Beatle News #9
The 5th Beatle
- 1962 – Stuart Sutcliffe dies of an aneurysm (brain haemorrhage) aged 21; whilst in studying in Hamburg, West Germany. He collapsed in the middle of an art class after complaining of head pains.
Not many are aware of Stuart Sutcliffe, who was one of the original Beatles (a.k.a. the 5th Beatle), ’cause this was before the Beatles became one of the greatest bands ever. Sutcliffe met John Lennon back in the 50’s, as students, at the Liverpool College of Art, and they ended up being best friends. Paul McCartney (Lennon’s other best friend and co-songwriter) later supposedly had stated that he was jealous of Sutcliffe’s friendship with Lennon back then. Sutcliffe being a great bass player, joined the group, back then known as The Quarrymen (a.k.a. Johnny & The Moondogs), with John Lennon, Paul McCartney and George Harrison, in January 1960. In May, the same year, they renamed the group as The Silver Beats, The Silver Beetles and finally The Silver Beatles. On 12th August, 1960, Pete Best, joined the group as a drummer. On August 17th, same year, they dropped ‘Silver‘, and call themselves The Beatles, and they went to Hamburg, for gigs and ended up playing 48 nights at the ‘Indra Club’. In July 1961, Sutcliffe left the group to continue painting, and was awarded a postgraduate scholarship and enrolled at the Hamburg College of Art. On August 16th, 1962, Pete Best, was laid off, and on August 18th, same year, Ringo Starr joined The Beatles. And the rest is, as they say, History.
Stuart Sutcliffe, was the first to don the famous Beatle-cut, way back in the 50’s. A hairstyle later adapted by all the other members of The Beatles.
Picture Above (Top Right), shows The Beatles when Sutcliffe was a member. He is in the extreme right (Boxed in), and Pete Best in the extreme left. George Harrison, John Lennon & Pau McCartney are in the middle (L-R). (Bottom Right) Sutcliffe with Best Friend John Lennon.
- 1967 – While in Los Angeles, Paul McCartney visits Brian Wilson, of The Beach Boys, while Wilson was working on his famed SMiLE project.
The Beatles and The Beach Boys, are credited to have had a friendly rivalry between them. Thus, though officially supposed rivals, they shared a good friendship. I got a chance to see an aged Brian Wilson up close, at his concert; when he came during the Sydney Summer Festival in January 2008; at The Domain, in Sydney, Australia.
- 1970 – Paul McCartney announces that he has left The Beatles. This makes front page news world wide.
The Beatles last Photo-Shoot
This Day – This Month – That Year
Nuwan Sen’s Music Sense. Nuwan Sen & The Beatles (Beatle News).
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Birthday Wishes
Happy Birthday to….
… veteran actors, Omar Sharif and Max von Sydow, who turn 81 and 84, respectively.
Birthday wishes to novelists, the late Lew Wallace and Paul Theroux; to other film personalities – film director Christophe Honoré; documentary director Alastair Fothergill; screenplay writer Peter Morgan; film stars late Harry Morgan, late Tim McCoy, late Delphine Seyrig, late Lyndon Brook, late Chuck Connors, late Jan Arvan, Chelo Alonso (a.k.a. Isabella Garcia), Claudette Nevins, Guillaume Canet, Michael Pitt, Charlie Hunnam, Orlando Jones, Frank Lammers, Haley Joel Osment, Peter MacNicol, Alicia Sanz, Haig Sutherland, Caroline Chan and Alex Pettyfer; and to singers Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Mandy Moore and Babyface.
Nuwan Sen’s Film Sense
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This Day – This Month – That Year
- 1925 – The novel The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald was first published.
A novel I did for my Bachelors, in Delhi University (back in 96′).
Nuwan Sen n’ News
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No Nonsense with Nuwan Sen 
I don’t think Sutcliffe was a great bass player, in fact he could hardly play it at all and many times on stage would turn his back on the audience so they couldn’t see how bad his playing was.
Thanks for letting me know;
Stuart Sutcliffe is more of a recent discovery of mine, although I’ve been a fan of the Beatles since I was a kid. I even knew Pete Best, but my knowledge on Sutcliffe is relatively new and limited. Am not that familiar with neither his art nor music.
Anyway it’s pity what happened to him, at such a young age.
Yes that was a real tragedy, John wanted him in the band and I think they used his reward when he sold a painting or won a competion to buy equipment for the band, Paul was a bit resentful about this as he knew he couldn’t play.
Thanks, once again. You seem to be well informed on Sutcliffe. Please feel free to recommend any good printed material on him. I’ve got a couple of books on the Beatles, and other old printed material, but there’s not much information on this 5th Beatle; but am aware that Paul McCartney was resentful, but one of the main reasons was due to the close friendship between Sutcliffe & Lennon. Well, now I realise there was another reason. Thanks for letting me know.