Some years ago, when I was press agent for Kim Wilde, I arranged for Bill Marshall, who was working for the Daily Mirror, to interview her. I brought along the book 'The Man Who Gave The Beatles Away' and he signed it: "Dear old Bill from way back. I could have done this better - but we can all say this sometime." He then revealed that the book was more his book than Allan's because he had added so much to it from his own imagination.

In fact, I have the original manuscript of Allan's first autobiography, written for him by former Mersey Beat columnist Bob Azurdia. It is completely different from the Marshall book and the Beatles association is more tenuous and therefore more accurate.

I'll simply place some facts down in chronological order and you will see for yourselves how the passage of time distorts history.

As students, John, Stuart Sutcliffe, Rod Murray and I often used to hang around in a coffee bar in Slater Street called the Jacaranda. Allan Williams, who also attempted one or two promotions under his Jacaranda Enterprises, ran the club.

Williams attempted an equivalent of the Chelsea Arts Ball at St. George's Hall and asked Sutcliffe to decorate some of the floats. He also had Sutcliffe and Murray paint some murals in the Jacaranda for him. However, he wasn't particularly interested in the group that John and Stuart were in and didn't book them for either of his St George's Hall promotions. He did book local groups and booked Cass & the Cassanovas, Gerry & the Pacemakers and Tommy & the Metronomes for his 'Mardi Gras Arts Ball' on December 16 1959.

Jacaranda Enterprises, in conjunction with impresario Larry Parnes, presented a concert with Gene Vincent at Liverpool Stadium on Tuesday, May 3, 1960. Williams booked a number of local groups such as Cass & the Cassanovas, Rory Storm & the Hurricanes and Gerry & the Pacemakers to appear.

John and Stuart attended the Liverpool Stadium Show and Stuart was later to ask Williams why he hadn't booked his group on it. As the Liverpool bands at the Stadium had impressed Parnes, the London impresario asked Williams to arrange an audition for a possible backing band for one of his stars, the Liverpool singer Billy Fury. Williams then told Stuart his group could be one of the local bands attending the audition.

By this time they had secured a drummer, Tommy Moore, on the recommendation of Casey Jones, leader of Cass & the Cassanovas.

The audition took place at another club, which Williams was intending to open, the Wyvern Club in Seel Street, which he was later to convert into the Blue Angel. The bands appearing were Cass & the Cassanovas, Derry & the Seniors, Cliff Roberts & the Rockers and the Silver Beetles.

For setting up the auditions, Williams naturally expected a fee from whichever group was selected. Who they were didn't matter.

When the Silver Beetles came to perform, Moore still hadn't arrived and Johnny Hutchinson of the Cassanovas deputized. Moore then turned up and completed the audition.

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