John Lennon’s “Marsy”, Beryl Marsden

One of the opening acts for The Beatles’ 1965 Homeland Tour was Liverpool star, Beryl Marsden, who by age 16 was already singing in Hamburg’s famed Star Club. She scored a huge hit in the UK and Germany with a cover of “I Know (You Don’t Love Me No More)” and was voted “Best Female Artist of the Year” by Mersey Beat magazine. Make no mistake, The Beatles requested that Beryl join them on their Homeland Tour; she wasn’t a NEMS star being promoted by Brian Epstein. John, in particular, loved his Marsy’s strength of will and outspoken nature. He often referred to her as “the mighty mite.” Jude Southerland Kessler recently sat down with Beryl and learned more about the explosive career of this talented star who went on to perform with Paddy, Klaus, & Gibson and to form a band with Rod Stewart, Peter Green, and Mick Fleetwood.

Jude Southerland Kessler: Well, first of all, thank you so much for doing this! Beryl, I’ve been a fan of yours since 1993, when I attended the “after party” for the Liverpool premiere of Backbeat at the John Lennon Bar, and your sister was there. As we enjoyed drinks, someone was spinning 45s on a record player and played “I Know.” Your sister immediately perked up and proudly told everyone, “That’s my sister!” That night, listening to “I Know” on Mathew Street, I became a Beryl Marsden fan! Now, 20 years later, I’m getting ready to write the Homeland Tour chapters for The John Lennon Series, and because you were one of their opening acts, I so wanted to get the story of those nine exciting days in December 1965 directly from you! Of course, I have the wonderful book by Martin Creasy, The Beatles U.K. Tours, 1963-65, and it’s full of such well-researched information. But I wanted to talk to you in person as well…to get your story from your heart.

Beryl, your story is incredible. You were 14 years old when you were discovered in the Liverpool area, right? And the night that you were discovered, it was by the band, the Undertakers. Is that correct?

Marsden: So, basically, to be honest with you, the very first time I actually sang with somebody was in Picton Road Town Hall because I didn’t live far from there. And it was with Carl Terry and the Cruisers. And then, literally, a couple of weeks later, my friends Irene and Linda from school and I went to Orrell Park Ballroom, because we’d heard about the Undertakers…there weren’t many bands who had a saxophone then, y’know. Most bands were more or less “a four-piece.” So, that was the first band I’d seen with horns.

And that night, in Orell Park Ballroom, it was my friends who were saying to Geoff Nugent and Brian Jones, y’know, “Let our friend sing! Go on! She’s dyin’ to get up there and sing!” I mean, you wouldn’t be able to do that in this day and age, I doubt very much. But fortunately, this hand came down and pulled me up on the stage!

And Brian Jones said, “Okay, what, what do you want to sing?”

I said, “I’ll do ‘Boys’ by the Shirelles.”

“Okay,” says he, “what key?”

I said, “What’s that? The only key I know is openin’ doors.” She laughs. “No, I didn’t say that!”

But I didn’t understand about key. I said, pointing to the band, “Whatever key they sing.”

And then Brian goes, “Well, you take your chewing gum out first!” I took the chewing gum out, stuck it on the mic stand…and that was the beginning of my singing career.

And basically, when I finished singin’ – which was exciting, but terrifying at the same time, y’know – the Undertakers said, “Will you stay behind? When we finish our set, we’ll have a little word.” And that was it. I joined The Undertakers from then on! Yeah. How lucky was I? Yeah, not quite 15, y’know.

Kessler: What did everybody at home think about this?

Marsden: I didn’t tell my mum at first. Oh, no! Oh, God, no! I mean, because I was about to leave school, y’know, which I did…most people left school at 15, anyway, y’know. And her idea of me having a proper job, y’know, was either in an office or in a shop or in Littlewoods, where lots of people went to work. But I had no intention of that happening!

Kessler: Not with your talent, that’s for sure.

Marsden: So, I went around with the Undertakers, performing with them…mostly Merseyside and just outside of Manchester, but mostly around Liverpool, Warrington, St Helen, and obviously over the water, y’know, New Brighton and Birkenhead and the Tower Ballroom in New Brighton, y’know. So obviously, that first period of my career, I wasn’t billed separately as Beryl Marsden.

Kessler: And did you get to meet some of the big Liverpool promoters such as Brian Kelly and Sam Leach?

Marsden: Oh, yeah, yeah, all those guys. And of course, the Orrell Park Ballroom was very busy. There was a lot of music as well. And with the Undertakers, we played there about three nights a week, y’know, at the beginning. Yeah.

