Synopses & Reviews
When the fledgling Beatles went to Hamburg in 1960, they had no idea that their world--and music--was going to change forever. Associating with gangsters and prostitutes and sleeping in appalling conditions behind a cinema screen, the Beatles pounded out beat music in strip clubs and dens of vice like the Indra, the Kaiserkeller, the Top Ten, and the Star-Club. In the process, they changed their way of playing, got arrested and deported, wore black leather, lost their bass player, sacked their drummer,
developed a vast repertoire of raucous rock n roll songs, and fashioned a new hairstyle.
The Beatles in Hamburg features interviews with the Beatles friends and contemporaries, including photographers Astrid Kirchherr and Jürgen Vollmer, bass player Klaus Voormann, Liverpool artists Gerry Marsden and Kingsize Taylor, singers Tony Sheridan and Roy Young, club managers Horst and Uwe Fascher, and many more. It is packed with close to 150 photographs of the Beatles and the Hamburg scene, some in full color and several never before seen.
There have been hundreds of books about the Beatles, but here for the first time is the remarkable, fully illustrated account of the bands formative years in Hamburg.
Review
"As a native Liverpudlian who discovered rock 'n' roll at the same time as the Fabs, Leigh can write about the city and its music scene with an authority other authors lack." Gillian Gaar, Goldmine, on Twist and Shout!
Review
"Essential for anyone fascinated with what made Britain tick before the Beatles." —Mojo on The Cavern
Review
"An unsentimental, unpretentious account of Buddy's life. . . . Everyday smashes through the smoke and mirrors to give an animated, informative, and refreshingly candid portrait of the rock 'n' roll legend and his enduring legacy. A truly exhaustive account of how the music was born and why it never died." —Record Collector on Everyday
Review
“Spencer Leigh has succeeded in conveying the spirit of the period with great accuracy. He writes in an authentic, sensitive, and honest manner, as though he had been there himself—and all with a good touch of British humor. This is not only the story of the Beatles in Hamburg—it is also a historical document of an era that left a lifelong impression on people like me and the Beatles.” —Klaus Voormann
Review
“Informative and entertaining … those with a special interest in the Hamburg years should really enjoy this book.” —Goldmine
Review
“Not only does the book take you back, it also shows you more about this vital phase in the Beatles career than weve ever seen before.” —Creative Loafing Tampa
Review
"Revelatory . . . required for any Beatles aficionados." —Under the Radar
Review
"Handsomely-designed . . . Leigh's book is an evocative stroll, and along with the photographs and chronology of the group's visits (and in the case of the underage Harrison, a deportation) Leigh also takes us on side trips that include a capsule history and tour of Hamburg and the St. Pauli's long and storied inventory of vices and tempations." —Popmatters.com
Review
"The book is certainly authoritative, but even better is that it's fully illustrated with loads of four-color photographs and other memorabilia that really gives you a sense of place." —Examiner.com
Synopsis
When the fledgling Beatles went to Hamburg in 1960, they had no idea that their world--and music--was going to change forever. Associating with gangsters and prostitutes and sleeping in appalling conditions behind a cinema screen, the Beatles pounded out beat music in strip clubs and dens of vice like the Indra, the Kaiserkeller, the Top Ten, and the Star-Club. In the process, they changed their way of playing, got arrested and deported, wore black leather, lost their bass player, sacked their drummer,
developed a vast repertoire of raucous rock 'n' roll songs, and fashioned a new hairstyle.
The Beatles in Hamburg features interviews with the Beatles' friends and contemporaries, including photographers Astrid Kirchherr and J rgen Vollmer, bass player Klaus Voormann, Liverpool artists Gerry Marsden and Kingsize Taylor, singers Tony Sheridan and Roy Young, club managers Horst and Uwe Fascher, and many more. It is packed with close to 150 photographs of the Beatles and the Hamburg scene, some in full color and several never before seen.
There have been hundreds of books about the Beatles, but here for the first time is the remarkable, fully illustrated account of the band's formative years in Hamburg.
Synopsis
When the Beatles left Liverpool for Hamburg in the summer of 1960 they were little more than enthusiastic amateurs. After playing regularly there until the end of 1962, they were performing like seasoned professionals. It was in Hamburg that the Beatles landed their first recording contract, and it was their single of My Bonnie” that initially attracted Brian Epstein’s interest. The St. Pauli area molded the Beatles’ musicianship, stage act, and even their imagetheir trademark collarless jackets and mop-top haircuts were cultivated in the late-night clubs of the infamous, neon-lit district.
The Beatles in Hamburg provides an in-depth portrait of the band during their Hamburg residency. But it also evokes the atmosphere of this remarkable German city during the nascent cultural revolution that was to explode into the Swinging Sixties.” With many exclusive interviews with musicians, promoters, club managers, audience members, fans, friends, and family, together with rare photographs and archive memorabilia, The Beatles in Hamburg is the definitive account of the crucial early years of the world’s most influential rock ’n’ roll bandand of the city that catapulted them into international stardom.
About the Author
Spencer Leigh was born in Liverpool, the birthplace of the Beatles. His program "On the Beat" has been broadcast on BBC Radio Merseyside for more than 25 years, and he has contributed to several BBC music documentaries. He is the author of The Cavern: The Most Famous Club in the World, Everyday: Getting Closer to Buddy Holly, Tomorrow Never Knows: The Beatles on Record, and The Walrus Was Ringo: 101 Beatles Myths Debunked. He writes for the Independent and has contributed to Country Music People, Now Dig This, and Record Collector.