The Star-Club was a music club in Hamburg, Germany that opened Friday 13 April 1962 and was initially operated by Manfred Weissleder and Horst Fascher. In the 1960s, many of the giants of rock music played at the club. The club closed on 31 December 1969 and the building it occupied was destroyed by a fire in 1987. The address in Hamburg area St. Pauli was: Große Freiheit 39; Große Freiheit is a side street of the Reeperbahn.
The club achieved worldwide renown through the performances of The Beatles, who played there 13 April – 31 May, 1–14 November, and 18–31 December 1962. A performance or parts of several performances from the end of the latter stay was or were recorded on a home tape machine, and a remixed version was released in 1977 as Live! at the Star-Club in Hamburg, Germany; 1962.
The Beatles’ first Hamburg Club performance was at the Indra Club (also in Große Freiheit) on 17 August 1960.
Musicians who played here:
English musicians (alphabetical): The Beatles, Chicken Shack (featuring Christine McVie (Perfect)), Cliff Bennett and the Rebel Rousers, Cream, Lee Curtis and the All-Stars, Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich, Earth (pre-Black Sabbath), The Graduates, The Jimi Hendrix Experience (US/UK, March 1967), The Jaybirds (featuring Alvin Lee of Ten Years After), Billy J. Kramer and The Dakotas (band), The Liverbirds, The Overlanders, The Pretty Things, The Remo Four, The Searchers, Kingsize Taylor and The Dominoes; Richard Thompson, Soft Machine, and Tony Vincent and The Giants, Jane Cane (jazz singer). The Roadrunners – Liverpool’s original R & B band of the 60’s. Katch 22
Chubby Checker (live at the Starclub, Hamburg, 1964
American musicians: Ray Charles, Bo Diddley, Fats Domino, Everly Brothers, Bill Haley, Jimi Hendrix, Johnny and the Hurricanes, Brenda Lee, Jerry Lee Lewis (who released a highly praised live album recorded at the club in 1964) and Little Richard, who at that point had Billy Preston in his band. The Monks, with Gary Burger, Eddie Shaw, Dave Day, Roger Johnston and Larry Clark played at the Top Ten Club a number of time 1965, 1966, and 1967.
German musicians: The Rattles (Hamburg) and many more
Italian musicians: Mino Reitano
Star-Club Records
In the early 1960s the Clubowners also started a record label, Star-Club Records, subsidiary of Philips Records (by wikipedia)
And many years later, Herbert Hildebrandt organised many Rock n Roll Parties in another Star-Club in Hamburg. And he invited many stars from the early days of the legendary Star Club … and this is a very rare live recording from these parties … listen, close your eyes … and enjoy the magic of these days of the early sixties, when all beginns.
The stars were accomponied by a group called “Rock Circus” – a German band featuring Herbert Hildebrandt, Dicky Tarrach (ex-Rattles) and Peter Hesslein (ex- Lucifers Friends) … what a line up … and the crowd went crazy ! It was a night, the legends went out to play !
Personnel:
Rock Circus:
Sigi Bensinger (saxophone)
Bartold Dunker (piano)
Peter Hesslein (guitar)
Herbert Hildebrandt (bass, vocals)
Lee Patterson (percussion, vocals)
Dicky Tarrach (drums)
Tracklist:
01. Cliff Bennett: Money (Bradford/Gordy) 3.32
02. Tony Sheridan: Lucille (Penniman/Collins) 2.33
03. Beryl Marsden: Shot Of Rhythm And Blues (Thompson) 2.36
04. Chris Andrews: Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On (Williams/David) 2.53
05. Johnny & The Hurricanes: Red River Rock (King/Mack/Mendelson) 2.32
06. Wee Willy Harris: Bony Moronie (Williams) 2.36
07. P.J. Proby: Niki Hoeky (Vegas/Ford) 5.28
08. Rock Circus: I Still Keep On Rocking (Hildebrandt/Wienhauer) 2.25
09. Lee Curtis: It’s Only Make Believe (Twitty/Nance) 3.19
10. Rock Island Line: Baby Says (Wooltorten) 1.54
11. Screaming Lord Sutch: Son Of Jack The Ripper (Lord Sutch) 3.39
12. Deryl Wilkie: I’m Going Home (Traditional)*) 1.37
*) in fact this is Alvin Lee´s “I´m Going Home”
* (coming soon)
**
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