Beatles and the Bluffs: Outtakes, Listening Notes, and Miscellany

This narrative comprises the following: 1.  Excerpts from my June 9 presentation on The Beatles (if you’re wondering: “The” is capitalized per the group’s guidelines)—things that I originally included in my script but ultimately edited out for time considerations; 2.  Things that I seriously thought about including, but instead saved for this supplementary document; and 3.  Things that perhaps never really merited inclusion, but that I nonetheless wanted to share with you.  

Now, while there’s some repetition here from my talk at the Council Bluffs Public Library, most of what you’ll find is additional material.  So, these notes will only make real sense to—or complete the informational picture for—those who were in attendance.  In that regard, then, this document is a “Fab” value-add: one that you can scan quickly or peruse thoroughly, at your discretion.  

Either way, though, I hope that you find these supporting notes to be interesting and enjoyable.  If you have questions, or would like follow-up information on any of the items covered here, please email the Historical Society of Pottawattamie County and I’ll try to address your inquiry at my first opportunity.  Thanks for participating in this program; I really enjoyed giving my talk that evening.

So, without further ado…

When John Met Paul: One More Informational Item

Paul was introduced to John in 1957 by a mutual friend named Ivan Vaughan, with whom Paul kept in contact for some time thereafter.  In 1965, Ivan’s wife, a French teacher, entered Beatles lore when she helped Paul translate some of the original English lyrics in his classic song “Michelle.”  

Stuart Sutcliffe: 1940-1962

Stuart’s story is one of the first Beatle-related tragedies, but certainly not the last.  Not long after leaving the band to become a full-time painter in Hamburg—he’d previously been one of the best-known young artists in Liverpool—Stuart died at age 21 from a brain hemorrhage after suffering a long period of severe headaches, and even seizures.  

As far as I know, no cause of death was ever definitively established.  However, one theory had it that this trauma may have originated with previous injuries he had sustained while being assaulted—possibly to include being kicked in the head—outside a venue after an early Beatles performance.

A Beatle Pseudonym (Basically) Becomes Another Band’s Name

For a short time early in the group’s career, each Beatle adopted a stage name, thinking that this would make them appear more sophisticated and professional.  Paul chose the surname “Ramon”—not sure why, but it did sound vaguely continental.  Though he jettisoned it quickly, it subsequently lived on for decades by inspiring the name of one of music’s pioneering punk/alternative bands: the Ramones.  

Neil and Mal: Both Members of The Beatles’ Exclusive “Inner Circle”                                                

Along their road to fame, The Beatles added two important members to their entourage: Neil Aspinall and Mal Evans, who became the Beatles’ career-long friends, road managers, fixers, and protectors.  Neil, at least, gave up good career prospects in accounting to sign on in the early 60s; it was a savvy move, though, as he eventually would go on to run Apple Records—the label the band created in 1968.

Along with The Beatles themselves, their so-called inner circle really included only two other people other than Neil and Mal: their manager Brian Epstein, and their producer George Martin.

More about Those Early Recording Tests—Including that “No Thanks” from Decca 

Brian Poole and the Tremeloes—later known just as the Tremeloes—did have a few hits during the second half of the 1960s, including “Here Comes My Baby” and “Silence Is Golden.”  Still, by passing on The Beatles in favor of them, Decca’s loss was very clearly EMI’s very significant gain here.  

And when The Beatles met George Martin at Abbey Road for their crucial studio test with EMI, he started out by talking with the group about some of their own shortcomings: for instance, reportedly noting that their much-used amplifiers (and, possibly, other pieces of equipment) were in generally unsatisfactory condition for recording purposes.  

After he was done, though, he very politely asked them if there was anything about the studio situation that they didn’t like.  George Harrison responded by telling Martin he disliked his tie.  To the good-natured Martin’s credit, rather than taking offense at this remark, he simply laughed and kept on with the session—an early exchange which helped solidify this relationship on both sides.

More on the Intriguing “Love Me Do” Situation

I believe that Ringo was rather disconcerted by George Martin bringing in Alan White to play drums on “Love Me Do” (at least initially).  So, perhaps this is why Ringo has since recorded the song as a solo artist: to get it unequivocally on his musical resume?  Interestingly, he’s also done a cover version of Bruce Channel’s “Hey Baby,” which influenced John’s harmonica part on “Love Me Do.”  

