Various Artists: The Hamburg Repertoire, 2CD

• The original classic recordings of songs performed by The Beatles onstage in Hamburg.

• 2 CD set, 67 tracks with a 36-page booklet

"It was Hamburg that did it. That’s where we really developed. To get the Germans going and keep it up for twelve hours at a time we really had to hammer. We would never have developed as much if we’d stayed at home. We had to try anything that came into our heads in Hamburg. There was nobody to copy from. We played what we liked best and the Germans liked it as long as it was loud." John Lennon

By far the best pop group of all time, and in the vanguard of the sixties sexual revolution, The Beatles served an extraordinary apprenticeship in the blue collar bars and rock 'n' roll clubs of Hamburg's St Pauli district. There, before an audience of local gangsters and prostitutes, drunken sailors and rockers spoiling for a fight, over 800 hours onstage, they honed their presentational skills and evolved their image; at once fostering the humour and pioneering musical spirit that would be cornerstones of their future success.

The Hamburg repertoire was necessarily vast and varied and the "Beatles' Sound" evolved from it. The demands imposed on the group encouraged an eclecticism that - it may be argued - would reach full expression with 'Rubber Soul' and 'Revolver'. This panorama of influences involved naked first generation rock 'n' roll, rhythm and blues, soul, rockabilly, country & western, show tunes, film themes and the era's perfect pop craftsmanship - which Lennon and McCartney would look to emulate - Buddy Holly, The Everly Brothers, Goffin and King.

Many of the songs performed by The Beatles onstage in Hamburg would be recorded for the early albums, appear in radio sessions, or surface later on their respective solo projects.

Hamburg was a hard school. It was where it all began.

TRACK LISTING

DISC ONE

1   LITTLE RICHARD Long Tall Sally

2   RAY CHARLES Hallelujah I Love Her So

3   EDDIE COCHRAN Hallelujah I Love Her So

4   LENNY WELCH A Taste of Honey

5   CHUCK BERRY Roll Over Beethoven

6   BUDDY HOLLY and THE CRICKETS Words of Love

7   PEGGY LEE Till There Was You

8   CHET ATKINS Till There Was You

9   CARL PERKINS Your True Love

10   DUANE EDDY Three-30-Blues

11   EDDIE COCHRAN C'mon Everybody

12   GENE VINCENT AND HIS BLUE CAPS Over the Rainbow

13   THE SHIRELLES Will You Love Me Tomorrow

14   CHUCK BERRY You Can't Catch Me

15   CHAN ROMERO Hippy Hippy Shake

16   LITTLE RICHARD Kansas City / Hey Hey Hey Hey

17   ARTHUR ALEXANDER Anna

18   THE COASTERS Besame Mucho

19   THE COASTERS Searchin'

20   JERRY LEE LEWIS Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On

21   EDDIE FONTAINE "Nothin' Shakin' (But the Leaves on the Trees)

22   BO DIDDLEY Who Do You Love?

23   BO DIDDLEY Mona

24   DUANE EDDY Moovin' n' Groovin'

25   CARL PERKINS Everybody's Trying to Be My Baby

26   THE SHIRELLES Mama Said

27   RAY CHARLES AND HIS ORCHESTRA Hit The Road Jack

28   CHUCK BERRY Rock and Roll Music

29   LARRY WILLIAMS Dizzy Miss Lizzy

30   DR. FEELGOOD AND THE INTERNS Mister Moonlight

31   DINAH WASHINGTON September In The Rain

32   BUDDY HOLLY AND THE CRICKETS Everyday

33   BENNY GOODMAN QUARTET Moonglow

DISC TWO

1   CARL PERKINS Blue Suede Shoes

2   LITTLE RICHARD Tutti Frutti

3   LITTLE RICHARD Lucille

4   LITTLE RICHARD Good Golly Miss Molly

5   ARTHUR ALEXANDER A Shot of Rhythm & Blues

6   THE COASTERS Three Cool Cats

7   EDDIE COCHRAN Summertime Blues

8   EDDIE COCHRAN Three Steps to Heaven

9   DUANE EDDY Ramrod

10   BOBBY VEE Take Good Care of My Baby

11   BUDDY HOLLY and THE CRICKETS Mailman, Bring Me No More Blues

12   BO DIDDLEY Road Runner

13   GENE VINCENT AND HIS BLUE CAPS Be-Bop-A-Lula

14   GENE VINCENT AND HIS BLUE CAPS Ain't She Sweet

15   CARL PERKINS Matchbox

16   EDDIE COCHRAN Twenty Flight Rock

17   JOHNNY BURNETTE AND THE ROCK'N'ROLL TRIO Lonesome Tears In My Eyes

18   CHUCK BERRY I'm Talking About You

19   CHUCK BERRY Sweet Little Sixteen

20   THE SHIRELLES Boys

21   RICHIE BARRETT Some Other Guy

22   THE JODIMARS Clarabella

23   THE OLYMPICS (Baby) Hully Gully

24   ANN-MARGRET I Just Don't Understand

25   DUANE EDDY Shazam

26   RAY CHARLES My Bonnie

27   FRANK IFIELD I Remember You

28   DEL SHANNON Runaway

29   GENE VINCENT AND HIS BLUE CAPS Wedding Bells Are Breaking Up That Old Gang Of Mine

30   MARLENE DIETRICH Falling In Love Again

31   BUDDY HOLLY Crying, Waiting, Hoping

32   CARL PERKINS Lend Me Your Comb

33   RAY CHARLES What'd I Say (Parts 1 & 2)

34   THE SHIRELLES Baby It's You

35   CHET ATKINS Theme from The Third Man