In The Town Where “They” Were Born
Birth of a Beatles Hotel
Over 100-pieces of rare, historical, and most fascinating art adorn the walls inside The Hard Day's Night Hotel bedrooms. But wait…you have never been there. Or maybe you have but never saw the Shannon Collection in its entirety. What about those wonderful stories that coincide with each piece of art… magically written by Bill Heckle? Maybe you want a piece of this musical history for yourself, but you just can't get there… or know how to acquire it. Now it can be seen, read, and be yours. Come join us for the wonderful stories of hotel-birth, artistic endeavors, creative journeys, and a plethora of beautiful art. This website was developed so that Beatles Fans around the globe could see each and every painting, be enlightened about the "why and how?" of each piece, and lose themselves in a place, inside a place, called Liverpool.
First and most important is the fantastic concept. A concept that was passionately dreamed, brainstormed, saught after, designed, and financed by Cavern City Tours Directors: Bill Heckle and Dave Jones. True Beatles fans, themselves, Bill and Dave are both brick, mortar, & foundation/devotion/commitment to a concept that now stands tall over the city where ‘small town magic’ turned into “worldwide mania”.
Over 100-pieces of original artwork created by “The World’s Greatest Beatles Artist”… SHANNON
Branding…The Extraordinary Logos
What Does It Mean?
As you walk up the entry way, above your head, you see a logo that is a bit peculiar. As you continue through the hotel it is everywhere - on the doors, on receipts, in the dining areas, on the door hangers, on your computer screen, even on your bedroom slippers. What does it mean - all these dots and squares? It must have a design purpose, a status quo, a reason for being. Indeed it does! Who’s idea is it? It was designed and is owned by Shannon, the artist who created over 100-paintings for the hotel.
Shannon explains: Cavern Club owner, Bill Heckle called me a short time after I had signed the contract to create the paintings for The Hard Day’s Night Hotel. He explained the hotel execs were having trouble coming up with a worthy logo idea that actually tied in with The Beatles. Bill sent me some of the sample ideas that were on the table. He was right! The designs consisted of flower power, hippy-ish graphics, and other 1960s hoopla. Nothing screamed “BEATLES!”. Bill asked me to think about an idea and see what I could come up with. I took the challenge. It was knocking at my head the rest of the day but I was coming up short. I thought to myself, I am working nearly 18-20 hours a day on the hotel paintings - and now this addition. Then it happened! And here is the simple truth... Every morning, during the time I was painting hotel canvases, I set my alarm with a CD/Radio/Alarm clock. To catapult me into Beatle-mode the alarm was set with the CD, “A Hard Day’s Night” in the player. The next morning I awoke to that famous opening chord and the idea hit me like a ton of bricks. “That chord! That wonderful chord!” Being a musician, I know guitar tabs (tablature) and I thought - Would that chord work as a logo? I drew it out immediately but to my disappointment the famous G7sus4 chord did not work. I knew there were other chords played on guitar, piano, and bass so I did my research. What I found was an alternative chord - and it worked! The crazy things that fell into place afterward were magical . . .
It had four dots representing John, Paul, George and Ringo..
It had 20 squares just like the A Hard Day‘s Night album cover.
It resembled The Beatles’ early on-stage line up.
