One of the wonders of the Beatles is their completeness.
They are a rounded whole that’s much more than the sum of its four astounding parts.
A lot of magical-seeming coincidences go into the Beatles story.
And they include an incredible supporting cast who all had their jigsaw-tight place in painting the most incredible picture in music history.
Here are 5 people who played with them and without whom you cannot understand the Beatles.
1. Stuart Sutcliffe
Stuart Sutcliffe had a huge effect on the young John Lennon. Image Wikimedia Commons/Liverpool Echo.
Usually described as “brooding” Stuart Sutcliffe was cursed or blessed with good looks and magnetism.
But not with great musical ability.
His real talent was as a visual artist. And his greatest mark was perhaps as John Lennon’s friend, perhaps the person Lennon wanted to be as a youngster.
His tragic death in Hamburg in 1962 is one of the defining moments in the Beatles’ story. His brain aneurysm may have been caused by an injury in an attack after a Beatles gig.
He may not have been a great bass player, but his haircut, his credible and serious artistic work, and his role in Lennon’s life make him a key Beatle figure.
Stuart Sutcliffe memorabilia may have some value, though it will depend very much on what it is.
His paintings, which have merit in their own right, have gone for as much as $25,000. You can find autographs going for $5,000 or even £10,000.
2. Pete Best
Pete Best has had a long, successful career after being the victim of the most famous sacking in music history.
Only Stuart and Pete Best can join the most exclusive 4-man club in music history. They were Beatles.
And for that, Pete is indispensable to the Beatle story, even if he was dispensable to the band, and his - rather nasty - discarding is key to their success.
He probably wasn’t the most popular member of the band, kicked out by jealous rivals, as some have claimed. But he was a driving backbeat behind the formative Hamburg tours, and his mother, Mona’s, Casbah Coffee Club was a vital Beatle venue.
Pete’s autograph is worth 10s to hundreds of dollars, depending on the image, date and quality of the signature.
3. Jimmie Nicol
Nicol's signature - which you can buy by clicking above - with the band is extremely rare and very valuable. A must for complete collections of The Beatles.
Nicol was never really a Beatle, and has never tried to trade on the fact that - very briefly - he sort of was.
The drummer famously sat in for Ringo for European, East Asian and Australian dates on a world tour in 1964 while the original Scouse sticksman recovered from tonsillitis.
That puts him in an extremely small group of people.
He never recorded with the band, but may have contributed the phrase “Getting Better” to their lexicon and inspired one of their brightest, most upbeat songs in the process.
It wasn’t a happy experience for Nicol, and the Fabs were pleased to have Ringo back.
But he’s a bona fide historical oddity and Nicol autographs as a Beatle are very rare and much sought after, costing 10s of thousands of pounds.
4. Billy Preston
Billy Preston on a visit to the White House in 1974. Of all Beatle musicians his input is amongst the most musically significant.
Preston wasn’t a forced sub, but a much-loved extra addition.
He’d met the band as early as 1962 when he played with Little Richard in Hamburg (Richard was one of the Beatles’ biggest heroes).
A very well-regarded career as an organ and piano player with the likes of Ray Charles and Jimi Hendrix was going well for Preston when he was asked to join the Beatles to record Get Back, the group’s attempt at a “live” album that resulted in the Let it Be album and film.
His playing is a vital part of the band’s sound for that record (and to a lesser extent Abbey Road) and he is the only player ever credited on a Beatles record label: The Beatles with Billy Preston on the 7-inch of Get Back.
Billy died in 2006. He had a substantial solo and session career, despite struggles in his personal life, and was much mourned.
The right autographs can go for hundreds of pounds.
5. George Martin
Abbey Road Studios, where George Harrison famously told George Martin he didn't like his tie one momentous day. Image By portum at Wikimedia Commons.
George Martin’s playing is all over the Beatles recorded work.
He’s credited with as many as 18 piano parts, and nine other keyboard appearances simply because he was better on the ivories than any of the band he recorded.
Martin was more than that though, and may well be the most important creative figure outside the band in the Beatles story.
He had a long, storied career working with some of the greatest names in 20th century music.
He is a substantial and collectible figure in his own right.
Martin died in 2016 to universal acclaim.
His own papers must contain items considered priceless. His autograph varies in value depending on what is signed - if it’s a good, original Beatles album, it could cost you thousands of pounds.
Buying Beatles collectibles today
We are significant players in the Beatles market.
You can see some of what we have now here, we have some beautiful items.
We’re also interested in buying and selling good quality pieces. Come here for our contact details.
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