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{{Short description|British skiffle/rock and roll band}}
{{Use British English|date=October 2012}}{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2022}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name       = The Quarrymen
| image      = Quarrymen In Rosebery Street.jpg
| caption    = The Quarrymen performing in Rosebery Street, [[Liverpool]], on 22 June 1957.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.originalquarrymen.co.uk/html/myth_15.html|title=The Quarrymen's first public performance on 22nd&nbsp;June 1957|website=Originalquarrymen.co.uk|access-date=24 March 2017}}</ref> Left to right: Hanton, Griffiths, Lennon, Garry, Shotton and Davis.
| landscape  = Yes
| background = group_or_band
| alias      = {{hlist|Johnny and the Moondogs|Japage 3|Long John and the Silver Beatles}}

| origin          = [[Liverpool]], England
| genre           = {{flatlist|
*[[Skiffle]]
*[[rock and roll]]
}}
| years_active    = {{hlist|1956–1960|1994–1995|1997–present}}
| label           = {{hlist|[[Griffin Music|Griffin]]|Quarrymen Records|[[Sony BMG]]}}
| spinoffs        = {{hlist|[[The Beatles]]}}
| website         = {{URL|originalquarrymen.co.uk}}
| current_members = *[[Colin Hanton]]
*[[Rod Davis (musician)|Rod Davis]]
*David Bedford
*Henry Duff Lowe
| past_members    = *[[John Lennon]]
*[[Eric Griffiths]]
*[[Pete Shotton]]
*[[Bill Smith (English musician)|Bill Smith]]
*[[Nigel Walley]]
*[[Ivan Vaughan]]
*[[Len Garry]]
*[[Paul McCartney]]
*[[George Harrison]]
*[[John Lowe (musician)|John Duff Lowe]]
*[[Ken Brown (musician)|Ken Brown]]
*[[Stuart Sutcliffe]]
*[[Chas Newby]]
}}

'''The Quarrymen''' (also written as "'''the Quarry Men'''") are a British [[skiffle]] and [[rock and roll]] band, formed by [[John Lennon]] in Liverpool in 1956,<ref name=OQM>{{cite web|url=http://www.originalquarrymen.co.uk/html/biographies.html |title=Biographies |website=Originalquarrymen.co.uk |access-date=24 March 2017}}</ref> which evolved into [[the Beatles]] in 1960. Originally consisting of Lennon and several school friends, the Quarrymen took their name from a line in the school song of their school, the [[Calderstones School|Quarry Bank High School]]. Lennon's mother, [[Julia Lennon|Julia]], taught her son to play the [[banjo]], showed Lennon and [[Eric Griffiths]] how to tune their guitars in a similar way to the banjo, and taught them simple chords and songs.

Lennon founded a [[skiffle]] group with his close friend [[Pete Shotton]] and after a week of gaining new members, they named themselves the Quarrymen.{{sfn|Lewisohn|2013|p=104}} The Quarrymen played at parties, school dances, cinemas and amateur skiffle contests before [[Paul McCartney]] joined in early July 1957. [[George Harrison]] joined in early 1958 at McCartney's recommendation, though Lennon initially resisted because he felt Harrison (14 when he was introduced to Lennon) was too young. McCartney and Harrison attended the [[Liverpool Institute High School for Boys|Liverpool Institute]].

The group made an amateur recording in 1958, performing [[Buddy Holly]]'s "[[That'll Be the Day]]" and "[[In Spite of All the Danger]]", a song written by McCartney and Harrison. The group moved towards rock and roll, causing several of the original members to leave. This left Lennon, McCartney, and Harrison, who performed under several other names, including '''Johnny and the Moondogs''', '''Japage 3''', and '''Long John and the Silver Beatles''' before returning to the Quarrymen name in 1959. In 1960, the group changed their name to "the Beatles" (chosen for its double meaning and as a wink to [[Buddy Holly]]'s band, "[[the Crickets]]"). 

In 1997, the four surviving original (non-Beatles) members of the Quarrymen reunited to perform at the 40th anniversary celebrations of the garden fête performance at which Lennon had first met McCartney. Since 1998, they have performed in countries outside the UK and released four albums. Two original members still perform as the Quarrymen.<ref name=":0">{{cite web | title=Instagram | url=https://www.instagram.com/the_quarrymen/?hl=en-gb }}</ref>

==History==

===Formation and early performances===
{{The Beatles history}}
In the mid-1950s, there was a revival in the United Kingdom of the musical form "skiffle" that had originated in the United States and had been popular in the US in the 1920s, '30s and '40s. In addition to its popularity among British teenagers as music to listen to, it also spawned a craze of teenage boys starting their own groups to perform the music. One of the primary attractions was that it did not require great musical skills or expensive instruments to be played.<ref name="BobTapes"/> Early British skiffle was played by [[Trad jazz|traditional jazz]] musicians, with the most successful British proponent of the genre in the 1950s being [[Lonnie Donegan]].<ref name="DoneganDies">{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/music/2400229.stm |title='Skiffle king' Donegan dies |publisher=BBC |date=4 November 2002 |access-date=29 June 2008}}</ref> The Quarrymen's initial repertoire included several songs that Donegan had recorded.{{sfn|Spitz|2005|p=52}} When Lennon wanted to try making music himself, he and fellow Quarry Bank school friend, Griffiths, took guitar lessons in [[Hunt's Cross]], Liverpool, although Lennon gave up the lessons soon after, as they were based on theory and not actual playing.{{sfn|Spitz|2005|p=48}}

