1962, May 24

(above) Tony Sheridan and Stu Sutcliffe, ca. 1962

After the Decca rejection (1962, January 1), Brian Epstein was somewhat upset but far from despondent. His spirits were actually buoyed beyond natural response by the slim attention given him by George Martin, which carried Brian to not only cut ties with Dick Rowe but also with Bert Kaempfert of Polydor. Kaempfert’s March 3, 1962 reply to Brian’s letter of February 20 read that he was willing to release The Beatles from their contract, but greatly desired to have them record for him while they were in Hamburg that spring. Brian agreed in a letter dated March 27, but also gave formal notice to Kaempfert that June 30 would be The Beatles' final day in the Polydor stable. This was made to good accord on April 9, 1962, when Brian finally met Kaempfert on a visit to Hamburg in preparation for The Beatles' arrival a few days later^{1, 2}. The break with Polydor became formal when Kaempfert put it in writing on May 25³, the day after The Beatles recorded this last Tony Sheridan session.

The Beatles’ transition from Polydor to Parlophone artist can be observed in their concert advertising. For the March 31, 1962 show at Subscription Rooms, Stroud, the band billed as "stars of Polydor Records"⁴; for the April 6 show at the Tower Ballroom, there is no mention of their affiliation⁵; and, for the June 21 show at the Tower Ballroom, The Beatles are "Parlophone Recording Artistes"⁶.

At this May 24, 1962 session (Lewisohn had previously guessed incorrectly at April 1962), recorded in Studio Rahlstedt (finally correct), The Beatles and pianist Roy Young laid down the backing tracks for "Sweet Georgia Brown" and "Swanee River." Tony Sheridan was not in attendance, but would come to the studio on June 7 to add his vocals, by which time The Beatles were back in England and recording for George Martin. It should be noted that this recording of "Swanee River" never saw release, and is not available by any means; heard up to the present day is a December 21, 1961 version of that song by Sheridan without The Beatles⁷. On January 3, 1964, Sheridan re-entered the studio to re-record the vocals for "Sweet Georgia Brown” with new lyrics, by Liverpudlian Paul Murphy (Sheridan's engineer)^{7 (50)}, that took on then-fab superstars, The Beatles.

¹ Lewisohn, Chronicles, pp.54-55

² for greater detail concerning Brian’s dealings with George Martin and Parlophone, go to 1962, June 6: here

³ Miles and Badman, The Beatles Diary: The Beatle Years, p.63

⁴ Lewisohn, The Beatles Live!, p.91

⁵ ibid, p.110

⁶ ibid, p.111

⁷ Beatles Bop - Hamburg Days CD-set booklet

(general ref: Winn, Way Beyond Compare)

_______________________________________________________________________

TRACKS:

"SWEET GEORGIA BROWN" (Bernie/Pinkard/Casey)

“SWANEE RIVER” (Beatles version not released)

“SKINNY MINNIE” (no evidence that this exists)

_______________________________________________________________________

AUDIO

Stereo

General Information. The Beatles possibly heard a Stereo playback of their backing tracks on May 24, 1962. Tony Sheridan's June 7 vocals for "Sweet Georgia Brown" were not known to the lads until the Polydor release, possibly played to them at some time during their stays in Hamburg, in November or December 1962. It is probable that no one outside Tony Sheridan and those in the Kaempfert engineering loop heard the original Stereo mix of "Sweet Georgia Brown" until it was unearthed by Gottfridsson in the 1990's, and included on an EP that accompanied his 1997 book, From Cavern to Star Club.

Note that all Stereo Variations become Mock-Stereo for the “vamp” at the end of the song.

CONSIDER THE SOURCE.

I'll be using the sources listed for the first Tony Sheridan sessions (1961, June 22-23).

VARIATIONS

For the sake of order, I will designate the first Stereo mix as 1.0 and the first Mono mix as 2.0, believing that Stereo mixes were made first and instantaneously (of course, the original two-track Stereo tapes should truly be considered 1.0, but, since they are lost or destroyed, we shall never hear them for any reason, let alone comparison).

Unreleased in its time, the original “Sweet Georgia Brown” (1.0) finds Tony Sheridan mysteriously yelling out "Tell it to 'em, Paul!" during the piano solo. "Sweet Georgia Brown" 1.0 is found on the aforementioned EP, and on source (4).

