THE "FORGOTTEN" BEATLE.

PETE BEST.

THE BEATLE THAT TIME FORGOT.




RANDOLPH PETER BEST was born in Madras, India, 24 November, 1941. Drummer of Liverpool's Black Jacks and son of Mona Best, owner of the Casbah Club, Best often sat in with the Quarry Men when they played the Casbah. On the eve of their first trip to Hamburg in August 1960, John, Paul and George asked Best to come along. He jumped at the opportunity.

Pete Best became the Beatles' first official drummer. Although the full story remains unclear, on 16 August 1962, shortly after their visit to EMI's Abbey Road studio in June 1962 (during which George Martin had suggested that the band would need to hire a studio drummer for recording sessions), Brian Epstein called Best into his office and told him that the others wanted him out of the group. Pete Best is still wondering why it happened.

Shortly after his dismissal from The Beatles, in 1962, Pete Best joined the LEE CURTIS AND THE ALL-STARS. They rapidly gained a large following in their native city, Liverpool, in fact they would finish as runners-up to The Beatles in the "Merseybeat" newspaper's end of year poll. Having been signed by Decca and released a pair of singles, the group split.

After breaking away from Curtis, Pete leads his own band, THE PETE BEST FOUR in September 1963. In 1964 they signed at Decca. The group recorded their debut "I'm Gonna Knock on Your Door", released in June 1964, and produced by Mike Smith (the same who originally turned down The Beatles when Pete was a member), but if failed to chart and Decca lost interest and dropped them.

They went to the USA during 1964 and spent time in the studio recording material some of which was issued in the States on small independent labels during the mid-60s. By the beginning of '65, they re-named the group, THE PETE BEST COMBO, and they toured America during that year and also recorded an album for the American Cameo label entitled "Best Of The Beatles". Finally, they broke up in 1968.

The lack of success in the States prompted him to give up his career in music. He withdrew from the public's gaze for the next fifteen years, working as a civil servant, not reappearing until 1985.


  • THE PETE BEST FOUR / THE PETE BEST COMBO - IF YOU WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT PETE BEST VISIT THIS WEBSITE.


  • BEATLEFEST VALENCIA 2003 - IF YOU WANT TO KNOW ABOUT PETE'S VISIT TO VALENCIA, SPAIN, LOOK AT OUR WEBSITE.








    THE PETE BEST BAND.
    LIVE AT THE ADELPHI.


    UK, 1992





    PEBE-SPLASH RECORDS PBS CD 1000

    INTRODUCTION
    1- SLOW DOWN
    2- BE MY BABY
    3- WHEN YOU WALK IN THE ROOM
    4- I HEAR YOU KNOCKING
    5- SOME OTHER GUY
    6- MR. MOONLIGHT
    7- WHEN A MAN LOVES A WOMAN
    8- KEEP ON RUNNING
    9- ROCK AND ROLL MUSIC
    10- ROCKIN' ROBIN/RIP IT UP (medley)
    11- LUCILLE
    12- GREAT BALLS OF FIRE









    THE PETE BEST BAND.
    BACK TO THE BEAT.


    UK, 1995





    PEBE-SPLASH RECORDS PBS CD 2000

    1- MY BONNIE
    2- ROLL OVER BEETHOVEN
    3- DANCING IN THE STREETS
    4- DIZZY MISS LIZZIE
    5- MONEY
    6- LOVE ME DO
    7- STAND BY ME
    8- LONG TALL SALLY
    9- I SAW HER STANDING THERE
    10- TWIST AND SHOUT
    11- HIPPY HIPPY SHAKE
    12- JOHNNY B. GOODE
    13- C'MON EVERYBODY




    Autographied in 2003, in a Beatlefest in Valencia.





    THE PETE BEST COMBO.
    BEYOND THE BEATLES 1964-66


    UK, 1996







    CHERRY RED RECORDS CDMRED 124


    01 . All Aboard
    02 . Why Did You Leave Me Baby?
    03 . Shimmy Like My Sister Kate
    04 . I Need Your Lovin'
    05 . I Can Do Without You Now
    06 . Castin' My Spell
    07 . I'm Blue
    08 . She's Alright
    09 . Keys to My Heart
    10 . I'm Checkin' Out Now Baby
    11 . I'll Try Anyway
    12 . I Don't Know Why I Do
    13 . How Do You Get to Know Her Name?
    14 . She's Not the Only Girl in Town
    15 . If You Can't Get Her
    16 . More Than I Need Myself
    17 . I'll Have Everything Too
    18 . The Way I Feel About You
    19 . Don't Play With Me
    20 . Rock & Roll Music
    21 . I Wanna Be There
    22 . Everybody
    23 . Pete's Theme
    24 . Off the Hook




















    Autographied in 2003, in a Beatlefest in Valencia.





    THE PETE BEST BAND.
    LIVE AT THE ADELPHI. LIVERPOOL 1988


    UK, 1996





    CHERRY RED RECORDS CDMRED 136

    1- SLOW DOWN
    2- BE MY BABY
    3- WHEN YOU WALK IN THE ROOM
    4- I HEAR YOU KNOCKING
    5- SOME OTHER GUY
    6- MR. MOONLIGHT
    7- WHEN A MAN LOVES A WOMAN
    8- KEEP ON RUNNING
    9- ROCK AND ROLL MUSIC
    10- ROCKIN' ROBIN/RIP IT UP
    11- LUCILLE
    12- GREAT BALLS OF FIRE
    13- INTERVIEW WITH PETE BEST




    Autographied in 2003, in a Beatlefest in Valencia.





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