Neptune Theatre to lose name, become part of Liverpool Beatles Theme Park

News from the further enBeatlefication of Liverpool. The Neptune Theatre, which has been The Neptune since 1967 as a tribute to the city's seafaring past, is finally getting refitted. But as part of the refittings, it's going to become The Epstein Theatre.

A Beatles reference? How surprising. It's further evidence that the city has long since moved on from the days when it insisted there was more to the place than just the moptops; nowadays - providing it doesn't get in the way of knocking down housing like Ringo's old gaff - it seems that there's little else to Merseyside.

To be fair, Epstein did work for Cranes in the building when the company operated both the theatre and a shop underneath, so there is a link.

But it's not really about honouring Epstein; as Joe Anderson, Liverpool Council Leader, makes clear, it's just about offering an extra stop to shake down unsuspecting tourists:

"For our Beatles industry this development means Liverpool has a new attraction and a new story to tell and for the city we will soon have a new theatre with a world famous name which will hopefully make it a commercially more attractive business to market and operate."

The bit about 'the Beatles industry' makes a sad-eyed sort of sense - oh, imagine if Ringo's house hadn't been in the way of lucrative development land - but anyone who believes that calling a building Epstein rather than Neptune is going to make it any easier to operate a theatre is, frankly, deluded.

Alan Williams was unavailable for comment. Plans to rename Merseyside Lennonside are currently before the regional government.

[Thanks to James M for the link]

Drummerobit: Bobby Graham

One of the most familiar unknown names of the 1960s pop world, Bobby Graham, has died.

By his own reckoning, Graham played on a total of 40 top five UK hits, drumming on Dusty's I Only Want To Be With You, You Really Got Me for The Kinks, and Make It Easy On Yourself. The Walker Brothers version.

Graham also claimed he was nearly in those Beatles, he was; his tale insisted that Epstein had offered him Pete Best's job and it was only offered to Ringo after he'd turned it down. To be fair, Graham at least has the talent to back-up the claim, unlike everyone over the age of 60 in Liverpool who also claims they said "no" to a job in The Beatles.

In total, Graham is believed to have drummed, clashed and cymablled his way through 15,000 tracks. As Professor Gordon Thompson remembers, his reputation meant he was often an obvious choice:

His association with the Dave Clark Five proved particularly problematic given that the bandleader WAS the drummer; moreover, Clark routinely declared that no other drummer played in the studio. However, a close listen to early recordings such as “Do You Love Me,” “Glad All Over” and “Bits and Pieces” reveals double-tracked drumming, suggesting that the drummer/producer had assistance from another musician. Graham maintained to the end that he was that drummer (a claim supported by unofficial correspondence) and who could doubt Clark’s good judgment at hiring the best. Indeed, many a British drummer cringed when they saw Graham at a session, knowing they had just been demoted to playing tambourine.

Bobby Graham, who was 69, had been ill with cancer for some months. He died in Welwyn Garden City on Monday, and is survived by a wife, a son and a brother.

[Thanks to Jon for the story]

The Beatles "too tatty for world"

Now, proving our cutting-edge credentials, a story from forty years ago: The Beatles' much-praised appearance on the first satellite show didn't go down well - many claiming it was a slight to our nation to be represented by a pop group:

Documents released under the Freedom of Information Act reveal that a BBC official, asked to assess viewer reaction, wrote in a memo: "There was little specific comment on the separate parts of the programme apart from a volume of angry protests at the choice of The Beatles as one of the UK's contributions."

The memo records several comments, including: "This country has produced something more meritorious and noteworthy than The Beatles (much as I admire them)"; "We did not do ourselves justice"; "Have we nothing better to offer? Surely this isn't the image of what we are like. What a dreadful impression they must have given the rest of the world"; "We flaunted The Beatles as the highlight of British culture, no wonder we have lost our image in the eyes of the world"; "After all the culture etc shown by the other countries, The Beatles were the absolute dregs (incidentally I am a Beatles fan), no wonder people think thing we are going to the dogs!"

Still, at least it didn't have Ricky Gervais trying to fill a gap in proceedings with something, anything.

The BBC didn't tell the band that most of the country hated them - instead, it told a little white lie to Brian Epstein. Mark Thompson has just apologised for misleading the Beatles.

[Thanks to Jim McCabe for the link]