As Griffiths already knew how to play the banjo, Lennon's mother showed them how to tune the top four strings of their guitars to the same notes as a banjo, and taught them the [[Chord (music)|chords]] of D, C, and D7, as well as the [[Fats Domino]] song, "[[Ain't That a Shame]]".{{sfn|Spitz|2005|p=48}}<ref name="TheBeatlesAnthologyDVD">"The Beatles Anthology" DVD (2003) (Episode 1 – 0:14:29) Lennon talking about his mother teaching him "Ain't That a Shame".</ref> They practised at Lennon's aunt's house (called Mendips) at [[251 Menlove Avenue]] where Lennon lived, or at Griffiths' house in Halewood Drive.{{sfn|Spitz|2005|p=49}} They learned how to play [[Lonnie Donegan]]'s "[[Rock Island Line (song)|Rock Island Line]]", "Jump Down Turn Around ([[Pick a Bale of Cotton]])", "[[Alabamy Bound]]" and "[[Cumberland Gap (folk song)|Cumberland Gap]]", and later learned how to play two of [[Elvis Presley]]'s first hits, "[[That's All Right]]" and "[[Mean Woman Blues]]".<ref>"The Beatles Anthology" DVD (2003) (Episode 1 – 0:12:39) [[George Harrison|Harrison]] talking about Lonnie Donegan and the influence of "Rock Island Line".</ref>{{sfn|Spitz|2005|p=49}}

Lennon and Griffiths decided to form a skiffle group in November 1956.{{sfn|Lewisohn|2013|p=103}} This initial line-up consisted of Lennon and Griffiths on guitars, [[Pete Shotton]] on [[Washboard (musical instrument)|washboard]], and school friend [[Bill Smith (English musician)|Bill Smith]] on [[tea-chest bass]].{{sfn|Spitz|2005|p=50}}{{sfn|Lewisohn|2013|p=104}} Both Lennon and Shotton have been credited with coining the name Quarrymen after a line in their school's song: 'Quarrymen, old before our birth. Straining each muscle and sinew.' The choice of name was tongue-in-cheek as Lennon regarded the reference in the school song to "straining each muscle and sinew" as risible.{{sfn|Spitz|2005|p=52}}<ref name="Oneword">{{cite web |url=http://www.originalquarrymen.co.uk/html/myth_8.html |title=Myth Busting |publisher=The Original Quarrymen |access-date=17 October 2010}}</ref> Smith's tenure in the band was extremely short, and he was replaced in quick succession by [[Nigel Walley]], [[Ivan Vaughan]], and [[Len Garry]] throughout late 1956 and early 1957.{{sfn|Lewisohn|2013|p=105, 109}} Also during this period, drummer [[Colin Hanton]] and banjo player [[Rod Davis (musician)|Rod Davis]] joined the group.{{sfn|Lewisohn|2013|p=105, 109}} This group of Lennon, Griffiths, Shotton, Garry, Hanton, and Davis formed the first stable line-up of the group.
[[File:The Quarrymen (The Beatles Story).jpg|thumb|200px|right|The Quarrymen's instruments]]
The group first rehearsed in Shotton's house on Vale Road, but because of the noise, his mother told them to use the corrugated [[Anderson shelter|air-raid shelter]] in the back garden.{{sfn|Spitz|2005|p=51}} Rehearsals were moved from the cold air-raid shelter to Hanton's or Griffiths' house — as Griffiths' father had died in WWII, and his mother worked all day.{{sfn|Spitz|2005|p=54}} The band also often visited Lennon's mother at 1 Blomfield Road, listening to her collection of rock and roll records by [[Elvis Presley|Elvis]], [[Shirley Goodman|Shirley and Lee]]'s "[[Let the Good Times Roll (Shirley and Lee song)|Let the Good Times Roll]]", and [[Gene Vincent]]'s "[[Be-Bop-A-Lula]]" which they added to their repertoire.{{sfn|Spitz|2005|p=55}} After his tenure on [[tea-chest bass]], Walley became the group's manager. He sent flyers to local theatres and ballrooms, and put up posters designed by Lennon: "Country-and-western, rock n' roll, skiffle band — The Quarrymen — Open for Engagements — Please Call Nigel Walley, Tel. Gateacre 1715".{{sfn|Spitz|2005|p=54}}

Walley managed to secure the group several paid engagements throughout the spring of 1957, including one at [[The Cavern Club]].{{sfn|Lewisohn|2013|p=108-109}} A jazz club at the time, the Cavern tolerated skiffle as it was considered an offshoot of jazz.{{sfn|Spitz|2005|p=65}} Lennon, however, began leading the band in several rock and roll numbers, prompting the club's manager to send up a note ordering the group to "cut out the bloody rock".{{sfn|Lewisohn|2013|p=109}}

In July 1957, Canadian impresario [[Carroll Levis]] held a talent contest in Liverpool, the winners of which would appear on the television series ''Star Search.''{{sfn|Lewisohn|2013|p=124}} The Quarrymen played [[Lonnie Donegan]]'s "[[Worried Man Blues]]", and were loudly applauded, but a group from [[Wales]] (called the Sunnyside Skiffle Group) "jumped all over the stage" and outshone the static Quarrymen, and were asked by Levis to fill in the last few minutes of the contest with a second song.{{sfn|Spitz|2005|p=57}} Lennon argued heatedly with Levis backstage, saying the Sunnyside Skiffle Group had brought a bus full of supporters with them, and were given "the upper hand" advantage by Levis.{{sfn|Spitz|2005|p=57}} After the competition, Levis used a [[clap-o-meter]] (a machine to measure the decibels of the audience's reaction to the groups) as they were asked to walk back out onto the stage. The Quarrymen and the Sunnyside Skiffle Group tied by both reaching ninety on the meter, but after a second test, the Quarrymen lost by a small margin.{{sfn|Spitz|2005|p=58}}

