Beatles Hamburg Beatles Hamburg Beatles Hamburg is a Travel Guide that Features: 30 Beatles sites in the city of Hamburg and the surrounding area Detailed directions by train or by car from Central Station Sketch maps marking exact locations of Beatles sites 100% Offline Content - No GPS/WiFi Needed Images of each Beatles site for street-level recognition Connection of each site to Beatles history From 1960 until today, including solo appearances Nearly every venue in which any member of the Beatles played, stayed, or recorded is included. See the places of Beatles legend, from the docks of those famous Hamburg photographs, through the art schools they attended, to the police station in St. Pauli and Tremsbuttel Castle. Explore the Beatles by Exploring Hamburg with Beatles Hamburg. Beatles France For Kindle $2.99 Some Beatles Sites in Hamburg, Germany During a business trip in 1994, my wife and I had the opportunity to visit several Beatles-related locations in Hamburg. As you probably know, various members of the Beatles performed at several clubs around Hamburg's Reeperbahn before the Beatles attained world-wide recognition. During this time, Pete Best was on the drums and the band included Stu Suttcliff.

The Beatles, or Silver Beetles, etc., made their first recordings as a group in Hamburg, at Hamburg-Harburg 1961, June 22-23, the most famous of which were with Tony Sheridan. Stu also fell in love with Astrid and stayed on as an art student, before meeting his untimely end. The list that follows is not a complete list of all Beatles-related places in Hamburg. I got the information from the Beatles Encyclopedia. Where possible I have included the street addresses, and if I have been there, some information on how to find these sites. Unfortunately, I did not find street addresses for some of the sites, making this information less valuable. I take no responsibility for incorrect information, disclaimer, disclaimer etc. I would appreciate any updates that people can send me, although I doubt I will ever return to Hamburg. The Reeperbahn. Those not familiar with this street of strip clubs, peep shows and sex theaters will be in for quite a shock. The area is pretty rough, even to a native New Yorker, with an interesting street crowd. Supposedly it is safe at night, but we went early in the day to avoid the riff-raff.

If leaving from the Central Train Station (Hauptbahnhof) take the U3 line towards Barmbek. Get off at St. Pauli and go to the right, down Reeperbahn. Top Ten Club - 136 Reeperbahn. This building has a large blue sign and is still the Top Ten Club. It is right next to the Reeperbahn stop of the S1 or S3 line. We found it interesting to walk up the strip from St. Pauli station however. The Beatles played there 1 April 1961 - 1 July 1961 and lived upstairs. This is also where they were living when George got deported. The upstairs attic area is just the kind of place you'd imagine they'd live. It was under renovation when we were there. Continue following the Reeperbahn for another block or so, looking for Grosse Freiheit. There is a bar at the head of that street with the street name clearly marked, can't miss it. Turn right down the Grosse Freiheit and continue for a block or so. Kaiserkeller - 38 Grosse Freiheit. This one is almost too famous to talk about.

The Beatles played there 31Jul60 and 4Oct to 30Nov60. The club has gone back to calling itself Kaiserkeller and it is clearly marked. There is also a little plaque (in German) explaining the site. Indra Club - 64 Grosse Freiheit. This is the first club in Hamburg in which the Beatles played. We got the wrong building during our trip, but a friend has since sent me the correct address and a photo. Star Club - 39 Grosse Freiheit. Another very famous place. The Beatles played there 13Apr to 31May62, 1to 14Nov62 and 18 to 31Dec62. There is a big old church next door to the building complex, across the street from the Kaiserkeller. To find #39 you need to go through the archway to an off-the-street court. It is no longer the Star Club; this is not the original structure. Now continue down Grosse Freiheit (away from Reeperbahn) for two blocks and turn left on to Paul-Roosen Strasse.

Bambi Kino - 33 Paul-Roosen Strasse. This little blue-gray house about a block up from the corner is where the Beatles lived when they first came over to Hamburg and were playing at the Indra. They "lived in squalor" there around 17Aug60. The building is unremarkable and we saw the current upstairs resident. There is a small faded silver plaque behind the ivy denoting the site. That was basically all that we found in the Reeperbahn area. But just being there and seeing the buildings nearby, and walking on the cobbles, there was some connection. Many of the things to see and touch in that area were there when the Beatles were there, so this area is more than just the clubs they played at and the places they lived. I imagine that they were in many of the clubs along the strip and in many of the houses in the area. The other Hamburg sites are a bit more scattered. Ernst Merck Halle - This is where the Beatles played their final two concerts in Germany in 1966. At one of them there was a riot among the fans. Unfortunately this building was demolished many years ago.

For those shows the Beatles stayed out of town at the Schloss Hotel, the castle at Tremsbuttel. This castle has changed hands and we were advised by the locals not to visit. They stayed there 26Jun66. Near the Central Train Station (on the east side or south-east corner) there is another minor site. Akustik Studio - 57 Kirchenalle. The Klockmann-House. On 15Oct60 the Fab Three, made their first recording as a group, with Lou Walters and Ringo Starr. They recorded "Summertime" at a record your own voice booth. I asked several of the shop owners in the building (in my terrible German) about this studio, but none had ever heard of it. The building now contains several bars, a bank and a Kodak shop. The actual recording took place on the sixth floor, but the picture shows the shop with the proper address. Royal Festival Hall - near the Planten und Bloomen on Karl-Muck-Platz. The locals call this the Musikhalle. It is here that years ago, many jazz artists came to play.

Afterwards they would go down to the City Park on the Elbe and play for free late into the night. The Beatles saw Ray Charles there once and at that time met Billy Preston. The Heiligengeistfeld (Holy Spirit Square) or Hamburger Dom Platz, near St. Pauli Landungsbrucken, was a favorite hang-out. It is here that Astrid had her famous photo shoot. They also took photos at the nearby docks and the railway yard (Speicherstadt). Also, Jurgen Yollmer took photos at Hamburg Lake (Aussenalster). Near this harbor area is another hang-out, The British Sailors' Society (Britische Seemannsmission, 20 Johannisbollwerk Street). Here they could feel at home with the sailors (like Liverpool) and get a free meal. We decided that Hamburg was rough enough, we didn't have to purposefully seek out the Mission. Stu stayed in Hamburg to study sculpture at "Staatliche Hochschule fur Bildende Kunste", 2 Lerchenfeld (University of Fine Arts) which we did not find. Astrid, Klaus Voormann und Jurgen Vollmer attended the State High School of Art Instruction.

The locals call this the School of Design, (Fachhochschule fur Gestaltung), "the famous, old one". It is found in St. Georg Hohenfelde to the east of Aussenalster, right on the Kuhmuhlent ( Mundsburg Kanal). The street is Armgarstrasse 24 between Mundsburger Damm and Kuhmuhle. It is not easy to find on the map, but if you can get to the Alsterschwimmhaus (municipal swimming pool) then someone can direct you. The building itself has been remodeled such that the top floors are modern. To get the true character of the old building go around the east side to the back of the building. There are other more minor sites, like the hospital in which Stu died (sorry no address) and the airport where Astrid met the Beatles when they came back to get Stu's body. The Fuhlsbuttel-Airport looks too new to be the same one, but I'm told it's original. The rest of the Beatle-related sites are outside of Hamburg and I just didn't have time to find them or go to them.

