From the BBC:


A legal attempt has begun to block the release of early Beatles recordings.

Lawyers for the group's surviving members have claimed the eight tracks, apparently played in Hamburg in 1962, were taped without permission.

The songs include Paul McCartney performing Lovesick Blues by Hank Williams, and McCartney and Lennon singing together on Ask Me Why.

But the Miami company trying to sell the music, Fuego Entertainment, has insisted the recordings were legal.

The firm's president, Hugo Cancio, told the Associated Press he planned to release the songs as an album entitled Jammin' with The Beatles and Friends, Star Club, Hamburg, 1962.



We've been here before. But if these are Star Club tapes, wouldn't EMI own the rights to them? The Beatles were under contract to EMI by about June of 1962, I believe, and the Star Club tapes were made in December of that year.


http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/7309450.stm

The Star Club often used to record their live acts. A few live albums were put out at the time, to promote the club.

We've already got this stuff on the Purple Chick 'Star Club'. It's available for download from my blog, and many other places, if you want it. The difference is, I think, Fuego are publicly trying to profit from it.

And btw, that is not Paul McCartney singing 'Lovesick Blues'.

Quoted from BlueMeanie

The Star Club often used to record their live acts. A few live albums were put out at the time, to promote the club.


And btw, that is not Paul McCartney singing 'Lovesick Blues'.

I had no idea that the Star Club used to record their acts; I thought that tape of The Beatles was a one off thing. I suppose we can expect tapes to keep turning up with lawsuits to follow, then.

And yeah; somebody at the BBC really ought to tell their reporters that press handouts aren't the most reliable sources of information... Paul on that 'Lovesick Blues' indeed.

The Star Club didn't record acts during the period the Beatles were there, although it was Adrian Barber of the Big Three who recorded the Beatles at the club. He decided to leave the group when Brian Epstein included Brian Griffiths in their line-up. Adrian said, "we're the Big Three, not the Big Four." He didn't like Brian Epstein anyway. So Manfred Weissleder hired him to build a sound system at the club and the Star Club recordings began - I have lots of albums - Lee Curtis, the Rattles, the Liverbirds etc, all recorded at the club. They are now all available as CDs from Big Bear Records. I was sent a copy of an album by the Shakers (Kingsize Taylor & the Dominoes), which was fantastic. After being in a club with George Harrison one night I took him back to the office and gave him the album. When Joey Dee appeared at the Star Club he was so impressed by Adrian's system that he hired him to come to New york and build a sound system for the Peppermint Lounge, which he did. He then became a recording manager for Atlantic and begasn to record groups such as the Allman Brothers Band and Aerosmith. He retired and lives in Hawaii. He also built 'coffins' - huge amplifiers which gave the Big Three an enormous sound. The Undertakers, the Beatles and other groups asked him to build amplifiers for them. I believe Billy Kinsley later acquired one that Adrian had built for the Beatles and it ended up at the Beatles Story. I took Adrian there to see it - he used to visit us when he came to Britain.

So Manfred Weissleder hired him to build a sound system at the club and the Star Club recordings began - I have lots of albums - Lee Curtis, the Rattles, the Liverbirds etc, all recorded at the club. They are now all available as CDs from Big Bear Records.

Thanks very much for the information; I had no idea so much was done. Many of these acts are legendary, at least for their connection with The Beatles in Hamburg and that whole early sixties Hamburg scene. And personally, I've always loved good bar bands.

Cheers for that Bill. That explains why The Beatles Star Club recordings sound like mess, when some of the others sound pretty good.

The Beatles were recorded with a simply taperecorder with probably one small microphone attached to it.

Quoted from Bobber

The Beatles were recorded with a simply taperecorder with probably one small microphone attached to it.

And they put it in the toilets.

Quoted from Bill Harry

The Star Club didn't record acts during the period the Beatles were there...

Hey, you're a special member indeed!  I've owned your book "Mersey Beat: The Beginnings of the Beatles" for years and years.  It was one of the first Beatles books I ever bought and still one of my faves!  Thanks for all your great work.

Many thsnks. I've been trying for years now to get another Mersey Beat book published, but British publishers just aren't interested. There's a lot of really good material in issues that never appeared in the original book, including all the coloured issues and the Mersey Beatles pages.

What about American publishers?  I'd love to see the colour stuff.  I had assumed all the issues were b&w, so I just learned something.  

Fuego Entertainment Files Motion to Dismiss “The Beatles” Apple Corps Limited and Apple Records Inc. Lawsuit

On January 10, 2008 -- Fuego Entertainment, Inc. announced it had acquired 15 tracks of previously unreleased live music recorded by “The Beatles” in 1962 at the Star Club in Hamburg, Germany. The 15 ‘Lost” tracks are believed to be the very first live performance after Ringo Starr joined the other three “Beatles” - John Lennon, Paul McCartney and  George Harrison.



On March 21, 2008 – Apple Corps Limited and Apple Records, Inc. filed a lawsuit attempting to stop Fuego Entertainment from releasing the Beatles recordings.



On April 4, 2008 --- Fuego Entertainment and Apple Corps entered into an agreed order where Fuego Entertainment would not release the “Lost” Beatles recordings until there was resolution of the March 21st lawsuit.



On May 16, 29008 – Fuego Entertainment filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit brought by Apple Corps Limited and Apple Records, Inc. as a matter of law.  In the motion to dismiss Fuego Entertainment asserts that as a matter of law Fuego has the right to commercially exploit the 15 “Lost” 1962 Beatles recordings.



A complete copy of the Motion to Dismiss and Supporting Memorandum Of Law in .pdf format is attached.


Fuego Entertainment, Inc. is engaged in the production, acquisition, marketing, sales, and distribution of entertainment products. For more information, please visit Fuego Entertainment at http://www.fuegoentertainment.net

I think the whole thing is largely irrelevant now, as probably everyone that's interested in these tapes has already downloaded them. Apple/EMI/Capitol should either give up, or release them themselves. They don't seem to be doing anything else.

Quoted from BlueMeanie

I think the whole thing is largely irrelevant now, as probably everyone that's interested in these tapes has already downloaded them. Apple/EMI/Capitol should either give up, or release them themselves. They don't seem to be doing anything else.

It's great ongoing publicity for Fuego, too: if they'd released an album it would have already disappeared from lack of interest by now. The Star Club tapes have never been a big draw.

true not even when they were being recorded........