In April 1964, "Sweet Georgia Brown” (revised lyrics)(1.1) was first released on the album The Beatles' First (Polydor 237 632). In this Variation, Tony pokes fun at "Beatles' hair." Gottfridsson incorrectly stated that this Variation first appeared in February 1964, on the French 10" LP Les Beatles (Polydor 45 900), but this album has been proven to be Mono only (as Brennan first noted). Brennan was correct when he made The Beatles' First the original source, but was slightly off by guessing its release date as June 1964. Castleman/Podrazik placed the date of release for The Beatles' First as June 19, 1964, but nevertheless gave the UK catalog number (Polydor 236 201), which itself seems to have been from July 1967. "Sweet Georgia Brown" 1.1 is found on sources (1) through (6).

Mono

Mono Mixes. See first Tony Sheridan sessions (1961, June 22-23) for notes.

CONSIDER THE SOURCE.

(1) The Mono mixes presented on Beatles Bop- Hamburg Days CD set (Bear Family) are as faithful as any other. As for the re-mastering, I sense a brightness here. In sum, the CD set ought to be sufficient for these mixes. 9/10

VARIATIONS

I retain the idea that true Mono mixes were possibly created later, and so designate new sets of Variation numbers.

In October 1962, the original version of “Sweet Georgia Brown” (2.0) was utilized one only time, for the German EP Ya Ya (Polydor 21 485). This Variation is found on source (1).

In April 1964 (possibly April 8), "Sweet Georgia Brown" (revised lyrics)(2.1) was first issued on the album The Beatles' First (Polydor 46 432), with a simultaneous (or almost so) release on a single (Polydor 52 324), the B-side to Tony Sheridan’s non-Beatles version of “Skinny Minnie." Castleman/Podrazik reported incorrectly that this Variation first appeared on a different single (Polydor 52 906), this error due to a given release date of January 31, 1964, which should be amended to June 1964 at the least, and perhaps as late as January 1965. Gottfridsson incorrectly stated that this Variation first appeared in February 1964, on the French EP Ain't She Sweet + 3 (Polydor 21 965), but I have been informed quite clearly that the red label used for this EP was not manufactured until about June 1964. Brennan made the same (or similar) error for this EP, and furthermore placed Les Beatles (Polydor 45 900) ahead of The Beatles' First, not realizing that the French LP was released about a month after the German album. "Sweet Georgia Brown" 2.1 is found on source (1).

ATCO Mono

General Information. See notes from 1961, June 24 (disputed).

"Sweet Georgia Brown" Based on Variation 2.1, this overdubbed version is necessarily a new Mono mix by virtue of its obvious extra guitar and drums. It was released on June 1, 1964 (ATCO 45-6302), but did not chart. "Sweet Georgia Brown" (2.2) is found on Beatles Bop – Hamburg Days.

Mock-Stereo

The designation (derived from Mono) is “Sweet Georgia Brown” (2.2.1). Further information is identical to 1961, June 24 (disputed), under the same heading.

Available on the bootleg collection Every Little Thing, Volume 4, Disc 2.

OOPS

Some enterprising persons have applied the OOPS (out-of-phase) method to "Sweet Georgia Brown" in order to accentuate The Beatles' contribution, the backing. The most complete removal of Tony Sheridan's vocal is on the Purple Chick bootleg, I Hope We Passed the Audition. It's very digital-sounding to these ears.

Another OOPSED version, with less of Tony scrubbed, but also more natural-sounding, is: here.

Neither of these receive a Variation designation since they are fan-created.

_______________________________________________________________________

THANKS: Much gratitude to Eric Krasker for supplying new information, and pointing me in the right direction.

VIDEO: None.

PHOTOS & INFORMATION: The Beatles at the Star Club from April 13 to May 31, 1962: here.

TOURISM: As near as I can tell, Studio Rahlstedt (a.k.a. “Studio Wandsbek” and “Studio Hamburg”) no longer exists.

RELATIVES: Everything you ever wanted to know about Bert Kaempfert: here.

RELATIVES: I'll bet you didn't know that Brian Epstein asked Roy Young to join The Beatles. See the claim: here. Or, that in 1961 Young, Tony Sheridan, and Ringo were in a band known as The Beat Brothers. See the photos: here. Read a fascinating interview with Young: here.

RELATIVES: Paul Murphy purchased the Star Club tapes from Allan Williams, and produced them for distribution in 1977. See that story: here.

_______________________________________________________________________

Tom Wise
gengar843@msn.com

Although I use quotes from sources, or cited fact, much of the material on this and other pages of my blog is original, from my own pen. This is not cut-and-paste, it is a work of art. Copyright © 2010 Tom Wise.

1961, June 24 (disputed)

(above) Bert Kaempfert ca. 1962

The Beatles with Tony Sheridan continued recording for Bert Kaempfert. It has for some time been an object of argument when and where the recording for the three songs assigned here took place. Lewisohn indicated that he believed the Sheridan sessions to be a one-day affair, and was incredulous that they should have lasted even two days, never mind a third (June 24, 1961) for the recording of "Take Out Some Insurance on Me, Baby" (apparently the extent of the dispute to this point, that is, 1992), which he called “unlikely”¹. Lewisohn was in large part correct.

