On My Liverpool Beat

(cont.)
By Bill Harry  

PATTI
Among the pretty girls at the Blue Angel recently were Patti Boyd and Maureen Cox. I asked Patti if, following her debut in 'A Hard Day's Night', she would be making any more films. "Definitely not," she smiled. "I'd feel far to nervous. I wouldn't like to appear on TV again either, for the same reason." Patti told me that she will continue to concentrate on her career in modeling - and I'm sure we'll see a lot more of her, as a fashion model in magazines.

BEST IN AMERICA
Pete Best tells me one of his long-term ambitions - one which probably won't come about for some time yet - is to live for several years in America. Some months ago, Pete flew to the States to appear on a radio show. "I was knocked out by all the colour and excitement of New York," he says. "Everything seemed to be happening at once. That's just the sort of atmosphere I enjoy!"

At the time, Pete had several offers to join American groups. But he had already thrown in his lot with the other members of the Pete Best Four: Wayne Bickerton, Tony Waddington and Tommy McGuirk. Now, of course, they have made their disc bow for Decca with 'I'm Gonna Knock On Your Door' - which fans are sure to like very much.

By the way, Pete may well get the satisfaction of spending a few weeks in the States in the fairly near future. Offers are being made for the Four to make appearances out there.

CHICK FOR THE TOP
Talking of discs, you couldn't do better than spin 'A Little You' - Chick Graham's second effort for Decca. The future looks more and more interesting for this 16-year old and for his backing group - the Coasters (formerly with Billy J. Kramer).

Though Chick has lived on Merseyside practically all his life, he was actually born in Jersey. Also, he made his first public singing appearance at Llandudno in Wales. It was an open talent contest and Chick was all of eleven years old!

Chick and his four-strong Coasters have built a real solid reputation in the North. They have wowed the fans at near enough every ballroom situated within a day's journey of Liverpool.

CillaCILLA LETS IT GO TO HER HEAD
That swinging Cilla Black has developed such a craze for hats, she recently bought six new ones in three days! "Sounds Incorporated really got me going on this," she explains. "They brought me back a number of John Lennon-type caps from Sweden in various colours - and that decided me on building up a really big collection." But Cilla still likes shopping for dresses best of all. Though she naturally pays high prices for her stage and TV dresses, she aims at fairly average ones for anything she wears in private. She finds it almost impossible to window shop, now she is so famous. So she generally takes a taxi - and nips quickly out of it and into the store! "I always hope I can spend a while looking quietly around without being noticed," she says. "Once I've bought what I want, I don't mind so much. If anyone in the shop is kind enough to want my autograph as I'm on the way out - then it's a pleasure!"

FOURMOST AND A BUS
The Fourmost still think of the single-decker bus they bought for £150 when they started their professional career early last year. "We had big ideas, plans and hopes for it" said leader Brian O'Hara. "It was great fixing it up. We put in our own plumbing, bunks, painted candy stripes on the steering wheel. We had a ball!"

Said drummer Dave Lovelady: "Of course, there were a lot of things wrong with it, such as a leak in the exhaust - but the worst leak was in the roof. "I remember one rainy night when the roof started to leak over Mike and I just couldn't stop laughing at him. But Mike had the last laugh, because the roof leaked above my head the next night!"

The boys had to give up the bus because success came to them sooner than they imagined. They had so many major bookings that they had to sell their prize possession to a scrap dealer for £45. The boys also look back on the time they were booked at Liverpool's Iron Door Club. Instead of a fee they were to receive a percentage of the door and money on coke bottles.

"There weren't many people there that night" said Billy Hatton, "and I remember that every time I saw someone return a coke bottle to the snack bar I shouted to the boys 'We've got another 1 1/2d' "We each ended up with 1/4 1.2d that night."

Gerry Marsden with his mum and dadTHE PHOTO BUG
When I recently bought a camera and started snapping everyone in sight, I became the latest Scouser to catch the Photo Bug. The Beatles started it. It was their fault we got this way. Everywhere they went, they carried cameras and started to talk enthusiastically about the joys of amateur photography.

Not to be outdone, Gerry & the Pacemakers started clicking. When I visited photographer Les Chadwick recently, I learned that the boys are always popping into Peter Kaye's to have their photographs developed - and they're becoming better and better at the art. Says Les: "The Pacemakers have mainly taken shots of their parents and friends and they're really quite good. The photograph of Gerry and his parents was taken by Les Chadwick. Perhaps you'll see some similar shots taken by Freddie Marsden in the near future.

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