On January 10, 2008, Fuego Entertainment announced an historic aquisition for fans of the Beatles: 15 never-before-released live tracks recorded in 1962 when the young soon-to-be stars played at a small club in Hamburg, Germany.
Paste Magazine is
reporting that Fuego Entertainment acquired the tapes from producer and promoter Jerry Collins who found them as he was reviewing his collection of old tapes.
The recordings were made during a period shortly before the band signed with EMI Records and mark their first trip into Hamburg's
The Star Club. Most bands who played the
Star were taped, and this early appearance of the Paul, Ringo, George, and John was no different.
(Other Star Club recordings of the Beatles have been released in the past, but this particular appearance has never been made public until now.)
The Beatles played for a small crowd of around thirty fans that night, and covered a set of fifteen songs, including
A Taste of Honey,
Hippy Hippy Shake, and
I Saw Her Standing There; songs which became staples in the Beatles catalog.
Adding to the historical nature of the tunes, it is said that this recording marked the first time Ringo Star played a live Beatles concert with the band, after replacing Pete Best on drums.
This particular tape was sold to Collins, then a booking agent in London. The tapes were "lost" for 33 years, until Collins decided to look for them.
Fuego Entertainment's
press release talks about the other tracks featured on the tapes:
What makes this album truly unique are the eight songs not available on any previously released L.P.'s or singles - Which include Paul McCartney singing Hank Williams' "Lovesick Blues" and George Harrison vocalizing Maurice Williams' "Do You Believe". One of the most outstanding tracks on this album must be "Ask me Why" showing just how John Lennon and Paul McCartney became such a winning combination.
The release date for the project is pending.
