels and venues booked, money was spent and to be received, and if the tour got cancelled, hell would've broken loose from all sides except The Beatles. But... the show must go on. Jimmy got the call, did a quick rehearsal, a haircut to match the band mates, had to wear Ringo's stage clothes that did not fit, and off he went on tour. I don't think there was even time to introduce Jimmy to Cynthia, everything happened so fast! Cynthia never wrote or spoke about Jimmy. Jimmy was only a Beatle for two weeks before Ringo rejoined The Beatles in Australia. After that, Jimmy went home and basically disappeared from the public eye after failing to be a successful musician (despite being a talented drummer), very rarely a public appearance. At the time of this writing, Jimmy is still alive in his 80s. Jimmy was also married with a son, Howard (born around 1960), while a Beatle; but the marriage quickly ended afterwards and he became estranged from his son who didn't know if his father was dead or alive. Howard works as a film sound engineer. Jimmy did remarry a second time to Josephina (as of 1996) and worked as a carpenter, his own drum set long gone and struggled to make ends meet.
Tuesday, February 2, 2021
The Beatle Left Behind: Pete Best
Pete Best and Cynthia in Hamburg to reveal a John Lennon statue in 1985
"A very nice, deep, tender person."
Pete Best, 1986 about Cynthia
Cynthia met Pete Best in August of 1959 at his house in Liverpool while converting the basement into a music club. His mother, Mona, wanted a safe area to hang out for her two older sons, Pete and Rory, with their friends (her third child Roag wasn't born yet). The Casbah Club served coffee, Coca-Cola, and sweets, and play music. While Mona and her children were painting the rooms, John, Cynthia, Paul, and George came by to help. Because of his bad eyesight, John used emulsion instead of gloss... it took days to dry! Cynthia painted a silhouette of John based on a photograph taken by Paul's brother Mike on one of the walls. For the longest time, I always believed Cynthia also painted the spiderweb but got into a debate with The Casbah's Facebook denying it. I mean, in credible resources always claimed that Cynthia painted the spiderweb for many years... Maybe she helped? Whatever! I wasn't there so I can't argue any valid points. Anyway, The Casbah Club opened on the night of August 29, 1959 with John, Paul, George, and Ken Brown playing guitars with no drummer with Cynthia there, beaming with pride. Pete wasn't in the band yet. He was in his own music group, the Blackjacks, with Ken (who left the Quarrymen) as the Casbah's resident band with The Quarrymen/The Silver Beatles playing occasionally. I already wrote about The Casbah experience in another post called Rock 'n' Roll Girlfriend.
"The full complement turned up at the Casbah a few days before the opening... Also with the party was a pale blonde girl who was introduced to us as Cyn - Cynthia Powell, whom John had met at Liverpool College of Art and would marry some years later. That day at the Casbah they had known each other for only a short time and had recently reached the going-steady phase."
Pete Best, 1985
"But before they could go they had to find a drummer. As luck would have it a young lad called Pete Best was available. The boys had come into contact with Pete when they played a few times at his mother's coffee bar which was in the basement of his house in a suburb of Liverpool, Haymans Green. Peter was quite a good drummer and enjoyed sitting in on their sessions whenever the Beatles played there. He was very handsome in a moody, sultry sort of way and hardly ever spoke or showed any enthusiasm. He reminded me at the time of a very young Jeff Chandler. The kids who frequented the coffee bar would sit and ogle him. He was very popular with the girls but seemed to lack the sense of humor that was such an integral part of the boys' make-up. In this sense he really didn't gel with their characters right from the very start. But they needed him and he was only too willing to join them."
Cynthia, from her 1978 book A Twist of Lennon
So, for a year, Pete and Cynthia saw each other on occasion until August of 1960 when The Silver Beatles needed a drummer to go to Hamburg. The Blackjacks drifted apart so Pete was available to join. Pete joined The Silver Beatles on August 16, 1960 and they almost immediately went to Hamburg. Pete got closer to John; they were close in age. Whenever they had some breaks, John and Pete would sit at the bar and talked- John would talk about Cynthia on how much he missed her and their future. Pete never saw John mistreating Cynthia.
"He used to tell me how he and Cyn planned to settle down and raise a family as soon as The Beatles began to pay off, and how much he missed being without her."
Pete Best
"John and I would go and have a couple of quiet beers, just to sit down and chew the fat. And he'd talk about Cynthia and how much he missed her."
Pete Best, 1986
"There were definite two sides of John, which I was fortunate to see... But the other John, which the public didn't see, was a very loving, tender person. That came out in his initial love and tenderness for Cynthia."
Pete Best, 1986
Pete Best, Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison, and Stuart Sutcliffe at Hamburg Fun Fair, Heiligengeistfeld, in 1960.
Photographed by Astrid Kirchherr
Right from the start, it was obvious that Pete didn't really gel with George, Paul, and John. Pete was quiet, kept to himself, and didn't really joined in with the rest of the band on their shenanigans. In Astrid Kirchherr's photos, there's only one picture of Pete with the band.... unlike John, Paul, George, and Stuart, Pete didn't participate as a model. Astrid also didn't turn Pete's hair into a mop top that the others were getting into. While Cynthia was visiting in Hamburg in 1961, she noticed a tension between the group and Pete.
"Some of the steam went out of our merry-go-round way of life when Cynthia and Paul's girlfriend Dot, a blonde shop assistant he met during the old Casbah days, arrived for a stay of a few weeks during Cyn's Easter vacation from college.
