🧵in this thread i will explore The Historiography of the 6th of July 1957, aka when John Lennon and Paul McCartney met pt. iii
right buckle up, we’re at Mark Lewisohn’s ‘Tune In Extended Edition’ (2013)
Lewisohn digs into the details, particularly about the songs played, and Mimi’s reaction. re: John’s outfit, Lewisohn states the photos show he wasn’t dressed like a Teddy Boy. I ain’t an expert, but i reckon one could argue John was, at least with the hair, in teddy boy land.
On the meeting itself, Lewisohn states it initially took place in the scout hut, but Paul’s showing off was in the church hall. Beer was drunk (gasp), Paul got on the piano, and John thought he looked like Elvis.
we’re nearly there everyone, Craig Brown's ‘One, Two, Three, Four’ (2020)
Again, we have the Scout Hut → Church Hall movement but with more focus on Paul being shy until he started to perform. Nicely, Brown summarises how the tale of the Woolton Fete meeting has warped and changed over the years.
onto ‘Paul McCartney: The Lyrics’ (2021, p. 119, 235 & 383)
Not anything new really apart from the 'seeing John around prior to the fete' anecdote. also, a slightly sassy 'they weren't a great band but john was good'
the penultimate text, Ian Leslie’s ‘John and Paul: A Love Story in Songs’ (2025). Like Lewisohn, Leslie spends a lot of real estate on the songs performed, and particularly ‘Come Go with Me’, highlighting it was, as the kids would call it today, a deep cut.
On the meeting, Leslie doesn’t mention the scout hut, and notes that John & Paul were introduced outside the church hall. Once in the Hall, Paul performed and John’s beery breath arrived. Leslie doesn’t mention how Shotton’s recollection changed over the years. Hurumph.
and finally, we have the 25th Anniversary Reissue of ‘The Beatles Anthology’ (2025)
...again, not much to note other than the beatles anthology is a very pretty book.
And so, that concludes our foray into how the meeting between Lennon and McCartney occurred on the July 6th 1957, and wot has done been written about it. happy july 6th mclennon monday 2026 to you ALL.
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