Live! at the Star-Club in Hamburg, Germany; 1962
| Live! at the Star-Club in Hamburg, Germany; 1962 | ||||
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| Live album by The Beatles | ||||
| Released | 8 April 1977 (Germany) 13 June 1977 (US) 13 June 1977 (Australia) |
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| Recorded | Late December 1962, Star-Club, Hamburg, Germany | |||
| Genre | Rock and roll | |||
| Length | 60:01 | |||
| Label | Lingasong/Bellaphon (GER) | |||
| Producer | Larry Grossberg | |||
| The Beatles chronology | ||||
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| Professional ratings | |
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| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   |
| Robert Christgau | B– |
| Encyclopedia of Popular Music | |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide | |
Live! at the Star-Club in Hamburg, Germany; 1962 is a double album featuring live performances by the English rock group The Beatles, recorded in late December 1962 at the Star-Club during their final Hamburg residency. The album was released in 1977 in two different versions, comprising a total of 30 songs by The Beatles.
The performances were recorded on a home tape machine using a single microphone, resulting in a low fidelity recording. Ted "Kingsize" Taylor began to investigate possible marketing of the tapes in 1973. The tapes were eventually bought by Paul Murphy and subjected to extensive audio processing to improve the sound, leading to the 1977 album.
Although the poor sound quality limits its commercial appeal, the album provides historic insight into the group's club act in the period after Ringo Starr joined but before the emergence of Beatlemania. The Beatles were unsuccessful in legally blocking the initial release of the album; the recordings were reissued in many forms until 1998, when The Beatles were awarded full rights to the performances.
The Beatles' five residencies in Hamburg during 1960 to 1962 allowed the Liverpool band to develop their performance skills and widen their reputation. Drummer Pete Best was added to the band in August 1960 to secure their first Hamburg booking, where they played for 48 nights at the Indra Club and then 58 nights at the Kaiserkeller. The Beatles returned to Hamburg in April 1961 to play at the Top Ten Club for three months.
A new Hamburg music venue, the Star-Club, opened on 13 April 1962, with The Beatles booked for the first seven weeks. The Beatles returned to Hamburg in November and December 1962 for their fourth and fifth engagements there, which had been booked for the Star-Club many months in advance. Unlike their previous three trips to Hamburg, their drummer was Starr, having replaced Best in August. The Beatles were reluctant to return for their final two-week booking, which started 18 December, as they were gaining popularity in Britain and had just achieved their first charted single with "Love Me Do".
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