Coming soon to Atom Retro, Pretty Green's Beatles collection! Each season Pretty Green designs a limited edition theme collection and as 2017 is the 50th anniversary of The Beatles' Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, the Summer of Love and All You Need Is Love, the timing for the Pretty Green Beatles collection is perfect.

Officially licenced by The Beatles and Apple Corps, the Pretty Green Beatles collection will include mens shirts, t-shirts, jackets, kaftan shirts and of course, a parka. Each piece in the range is inspired by or based on outfits and fashion worn by the Beatles, along with the music and artwork from the iconic Sgt Pepper's album.

Guaranteed to raise a smile, the Pretty Green x Beatles collection is also guaranteed to be in high demand - and very limited edition so don't miss out - sign up to our mailing list to be the first to know.

The collection will be available in Autumn 2017 at Atom Retro.

The most famous club in the world, Liverpool's Cavern Club opened it's doors for the first time 60 years ago today.

The original club (now sadly demolished) opened in a basement of a fruit sellers warehouse on Mathew Street, a backstreet in Liverpool on the 16th January 1957. The club was originally a jazz club, inspired by the cellar nightclubs of Paris.

Later that same year, a local Skiffle and Rock and Roll band, The Quarrymen, were booked to play the club. On the 7th August, 1957 The Quarrymen - John Lennon's original band - played the Cavern for the first time. The band argued about their set list prior to the performance. Skiffle was tolerated at the jazz club, but Rock and Roll was a no-no. After the first song, Lennon called to his bandmates to start the Elvis Presley song, Don't Be Cruel. Banjo player, Rod Davis warned Lennon not to play it, but he started the song, forcing the others to join in. Halfway through the song a note was passed to the stage; 'Cut out the bloody rock and roll!'

Paul McCartney's Cavern Club debut was on the 24th January 1958, and George Harrison a bit later - on the 9th February 1961. Ringo Starr first played the Cavern as drummer for Rory Storm and The Hurricanes. When the club was sold in 1959 to Ray McFall, it was reopened as a beat and rock and roll club. The first beat night was 25th May, 1960, with Rory Storm and The Hurricanes on the bill.

The Beatles played the Cavern Club a total of 292 time - so the legend goes, and the club's name has become synonymous with Beatles and the start of Beatlemania. It was also at the Cavern Club that Brian Epstein first saw the band and decided he would become their manager.

Following the break up of the Beatles, nostalgia for the club waned and it was sadly closed in 1973 and the original club was filled in to make way for a new Mersey Rail line (which never happened).

But the story wasn't over for the Cavern. Liverpool FC player Tommy Smith took over the club in 1984 and it was rebuilt, using many of the original bricks. The club survived in its new guise until 1989 when financial reasons forced it to close again. It was taken over by present owners Bill Heckle and Dave Jones in 1991 and reopened.

In 1999 Paul McCartney returned to the Cavern to play his last gig of the 20th century in the place where it all began (well, nearly, just to the right of it a bit).

Today, to mark the anniversary a new statue of Cilla Black - who worked as a cloakroom girl at the club in the sixties before going on to be the only female singer managed by Beatles manager, Brian Epstein - was unveiled on Mathew Street, situated where the original Cavern Club entrance was. Artist, Tony Booth, who created many posters for the original Cavern Club and for Brian Epstein's artists, created the pictured poster to celebrate 60 years of the Cavern. Sadly, Tony Booth passed away last week, just days before the anniversary. His son Lee remarked how he began and ended his career with posters for the Cavern Club.

16th January 1957 - 16th January 2017. Here's to the next 60 years of The Most Famous Club In The World.

Part two of our Mod hairstyles guide explores the 1960s - the birth of the Mod look. Along with Mod clothing, Mod hairstyles are part of intrinsically part of mod style and image. How you chose to wear your hair contributes to your over all identity, and none more so than within a culture like Mod or any of it's subcultures Mod Revivalists, Scooterboys, Skins and more. The Sixties saw a lot of social and political change and this was reflected in fashion and style. The new generation wanted to break away and create its own identity. Mod was born!

