Ken Mc Nab's book gives the full story of Duncan's involvement in the Beatles first tour of Scotland.
The Beatles, then called the Silver Beetles backed Johnny Gentle.
The 5 Silver Beetles in 1960 were Lennon (19), McCartney (17 and just weeks from school exams), Stuart Sutcliffe (19 and born in Edinburgh), Harrison (17) and Tommy Moore (36) the latest in a long line of ad-hoc drummers.
Driver on the tour was Gerry Scott
20/05/60 - Town Hall, Alloa
21/05/60 - Northern Meeting Ballroom, Inverness
23/05/60 - Dalrymple Hall, Fraserburgh
25/05/60 - St Thomas's Hall, Keith
26/05/60 - Town Hall, Forres
27/05/60 - Regal Ballroom, Nairn
28/05/60 - Rescue Hall, Peterhead
Early in 1960 Larry Parnes arranged a showcase tour for one of his most promising acts Johnny Gentle. Auditions were held to find a backing band and although not the most competent Parnes was impressed with the Silver Beatles and they were booked to support Gentle. Parnes entrusted the running of the tour to Duncan Mackinnon. There were many scrapes and stories from the tour that you can read about in Ken McNabs book including that Duncan was so unimpressed with the Beatles scruffiness that he asked Parnes to throw them of the tour.
The following is from the Beatles Bible website-
Johnny Gentle first met The Silver Beetles half an hour before they went onstage in Alloa, and they had just 20 minutes of rehearsal. Gentle gave Harrison a black shirt to wear on stage, to match those worn by Lennon and McCartney.
On the journey to Dalrymple Hall the driver Gerry Scott asked Johnny Gentle to take the wheel. Gentle crashed the small van into another car. Drummer Tommy Moore suffered concussion and loosened teeth when the group’s equipment landed on him.
While Moore was being treated in hospital, John Lennon and the promoter from Dalrymple Hall arrived and marched him to the venue. The heavily-sedated Moore duly played the concert, despite having little idea where he was.
"We did OK on that tour, playing church halls all over Scotland, places like Fraserburgh. It was great – we felt very professional. But we were endlessly on the phone to Larry Parnes’s office, complaining that the money hadn’t arrived"
Paul McCartney
The Beatles, then called the Silver Beetles backed Johnny Gentle.
The 5 Silver Beetles in 1960 were Lennon (19), McCartney (17 and just weeks from school exams), Stuart Sutcliffe (19 and born in Edinburgh), Harrison (17) and Tommy Moore (36) the latest in a long line of ad-hoc drummers.
Driver on the tour was Gerry Scott
20/05/60 - Town Hall, Alloa
21/05/60 - Northern Meeting Ballroom, Inverness
23/05/60 - Dalrymple Hall, Fraserburgh
25/05/60 - St Thomas's Hall, Keith
26/05/60 - Town Hall, Forres
27/05/60 - Regal Ballroom, Nairn
28/05/60 - Rescue Hall, Peterhead
Early in 1960 Larry Parnes arranged a showcase tour for one of his most promising acts Johnny Gentle. Auditions were held to find a backing band and although not the most competent Parnes was impressed with the Silver Beatles and they were booked to support Gentle. Parnes entrusted the running of the tour to Duncan Mackinnon. There were many scrapes and stories from the tour that you can read about in Ken McNabs book including that Duncan was so unimpressed with the Beatles scruffiness that he asked Parnes to throw them of the tour.
The following is from the Beatles Bible website-
Johnny Gentle first met The Silver Beetles half an hour before they went onstage in Alloa, and they had just 20 minutes of rehearsal. Gentle gave Harrison a black shirt to wear on stage, to match those worn by Lennon and McCartney.
On the journey to Dalrymple Hall the driver Gerry Scott asked Johnny Gentle to take the wheel. Gentle crashed the small van into another car. Drummer Tommy Moore suffered concussion and loosened teeth when the group’s equipment landed on him.
While Moore was being treated in hospital, John Lennon and the promoter from Dalrymple Hall arrived and marched him to the venue. The heavily-sedated Moore duly played the concert, despite having little idea where he was.
"We did OK on that tour, playing church halls all over Scotland, places like Fraserburgh. It was great – we felt very professional. But we were endlessly on the phone to Larry Parnes’s office, complaining that the money hadn’t arrived"
Paul McCartney
