There is a new book out soon called THE BEATLES MACH SCHAU IN HAMBURG and it is written by the author who is generally regarded as the number one expert when it comes to all things Beatles in their pre-fame Hamburg period, Thorsten Knublauch. Thorsten has lent his knowledge to various publications, including Mark Lewisohn's Tune In book and this book is the culmination of over 30 years of work Thorsten has invested in this very interesting and generally underrated phase of the Beatles' early career. So there is absolutely no one better qualified to write such a book, and what a book it has become! With a foreword by Jürgen Vollmer, the famous photographer who, along with Astrid Kircherr took those iconic shots of the Beatles and invented their haircut, a middleword by Rüdiger Neber, member of The Bats with whom Stuart Sutcliffe performed a few gigs and an afterword by Howie Casey, saxophonist who played on several of Paul McCartney's albums and world tours and also performed in Hamburg in the 1960s alongside The Beatles. No Hamburg - No Beatles Much has been written about the beginnings of the Beatles in Hamburg. Those days are considered by many as the most important era in their rise to fame. Hamburg welded John, Paul, George and Ringo together even if they didn't always play in the same group, or were even in the country at the same time. They came up with an incredible repertoire of songs, some of which would later emerge on their first records and continue until the Get Back sessions in 1969 or in solo projects up to the present day. From performing as a 'living jukebox' in the clubs where they had to play through the nights, they grew to become a stadium-filling supergroup. The Beatles played over 1,000 hours on stage in four Hamburg clubs from August 1960 until December 1962. They made studio recordings in each year and released their first record - albeit uncredited on the label. John, Paul and George lost one founding member and parted with another during these days but added Ringo to create a musical unit that may never be surpassed. This book will tell you everything you need to know about the importance of those Hamburg days for the Beatles - their lives, their experiences, their style, their recordings, their instruments, etc.! Rumours and myths that have persisted for decades will be re-examined in their historical context to determine if they're true or not. Many new facts and details have been unearthed for this book, along with a huge catalogue of photos and reproductions of contracts, memorabilia and other obscure documents. In addition, the tragic story of Stuart Sutcliffe's life in Hamburg is summarized in great detail. Pete Best played the Star-Club circuit until the end of 1964 and so his Hamburg story is told beyond his Beatles days. THE BEATLES MACH SCHAU IN HAMBURG! 540 pages, A4 Size, hardback, full colour with 600 illustrations; never before seen photos, documents, adverts, memorabilia, record covers, newspaper reports, reproductions of contracts, letters, bills, receipts, etc. etc. In-depth stories about the recordings made in Germany, histories of all the places they played, even exclusive picture of their 1966 concerts, this is THE definitive book on the Beatles' visits to Germany. A promotional video for the book can be watched here: Sample pages can be watched here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gu_ZLZ2wMLo The book is now available for pre-order and is expected to ship around May 2021. So, don't hesitate and order your copy today from www.apcor.net.
Looks interesting though how many new info can be unearthed since expanded Tune In is interesting question. I'm slightly annoyed by colourised photos in the book - it looks terrible and cheap. Why serious author and scholar would ever resort to that?
Lots of lousy Beatle books out there...but this one sounds like it's worth getting and would be a great "deeper look" companion to Lweisohn's Part 1.
I agree, that cover looks really cheesy. Makes me wonder about the rest, but I know you can't judge a book that way!
Perhaps they think it needs to be done nowadays, because younger people won't look at black and white? I just hope the photos inside, especially those by Jürgen Vollmer and Astrid Kirchherr, are left in the way they were originally taken.