===Paul McCartney joins the group===
[[File:The Quarrymen St Peters fete.jpg|200px|thumb|left|The photograph of the Quarrymen playing at St. Peter's Church garden fête, where Lennon and McCartney first met. From left to right: Griffiths, Hanton, Davis, Lennon, Shotton, Garry]]
On 6 July 1957, The Quarrymen played at the [[St Peter's Church, Woolton, Liverpool|St. Peter's Church]] ''Rose Queen'' garden fête in [[Woolton]]. They first played on the back of a moving flatbed lorry, in a procession of [[Float (parade)|floats]] that carried the Rose Queen and retiring Rose Queen, [[Morris dancers]], [[Boy Scout]]s, [[Brownie (Girl Guides)|Brownies]], [[Girl Guiding and Girl Scouting|Girl Guides]] and [[Cub Scouts|Cubs]], led by the Band of the Cheshire Yeomanry.{{sfn|Miles|1997|p=25}} At 4:15, they played on a permanent stage in the field behind the church,<ref name="Myth12">{{cite web |url=http://www.originalquarrymen.co.uk/html/body_myth_12.html |title=Myth 12 |publisher=Original Quarrymen  |access-date=27 May 2011 }}</ref> before a display by the City of Liverpool Police Dogs.{{sfn|Miles|1997|p=26}}{{sfn|Spitz|2005|pp=93–94}} They were playing "[[Come Go with Me]]" when Paul McCartney arrived, and in the Scout hut after the set, Ivan Vaughan introduced McCartney to Lennon, who chatted for a few minutes before the band set up in the church hall for their performance at that evening's "Grand Dance".<ref>"The Beatles Anthology" DVD (2003) (Episode 1 – 0:21:56) Lennon talking 3> about meeting McCartney.</ref>{{sfn|Spitz|2005|p=95}} McCartney demonstrated how he tuned his guitar and then sang Eddie Cochran's "[[Twenty Flight Rock]]", Gene Vincent's "[[Be-Bop-a-Lula]]", and a medley of [[Little Richard]] songs.{{sfn|Miles|1997|p=26}}{{sfn|Spitz|2005|p=96}}

Vaughan and McCartney left before the evening show which started at 8 o'clock.{{sfn|Spitz|2005|p=97}} During the performance, there was an unexpected thunderstorm, which made the lights go out.<ref name="ODonnellInterview">{{cite web |first=Jim |last=O'Donnell |url=http://beatlesnewswire.com/_wsn/page2.html |title=The Day John Met Paul |publisher=Beatles News Wire |access-date=29 June 2008}}</ref> Bob Molyneux, a young schoolmate from Quarry Bank, recorded part of the performance on his [[Grundig]] TK8 portable [[reel-to-reel]] [[tape recorder]]. The tape included versions of [[Lonnie Donegan]]'s "[[Puttin' On the Style]]" and [[Elvis Presley|Elvis]]' "[[Baby Let's Play House]]". In 1963, Molyneux offered the tape to Lennon via [[Ringo Starr]], but Lennon never responded, so Molyneux put the tape in a vault.<ref name="BobTapes">{{cite web |first=Malcolm |last=Atkinson |url=http://abbeyrd.best.vwh.net/quarry.htm |title=The Quarry Men's First Recordings |publisher=Abbeyrd's Beatle Page |access-date=29 June 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080511130105/http://abbeyrd.best.vwh.net/quarry.htm |archive-date=11 May 2008  }}</ref><ref name="NYTGrundigTape">{{cite web |first=Allan |last=Kozinn |url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F00E5D8143EF932A15754C0A962958260 |title=John Lennon's First Known Recording Is for Sale |work=[[The New York Times]]  |date=21 July 1994 |access-date=29 June 2008}}</ref>

As they were walking home after the evening performance, Lennon and Shotton discussed the afternoon encounter with McCartney, and Lennon said that perhaps they should invite McCartney to join the band. Two weeks later, Shotton encountered McCartney cycling through Woolton, and conveyed Lennon's casual invitation for him to join the Quarrymen, and Vaughan also invited McCartney to join.{{sfn|Miles|1997|p=26}} McCartney said he would join after [[West Lancashire Scout County (The Scout Association)|Scout camp]] in [[Hathersage]], Derbyshire, and a holiday with his family at the [[Filey Holiday Camp|Butlin's holiday camp in Filey]], North Yorkshire.{{sfn|Miles|1997|p=29}}{{sfn|Spitz|2005|p=99}} Shotton and Davis both left the Quarrymen in August, feeling that the group was moving away from skiffle and towards rock, leaving their instruments superfluous.{{sfn|Lewisohn|2013|p=138}}{{sfn|Spitz|2005|p=99}} When McCartney returned from holiday, he began rehearsing with the Quarrymen, playing songs such as "[[Bye Bye Love (The Everly Brothers song)|Bye Bye Love]]" (The Everly Brothers) and "[[All Shook Up]]", which Lennon and the group had been trying to learn, without success.{{sfn|Spitz|2005|p=102}}

