Compleat Beatles 1982 Part 3
Summary
TLDRThe script recounts the Beatles' early days in Hamburg, where they played grueling 7-hour sets that honed their skills and expanded their repertoire. Tony Sheridan, a British musician, was a local star who introduced them to the scene. The band endured tough living conditions and were mentored by Horst Fascher, a former boxer. Their experiences in Hamburg transformed them from an amateur group into professionals, influencing their music and stage presence. Upon returning to Liverpool, they gained popularity, playing at venues like Litherland Town Hall and the Cavern Club, where they continued to practice and learn new songs, shaping their signature sound.
Takeaways
- đ” Tony Sheridan was one of the first British musicians to perform in Germany, quickly becoming a local star in Hamburg.
- đ The Beatles were booked into two clubs, the Kaiser Kella and the Indra, where they played long hours and lived in poor conditions.
- đ The living conditions provided by the club owner were substandard, with the band living in a windowless room.
- đ„ Horst Fascher, a former boxer, became a protector to the Liverpool groups, including The Beatles, helping them navigate the rough environment.
- đ¶ Hamburg's music scene was initially characterized by a 'watered down' version of rock and roll, with local artists performing Elvis songs with silly German lyrics.
- đ The Beatles' experience in Hamburg toughened them and expanded their musical repertoire, leading to professional growth.
- đž Playing 7 hours a night for 2 months allowed the band to significantly improve their skills, voice control, and guitar techniques.
- đ After returning from Hamburg, The Beatles gained recognition and were promoted by their friend Bill Harry, who started a newspaper called Mersey Beat.
- đ° Brian Kelly, recognizing their talent, booked The Beatles for significant gigs, increasing their visibility in Liverpool.
- đ€ Bob Willer, a DJ at the Cavern Club, played a role in The Beatles' local success by booking them for performances and introducing them to new audiences.
- đ The Beatles' unique style and energy captivated audiences, as seen during their debut at Litherland Town Hall, leading to increased demand for their performances.
Q & A
Who was one of the first musicians to go to Germany and become a local star?
-Tony Sheridan was one of the first musicians to go to Germany and quickly became a local star in Hamburg.
What was the state of rock and roll in Germany before the Beatles arrived?
-Before the Beatles arrived, there was a watered-down German version of rock and roll, with artists like Le Teddy performing Elvis songs with silly German lyrics.
What clubs did Alan Williams book the Beatles into in Hamburg?
-Alan Williams booked the Beatles into two dreary clubs in Hamburg: the Kaiser Kella and the Indra.
What was the living condition like for the Beatles in Hamburg?
-The living conditions provided by the club owner were terrible, with the Beatles living in a room with no windows and four guys in it.
Who became a friend and protector to the Liverpool groups in Hamburg?
-Horst Faser, a former boxer, became a friend and protector to the Liverpool groups in Hamburg.
How did the rough life and long hours in Hamburg affect the Beatles?
-The rough life and long hours in Hamburg hardened the Beatles and their music, making them tighter as a band and expanding their repertoire.
What was the impact of playing 7 hours a night on the Beatles' musical development?
-Playing 7 hours a night allowed the Beatles to gain tremendous experience, learn to relax and utilize their voices, and improve their guitar skills, which vastly improved their musical capabilities.
Who started a newspaper called Mersey Beat to keep track of the Liverpool beat scene?
-Bill Harry, who had shared a flat with John and Stu in art college days, started a newspaper called Mersey Beat.
How did the Beatles become sought after by small dance hall owners in Liverpool?
-Following their debut at Litherland Town Hall, where they impressed the audience with their performance, the Beatles became sought after by small dance hall owners throughout Liverpool.
Who was the postal clerk that became a parktime DJ at the Cavern Club and booked the Beatles for lunchtime sessions?
-Bob Willer, a postal clerk with an encyclopedic knowledge of all the Liverpool bands, became a parktime DJ at the Cavern Club and booked the Beatles for lunchtime sessions.
How did the Beatles' performances at the Cavern Club contribute to their growth?
-At the Cavern Club, the Beatles continued to practice and learn new songs, which contributed to their growth as musicians and performers.
Outlines
đž Early Beatles in Hamburg
Tony Sheridan, a British musician, was one of the first to perform in Germany, becoming a local star in Hamburg. Before the Beatles' arrival, the local music scene was dominated by a diluted version of rock and roll. The Beatles, booked by Alan Williams, played grueling 7-hour sets at the Kaiser Kella and Indra clubs, living in dismal conditions. They were mentored by Horst Fascher, a former boxer, who protected them in the rough environment. The intense experience in Hamburg toughened the band, improved their musicianship, and expanded their repertoire, transforming them into professionals.
đ€ The Beatles' Rise in Liverpool
After returning from Hamburg, the Beatles, still relatively unknown, were promoted by their friend Bill Harry, who started a newspaper called 'Mersey Beat' to track the Liverpool music scene. Talent scout Brian Kelly recognized their potential and booked them for significant gigs. Their debut at Litherland Town Hall left a lasting impression, and they quickly became popular among local dance hall owners. Bob Willer, a DJ at the Cavern Club, also booked them, contributing to their growing fame. The Beatles continued to practice and expand their song list, even learning new songs like 'Hippy Hippie Shake' from old records, which suited Paul McCartney's vocal range.
Mindmap
Keywords
đĄTony Sheridan
đĄHamburg
đĄReeperbahn
đĄKaiserkeller and Indra
đĄLiving conditions
đĄHorst Faser
đĄSex, drugs, and drink
đĄProfessionalism
đĄRepertoire
đĄMersey Beat
đĄCavern Club
Highlights
Tony Sheridan was one of the first musicians to perform in Germany, becoming a local star in Hamburg.
