Nowhere Boy is a 2009 British biopic about John Lennon's adolescence, his relationships with his guardian aunt and his birth mother, the creation of his first band, the Quarrymen, and its evolution into the Beatles. The film is based on a biography written by Lennon's half-sister Julia Baird.^[2] The film received its US release on 8 October 2010, coinciding with that weekend's celebrations of the 70th anniversary of Lennon's birth (9 October 1940).^[3]

Plot[link]

The drama tells the story of Lennon's (Aaron Johnson) teenage years from 1955–1960 and the start of his journey to becoming a successful musician. The story also examines the impact on his early life and personality of the two dominant females in his childhood – his Aunt Mimi (Kristin Scott Thomas), and his mother, Julia (Anne-Marie Duff).^[4] In addition, the film shows the first meeting of Lennon with future Beatles Paul McCartney (Thomas Brodie Sangster) and George Harrison (Sam Bell), and the development of their friendship and musical partnership.

Cast[link]

• Aaron Johnson as John Lennon
• Kristin Scott Thomas as Mimi Smith
• David Threlfall as George Toogood Smith
• Josh Bolt as Pete Shotton
• Ophelia Lovibond as Maria Kennedy
• James Michael Johnson as Stan Parkes
• Anne-Marie Duff as Julia Lennon
• David Morrissey as Bobby Dykins
• Andrew Buchan as Michael Fishwick
• James Jack Bentham as Rod Davis
• Jack McElhone as Eric Griffiths
• Thomas Brodie Sangster as Paul McCartney^[1]
• Sam Bell as George Harrison
• Christian Bird as Jimmy Tarbuck
• Colin Tierney as Alf Lennon

Production[link]

The film was the directorial debut of conceptual artist/photographer Sam Taylor-Wood.^[5] The screenplay was written by Matt Greenhalgh, who also wrote the Joy Division film Control. It was shot on location in Liverpool, and at Ealing Studios in West London.^[5][6] Some of the interior school scenes were filmed at Sacred Heart Catholic College in Crosby. Following the announcement of the film, initial media accounts indicated that it would be based on the book Imagine This: Growing Up With My Brother John Lennon by Lennon's half sister Julia Baird.^[7] However, the credits for the completed film do not reference either the book or Baird, with sole writing credit accorded to screenwriter Matt Greenhalgh. The director consulted both McCartney and Yoko Ono about the script, with both firmly correcting the depiction of Mimi to be less strict and more loving of John.^[8]

The film received a National Lottery funding of ₤1.2 million from the UK Film Council Premier Fund, with an additional ₤35,500 from its Development Fund to create the script.^[7][9] The film also received a grant from Film4 (the film division of Channel 4).^[5]

Release[link]

The film premiered in the UK on 26 December 2009.^[10] Its US release was on 8 October 2010, coinciding with that weekend's celebrations of the 70th anniversary of Lennon's birth.^[11][12]

HanWay Films represented worldwide sales. Distributor Icon Entertainment International took the rights for the United Kingdom and Australia. Mars Distribution acquired the rights for France.^[5] The Weinstein Company distributed the film in the USA, Germany and Latin America.

Following the release, McCartney went public about his depiction in the film. McCartney stated that he was never punched out by John,^[13] and that they were both equal in height, and was not significantly shorter than Lennon.^{[citation needed]}

Festival screenings[link]

The film had its world premiere on 29 October 2009 at the closing night of the London Film Festival.^[10] The film was screened at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival on 27 January.^[6][14] It screened again at the Maui Film Festival in Wailea, Hawaii, on 18 June 2010, and at the Fest for Beatles Fans convention in Chicago on 14 August 2010.