McCartney made his debut with the band on 18 October 1957 at a [[Association of Conservative Clubs|Conservative Club]] social held at the New Clubmoor Hall in the [[Norris Green]] section of Liverpool.{{sfn|Spitz|2005|p=108}}{{sfn|Miles|1997|p=29}} Lennon and McCartney wore cream-coloured sports jackets, which were paid for by the whole group—Walley collected half a crown per week from each member until they were paid for — and the others wore white shirts with [[tassels]] and black [[bootlace tie]]s.{{sfn|Spitz|2005|p=108}} To the irritation of the other group members, McCartney endlessly practised the lead guitar intro to "[[Raunchy (song)|Raunchy]]".
The Quarrymen continued to play sparse [[Gig_worker#Etymology_of_gig|gigs]] throughout the autumn of 1957, mostly for local promoter Charlie McBain.{{sfn|Lewisohn|2013|p=151}} During this period, the group almost entirely excised skiffle from their repertoire, focusing on covers of songs by rock and roll singers such as [[Elvis Presley]], [[Carl Perkins]], [[Little Richard]], and [[Larry Williams]], and the Quarrymen's sound increasingly relied on harmony singing between Lennon and McCartney.{{sfn|Lewisohn|2013|p=145, 147}} An extremely important influence for them at the time was [[Buddy Holly]] and his group [[the Crickets]].{{sfn|Lewisohn|2013|p=146-147}} Around this time, Lennon and McCartney both started writing songs influenced by Holly – Lennon's "[[Hello Little Girl]]" and McCartney's "[[I Lost My Little Girl]]" – and both were impressed with each other's efforts.{{sfn|Lewisohn|2013|p=153}} The two young men began writing together.{{sfn|Spitz|2005|p=130}}

===George Harrison's entry and recording===
After McCartney's poor performance on lead guitar at the Conservative Club, the group needed another guitarist to accommodate their new rock-focused repertoire; McCartney recommended his school friend George Harrison.{{sfn|Lewisohn|2013|p=157}} Harrison first saw the group perform on 6 February 1958 at Wilson Hall, where McCartney introduced him to Lennon.{{sfn|Spitz|2005|p=125}}{{sfn|Lewisohn|2013|p=157}} Harrison subsequently auditioned for The Quarrymen in March at [[Rory Storm]]'s Morgue Skiffle Club, playing "[[Guitar Boogie Shuffle]]".{{sfn|Spitz|2005|p=126}}<ref name="BillHarryPage2">{{cite web |first=Bill |last=Harry |url=http://triumphpc.com/mersey-beat/a-z/rorystorm-hurricanes2.shtml |title=While My Guitar Gently Weeps: The Tragic Story of Rory Storm & the Hurricanes (page 2) |publisher=[[Bill Harry]]|access-date=27 February 2008}}</ref> Lennon thought Harrison (having just turned 15) was too young to join the band, so McCartney engineered another meeting on the upper deck of a Liverpool bus, where Harrison played "[[Raunchy (instrumental)|Raunchy]]" for Lennon.{{sfn|Miles|1997|p=47}}{{sfn|Spitz|2005|p=127}} After McCartney's constant advocacy, Lennon allowed Harrison to join the Quarrymen as lead guitarist.<ref>"The Beatles Anthology" DVD (2003) (Episode 1 – 0:21:56) McCartney talking about Harrison being in the band.</ref>{{sfn|Miles|1997|p=47}}{{sfn|Spitz|2005|pp=126–127}} Harrison's entry into the Quarrymen shifted the group even more away from skiffle, in addition to ending Lennon's use of banjo chords.{{sfn|Lewisohn|2013|p=158, 161}} Around this time, [[John Lowe (musician)|John Duff Lowe]], another school friend of McCartney, joined the group on piano.{{sfn|Lewisohn|2013|p=160–161}}

With Harrison's entry, the Quarrymen now had four guitarists. Lennon and McCartney suggested to Griffiths that he instead buy a bass guitar, but Griffiths refused because of the expense.{{sfn|Lewisohn|2013|p=163}} The two subsequently convinced Nigel Walley, still acting as the group's manager, to fire Griffiths.{{sfn|Lewisohn|2013|p=163-164}} Walley regretted the incident, and as a result gradually severed his ties with the Quarrymen.{{sfn|Lewisohn|2013|p=164}} Around this same time, [[Len Garry]] contracted [[Tuberculous meningitis|tubercular meningitis]], and spent seven months in the hospital, never playing with the group again.{{sfn|Spitz|2005|p=128}} This left [[Colin Hanton]] as the last of the group of Lennon's Quarry Bank classmates that originally comprised the group. In March, McCartney bought an Elpico amplifier with two inputs, and he and Harrison added pickups to their guitars, giving the Quarrymen an electric sound for the first time.{{sfn|Lewisohn|2013|p=163, 171}}
[[File:Percy Phillips record.jpg|right|200px|thumb|"In Spite of All the Danger", the only copy of the shellac acetate containing the only two songs professionally recorded by the Quarrymen]]

Percy Phillips operated a studio called [[Phillips' Sound Recording Services]] at 38 Kensington, Liverpool, between the kitchen and a front room that served as an electrical goods shop.{{sfn|Spitz|2005|p=141}} Actors from the [[Liverpool Playhouse]] often stayed in the room above the studio, and were asked by Phillips to record monologues and poems. Phillips had just turned 60 years old when Harrison heard about the studio from guitarist Johnny Byrne of the Raving Texans, who had recorded a version of "[[Butterfly (1957 song)|Butterfly]]" there on 22 June 1957.{{sfn|Spitz|2005|p=141}} The Quarrymen booked a recording session on 12 July 1958.{{sfn|Spitz|2005|p=142}} They recorded straight to disc, as tape would have been an extra expense. The sound was recorded live by a single microphone in the centre of the room, and Lennon suggested that Hanton put a scarf over the snare drum to lower the volume.{{sfn|Spitz|2005|p=143}} They first recorded "[[In Spite of All the Danger]]" a McCartney original (credited as McCartney/Harrison) followed by [[Buddy Holly|Buddy Holly's]] "[[That'll Be the Day]]". Both feature Lennon on lead vocals.{{sfn|Lewisohn|2013|p=178}} When the recording was finished, Phillips handed the group a fragile [[78rpm]] record, which was passed around the band for one week each, or lent out to friends. It was later lost until Lowe rediscovered it in 1981, and sold it to McCartney for an undisclosed amount.{{sfn|Spitz|2005|p=143}} The recordings would later be issued on the Beatles' album ''[[Anthology 1]]''.