While we’re at it, I always thought that “P.S. I Love You,” the flip side of “Love Me Do,” was a better song—though, in the estimation of George Martin and others at EMI, that same harmonica line may have made the latter composition more distinctive, and therefore more commercial.  And, after conversations with others, I know that I’m not the only one who’s ever noticed that the theme song from Sesame Street sounds very much like it was based on that “Love Me Do” intro.

“Please Please Me” (U.K. Album: released March 1963)

• “I Saw Her Standing There” (song one, side one) features the only count-in on a Beatles record.  George Martin left it in—I think to accentuate the “live” nature of the session—so, here Paul effectively leads The Beatles into their seven-year album-recording career.  And, this track is responsible for what I call a “universal Beatles truth”: namely, whenever “I Saw Her Standing There” is played for a group of people—live or recorded, it doesn’t matter—by definition, they will all join in singing the “woo”s at exactly the right points in the lyrics.  It never fails. 

• “Misery” is an early favorite of mine, and I think an underrated song.  Lennon and McCartney originally tried to give this to a popular British singer with whom they toured in the early 1960s, but for some reason, the offer was turned down.  Probably not a great move.

• “Boys” is Ringo’s first recorded lead vocal for The Beatles, and it’s an enduring work: he still sings this song during concerts with his All-Starr band. 

• “Anna” is a great cover—sung by John—of an equally excellent record by Arthur Alexander, one of John’s favorite singer-songwriters.  If you haven’t heard Alexander’s original, check it out.

• “Do You Want to Know a Secret” is another great early Beatles work—written by John, whom I believe was inspired by a song from an early Disney movie.  This is one of only two Lennon-McCartney songs specifically written for George to sing—the other was on the soundtrack from A Hard Day’s Night (read ahead if you’re curious.)  It’s likewise just one of a few by The Beatles to invoke the old Broadway mechanism of using an entirely different “mini-song” as an intro. 

• ”A Taste of Honey” is an enjoyable cover which I’ve always assumed served as the inspiration for the later instrumental version by Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass, which was a big hit in 1965.

“From Me to You”: Their First Unanimous Number One

“From Me to You” was their first single to top all U.K. charts—backed with a solid B side called “Thank You Girl,” a musical note of appreciation for the support shown to them by their predominantly female fan base.  John and Paul composed the song on tour (this time of the U.K.)—as they often did in the early days—in the back of a bus, or their van; this depends upon your informational source.  Either way, though, the duo clearly was industrious and determined, using every available opportunity to generate new material for the group.

And this might have been the first Beatles song ever to make the U.S. charts, though not as originally recorded by them.  In 1963, I believe that Del Shannon—famed for his early-60s hit “Runaway”—did a cover of “From Me to You” which may have briefly edged into the U.S. Top 100.

“She Loves You” Remains the U.K.’s Biggest-Selling Song for 14 Years, Until… 

Released in 1963, “She Loves You” was the biggest-selling single in U.K. music history until 1977, when it was replaced by “Mull of Kintyre” from Wings.  If you don’t know it: this is a stellar, sing-along-style tribute to Scotland—where Paul has owned a farm for nearly 60 years—that he co-wrote with then- fellow Wings band member Denny Laine (formerly of the Moody Blues).  This meant that after a 14-year stretch, a Beatle essentially replaced himself at the top of the all-time British singles charts.

More on the Asher Family: Perhaps Britain’s Most-Accomplished Household?

After registering numerous 1960s hits as one half of the singing duo Peter and Gordon, Peter Asher subsequently went on to produce James Taylor and Linda Ronstadt.  Also, in 1987, Peter produced the hit album In My Tribe by 10,000 Maniacs.  In my opinion, this is one of the best CDs of the decade; if you’ve never heard it, I highly recommend giving it a listen.

But, that’s not all.  Mother Margaret was a respected music instructor; at one point, while teaching oboe at the Guildhall School, one of her students was none other than George Martin.  And, while dad Richard didn’t have a direct Beatle connection, he was a prominent doctor and an early U.K. leader in addressing mental illness—to include originating the term “Munchausen Syndrome.”         

