"Paul, come on, we all know you were shitting yourself", John humourously remarked, as he plonked himself down on a chair next to his bandmate. The Beatles had just finished recording A Taste Of Honey, a cover for their first album, 'Please Please Me'. They were up in the control room with Brian Epstein, their manager, and George Martin, their producer, listening to the second take. Paul, who sang lead vocals on the song, didn't take naturally to the solo spotlight. He couldn't help but be nervous. He had sung live hundreds of times before, like back in Hamburg, but just something about recording an actual song on an actual tape that actual people could buy was for some reason nerve-wracking for him. John picked up on Paul's out of character anxiousness, flashing him smirks and raised eyebrows, along with funny faces, throughout the recording process. As well as funny, John was distracting, much to George and Brian's annoyance. That's why they had to do two takes. John just wouldn't stop making Paul laugh. In no time he had the bass player doubled over, howling with laughter. John was just like that. He could make anyone feel at ease, by cracking a few risky jokes and cheeky smiles.
"Who's this then?", John asked his friend, who he'd just walked out from a class with. His friend looked at the other guy, standing next to them both. He nodded at him to speak.
"My name's Stuart. Stuart Sutcliffe. But... most people call me Stu".
John took his glasses off and folded them. "Why hello, lamb stew, how are you today? Care to show me to our next class?"
Stu gave a little chuckle. "How do you not know where you are next? Haven't you been here for a couple of weeks already?"
"Yeah, but it's a big place, intit, this art college? Ought to 'ave a map or something".
"Hmm, yeah, I guess they should. Enough with the small talk then, let's go".
John's friend went a separate way, as the two started walking down the hallways of the Liverpool College of Art, each man 'admiring' the art on display, spread across the walls.
"What's your name then?", Stu eventually asked, breaking the silence.
"Was wondering when you were gonna ask me that. Lennon. My name's John Lennon".
"Well, nice to meet you John Lennon".
"It's very nice to meet you too, Beef Stew Sutcliffe".
YOU ARE READING
Never Let Me Go
FanfictionA story set from 1962 and onwards, about John and Paul's friendship following John's best friend Stu Sutcliffe's sudden and tragic death. It shows a parallel between John's friendship with Stu back in Liverpool and Hamburg, and then with Paul, as Th...