I performed a few songs at the beginning of the night, and then I sang the backing vocals as well, when Jackie Lomax would sing or Geoff Nugent would sing. That was really good. I kind of liked the harmony aspect of singing as well. That was good fun.

Kessler: You mentioned doing songs by the Shirelles. What other songs and groups did you like?

Marsden: Well, I ended up doing a couple of Brenda Lee songs, because the Undertakers could play sax on them…her songs had sax on them. So, we did “Jump the Broomstick” and “Sweet Nothings,” that sort of stuff. But then, the Undertakers left me – boohoo! – to go off to Hamburg, Germany, y’know. I was underage, so I couldn’t go at only 15.

In the meantime, I was singing with Farron’s Flamingos, doing a little bit with them – and with Derry Wilkie and the Seniors, which had Howie Casey in the band, and Freddie, Freddie Star. I was waiting for the Undertakers to come back, and obviously, when they came back, they were all moody and leathered up, y’know, and I was still a little square…didn’t suit the band anymore, really. I was very upset, to be honest with you.

But then, Geoff Nugent did ask manager Joe Flannery to keep his eye on me, y’know, and because of that request, I ended up then joining a popular band Joe managed called Lee Curtis and the All-Stars. And that gave me my chance to finally get to Hamburg!

Kessler: Yes! You were invited to perform at the important, sought-after Star Club in Hamburg, weren’t you?

Marsden: Yeah, Joe and I had to come down to the Bow Street Magistrates Court to get a special license that let me sing in Germany. Joe was my official chaperone, and my mum had to sign stuff to say that she was happy with that…that Joe would be my chaperone in Germany, y’ see. So, that’s how I was able to sing at the Star Club. But, because I was underage, I had to be out of the club by 10 o’clock. At 10 p.m., I was put in a taxi and sent back to the hotel. We all stayed at the Hotel Pacific. So, I was put in this taxi to go back there.

On rare occasions, I was permitted to stay in the club, if Joe was watching out for me. Obviously, when the likes of Jerry Lee Lewis and Ray Charles and Gene Vincent performed there, I got to watch all those guys from the side of the stage, which was awesome, y’know, really incredible!

Now, Joe and Lee Curtis and his All-Stars stayed there for a few years. But I felt I didn’t want to stay in Hamburg. It was time for me to come back. And just before I was 18, that’s when I met Paddy, Paddy Chambers…later, of Paddy, Klaus, & Gibson, y’know. And when I came back home to Liverpool for a little bit, I performed with him. Then, I went down to London because everyone – like The Beatles – had moved to London, y’know.

Kessler: Now, did you know Edward Bedford (or Steve Aldo as he became known on stage) before you went to London…or did you meet him once you moved there?

Marsden: As far as my memory goes, I met Steve down in London because when I met Tony Stratton Smith, who became my new manager, Tony had this idea to create this band called The Crew with Steve…Steve Aldo.

So, as The Crew, Steve and I would do some solo songs – I would sing a couple and then, Steve would do a couple. Then we’d do a couple of things together as well, which was really cool. He was “Mr. Cool” was Steve, y’know…very laid back.

Kessler: Then, in the autumn of 1965, The Beatles very much wanted both Steve Aldo and you to tour with them on their 1965 Homeland Tour which would take place in December. They specifically requested Steve and you. Is that right?

Marsden: Yeah, y’know, Jude, I’d been away mostly, in Hamburg, y’know. But I’d had a hit with “I Know (You Don’t Love Me No More).” For me, it was the most important song, because it was quite big in Germany and in Liverpool. And the guys – The Beatles – liked it and wanted me on their tour. Asked for me. I was so happy. I’d known them quite well from Liverpool, and I thought, “Oh, I’m going on their big tour! I’ll be able to see them again! That’ll be wonderful!”

But I didn’t realize just how bad Beatlemania was! Oh, yeah. 1965…imagine! And I would say on Homeland Tour, that first night was the first time I really saw what Beatlemania was. I was shocked! I was like, “Oh, my goodness!!” Y’know, honestly, I’d never seen anything like it in my life. It scared me, actually.

And the guys – The Beatles – it was awful for them…because when everyone else on the show was performing, the audience was listening and clapping and really enjoying it. But then, as soon as the curtains opened and The Beatles were there, it was like this mad, screaming mania. And I was shocked! I stared at the crowds, thinking, “What are they doing? What??! They’re not listening! They’re not listening to one of the best live rock and roll bands, y’know, on the planet!”

The fans were just screaming and throwing things at the boys. And I was just…I didn’t like it because I couldn’t help or do anything to stop it. You couldn’t even hear the boys properly, y’know, because back then we didn’t have all that equipment – the huge amounts of equipment we have today. We just had small Marshall amps, just normal PA systems, y’know. And yeah, I could feel that this concert tour was going to “be it” because The Beatles couldn’t keep doing this. They were very, very frustrated.