==="The rhythm's in the guitars"===
Soon after the recording session, Hanton had a fight with the rest of the group and quit.{{sfn|Lewisohn|2013|p=179}} Lowe too lost contact with the group after leaving Liverpool Institute, leaving the Quarrymen as just a trio of guitarists: Lennon, McCartney, and Harrison.{{sfn|Lewisohn|2013|p=179}} Lennon's mother was killed in a road accident on 15 July 1958, dealing him a devastating emotional blow.{{sfn|Miles|1997|p=50}} The group remained mostly inactive throughout the summer, as Lennon took up a job in a restaurant at the [[Liverpool John Lennon Airport|Liverpool Airport]].{{sfn|Lewisohn|2013|p=184}} McCartney and Harrison, meanwhile, went on holiday hitchhiking in [[Wales]], playing with a local skiffle group called [[The Vikings (British band)|The Vikings]].{{sfn|Lewisohn|2013|p=187-188}} Although Lennon, McCartney, and Harrison remained extremely close, the trio only performed a handful of times in the last months of 1958.{{sfn|Lewisohn|2013|p=193, 195}} When asked why they had neither a drummer or a bass player, they would respond "The rhythm's in the guitars."{{sfn|Lewisohn|2013|p=195}}
[[File:EmpireTheatre.JPG|250px|right|thumb|The [[Liverpool Empire Theatre]], where Johnny and the Moondogs auditioned for [[Carroll Levis|Carrol Levis]]]]
In the fall of 1958, the group had another chance to audition for [[Carroll Levis]], nearly a year and a half after the Quarrymen's first ''Star Search''.{{sfn|Lewisohn|2013|p=195}} For the audition, the group changed their name to Johnny and the Moondogs.{{sfn|Lewisohn|2013|p=196}} Lennon was without a guitar, his having broken recently.{{sfn|Lewisohn|2013|p=196}} Johnny and the Moondogs passed the first heat of the competition in Liverpool, and were invited to appear in the finals in Manchester.{{sfn|Lewisohn|2013|p=196}} The group performed [[Buddy Holly|Buddy Holly's]] "[[Think It Over]]" to positive reception, but were unable to stay until the end of the competition to receive the results.{{sfn|Lewisohn|2013|p=197}} As they were leaving, Lennon saw a [[Cutaway (guitar)|cutaway]] [[electric guitar]] by the stage door, picked it up and walked off with it, later saying that the trip "wasn't a total loss."<ref>"The Beatles Anthology" DVD (2003) (Episode 1 – 0:27:11) McCartney talking about Lennon stealing a guitar.</ref>{{sfn|Spitz|2005|pp=170–171}}

Following their ''Star Search'' audition, Johnny and the Moondogs changed their name to Japage 3 (pronounced "Jaypage"){{sfn|Lewisohn|2013|p=201}} (combining letters from each of the member's names: '''J'''ohn, '''Pa'''ul, and '''Ge'''orge).{{sfn|Lewisohn|2013|p=201}} Lennon had a friend from art school, named Derek Hodkin, who owned a tape recorder, and Lennon convinced him to record the group (along with McCartney's brother [[Mike McGear|Mike]] on drums).{{sfn|Lewisohn|2013|p=200}} The group then asked Hodkin to act as their manager, and he agreed.{{sfn|Lewisohn|2013|p=200-201}} Despite Hodkin's management, bookings for the group dried up.{{sfn|Lewisohn|2013|p=205}} Harrison began a stint as rhythm guitarist in the Les Stewart Quartet, who had a weekly club engagement.{{sfn|Lewisohn|2013|p=206-207}} By May, Japage 3 was defunct, although the three continued to see each other socially, and Lennon and McCartney continued to write songs together.{{sfn|Lewisohn|2013|p=213-215}}

===The Casbah Club and name change to the Beatles===
[[File:McCartney and Lennon at The Casbah Club.jpg|alt=A youthful McCartney and Lennon perform in a low-ceilinged room with an audience member a few feet away.|thumb|left|200px| McCartney and Lennon playing on the opening night of The Casbah Coffee Club.]]
In the summer of 1959, [[Mona Best]] decided to open a club in her cellar, and offered the Les Stewart Quartet a residency if they would help convert the cellar.{{sfn|Lewisohn|2013|p=220}} Harrison and fellow Quartet guitarist [[Ken Brown (musician)|Ken Brown]], however, missed a show, causing Les Stewart to fire the two and drop the residency.{{sfn|Lewisohn|2013|p=223}} This caused distress to Best, but Harrison offered a solution: he recruited Lennon and McCartney to play, and they returned to calling themselves the Quarrymen.{{sfn|Lewisohn|2013|p=225}} After helping Best finish converting the cellar, the new four guitarist line-up of the Quarrymen (Lennon, McCartney, Harrison, and Brown) opened [[the Casbah Coffee Club]] on 29 August 1959.{{sfn|Lewisohn|2013|p=224-225}} The opening night performance was attended by about 300 local teenagers, but as the cellar had no air conditioning and people were dancing, the temperature rose until it became hard to breathe.{{sfn|Lennon|2005|p=44}} The Quarrymen were afforded the use of Brown's three input [[amplifier]] (which, along with McCartney's Elpico, meant that all four guitarists were electric),{{sfn|Lewisohn|2013|p=224}} and sang through one microphone connected to the club's small [[Public address|PA]] system.{{sfn|Miles|1997|p=51}}