Friedrich Ebert Halle - in Harburg, about 40 min by train from Hamburg. The Beatles recorded there with Tony Sheridan in 5/61. This is where they recorded "My Bonnie" which eventually led them to Brian Epstein. This was an infant's school at that time.Would have been cool to find, if it still exists (it doesn't). Astrid's house. In the Hamburg suburb of Altona, 45a Eimsbutteler Strasse, in Eimsbuttel. Stu lived in the attic. Some say that a fall down the stairs there led to his death. So there you have it, my little tour of Beatle-related sites in Hamburg. This is provided to you for the fun of it. I am not a Beatle historian, so if my stories about the places or my dates are a bit off, give me a break. If you have any additions to the list, I am all ears. If you are going to Hamburg, don't expect to drink any water that doesn't have bubbles. Good hunting! Go look at a wonderful site by, my friend, Hamburg resident, Andy Lisius - With the Beatles .

Take Five: The Beatles' Hamburg :: Travel :: Lists :: The Beatles :: Paste Share Tweet Submit Pin Not many people know about the role Hamburg played in the early mythology of The Beatles . The lads may have hailed from Liverpool, laid down their records in Abbey Road Studios in London, and performed historic gigs in any number of existing venues around the world, but it was Hamburg that provided the fire in which the phenomenon of The Beatles was truly forged. John Lennon, Paul McCartney and George Harrison, as well as then-band members Stuart Sutcliffe and Pete Best, and later Ringo Starr, racked up a preposterous number of musical hours on the stages of Hamburg’s dive bars. They became, in the words of Best, a “charismatic powerhouse,” tightened as a musical unit, broadened their output, and developed a visceral live energy that they would later struggle, initially, to recapture in the antiseptic environment of the studio. Taking inspiration from the “Exis”—the young Left Bank-style existentialists The Beatles befriended—they even cultivated a new hairstyle. Hamburg was essentially The Beatles ’ apprenticeship, and the jagged, dirty sound of the band in 1960-62 was well suited to the streets of St.

Pauli at the time, frequented as they were by gangsters and thieves. (Some underworld figures even took over singing duties while The Beatles played cautiously on). The area is markedly safer now, and more populated by students and visitors—but the rough, pockmarked Hamburg that The Beatles experienced more than 50 years ago can still be relived in a few choice locations. Here are the hits of Hamburg’s Beatles Tours . 1. The Indra The Indra , a former strip club located slightly away from the action on the Grosse Freiheit, wasn’t just the site of the first Beatles concert in Hamburg; arguably, it was the site of the first Beatles concert ever: signing their first ever contracts the day they arrived in Hamburg—Aug. 17, 1960—it was where The Beatles settled on a band name for the final time. They played four-and-a-half hours every weekday night and six hours on Fridays, cranking their Vox AC30 amplifiers in battle with the noise-deadening cabaret curtains and symbolically melting through the preposterous lilac jackets they were wearing at the time. In 1960, The Indra welcomed visitors with the sight of a neon elephant slung across the street.

The glowing pachyderm is gone, but the remodeled Indra is still a popular live music destination whose rooms are decorated with Hamburg-era Beatles memorabilia and are as lovably shaggy as ever. 2. Kaiserkeller The Beatles ’ move from The Indra to Kaiserkeller was a graduation akin to leaving off-Broadway for Broadway. Forced to compete for supremacy with another Liverpool group on the bill, Rory Storm and the Hurricanes, The Beatles upped their ante even further, with the chemical assistance of “pep pills,” or Preludin. It was here that Astrid Kirchherr first noticed The Beatles ’ then-bassist Stuart Sutcliffe—a love story rendered in fittingly arty inks in the graphic novel Baby’s in Black . Even more notably, it was also here that the drummer for The Hurricanes, Ringo Starr, first took notice of The Beatles . Positioned on the busy corner of Grosse Freiheit and Schmuckstrasse, today the Kaiserkeller has a beckoning neon aura in the evenings, with a guitar looming over its entrance.

It remains a very active music venue—it’s a major player in the Reeperbahn Festival—and is still bringing rock and metal to enthusiastic audiences. The concert stage, thankfully, is of a sturdier kind than the one that The Beatles and The Hurricanes managed to destroy through overenthusiastic stomping in 1960. 3. Moondoo/The Top Ten Club In 1961, The Beatles ’ performance schedule was even more intense than it had been in 1960; they went from performing 30 hours per week to playing 38 hours per week, for 90-something nights that year. They did so in what was, from 1960 to 1998, called the Top Ten Club. They even lived in the attic above the club at the time—resident artists in a very real and squalid sense. Though in years to come, jaded by over-touring, The Beatles would plow through their sets, in these pre-fame years a number like “I Saw Her Standing There” could take around 10 minutes to perform and comprise multiple guitar solos.

The Top Ten Club has since been rechristened the Moondoo , and transformed into an über-trendy two-floor nightclub playing house, dubstep and hip-hop tracks for fashionable clubbers and scenesters. In short, the tunes have changed, but the venue is every bit on the musical cutting edge now as it was in 1961. 4. Gretel & Alfons In 1962, The Beatles played the Star-Club. Manager Manfred Weißleder only allowed his musicians three beers per night, so they ventured to Gretel & Alfons cafe, a few doors down, for sanctuary between sets. It was popular with other musicians and entertainers too—years later, Jimi Hendrix frequented it. The spot stills serves drinks and snacks and is a much-needed refuge from the bustling Reeperbahn. Stopping by Hamburg on his 1989 world tour, Paul McCartney paid it a visit and, remembering there was an outstanding balance to be paid, coughed up the 50 marks and wrote on the receipt: “Paid in full.” The receipt is still on display. 5. Jägerpassage A small, enclosed courtyard in St.

Pauli, Jägerpassage may not look like much at first. But Jürgen Volmer, a Hamburg photographer who took some of the best early concert shots of The Beatles, evidently saw something in it. Keen to test his long exposure skills, Volmer chose one of the courtyard’s dramatic doorways as the setting for what would become an iconic image of John Lennon: the leaning, leather jacketed, Marlon Brando-in-The Wild One pose that would grace the cover of his Rock ’n’ Roll album. Understandably, it’s the most popular and photographed spot of any Beatles tour of Hamburg. Have your teddy boy gear and most disaffected expression at the ready. Darryn King is an arts writer and critic based in New York. The Beatles | British Invasion Bands The Beatles What can we write about the Beatles that hasn’t already been written? So instead of biographical info, we’re using the Beatles page to present a pictorial timeline, a complete Beatles song list, and the latest Beatles news. Let us know if there’s anything else you’d like to see on this page. The Ultimate List of Beatles Songs This is a sortable list of almost 300 Beatles’ songs on Wikipedia.

