The only complaint thet I have with this release is the lack of any bonus material. Where for instance is "My Bonnie" with the German intro? The original version of "Sweet Georgia Brown" without the reference to the Beatles would also have been nice. Heck, why not even throw in a few tracks by The Pete Best Combo or anything with Ringo on drums with Rory Storm and The Hurricanes. Anything like this could have really rounded out this disc to a full retrospect from the Beatles early beginnings. Regardless, this album is still a good purchase for any Beatles fan.


Still fresh ...   November 8, 2000
Sven Solterbeck (Schwalbach am Taunus Germany)
10 out of 10 found this review helpful

I'm very happy with the result - you can examine a noticeable improvement in sound. I own this album in different kinds - but the sound I've never heard before. The engineers did a good job.

Ok, Tony Sheridan slightly missed the class of the big rock'n'roller - but this album is not one of them, the Beatles (and of course Tony) have to feel ashamed. I'm strongly recommended this release.

Further it's a fresh testimony of the wild Reeperbahn days. And as a man, grown up near by Hamburg/Germany, I love this album.


For True Beatles Collectors   March 6, 2001
Bryan Rick Walters (Leesburg, Fl USA)
9 out of 9 found this review helpful

This CD is a rare find and a must for serious Beatles colectors. Not only is the the sound much improved (and in beautiful stereo) over previous Polydor reissues but it also has the original Sweet Georgia Brown version, Not the later one with the "reference to the Beatles" which was overdubbed in 1964 when the group became famous. I highly recommend this CD.


Pretty good, not just for historical reasons   September 6, 2001
Andre M. (Mt. Pleasant, SC United States)
9 out of 10 found this review helpful

This is not bad stuff. An interesting peek at the Beatles' early commercial recordings. The instrumental "Cry for a Shadow" (aka "beatle Bop") makes you wonder why they didn't record more instrumentals. Tony Sheridan sounds like a British Elvis, and his singing compliments the Beatles' playing quite well, particularly on the ballad "Why." Best of all is the first Beatle record to be publicly released, "My Bonnie" with it's energetic instrumetals and the Fab 4's harmony. Incidentally, you get a chance to hear original drummer Pete Best here. You all know the story about his drumming and firing. In fairness, Pete kept time well, but compare this with a Ringo recording and you be the judge. In either case, get this and get a piece of history that has a nice beat that you can dance to.


Get Real People.   December 25, 2004
R. Spencer (London, England)
14 out of 18 found this review helpful

Why are people so suprised that this album is mainly Tony Sheridan as opposed to Beatles classics? It was Tony who was the star when the tracks on this album were made, yet The Beatles name is upfront now because they are the band who this album represents in historic content.
If you don't want this then just leave it alone and listen to The Red and Blue albums instead that gather a lot of the hit discs the beatles went onto have over the 7 or 8 years that followed this recording. If you want to hear an important moment in Beatles history, then this album is that.
Tony Sheridan had a record deal with Polydor records in Germany, although he was British, he was touring German pubs/bars/clubs the same time The Beatles did in 1960/61.
He got the Beatles a job, by backing him on several of his records. The importance of once such record "My Bonnie" cannot be denied. It was the record that brought the Beatles to the attention of Brian Epstien, who went on to get them their EMI record deal with George Martin.
"Ain't She Sweet" is a John Lennon lead vocal, but wasn't issued as a single by Polydor until 1964, after the Beatles had become world famous. It was a top 40 hit in both the UK and USA.
Other tracks are either Sheridan solo, or with The Beatles backing him as well as an instrumental track composed by John Lennon & George Harrison. The Beatles at this point consisted of John, George, Paul McCartney and Pete Best. These recordings represent Pete's only appearance on a Beatles record in the 1960s, as he was replaced by Ringo Starr in 1962 (just before they achieved their 1st U.K hit with "Love me do").#
The Beatles cuts on this album were recorded in 1961 (although the Sheridan cuts go up to 1969!). In 1962 the Beatles entered the UK top 40 with "Love Me do", In 1963/4 singles such as "I want to hold your hand" and "She Loves you" and albums such as "Please Please Me", "With The Beatles", etc put the Beatles on the world stage.
By all means this isn't a definitive Beatles hit's album at all and of course doesn't live up to "Rubber Soul", "Sgt. Pepper", "Abbey Road", etc, but this disc nevertheless is a landmark in Beatles history and while the songs didn't make them famous, they nevertheless got the motor running for the pop combo to enjoy a long drive down fame street!