Awards[link]

Nowhere Boy was nominated for four British Academy Film Awards: Outstanding British Film, Best Supporting Actress (one each for Anne-Marie Duff and Kristin Scott Thomas), and Outstanding Debut by a British director (Sam Taylor-Wood).^[15]

Soundtrack[link]

The soundtrack features several of the songs played by The Quarrymen at the time depicted in the film. New recordings were made featuring performances by Johnson and Thomas Sangster. Sangster was able to play the guitar before landing his role, but, as he is right-handed, learned how to play left-handed, à la McCartney.^[1] Producers negotiated with Yoko Ono for the rights to use Lennon's song "Mother" in the film.^[1] In addition to the featured songs, British electronica duo Goldfrapp provide the film's instrumental score.^[16] The soundtrack was released digitally on 11 December 2009 and in stores as a two-disc album by Sony Music Entertainment on 29 December 2009.

Disc 1

1. Jerry Lee Lewis – "Wild One"
2. Dickie Valentine – "Mr. Sandman"
3. Jackie Brenston and His Delta Cats – "Rocket 88"
4. Elvis Presley – "Shake, Rattle & Roll"
5. Wanda Jackson – "Hard Headed Woman"
6. Screamin' Jay Hawkins – "I Put a Spell on You"
7. The Nowhere Boys – "Maggie May"
8. The Nowhere Boys – "That'll Be the Day"
9. Eddie Bond and The Stompers – "Rockin' Daddy"
10. Eddie Cochran – "Twenty Flight Rock"
11. The Nowhere Boys – "That's Alright Mama"
12. The Nowhere Boys – "Movin' and Groovin'"
13. The Nowhere Boys – "Raunchy"
14. Big Mama Thornton – "Hound Dog"
15. Gene Vincent and The Blue Caps – "Be-Bop-A-Lula"
16. Aaron Johnson – "Hello Little Girl"
17. The Nowhere Boys – "In Spite of All the Danger"
18. John Lennon – "Mother"

Disc 2

1. Chuck Berry – "Roll Over Beethoven"
2. Bill Haley and His Comets – "Rock Around the Clock"
3. Little Richard – "Rip It Up"
4. Elvis Presley – "Baby, Let's Play House"
5. Buddy Holly – "Peggy Sue"
6. Buddy Knox – "Party Doll"
7. Bobby Fuller Four – "I Fought the Law"
8. Vince Taylor and His Playboys – "Brand New Cadillac"
9. Dale Hawkins – "Susie Q"
10. Shirley & Lee – "Let the Good Times Roll"
11. Barrett Strong – "Money (That's What I Want)"
12. Fats Domino – "Ain't That a Shame"
13. Lloyd Price – "Stagger Lee"
14. Frankie Vaughan – "These Dangerous Years"
15. The Del-Vikings – "Come Go with Me"

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official website
• Nowhere Boy at the Internet Movie Database
• Nowhere Boy at AllRovi
• Nowhere Boy at Box Office Mojo
• Nowhere Boy at Rotten Tomatoes
• Nowhere Boy at Metacritic

Thomas Brodie
Thomas Brodie
Born	1903
Died	1993
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	British Army
Years of service	1926 - 1957
Rank	Major-General
Commands held	2nd Bn The Manchester Regiment 14th Infantry Brigade 1st Bn Cheshire Regiment 29th Infantry Brigade 1st Division
Battles/wars	World War II Korean War Third Battle of Seoul Battle of the Imjin River
Awards	Companion of the Order of the Bath Commander of the Order of the British Empire Distinguished Service Order

Major-General Thomas Brodie, CB, CBE, DSO (1903–1993) was a British Army soldier who saw service in World War II, Palestine and the Korean War. After retirement in 1955, he became involved with the British pressure group, the Economic League.

Military career[link]

Brodie was born on 20 November 1903 in Bellingham, Northumberland, to Thomas Brodie. He attended Durham University, gaining a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1924. In 1938, Brodie married Jane Margaret Chapman­ Walker. The couple had three sons and a daughter.