“With the Beatles” (U.K. Album: released November 1963)

This album, their second in Britain, mixes originals by Lennon and McCartney; George Harrison’s debut composition; and a number of covers—typically rock, or R&B.  Notes on a few of the songs:

• “It Won’t Be Long” has the most “yeahs” of any Beatles song (I’ve heard that they total something around 60.)  I’ve tried to count, but I can only make it to about 20 before I get lost.  This would’ve been a good live song, but I don’t believe The Beatles ever played it in concert.  

• “Don’t Bother Me” is a strong first composition from George; it’s still one of my favorites by him.  The interesting production and some unusual instrumentation give it an early “world music” feel.

• “Till There Was You” is one of their early first-rate cover versions—this time of a show tune written by Iowa’s own Meredith Willson—that really illustrates the group’s musical versatility.  For me, George’s understated, note-perfect acoustic-guitar solo really makes the track.

• “Roll Over Beethoven,” “Money,” and “Please Mr. Postman” were three more great covers on this album.  The Beatles knew it: they led off their first true U.S. concert—at the Washington (D.C.) Coliseum on February 11, 1964—with George singing “Beethoven.”  And on “Money,” note the contribution that George Martin makes on piano; in fact, he did so on many of their early tracks, until Paul (in particular) became more confident and proficient on the instrument.

You can tell the difference not just by the song lists, which varied slightly, but also by the group’s stage sets: the afternoon taping used a geometric “matrix”-type backdrop (think a space-age Piet Mondrian), while the evening show had those big arrows all pointing downward toward the band.

Now, just to make it a bit more complicated: after their historic February 9 appearance, The Beatles travelled from NYC to Miami for another live Sullivan show—this one broadcast on February 16 from the Deauville Hotel.  And as mentioned earlier in these notes: in between NYC and Florida, The Beatles stopped in Washington, D.C., to perform their first true concert in the U.S. on February 11; then, on the 12th, they backtracked to perform twice at Carnegie Hall. 

The Beatles’ Second Album (U.S. Album: released April 1964—no U.K. counterpart)

And this initial U.S. release was followed only about a month later by The Beatles’ Second Album, which was comprised of certain “leftovers” from With the Beatles, such as “Please Mr. Postman”; Roll Over Beethoven”; and “Money” (all addressed earlier in these same notes).  

Additionally, the Second Album had two other tracks from With the Beatles, including a cover of “You’ve Really Got a Hold on Me.”  This song—originally done by the Miracles, whom The Beatles greatly admired—featured an unusual dual-lead vocal by John and George.

It also offered the B sides from two of their early singles: “Thank You Girl” (which backed “From Me to You”—see above for more info); and “I’ll Get You” (the flip side of “She Loves You,” and a song that I always thought could have been a pretty good Beatles A-side).

And, finally, it included “I Call Your Name,” a very interesting but perhaps lesser-known track.  An attempt by John to write a ska-influenced number, it’s distinguished by the fact that he plays the guitar solo instead of George—and by the fact that the lyrics are a bit confusing (I suspect that I’ve heard this track thousands of times, but I still can’t quite figure out the story that it’s telling; nonetheless, I think it’s a really good song.)  You may remember that this one was later covered by the Mamas and the Papas.

In the U.K., the Hard Day’s Night soundtrack proved unique: every song was a Lennon-McCartney composition (the only time in Beatles history that this ever proved to be the case.)  I think that the U.K. version of the album should be included among their best LPs, though it rarely gets mentioned in any such list.  But consider just the following songs (in addition to the great title track):

• “If I Fell” is one of their great, early ballads, with a perfect two-part harmony by John (who wrote it) and Paul.  A very emotionally and musically mature composition for a writer in his early 20s, it’s also one of just a few Beatles songs to feature the Broadway trick of using an entirely separate “intro” tune.  The only others that I know of are “Do You Want to Know a Secret” (initially recorded and released in 1963); and, “Here, There, and Everywhere” (which, at that point, wouldn’t be written by Paul until 1966—as a result, appearing on the Revolver album).

If I had to pick a single favorite Beatles song, this one might be it.  I was the rhythm guitarist in our Beatles cover band some 25 years ago; we did “If I Fell.”  Since the acoustic-guitar part is critical, I worked very hard to learn it as accurately as possible.  During one rehearsal, our bass player said that in his estimation, I had mastered that part such that it sounded just like John’s playing on the record (although I was using a capo).  For me, that was a great compliment.

