BEATLES – Day By Day – 6/22/61
Thursday 22nd June, 1961
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This is the most probable date of The Beatles’ first recording session with German producer Bert Kaempfert although it can’t be verified for certain. What we do know of these sessions dates back to a set of sleeve notes on a 1984 CD reissue of material, however several things in those notes are incorrect, which calls into question the validity of the rest of the information.
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What we do know is that, irrespective of the actual recording date, Kaempfert had seen The Beatles performing at some point during their extended engagement at the Top Ten Club and thought they would make a good backing group for his recently signed, more established, British rock singer, Tony Sheridan. (It’s also possible that Kaempfert had already seen Sheridan and The Beatles playing together as they sometimes jammed together on stage at the Top Ten Club during their long sets.)
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The Beatles joined Sheridan and Kaempert at the Friedrich Elbert Halle in Hamburg and provided backing on at least four tracks. Paul, John, George and Pete all played, with Stuart attending the sessions purely as an observer (He had stopped playing with the group by this point to concentrate on his art, and his relationship with Astrid.)
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The first track recorded was a rock version of “My Bonnie Lies Over The Ocean,” a popular request from the seamen who often frequented The Top Ten Club. George played the opening sequence, while Sheridan took over for a solo in the middle.
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The second track recorded was another standard “The Saints Go Marching In.” followed by one of Sheridan’s own songs, “Why (Can’t You Love Me Again“) and a country song originally recorded by Hank Snow, “Nobody’s Child.”
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The Beatles also recorded two tracks without Sheridan, “Ain’t She Sweet” with John on lead vocals and a rare Harrison-Lennon instrumental track that at this point didn’t have a title. Later on the name “Beatle Bop” was among the titles considered until “Cry For A Shadow” was chosen – possibly as a dig at Cliff Richard’s guitar heavy backing group The Shadows.