The problem derives mainly from a page of Polydor paperwork, a “protocol,” which states clearly that “Take Out Some Insurance on Me, Baby” was recorded on June 24, 1961, at Studio Rahlstedt². Beatles historian Eric Krasker has kindly contacted me by e-mail (through this website) to relate that this protocol is not only incorrect, but a fake, “typed three years after the recordings!” Gottfridsson, for his From Cavern to Star Club, researched this protocol (among many others), but failed to report (though he knew) that two Polydor archive directors and several sound engineers had been warning for some time that the protocols for “Ain’t She Sweet” and “Take Out Some Insurance on Me, Baby” were both faked and incorrect³. In 2001, Gottfridsson rewrote his own history for the booklet that accompanied the CD-set Beatles Bop - Hamburg Days, and therein (correctly) put the recording date for all songs at either June 22 or June 23, 1961, and the place as Friedrich Ebert-Halle rather than Studio Rahlstedt, which was not fully functional until February 1962 (pp.19,57).

Winn made the date June 24, relying on Gottfridsson's error rather than on the redaction. This has caused much imitation, especially on the Internet, and in compilations that take his word. Eric Krasker has been very helpful to me in understanding the exact circumstances that led to June 24 being published in Way Beyond Compare³.

Richard Moore, commenting to Gottfridsson (also in the Beatles Bop booklet, p.21), discerned a different sound between the June 22 and June 23 sessions, and placed these three songs on the latter date. Many other experts have also noted that the sound quality of these three recordings is different (better in many ways) than the sound quality of the previous four songs (1961, June 22-23), but in no event did the location change, only perhaps the arrangement of the “furniture” in Friedrich Ebert-Halle. According to Eric Krasker, a forthcoming set of facts will explain this change in ambience³.

¹ Chronicles, p.42-43

² reprinted in the booklet for CD-set Beatles Bop – Hamburg Days, p.71

³ communication with Eric Krasker, November 20, 2010

_______________________________________________________________________

According to Gottfriddson, the lads provided the following vocals and instrumentation:

John: "Nobody's Child" (not present); "Ain't She Sweet" (electric rhythm guitar, lead vocal); "Take Out Some Insurance on Me, Baby" (not present);

Paul: electric bass on all three;

George: "Nobody's Child" (not present); "Ain't She Sweet" (electric lead guitar); "Take Out Some Insurance on Me, Baby" (electric rhythm guitar);

Pete Best: drums on all.

The band had performed "Ain't She Sweet" onstage as early as 1957, probably drawn to it by Gene Vincent's 1956 version on his Bluejean Bop! LP. John commented: “Gene Vincent's recording of ‘Ain't She Sweet’ is very mellow and high-pitched and I used to do it like that, but the Germans said, ‘Harder, harder.’ They all wanted it a bit more like a march, so we ended up doing a harder version”⁴. Paul added: “Songs like ‘Till There Was You’ and ‘Ain't She Sweet’ would be the late-night cabaret material. They showed that we weren't just another rock 'n' roll group”⁵.

In 1957, Cynthia Powell gained a place at Liverpool College of Art. While there, she took a class in lettering. During the first lesson, a “teddy boy” came in late and sat down behind her. He tapped Cynthia on the back and said, “Hi, I'm John.” John never brought any supplies with him, so he constantly borrowed pens and pencils from Cynthia. She also found out that he was only in the lettering class because other teachers refused to have him. John sometimes brought a guitar with him into class. One day, he sang “Ain't She Sweet” directly to Cynthia: “Halfway through the term I realized I was falling for him and scolded myself. I was being ridiculous: he wasn't at all the type of boy I'd imagined myself with and, in any case, I couldn't see him being interested in me. But that changed one day when everyone else had left the class and I was packing up my things. John was sitting a few feet away with his guitar. He began to play ‘Ain't She Sweet,’ a song that was popular at the time and which the Beatles were later to record. I blushed scarlet, made an excuse, and fled before the end of the song. But I'd seen the look in his eyes, which he'd kept fixed on me as he sang – could it be that John fancied me, too?”⁶.

In a 2005 interview, Chris Hunt asked Cynthia, "What is your favourite memory of John?" She answered, "There are quite a few but probably when we were at college and he sang 'Ain’t She Sweet' to me. Did my heart melt? Yes, and I walked out in embarrassment. It was so beautifully done. That always sticks with me”⁷.

