1) Salary receipt for The Beatles and Tony Sheridan for seven days' work at the Top Ten Club, Hamburg, June 10th-16th, 1961. The agreement is titled "...Musiken Rechnung..." (=Musicians' Payments), and lists the five Beatles and Tony Sheridan in the following order: George Harrison, Paul McCartney, John Lennon, Stuart Sutcliffe, Pete Best and Tony Sheridan, giving details of their matching salaries: "...7 a 35.-=DM245..." (=7 days at 35 DM), less tax, giving a total per week for each of DM245. Each paragraph is signed individually by the recipient. Sutcliffe is STILL playing bass with them by 16 June 1961.
2) McCartney at interview with Tony Bacon, 30 November 1994:
"...Stu lent me his bass for a week or so..."3) Recording sessions at Friedrich Ebert Halle, 22-23 June 1961. Sutcliffe is NOT there playing bass (=is McCartney using Stu's bass, or his new 500/1 at these recordings??)
4) Recording contract amongst JL, PM, GH & PB, on one side, and Bert Kämpfert, on the other side, come into effect on 1 July 1961 and remained in force until 30 June 1962*. Sutcliffe DIDN'T sign the contract:
5) On 2 July 1961 The Beatles return back to Liverpool and McCartney has ALREADY got his Höfner 500/1.
So..., when did McCartney purchase his Höfner 500/1??
Xosé
*
Reproduced from The Beatles with Tony Sheridan, Beatle Bop - Hamburg Days, Bear Family Records, 2001, pp. 12-17.