Because of Big Noise's efforts, legendary original Beatles drummer Pete Best's CD 'Haymans Green' was placed on the Official Ballot for the 2010 Grammy Awards by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences for Record of the Year ('Step Outside'), Album of the Year ('Haymans Green'), Song of the Year ('Gone'), Best Pop Performance By A Duo or Group with Vocals ('Step Outside'), Best Pop Instrumental Performance ('Beat Street'), and Best Pop Vocal Album ('Haymans Green').

The CD : Pete Best has released a handful of albums over the years and led The Pete Best Band since the late 1980s, reviving the Cavern Club-era sound. 'Hayman's Green,' however, is a horse of quite another color. Consisting of original material, it's right in line with the latter-day efforts of his former bandmates, sounding like something Jeff Lynne could have produced - from the George Harrison-esque slide-guitar lines to the undeniably Beatlesque chord progressions. Personnel: Pete Best (drums); Paul Parry (vocals, guitars, piano, keyboards); Tony Flynn, Phil Melia (vocals, guitars); Roag Best (drums, percussion).

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1960 - 1962 The Beatles

During 1960, The Silver Beatles played without a permanent drummer. Finally, when their manager Allan Williams secured a tour of Hamburg, it was decided that the drummer situation had to be solved. The solution was Pete Best. The band knew Pete from a club they had often played and now frequented, The Casbah - where Pete's own group (The Blackjacks) were resident.

Paul McCartney phoned Pete in August 1960 asking him if he was interested in joining the band. Pete discussed the situation with his fellow Blackjacks who happily agreed that Pete should take up his place with The Beatles. Pete formally auditioned, and became a Beatle on August 12, 1960, and left for Germany with John, Paul, George and Stuart. The rest is history...

During their first tour of Germany in 1960, the band played the Indra Club and the Kaiserkellar. It was on this tour that The Beatles met Astrid Kircher and Klaus Voorman. Beatle photographer Astrid later married Stuart and Klaus designed the cover of 'Revolver' and went on to play bass with John.

Following their 1960 tour success, The Beatles were invited back to Hamburg to play alongside the resident house musician at The Top Ten Club. It was here that record producer Bert Kaemfert first saw The Beatles and Tony Sheridan. He liked what he heard and offered to record them together for Polydor. The result was their first recording, 'My Bonnie.'

Upon their successful return to Liverpool as Polydor recording artists, growing enquiries at Nems Record Store for the single caught the attention of owner Brian Epstein. Interested in the band he arrived at the Original Cavern Club (the club where Pete's mother Mona Best secured their first booking) to watch the Beatles.

Brian was so impressed with their sound and the ever-growing number of fans, he approached The Beatles with a management offer.

The Beatles auditioned for Decca Records on New Year's Day, 1962. Mike Smith turned them down in favour of London group, Brian Poole & The Tremeloes, because he feared that the band was not sufficiently commercial enough for a recording deal.

Throughout 1962, the band's following grew considerably in Liverpool and Hamburg and they returned for another tour of Hamburg to the number one venue Star-Club - a fitting venue for a band recently voted Liverpool's #1 group in a Mersey Beat poll.

It was in Hamburg that Epstein broke the news to the band that they had finally secured a recording contract with EMI.

On their first recording date in June 1962, they met producer George Martin at Abbey Road Studios. The Beatles recorded 'Love Me Do.' The finished song became their first chart hit in October 1962, and when released later in early 63, became their first #1.

Unfortunately, in circumstances still clouded in mystery, Pete Best was dismissed from the group he had played with for over 2 years. The real reason was never given to Pete. The rest is legend.

1962 - 1963

Following Pete's dismissal from The Beatles on August 16, 1962, he was immediately approached by Rory Storm & The Hurricanes. They wanted him to take Ringo's place, who had ironically replaced Pete in the Beatles. Pete declined.

Epstein contacted Pete asking him to consider joining another of his groups, The Merseybeats. Brian wanted to mould the band into another Beatles. Again, Pete declined.

A month after Pete's infamous exit from the Beatles, he finally settled into his new role with Lee Curtis and The All Stars. With Pete as the backbone of the group, the band toured the UK and Germany, with an ever-growing fan base who were to witness a head-to-head competition between Pete's new band and their rivals, The Beatles.

In 1963, the band was awarded second place in the Merseybeat Poll, being beaten into second place by a narrow margin from the winners - The Beatles! The highlight of the year was when Lee Curtis secured a recording contract with Decca.

1963 - 1964

Pete and the All Stars eventually decided to split from Lee and develop their own distinctive sound, again completing a successful tour of the UK and Germany.

The man responsible for turning down the Beatles at Decca, Mike Smith, decided that Pete and The All Stars was just the band that they had been looking for. Now under contract from Decca, the band's name was changed to The Pete Best Four. They released a number of singles and appeared on TV in the UK's number one music programme 'Ready Steady Go.'

1964 - 1968

The band completed a European tour prior to visiting the USA. Once in America, the group recorded in New York for Bob Gallo and later, The Cameo label. Following their recordings, the band embarked on tours of the USA and Canada.

In 1968, after playing professionally for a decade, Pete decided that family life was more important than playing, and took a hiatus. Two members of Pete's band, Tony Waddington and Wayne Bickerton, continued their careers in the music business with The Rubettes. After becoming millionaire songwriters they opened Odyssey recording studios. It would be 20 years before Pete was to pick up his sticks again.

1988-Present

About the Band

The Pete Best Band delivers the raw, thumping intensity of The Beatles' savage sound during the early sixties.

The band are proud of their authentic sound and energy. Right from the first beat, you'll be immersed in nostalgia, listening to 'the best years' of The Beatles 1960-62.

The band captures the sound of the Beatles in their formative years - the early years that, for many fans, 'was' The Beatles. John Lennon summed this up well - "We were at our best when we were playing in the dance halls of Liverpool and Hamburg. The world never saw that."

Band Reviews

"I closed my eyes and I thought I was back at the Star-Club."
- Horst Fascher (Star-Club Manager & German Promoter)

"The Pete Best Band always sell out at the Cavern. The fans just can't get enough."
- Dave Jones (Cavern Club)

"A top quality band with a top quality show."
- Eric McDow (Canadian Promoter)

"I have never seen a Japanese audience dance in the aisles. They did with Pete Best."
- Tetsuo Hamada (Japanese Promoter)

"The Pete Best Band is fantastic, just fabulous."
- Rolando Giambelli (Italian Promoter)

"It really was Best of The Beatles."
- Heikki Lehtonnen (Finnish Promoter)

"They were awesome. The crowds just wanted the show to go on all night."
- Robin Henning (USA Promoter)

"They were cheeky, cocky, funny and great showmen."
- Charlie Fuentes (Argentinian Promoter)

"What lovely guys. The audience just warmed to them."
- Bill Walters (Australian Promoter)

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