Who was Mr. Low? | Fab Forum | The Beatles Bible

Seems more like an advertisement than a memorandum.

sigh butterfly said
This is an excerpt from Philip Norman's Paul McCartney book:

Chapter 7 ‘Just who do you want to be, Paul? Tommy Steele?’

Paul’s instincts as a PR man were already beginning to show. Some time in April 1960, he drafted a letter to a local journalist named Low who’d requested details about the band with a view to giving them some publicity. Whether the fair copy was sent, or produced the desired article, isn’t known. But the page and a half, in Paul’s neat hand, reveals that they’re still without a drummer or a name, and still pushing the ‘rhythm is in the guitars’ line:

Dear Mr Low

I am sorry about the time I have taken to write to you, but I hope I have not left it too late. Here are some details about the group.

It consists of four boys–Paul McCartney (guitar), John Lennon (guitar), Stuart Sutcliffe (bass) and George Harrison (another guitar) and is called the... This line-up may at first seem dull but it must be appreciated that as the boys have above-average playing instrumental ability they achieve surprisingly varied effects. Their basic beat is the off-beat, but this has recently tended to be accompanied by a faint on- beat; thus the overall sound is rather reminiscent of the 4 in the bar beat of Traditional jazz. This could possibly be put down to the influence on the group of Mr McCartney, who led one of the top local jazz bands (Jim Mac’s Jazz Band) in the 1920’s.

Modern music is, however, the group’s delight and, as if to prove the point, John and Paul have written over 50 tunes, ballads and faster numbers, in the last three years.

John–described as their leader, despite coming second in the initial personnel list–is said to be an ‘accomplished guitarist and banjo-player and an ‘experienced cartoonist’. Of his 18-year-old self, Paul says he’s reading English at Liverpool University and that, as well as the guitar, his specialities are piano and drums.

That fib about Liverpool University reveals his sensitivity about being the group’s last remaining schoolboy. Although a year his junior, George Harrison had by now left Liverpool Institute to become an apprentice electrician at Blacklers, a city centre department store. Like John and Stu, George could stay out as late and get as drunk as he liked, whereas Paul always had to be thinking about the next morning’s class and revising for his GCE A-Levels in July.

  

I found this unclear.  First, was Paul quoting someone after his initial sentence in that letter?  Who was he quoting?  Second, the un-italicized paragraphs after the italicized text I assume was Philip Norman, correct?  Did his book present those un-italicized paragraphs immediately after the italicized portion, as it looks above?  If yes, why does he mention things that are not in Paul's italicized text (John "described as their leader" and Paul saying "he's reading English etc.")?

Thanks @MrHorse -- it's all clear now!

I noticed this part of Philip Norman's book as reproduced by sigh butterfly (thanks!), referring to Sutcliffe's bass playing:

"Stu turned out to have no aptitude whatsoever for the instrument..."

"His lack of skills so embarrassed and that he'd stand with his back to the audience to hide his inept fingering often the others would secretly unplug his amp, leaving him mute."

First, I found a convincing refutation of this narrative -- https://daytrippin.com/2011/06.....-straight/

Second, as I recall, the "amp unplugging" incident was just once, done by Paul, not "often the others".  These kinds of sloppiness make me think he may not be worth reading, and make me wonder what other details in his book are more or less inaccurate.