Besides the basic information, this list includes: Which Beatle really wrote the song? Who sang the lead vocal? US and UK chart positions Links to Wiki articles about every song and album July 7, 1940 – Richard Starkey (Ringo Starr) is born in Liverpool. October 9, 1940 – John Lennon is born in Liverpool. June 18, 1942 – Paul McCartney is born in Liverpool. February 24, 1943 – George Harrison is born in Liverpool. The Beatles’ birthplaces 1957 – John Lennon, age 16, forms the Quarry Men, a band comprised of pals from his school, Quarry Bank Grammar. 1957: Paul meets John July 6, 1957 – Paul McCartney, age 15, meets John at a Quarry Men performance at Woolton Parish Church fete. Soon after, John invites him to join the band. February 1958 -15 year old George Harrison joins the group. January 1960 – Stu Sutcliffe, a friend of John’s at Liverpool College of Art, is asked to join the group as bass guitarist.

The band changes its name to Silver Beetles, then Silver Beatles. In Hamburg with Best and Sutcliffe August 1960 – Drummer Pete Best joins group, now known as simply the Beatles. He accompanies the band to Hamburg where, over five visits between now and December 1962, the group hones its sound at the Indra, Kaiserkeller, Top Ten and Star clubs. December 27, 1960 – Back in Liverpool, the Beatles appear at a local public hall, Litherland Town Hall, prompting fan frenzy. They work the Northwest of Britain steadily for the next two years. Spring 1961 – Stuart Sutcliffe leaves the Beatles. In the studio with George Martin and Brian Epstein November 1961 – The Beatles meet Brian Epstein, who becomes their manager. They start to polish their image and look for a recording contract. January 1, 1962 – They audition (unsuccessfully) for Decca Records in London. April 10, 1962 – Stuart Sutcliffe dies of a brain hemorrhage in Hamburg.

June 6, 1962 – The Beatles audition for George Martin, a producer at EMI. He signs them, and becomes their producer throughout their career. 1962: The Beatles with Ringo August 16, 1962 – Pete Best leaves the Beatles. August 18, 1962 – Ringo joins the band. October 5, 1962 – The Beatles’ first single, “Love Me Do” is released in the United Kingdom. It rises to #17 on the British charts. January 11, 1963 – The Beatles” second single, “Please Please Me,” is released in the UK. It goes to #1 on the British charts on February 22 and stays there for two weeks. February 11, 1963 – In a single day, the Beatles record their first full album, entitled Please Please Me. They record ten songs, which were added to the previously recorded “Love Me Do,” “Please Please Me,” “P.S.

I Love You,” and “Ask Me Why.” Please Please Me album March 22, 1963 – The album Please Please Me is released in the U.K. and becomes a runaway hit. It remains at #1 on the charts for months. The Beatles have taken Britain by storm and successive singles all hit number one: “From Me To You,” “She Loves You,” “I Want To Hold Your Hand.” The album is released in America in July with the title, Introducing the Beatles and initially flops. October 1963 – Beatlemania spreads through Europe. (This is the month biographers and Beatles scholars often point to as the start of the Beatles’ phenomenal popularity). October 13, 1963 – Beatles play on ITV’s Sunday Night at the London Palladium, which is broadcast to 15 million viewers. (This show in the United Kingdom was analogous to The Ed Sullivan Show in the U.S.) 1963: London Palladium November 4, 1963 – The Beatles appear at the Royal Command Performance, performing for the Queen Mother, Princess Margaret and Lord Snowdon.

Before beginning “Twist and Shout,” John tweaks the crowd with his comment, “Will the people in the cheaper seats clap their hands? And the rest of you, if you’ll just rattle your jewelry.” November 22, 1963 – The band’s second album, With the Beatles, is released in the UK, remaining in the top position on the British charts for 21 weeks. It features the songs “All My Loving,” “Please Mr. Postman,” “Roll Over Beethoven,” and others. It succeeded the first album in the number one spot, and together the Beatles were top on the album charts for 51 consecutive weeks. Cover photo, Meet the Beatles November 29, 1963 – The single “I Want To Hold Your Hand” is released in the UK and immediately hits #1 on the charts. It is released in the US December 26 and spends seven weeks on top. January 20, 1964 – The album, Meet the Beatles! is released by Capitol Records in the US. On February 15 it hits number one on Billboard’s chart, where it remains for 11 weeks.

1964: First Sullivan performance February 7, 1964 – The Beatles land at JFK Airport in New York. The British Invasion begins. Fans surround the Plaza Hotel, where the Beatles are staying. February 9, 1964 – The Beatles perform on The Ed Sullivan Show and are watched by a record-setting 73 million people (23,240,000 households, according to A.C. Nielsen). They perform five songs, “All My Loving,” “Till There Was You,” “She Loves You,” “I Saw Her Standing There” and “I Want To Hold Your Hand.” Ticket to Beatles’ DC concert February 11, 1964 – The Beatles give their first live U.S. performance at the Washington Coliseum in Washington, D.C. February 12, 1964 – The Beatles perform at Carnegie Hall in New York City. February 16, 1964 – The Beatles perform for the second time on The Ed Sullivan Show, live from the Deauville Hotel in Miami Beach, Florida. Approximately 70 million people tune in (22,445,000 households).

February 23, 1964 – The Beatles appear for the third time on the Sullivan show, this time with a taped performance of three songs. Scene from “A Hard Day’s Night” March 2, 1964 – Filming starts on the Beatles’ first film, A Hard Day’s Night, and is completed in eight weeks. March 31, 1964 – The Beatles hold the top five slots on Billboard’s chart: (1) Can’t Buy Me Love, (2) Twist and Shout, (3) She Loves You, (4) I Want To Hold Your Hand (5) Please Please Me–a musical first. April 4, 1964 – The Beatles hold 14 slots on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart. July 6, 1964 – A Hard Day’s Night premieres in London. The film is well-received by critics and the public. [July 10, 1964 – The soundtrack album A Hard Day’s Night is released in the U.K., hitting number one there, as well as in America after its U.S. release in August.

August 11, 1964 – A Hard Day’s Night opens in America and is a huge hit. August 19, 1964 – The Beatles perform at the Cow Palace in San Francisco, California, in the first concert of their USA/Canada tour, which lasts a month. December 4, 1964 – The album “Beatles For Sale” is released in the UK and hits #1. Scene from “Help” February 23, 1965 – Shooting begins in the Bahamas on the Beatles’ second film, Help! June 12, 1965 – The Beatles are named Members of the British Empire by the Queen, and in October they are presented with medals at Buckingham Palace. July 29, 1965 – Help! premieres in London. It opens in the U.S. on August 11 that year. It cost $1.5 million to make and was very successful. August 6, 1965 – The album Help! is released in the U.K. and becomes a number one hit there and in the U.S.

Fans at the Shea Stadium concert August 15, 1965 – The Beatles play for a record-breaking 55,600 people at New York’s Shea Stadium, grossing $304,000 dollars. The band’s share is $160,000. “Rubber Soul” cover December 3, 1965 – The album Rubber Soul is released in the UK and goes to #1 there and in the US August 5, 1966 – The album Revolver is released in the UK and hits #1 there and in the U.S. Leaving their last US concert August 29, 1966 – The Beatles give their last live concert, in San Francisco. Recording “Sgt. Pepper” June 1, 1967 – The album Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band is released in the UK. It tops the charts all over the world, holding the #1 slot in Britain for 27 weeks and for 19 in America. It receives four Grammys including Best Album.

