The Beatles Bible

The Beatles Bible
The Beatles Bible
  • Share this page:
  • Share
  • Home
  • History
  • Songs
  • Albums
  • Discography
  • People
  • Features
  • Books
  • Map
  • Gallery
  • Fab forum
  • Store
  • Subscribe:
  • RSS icon RSS
  • Email envelope icon Email
  • Twitter icon Twitter
  • Facebook icon Facebook
iTunes & App Store
Home > Beatles diary > Studio > Recording: My Bonnie

Recording: My Bonnie

3.00pm, Thursday 22 June 1961 (50 years ago)

Thursday 22 June, and possibly the following day as well, was the likely date of The Beatles' recording session with singer Tony Sheridan in Hamburg.

The Beatles had been approached by orchestral leader and Polydor agent Bert Kaempfert, who wanted them as the backing band for Sheridan. On this day they performed, not at a recording studio, but at a converted stage at Hamburg's Friedrich-Ebert-Halle school.

The first song to be recorded was My Bonnie, a beat version of the old standard My Bonnie Lies Over The Ocean. It was followed by The Saints, a new arrangement of another old song, When The Saints Go Marching In.

The musicians also recorded Sheridan's self-penned ballad Why (Can't You Love Me Again), Hank Snow's Nobody's Child, and Jimmy Reed's Take Out Some Insurance On Me Baby.

Once the Sheridan songs were complete, The Beatles made two recordings of their own. Ain't She Sweet had lead vocals by John Lennon, and the second tune was a Lennon-Harrison instrumental titled Cry For A Shadow. Both recordings appeared on 1995's Anthology 1.

The Beatles were given 300 marks for the session, and the My Bonnie single - credited to Tony Sheridan and The Beat Brothers - was released in October 1961. It reached number five in the German charts.

  • Share this page:
  • Share
« Previous post: Live: Top Ten Club, Hamburg
Next post: Live: Top Ten Club, Hamburg »
Also on this day...

  • 1968: Paul McCartney addresses Capitol Records conference
  • 1968: The Beatles purchase Apple headquarters at 3 Savile Row, London
  • 1966: Mixing: Eleanor Rigby, She Said She Said, Good Day Sunshine, Yellow Submarine, Tomorrow Never Knows, Got To Get You Into My Life
  • 1965: Live: Palais d'Hiver, Lyon, France
  • 1964: Live: Town Hall, Wellington, New Zealand
  • 1964: Mixing, editing: A Hard Day's Night LP, Long Tall Sally EP
  • 1963: Live: Town Hall, Abergavenny
  • 1963: Television: Juke Box Jury
  • 1961: Live: Top Ten Club, Hamburg
  • 1957: Live: Rosebery St, Liverpool

Want more? Visit the Beatles history section.

Related articles:

  • My Bonnie
  • Tony Sheridan
  • The Saints
  • US single release: My Bonnie/The Saints
  • Ain't She Sweet

Filed under: Studio

One response to “Recording: My Bonnie”

  1. McLerristarr says:
    Tuesday 27 April 2010 at 11.11am

    Didn't they also record Sweet Georgia Brown? It was released as a single and on many compilations including one listed in the East German discography.

    Reply to this comment

Leave a reply

Please note that there may be a delay before comments can be approved for publication. We reserve the right to edit for length and/or content. Comments not in the English language may be discarded, and offensive, irrelevant or spam ones will be ignored. For more information please read the full comments policy.
Click here to cancel reply.


  • Latest posts

    • Paul McCartney's star unveiled on Hollywood Walk of Fame
    • Paul McCartney to headline Queen's diamond jubilee concert
    • US album release: Kisses On The Bottom by Paul McCartney
    • UK album release: Kisses On The Bottom by Paul McCartney
    • Abbey Road to offer studio time to wealthy hotel guests
    • US publishing rights for six early Beatles songs are sold
    • Paul McCartney live at Echo Arena, Liverpool
    • Paul McCartney live at Manchester Evening News Arena, Manchester
    • Paul McCartney live at Olimpiyskiy Arena, Moscow, Russia
    • Paul McCartney live at Hartwall Areena, Helsinki, Finland
  • On this day in Beatles history

    • 2010: All You Need Is Love to be released as a Beatles Rock Band download
    • 1968: Recording, mixing: Hey Bulldog
    • 1966: UK single release: Woman by Peter And Gordon
    • 1965: Ringo Starr marries Maureen Cox
    • 1964: Live: Washington Coliseum, Washington, DC
    • 1963: Recording: Please Please Me LP

    Want more? Visit the Beatles history section.

  • Twitter updates

  • Things we said today

    • Lars-Olof Ström on Let It Be... Naked
    • Christopher Hight on Revolution 9
    • Tubescreamer on All My Loving
    • Christopher Hight on I Want You (She's So Heavy)
    • Christopher Hight on Being For The Benefit Of Mr Kite!
  • From the forum

    • Did John have any disorders? in John Lennon
      By The Strawberry, 50 minutes ago
    • The "Incredibly Impossible to Derail This Thread" thread in All together now
      By mithveaen, 16 hours ago
    • New Member in Forum rules and help guides
      By mithveaen, 16 hours ago
    • I Don't Blame Yoko in Yesterday... and today
      By MeanMrsMustard, 18 hours ago
    • The best Beatles cover versions in Yesterday... and today
      By Elmore James, 18 hours ago
  • In the gallery

    The Casbah Club, Liverpool (2010) Concert For George cover artwork John Lennon and Yoko Ono The Beatles at Tittenhurst Park, 22 August 1969
  • Translator

  • Beatles for sale

  • Top Ten Club

    • Fab forum
    • The Beatles' songs
    • Beatles photo gallery
    • Days in the life: The Beatles' history
    • Kisses On The Bottom
    • The Beatles' albums
    • The Beatles and drugs
    • The Abbey Road cover photography session
    • Beatles discography
    • John Lennon and Yoko Ono record Two Virgins
  • Can buy me love

    The Beatles Bible is run for the love of anything and everything to do with The Beatles. If you've learned something new about the band and wish to show your appreciation, why not make a small donation via PayPal? It'll help with server costs, Beatles books etc...
  • Thinking of linking

    • thebeatles.com
    • johnlennon.com
    • paulmccartney.com
    • twitter.com/paulmccartney
    • paulmccartneyofficial.tumblr.com
    • georgeharrison.com
    • twitter.com/GeorgeHarrison
    • ringostarr.com
    • applerecords.com
      Beatles Bible logo by Yer Logos/The Beatles In 3D
  • Come together

    This site is in no way associated with or endorsed by The Beatles, Apple Corps Ltd, associated organisations or any members of The Beatles or their representatives. It is intended as a tribute to the greatest group of all time, to try - in a small way - to help introduce their music to new generations of fans.

© 2008-2012 The Beatles Bible. All rights reserved. | Contact us | About this site | Privacy policy | Words of love: 1,111,140

Top of page

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.