new issue | cover story |
web extras | subscribe
renew | back issues
cd sampler sleeves

Fifteen unreleased Beatles recordings surface

Writer: Nikki King
News, Published online on 14 Jan 2008

Before Beatlemania hit the U.S., before their debut album Please, Please Me even saw daylight, John, Paul, George and Ringo took the stage at the Star Club in Hamburg, Germany. The show itself was small, with only 20-30 people in attendance. After 33 years, Fuego Entertainment has purchased these exclusive recordings for distribution from producer Jeffrey Collins, who discovered the lost tracks in his personal collection.

“I'm extremely excited about this acquisition and the future release of this historical Beatles album,” said Hugo Cancio, president and CEO of Fuego Entertainment. “They are one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed music groups in the history of popular music.”

Circa 1962, the recordings were made right before the band signed with EMI. Of the 15 songs, only seven were later released. The show was one of many recorded at the Star Club as a means of marketing the venue as well as the bands themselves. Not to be confused with the previous Star Club bootlegs, this show preceded that performance. It was also the very first time Ringo Starr took the stage as one of the Fab Four.

The tracks include live versions of “A Taste of Honey” and “Hippy Hippy Shake,” the latter of which includes Tony Sheridan. The tapes also include covers of Maurice Williams’ “Do You Believe” and Hank Williams’ “Lovesick Blues.” Kingsize Taylor’s band, The Dominoes, also makes an appearance, backing tracks such as “I Saw Her Standing There,” “Money” and “Twist and Shout.”

The album will be released as an Echo-Fuego joint venture, and a date should be announced soon. Without a doubt, the release of these recordings will be highly anticipated as they are a snapshot of the earliest days of the Beatles’ legacy. A preview will be posted in the near future at Fuego Plus online.

Got news tips for Paste? Email news@pastemagazine.com.

Fifteen unreleased Beatles recordings surface

Save & Share