At the Our World event June 25, 1967 – The Beatles star in Our World, a two-hour satellite television program transmitted live by satellite to five continents and 24 countries. They perform “All You Need is Love.” This is the first live television satellite program to air worldwide. August 27, 1967 – Brian Epstein dies. The Beatles learn of his death while they are visiting Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in Bangor, Wales. The spiritual leader is introducing people to Transcendental Meditation (TM). Mystery Tour bus November 27, 1967 – The album Magical Mystery Tour is released in the US where it hits #1. It is released in the UK eleven days later as an extended play disc, without three singles. December 26, 1967 – Magical Mystery Tour, the Beatles’ hour-long television special, airs in the UK, where it is seen by approximately 14 million viewers and panned by critics. With the Maharishi February 1968 – The Beatles travel to Rishikesh, India, to attend a TM seminar hosted by Maharishi at his center. They stay a few weeks.

May 14, 1968 – John and Paul appear on The Tonight Show (with guest host Joe Garagiola) to announce that their company, Apple, wants to help young artists. July 17, 1968 – Yellow Submarine, the animated film, premieres in London. It opens in America several months later and becomes a great success. The “White Album” cover November 22, 1968 – The album The Beatles ( also known as the ‘White Album’), is released and zooms to number one in Britain and America. “Yellow Submarine” cover January 13, 1969 – The soundtrack Yellow Submarine is released in the US and reaches the #2 position on the British and American charts (number one was held by the ‘White Album’). The Beatles’ swan song on the Apple Building roof January 30, 1969 – The Beatles perform together for the last time live, on the roof of Apple’s London office. The scenes are included in what becomes the documentary Let It Be.

Mid-September, 1969 – John decides to “divorce” the Beatles, but he does not announce it publicly because of contract negotiations taking place with EMI. By this time, George and Ringo have each quit the band for short spells, returning soon after. “Abbey Road” cover photo September 26, 1969 – The Beatles last studio album, Abbey Road, is released in the UK. It tops the charts there and in the US. November 25, 1969 – John returns his Member of the British Empire medal to Buckingham Palace, as an anti-war protest. April 10, 1970 – Paul announces publicly that he has left the Beatles. “Let It Be” jacket May 8, 1970 – The Beatles last album, Let It Be (recorded before Abbey Road), is released in the U.K. and hits #1 there and in the U.S. May 20, 1970 – The movie Let It Be premieres in London. None of the Beatles attend.

Share this: Beatles3 | Rock & pop music pilgrimages - Travel Travel Previous slide Next slide 5 of 17 View All Skip Ad Other Beatles sites around the world There are several sites in London associated with the Beatles. The film Hard Day's Night (1964) is shot in various locations including the Turks Head pub in Twickenham, where Ringo Starr wanders in from the Thames towpath and attempts to play table skittles and darts. And Abbey Road, in St Johns Wood, is home to the zebra crossing that featured on the Abbey Road album cover. See London Beatles Walks ( ) for more information. The band also played at the Indra Club, the Kaiserkeller and the Top Ten Club in Hamburg. Guests can stay at the Hilton in Amsterdam ( www3.hilton.com ), where John and Yoko staged their "Bed-in for Peace" demonstration in 1969. The band are also remembered in Cuba, where Fidel Castro unveiled a statue to Lennon in Parque Lennon in the Vedado district of Havana in 2000 to mark the 20th anniversary of Lennon's death in New York. He hailed him a revolutionary.

The newest Beatles attraction of note is the Imagine Peace Tower that emits a 20m-high, geothermal white beam that breaks through the clouds - and occasionally the Northern Lights - above Reykjavik, Iceland's capital. Yoko Ono lights the tower dedicated to her late partner in October each year. Tony Sheridan - Telegraph Obituaries Tony Sheridan Tony Sheridan, who has died aged 72, was the hard-driving rock and roll guitarist and singer teamed with the Beatles on their first recording session, when they backed him on the hoary old standard My Bonnie in 1961. Tony Sheridan performing live in 2004 5:46PM GMT 17 Feb 2013 The Liverpool foursome ran into Sheridan in Germany, where they had been booked to play the Indra, a sleazy club in the red-light district of Hamburg.

Sheridan was the resident British attraction at the nearby Top Ten club, a larger-than-life figure who invariably turned up late, drunk, sometimes with — but often without — his guitar; when he did get himself and his act together, he often forgot the lyrics, and was notoriously unpredictable, tumbling off the stage on to the dance floor where he would moon at the gyrating fans and contort himself into obscene poses. The Beatles, which then included Pete Best on drums, went to see him play every night after their own show and quickly fell under his spell. When they moved to the larger Kaiserkeller club nearby, it was Sheridan who directed them up the Reeperbahn to the shop where they kitted themselves out in the sleek black leather Luftwaffe-style bomber jackets and hand-stitched cowboy boots that became their signature “bad boy” look until Brian Epstein became their manager and ordered them into suits. But more significantly, Sheridan was a decisive influence on the Beatles’ early repertoire, introducing them to R&B records imported from America by artists like Little Richard which Sheridan covered in his own set. The Beatles covered several numbers from these recordings on their own early albums.

For all his shortcomings as a polished act, Sheridan was regarded as a consummate rock musician, wielding a fat-bellied Martin Dreadnought guitar with an electric pickup jammed under the strings as effortlessly if it were a knife and fork, working his sandpaper voice until “it cracked like old plaster” (as one chronicler put it) and hosting wild parties every night in his flat above the club. Related Articles Cherry Wainer 30 Nov 2014 When the Top Ten’s young owner offered the Beatles a residency as his house band to accompany Sheridan, they jumped at the chance — even though the contract required them to play for seven hours a night, seven nights a week. Sheridan had no problem fuelling this relentless schedule: he would dole out handfuls of amphetamines called Preludin — known as “prellies” — to keep himself and the Beatles awake. Backed by the Beatles, Sheridan raised his game. His marathon sets became deafening extravaganzas of rock and roll, and could last for several hours. They attracted the attention of the bandleader and Polydor talent scout Bert Kaempfert, who offered Sheridan a recording contract to include the Beatles as his backing group.

Because the German slang word “pidels” — pronounced “peedles” — meant “tiny willies”, Kaempfert changed the group’s name to the Beat Brothers. Not wishing to alienate his somewhat staid core audience, Kaempfert insisted that the first Sheridan-Beatles recording sessions should cover mainstream standards, which is how My Bonnie came to be released on Polydor in September 1961 with Sheridan taking lead vocal. Another track from the session was When The Saints Go Marching In. The release of My Bonnie was immortalised when Epstein invented the story — now accepted as apocryphal — that he discovered the Beatles when a customer asked for a copy at his Liverpool record shop a few weeks later. Tony Sheridan was born Anthony Esmond Sheridan McGinnity on May 21 1940 in Norwich. His parents enjoyed classical music, and by the time Tony was seven he had learned to play the violin. At City of Norwich School he played in the orchestra, sang in the choir, and appeared in productions of Gilbert and Sullivan operettas.