The group continued their Casbah residency for the next 4 months into the new year 1960, occasionally securing other [[Gig_worker#Etymology_of_gig|gigs]]. In January, Brown grew ill and was unable to play the show. Best, however, insisted that the Quarrymen still pay Brown, but Lennon, McCartney, and Harrison refused; the incident resulted in the loss of their residency at the Casbah and Brown's departure from the group.{{sfn|Lewisohn|2013|p=277}} Shortly after, however, Lennon convinced fellow art school student [[Stuart Sutcliffe]] to purchase a bass guitar and join the group.{{sfn|Lewisohn|2013|p=276}} The group had no bookings, but began rehearsing vigorously to allow the musical novice Sutcliffe practice on his new instrument.{{sfn|Lewisohn|2013|p=279}}

In early 1960, the Quarrymen returned to [[Phillips' Sound Recording Services]] to record Lennon's new original song "[[One After 909]]", although this recording does not survive.{{sfn|Lewisohn|2013|p=289}} Around the same time, the three made a rehearsal tape at McCartney's home. Harrison was absent (as he had an apprenticeship), and the tape features several jams and original songs, including the McCartney instrumental "[[Cayenne (instrumental)|Cayenne]]".{{sfn|Lewisohn|2013|p=287-288}} With few [[Gig_worker#Etymology_of_gig|gigs]] during this period the group often wrote letters to secure bookings, several of which survive.{{sfn|Lewisohn|2013|p=290-291}} The four disliked the Quarrymen name, and went through several others during this period, including Los Paranoias.{{sfn|Lewisohn|2013|p=291}} By March 1960, Lennon and Sutcliffe came up with a new name: [[The Beatles]].{{sfn|Lewisohn|2013|p=291-292}} The Beatles (after several line-up changes, including adding Mona's son [[Pete Best]] on drums) continued to perform around Liverpool and in [[The Beatles in Hamburg|Hamburg]], Germany, before being signed to [[Parlophone|Parlophone Records]] in 1962.

===Reformations: 1992–present===
Since the break-up of the Beatles in 1970 and the [[murder of John Lennon]] in 1980, members of the Quarrymen have reunited several times. In 1992, [[Len Garry]], [[Rod Davis (musician)|Rod Davis]] and [[John Lowe (musician)|John Lowe]] recorded 2 albums' worth of songs, with Garry serving as lead vocalist. These songs were never released.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Len |url=http://originalquarrymen.co.uk/html/len.html |access-date=2026-04-28 |website=originalquarrymen.co.uk}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Duff |url=http://originalquarrymen.co.uk/html/duff.html |access-date=2026-04-28 |website=originalquarrymen.co.uk}}</ref> From 1994 to 1995, [[Rod Davis (musician)|Rod Davis]] and [[John Lowe (musician)|John Lowe]] recorded an album with studio musicians. This album, ''[[Open for Engagements]]'', was released in 1995 under the Quarrymen name.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/open-for-engagements-mw0000117973 |title=Open for Engagements – The Quarrymen &#124; Songs, Reviews, Credits |website=[[AllMusic]] |date=19 December 1995 |access-date=24 March 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://musicmoz.org/Bands_and_Artists/Q/Quarrymen,_The/Discography/Open_For_Engagements/ |title=Bands and Artists: Q: Quarrymen, The: Discography: Open For Engagements |website=MusicMoz.org |date=19 December 1995 |access-date=24 March 2017}}</ref>

The surviving members of the 1957 line-up of the Quarrymen reunited in 1997 for the 40th anniversary of their performance at the 1957 [[Woolton]] village fete, which was the location of the first meeting of Lennon and McCartney. All five surviving members from that day, [[Pete Shotton]], [[Rod Davis (musician)|Rod Davis]], [[Len Garry]], [[Eric Griffiths]] and [[Colin Hanton]], performed. Following this, the group continued to perform, undertaking tours of the United Kingdom, the United States, Germany, Japan, Russia, Cuba and other countries. The group's repertoire focuses on the [[skiffle]] and early rock and roll they played in their original incarnation with the added [[roots rock]] historical perspective of illustrating how [[American roots music]] inspired the nascent Beatles.

In 2000, producer and the Beatles' historian [[Martin Lewis (humorist)|Martin Lewis]] produced the group performing the [[Del-Vikings]] song "[[Come Go with Me]]" (the first song McCartney recalled hearing Lennon sing on the first day they met) for use on the soundtrack of the [[Michael Lindsay-Hogg]] film ''[[Two of Us (2000 film)|Two of Us]]'', a film about the last day that Lennon and McCartney saw each other in April 1976.

