The Beatles: Why Liverpool should never take them for granted
They were, of course, brilliant musicians – but we shouldn’t forget they could probably have made decent careers as comedians, too. I loved immersing myself in the classic Fab Four Fest that was The Nation’s Favourite Beatles Number One (ITV, Wednesday). The music was, naturally, great – but so was John, Paul, George and Ringo’s easy and natural humour.
Watching them joking with comedy giants like Ken Dodd and Morecambe and Wise was a sheer joy, with the band playing the parts of the comedians’ equals rather than their stooges, or straight men. Doddy could make mincemeat – or jam from a jam butty mine – out of almost anyone, but not The Beatles.
The Squire of Knotty Ash was chatting to them about a potential pop persona. He was thinking “Cliff or Rock” – to which Paul said: “Or Cliff Dodd... Rock Dodd.” And when Doddy invited suggestions for an “earthy name”, John’s deliciously dry reply was “Sod.”
There was also a delightful exchange between John and Eric Morecambe – after John said: “My dad used to tell me about you” (his hand indicating when he was knee high), Eric replied: “You’ve only got a little dad, have you?”
Lennon laughed his head off, as did the nation – and it did so, again, when George, asked by a reporter in A Hard Day’s Night “What would you call that hairstyle?” replied “Arthur.”
By: Paddy Sheennan
Source: Liverool Echo