In 1956, having also mastered the guitar, he formed a skiffle group and ran away to London, where he was soon playing in the Two I’s club in Old Compton Street, Soho, by night, and sleeping in doorways by day. His fortunes improved when he appeared on the BBC’s pop show Oh Boy! He was reputedly the first British musician to play the electric guitar on television (the BBC had hitherto banned the instrument), in rock classics such as Blue Suede Shoes and Mighty Mighty Man. The American journalist Bob Spitz later described him as a guitarist of extraordinary flair who, after backing stars like Marty Wilde and Vince Taylor, attracted a sizeable cult following of his own. “His rave 1959 appearance on Oh Boy! was one of those transcendent TV moments in which an unknown performer leaps from obscurity to stardom,” Spitz noted. Perhaps the calibre of “stardom” he achieved was not recognised by the big names of American rock. When Sheridan performed on a British tour by Gene Vincent and Eddie Cochran the following year, he asked if he could travel with them to the next venue.

They refused him a ride, which meant he escaped the traffic accident which left Cochran dead and Vincent badly injured. Later in 1960 Sheridan took a residency at the Kaiserkeller in Hamburg, playing with various British backing musicians, then moving to the glitzier Top Ten club where he met and worked with the Beatles. Their collaboration continued when the Liverpool band returned to Hamburg for a second time the following year, and was sealed when Sheridan and the Beatles cut their first disc together for Polydor, with My Bonnie on the A-side. “What a silly choice,” Sheridan recalled. “But Bert Kaempfert said we had to do something that the Germans would understand, and they all learnt My Bonnie in English lessons.” The success of the My Bonnie single was followed by an album of the same name, first in Germany, where it was released with “Tony Sheridan and the Beat Boys” on the cover, and then in Britain, where it was credited to “Tony Sheridan and The Beatles”. But by the time Sheridan released his solo album Just a Little Bit of Tony Sheridan in 1964, he had moved away from rock and roll to a bluesier, jazzier sound.

In any case he had been dismayed by the hysteria of the Beatlemania phenomenon and felt drawn to the political and social problems of the day. According to the album’s liner notes, Sheridan planned to visit the southern United States “to hear at first hand the original Negro music and experience the atmosphere that has been instrumental in creating Negro jazz and the spiritual, for which he has a great liking”. During the Vietnam War, Sheridan performed for American troops with a specially-formed band, one of whose members was killed by enemy fire. Initially, the Reuters news agency reported that Sheridan himself had died, and newspapers worldwide published his obituary. For his work entertaining the military, Sheridan was appointed an honorary captain of the US Army, and presented with an Army Ranger cap which he subsequently often wore on stage. Sheridan released a new album called Vagabond in 2002, mostly of his own material, but also including a new cover version of Skinny Minnie, a rocker number he had recorded for his first album nearly 40 years earlier.

Songs from that 1961 session, including My Bonnie, have been reissued many times, most recently by Time-Life as The Beatles With Tony Sheridan First Recordings: 50th Anniversary Edition in 2011. Last year, a few weeks after he made a rare concert appearance — at the 2012 Beatlefair in San Diego, California — Sheridan underwent heart surgery in Germany. Tony Sheridan's wife, Anna, died in 2011. He is survived by several children, including the rockabilly musician Tony Sheridan Jr. Tony Sheridan, born May 21 1940, died February 16 2013 The Beatles Is Paul McCartney Dead? Rare Recording Rumor Hoax Billy Shears * After Paul's song, "Penny Lane" became a Beatles hit, the street signs for the actual Penny Lane in Liverpool disappeared with such regularity (as they did on the real Abbey Road), that the town reverted to simply painting 'Penny Lane' on the buildings, rather than have street signs. * "Strawberry Fields" was named for a real place, Strawberry Field, a children's home run by the Salvation Army in Liverpool.

Its location was near John's childhood home. The original Victorian building was too old and was demolished in the late 1960's and some land at the back was sold off to help pay for the new buildings. It's still called "Strawberry Field" and the original walls and gates are there, and it's still a Salvation Army Children's Home. John sent Strawberry Field a large donation before his death and so Strawberry Field named one of it's buildings "Lennon Hall" Yoko still sends donations of cash. * Though there was a woman named Eleanor Rigby in Liverpool, she was not the inspiration for the song. Paul simply made up the name. The Father McKenzie in "Eleanor Rigby," was almost called Father McCartney, when Paul first composed the lyrics. However, a search in the phone book yielded the more general name McKenzie. The song has been recorded over 200 times, with interpretations by Diana Ross and the Supremes, Paul Anka, Frankie Valli, the Four Tops, Johnny Mathis, Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin and Vanilla Fudge. * The group's name had numerous inspirations.

Stuart Sutcliffe noted that a motorcycle gang in the film, "The Wild One," was called 'The Beetles,' and John Lennon reportedly had a dream in which a man appeared "on a flaming pie," saying, "You will be Beatles with an 'a'." The band members were also influenced by the name of Buddy Holly's band, the Crickets. * Contrary to popular belief, the title for "Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds" was prompted by 4-year-old Julian Lennon's description of a painting he brought home from school, not the drug, LSD. John Lennon has been said to have preferred Elton John's rendition of the song, and played background guitar and backup vocals on John's version, credited as "Dr. Winston O'Boogie and his Reggae Guitars." * Paul McCartney wrote "Hey Jude" for Julian Lennon, John's son. * Though the Beatles were still largely unknown in the U.S. in October 1963, Ed Sullivan got his first glimpse of Beatlemania on Halloween of that year. His plane at Heathrow Airport outside London was delayed due to hordes of screaming Beatles fans welcoming the boys back from an overseas concert.

When he was notified about the cause of the delay, Ed Sullivan said, "Who the hell are the Beatles?" That experience prompted him to book them on his show in 1964. (The Beatles, for their part, had not previously heard of Ed Sullivan). * Though "The Ed Sullivan Show" was the first TV program in America to host the Beatles, (February 9, 1964), ABC and CBS shot concert footage of the band in November 1963 as Beatlemania swept England. On December 7, 1963, "The CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite" featured footage of Beatles fans at a concert, and on Friday, January 3, 1964, Jack Paar's show was the first to broadcast footage of them on a major U.S. show, when Paar played a clip of the Beatles performing "She Loves You." At that point Paar was not a fan, and he disparaged their haircuts on air. * On December 17, 1963, a disc jockey at WWDC in Washington, D.C., became the first person to broadcast a Beatles record on American airwaves.

James Carroll played "I Want To Hold Your Hand," which he had obtained from his stewardess girlfriend who brought the single back from Britain. Due to listener demand, it played daily, every hour. Since it hadn't been released yet in the States, Capitol initially considered court action, but instead released the record earlier than planned. * Among the people on the cover of "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" are Stuart Sutcliffe (one of the Beatles' early band members), Laurel and Hardy, Marilyn Monroe, Karl Marx, boxer Sonny Liston, Bob Dylan, Lenny Bruce and Shirley Temple. Shirley had visited the Beatles in their dressing room backstage at a San Francisco concert in 1964. It is said when the Beatles requested her permission to use her image on the cover of the album, she was the only celebrity who insisted upon hearing the disc before granting permission. * Timothy Leary and Tommy Smothers did some of the background clapping on John's song, "Give Peace a Chance," recorded in a hotel in Montreal.