Brodie was commissioned as a 2nd lieutenant into the Cheshire Regiment on 3 February 1926. In May 1936, recently promoted to Captain, he was appointed as the Cheshire's Regimental Adjutant.^[1] From September 1939, he served as an instructor at the Royal Military College, Sandhurst.^[1]

He was promoted to Major in April 1941 and between 1942 and 1943 as an acting Lieutenant Colonel, Brodie commanded the 2nd Battalion, The Manchester Regiment.^[1] From November 1943 until March 1945, he commanded the 14th Infantry Brigade in India and Burma (subsequently redesignated in November 1944 as the 14th Airlanding Brigade).^[1] In this period, his substantive rank remained as major, but he received acting and temporary ranks of Lt Colonel, Colonel and Brigadier.

After the War, Brodie returned to the Cheshires and between 1946 and 1947 he was Commanding Officer of the 1st Battalion.^[1] In May 1947, he was formally promoted to Lt. Colonel and, within a few days, to Colonel. Between 1947 and 1948, he served in Palestine,^[1] being appointed CBE and mentioned in despatches.

As a "local" Major-General (he received the substantive rank of Brigadier in October 1952), Brodie commanded the 29th Infantry Brigade in Korea.^[1] He participated in the difficult Third Battle of Seoul and the Battle of the Imjin River, defending the northern approach of Seoul in both battles. For his service in Korea, he received the DSO and the US Silver Star (twice) and the Legion of Merit.

Between 1952 and July 1955, Brodie was General Officer Commanding, 1st Division, based in the Middle East.^[1] He retired from the Army on 1 January 1957.^[1]

Brody was appointed as Honorary Colonel, The Cheshire Regiment (a ceremonial role) on 26 December1955 and served until December 1961. He was associated with the British right-wing pressure group, the Economic League, from 1957 until 1984.

Thomas Brodie died at Basingstoke, Hampshire on 1 September 1993. His wife, Margaret, had died the previous year.

Honours and awards[link]

• Companion of the Order of the Bath - 1 January 1954
• Commander of the Order of the British Empire - 7 January 1949
• Distinguished Service Order - 7 September 1951
• Mention in Despatches - 26 April 1945
• Silver Star (United States) - 8 June 1951 and 10 August 1954
• Officer of the Legion of Merit (United States) - 30 October 1953

References[link]

• Farrar-Hockley, Anthony (1990), Official History: The British Part in the Korean War, Volume I, London, England: HMSO, ISBN 0-11-630953-9 

External links[link]

• Unit Histories- British Army Officers

Eddie Cochran (October 3, 1938 – April 17, 1960), was an American rock and roll pioneer who in his brief career had a small but lasting influence on rock music through his guitar playing. Cochran's rockabilly songs, such as "C'mon Everybody", "Somethin' Else", and "Summertime Blues", captured teenage frustration and desire in the late 1950s and early 1960s.^[1] He experimented with multitrack recording and overdubbing even on his earliest singles,^[2] and was also able to play piano, bass and drums.^[1] His image as a sharply dressed, rugged but good looking young man with a rebellious attitude epitomized the stance of the Fifties rocker, and in death he achieved iconic status.^[3]

Cochran was born in Minnesota and moved with his family to California in the early 1950s. He was involved with music from an early age, playing in the school band and teaching himself to play blues guitar.^[4] In 1955, he formed a duet with the unrelated guitarist Hank Cochran, and when they split the following year, Cochran began a song-writing career with Jerry Capehart. His first success came when he performed the song "Twenty Flight Rock" in the movie The Girl Can't Help It, starring Jayne Mansfield. Soon after, Liberty Records signed him to a recording contract.

Cochran died aged 21 after a road accident in the town of Chippenham, Wiltshire during his British tour in April 1960. Though his best known songs were released during his lifetime, more of his songs were released posthumously. In 1987, Cochran was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. His songs have been much covered by bands such as The Who, The Beach Boys, The Beatles, Dick Dale & his Del-Tones, Blue Cheer, Led Zeppelin, Rush, Humble Pie, Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, Teenage Head, Tiger Army, UFO, The White Stripes, Stray Cats, and the Sex Pistols.