⁴ The Beatles Anthology, p.59

⁵ The Beatles Anthology, p.68

⁶ Cynthia Lennon, John, p.19

⁷ Chris Hunt interview: here

_______________________________________________________________________

TRACKS:

"NOBODY'S CHILD" (Coben/Foree)

"AIN'T SHE SWEET" (Ager/Yellen)

"TAKE OUT SOME INSURANCE ON ME, BABY" (Singleton/Hall) (a.k.a. "If You Love Me Baby")

_______________________________________________________________________

AUDIO

Stereo

General Information. The Beatles would have heard Stereo playbacks on this day (Mono mixes being made later for release).

CONSIDER THE SOURCE.

Generally speaking, you will have to count on a re-package if you want to collect the Tony Sheridan sessions with any ease, or wallet left over.

I'll be using the sources listed for the prior entry (1961, June 22-23).

VARIATIONS

For the sake of order, I will designate the first Stereo mix as 1.0 and the first Mono mix as 2.0, believing that Stereo mixes were made first and instantaneously (of course, the original two-track Stereo tapes should truly be considered 1.0, but, since they are lost or destroyed, we shall never hear them for any reason, let alone comparison).

In April 1964, "Nobody's Child" (1.0), "Ain't She Sweet" (1.0), and "Take Out Some Insurance on Me, Baby" (1.0) were released for the first time on the album The Beatles' First (Polydor 237 632). "Take Out Some Insurance on Me, Baby" 1.0 finds Tony Sheridan saying "goddam." Gottfridsson incorrectly stated that these Variations first appeared in February 1964, on the French 10" LP Les Beatles (Polydor 45 900), but this album has been proven to be Mono only (as Brennan first noted). Brennan was correct when he made The Beatles' First the original source, but was slightly off by guessing its release date as June 1964. Castleman/Podrazik placed the date of release for The Beatles' First as June 19, 1964, but nevertheless gave the UK catalog number (Polydor 236 201), which itself seems to have been from July 1967. All these Variations are available on sources (1) through (6), except "Ain't She Sweet" 1.0 is not on source (6).

Mono

Mono Mixes. See prior entry (1961, June 22-23) for notes.

CONSIDER THE SOURCE.

Generally speaking, you will have to count on a re-package if you want to collect the Tony Sheridan sessions with any ease, or wallet left over.

(1) The Mono mixes presented on Beatles Bop- Hamburg Days CD set (Bear Family) are as faithful as any other. As for the re-mastering, I sense a brightness here. In sum, the CD set ought to be sufficient for these mixes. 9/10

VARIATIONS

I retain the idea that true Mono mixes were possibly created later, and so designate new sets of Variation numbers.

In April 1964, "Nobody's Child" (2.0), "Ain't She Sweet" (2.0), and "Take Out Some Insurance on Me, Baby" (2.0) were released for the first time on the album The Beatles' First (Polydor 46 432). Gottfridsson stated that these Variations first appeared in February 1964, on the French EP Ain't She Sweet + 3 (Polydor 21 965), but I have been informed quite clearly that the red label used for this EP was not manufactured until about June 1964. Brennan made the same (or similar) error for this EP, and furthermore placed Les Beatles (Polydor 45 900) ahead of The Beatles' First, not realizing that the French LP was released about a month after the German album. Note that "Ain't She Sweet" 2.0 and "Take Out Some Insurance on Me, Baby" 2.0 were also issued in April 1964 (Brennan wrote April 8, per Moers), released together as a German single (Polydor 52 317), simultaneous (or almost so) with the German LP. This single was also released in the UK on May 29, 1964, under the same catalog number, and "Ain't She Sweet" reached #24 on the UK charts the same week. Note also that "Nobody's Child" on another single (Polydor 52 906) is a completely different recording, Tony Sheridan without The Beatles (no Variation), and was not released in January of 1964 (as reported in, for example, Castleman/Podrazik), but more likely after June, possibly even January 1965.

ATCO Mono

General Information. ATCO (The Atlantic Corporation) leased the rights from Polydor to market, in the US, four of the eight Tony Sheridan recordings (MGM received the rights to the other four). The story goes that, in January 1964, ATCO hired drummer Bernard Purdie and guitarist Cornell Dupree to overdub parts for the songs they acquired. While the overdubs are obvious, many dispute the names Purdie and Dupree. It should be noted that, although Bernard Purdie, an exceptional drummer, is not in his interviews a reliable source of information concerning his role in Beatles recordings (his claims are ridiculous), it is possible, even likely, that Purdie is the drummer that Atlantic/ATCO hired in 1964 to sweeten Pete Best's drums on this and perhaps other songs. See a terrific article: here.

Three songs derive from this date. The fourth ("Sweet Georgia Brown") was recorded in 1962.