* Before she was Cher, singer "Bonnie Jo Mason" recorded the novelty song, "I Love You Ringo." * Paul Simon, Mick Jagger, John Belushi, Dan Ackroyd and Bill Murray (who played Bill Murray the K) had cameos in Eric Idle's spoof feature film about the Beatles, "The Rutles." * Though she bought him his first guitar, John's Aunt Mimi discouraged him from a career in music, saying, according to John: "The guitar's all right as a hobby, but it won't earn you any money." Years later, John gave her a silver plaque with that quote engraved upon it. *The Beatles wrote 48 songs during their seven-week stay at Maharishi Mahesh Yogi’s ashram in Rishikesh, where they were introduced to austerity - living in simple rooms with bunk beds. *Who sang lead on The Beatles song* John Lennon - 103 times Paul McCartney - 86 times George Harrison - 40 times Ringo Starr - 12 Times *Not including songs with duo and trio harmony BEATLES TIMELINE July 7, 1940 - Richard Starkey (Ringo Starr) is born in Liverpool.

October 9, 1940 - John Lennon is born in Liverpool. June 18, 1942 - Paul McCartney is born in Liverpool. February 24, 1943 - George Harrison is born in Liverpool. 1957 - John Lennon, age 16, forms the Quarry Men, a band comprised of pals from his school, Quarry Bank Grammar. July 6, 1957 - Paul McCartney, age 15, meets John at a Quarry Men performance at Woolton Parish Church fete. Soon after, John invites him to join the band. February 1958 - George Harrison, age 15, joins the group. January 1960 - Stu Sutcliffe, a friend of John's at Liverpool College of Art, is asked to join the group as bass guitarist. The band changes its name to Silver Beetles, then Silver Beatles. August 1960 - Drummer Pete Best joins group, now known as simply the Beatles.

He accompanies the band to Hamburg where, over five visits between now and December 1962, the group hones its sound at the Indra, Kaiserkeller, Top Ten and Star clubs. December 27, 1960 - Having returned to Liverpool the Beatles appear on this date at a local public hall, Litherland Town Hall, prompting fan frenzy. Their popularity secure, they work the North West of Britain steadily to committed followers for the next two years. Spring 1961 - Stuart Sutcliffe quits the Beatles. November 1961 - The Beatles meet Brian Epstein, who becomes their manager. They start to polish their image and seek a recording contract. January 1, 1962 - They audition (unsuccessfully) for Decca Records in London. April 10, 1962 - Stuart Sutcliffe dies of a brain hemorrhage in Hamburg. June 6, 1962 - The Beatles audition for George Martin, a producer at EMI. He signs them, and becomes their producer throughout the Beatles' career. August 16, 1962 - Pete Best leaves the Beatles.

August 18, 1962 - Ringo joins the band. October 5, 1962 - The Beatles' first single, "Love Me Do" is released in the United Kingdom. It rises to a respectable #17 on the British charts. January 11, 1963 - The Beatles" second single, "Please Please Me," is released in the U.K.. It goes to #1 on the British charts on February 22 and stays there for two weeks. February 11, 1963 - In a single day, the Beatles record their first full album, also entitled "Please Please Me." They record ten songs, which were added to the previously recorded "Love Me Do," "Please Please Me," "P.S. I Love You," and "Ask Me Why." March 22, 1963 - The album "Please Please Me" is released in the U.K. and becomes a runaway hit. Once it hits number one, it remains there for 29 weeks.

The Beatles have taken Britain by storm and successive singles all hit number one: "From Me To You," "She Loves You," "I Want To Hold Your Hand." The album is released in America in July with the title, "Introducing the Beatles," and initially flops. October 1963 - Beatlemania spreads through Europe. (This is the month biographers and Beatles scholars often point to as the start of the Beatles' phenomenal popularity). October 13, 1963 - Beatles play on ITV's "Sunday Night at the London Palladium" which is broadcast to 15 million viewers. (This show in the United Kingdom was analogous to "The Ed Sullivan Show" in the U.S.) November 4, 1963 - The Beatles appear at the Royal Command Performance, performing for the Queen Mother, Princess Margaret and Lord Snowdon. Before beginning "Twist and Shout," John tweaks the crowd with his comment, "Will the people in the cheaper seats clap their hands?

And the rest of you, if you'll just rattle your jewelry." November 22, 1963 - The band's second album "With the Beatles" is released in the U.K., remaining in the top position on the British charts for 21 weeks. It features the songs "All My Loving," "Please Mr. Postman," "Roll Over Beethoven," and others. It succeeded the first album in the number one spot, and together the Beatles were top on the album charts for 51 consecutive weeks. November 29, 1963 - The single "I Want To Hold Your Hand" is released in the U.K. and immediately hits number one on the charts. It is released in the U.S. December 26 that year, and spends seven weeks at number one. January 20, 1964 - The album, "Meet the Beatles!" is released by Capitol Records in the U.S. On February 15 it hits number one on Billboard's chart in America, where it remains for 11 weeks. February 7, 1964 - The Beatles land at JFK Airport in New York. The British Invasion begins.

Fans surround the Plaza Hotel, where the Beatles are staying. February 9, 1964 - The Beatles perform on "The Ed Sullivan Show" and are watched by a record-setting 73 million people (23,240,000 households, according to A.C. Nielsen). They perform five songs, "All My Loving," "Till There Was You," "She Loves You," "I Saw Her Standing There" and "I Want To Hold Your Hand." February 11, 1964 - The Beatles give their first live performance in the U.S. at the Washington Coliseum in Washington, D.C. February 12, 1964 - The Beatles perform at Carnegie Hall in New York City. February 16, 1964 - The Beatles perform for the second time on "The Ed Sullivan Show," performing live from the Deauville Hotel in Miami Beach, Florida. Approximately 70 million people tune in (22,445,000 households). February 23, 1964 - The Beatles appear for the third time on "The Ed Sullivan Show," this time with a taped performance of three songs.

March 2, 1964 - Filming commences on the Beatles' first film, "A Hard Day's Night," and is completed in eight weeks. March 31, 1964 - The Beatles hold the top five slots on Billboard's chart: (1) Can't Buy Me Love, (2) Twist and Shout, (3) She Loves You, (4) I Want To Hold Your Hand (5) Please Please Me--a musical first. April 4, 1964 - The Beatles hold 14 slots on Billboard's Hot 100 chart. July 6, 1964 - "A Hard Day's Night" premieres in London. It cost $500,000. The film is well-received by critics and the public. July 10, 1964 - The album "A Hard Day's Night" is released in the U.K., hitting number one there, as well as in America after its U.S. release in August. August 11, 1964 - "A Hard Day's Night" opens in America and is a huge hit.

