Book
Summary
Book:
All You Need Is Luck...
Table
of Contents:
Chapter
1. Whole Lotta Shaking Going
On
The story of how I got involved
with Rock and Roll and my early
days in Liverpool. Introduction
to my parents, life style, early
influences. How I saw the Beatles
playing at their early gigs,
how our paths crossed and I
became interested in music.
Chapter
2. Jake And The Sleepwalkers?
Never Heard of Them
The story of Liverpool during
the Merseybeat Years, when everybody
was in a band, and every band
was being signed by record companies,
but not my band. How I worked
in a factory, my first experiences
with girls, and more meetings
with The Beatles.
Chapter
3. 1964 What a Year
The Beatles are now the biggest
band in the world, and I am
still in Liverpool trying to
become a musical legend, without
any luck, my experiences of
life during this wonderful period
in musical history.
Chapter
4. New Brighton and its
1966
Again the change in Liverpool,
The Beatles had long left the
city but a lot of us were left
there and had to make do with
what we had, a Merseybeat Scene
that had died, nobody wanted
to know bands from Liverpool.
My experiences working around
the club scenes and more girls
and groupies.
Chapter
5. Strawberry Fields
How we were influenced heavily
by the Beatles, how we wanted
to leave Liverpool and make
it in the music business, but
could not do so. My tragic homelife
when my mother developed Multiple
Sclerosis, and how she always
influenced me and pushed me
to keep trying.
Chapter
6. I Could Get You a Recording
Contract
How we chased Paul McCartney
through the streets of London,
persuaded him that we had talent
and got him to introduce us
to a man who could help us.
Meeting with Brian Epstein,
being the first artists to be
signed by Apple. Having John
Lennon and Brian Epstein rave
over the songs we had written,
being given the name Focal Point
by Epstein and his offering
to become our manager.
Chapter
7. The Adventure Begins
Staying at John Lennons house,
hanging out with Terry Doran
(The man from the motor trade
who managed Apple. Going to
all the haunts the Beatles would
go to, meeting with Lennon and
lots of other stars of the era.
Chapter
8. Apples First signing Us
Actually signing contacts with
Apple and being songwriters,
going back to Liverpool as a
success, showing everyone that
we had made it, our first recording
sessions.
Chapter
9. New Clothes and a Haircut
How we were groomed by Vidal
Sasoon, and bought new clothes
and an image, shopping at the
same stores the Beatles would
shop in. Enjoying the situation.
Chapter
10. I Can Get The Beatles To
Play For You
How Terry Doran offered to get
the Beatles to play for us on
our demo records, spending time
at all the hot clubs in London
at the time, meeting with huge
stars of the day, smoking pot
and drinking with all kinds
of icons.
Chapter
11. The Birth Of Focal Point
The death of Brian Epstein,
how we thought we had lost our
chance, but Terry Doran took
over the mantle. Forming the
band Focal point picking the
best musicians and moving down
to London lock stock and barrel.
Chapter
12. Goodbye Mr Epstein
The continuation of the last
chapter.
Chapter
13. Piss Off Lennon
Taking the mickey out of John
Lennon when he would sit in
on our recording sessions, recording
at Apple with Focal Point for
the first time. He even helped
us write a song by contributing
lyrics.
Chapter
14. Whistler St and Beyond
Apple move us into our first
home in London, the goings on
of six guys in one house with
nothing to do but record, smoke
pot, drink and meet girls.
Chapter
15. We Finally Make a Record
Our recording contract is signed
with Decca Records, we took
our pick of every record company
in the world, making our first
commercial release and thinking
we had finally made it as stars.
Chapter
16. A Move Across Town
We moved houses from Highbury
to Dulwich, the band had become
lazy and the Beatles were beginning
to break up, we could sense
this and it rubbed off on us.
The work ethic began to dissolve
and the end was in sight, not
just for Focal Point but also
for the Fab Four.
Chapter
17. The Beginning of the End
Focal Point are continually
arguing and we have this massive
press party for the release
of our first record, which we
are all convinced is going to
be a massive hit, but this is
where the fairy story comes
to an end. It is not a hit and
we eventually return to Liverpool
and the North of England to
start doing gigs, supporting
such bands as Led Zepplin, Peter
Frampton, Stevie Winwood, Spencer
Davis Group.
Paul
McCartney tells us to lay low
because things are afoot. STUPIDLY,
that is exactly what we did.
We
let it all SLIP AWAY.
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