• “I’m Happy Just to Dance with You” is one of just two Lennon-McCartney songs written specifically for George Harrison to sing (“Do You Want to Know a Secret” now gets a second mention in just a few paragraphs, because it’s the other one), and it’s really a great song.  I call these “Beatle gems”: tracks that everyone should know, but maybe they don’t—and that would’ve been hits for any other group.

It’s also difficult to play on guitar, with dozens of chord changes—many very quick.  And just to make it more complicated, John’s rhythm part is delivered in super-fast triplets.  So, if you ever hear anyone say that John Lennon wasn’t an especially proficient guitarist, don’t believe it.

• “And I Love Her” is a classic ballad by Paul, written about his then-girlfriend Jane Asher, at the time one of the U.K.’s best-known actresses.  If you’ve ever wondered how intuitive The Beatles were in the studio: after trying this as a “heavier,” electrified pop song—which didn’t work too well (you can hear this on the Anthology 1 CD)—they rearranged it for acoustic instrumentation.  Then and there, George Harrison apparently picked up his (at that point) new Spanish guitar and devised the four-note introduction that makes the song so recognizable: “da-DA-da-DAAH…”

• “Can’t Buy Me Love” was recorded in January 1964 not at Abbey Road, but in Paris.  The Beatles were playing a “residency” there that, by their standards, proved only modestly successful (for the most part, their French audiences appeared uninterested.)  However, it was also during this visit to France that they learned “I Want to Hold Your Hand” had first topped the U.S. charts.

• Unusual for a Beatles composition, “Anytime at All,” another of their gems, has no traditional vocal bridge—or, as they would’ve called it, a “middle eight.”  Rather, it uses an instrumental break midway through that sounds almost orchestral, though I believe it uses only the traditional rock-and-roll lineup of guitars; bass; piano (maybe); and drums.   

• “You Can’t Do That” is a great R&B-influenced rocker—John said he wrote it in the style of Wilson Pickett—that’s noteworthy because he plays the lead-guitar part on it, rather than George.  This instrumental switch does give the song a different sound and feel from most of their other early work (in the U.S., this song ended up on The Beatles’ Second Album.)

The Beatles Story (U.S. Album: released November 1964—no U.K. counterpart)

I’d be (slightly) remiss if I didn’t mention this double album, produced by Capitol Records to help familiarize U.S. fans with the members of the group and its history (available just in time for the holidays!)  It’s not a true musical release, but instead, sort of a recorded documentary that profiles one Beatle per side, with manager Brian Epstein and producer George Martin also receiving mentions.  In addition, it includes brief song snippets from their initial albums, and a few early concerts.   

Some of the featured interview material is interesting, and at times, quite amusing (not surprisingly).  For example, during one press conference, The Beatles are asked about being millionaires.  John disavows this, and suggests that a substantial portion of their income was instead going to “Her Majesty”—at which point George jumps in to say, “She’s a millionaire.”

Interestingly, despite having only been big in the U.S. for less than a year at the time this album was released, the regular voice-overs (done by American announcers) acknowledge that The Beatles’ success here was legitimate and well-deserved, and they imply that it almost certainly would continue.  

And one other item of note for me regarding The Beatles Story: at various points throughout the album, the narration is backed with symphonic versions of early Beatles compositions.  These were instrumental renderings that ostensibly made the group’s music acceptable to adults and non-rock-and-roll fans (and they stand as real tributes to The Beatles: namely, that so soon after arriving in the U.S., these adaptations of their songs were already being recorded.)  

Anyway, I immediately recognized these tracks as being mainstays of the local light-music station that my parents tuned into on our home stereo during the early and mid- 1970s.  As I got more familiar with the original versions of the group’s songs, I realized that these symphonic Beatles versions probably comprised about 60 percent of this station’s entire “elevator music” playlist.  

So, as an early act of childhood rebellion, I took quiet satisfaction in knowing that my pop-music-averse parents—neither of whom cared for or about The Beatles—were listening to their music basically all day, every day.  They just weren’t aware of this fact (though I might have mentioned it once or twice).   

This may be the last Beatles album that I acquired to complete my collection of their U.S. LPs; I think that I got it for Christmas in 1976.  As far as I know, it’s a collector’s item (I’m not sure of its value, however).  I say this because I don’t believe that it’s still being produced on vinyl, and I’m virtually certain that it’s never been released as a CD.  So, if you don’t have The Beatles Story and are interested in acquiring it, I think that your only real option here is searching the internet for a used copy. 