August 19, 1964 - The Beatles perform at the Cow Palace in San Francisco, California, in the first concert of their USA/Canada tour, which lasts a month. December 4, 1964 - The album "Beatles For Sale" is released in the U.K. and hits number one. February 23, 1965 - Shooting begins in the Bahamas on the Beatles' second film, "Help!" June 12, 1965 - The Beatles are named Members of the British Empire by the Queen, and in October they are presented with medals at Buckingham Palace. July 29, 1965 - The Beatles second feature film, "Help!" opens in London. It opens in the U.S. on August 11 that year. It cost $1.5 million to make and was very successful. August 6, 1965 - The album, "Help!" is released in the U.K. and becomes a number one hit there and in the U.S.

August 15, 1965 - The Beatles play for a record-breaking 55,600 people at New York's Shea Stadium, grossing $304,000 dollars. The Beatles' share was $160,000. December 3, 1965 - The album, "Rubber Soul," is released in the U.K. and goes to number one there and in the U.S. August 5, 1966 - The album, "Revolver," is released in the U.K. and hits number one there and in the U.S. August 29, 1966 - The Beatles give their last live concert, in San Francisco, California. June 1, 1967 - The album, "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band," is released in the U.K. It tops the charts all over the world, holding the number one slot in Britain for 27 weeks and for 19 in America. It receives four Grammys including Best Album.

June 25, 1967 - The Beatles star in "Our World," a two-hour satellite television program transmitted live by satellite to five continents and 24 countries. They perform "All You Need is Love." This was the first live television satellite program to air worldwide. August 27, 1967 - Brian Epstein dies. The Beatles learn of his death while they are visiting Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in Bangor, Wales. The spiritual leader is introducing people to Transcendental Meditation (TM). November 27, 1967 - The album, "Magical Mystery Tour," is released in the U.S. where it hits number one. It is released in the U.K. eleven days later as an extended play disc, without three singles. December 26, 1967 - "Magical Mystery Tour," the Beatles' hour-long television special airs in the U.K., where it is seen by approximately 14 million viewers and not liked by critics. February 1968 - The Beatles travel to Rishikesh, India, to attend a TM seminar hosted by Maharishi at his center. They stay a few weeks.

May 14, 1968 - John and Paul appear on "The Tonight Show" (with guest host Joe Garagiola) to announce that their company, Apple, desires to help young artists. July 17, 1968 - "Yellow Submarine," the animated film, premieres in London. It opens in America several months later and becomes a great success. November 22, 1968 - The album, "The Beatles" ('White Album'), is released and zooms to number one in Britain and America. January 13, 1969 - The soundtrack, "Yellow Submarine," is released in the U.S. and reaches the number two position on the British and American charts (number one was held by the White Album). January 30, 1969 - The Beatles perform together for the last time live, singing many songs, on the roof of Apple's London office. The scenes were included in what became the documentary "Let It Be." Mid-September, 1969 - John decides to "divorce" the Beatles, but he does not announce it publicly because of contract negotiations taking place with EMI.

By this time, George and Ringo have each quit the band for short spells, returning soon after. September 26, 1969 - The Beatles last studio album, "Abbey Road," is released in the U.K. It tops the charts there and in America. November 25, 1969 - John returns his Member of the British Empire medal to Buckingham Palace as an anti-war protest, and, he says in his letter to the Queen, in protest against his single "Cold Turkey" slipping down the charts. April 10, 1970 - Paul announces publicly that he has left the Beatles. May 8, 1970 - The Beatles last album, "Let It Be" (recorded before "Abbey Road"), is released in the U.K. and hits number one there and in the U.S. May 20, 1970 - The movie, "Let It Be," premieres in London. None of the Beatles attend. Here a sample of the Radio Show Is Paul Dead? Turn me on deadman!

The Beatles - Some Other Guy - Version 3 (live) - YouTube The Beatles - Some Other Guy - Version 3 (live) Want to watch this again later? Sign in to add this video to a playlist. Need to report the video? Sign in to report inappropriate content. Rating is available when the video has been rented. This feature is not available right now. Please try again later. Uploaded on Nov 22, 2010 1962 Watch more: Harrison, only 17 years old in August 1960, obtained permission to stay in Hamburg by lying to the German authorities about his age. Initially placing The Beatles at the Indra Club, Koschmider moved them to the Kaiserkeller in October after the Indra was closed down due to noise complaints. When they violated their contract by performing at the rival Top Ten Club, Koschmider reported the underage Harrison to the authorities, leading to his deportation in November. McCartney and Best were arrested for arson a week later when they set fire to a condom nailed to a wall in their room; they too were deported.

Lennon returned to Liverpool in mid-December, while Sutcliffe remained in Hamburg with his new German fiancée, Astrid Kirchherr, for another month. Kirchherr took the first professional photos of the group and cut Sutcliffe's hair in the German "exi" (existentialist) style of the time, a look later adopted by the other Beatles. During the next two years, the group were resident for further periods in Hamburg. They used Preludin both recreationally and to maintain their energy through all-night performances. Sutcliffe decided to leave the band in early 1961 and resume his art studies in Germany, so McCartney took up bass. German producer Bert Kaempfert contracted what was now a four-piece to act as Tony Sheridan's backing band on a series of recordings. Credited to "Tony Sheridan and The Beat Brothers", the single "My Bonnie", recorded in June and released four months later, reached number 32 in the Musikmarkt chart. The Beatles were also becoming more popular back home in Liverpool. During one of the band's frequent appearances there at The Cavern Club, they encountered Brian Epstein, a local record store owner and music columnist.

When the band appointed Epstein manager in January 1962, Kaempfert agreed to release them from the German record contract. After Decca Records rejected the band with the comment "Guitar groups are on the way out, Mr. Epstein", George Martin signed the group to EMI's Parlophone label. News of a tragedy greeted them on their return to Hamburg in April. Meeting them at the airport, a stricken Kirchherr told them of Sutcliffe's death from a brain haemorrhage. In Liverpool, the Merseybeat movement was gathering force. The band had its first recording session under Martin's direction at EMI Studios in London in June 1962. Martin complained to Epstein about Best's drumming and suggested the band use a session drummer in the studio. Instead, Best was replaced by Ringo Starr. Starr, who left Rory Storm and the Hurricanes to join The Beatles, had already performed with them in Best's occasional absence. Martin still hired session drummer Andy White for one session. White played on the single "Love Me Do" and "P.S. I Love You".

