#its silly lewisohn keeps up this idea of the boys not knowing when brian brings them to a gay bar in london nye 1961

[get-back-homeward]

The following day, two of the Beatles were sitting in the Kardomah café. Their Wednesday-night Cavern residency was preceded this week by a lunchtime session, and John and Paul were still in the habit of staying in town on such days, idling away afternoons in “the KD.” This time they were chatting to one of John’s old mates from art school, who then said, “I believe Brian Epstein is managing you—which one of you does he fancy?” It was just a bit of lads’ banter, something that often came up behind Brian’s back, along with digs about him being Jewish. Nothing more would have been said about it if one of the two Beatles (or both) hadn’t then relayed the comment to Brian’s face. He was mortified. It was a stain on his character; it was combustible, in view of homosexual acts being illegal; and, because he was still denying this side of his life to the Beatles, it was a direct challenge for him to respond. Forty-eight hours later, Brian turned the matter over to his lawyer; and seven days after passing the comment, John’s friend from art school was dumped deep in it.

We have been consulted by Mr. Brian Epstein who instructs us that on the February 21st last in the Kardomah Café, Church Street, Liverpool, you uttered a certain highly malicious and defamatory statement concerning him to two members of the Beatles. We are instructed that in the course of a conversation you said, “I believe Brian Epstein is managing you. Which one of you does he fancy?” The unwarranted innuendo contained in that remark is perfectly clear and is one to which our client takes the gravest possible exception and the damaging nature of which has caused him considerable anxiety and distress. He is not prepared to tolerate the utterance of such remarks by you and we accordingly have to require that we receive by return your written apology together with an undertaking that this or similar remarks will not be made by you in the future.

The apology and undertaking arrived by return of post and that was the end of the matter—but it was another hard and damaging episode for Brian.

From Tune In (Ch. 25: Feb 6–Mar 8, 1961)

#brian epstein #eppy and the boys #john and paul #tune in #mark lewisohn #read this over a year ago and then had trouble finding it again #so i’m copying to save here #in my head i short handed it as a cease and desist letter for a rent boy joke #lawyers and the beatles #the most interesting thing is that j&p mention it to brian #lewisohn implies its pauls doing but i can see either or both using this as an early test of brian #more like brian people are saying x what are you gonna do about it #its silly lewisohn keeps up this idea of the boys not knowing when brian brings them to a gay bar in london nye 1961 #i doubt they were clueless #but even if they were cool with it telling brian means they werent cool with the resulting implication people might have #i sometimes think thats what was behind the homophobic sounding jokes john lobbed at brian in the presence of reporters #eppy and john #i feel like its always a big part of why paul will always deny barcelona #eppy and paul #kardomah cafe #reading tune in #1962 #fic bunny #spring 62 is such a precarious time #i believe this lines up with the timing of the nutting story too