Before the Beatles, there was a diluted German version of rock and roll, with local artists poorly imitating Elvis Presley.
The Beatles played at the Kaiser Kella and the Indra clubs, enduring a grueling schedule of up to 7 hours a night.
Living conditions for the Beatles were harsh, with no windows and poor sanitation.
Horst Faser, a former boxer, became a protector to the Liverpool groups, including the Beatles.
The Beatles' experience in Hamburg exposed them to a lifestyle abundant with sex, drugs, and alcohol.
The rough life and long hours in Hamburg hardened the Beatles and improved their music.
Playing 7 hours a night for 2 months significantly improved the Beatles' musical skills and repertoire.
The Beatles evolved from an unwanted group to professionals during their time in Hamburg.
Bill Harry, a friend from Liverpool, started a newspaper called Mersey Beat to track the growing Liverpool music scene.
Upon returning to Liverpool, the Beatles were promoted as a big band despite being relatively unknown.
Brian Kelly, a promoter, recognized the Beatles' talent and booked them for significant gigs.
The Beatles' debut at Litherland Town Hall left a lasting impression with their unique style and sound.
Bob Willer, a DJ at the Cavern Club, began booking the Beatles for lunchtime sessions.
The Beatles' practice and learning of new songs, such as 'Hippie Hippie Shake', contributed to their musical growth.
The Beatles' time in Hamburg was a catalyst for their evolution as musicians and performers.
Transcripts
one of the first musicians to go to
Germany was Tony Sheridan a former
regular on the British TV show oh
boy I
like in Hamburg he quickly became a
local star and a permanent fixture on
the reaper
bar before we came there was sort of a
watered down German version of rock and
roll which was say for example Le Teddy
be the Presley song done by a German
artist who would wiggle his legs as much
as possible and sing a very silly German
lyric the show was sort of the main
thing they wanted a little show and they
they would say m m you
know like inciting you to jump around
and smash things Alan Williams had
booked the Beatles into two dreary clubs
the Kaiser Kella and the Indra where for
the next months they played a
backbreaking schedule of up to 7 hours a
night the living accommodations provided
by the club owner were a far cry from
their tidy Liverpool
homes when they played here at the Indra
and the Kaa K they were living in a room
with no window in and four guys of them
the condition they had was terrible in
that
time hor faser a former boxer who had
been banned from the ring for killing a
sailor in in a street fight became
friend and protector to the Liverpool
groups I remember that that Tony went to
him and said listen but if you need some
protection here and if if you're in
trouble with some girls who are
prostitutes and maybe you don't know
that they are prostitute you get
involved with them and The Pimps found
it out that you can you can have a lot
of
trouble talk to hor about he takes care
about you and then Jes that I was more
or less
their yeah like bodyguard more or
less although Stewart their oldest
member had only just turned
20 The Beatles having grown up in a
Seaport town were far from
naive yet their eyes were opened by the
abundance of sex drugs and drink that
Hamburg
offered the rough life and the long
hours far from home hardened
them and their music the band got
Tighter and their repertoire expanded
they were no longer that bum group that
nobody wanted they were
professionals
kiss I
feel my lips again taste honey taste
hone tasting
the 7 hours a night thing the practice
and having to enlarge the repertoire as
far as possible that that really made
you either good if you have what it took
to be good or you gave up pretty soon
with playing 7 hours a night for 2
months the experience you gained for
yourself is tremendous you learn how to
relax your voice how to utilize your
voice how to improve on the guitar it I
think everybody went to hir came back
vastly improved in their ideas in the
technique and also in the in
capabilities in the evolution of things
especially music there were certain
centers and there were places which
which serve as a sort of um a cat a
breeding ground and people play the
roles of
catalysts and Hamburg was one of
those Bill Harry had shared a flat with
John and Stu in the arc College days
while they were in Hamburg he was at
home rapidly becoming an expert on the
growing Liverpool beat
scene he would soon start a newspaper
called Mery beat to keep track of all
the new groups and new clubs they came
back from
Hamburg uh still as an unknown band I
started uh promoting them as the sort of
big band though they weren't really the
big band in Liverpool I sort of promoted
them like that because they were close
friends of mine and um a promoter Brian
Kelly had uh realized their talent and
he he' booked them on all his jires
which were the um the the big gigs at
the time a Institute in litherland town
hall the curtain opened at litherland
Town Hall and there was just these guys
on stage at the time everybody was into
uniformity wearing uh the same clothes
and these guys with herir longer more
I'd ever seen in me life and I think
sort of jeans and
leather jackets just anyway smoking
cigarettes you know just up there doing
it and having a ball the moment The
Beatles struck up and did their
stomping everybody every kid froze and
then they all run to the stage and
started
screaming following their debut at liand
Town Hall The Beatles became sought
after by small dance hall owners
throughout Liverpool
Bob Willer a postal clerk with an
encyclopedic knowledge of all the
Liverpool bands had recently become a
parktime DJ at the cavern at a local
jazz
club when he began booking groups for
the club's lunchtime sessions among them
were the
Beatles hi there all you cave dwellers
this is Bob Willer saying welcome to the
best of we got the high five high and
the lights down low so here we
go of now Tak my away from
me my
way I just my
home I'm only one
yell
my only
one
feel the cab converted to Rock and Roll
With The Beatles as one of its regular
bands as in Hamburg they continue to
practice and to learn new songs I dug
out of my old records uh a record by
Chan Romero called hippie hippie shake
and I played it it's a long time since
I'd played that record at a jive Hall
and Paul had he heard this record he
said what's who's that now I I
understood why he liked it because it
suited his vocal range you see and his
pitching in a strident manner falsetto
sty so he said lend that record and
surely enough they uh learn the record
oh
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