1961/62: Mike's Records

 

    This post will be slightly different because, instead of looking at records that were in the collection of one of the four Beatles, we will be taking a look at a few records that belonged to Paul's brother Michael 'Mike McGear' McCartney. These photos come from Mike's new 2022 book Mike McCartney's Early Liverpool and show him trying out some artistic mirror shots with his first camera (purchased for £3 in Köln, Germany, in May 1960). While these records may not have exclusively belonged to Paul, he definitely would have heard them and had access to them at 20 Forthlin Road. My guess is these photographs were taken in 1961 or early 1962 before Paul brought a superior Rollei camera home from Hamburg (June 1962) as a present for Mike.

    The first LP was one that Paul and Mike mutually adored. This is Ray Charles In Person, a live album recorded on 28 May 1959 at Herndon Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia. The album was released on Atlantic in July 1960 and featured a Beatles' favourite 'What'd I Say'. In a 1961 letter Paul wrote to Mike (also reproduced in Mike's new book), he stated, 'Oh! Some fellow lent me five Ray Charles LPs.' It is not clear if this was one of those five, but they definitely loved this artist and his music.

    Next to Ray, there is another live album coincidentally recorded the very next day (29 May 1959) at the National Disc Jockey Convention in the Americana Hotel, Miami, Florida. This album, Beauty and the Beat!, featured the vocals of Peggy Lee accompanied by pianist George Shearing and his backing quintet. The LP was released in August 1959 on Capitol Records. It is almost certainly Peggy Lee's 1961 version of 'Till There Was You' that inspired The Beatles to add it to their repertoire.

    Finally, from the second photo, we see that Mike was a fan of modern jazz and classical with John Lewis' 1958 European Windows LP. This album, released on RCA Victor, was recorded with the Stuttgart Symphony Orchestra in their home city on 20-21 February 1958. John Lewis was the leader and pianist of the Modern Jazz Quartet and this album features contributions from two other members of the quartet: Percy Heath (double bass) and Connie Kay (drums). For some reason, this particular cover is only seen on the French release and it seems all other versions carried a photo of Lewis conducting from the actual performance. It is therefore unclear where Mike picked this record up: whether it was a French import or he purchased it on the Continent. Apple Records, The Beatles own label, would later release two albums by the Modern Jazz Quartet in 1968 (Under The Jasmin Tree) and 1969 (Space). It seems the seed of that connection was planted back here in the early 1960s.