13 APRIL - 31 MAY, 1962: THIRD TRIP TO HAMBURG, STAR CLUB, HAMBURG (FORTY-EIGHT NIGHTS)
Billed by Epstein as a European tour, this was the Beatles’ triumphant return to Hamburg. They arrived, however, to the news that Stuart Sutcliffe, their friend and former bass player, had died suddenly of a brain haemorrhage only a few days earlier.
The new Star-Club outshined the other Hamburg venues in size, pay rate and underworld glamour. As a house band, the Beatles shared the bill with Little Richard, Gene Vincent and other stars who passed through town. Hamburg had nothing, however, to match the telegram they received one day from Brian Epstein: “Congratulations, boys. EMI requests recording session. Rehearse new material.”
17 AUGUST, 1962: MAJESTIC BALLROOM, BIRKENHEAD, CHESHIRE (EVENING), TOWER BALLROOM, NEW BRIGHTON (NIGHT)
Pete Best’s final performance as a Beatle. Brian had broken the news to Pete two days earlier, John called the Beatles’ first choice, Ringo Starr, at Butlin’s Holiday Camp in Skegness, where he was performing with Rory Storm and the Hurricanes. Starr quit the Hurricanes within days and returned to Liverpool.
18 AUGUST, 1962: HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY DANCE, HULME HALL, WIRRAL, CHESHIRE
After two hours of rehearsal, Ringo appeared with John, Paul and George for the first time as an official member of the Beatles. At the Cavern Club the next day, the group faced angry fans who shouted “We want Pete!”. George got a black eye in the ensuing scuffle.
28 OCTOBER, 1962: EMPIRE THEATRE, LIVERPOOL
The Beatles performed as part of a package show of nine NEMS artists, all managed by Brian Epstein. Little Richard topped the Bill.
1-14 NOVEMBER, 1962: FOURTH TRIP TO HAMBURG, STAR-CLUB, HAMBURG (FOURTEEN NIGHTS)
The Fabs return to Germany, for the first time with Ringo, for another successful engagement.
9 DECEMBER, 1962: CAVERN CLUB, LIVERPOOL
George Martin realised that the ideal situation for a Beatles recording session would be a live taping in a club before a crowd of their most ardent fans. He attended a Cavern performance on this date in order to evaluate the possibility of recording there. His conclusion: the acoustics in the stone lined tunnel posed too great an obstacle to making a high fidelity recording.
18-31 DECEMBER, 1962: FIFTH TRIP TO HAMBURG, STAR-CLUB, HAMBURG (THIRTEEN NIGHTS)
The final trip to Hamburg. With “Love Me Do” climbing the charts and their schedule filling up with TV, radio and press interviews, the Fabs were reluctant to return to the Star-Club. Their New Year’s Eve performance was recorded using amateur equipment and released in 1977 as Live! At the Star-Club. This is virtually the only recording available of the Beatles performing before a nightclub audience.