Steve Marriott with his classic layered look

1960s: The Steve Marriott Layered Cut

Similar to: The Mop Top

Maybe the first proper mod hairstyle, the Steve Marriott take on the classic mens layered cut landed somewhere in between a long haired lover from Liverpool Mop Top and the shorter, neat Ivy League look of the past. The hair is cut in layers, resulting in a choppy, different length look which is typically longer at the front, sides and fringe and cut shorter at the back. At the side, the hair might be cut around the ear, or worn slightly over it. There is a soft centre parting which reaches the front where the fringe is worn swept to the sides.

Although not as famous as other 1960s hair cuts, this mod hairstyle is as iconic and popular among mods today as it ever was.

The Beatles with their classic Mop Top look

1960s: The Mop Top

Similar to: The Pageboy
The Mop Top, or Beatle Cut, (or 'Arthur', according to George Harrison!) is probably the most famous haircut of the 1960s. Named because of it's resemblance to a literal mop, the haircut originated from the Beatles Hamburg days. Astrid Kirchherr, a photographer and the girlfriend of original Beatles bassist, Stuart Sutcliffe is credited with the style which was worn first by her, her friends and Stuart. Later all the other Beatles (except for a reluctant Pete Best!) adopted the look giving the band it's first cohesive and truly unique look. The hair is cut long, down to the collar and covering the ears with a long fringe at the front and no parting. Although ridiculed by adults at the time, the mop tops was vastly popular in the sixties. In the Britpop nineties there was a revival to this intrinsically sixties mod hairstyle.

Steve Marriott with a shorter, jagged cut

1960s: The Other Steve Marriott Cut

Similar to: The French Crop

Like a sixties update to a classic French Crop haircut, this is the shortest style in our sixties mod selection. Still cut with choppy layers and in different lengths, this is a much shorter, low maintenance version of the Steve Marriott layered cut. It can be cut around the ears, or overlapping them as the wearer desired and features a blunt, choppy, short fringe at the front with a little bit of feathering.

Neat, sharp and with lots of attitude, this is a mod haircut which harks back the short back and sides of yesteryear, with a modern update. 

The Yardbirds Keith Relf with a long Pageboy cut

1960s: The Pageboy 

Similar to: The Mop Top, The Bowl Cut

A unisex haircut which suits both men and women mods. The cut first became popular in the 1920s with young boys after it was worn by child star, Jackie Coogan (who grew up to be Uncle Fester in the original Addams Family TV series!) It was named after what was perceived to be a 'pudding basin' haircut wore by medieval pageboys. The cut is worn straight and long, past the ears, where it then curls inwards and usually with a long fringe at the front.

Popular in both the fifties and sixties, it's perhaps the 1960s when it was the most prominent as an alternative to the mop top and a style which still fit with the non-conformist, long haired looks of the decade.



Further Reading: 

• A Guide to Mens Mod Hairstyles: The Fifties
• The Beatles Style Guide Part 3: 1963 - 1964
• Sixties Boutiques #2: John Stephen - The King of Carnaby Street

'65 - '66
Here Comes the Colour 

The Beatles, 1966

Part four exploring The Beatles style from 1961 to 1970, compiled and written by guest blogger, Harrison. In this installment the Beatles move into military style and also into more casual attire. You can also create your very own Beatles inspired look with this guide.

'64 - '65
The In-betweeners 

A replica of the Beatles "Shea" jacket, signed by Paul McCartney.

Part three of our series exploring The Beatles style from 1961 to 1970, compiled and written by our guest blogger, Harrison. In this instalment the Beatles embrace their suited look. You can also create your very own Beatles inspired look with this guide.

'63 - '64
The Toppermost Of the Poppermost

Part two of our eight part series exploring The Beatle’s style from 1961 to 1970, by our guest blogger, Harrison. In this instalment we see the Beatles out of leather and into their first suits. You can also create your very own Beatles inspired look with this guide.
'62 - '63
Suited and Booted



In January of 1962, The Beatles signed a contract with Brian Epstein to manage them. Epstein was only a few years older than the lads and had no prior experience managing a band, although he had successfully run NEMS, his family’s record shop on Whitechapel, Liverpool. What he lacked in experience he made up for in his determination to ensure the groups music career flourished.