Early life[link]

Cochran was born in Albert Lea, Minnesota, as Ray Edward Cochran.^[5] His parents were from Oklahoma and he always stated in interviews that he was from Oklahoma. He took music lessons in school but quit the band to play drums. Also, rather than taking piano lessons, he began learning guitar, playing the country music he heard on the radio. In 1955, Cochran's family moved to Bell Gardens, California. As his guitar playing improved, he formed a band with two friends from his junior high school. During a show featuring many performers at an American Legion hall, he met Hank Cochran (later a country music songwriter). Although they were not related, they recorded as The Cochran Brothers and began performing together.^[6] Eddie Cochran also worked as a session musician and began writing songs, making a "demo" with Jerry Capehart, his future manager.

Music career (1956–1960)[link]

This unreferenced section requires citations to ensure verifiability.

In 1956, Boris Petroff asked Cochran if he would appear in the musical comedy film The Girl Can't Help It. He agreed and sang a song called "Twenty Flight Rock" in the movie. In 1957, Cochran starred in his second film, Untamed Youth, and also had his first hit, "Sittin' in the Balcony", one of the few songs he recorded that were written by other songwriters (in this case John D. Loudermilk). "Twenty Flight Rock" was written by AMI staff writer Ned Fairchild. AMI granted Cochran a co-writer credit but no royalties,^{[citation needed]} a common arrangement by which publishers move songs from demos to commercial recordings.^{[citation needed]} This allowed Cochran to rewrite or add to the song to turn it into a rock and roll song. Fairchild, who was not a rock and roll performer, merely provided the initial form of the song and the co-writing credit reflects Cochran's changes and contributions to the final product.

In November 1957 Liberty Records released Cochran's only album released during his lifetime, Singin' To My Baby. There were only a few rockers on this album, and Liberty seemed to want to move Cochran more into the pop music direction. However, his most famous hit, "Summertime Blues" (co-written with Jerry Capehart), was an important influence on music in the late 1950s, both lyrically and musically. The song, released on Liberty recording #55144, charted at #8 on August 25, 1958. Cochran's brief career included only a few more hits, such as "C'mon Everybody", "Somethin' Else", "My Way", "Weekend", "Teenage Heaven", "Sitting in the Balcony", "Three Stars", "Nervous Breakdown", and his posthumous UK number one hit "Three Steps to Heaven". In 1959, he backed Skeets McDonald at Columbia's studios for "You Oughta See Grandma Rock" and "Heart Breaking Mama".

In early 1959, two of Cochran's friends, Buddy Holly and Ritchie Valens, along with the Big Bopper, were killed in a plane crash while on tour. Eddie's friends and family later said that he was badly shaken by their deaths, and he developed a morbid premonition that he would also die young. He was anxious to give up life on the road and spend his time in the studio making music, thereby reducing the chance of suffering a similar fatal accident while touring. However, financial responsibilities required that he continue to perform live, and that led to his acceptance of an offer to tour the United Kingdom in 1960.

Death[link]

On Saturday, April 16, 1960, at about 11.50 p.m., while on tour in the United Kingdom, 21-year-old Cochran died in a traffic accident in a taxi (a Ford Consul, not, as widely quoted, a London Hackney carriage) travelling through Chippenham, Wiltshire, on the A4. The speeding taxi blew a tire, lost control, and crashed into a lamp post on Rowden Hill, where a plaque now marks the spot (no other car was involved).^[7] Cochran, who was seated in the centre of the back seat, threw himself over his girlfriend to shield her and was thrown out of the car when the door flew open. He was taken to St. Martin's Hospital, Bath, where he died at 4.10 p.m. the following day of severe head injuries.^[8] Cochran's body was flown home and his remains were buried on April 25, 1960, at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Cypress, California.^[9]

