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The Beatles Unravelled #18 Bass Players from Stuart to Paul

Stuart Sutcliffe
1960s1960youtube

Before Paul swapped six string for four there were two other bass playing Beatles, Chas Newby and Stuart Sutcliffe. In January 1960, John Lennon's art college friend bought a bass guitar and became the band's first bass player. When the Beatles returned from their first Hamburg residency, Stuart stayed behind with his new girlfriend, Astrid Kirshherr. The Beatles needed a bass guitarist for their upcoming Liverpool gigs. Pete Best asked his former bandmate, Chas Newby to stand in. Chas obliged for four gigs but then had to return to college when the Christmas vacation ended. Paul McCartney switched from six strings to four and the group had a new bass player. Stuart Sutcliffe played occasionally with the Beatles when they returned to Hamburg but his days as a Beatle were all but over. Lots more stories and podcasts on my website..: https://rocknrollunravelled.com/ Author of Rock'n'Roll Unravelled, Derek Shelmerdine - guest appearance on the Mop Tops and The King Show with his segment The Beatles Unravelled. For my own Rock'n'Roll Unravelled shows, complete with all the music played on the shows, check out my Mixcloud at: https://www.mixcloud.com/derek-c-shelmerdine/

About Stuart Sutcliffe

Stuart Fergusson Victor Sutcliffe (23 June 1940 – 10 April 1962) was a British painter and musician from Edinburgh, Scotland, best known as the original bass guitarist of the Beatles. Sutcliffe left the band to pursue his career as a painter, having previously attended the Liverpool College of Art. Sutcliffe and John Lennon are credited with inventing the name "Beetles" [sic], as they both liked Buddy Holly's band, the Crickets. They also had a fascination with group names with double meanings (...

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Added 6 May 2026



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