Spencer Leigh’s the rebel without a pause

Jul 29 2008 by David Charters, Liverpool Daily Post

Spencer Leigh filming a documentary next to the John Lennon statue in Mathew Street, Liverpool with cameraman Kevin Phillips _320

"I HAVE been on film for longer than James Dean," says the authority on popular culture, as he settles his light frame on the corner of the double bed in the John Lennon suite at the Hard Days Night Hotel, Liverpool.

Of course, his movie career thus far has not brought him the fame bestowed on the late Rebel Without a Cause, whose brooding manners are still aped by teenagers.

But Spencer Leigh, broadcaster and writer, is correct about the length. His three films about the Beatles will run for more than 12 hours – considerably more than Dean’s celluloid career.

The first two – The Beatles Liverpool, which lasts five and a half hours, and The Beatles Hamburg (three hours) – are already out on DVD.

The trilogy will be completed with The Beatles Merseyside which should be released in September.

Spencer, whose On The Beat show on Radio Merseyside is a must for music fans, was in the hotel doing interviews, recorded by Kevin Phillips, director of the films made by Artsmagic of South Wales.

Of course, the Beatles have slipped in folk history, so these films link them to people and places. There are long conversations with people who knew them or had associations with them at various times in their lives.

"The Beatles Merseyside is primarily about what was happening to them in the suburbs, while the Beatles Liverpool concentrates on the Cavern and the Iron Door. "This time we spent a morning in Southport looking at the various venues the Beatles played there. It does seem that the first thing Brian Epstein did when he took over the group’s management in December 1961 was conquer Southport."

The Beatles also had close ties with New Brighton, appearing before 4,500 dancers at the old Tower Ballroom.

Sam Leach, the promoter, and Allan Williams, their manager before Epstein, are among those interviewed along with Les Maguire, piano player with Gerry and the Pacemakers. Other older Mersebeat stars to be featured will be Hank Walters and Denny Seyton. David Charters of the Daily Post is among those speaking of the Beatles’ legacy on Merseyside.

"One of the things we found out was that the Beatles played at Lewis’s (department store) in the 5 2 7 Club," says Spencer. "It was thought that they played on the fifth floor, which is still there with all the original tiling. But Denny Seyton said it was actually on the sixth floor and we went up and found a small dancefloor beneath some stuff they were storing there."

So the Beatles’ story goes on.

davidcharters@dailypost.co.uk