Songwriter Sharon Sheeley and singer Gene Vincent survived the crash, Vincent sustaining lasting injuries to an already permanently damaged leg that would shorten his career and affect him for the rest of his life. The taxi driver, George Martin, was convicted of dangerous driving, fined £50, disqualified from driving for 15 years, and sentenced to prison for six months (although by some accounts he served no prison time at all).^[10] His driving privileges were reinstated by the court in 1969. The car and other items from the crash were impounded at the local police station until a coroner's inquest could be held. A police cadet at the station, who would become Dave Dee of the band Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich, taught himself to play guitar on Cochran's impounded Gretsch.^[11] Earlier in the tour, the same guitar had been carried to the car for Cochran by a young fan later to become Marc Bolan of T. Rex who would also die in a car crash.^[12] A posthumous album, My Way, was released in 1964.

A memorial stone to commemorate Eddie Cochran can be found in the grounds of St Martin’s Hospital in Bath.^[13] The stone was restored in 2010 (on the 50th anniversary of his death) and can be found in the old chapel grounds at St Martin’s Hospital. A Memorial Plaque can also be found next to the sundial at the back of the old chapel.

Posthumous releases and honors[link]

Cochran was a prolific performer, and the British label Rockstar Records has released more of his music posthumously than had been released during his life. The company is still looking for unpublished songs.

One of his posthumous releases was "Three Stars", a tribute to J.P. Richardson, better known as The Big Bopper, and Eddie's friends Buddy Holly and Ritchie Valens, who had all died together in a plane crash just one year earlier. It was originally written and recorded by Tommy Dee just hours after the deaths were officially reported, and Cochran recorded his version the day after. His voice broke during the lyrics about Valens and Holly.

In 1987, Cochran was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.^[14] His pioneering contribution to the genre of rockabilly has also been recognized by the Rockabilly Hall of Fame. Several of his songs have been rereleased since his death, such as "C'mon Everybody", which was a number 14 hit in 1988 in the UK. Rolling Stone ranked him number 84 on their 2003 list of the 100 greatest guitarists of all time.

Cochran's life is chronicled in several publications, including Don’t Forget Me – The Eddie Cochran Story, written by Julie Mundy and Darrel Higham (ISBN 0-8230-7931-7), and Three Steps to Heaven, written by Bobby Cochran (ISBN 0-634-03252-6).

On 2 June 2008, The Very Best of Eddie Cochran was released by EMI Records.

Influence[link]

One of the first rock and roll artists to write his own songs and overdub tracks, Cochran is credited also with being one of the first to use an unwound third string in order to "bend" notes up a whole tone – an innovation (imparted to UK guitarist Joe Brown, who secured much session work as a result) which has since become an essential part of the standard rock guitar vocabulary. Artists such as The Rolling Stones, Bruce Springsteen, Van Halen, Tom Petty, Rod Stewart, Motörhead, Humble Pie, Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen, Lemmy Kilmister, The Head Cat, The Damned, UFO (band), T. Rex, Stray Cats, Brian Setzer, Cliff Richard, The Who, The Beach Boys, The Beatles, Blue Cheer, Led Zeppelin, The White Stripes, The Sex Pistols, Rush, Buck Owens, Tiger Army, Dion, Simple Minds, Guitar Wolf, Paul McCartney, Alan Jackson, Keith Richards & The X-Pensive Winos, and Jimi Hendrix have covered his songs.

It was because Paul McCartney knew the chords and words to "Twenty Flight Rock" that he became a member of The Beatles. John Lennon was so impressed that he invited Paul to play with his band The Quarrymen. Jimi Hendrix performed "Summertime Blues" early in his career, and Pete Townshend of The Who was heavily influenced by Cochran's guitar style ("Summertime Blues" was a Who live staple at one time and is featured on their Live At Leeds album). Glam rock artist Marc Bolan had his main Les Paul model refinished in a transparent orange to resemble the Gretsch 6120 guitar played by Cochran, who was his music hero.^[15] He was also a heavy influence on the nascent rockabilly guitar legend Brian Setzer from Stray Cats, who plays a 6120 almost like Cochran, whom he portrayed in the film La Bamba. Cochran is easily one of the first musicians, alongside Chuck Berry, whom the late Rory Gallagher was always quick to mention as a strong influence on his musical taste and performance.

