My Bonnie

My Bonnie is a 1962 album by English rock and roll singer-songwriter and musician Tony Sheridan. Sheridan, then playing in clubs in Hamburg with the Beatles, was discovered by producer Bert Kaempfert and subsequently signed with him to record for Polydor. Sheridan recorded several songs with the Beatles, of which, only a single was released in 1961 and credited to Tony Sheridan and the Beat Brothers. While these two songs are included here, the remaining tracks contained in this album were credited again to the Beat Brothers but recorded without the Beatles.

This article is about the Tony Sheridan album. For the traditional Scottish song, see My Bonnie Lies over the Ocean.

My Bonnie
Studio album / live album by
Tony Sheridan and the Beat Brothers
ReleasedJune 1962[1]
Recorded22 June & 21 December 1961
VenueFriedrich-Ebert-Halle & Musikhalle, Hamburg, West Germany
GenreRock and roll
Label
ProducerBert Kaempfert
Tony Sheridan chronology
My Bonnie
(1962)		 Just a Little Bit
(1964)
The Beatles (a.k.a. The Beat Brothers) chronology
My Bonnie
(1962)		 Please Please Me
(1963)
Singles from My Bonnie
  1. "My Bonnie"
    Released: 23 October 1961

Because of the later fame of the Beatles, the eight songs recorded in Hamburg with the then fledgling group have been issued in 1964 and repackaged several times through the years.

Background and recording

In June 1961, Sheridan and the Beatles (then consisting of guitarists John Lennon, George Harrison, and Paul McCartney, bassist Stuart Sutcliffe, and drummer Pete Best) were both playing in Hamburg's Top Ten Club, the two frequently performing together.[2] German producer Bert Kaempfert visited the Top Ten on the recommendation of music publisher Alfred Schacht and singer Tommy Kent, and subsequently signed Sheridan and the Beatles to his company Bert Kaempfert Productions.[3]

Kaempfert set a recording date for 22 June at Hamburg's Friedrich-Ebert-Halle. Engineered by Karl Hinze, the session featured Sheridan and the Beatles playing "My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean", "The Saints", "Why", "Nobody's Child", and "Take Out Some Insurance". The Beatles performed "Ain't She Sweet" and an original song, "Beatle Bop" (later titled "Cry for a Shadow"). Sutcliffe attended the session, but did not play, leaving McCartney to play bass.[4] From these sessions, "My Bonnie" was released as a single (with "The Saints" as the B-side) through Polydor Records (who had an exclusive deal with Kaempfert's company) credited to "Tony Sheridan and the Beat Brothers", as the Beatles' contract enabled the record company to use a pseudonym.[5]

A single with "My Bonnie" backed by "The Saints" was released in Germany in October 1961[6] and was a moderate success, peaking at number 32 in the national chart published in Der Musikmarkt, number 11 in the national jukebox charts, and number four in a local Hamburg chart.[7] Kaempfert and Sheridan conducted another session on 21 December 1961 at Musikhalle Hamburg, without the Beatles.[8] Ten songs were recorded at this session, which along with "My Bonnie" and "The Saints" formed the My Bonnie LP, released 5 January 1962.

Track listing
Side one
  1. "My Bonnie" (Traditional, arr. by Tony Sheridan)
  2. "Skinny Minnie" (Bill Haley, Rusty Keefer, Milt Gabler, Catherine Cafra)
  3. "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin On" (Dave Williams, Sonny David)
  4. "I Know Baby" (Sheridan)
  5. "You Are My Sunshine" (Jimmie Davis, Charles Mitchell)
  6. "Ready Teddy" (Robert Blackwell, John Marascalco)
Side two
  1. "The Saints" (Traditional, arr. by Tony Sheridan)
  2. "Hallelujah, I Love Her So" (Ray Charles)
  3. "Let's Twist Again" (Kal Mann, Dave Appell, Buchenkamp)
  4. "Sweet Georgia Brown" (Bernie, Pinkard, Casey)
  5. "Swanee River" (Stephen Foster)
  6. "Top Ten Twist" (Homsen, Bones, Sheridan, Lüth)

In 2001, The My Bonnie LP was issued on CD by Polydor, with 10 bonus tracks:

  1. "My Bonnie (German intro)" (Traditional, arr. by Sheridan)
  2. "Ich Lieb' Dich So" (Pomus, Spector, Lueth)
  3. "Der Kiss-Me Song" (Warren, Schwabach, Wallnau)
  4. "Madison Kid" (C. Thomas)
  5. "Let's Dance" (Sheridan, Lee)
  6. "Ruby Baby" (Leiber, Stoller)
  7. "What'd I Say" (Charles)
  8. "Veedeboom Slop Slop" (Johnny Sivo)
  9. "Let's Slop" (Sivo, Gleissner)
  10. "My Bonnie (No intro)" (Traditional, arr. by Sheridan)

Personnel
On "My Bonnie" and "The Saints"

Musicians unknown on the other tracks.

Bibliography
  • Lewisohn, Mark (2013). The Beatles: All These Years, Vol. 1: Tune In. Crown Archetype. ISBN 978-1-4000-8305-3.

References
  1. "The Bear Family Polydor Box Set".
  2. Lewisohn 2013, p. 427.
  3. Lewisohn 2013, p. 438, 450.
  4. Lewisohn 2013, p. 446.
  5. Lewisohn 2013, p. 450.
  6. Lewisohn 2013, p. 576.
  7. Lewisohn 2013, p. 853.
  8. "Tony Sheridan web site". 23 December 2011. Archived from the original on 23 December 2011.
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