You couldn’t hear them at all. I watched John from the side of the stage. I remember he had this little Vox organ, y’know, little keyboards. And he was just messin’ about playing it. But no one was listening. It made me feel sad, to be honest…watching the guys being so shouted at and frustrated.

Most nights, they’d be standing at the side of the stage before they went on. They told me, “It’s great that the crowds let everyone else perform. At least we can hear the other people doing it.” But once they went onstage, they couldn’t even hear themselves. That to me, unfortunately, was 1965.

Kessler: But Beryl, believe it or not, the Homeland Tour of 1965 was at least 10 times safer than what The Beatles had just experienced in America! In San Francisco, for example, the fans were picking up folding chairs and throwing them on the stage! You can see this in several YouTube videos of the concerts there.  

Marsden: So, you can just imagine, can’t you? That fear and frustration I saw. Now obviously, The Beatles and the opening acts…we didn’t travel together, which I think was a bit sad. It would have been nice to travel together, y’know, because they’re funny, and John’s quite “sarky.” [Scouse for brilliantly hilarious!] But we traveled separately. We were on the bus, and they were in their car. We didn’t really see that much of them, to be honest, y’know, on that tour.

But then, not to be able to even really watch them and enjoy what they’d become, we were all frustrated, not to be able to have that chance to really see the guys perform. So, unfortunately, my feelings about that 1965 tour aren’t wondrous, y’know.

Back in the early days – obviously, I’d known the boys from the Cavern, y’know – in those early days when people were listening to them and The Beatles were having great banters with the audience because they knew their audience; they knew “the family” as they called them. It was just wonderful! And when they just started doing their songs, back then, it was just so amazing…so incredible, because they were fabulous, y’know! But then, fast forward to the 1965 Tour…and it was…sort of sad because no one could hear the boys. No one at all.

Kessler: Of course, that Homeland Tour of ’65 also featured the Moody Blues with Denny Laine, didn’t it? That must have been fun. And you had the Paramounts, as well, who went on to become Procol Harum.

Marsden: Yeah, me and Steve, y’know, and the Paramounts…we were good friends. They had Robin Trower, a great guitarist! And then, as you said, they went on to become Procol Harum. They wanted to do great things…and they did.

And the Moody Blues were fab! I think that’s probably where Paul got to know Denny a bit more, and then later, when he formed Wings, he said, “I’m having Denny, y’know.” On that 1965 Tour…that’s where they formed that bond in a way, that appreciation of each other’s music and stuff.

Kessler: Now, you and I share a common friend – Bill Harry, the founder of Mersey Beat. And Bill tried to get John Lennon to give you the Lennon/McCartney song, “Love of the Loved.” Of course, John was all for it. He thought the world of you. But unfortunately, Brian Epstein wasn’t “all for it” because he wanted to give the song to the female performer he represented, to the lovely Cilla Black.

Marsden: Yeah,  I was obviously in the very beginning of my career, y’know. And Bill Harry and Virginia [his wife] were so supportive, so very much so! Bill said, “Yeah, The Beatles should write you a song, y’know!” But I knew that, at the end of the day, I wasn’t signed to Brian Epstein, to NEMS. I wasn’t with Brian, so I couldn’t see that happening personally. And Cilla got the song and had a big hit with it, “Love of the Loved.”

But in this weird twist of fate, years later, there was a TV show called “Cilla,” three episodes. It was a biography of Cilla, and I was in it…played by an actress who sang “Love of the Loved.” I had never sung it in my life, but they had the actress playing me sing it. And the actress playing Cilla sang “Boys,” which is the song that I was known for! Can you believe it? How bizarre, y’know.

So, yeah, Bill and Virginia Harry were wonderful, wonderful people. And their Mersey Beat, as you know, was a great magazine. And I did win “Best Female Artist” in Mersey Beat. I used to have a copy of that magazine, but my first manager, Joe Flannery took it saying, “I’m looking after this because I know you’ll lose it!” And hence, I’ve never seen it again. I don’t know what happened to it!

Kessler: Well, Beryl, we’ll end Part One of this interview here, but next time, we’ll kick off with this question: “When you toured with The Beatles on the 1965 Homeland Tour, did you get the feeling then that The Beatles knew this would be the final tour in their home country…that they were not ever going to tour England again?” I’ll let you think about that one…and then, we’ll pick this up again in a few days.

-Jude Southerland Kessler

Photo: Beryl Marsden, 1965 (Fair Use of Decca Records PR shot)