In 1988, "C'mon Everybody" was used by Levi Strauss & Co. in an advertisement to promote its 501 Jeans catalogue and rereleased as a promotional single, hitting #14 in the UK charts. The advertisement told a story of how the narrator, Sharon Sheeley, attracted Cochran by wearing her 501s.

Guitars[link]

When playing with Hank Cochran, Eddie Cochran played a Gibson L-4C archtop acoustic guitar with a florentine cutaway and a DeArmond 'Rhythm Chief' pickup, which can be clearly seen in the Cochran Brothers publicity photograph.

Later, Cochran moved to a 1955 Gretsch 6120 Chet Atkins G-brand Western model, which Eddie had modified. He replaced the neck position De Armond Dynasonic pickup with a black covered Gibson P-90 pickup. He also used Martin acoustic guitars.

Discography[link]

Chart positions are from the Billboard Hot 100.

Singles[link]

• "Sittin' In The Balcony b/w Dark Lonely Street (February 1957) #18
• "Drive In Show" b/w "Am I Blue Liberty F55087 (July 1957) #82
• "Jeannie Jeannie Jeannie" b/w Pocketful Of Hearts (January 1958) #94
• "Summertime Blues" b/w "Love Again" Liberty F55144 (July 1958) #8
• "C'mon Everybody" b/w "Don't Ever Let Me Go" Liberty F55166 (October 1958) #35
• "Teenage Heaven" b/w "I Remember" Liberty 55177 (February 1959) #99
• "Somethin' Else" b/w "Boll Weevil Song" Liberty 55203 (July 1959) #58

U.S. albums[link]

• Singin' To My Baby Liberty LRP-3061 (November 1957)^[16]
• 12 of His Biggest Hits Liberty LRP-3172 (April 1960) reissued as The Eddie Cochran Memorial Album (May 1960)
• Never To Be Forgotten Liberty LRP-3220 (January 1962)^[16]
• Summertime Blues Sunset SUS-5123 (August 1966)
• Legendary Masters Series United Artists UAS 9959 (January 1972)
• The Very Best Of Eddie Cochran (1975)
• Singin' To My Baby (re-issue) (1981)
• Great Hits (1983)
• On The Air (1987)
• The Best Of Eddie Cochran (1987)
• Greatest Hits Curb Records (1990)
• Singin' to My Baby and Never To Be Forgotten EMI Records (1993)

UK albums[link]

• Cherished Memories (December 1962)
• My Way (September 1964)
• The Legendary Eddie Cochran (June 1971)
• The Many Sides Of Eddie Cochran (1974)
• 20th Anniversary Album (March 1980)
• The Best Of Eddie Cohran Liberty-EMI U.K. (1985) (The mono 16 track LP/cassette is from the Rock 'N' Roll Masters series.)
• The Very Best of Eddie Cochran (June 2008)
• Eddie Cochran Story (6 July 2009)

References[link]

Bibliography

• Bobby Cochran with Susan Van Hecke: Three Steps to Heaven: The Eddie Cochran Story. Milwaukee, WI: Hal Leonard 2003. ISBN 0-634-03252-6
• Julie Mundy and Darrel Higham: Don't Forget Me: The Eddie Cochran Story. Edinburgh: Mainstream Publishing Company 2000. ISBN 0-8230-7931-7
• Sharon Sheeley: "SUMMERTIME BLUES". Ravenhawk Books. Release date June 30, 2010. ISBN 978-1-893660-18-2.