Cyn was befriended by Astrid and spent some of her nights as a guest of the Kirchherr family. Old friend Mutti offered to accommodate Dot on a convenient houseboat she owned and where Cyn sometimes joined her. But there were nights when the two girls trooped upstairs to our dormitory, and on these occasions George and I would be instructed not to claim our bunks until 4 o'clock in the morning. If the holiday-makers, weary of sight-seeing, came into our quarters during the afternoon, George and I would be requested to tactfully to 'look the other way'.
There was little to occupy Cyn and Dot once they had done the sights and visited the shops in the more respectable area of the city, guided by Astrid, who drove them around in her grey VW Beetle.
The German fans couldn't fail to notice that two of their favorite idols had imported a couple of rivals from England. Some of them, especially those whose beds we sometimes shared, would sit and glare, treating the Beatles to an angry silence when it was time to applaud... After this near-miss the waiters, ever dutiful, made a point of hovering near Cyn and Dot like watchful guard dogs, There was never any more trouble after that one incident [John jumping off the stage in a jealous rage over a man hitting on Cynthia]. And when the girls left home our faithful German ravers (the female ones, that is) called off their silent protest and were all smiles again."
Pete Best, 1985
I don't know exactly when John, Paul, and George decided that Pete wasn't the perfect member and wanted Ringo... definitely during the Summer of 1962. Pete started missing gigs and his mother was being like his own manager and communicating frequently with Brian Epstein, (sounds like a stage mother) who started managing The Beatles in November of 1961. When they met George Martin, he was not impressed with Pete. Aside from the underlining problems, Pete and Neil Aspinall would drive The Beatles around.
"The regular drill was that Neil and I would collect the other Beatles in his van and drive to the venue. As Lennon was leaving, I called: 'Pick you up tomorrow, John.' 'No,' he said, 'I've got other arrangements.' At the time this didn't strike me as being odd, even though it didn't conform to the usual pattern. John was going through a trying domestic period; in 8 days' time he was due to marry Cynthia, who was already pregnant."
Pete Best, 1985
Cynthia hugging Julia Baird, with Pete Best, Roag Best, Helen Anderson, Phyllis Mackenzie, and other guests to celebrate The Beatles Story museum buying her cartoons for permanent display in Liverpool.
On August 16, 1962, nearly exactly the second anniversary of joining the band, John, Paul, and George enlisted Brian to give Pete the bad news: he's fired, Ringo's in. Pete always maintained he was blindsided by the news. He couldn't believe it and I certainly feel sorry for the poor guy. But there's no denying it... Ringo was indeed the perfect fit. He matched their humor, he participated in their shenanigans, and he was one of the best drummers in Liverpool.
"I've said this many times, if you can imagine The Rolling Stones with Barry Manilow... A completely different scenario. It was the same way with the three boys and Pete. They didn't have the same charisma. They didn't have the same sense of humor. Pete was lovely and is lovely. He's a dear friend of mine, but he didn't fit in with their humor and irreverence of everything else. When Ringo came along, he fitted perfectly. And that was the reason. Pete Best is a real gentleman, only too much of a gentleman to be part of that group at that time."
Cynthia, 2005
"I was on the outside. They just got a new manager. I was not involved in the agreement. I think Pete, as lovely as he was, did not fit in. That is just a personal opinion. Because their sense of humor was different than Pete's. It had nothing to do with the fact he was a talented drummer or a nice person. It just didn't gel. What they needed in those days was someone that would fit in with their Liverpool humor."
Cynthia, 1994
Cynthia knew what was going on, but she had her own problems: pregnant. Can you imagine what John must have felt at that very moment? Two monstrous events were happening parallel: professional side was changing drummers right at the brink of success and private side was going to be a husband and daddy. On August 18, 1962, Ringo performed his first concert as a Beatle. The majority of the fans were not happy with the change of drummers. They protested and yelled to no avail. Around this time, John and Cynthia decided that she shouldn't be going anymore now that she was pregnant. Her own relationship with the fans haven't been easy and with the additional tension in the air? Cynthia was more than happy to stay home! I don't think Cynthia and Pete had a proper goodbye. After Pete got fired, John, Paul, and George wanted nothing to do with him. Pete formed his own self-titled band and occasionally played on the same bill as The Beatles. No interaction. Get off, pass by, get on. The Beatles took off with Cynthia with them. The only one to be in contact with Pete was Neil Aspinall as he was Mona's boyfriend and father of Roag until about 1966ish when he got together with Suzy Ornstein Bramley, married her in 1968 until he died in 2008. I don't know when exactly Cynthia and Pete reconnected. Cynthia returned to Hoylake briefly in the 1970s after her divorce from Roberto Bassanini but the first known encounter was in 1985 at John Lennon statue reveal in Hamburg. Since then, they became friends again, getting together occasionally until her death in 2015. Pete has been married to Kathy since August of 1963 (everything happened in August!) and they had two daughters, Beba and Bonita. Around 1965, with his music career going nowhere, Pete attempted suicide while Kathy was visiting her mother but was stopped in time when he realized how it would affect his wife and daughter. Pete became a working civilian at a bakery.
Noel Charles, Cynthia, and Pete Best at the Beatles Festival 2005 in Estrel Covention Center, Berlin on July 15, 2005
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