Mal Evans roadie and so much more
The Beatles Unravelled #52
Mal Evans joined the Beatles as a roadie in 1963, after that he worked on recording sessions, was a talent scout for Apple +++ – Mal Evans roadie and much more…
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Mal Evans roadie and much more…
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Author of Rock’n’Roll Unravelled, Derek Shelmerdine‘s
guest segment, Elvis Presley Unravelled
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First broadcast during the week: 2 to 8 June 2023.
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Mal Evans roadie and much more
Mal Evans was the Beatles tour manager and so much more.
He worked as a bouncer at Liverpool’s Cavern club and joined the Beatles full time in 1963.
AFTER THE BEATLES STOPPED TOURING
Apple Corps Limited was formed in January 1968.
Mal Evans was promoted from road manager to Personal Assistant, when the Beatles touring days ended.
When the Beatles created their Apple label, Mal Evans took on the role of talent scout. He discovered the up-and-coming band The Iveys. They changed their name to Badfinger and scored a top-10 on hit on both sides of the Atlantic with Come and Get It in early 1970.
He was no stranger to the studio and contributed to a number of Beatles recordings, including Yellow Submarine and Helter Skelter.
For Badfinger’s second hit single, No Matter What, the label credits, “Produced by: MAL”.
PLASTIC ONO BAND
When John Lennon debuted his new Plastic Ono Band at the Toronto Rock and Roll Revival festival in September 1969 Mal was back as a roadie – he loved it!
The Doors headlined the bill and the lineup included, Little Richard, Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley, Gene Vincent, Alice Cooper, Chicago Transit Authority and Screaming Lord Sutch. Jerry Lee Lewis was also due to appear but had to pull out at the last minute.
This debut lineup of John Lennon’s Plastic Ono Band consisted of Yoko Ono, guitarist Eric Clapton, bassist Klaus Voormann and future-Yes drummer Alan White
Mal Evans accompanied them on the trip and in an interview given in 1969 said, “I was really enjoying myself. It’s the first show I had roadied for three years and I was really loving every minute of plugging the amps in and setting them up on stage, making sure that everything was right”.
John Lennon put the band together at the last moment. They famously rehearsed on the plane journey on the way over to the gig.
The album Live Peace in Toronto 1969 captures that historic performance.
BADFINGER
Mal Evans achieved top-5 chart success with Badfinger’s second single, No Matter What. It entered the UK charts on 9 January 1971 and sported a label credit for him, “Produced by: MAL”
The single also gave him an American top-10 hit.
On 16 July 1971 Bill Elliot and the Elastic Oz Band released the single God Save Us c/w Do the Oz in the UK. The underground magazine OZ was in court facing an obscenity charge for its School Kids Issue. The single was showing solidarity and raising money for the defence.
John and Yoko wrote God Save Us. John, Phil Spector and Mal Evans produced it.
Mal Evans discovered Bill Elliot singing with the Newcastle group Half Breed.
MOVED TO LOS ANGELES
In 1974 Mal Evans moved to Los Angeles.
In 1975 he worked as a producer with Keith Moon on his album Two Sides of the Moon.
Sadly, Mal Evans died on 5 January 1976.
A disturbance at his Los Angeles apartment resulted in the police being called out. He was allegedly agitated and waving a gun around. Reports vary as to the weapon but it is often referred to as an air-gun. When Evans refused to put the gun down, the police shot him.
Rock’n’Roll Unravelled
Written by Derek Shelmerdine, Rock’n’Roll Unravelled tells the story of rock’n’roll from its roots to 1970s punk. Not just the music but also the influences such as the Vietnam War and Civil Rights struggle.
Rock’n’Roll Unravelled‘s unique three-part structure
Timeline – On This Day – Pocket Histories
brings the music and times of the 1950s, ’60s and ’70s vividly to life.