"Ain't She Sweet" The overdubbed version can be best identified from the original by the drum triplets heard just before the guitar solo. There are also drum triplets (roll) before each verse, and extra hi-hat in the bridge, not heard on the original. As well, some echo (or compression) was added over the original recording. No guitar or piano was overdubbed (despite some references). This variation has to me some personality by its familiarity (that is, as the "US single"). It was first released on July 6, 1964 (ATCO 45-6308), and subsequently on several CD's, including The Early Tapes of the Beatles. It also happens to be on Anthology 1. The 45 reached #19 on the US charts, on August 22, 1964. "Ain't She Sweet" (2.1) is found on Beatles Bop - Hamburg Days.



"Nobody's Child" The B-side of "Ain't She Sweet" (45-6308) did not receive any overdubs, but was edited mercilessly, from 3:52 to 2:54. Most of the second verse and the guitar chords at the end were excised, although the final bass/guitar chord remains (one would hope!). "Nobody's Child" (2.1) is found on Beatles Bop - Hamburg Days.



"Take Out Some Insurance on Me, Baby." This has extra drumming and guitar work, as well as a smidgen of added harmonica. ATCO also excised "ooh, goddam" from this song, as part of their American marketing plan. This was released as a B-side (ATCO 45-6302), on June 1, 1964. "Take Out Some Insurance on Me, Baby" (2.1) is found on Beatles Bop - Hamburg Days.

Mock-Stereo

ATCO received the rights to these three songs, but they did not get the Stereo tapes, so they apparently "created" their own Rechanneled (aka Mock-Stereo, Fake-Stereo, Duophonic, Stereo from Mono) versions. Their designations (derived from Mono) are "Ain't She Sweet" (2.1.1), "Nobody's Child" (2.1.1), and "Take Out Some Insurance on Me, Baby" (2.1.1).

These "mixes" (really, manipulations) were released October 5, 1964 on the LP Ain't She Sweet (SD 33-169), which was reissued on August 15, 1966 as The Amazing Beatles and Other Great English Group Sounds (Clarion 601), called by some a "bootleg" (pirate). Both of these albums are pretty rare (see how rare: here).

I need to make an update here to say that I discovered all three Mock-Stereo tracks available on the bootleg set Every Little Thing, Volume 4.

OOPS

Some enterprising persons have applied the OOPS (out-of-phase) method in order to bring out the raw texture of the original tapes. I found these to be quite pleasant, even preferable. The OOPSED versions are here and here. They receive no Variation designation since they are fan-created.

_______________________________________________________________________

THANKS: Much gratitude to Eric Krasker for supplying new information, and pointing me in the right direction.

ACETATE: A Mono "acetate" of "Ain't She Sweet" can be heard: here. It is actually the original Mono mix, before any overdubs. The website claims this is a 10" MGM/Verve acetate, but would it not be ATCO? No photo of the acetate is provided.

TOURISM: Liverpool College of Art.

VIDEO: As the previous post (1961, June 22-23).

_______________________________________________________________________

Tom Wise
gengar843@msn.com

Although I use quotes from sources, or cited fact, much of the material on this and other pages of my blog is original, from my own pen. This is not cut-and-paste, it is a work of art. Copyright © 2010 Tom Wise.

1961, June 22-23

The five-man Beatles, now with Pete Best (hired August 12, 1960), came to Hamburg for the second time in late March of 1961, and there backed rocker Tony Sheridan at the Top Ten Club. German bandleader and record producer Bert Kaempfert, visiting the club, liked what he heard and signed Sheridan to a Polydor recording contract, with The Beatles as a backing band. Stu did not sign, and left the band for greener pastures, making Paul the bass player by default.

The recording sessions took place on the stage of a school auditorium (Friedrich Ebert-Halle), with engineer Karl Hinze manning the two-track recorder. According to Gottfriddson, the lads provided the following vocals and instrumentation:

John: "My Bonnie" (backing vocal, handclaps); "The Saints" (electric rhythm guitar); "Why" (electric rhythm guitar, handclaps, low backing vocal); "Cry For a Shadow" (electric rhythm guitar);

Paul: "My Bonnie" (electric bass, backing vocal, shouting); "The Saints" (electric bass, shouting); "Why" (electric bass, high backing vocal); "Cry For a Shadow" (electric bass, shouting);

George: "My Bonnie" (electric lead & rhythm guitar, but Tony Sheridan does the actual lead); "The Saints" (electric lead guitar, but Tony Sheridan does the actual lead); "Why" (electric lead guitar, middle backing vocal); "Cry For a Shadow" (electric lead guitar, and Tony Sheridan almost certainly did not play the lead guitar here);

Pete Best: drums on all.