[[Eric Griffiths]] died in 2005, and [[Pete Shotton]] retired, owing to ill health. Shotton died in 2017. As of 2016, Davis, Garry and Hanton continued to perform around the world. Lowe occasionally performed with them.<ref>{{cite web
 |url= http://www.originalquarrymen.co.uk/
 |title=John Lennon's Original Quarrymen
 |work=Original Quarrymen
 |access-date=11 July 2010
}}</ref> In September and October 2010, the band undertook a US tour celebrating the 70th birthday of their founder, Lennon. They appeared in a charity concert for [[Amnesty International]] honouring Lennon in [[New York City]] on Lennon's birthday, Saturday 9 October 2010.<ref name="HappyBirthdayJohn">{{cite web|url=http://www.thequarrymen.info/ |title=The "Happy Birthday John!" Tour |publisher=Original Quarrymen |access-date=30 May 2011}}</ref> 
[[File:The-quarrymen-1350321055.jpg|thumb|The Quarrymen performing in Liverpool, 2011 (Colin Hanton, Len Garry, Rod Davis)]]
From 2016 former Beatles bassist [[Chas Newby]] performed with the band. He died in May 2023. John Lowe died in February 2024.<ref name="archive1">{{cite web |url=http://originalquarrymen.co.uk/html/hot_news.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160326003029/http://originalquarrymen.co.uk/html/hot_news.html |archive-date=26 March 2016 |title=Hot News |date=26 March 2016 |access-date=24 March 2017 |url-status=dead  }}</ref> Garry died in March 2026.

Since their 1994 reformation, the Quarrymen have recorded four studio albums, consisting mostly of covers of [[1950s rock]] and skiffle. Their first album, ''[[Open for Engagements]]'', was released the same year they reformed, in 1994. Their second, ''[[Get Back – Together]]'', was released the same year as they reformed again, in 1997 (specifically in September). Their third, ''[[Songs We Remember]]'', was released on 29 August 2004, and their fourth studio album, ''Grey Album'', was released in 2012. These albums contain songs that the band performed when their original incarnation was together, and also contain covers of [[The Beatles|Beatles]] songs. They also reference the Beatles, as seen with the title of ''Get Back – Together'' being a reference to the Beatles song [[Get Back|of the same name]], and ''Grey Album'' being a reference to the Beatles [[The Beatles (album)|self-titled album]], also known as ''The White Album''.

== Members ==

=== Current members ===
The current members:<ref name=":0" /><ref name="originalquarrymen.co.uk">{{cite web |title=Myth 6 |url=http://www.originalquarrymen.co.uk/html/myth_6.html |access-date=24 March 2017 |website=Originalquarrymen.co.uk}}</ref>{{sfn|Lewisohn|2013}}
* [[Colin Hanton]] – drums <small>(1956–1958, 1997–present)</small>
* [[Rod Davis (musician)|Rod Davis]] – banjo <small>(1957)</small>; guitar, vocals <small>(1992, 1994–1995, 1997–present)</small>
* David Bedford – bass guitar <small>(2024–present)</small>
* Henry Duff Lowe – keyboards <small>(2024–present)</small>

=== Former members ===
The former members:<ref name="originalquarrymen.co.uk" />{{sfn|Lewisohn|2013}}
* [[John Lennon]] – vocals, guitar <small>(1956–1960; died 1980)</small>
* [[Eric Griffiths]] – guitar <small>(1956–1958, 1997–2005; his death)</small>
* [[Pete Shotton]] – [[washboard (musical instrument)|washboard]] <small>(1956–1957, 1997–2000; died 2017)</small>; tea-chest bass <small>(1997–2000)</small>
* [[Bill Smith (English musician)|Bill Smith]] – tea-chest bass <small>(1956)</small>
* [[Nigel Walley]] – tea-chest bass <small>(1956; Subsequently, became "manager" 1956–1958)</small>
* [[Ivan Vaughan]] – tea-chest bass <small>(1956–1957; died 1993)</small>
* [[Len Garry]] – [[washtub bass|tea-chest bass]] <small>(1957–1958)</small>; vocals, guitar <small>(1992, 1997–2026; his death)<ref name=":0" /></small>
* [[Paul McCartney]] – vocals, guitar <small>(1957–1960)</small>
* [[George Harrison]] – lead guitar, vocals <small>(1958–1960; died 2001)</small>
* [[John Lowe (musician)|John Duff Lowe]] – piano, keyboards <small>(1958, 1992, 1994–1995; regular guest 2005–2017; died 2024)</small>; vocals <small>(1994–1995)</small>
* [[Ken Brown (musician)|Ken Brown]] – guitar <small>(1959–1960; died 2010)</small>
* [[Stuart Sutcliffe]] – bass guitar <small>(1960; died 1962)</small>
* [[Chas Newby]] – bass guitar <small>(2016–2023; his death. Newby also played bass with the Beatles briefly in 1960)</small><ref name="archive1" />

===Timeline===
====1956–1960====
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  bar:Rod    text:"Rod Davis"
  bar:Duff   text:"John Duff Lowe †"
  bar:Bill   text:"Bill Smith"
  bar:Nigel  text:"Nigel Walley"
  bar:Ivan   text:"Ivan Vaughan †"
  bar:Len    text:"Len Garry †"
  bar:Stu    text:"Stuart Sutcliffe †"
  bar:Colin  text:"Colin Hanton"
  bar:Pete   text:"Pete Shotton †"

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  bar:Paul   from:18/10/1957 till:01/05/1959 color:voc   
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====1992–present====
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  id:vocals value:red    legend:Vocals
  id:guitar value:green  legend:Guitar
  id:keys   value:purple legend:Keyboards
  id:bass   value:blue   legend:Bass_guitar
  id:drums  value:orange legend:Drums
  id:wash   value:claret legend:Washboard
  id:tea    value:darkblue  legend:Tea_chest_bass
  id:occ    value:yellow legend:Occasional_member

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  bar:Colin text:"Colin Hanton"
  bar:Pete  text:"Pete Shotton †"
  bar:Chas  text:"Chas Newby †"
  bar:David text:"David Bedford"