Released in October, "Love Me Do" was a top twenty UK hit, peaking at number seventeen on the chart. After a November studio session that yielded what would be their second single, "Please Please Me", they made their TV debut with a live performance on the regional news programme People and Places. The band concluded their last Hamburg stint in December 1962. By now it had become the pattern that all four members contributed vocals, although Starr's restricted range meant he sang lead only rarely. Lennon and McCartney had established a songwriting partnership; as the band's success grew, their celebrated collaboration limited Harrison's opportunities as lead vocalist. Epstein, sensing The Beatles' commercial potential, encouraged the group to adopt a professional attitude to performing. Lennon recalled the manager saying, "Look, if you really want to get in these bigger places, you're going to have to change—stop eating on stage, stop swearing, stop smoking." Lennon said, "We used to dress how we liked, on and off stage. He'd tell us that jeans were not particularly smart and could we possibly manage to wear proper trousers, but he didn't want us suddenly looking square. He'd let us have our own sense of individuality ...

it was a choice of making it or still eating chicken on stage." Category Beatles Facts - BeatlesFacts.org: Beatles Biography Beatles Facts - BeatlesFacts.org BeatlesFacts.org is one of the web's top resources for facts, news, and trivia about the Beatles, as well as discussion of their history and music. Monday, January 12, 2009 Beatles Biography John Lennon formed a skiffle group called The Quarrymen in 1957. In July of that year, he met Paul McCartney and invited him to join the band. Paul’s friend George Harrison joined the group as lead guitarist in March of 1958. In 1960, Stuart Sutcliffe joined as bassist, and later Pete Best was added as drummer. The group was temporarily known as Johnny and the Moondogs but changed its name to the Beatles after touring Scotland. In 1960 and 1961, the Beatles performed in Hamburg, Germany at such clubs as the Indra Club, the Kaiserkeller, and the Top Ten Club. While in Hamburg in 1961, Tony Sheridan recruited the Beatles as his backing band.

Paul began playing bass after Sutcliffe, not very accomplished on the instrument, remained in Germany in 1960 to be with his fiancé, Astrid Kerchherr. On February 21, 1961, the Beatles appeared at Liverpool’s Cavern Club for the first time. It was at the Cavern that Brian Epstein first saw the group, which he thought had promise even though they were rough around the edges both musically and in the matter of attire. He offered to manage the group, which signed a five-year contract with him. Decca Records declined to sign the group to a recording contract after their January 1, 1962 audition, and several of EMI’s staff also turned down the group. Epstein eventually met George Martin, trained in classical music, who signed the band to a one-year contract with EMI’s Parlophone Records. Because of Martin’s dissatisfaction with Pete Best, the Beatles’ drummer was replaced with Richard Starkey (aka Ringo Starr), a drummer with Rory Storm and the Hurricanes. Ringo and his group were as established part of the musical movement in Liverpool and surrounding areas, a movement known as the Mersey Beat.

Beatlemania began in Europe when the Beatles had success with singles such as “Love Me Do” and “Please Please Me.” When the latter hit number one in Great Britain, the Beatles recorded their first album, Please Please Me, in one session on February 11, 1963. Although the Beatles continued to record such songs as “She Loves You” and “From Me to You,” Capital Records refused to release the band’s singles in the United States. This changed after Ed Sullivan invited the group to appear on his television program three times in January of 1964. “I Want to Hold Your Hand” was therefore rush-released in late 1963 and quickly rose on the charts. After seventy-four million people viewed the Beatles on The Ed Sullivan Show, Beatlemania took root in America. Later in 1964, the Beatles began a world tour and filmed their first feature film, A Hard Day’s Night, directed by Richard Lester. By the end of 1964, the Beatles had recorded additional LPs: With the Beatles, A Hard Day’s Night, and Beatles for Sale.

(See the Beatles Discography on this site for the Capital LP releases, which differed from the UK LPs.) After receiving MBEs from Queen Elizabeth in 1965, the Beatles second film, Help!, was released. In August, 1966, the Beatles performed at Shea stadium to a crowd estimated to be between 55,000 and 70,000 screaming fans. At the time, it was the largest rock concert ever to be held. 1966 was a difficult and controversial year for the Beatles. They barely escaped with their lives after declining a dinner invitation from Emelda Marcos, wife of the Philippines’ dictator, because it conflicted with one of their coveted days off. The group was treated roughly at the airport as they tried to depart, and their roadies were punched several times. Shortly afterwards, John made his infamous comment that the Beatles were bigger than Jesus, a comment that, in the United States, resulted in Beatles boycotts and record burnings. Under pressure from Brian Epstein and the American media, Lennon gave a begrudging and somewhat sarcastic apology for his remark, saying that he had not meant to “knock” religion. The Beatles’ U.S.

tour continued, but the group, unable to hear themselves and tired of their grueling touring schedule, gave their last concert at Candlestick Park in San Francisco on August 29, 1966. What followed was dubbed the Beatles “studio years.” They recorded Sgt. Pepper’s Lonelely Hearts Club Band over a period of four months. The album was released to rave reviews on June 1, 1967, although many hardcore Beatles fans had mixed reactions to the band’s new style, clearly influenced by the psychedelic movement. The album had been Paul’s idea, one that was formed after listening to the Beach Boys’ Pet Sounds, which made innovative use of new instruments and harmonies. The Beatles next embraced transcendental meditation while visiting Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in Rishikesh, India in 1968 after receiving scathing reviews for their 1967 surrealistic film, Magical Mystery Tour, which did not air in the United States as planned (although it would later be shown underground and finally on ABC.) While in India, Lennon and McCartney composed many songs for their LP, which came to be called The White Album.

It was also in 1968 that Brian Epstein died from an apparent drug and alcohol overdose, after which the Beatles formed Apple Corps, Ltd., a company that would supposedly allow ordinary people to publish art of all kinds without having to endure usual corporate auditions (or standards). Tensions were mounting within the group, however, and Ringo temporarily left during The White Album, leaving McCartney to perform or overdub many of the drum tracks. Lennon, Harrison and Starr wished Allen Klein to manage the group in Epstein’s absence, although McCartney favored Lee Eastman, the father of his future wife Linda. The other three Beatles felt that Eastman might favor McCartney’s interests over theirs, and Klein became the Beatles manager. In January of 1969, the Beatles began a film documenting the recording of their next album, to be called Get Back. Tensions ran even higher when the Beatles’ egos clashed and Yoko Ono also continued to sit in on what had always been closed recording sessions. After an impromptu rooftop concert at Apple headquarters at Saville Row, the project was suspended, although the group re-assembled in the summer of that year to record their final album together, Abbey Road.

The Get Back tapes were given to Phil Spector in 1970, who mixed the tapes, which were released under the title Let It Be in May, 1970. The Beatles, especially McCartney (who had pioneered and supervised the Get Back project), were unhappy with Spector’s mix, which was re-released many years later as Let It Be … Naked. McCartney had announced the breakup of the group (and the release of his first solo album, McCartney) in April of 1970. In December of 1970, he sued to dissolve the group, although the final legal dissolution did not come until 1975. From 1970 to the present, the individual Beatles began recording solo albums. The Beatles were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988. The group reunited, after a fashion, when Paul, George, and Ringo added their vocals and instruments to two Lennon tapes in the possession of Yoko Ono, “Free as a Bird” and “Real Love.” The two songs were released in conjunction with The Beatles Anthology ABC TV series (and accompanying CD issues by Apple) in 1995.

John Lennon was assassinated on December 8, 1980, and George Harrison died of lung cancer on November 29, 2001. The legacy of the Beatles continues with CDs such as Love, a re-mixing of various Beatles songs by George and Giles Martin. The CD is also the basis of Love, a performance by Cirque du Soleil. Both McCartney and Starr have continued to release CDs from 2001 to 2009and are still active in the recording and performing careers. SITEMAP

Question: What city hosted the Beatles as the resident band at the Kaiserkeller and Top Ten Club?
Answer: Hamburg