Jim Berkenstadt - The Beatle who vanished

OTHER BOOKS BY JIM BERKENSTADT

NEVERMIND NIRVANA

by Jim Berkenstadt and Charles R. Cross

BLACK MARKET BEATLES: THE STORY BEHIND THEIR LOST RECORDINGS

by Jim Berkenstadt and Belmo

THE BEATLES DIGEST

by J.G. Schuberk (aka Jim Berkenstadt) and others

JOHN, PAUL & ME BEFORE THE BEATLES

by Len Garry

Edited by Jim Berkenstadt

SCOTTY MOORE: THE GUITAR THAT ROCKED THE WORLD

by Scotty Moore, Jim Berkenstadt and Ron Lovely

TBA

THE BEATLE WHO VANISHED

Jim Berkenstadt

ROCK AND ROLL DETECTIVEPUBLISHING,
A DIVISION OF ROCK AND ROLL DETECTIVE, LLC.
Madison, WI.

Copyright 2013 by Rock And Roll Detective, LLC

Rock And Roll Detective, is a registered trademark of Rock And Roll Detective, LLC

Copyright 2013 Rock And Roll Detective, LLC

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including scanning, photocopying, recording, uploading, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the express permission in writing from the Publisher. Exceptions are made for brief excerpts used in published reviews.

Requests to the Publisher for permission and for information regarding special discounts for bulk purchases please contact:

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All photos in this book are the copyright of respective copyright holders.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available upon request

LCCN: 2012911439

ISBN# 978-0-9856677-0-2 Paperback book

ISBN# 978-09856677-1-9 Hardback book

ISBN# 978-0-9856677-2-6 eBook

The Beatle Who Vanished / Jim Berkenstadt - First Edition

DEDICATION

To Holly, Becca and Brad

THE BEATLE WHO VANISHED

Acknowledgements

In writing any book, one incurs debts that can never be repaid. Literally hundreds of individuals have helped me with research and interviews, and I thank them all. The following are just some of the people who helped in this project. To those Ive missed, I extend sincere apologies.

Editor in Chief: Gary Schumacher

Interior Layout Design: Jen Moulios

Book Cover Design: Elizabeth Neely

Director of Videography: Jay Olsen (Directed and produced the video promos for the book)

Cover Layout Photography: Brian Ebner, http://www.opticnervephoto.com

Additional Videos: Rebecca Berkenstadt

Production Advisor: Brad Berkenstadt

Foreword: Chas Newby, (bass player) The Beatles, 1960

Web Site Design and Creation: Daniel Hornung and Rebecca Berkenstadt
www.thebeatlewhovanished.com and www.youtube/thebeatlewhovanished.com

Social Media Marketing and SEO Director: Rebecca Berkenstadt

Translations: Marcus Cederstrom, Christopher Ray Bishop, Ariette Hennemann-Hartzema, Yukiko Sato, Jorgen Billing, Rebecca Berkenstadt, and Brad Berkenstadt

Director of Drum History and Analysis: David Stanoch

Additional Proofing: Nancy Turman

Research Assistance & Artifact Loans:

Mark Lewisohn, Belmo, Andy Babiuk, Koop Geersing, Ren van Haarlem (special thanks for the 1984 Jimmie Nicol Holland interview and photos), Beatles Unlimited , Ton Vandraanen, Renato Facconi, Vince Medina Sanna, Brendon Pearce, Patricia Convery-Curator of Arts Centre, Melbourne, Performing Arts Collection, Kenn Brodziak Beatles Australian Tour Collection, The Spotnicks, Frank Caiazzo, Wayne Rodgers, Professor Gordon Thompson; Piet Muys; Marlene Matalon, Marco Matalon; Broadway International; Peggy Lescrenier; Eamonn Walsh, BBC-TV Panorama, Roy Hodkinson, Jeffrey Kruger, MBE, Azing Moltmaker, Paolo Hewit, Ray Kelley, Jim Cox, Henk Looijestijn, www.storyofindorock.com , Roy Tull, Miss Judy, Jorgen Billing, www.beathouse.dk , Blair Foster, Hanalei Perez-Lopez, Misha Hasfeld & The Clarks, Phil Chamberlain, Butch Vig and Beth Halper, Charles Cross and Sandy Maris.