It is believed that "My Bonnie" was recorded with the English slow introduction, and that the German slow intro (subtitled "Mein Herz ist Bei Dir Nur") was an edit piece recorded after. Certainly, elements of one (Tony's guitar; the final "doo-doo-doo" backing vocals) are different from the other, and the intros time out unevenly (35 seconds for the English, 36 seconds for the German); but, while this does prove that the different intros were separate takes, it doesn't necessarily follow that either was part of the original take. Another piece of evidence is a piece of Polydor paperwork (a protocol) stating that the "Englische Fassung" (English version) of "My Bonnie" is the "original long version" (this paperwork reproduced by Gottfridsson for the CD-set Beatles Bop - Hamburg Days booklet, p. 60, although he says quite inexplicably, on p.58, that the "introductions were recorded separately and were not edited into place on the master tapes until the 4th of October, 1961").

"Cry For A Shadow" (credited Harrison/Lennon) would become the first original Beatles song released.

For more detailed back-story, see the references listed.

(ref: Winn, Way Beyond Compare; Gottfriddson, Beatles Bop - Hamburg Days booklet; Lewisohn, The Beatles Live!; Krasker, The Beatles Investigation of a Myth 1960-1962)

_______________________________________________________________________

TRACKS:

"MY BONNIE" (traditional)

"THE SAINTS" (Purvis/Black)

"WHY" (Sheridan/Crompton)

"CRY FOR A SHADOW" (Harrison/Lennon)

_______________________________________________________________________

AUDIO

Stereo

General Information. The Beatles would have heard Stereo playbacks on these days (Mono mixes being made later for release).

CONSIDER THE SOURCE.

Generally speaking, you will have to count on a re-package if you want to collect the Tony Sheridan sessions with any ease, or wallet left over.

(1) The best of the Stereo releases appears to be the 1968 German 2-LP The Beatles And Tony Sheridan - In the Beginning (Karussell 2652 045). Clarity, excellent bass response, and pure highs. 10/10

(2) The 1970 US LP In the Beginning (Circa 1960)(Polydor 244 504) has excellent sound. It is a re-issue of The Beatles' First LP, previously released in Germany (1964 or 1967) and the UK (1967), and is possibly a generation tape further from source (1). 9.5/10

The CD re-release of the LP is not quite as good.

(3) The 1969 Canadian LP Very Together (Polydor 242 008) appears to use the same generation tape as source (2). 9.5/10

(4) The mixes presented on Beatles Bop- Hamburg Days CD set (Bear Family) appear to be original, the Stereo as wide as previous releases without tampering ("Cry For a Shadow" remains narrow Stereo). The CD set also claims to be "remastered." Stereo mixes are well-defined, with nice lows. Compared to vinyl sources, I think the lead vocal is louder on the CD, which is certainly the result of boosted gain, but probably some EQ tweaks (and/or limiting) as well. In sum, the CD set ought to be sufficient for those mixes it furnishes, although superior sources are available. 9/10

The 100-page "booklet" that comes with the Bear Family CD set is very informative, but Gottfridsson (the author) appears to have made a few questionable assumptions. Consult Krasker for superior research and unveiling.

(5) The Contour label re-issued source (2) as The Early Years Stereo LP (Contour 2870111). The sound is terrific, but appears to have a touch of compression, and is likely a tape generation further from source (2). Contour re-issued this LP as The Beatles Featuring Tony Sheridan (Contour CN 2007). Same sound, worse packaging. 9/10

(6) On The Early Tapes of the Beatles CD (Polydor 823 701-2), the sound is murky. 7.5/10

VARIATIONS

For the sake of order, I will designate the first Stereo mix as 1.0 and the first Mono mix as 2.0, believing that Stereo mixes were made first and instantaneously (of course, the original two-track Stereo tapes should truly be considered 1.0, but, since they are lost or destroyed, we shall never hear them for any reason, let alone comparison). "My Bonnie" will be assumed (though not proven) to have first included an English intro.

In April 1962, "My Bonnie" (English intro)(1.0) and "The Saints" (1.0) were first released on the German My Bonnie LP (Polydor 237 112). Note that both Brennan & Castleman/Podrazik incorrectly dated this album to June 1962. "My Bonnie" 1.0 is found on sources (4) and (6). "The Saints" 1.0 is found on sources (1) through (6).