“Beatles for Sale” (U.K. Album—released December 1964)

In the U.K., the group’s last 1964 album was the country-influenced Beatles for Sale, which also relies far more on acoustic instrumentation than did any of their prior three British LPs.  It’s well known for the cover photo—taken in fall of that year and depicting a weary, tired foursome whose previous twelve months (or so) were about the busiest and most-eventful in music history.  Some additional information on the album’s lineup of songs:

• “Rock and Roll Music” is another of their noteworthy covers—this time of a Chuck Berry standard.  Uncharacteristically for a Berry song, this one doesn’t have any guitar solos—and it does only use three chords.  Consequently, it’s a good one for beginning guitarists: easy to master, and really fun to play along with the record.

• “Words of Love” is an excellent adaptation of a fine Buddy Holly song.  Interestingly, despite the immense influence that Holly had on The Beatles as songwriters, singers, and instrumentalists, this was the only one of his tracks that they ever formally recorded for an album or single.  I’m not sure why this turned out to be the case.

• “Every Little Thing” is a lesser-known but very good track that’s distinguished by Ringo’s tympani, used to emphasize certain parts of the song (this drum apparently had remained at Abbey Road after being used during a prior symphonic recording session).  The Beatles were great opportunists, regularly incorporating whatever resources might be on hand in the studio; this was probably one of the first—if not the first—of these repeated, fortuitous occurrences.      

Beatles ’65 (U.S. Album: released December 1964)

This LP essentially was based on the U.K. album Beatles for Sale—the two shared eight songs—though there were a couple of significant differences between the two.  For one, it featured their final single of 1964, “I Feel Fine”—which was never an album cut in Britain.  And in the U.S., “Eight Days a Week,” which was on Beatles for Sale, was instead held for an American-only 1965 LP called Beatles IV. 

Also, by purchasing Beatles ’65, American listeners could get one track closer to acquiring all of the Beatles originals on the British A Hard Day’s Night soundtrack.  “I’ll Be Back,” was an introspective, acoustic composition that John considered one of his strongest early pieces of work.

The First Wave of the British Invasion

This is one section of these notes that, on purpose, partially recounts material covered during our presentation.  However, it’s important for us to revisit this listing of the other excellent British musical acts that, in 1964, made the U.S. top 100 for the first time (a few of them more than once) after The Beatles initially paved the way in January.  

Here are these selected artists presented (more or less) in chronological order as they initially appeared in the U.S. charts.  Italics denote The Beatles’ fellow artists from Liverpool: Dusty Springfield; the Dave Clark Five; the Searchers; Billy J. Kramer with the Dakotas; Peter and Gordon; The Rolling Stones; Cilla Black; Gerry and the Pacemakers; The Animals; Chad and Jeremy; The Kinks; Herman’s Hermits; The Zombies; Manfred Mann; Marianne Faithfull; and Petula Clark.

Of course, in the wake of this 1964 influx, many more notable British acts would subsequently appear in the U.S. charts for the first time over the next several years.

Now, I could have looked up this information on my laptop.  However, to save (much) time and effort, I instead used these books as references to compile this listing (both were purchased online):

• The Billboard Book of Top-40 Hits (9th Edition—Revised and Expanded) by Joel Whitburn.  Billboard Books, New York, NY.  Copyright 2010.

• American Top 100: The Sixties by David Armstrong.  Retro Music, Monee, IL.  Printed 2025 (no copyright date provided).  

Additional Resource Listing: June 9 Presentation and Supporting Notes

Believe it or not, aside from the chart information outlined above, I wrote probably 95+ percent of my remaining material—both for the library presentation, and for this document—based on general/common knowledge and memory (or by making just a quick check of an album song list or liner notes).  I guess that’s why the promotion for this program referred to me as a “Beatles historian.”  

However, along the way, I occasionally did need to confirm a date, or location, or some other fact that, for whatever reason, I hadn’t yet saved to my own mental “Fab Four File.”  When I did so, I relied upon the following few “old reliable” books (along with—yes—embarking upon a few selected online visits to the “Wikipedia” Web site).  