Interviewees, Musicians, Friends of Jimmie Nicol and Special Assistance:

Sir Jeffrey Kruger, MBE, (founder of The Flamingo club), Greg Tesser; Pete Best, Sir George Martin CBE; Neil Aspinall, Derek Taylor, Tony Bramwell, Sam Leach, Jonathan Clyde, Allen J. Wiener, Matt Hurwitz, Jim Brandmeier, Peter Winsnes, Bo Winberg, Bob Starander, Roland Ferneborg, Inga Lill Ferneborg, The Spotnicks, Lars Akerstrm, Hans Sidn, Julia Maria Villaseor, Ricardo Toral, Bill Harry, John Hodkinson, Johnny Harris, Dave Quincy, the Shubdubs; Vince Eager, the Quiet Three; Joe Brown; John Taylor; Rick Hardy; Mike ONeil; Colin Hicks & His Cabin Boys; Bob Hunter; Max Lobkowitz; Herb Reed & The Platters; Tony Newman of Sounds Incorporated; Johnny Chester; Peter (Asher) & Gordon (Waller); Torben Sardorf & The Hitmakers, Misha Hasfeld; David Matalon, Colin Green; Tex Makins, Dave Clark & the Dave Clark Five; Graham Nash, The Hollies, Corrina Cree Miller, Esq., Johnny Gentle; Georgie Fame, Ben Sidran, Noel Wallis, Federico Rubli, Raye Du-Val, Tony Sheridan, Andy White, Klaus Voormann, Jim & Cynthia Keltner, Will McClain, Ray Kelley, Albert Lee, Oscar Rexhauser and The Hot Jumpers, Joe Johnson, Don E. Gee, Beatle Brunch, Rachel Cooper and indirectly Olivia, Yoko, John, Paul, George, Jimmie, Brian, & Ringo.

Family:

Very special thanks to my wife Holly, who listened to all of my daily Jimmie Nicol discoveries along the way with the book.

Our kids: Becca & Brad Berkenstadt, who helped in so many ways!

Gene and Laurie Berkenstadt

Joy and Jack Charney

Bonnie Laviron

Scott Cremer and Ellen Whitman

Very special thanks to my parents: Ed and Lois Berkenstadt who are no longer with us.

The Legal Team: Dan Black, Greenburg Traurig LLP, Dan Hardy, Axley Brynelson LLP

The Medical Team: Dr. John Wilson, Dr. Thomas Zdeblick, Dr. Mark Linzer

Helpful Friends and Gangs:

The Fijis, The Hack N Slash gang, The Smart gang, The Gennas gang, Team Fab Four, The Pergola Gang, The Lolas Gang, The Prairie Dogs Gang, Riffmaster & The Rockme Foundation, The Practical Theater Gang, Garbage-Butch, Duke, Steve and Shirley and Billy Bush, The KIABs, Scott & Lynne Faulkner &The Edgewater, Kris Warren, Ken LaBarre & Roll It Take It, Breakfast with The Beatles, Chris Carter, Mike Spound, Jim Shaw, Bob Weber, Brad Hall, Rob Wolken, John Tomko, Rain Management, Jenna Adler, CAA, Sylvie Rabineau, J Sikura, Roy Elkins & Broadjam, and Widen Enterprises.

FOREWORD BY FORMER BEATLE

Chas Newby

Jimmie Nicol and I are both members of a relatively small group of people who have played live with The Beatles on stage. Our appearances with the greatest band in the history of popular music were for the same reason; we were substituting for a member of The Beatles on a short term basis. However, the timing and consequences of being part of the band were very different.

In December 1960, The Beatles had just completed their first visit to Hamburg. At that time the band comprised John, Paul and George, plus Pete Best on drums and bass player Stuart Sutcliffe. During their stay, Stuart met Astrid Kirchherr and was invited to spend the Christmas break with the Kirchherr family while the rest of the band returned home to Liverpool. Once back on home soil, the band were looking for gigs to play and a bass player to fill in for Stuart until he returned in the New Year. I had no aspirations to be a professional musician; I was studying chemistry at college and was back home for the Christmas vacation. I had known Pete Best from school and we had played together in the Blackjacks before Pete joined The Beatles for their trip to Hamburg. I was familiar with the repertoire they played at that time and so for four nights at the end of 1960, I played bass with The Beatles. I went back to college early January and Stuart came home to resume his role with the band.