One of the first moves Epstein made was to encouraged the Beatles to clean up their image. He coaxed them into wearing jeans and jumpers with their leather jackets instead of their full leather suits. This was a compromise the lads were willing to make, however, when Epstein then suggested that they wear tailored suits on stage, he was met with resistance, especially from John Lennon and Pete Best. Both young men preferred to wear their leathers, thinking it was a more 'rock and roll' image, but they also acknowledged that if they wanted to advance their careers, they needed to change their appearance.

The Beatles moved into the next phase of their careers, transitioning from rough-around-the-edges rock 'n' rollers to polished pop stars. They performed in the leather suits for the final time at the Cavern Club in the Spring of 1962.

In 2012, George Harrison’s leather jacket went up for sale at Bonham’s. Harrison bought the jacket in 1960 for £10 ($14) and it fetched £110,450 ($177,400) at auction. His Chelsea 'Beatle' boots, which were also part of the memorabilia sale went for £61,250 ($98,000). A pair of leather trousers that allegedly belonged to Paul McCartney also surfaced in 2013.

Mike Hoggard often performed at the same venues as The Beatles in the early 60s and he claims to be in possession of McCartney’s leather trousers. He states that Brian Epstein gifted the clothing item to him after a gig at the Cavern Club. Hoggard’s claim hasn’t been substantiated and the trousers with the name ‘Paul’ written inside remain in his possession.

To further smartened up the band’s look, Epstein took the lads to a local tailor, Beno Dorn where they were fitted for their first mohair stage suits. The blazers were three-button, single breasted with slim lapels, broad shouldered and narrow at the waist. The matching suit trousers were similar to the drainpipe trousers the Beatles wore and at their insistence, were cut to fit snugly through the legs and were tapered quite narrow at the ankle. The lads returned the trousers twice to the tailors to have them narrowed further! Essentially, this was a slim lapelled, 3 button Mod Suit with a slight 1950s hangover in the short, more boxy fit of the jacket.

However, even away from the band, not everyone was pleased with the Beatles new look. For some of the fans it signalled the bands start to move away from Liverpool, and Cavern Club DJ, Bob Wooler remarked that the mohair suits were impractical. "They went on stage and really sweated and all their suits began to rot, they began to come apart at the seams... But that was the start of the new image. They learned how to adjust."

The dress shirts worn with the suits had rounded penny collars and were pin spread (bar collars) finished with inch wide skinny ties. The Portofino french cuffs of the dress shirt peeked out from their blazer sleeves and were accented with cuff-links.
Millings became “the Beatles tailor” and the lads affectionately referred to him as “Dad”. He appeared alongside the group in the film, A Hard Day’s Night as a frustrated tailor trying to measure the Beatles. Douglas, along with his son Gordon were responsible for making hundreds of garments for the group over the years until the later half of the 60s.

Up&Atom - How did you become - not just a Beatle - but a Cavern Club Beatle?

Paul Jones - Me and some friends started a band in high school, when I was 14, and we decided we’d learn some Beatles songs. The next year, when I was 15 years old, we entered ITV’s ‘Stars In Their Eyes Kids’ and we were successful! So through The Beatles I (very early in life) entered the world of music and performing! From there it just grew from strength to strength to strength. I spent about 4 years playing all over the world on a cruise ship as a ‘John’, then after a while I wanted to come back home. The Cavern Club were auditioning for a ‘George’, so I learned a few songs and went for it and got the gig! This was about 2 years ago, and since then the band is the best thing I’ve been a part of. We’re all great friends who have a good laugh daily, but more to the point everyone is very good at their jobs and has a genuine love for performing, Liverpool as a city and The Beatles.

U&A - You recently went to the States to mark the 50th anniversary of the Beatles American invasion. What was that like?

PJ - Our trip to the USA was amazing. From the moment we arrived at Heathrow on the morning of the flight it was non-stop interviews, media and all sorts of attention! We even spent the whole flight in costume, which the air hostess’ loved! Arriving in the same terminal 50 years later to screaming fans and camera flashes was incredible, and what’s more frightening is what we experienced wasn’t even 1/100th of what The Beatles did! It was humbling because everyone was there to celebrate and just marvel at what The Beatles were. The audience and fans were having just as much fun as we were experiencing the ‘hype’ around us.