To make this brief list more user-friendly, I’ve arranged it with titles first (instead of authors)—as with the two books on the music charts listed above.  This might make it a bit quicker and easier for you to look up these selections if you’re interested in purchasing them (presumably you’ll need to do so online, as many are decades old), or perhaps checking them out of the library:

• John Lennon: The Life by Philip Norman.  HarperCollins.  Copyright 2008.

An excellent biography of the “Beatles’ leader” by the author of a highly regarded 1981 biography of the entire band titled Shout! The Beatles in Their Generation.   

• The Beatles: The Biography by Bob Spitz.  Little, Brown, and Company.  Copyright 2005.

In my opinion, one of the best books about The Beatles ever written.  If you want to read a single book on the group, this might well be the one to choose.

• The Beatles Recording Sessions by Mark Lewisohn.  EMI Records Limited.  Copyright 1988.

• The Complete Beatles Chronicle by Mark Lewisohn.  Barnes and Noble.  Copyright 1996.  This one was particularly helpful to me in sorting out the following: the dates of their “Ed Sullivan” shows, and of those few early-1964 U.S. concerts that the band played in between these broadcasts; and some of the stops on the group’s 1964 North American tour.  I also consulted this book when I needed to determine the release dates for some of their 1962-1964 singles and albums, both in the U.K and the U.S.

An important note: Lewisohn is considered by many to be the world’s foremost Beatle expert.  So, if you want to engage in truly in-depth reading and learning about the group, he may be the author with whom you should start your educational Beatles journey.  

Also, while I didn’t use the following book as a source for my presentation—or these notes—I still rate it very highly as a comprehensive volume on the Fab Four: Can’t Buy Me Love: The Beatles, Britain, and America, a 2007 Jonathan Gould work from Harmony Books.  To me, this one is on par with the Spitz Biography that I mention above.  Maybe you could just read both?

Now, in terms of videos: as you may remember from the presentation, due to copyright considerations, we didn’t use them.  However, before we made this editorial decision, for the purposes of reference/research, I did review the following DVDs, all of which are worth checking out: 

• A Hard Day’s Night (Miramax/Buena Vista Entertainment, no date)—If by any chance you haven’t yet seen this movie, you must—ideally, multiple times.

• The Beatles Anthology (Apple Records) parts 1-4—The definitive story from the Fab Four themselves, released in 2003.  Also, if you can find it online, the book accompanying the series—and bearing the same name—is a treasure trove of information about the group, much of it first-hand (it’s also immense: about as big as a record album; weighing probably 7-8 pounds; and comprising 360+ pages—which would likely number at least twice that in a normal-sized book.)   

• Eight Days a Week: The Touring Years (Apple Records)—A superb 2016 documentary by Ron Howard of the band’s often tumultuous years on the road, almost invariably playing to audiences screaming so loudly that they couldn’t possibly hear the music.

• The Four Complete Historic Ed Sullivan Shows Featuring The Beatles (Sofa Entertainment, 2003)—Two DVDs offering every minute of The Beatles’ four 1964-1965 appearances on the “Ed Sullivan Show,” which, quite simply, helped transform the global musical landscape.  As an aside: these videos are also worth watching for the decidedly dated commercials, which—paradoxically—are so serious and didactic that they instead prove surprisingly amusing.

And, finally, I highly recommend listening to The Beatles Channel on Sirius/XM (18) as often as possible—preferably, all the time.  It’s a daily font of fascinating trivia, amusing anecdotes, and, of course, the greatest music ever made.  

I have two favorite shows on the channel.  One is “Breakfast with The Beatles” (aka “BWTB”) with host Chris Carter, who has one of the world’s best senses of humor on radio—or anywhere else, for that matter.  It runs weekdays from 7AM-10AM CST. 

The other is “Musical Mystery Tour,” an occasional (maybe quarterly—or so?) production featuring father-and-son team Randy Bachman (of the Guess Who and BTO) and Tal Bachman (who wrote and sang the late-90s megahit “She’s So High”) taking an in-depth look at the band’s progressively more sophisticated songwriting, recording, and production processes.  This one’s archived on The Beatles Channel app, so you can find current/older episodes on demand whenever you so choose.

I also really enjoy “From Me to You”—I think that this show is released weekly (and, similarly, it’s archived on the app)—which is hosted by longtime Beatles friend and associate Peter Asher.  Here, Peter shares first-hand insights and stories about the group that, quite possibly, only he could relate.