In February 1964, "Why" (1.0), "Cry For a Shadow" (1.0), and "My Bonnie" (no intro)(1.1) were first released on the German LP Let's Do the Twist, Hully Gully, Slop, Surf, Locomotion, Monkey (Polydor SLPHM 237 622). Note that Brennan incorrectly dated this LP to April or May 1964, and Castleman/Podrazik incorrectly dated it to May 8, 1964. Note also that a similarly-titled album, Let's Do the Madison, Twist, Locomotion, Slop, Hully Gully, Monkey (Polydor 237 112), is actually a late 1963-early 1964 reprint of the My Bonnie LP (same catalog number/different sleeve), and does not contain any of these Variations. "Why" 1.0 and "Cry For a Shadow" 1.0 are both found on all sources. "My Bonnie" 1.1 is found on sources (1), (2), (3), (4), and (5).

"My Bonnie" (German intro)(1.2) was not released until at least 1968. My research shows that its first issue may have been on a Polydor single (2135 501), which saw daylight in either 1968 or 1976 (depending on your source). Gottfridsson incorrectly stated that this Variation first appeared in February 1964, on the French 10" LP Les Beatles (Polydor 45 900), but this album has been proven to be Mono only (as Brennan first noted). Brennan's assertion, that the first release of this Variation came in 1978 on the Polydor single 2801 033 (that is, 2 801 033), appears to be incorrect. "My Bonnie" 1.2 is found on source (4).

Mono

Mono Mixes. It has been proposed that the Mono mixes may be "collapsed" (that is, Mono-from-Stereo) rather than true Mono. The Beatles Bop - Hamburg Days booklet mentions that the original two-track recordings are forever gone, and that the Mono tracks on the CD set are transfers from mixdowns already made. This doesn't answer the question, but at least lets us think that the tracks on the CD set are the same as those on the vinyl releases. Therefore, whether we have the CD or the vinyl, we ought to have the same thing, either True Mono or collapsed Mono. Having compared the (purported) Mono mixes on the CD set (and on vinyl) to actual collapsed Mono (which I created with both CD and vinyl sources), I sense some slight difference, and therefore the CD set (in my opinion) has delivered True Mono mixes. As a further bit of evidence, many pages of Polydor paperwork (protocols) reprinted in the Beatles Bop - Hamburg Days booklet are often stamped "Stereo Kompatibel" (Stereo compatible), indicating that the mixdowns listed on such paperwork may be true Mono mixes.

Brennan disagrees, citing Karl Hinze's recollection that all mixes were straight to Stereo, and making the inference therefore that all Mono mixes must be collapsed Mono. However, this inference is not necessarily true since three months passed between the recording and the release of the first vinyl from these sessions, ample time to prepare true Mono mixes. Brennan furthermore supports his theory by stating that no Variations have been found between Mono and Stereo mixes, but the true comparison (which I have conducted) is between that which is called true Mono and collapsed Mono. However, my particular sonic experience is not the last word.

CONSIDER THE SOURCE.

Generally speaking, you will have to count on a re-package if you want to collect the Tony Sheridan sessions with any ease, or wallet left over.

(1) The Mono mixes presented on Beatles Bop- Hamburg Days CD set (Bear Family) are as faithful as any other. As for the re-mastering, I sense a brightness here. In sum, the CD set ought to be sufficient for these mixes. 9/10

VARIATIONS

I retain the idea that true Mono mixes were possibly created later, and so designate new sets of Variation numbers.

In October 1961 (probably October 23), "My Bonnie" (German intro)(2.1) backed with "The Saints" (2.0) was first issued on a German single (Polydor 24 673). Castleman/Podrazik incorrectly dated this 45 to June 1961, and Lewisohn incorrectly to August 1961. I have designated "My Bonnie" (German intro) 2.1 because (unlike the Stereo) it was used before "My Bonnie" (no intro). Both Variations are found on source (1).

On January 5, 1962, the same single was released in the UK (Polydor 66 833), this time using "My Bonnie" (English intro)(2.0). Note that Brennan did not give a final blessing on January 5, but only called it "about right." Much later, on June 15, 1963, this 45 reached #38 on the Melody Maker chart. On April 23, 1962, the UK 45 was released in the US (Decca 31382). I have designated "My Bonnie" (English intro) 2.0 because it was likely the original recording and/or mix. This Variation is found on source (1).



In January of 1962 (possibly January 22), "Why" (2.0) and "Cry For a Shadow" (2.0) first appeared in Mono on the French EP Mr. Twist (Polydor 21 914). Note that Gottfridsson incorrectly dated this EP to April 1962. In July 1963 (possibly July 12), these were included on the elusive UK My Bonnie EP (Polydor 21 610), a record sometimes mistakenly dated as far back as September 1961, which error comes from the misleading "For Export to UK" label (information from Beatles Bop - Hamburg Days booklet). In the US, the two songs were released as a single on the MGM label (K13227), where it charted to #88 on April 18, 1964. Both "Why" 2.0 and "Cry For a Shadow" 2.0 are found on source (1).