The performances were some of the most important I have ever has the privilege to be part of. Having your name in Times Square was so special and knowing you were on the same stage, playing the same songs, in the same clothes as they did was just surreal. Cavern City Tours who arranged it all were fantastic. We stayed in a suite in The Plaza, overlooking Central Park. We travelled in limousines, played iconic venues like The Hard Rock Cafe in Times Square (formally The Paramount Theatre), The Deaville Hotel (where the Miami episode of The Ed Sullivan Show was recorded) as well as an open air beach gig! Also supporting us every step of the was was Julia Baird, John Lennon’s sister. We would be driving around Miami with her telling us stories about John - very surreal! I’m sure any tribute band will tell you that attention to detail is paramount, and having John’s sister describe you as ‘the best Beatles tribute band’ she’s ever seen is just amazing, and only makes you want to try new things and develop the show.

Looking back, it couldn’t have gone any better. We loved the excitement when we were there, but now a few weeks have passed and we’ve seen all the coverage I think we’ve all realised how lucky and fortunate we were to be part of such an amazing, once-in-a-lifetime anniversary!

U&A - What’s been your most memorable moment as a Cavern Beatle?

PJ - America was such an amazing trip. Me, Tony Coburn [who plays Paul in The Cavern Club Beatles] and Paul Laverick (our keyboard player) all got our first tattoos in South Beach, Miami at 4am to remember the occasion!

U&A - Which Beatles era is your favourite to perform?

PJ - The best section of the show for me is the Sgt. Pepper and Magical Mystery Tour section. This reflects the band circa 1967, when they were experimenting a lot in the studio with effects, orchestration, arrangements, lyrics, etc. This is why it’s so good to play live, because essentially some of it is difficult and challenging. The early stuff is great and lively, real rock n roll, but the Pepper stuff is intricate and really takes some time getting right, so when it works it’s great and very rewarding!

Catch The Cavern Club Beatles at The Cavern Club, Liverpool every Saturday night at 8.00pm
and find them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/TheCavernClubBeatles


This interview was originally printed in Up&Atom magazine, Issue 3 (May 2014). 
Images used by permission, © The Cavern Club Beatles & The Cavern Club, Liverpool. 
Big thanks to The Cavern Club Beatles and Nick Robinson from The Cavern Club, Liverpool. 

Find Chelsea Beatle Boots here -
The boots worn by The Cavern Club Beatles are Madcap England Outlaw, Casbah and Lightfoot Boots and Delicious Junction Beatle Boots.

Some good light reading comes in the form go GQ’s new Collectors Edition magazines: Bailey’s Heroes.

The March 2014 issue sees Bailey reflect on time spent with John Lennon. He discusses the sense of tension between John and Paul during a legendary Bailey photo shoot, his lukewarm feelings to early Beatles music and seeing John at London’s fashionable Ad Lib Club.

"I didn't like the Beatles - I liked John. The Beatles were a boy band. I thought they were square as houses…"

Also featured in the issue, Yoko Ono tells a very unique apple story and it’s nothing to do with their famed Apple Corps…

"One of my strongest memories of John was the first time he made me laugh. He just grabbed an apple that was in my exhibition [in 1966, at London's Indica Gallery, Ono showed her avant-garde work which contained an apple on sale for £200] took a bite out of it and just looked at me. I was very, very upset because it was my work. I thought, How dare he, what a rude person! And I just looked at him and he could see that I didn't like it and he registered this and did a shy little smile and put it back on the pedestal”

The Most Famous Club in the World ® - The Cavern Club. Any music fan will have heard of The Cavern Club in Liverpool. The spiritual home of The Beatles, the club has had pretty much every musical icon on its famous stages from The Kinks, The Hollies, The Rolling Stones, Queen and Bo Diddley, through to Oasis, Arctic Monkeys and Adele.

New in - and exclusively available only from Atom Retro and The Cavern Club itself, are 2 fantastic new bags - a 60s style flight bag and a nod to the Northern Soul Mods in a bowling bag. Both bags are made in England and available in Black or Dark Green, featuring a vintage Cavern Club logo on a brick background - referring back to the famous Cavern arches and bricks. Bag yourself one of these as they won’t be around for long!

View all of The Cavern Club range available at Atom Retro at
www.atomretro.com/cavern_club