My Bonnie facts for kids

Quick facts for kids My Bonnie
Studio album / live album by Tony Sheridan and the Beat Brothers
Released	June 1962
Recorded	22 June & 21 December 1961
Venue	Friedrich-Ebert-Halle & Musikhalle, Hamburg, West Germany
Genre	Rock and roll
Label	Polydor
Producer	Bert Kaempfert
Tony Sheridan chronology
My Bonnie (1962) Just a Little Bit (1964)
The Beat Brothers a.k.a. The Beatles chronology
My Bonnie (1962) Please Please Me (1963)
Singles from {{{Name}}}

My Bonnie is a music album released in 1962 by the English rock and roll singer Tony Sheridan. This album is special because it features some of the earliest recordings by The Beatles. At the time, The Beatles were a new band playing in clubs in Hamburg, Germany.

A music producer named Bert Kaempfert discovered Tony Sheridan and The Beatles. He signed them to record songs for Polydor. Tony Sheridan recorded several songs with The Beatles. Only one song, "My Bonnie," was released as a single in 1961. It was credited to "Tony Sheridan and the Beat Brothers." The name "Beat Brothers" was used because of a contract agreement.

This album includes "My Bonnie" and another song recorded with The Beatles. The rest of the songs on the album were recorded by Tony Sheridan with other musicians, also called "the Beat Brothers." Because The Beatles later became super famous, the eight songs they recorded in Hamburg have been re-released many times over the years.

Recording the Album: How it Started

Meeting in Hamburg: The Top Ten Club

In June 1961, Tony Sheridan and The Beatles were both playing music at the Top Ten Club in Hamburg. The Beatles at this time included John Lennon, George Harrison, Paul McCartney, Stuart Sutcliffe (bass player), and Pete Best (drummer). They often performed together on stage.

A German music producer, Bert Kaempfert, visited the club. He heard Tony Sheridan and The Beatles play. He liked what he heard and decided to sign them to his music company.

First Recording Session: June 1961

Kaempfert set up a recording session for June 22, 1961. It took place at Friedrich-Ebert-Halle in Hamburg. During this session, Tony Sheridan and The Beatles recorded several songs. These included "My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean", "The Saints", "Why", "Nobody's Child", and "Take Out Some Insurance".

The Beatles also recorded two of their own songs: "Ain't She Sweet" and an early version of "Cry for a Shadow" (which was first called "Beatle Bop"). Stuart Sutcliffe was there but didn't play bass. Paul McCartney played bass instead for these recordings.

The First Single and Album Release

From these recordings, "My Bonnie" was chosen as a single. "The Saints" was the B-side (the song on the other side of the record). This single was released in Germany in October 1961. It was credited to "Tony Sheridan and the Beat Brothers." The record company used "Beat Brothers" as a different name for The Beatles.

The single did quite well in Germany. It reached number 32 on the national music chart. Because of its success, Kaempfert and Sheridan recorded more songs on December 21, 1961. The Beatles were not part of this second session. These new songs, along with "My Bonnie" and "The Saints," made up the My Bonnie album. The album was released on January 5, 1962.

Songs on the Album: Track Listing

The My Bonnie album was originally released on a vinyl record. Records have two sides, called Side One and Side Two.

Side one

• "My Bonnie" (A traditional song, arranged by Tony Sheridan)
• "Skinny Minnie"
• "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin On"
• "I Know Baby"
• "You Are My Sunshine"
• "Ready Teddy"

Side two

• "The Saints" (Another traditional song, arranged by Tony Sheridan)
• "Hallelujah, I Love Her So"
• "Let's Twist Again"
• "Sweet Georgia Brown"
• "Swanee River"
• "Top Ten Twist"

In 2001, the My Bonnie album was re-released on CD. This CD version included 10 extra songs, called bonus tracks.

• "My Bonnie (German intro)"
• "Ich Lieb' Dich So"
• "Der Kiss-Me Song"
• "Madison Kid"
• "Let's Dance"
• "Ruby Baby"
• "What'd I Say"
• "Veedeboom Slop Slop"
• "Let's Slop"
• "My Bonnie (No intro)"

Singles Released from the Album

The song "My Bonnie" was the first single released from the album. It came out in October 1961 in West Germany. The B-side was "The Saints." Both songs featured Tony Sheridan and The Beatles (as the Beat Brothers).

This German record became popular in Liverpool, England, where The Beatles were from. Because of this, the single was released in the UK on January 5, 1962. For the UK release, it was credited to "Tony Sheridan and the Beatles."

After The Beatles became incredibly famous, more songs from their sessions with Tony Sheridan were released as singles.

• "Sweet Georgia Brown" was released in 1964, with "Take Out Some Insurance" as the B-side.
• "Ain't She Sweet" was released with "Nobody's Child".
• "Why" was released with "Cry for a Shadow".

Other Album Releases

Polydor Records also released two EPs (Extended Play records) from these recording sessions. EPs are shorter than albums but longer than singles.

• The first EP, Ya Ya, came out in October 1962. It included "Ya Ya," "Sweet Georgia Brown," and "Skinnie Minnie."
• The second EP, My Bonnie, was released in July 1963. It featured "My Bonnie," "Cry for a Shadow," "The Saints," and "Why."

Because The Beatles became so famous, their early recordings with Tony Sheridan have been re-released many times under different album titles. Some of these include:

• The Beatles with Tony Sheridan and Their Guests (1964)
• Ain't She Sweet (1964)
• The Beatles' First! (1964)
• Very Together (1969)
• In the Beginning (Circa 1960) (1970)
• The Early Tapes of the Beatles (1984)
• Beatles Bop – Hamburg Days (2001)
• First Beat (2004)
• I Saw Her Standing There (2013)

See also

In Spanish: My Bonnie para niños