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MY BONNIE (Room 114)
While The Beatles were in Hamburg, they caught the attention of Tony Sheridan, an English rock ’n’ roller and the most popular act in Germany. Bert Kaempfert, a local Hamburg producer, wanted to record Sheridan for Polydor and needed a backing band. The Beatles were flattered to be asked and, seeing the potential career boost, immediately agreed. Back home, they could boast of being recording stars, though in reality they were simply Sheridan’s backing band.
In the studio, they recorded the traditional song ‘When the Saints Go Marching In’ and ‘Cry for a Shadow’, a McCartney-Harrison original and the only song they ever co-wrote. They also recorded ‘Ain’t She Sweet’, with John on lead vocals, and ‘Take Some Insurance on Me Baby’. These were The Beatles’ first commercial recordings.
Most significant was ‘My Bonnie’, which was imported into Britain, especially Liverpool. Repeated requests for the single led to Brian Epstein becoming The Beatles’ manager. Epstein later asked Kaempfert about promoting The Beatles further, but Kaempfert said the company was only interested in them as Sheridan’s backing group. In a shrewd move, Epstein asked Kaempfert to release The Beatles from their Polydor contract, which he arranged, paving the way for another record company to sign them.
Incidentally, Kaempfert later achieved international fame arranging hits like ‘Strangers in the Night’ for Frank Sinatra and ‘Wooden Heart’, recorded by Elvis Presley
Artwork © Shannon
MY BONNIE (Room 114)
While The Beatles were in Hamburg, they caught the attention of Tony Sheridan, an English rock ’n’ roller and the most popular act in Germany. Bert Kaempfert, a local Hamburg producer, wanted to record Sheridan for Polydor and needed a backing band. The Beatles were flattered to be asked and, seeing the potential career boost, immediately agreed. Back home, they could boast of being recording stars, though in reality they were simply Sheridan’s backing band.
In the studio, they recorded the traditional song ‘When the Saints Go Marching In’ and ‘Cry for a Shadow’, a McCartney-Harrison original and the only song they ever co-wrote. They also recorded ‘Ain’t She Sweet’, with John on lead vocals, and ‘Take Some Insurance on Me Baby’. These were The Beatles’ first commercial recordings.
Most significant was ‘My Bonnie’, which was imported into Britain, especially Liverpool. Repeated requests for the single led to Brian Epstein becoming The Beatles’ manager. Epstein later asked Kaempfert about promoting The Beatles further, but Kaempfert said the company was only interested in them as Sheridan’s backing group. In a shrewd move, Epstein asked Kaempfert to release The Beatles from their Polydor contract, which he arranged, paving the way for another record company to sign them.
Incidentally, Kaempfert later achieved international fame arranging hits like ‘Strangers in the Night’ for Frank Sinatra and ‘Wooden Heart’, recorded by Elvis Presley
Artwork © Shannon