Hi - here is the author speaking. I think you will love it. 8 Years passed since i helped Lewisohn and as he hasnt used all my remarks and new documents were found in the meantime you won't find a more accurate book on the market now. Each book is as good as the knowledge of the time of writing. As for the colourised images - they were done with the best historical knowledge and no phantasy or automatical colour jobs but by hand and in in most parts the b/w photos are shown in other chapters. The book has a dozen chapters for all stints and chapters on instruments, leather, photo sessions, the Bambi, the Kaiserkeller posters, all 3 recordings made and special chapters on Pete and Stuart. I do love the cover and you have no idea how much had to be done to get it looked like this!! Please order now - before the run is sold out. Cheers Thorsten
In case some of you are unsure to order the book. The first run is sold out and a second run will be shipped in a few weeks time. Here is an anboxing video someone did
I bought this and have also have a lot of other books by the same publishers. I have noted some negative comments above and would add the following. I do tend to agree that the artwork on many of these books is perhaps not to my taste and sometimes the translation can make for a little awkward reading here in England. However, they are packed with information, rare documents and images and I can therefore look past the negatives. The over use of the logo is also a bit irritating. You do not need it to be so prominent and on the front cover. A dignified placing on the rear is all that is needed. That said I do support these books as they are weighty and do go the extra mile to expand our knowledge of areas such as Apple and in this case the Hamburg years. Don't be put off by the covers. Clearly a lot of work and research goes into them. I have only flicked through this latest volume so far but look forward to reading it in the weeks ahead. It is also a good excuse to dig out the Star Club and and other Hamburg recordings.
The translation for this and most of the latest books by Apcor were proof read by a native speaker - so they are good. If you look closely to the cover artwork and you are familar with the Beatles' images that were used - you might have a slight idea how many days were needed to get it as such...
Don't get me wrong. I have, I believe, most of the publications Apcor have issued and have enjoyed them all. I have not had chance to read this latest book as yet so cannot comment on its text. My comments on translation relate to earlier books and I can forgive that in view of their volume of research and content. I also do not doubt that a lot of time and effort went into the cover. It is a matter of taste at the end of the day and I don't think that they are the book's strongest suit. Sometimes less is more and I really do think that the place for a logo is at the bottom of the rear cover. Also no need to duplicate it on multiple surfaces. My opinion of course but I do have some experience and qualification in design. As I said earlier the value of these books lies in the mass of material included. Obcurities, rare documents, labels, sleeves and memorabilia. A lot of bang for your buck as some would say. Don't take offence at my comments. I'm still buying the books and will continue to do so. Design is a personal choice and we are all different in our views.
What do you mean? The postage is expensive as it is for 2,5 kg book. I am afraid.. No problem - I love the cover (it was my idea and worked out great by Ronnie). Enjoy the content.
I will enjoy the content and I really don't have any great issues with the choice of cover. I can see the reasoning behind it and there clearly has been a lot of work in colourisation, restoration and compilation of imagery. Maybe it was a bit of an overreaction on my part. There are plenty of other things that I have similar reactions to including things like certain McCartney album covers so no need to feel defensive. It is only my opinion. To be honest I think the overly prominent logo use irritates me most. I think it detracts a bit on the front cover (I could deal with spine and rear bottom!). I think that as it is quite a busy logo it tends to fight for attention with other imagery on the cover and the eye tends to not settle on a focal point. Please take that as a constructive criticism, not as a complaint! The amount of material in this book, and indeed in previous A is for Apple books, is very impressive and a treasure trove that will be returned to at vsrious points to accompany listening sessions. I am at present digging into the sections on the Tony Sheridan recordings while listening to the Bear Family set. Forgive me reading out of order but that is the joy of these books. You can dip in where you wish and appreciate certain elements as you wish to approach them. Last night it was the Star Club segments. Take a bow everyone. These sizable tomes are always welcome on my Beatles bookshelves!
this was exactly the goal. You could chose any chapter to read and all the special subjects are in separate chapters. Starting with My Bonnie is a good idea - headphones on and reading the analysis....
For all that are interesed - 2 great reviews for my book could be read here. German Rolling Stone and Beatlefan Magazine: Reviews for The Beatles Mach Schau In Hamburg In the News section you will find an unboxing video, too.
I received my copy yesterday and it is extremely impressive. A huge book filled with photos and documents and info. Can’t wait to dive in!
I just received a missive from Bear Family Records regarding this tome. It looks outstanding! Dealing with a period in the history of music that the world had never seen prior to it and will never, ever see again. A Public Service Reminder: Please remember to change your password at BFR.
Before I got the Extended Tune In, I would have gone for this in a heartbeat. But their time in Hamburg is covered so exhaustively by ML that I have doubts that there's anything new to say. If the authors are reading this, it'd be great to find out if there is a substantial amount of new information and whether this changes our perception/understanding of this period in the Beatles' lives.
