'Over the years a good friend of mine, Jake Riveria, has celebrated my birthday and Christmas by giving me valuable items from his Beatles memorabilia collection. "From one squirrel to another," he often says knowing that I will never part with the treasures. So my stash has grown with Beatles trays, cups saucers, plates, badges, posters, watches, figures, red lunchboxes, pink guitars, not to mention yellow submarines and multi coloured Beatles books.
'I’ve always had a burning ambition to write a Beatles related book. "But," I’d say, as I stared at my collection of 300 or so Beatles books "what could I possibly write that hasn’t already been expertly committed to paper?"
'On one such occasion I was examining one of Jake’s presents, a print of Pete Frame’s Beatles Family Tree and I thought how incredible it was, the number of people who were directly or indirectly involved in The Beatles story. Then I started to think about the people who didn’t quite make on top the family tree. Next I began to wonder if there was someone who had almost made it on to the family tree, you know nearly made it as a member of the Beatles.
'Right there in that germ of an idea the door for THE FIRST OF THE TRUE BELIEVERS was opened for me.'
'I was thirteen when I first heard the Beatles. Love Me Do had just been released and they were on the radio and I can remember it vividly, the sound stopped me in my tracks in my parents’ kitchen. Up to that point music had always been around our house but it was always background, kinda like wallpaper but at least you could always turn the music off. So it wasn’t really a priority for me. I mean we’d have to keep quiet when my mother’s two favourites, Frank Sinatra and Emile Ford, were on but I could take it or leave it really. Mostly I left it. However with that first Beatles record music jumped right up to being a major part of my life where it has remained.
'The following eight years were spent in… anticipation is probably the best word. Each new release was nothing short of religious experience that was always preceded by at lease one sleepless night. The movie A Hard Day’s Night I watched nightly for the six nights it was playing at my local cinema. The sheer joy of the movie experience bordered on unbearable so infectious were the sounds and images. The power of there music was and remains overwhelming. It not so much that that we’re familiar with their music it more that their music, with all the instant hooks, was familiar with us.
'As songwriters Lennon & McCartney had the ability to write lyrics you
would kick yourself for not thinking of writing first. Please just listen of
the words of the opening verse of If I Fell, I mean it’s so beautiful,
sad, economic, inspiring, it’s perfect really.
'I still find it incredible that nearly forty years later all those songs have
become like friends, good friends who have remained loyal and supportive throughout.
Friends that never ever let you down.'
'I’ve been visiting Liverpool since the early seventies when I first went there with a group I was managing called Fruupp. I found it to be very friendly in the way that I find Irish cities are instantly friendly. I’ve always been very comfortable there and have always been happy to return as often as possible with the various artists I’m working with. American artists in particular are desperate to visit Liverpool and share the unique experience of the Liverpool audience – plus a wee bit of sight seeing as well. You can see from the audiences’ passion why the Beatles just had to come from Liverpool. They’re confident, noisy, vibrant, supportive and critical.
'The first visit was a bit of a pilgrimage from me, you know, doing the rounds of all the Beatles sights the morning after the gig. I felt totally comfortable on the streets of Liverpool so much so in fact I got so preoccupied in my endeavours that I lost all track of time and eventually missed the departure time of the band van as they headed off to the next gig. I had to catch up by train.
'Theo Hennessey the hero of FIRST OF THE TRUE BELIEVERS has spent all his life in Liverpool not because he had to but because he wanted to. He’s a musician, drummer, and his life revolves around his groups, following the musical and career developments of the Beatles and girls but mostly the elusive Marianne Burgess. As well as telling us what was happening he also takes a stab at telling us why, he thinks, it happened for the Beatles like it happened for no other before or since.'
'Well I’ll be sixty in ten years so I’ll be better informed then to advise you. Oh… you meant the sixties? Sorry! I was running around Northern Ireland with an R ‘n’ B band I was managing called The Blues by Five. I was thirteen years old and my first business card had the telephone number of the public coin box up the road. Mostly we played relief group to the famous Irish showbands this meant that they would play from eight until 11.30 (when the pubs turfed people out) for about thirty bob (One pound and fifty pence) and then the showband would play until one o’clock for millions. Well at that time I thought £1000 was millions!!! The Blues by Five also got to play the then thriving beat scene in Ireland – places like the Maritime Club in Belfast which was the home of people like Them (Van Morrison) and Taste (Rory Gallagher) and The Interns (the best Irish group ever).
'I moved to London in 1967 not to get away from Ireland, really. I wanted a chance of being able to see and hear the Beatles live. Little did I know they’d played their final (Apple rooftop) gig a few months previous. I got to attend the recording of The Rolling Stones Rock n Roll Circus so I kinda got to see John Lennon live. But the Beatles had got me into music in a big way and I roamed London for the remainder of the sixties experiencing some amazing music like Joe Cocker, Taste (lots), Spooky Tooth, The Doors and Traffic covering them for a couple of Irish Magazines. Sadly, as I say, I missed The Beatles and I missed (much to my regret) Otis Redding.
'Hey I even bought a kaftan, I could never pick up the courage to wear it though.'