It’s that time of the week again. Happy Friday.

This week’s BROW is not a very good quality recording. In fact, it’s not even complete. The playing is not very good on it either. So what gives it the worthiness to be this week’s BROW? Well, it’s a piece of history, that’s why.

Last week’s BROW went back very early to a Beatles recording from the BBC made even before The Beatles met producer George Martin. This week goes back even earlier, when the name of the band was The Quarrymen.

When this recording was made on July 6, 1957, John Lennon was 16 years old and Paul McCartney was not yet in his band. In fact John and Paul were only to meet later that same day since Paul happened to be in the audience at The Woolton Garden Fete where this song fragment was taped.

The song The Quarrymen are playing was a British number 1 at the time called “Puttin’ On The Style” by skiffle artist Lonnie Donnegan (1931-2002). John Lennon is singing (his vocals are unmistakable) and playing guitar with Pete Shotten (washboard), Eric Griffiths (guitar), Len Garry (bass), Rodney Davis (banjo) and Colin Hanton (drums).

I believe this is the earliest known recording by what was to become The Beatles. Isn’t it great that someone happened to have a tape recorder going?

The Quarry Men

Want to make a suggestion for a future Beatles Rarity of the Week? Then let me hear from you. Read about more Beatles rarities and suggest one for me to post. You can begin by searching for different versions of specific tracks right here.

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