Beatles - Live at Star-Club, Hamburg 1962

First thing is that I can't understand why The Beatles were so reluctant to see this recording to be released. They said it was crap. Well, I don't share their views. This is one helluva live recording. Not from the peak of their Hamburg period but from the last days of their fifth Hamburg visit. According to the notes this was compiled from Ted "Kingsize" Taylor's recordings from 25th to 31st December 1962. Just before the beatlemania hit the world. Very raw and powerful performance. Much better than the later Beatles live recordings. Oh, how I wish there would be more of those pre 1963 live recordings available.

No one knows the right setlists and what song was played on what day but that doesn't matter. Here's one list that claims to be close to real sets recorded:

25th December 1962:
1) Be-Bop A-Lula (vocals by Fred Fascher), 2) I Saw Her Standing There, 3) Hallelujah I Love Her So (vocals by Horst Fascher), 4) My Girl Is Red Hot (incomplete), 5) Sheila, 6) Kansas City, 7) Shimmy Shimmy, 8 ) Reminiscing, 9) Red Sails In The Sunset, 10) Sweet Little Sixteen, 11) Roll Over Beethoven, 12) A Taste Of Honey (incomplete), 13) Ask Me Why, 14) Long Tall Sally, 15) Besame Mucho, 16) I'm Gonna Sit Down And Cry (incomplete), 17) Twist And Shout (incomplete), 18) Mr. Moonlight, 19) Falling In Love Again, 20) Talkin' 'Bout You, 21) I Remember You

28th December 1962: 1) Ain't Nothin' Shakin' (incomplete), 2) I Saw Her Standing There, 3) To Know Her Is To Love Her, 4) Everybody's Trying To Be My Baby, 5) Till There Was You, 6) Where Have You Been All My Life, 7) Lend Me Your Comb, 8 ) Your Feet's Too Big, 9) Talkin' 'Bout You, 10) A Taste Of Honey, 11) Matchbox, 12) Little Queenie, 13) Roll Over Beethoven, 14) Roadrunner

31st December 1962: 1) Roadrunner, 2) Hippy Hippy Shake, 3) A Taste Of Honey, 4) Money (vocals by Tony Sheridan)

Lots of recordings available with different amount of songs. But here's one with perhaps the most perfect amount of songs + between songs banter:
http://musictravellerstwo.blogspot.com/2008/09/beatles-1962-star-club-purple-chick.html

PS. This is one of the most adored live shows I know. We bought vol 2 of the Pickwick series in 1979 and I've loved it since. I remember listening to this when I was a kid. Bloody hell. The best Beatles live show ever recorded. Thank you Adrian Barber & Ted "Kingsize" Taylor. These concerts show what the real Beatles was. Not the polished all-dressed up every mother-in-laws favourite son-in-laws. I want to hear more of this Beatles...