Leslie describes McCartney and Lennon’s meeting. (He alternates between using their first and last names). In 1957, John was playing at a church with his group the Quarry Men. Fifteen-year-old Paul was struck by John’s appearance and talent. Leslie holds that they weren’t equals—John was older and had more experience—but they had traumatic childhoods in common.

Eight months before he met John, Paul’s mother, Mary, died suddenly of cancer. Paul asked his father, Jim, what they’d do for money after learning of Mary’s death. Leslie holds that he wasn’t heartless but had been raised to tamp down his emotions and work hard because his family struggled financially.

John’s mother, Julia, was still alive in 1957, but the two had a complicated relationship. Soon after Julia and John’s father, Alf, had John, tensions arose. Alf left to work on boats, and Julia had a constant string of boyfriends. John’s aunt Mimi worried about John’s well-being and took him in. However, he was often passed between her, Julia, and (when he returned to town) Alf. When John was 14, Mimi’s husband, George, died suddenly, devastating John. In the wake of George’s death, John began skipping class and hanging out at Julia’s apartment. She was fun and introduced John to new music.

In 1957, the Quarry Men were playing doo-wop songs, including “Come Go With Me.” After the set, Paul hung around and introduced himself to John. He showed him how to hold his guitar correctly. Drawn to Paul, John soon asked him to join the band.

Leslie references the Beatles’ Get Back tape, which documents their work on a new album. During one session, they play “I Lost My Little Girl”—the first song Paul ever wrote. He was teaching himself guitar around the time he met John. The two started playing together, and their friendship deepened quickly. In 1958, John started attending Liverpool College of Art, which adjoined Paul’s high school. After school, the two spent time writing songs at Paul’s or Julia’s. Leslie holds that they were inventing a new collaborative style while songwriting and cites their influences at the time.

In 1958, Paul introduced his high school friend, George Harrison, to Lennon. He tried out and joined the Quarry Men. The three got along, but because George was younger, John and Paul called him “Little George.”

That same year, Julia’s boyfriend was arrested and lost his job. They couldn’t afford John’s visits anymore. One evening while John was with her boyfriend, Julia went to Mimi to explain the situation. On her way home, she was hit by a car and killed. John was at the house when the policeman knocked on the door with the news. Although devastated, he didn’t talk to Paul about Julia’s death at the time. However, Leslie holds that the tragedy undoubtedly bonded them. “I Lost My Little Girl” is a song about loss and relates to both their mothers’ deaths.

In 1960, John’s college friend Stuart Sutcliffe joined the band. They changed their name to the Beatles and began focusing on their sound. They didn’t like what other pop stars were playing and tried to invent a new sound as they sought gigs. In August 1960, German promoter Bruno Koschmider got them a spot at a Hamburg nightclub. They first began playing at Koschmider’s smaller club, the Indra, later moving to the Kaiserkeller. At the Indra, the Beatles toyed with music and had fun. They became a popular act. They were funny, off beat, and unpredictable.

In October, the Beatles heard Rory Storm and the Hurricanes play at the Kaiserkeller. The only part of the act they liked was the group’s drummer, Ringo Starr. They especially felt the group had no soul or emotion. Soon the Beatles replaced the Hurricanes at the Kaiserkeller, where they gained popularity. They met artists Klaus Voormann and Astrid Kirchherr while there. Astrid especially appreciated the Beatles as serious artists instead of just kids.

In November 1960, the Beatles returned to the UK after complications with Koschmider. Feeling discouraged, John temporarily retreated from the group. Paul began working with his father. Meanwhile, new groups were emerging in Liverpool, and John wanted the Beatles “to be different” (49). He and Paul had yet to perform their own songs.

The Beatles convinced Paul to rejoin the band after landing a gig at the Cavern. Leslie argues that Paul chose John (not the band) over his father.

The Beatles began toying with R&B, soul, and girl-group music in their new performances. Some months later, they secured a stint at the Top Ten Club in Hamburg.

The Beatles liked the Top Ten Club. However, tension arose among the band members. Paul was especially frustrated with Stuart for not taking the band seriously. Stuart soon left the group, and Peter Best filled his spot.

The Beatles returned to Liverpool and the Cavern. They were working with Bob Wooler (their adviser and press officer). He wrote articles about the group, promoting their innovation, skill, and gender-defying appeal. (They had changed their hair and dress around this time.)

In 1961, John discovered that Julia had left him £100. He used the money to take a trip to Paris with Paul. The two were uncannily close and spent the trip gallivanting around the city enjoying themselves. Upon their return, they started working with a new manager, Brian Epstein. He owned and operated North End Music Stores (NEMS). While Epstein thought the Beatles were undisciplined, he liked their love for life and connections with each other. However, things became complicated because Epstein was gay and liked John; John showed some interest in him but wasn’t open about his interest in men. The Beatles worried that John was using Epstein’s interest in him to control the group.

In 1962, Epstein secured the Beatles a stint at the Star-Club back in Hamburg. Soon after arriving, they learned that Stuart had died of an aneurysm. The group was devastated, especially John. However, they played their sets immediately thereafter.

Leslie holds that “Till There Was You” was one of the most important songs of the Beatles’ career. Female audience members were especially taken by Paul’s performance of the song and other such love ballads. Leslie describes footage of the Beatles playing “Till There Was You,” and the way Paul and John played with the lyrics.

During the Beatles’ time in Hamburg, Epstein tried unsuccessfully to secure them a contract with various record labels. Then Epstein met George Martin, around the time the Beatles returned from Hamburg. Martin worked with EMI’s Parlophone Records subsidiary and agreed to hear the Beatles. Taken by the group’s dynamic, he signed them.

John and Paul started songwriting again because they needed new material for the record. They revived old songs and wrote new ones. While working with EMI, the group continued playing gigs. They soon convinced Ringo Starr to play with them full time.

In August, John’s girlfriend, Cynthia, got pregnant. The two married, but John was detached from family life.

While John and Paul continued songwriting together, they decided that all of their songs would be co-credited. Their collaboration was already so entangled. They would split the proceeds from the songs too.

Leslie describes the songs the Beatles recorded during one of their EMI sessions, arguing that “Please Please Me” marked a phase shift for the group. A phase shift is a scientific phenomenon where a sudden change occurs after building for a long time (he gives the example of water changing to steam). After the song’s release, it became number one.

By the end of 1963, the Beatles had moved from being Liverpool’s most popular band to the UK’s hottest pop stars. Meanwhile, John and Paul continued writing new songs, including the year’s top single, “She Loves You.” The song instigated Beatlemania (intense fan response to the Beatles). Leslie describes the complexity and brilliance of the song, including the lyrics and musical arrangement, as well as John and Paul’s inspiring idea.

In April 1963, Paul met and started dating Jane Asher. He fell in love with her family, who invited him to stay in their attic. Paul loved their intellectualism and learned much from Jane’s parents.

That fall, the Beatles played for the Queen Mother. They were already working on their next album, and Beatlemania was growing.