"My Bonnie" (no intro)(2.2) was also issued in Mono. It was actually quite the historic occasion when, on January 27, 1964, just before The Beatles entered America, MGM released a single (K13213) to capitalize on the coming Beatlemania. On March 14, 1964, this single reached #26 on the US chart. This Variation is found on source (1).

Mock-Stereo

MGM received the rights to these four songs, but they did not get the Stereo tapes, so they apparently "created" their own Rechanneled (aka Mock-Stereo, Fake-Stereo, Duophonic, Stereo from Mono) versions. Their designations (derived from Mono) are "My Bonnie" (no intro)(2.2.1), "The Saints" (2.1), "Why" (2.1), and "Cry For a Shadow" (2.1).

These "mixes" (really, manipulations) were released February 3, 1964 on the LP The Beatles with Tony Sheridan and Guests (MGM SE 4215), which was reissued on August 15, 1966 as This is Where It Started (Metro MS563). Both of these albums are pretty rare, and there have been no bootleg releases of the four Rechanneled tracks (as far as I know). See how rare: here or here. More information on Tony Sheridan releases, including Rechanneled Stereo: here.

Medley

Stereo "medley" versions of "My Bonnie" (English intro), "The Saints" and "Cry For a Shadow" were created, beginning in 1968. These were clipped cuts segued to connecting cuts, which produced a desired dance effect, much like today's "mix tapes." Their designations (derived from Stereo) are "My Bonnie" (English intro)(1.0.1), "The Saints" (1.0.1), "Cry For a Shadow" #1 (1.0.1), and "Cry For a Shadow" #2 (1.0.2). Note that the use of the English intro on "My Bonnie" here lends more credence to the idea that it was on the original recording and/or mix. Beatles Bop - Hamburg Days contains all of these Stereo medley versions, as well as Mono variations, which are likely only collapsed Mono-from-Stereo (and thus no designations), as I can find no evidence that any of the medleys were ever released in true Mono.

"My Bonnie" 1.0.1 and "The Saints" 1.0.1 appeared on the 1968 LP Pop With Pep (Polydor 249 212). "Cry For a Shadow" 1.0.1 was included on a German compilation LP, Die Wilden 60er Jahre (Polydor 2638 010), in June 1970. "Cry For a Shadow" 1.0.2 was on another German compilation LP, Stars und Schlager Stars und Beat (Polydor 2630 024), in August 1970.

Anthology

"My Bonnie" (English intro) is found on this EMI set, in Stereo. The first line of the vocal intro is obscured by a cross-fade with the previous spoken track. After the intro, the body of the song has the Stereo image reversed (Reverse Channels). According to Brennan, the image reversal perhaps adds weight to the idea the English intro is a separate edit piece, although he concedes that EMI may have separated the intro from the body while working on the aforementioned cross-fade. All of this constitutes a new Variation (1.0.2). It's also mastered differently than previous releases, with a fuller sound.

"Cry For a Shadow" on Anthology also has Reverse Channels (1.0.3). The mastering is fuller here as well, but I think there's also some noise reduction.

OOPS

Some enterprising persons have applied the OOPS (out-of-phase) method in order to bring out the raw texture of the original tapes. I found these to be quite pleasant, even preferable. The OOPSED versions are here and here. They receive no Variation designation since they are fan-created.

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THANKS: Much gratitude to Eric Krasker for supplying new information, and pointing me in the right direction.

VIDEO: Videos of Tony Sheridan discussing these recording sessions may be found in various locations, for example, on You Tube: here, here, and here. Especially notice one that addresses Paul's new burden on bass. Note that Sheridan's veracity and/or memory has been questioned.

DRAMATIZATION: A scene in the film Backbeat depicts the recording of "My Bonnie."

TOURISM: The Top Ten Club, now defunct (closed 1995), could be found at 136 Reeperbahn, St. Pauli, Hamburg. An excellent website, covering all the Hamburg clubs the Beatles played, is: here. Another cool page is: here.

Friedrich Ebert-Halle was originally a gymnasium in a children's school in the Harburg section of Hamburg. It no longer exists. The new facility on that spot is a world-famous concert hall that has hosted many acts, including rock legends The Who and Pink Floyd. See the hall, before and after: here.

READ: My forthcoming book (not yet titled) will deliver the truth concerning the title "Cry For a Shadow."

RELATIVES: Check out Tony Sheridan's official website: here.

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Tom Wise
gengar843@msn.com

Although I use quotes from sources, or cited fact, much of the material on this and other pages of my blog is original, from my own pen. This is not cut-and-paste, it is a work of art. Copyright © 2010 Tom Wise.