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  bar:Len   from:01/01/1997 till:01/01/2024  color:vocals 
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  bar:Duff  from:01/01/1992 till:31/12/1992 color:vocals
  bar:Duff  from:01/01/1992 till:31/12/1992 color:keys width:3
  

  bar:Chas  from:01/01/2016 till:22/05/2023       color:bass
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}}

== Discography ==

=== Studio albums ===
* ''[[Open for Engagements]]'' (1994)
* ''[[Get Back – Together]]'' (1997) 
* ''[[Songs We Remember]]'' (2004)
* ''Grey Album'' (2012) 

=== Live albums ===
* ''Live at the Halfmoon Pub Putney'' (2005)
* ''The Quarrymen Live! In Penny Lane'' (2020)

=== DVD ===
* ''The Band That Started the Beatles'' (2009)

=== Other recordings ===
* "[[That'll Be the Day]]" and "[[In Spite of All the Danger]]" (both recorded in 1958) are available on the Beatles album ''[[Anthology 1]]'' (1995).
* A number of home rehearsals featuring Lennon, McCartney, Harrison, and Sutcliffe were recorded in early 1960. Three of these were released on ''Anthology 1'', while others have appeared on various bootlegs.
* A 2000 recording of "[[Come Go with Me]]" was featured in the film ''[[Two of Us (2000 film)|Two of Us]]''.
* An unreleased recording of "[[Maggie May (folk song)|Maggie May]]" was featured in the 2018 film ''Looking for Lennon''.

=== Beat Archive in Germany/Saxiona Vinyl Pressings ===

* On August 28, 2006, the 10-inch vinyl EP (33&nbsp;rpm) "50 Years Later" was released, featuring the song "[[Down by the Riverside]]" with the Quarrymen Rod Davis, Len Garry, Colin Hanton, and John Duff Lowe. The recording was made on June 3, 2006, at Hinterglauchau Castle. German Beat Archive pressing.

* On December 8, 2015, the 3-track, one-sided color vinyl EP was released, featuring, among other tracks, the song "[[Down by the Riverside]]" by the Quarrymen Rod Davis, Len Garry, Colin Hanton, and John Duff Lowe. Recorded at St. Peter's Church Hall in Liverpool. German Beat Archive pressing.

* On January 1, 2022, the single "[[Lost John]]" with the Quarrymen Rod Davis and Chas Newby was released. The recording was made on October 3, 2020, at the Glauchau Municipal Theater. German Beat Archive Pressing.

* The single "[[Midnight Special (song)|Midnight Special]]" featuring Quarryman Rod Davis was released on June 1, 2025. Recorded on February 6, 2009, in Berlin. German Beat Archive Pressing.

==See also==
* [[Outline of the Beatles]]
* [[The Beatles timeline]]

==Notes==
{{Reflist}}

==References==
*{{Gilliland |show=27 |title=The British Are Coming! The British Are Coming!: The U.S.A. is invaded by a wave of long-haired English rockers}}
* {{cite book |last=Harry |first=Bill |author-link=Bill Harry| title=The Ultimate "Beatles" Encyclopedia| publisher=[[Virgin Books]]| year=1992 | isbn=978-0-86369-681-7}}
* {{cite book |last=Lennon |first=Cynthia |author-link=Cynthia Lennon |title=John |publisher=[[Hodder & Stoughton]] |year=2005 |isbn=978-0-340-89512-2}}
* {{cite book |last=Lewisohn |first=Mark|author-link=Mark Lewisohn| title=The Beatles: All These Years, Vol. 1: Tune In| publisher=[[Crown Archetype]]| year=2013 | isbn=978-1-4000-8305-3}}
* {{cite book |last=Miles |first=Barry |author-link=Barry Miles |title=[[Many Years From Now]] |publisher=[[Vintage (publisher)|Vintage]]-[[Random House]] |year=1997 |isbn=978-0-7493-8658-0}}
* {{cite book |first=Ray |last=O'Brien |title=There are Places I'll Remember: The Venues Where The Beatles Played on Merseyside|publisher=[[The Bluecoat Press]] |year=2005 |isbn=978-1-904438-28-1}}
* {{cite book |last=Spitz |first=Bob |author-link=Bob Spitz |title=The Beatles: The Biography |url=https://archive.org/details/beatlesbiography00spit |url-access=registration |publisher=[[Little, Brown and Company]] (New York) |year=2005 |isbn=978-0-316-80352-6}}

==External links==
{{commons category|The Quarrymen}}
*[http://www.originalquarrymen.co.uk/index.html  The Quarrymen official website]
*[http://www.kuerbiskopf.de/pageID_3459018.html List of concerts] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080408205959/http://www.kuerbiskopf.de/pageID_3459018.html |date=8 April 2008 }}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20061206202638/http://abbeyrd.best.vwh.net/namec.htm Catherine E. Doyle: "From Blackjacks to Beatles: How the Fab Four Evolved"]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20080511130105/http://abbeyrd.best.vwh.net/quarry.htm The Quarrymen's First Recordings]
* {{discogs artist|The Quarrymen}}
* {{imdb name|6003599}}

{{The Quarrymen|state=expanded}}
{{The Beatles}}
{{John Lennon}}
{{Paul McCartney main}}
{{George Harrison}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Quarrymen, The}}
[[Category:1956 establishments in England]]
[[Category:The Quarrymen| ]]
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[[Category:English country music groups]]
[[Category:English rock and roll music groups]]
[[Category:History of the Beatles]]
[[Category:Musical groups from Liverpool]]
[[Category:Musical groups established in 1956]]
[[Category:Musical groups disestablished in 1960]]
[[Category:Musical groups reestablished in 1997]]
[[Category:Skiffle groups]]