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In spring of 1962, garish red posters announced that the times of village music were over. Manfred Weissleder was to
open the "Rock and Twist Parade 62" that is what the poster said on 13, April 1962 with his 'Star Club' on Grosse Freiheit
39 in Hamburg. This was to be achieved by a "clustering of the European elite" consisting of The Beatles, Roy Young, The Bachelors,
and the South African 'Tex Roberg & The Graduates'. From May onward they were joined by 'The Tony Sheridan Quartet' and
'Gerry & The Pacemakers'.
Says Tony Sheridan: "The idea of the Star Club, as that of the 'Top Ten Club', came from
Horst Fascher. After his falling out with Eckhorn, he saw the 'Stern Kino' (the venue to become the Star Club) as his opportunity
to do the same over again. To go back to the 'Freiheit' and at the same time to get back at Eckhorn and Koschmider, and once
again to be the business manager in charge of everything. And that is exactly what happened."
At the end of
the fifties, Dortmund born Manfred Weissleder had started working in the Reeperbahn red light district as an in-house electrician,
and had been able to speedily work his way up the St.Pauli hierarchy ladder. In 1962, he owned several establishments in Hamburgs
notorious amusement district. When the local building authorities demanded an emergency exit for the 'Paradieshof ', Weissleder
decided to take over the 'Stern Kino' in order to use it for that purpose. Being a keen businessman he immediately realised
the merits of Horst Fascher's advice to turn the more than adequate premises into a music club in a style resembling the 'Top
Ten Club'. However, Weissleder was not satisfied with having any cheap and obscure bands appear in his club. The name became
the guiding principle of the new venue. In quick succession the Star Club presented everyone who had a name in rock music
in those days: for instance Gene Vincent, Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis, The Everly Brothers, Bo Diddley, Joey Dee &
The Starliters, and the legendary Ray Charles. The early days were highlighted by appearances of several local favourites
The Beatles and Roy Young, who had already gained some popularity in Britain and also established his reputation in Hamburg
by playing the 'Top Ten Club'. Now, for his Star Club apprearances, he was backed by the Beatles. The Star Club turned out
to be a giant success from its very beginning.
The Beatles were triumphant playing a total of three engagements in
Grosse Freiheit 39.
13, April 31, May 1962
DM 500,00 per band member/per week
band accommodation at the Jankowiak
lodging house
It was during this engagement, on 9, May 1962, that the Beatles received that legendary telegram from
their manager, Brian Epstein, with the news "Congratulations, boys, EMI requests recording session. Please, rehearse new material."
01,
November 14, November 1962
DM 600,00 per band member/per week
accommodation at the Hotel Germania
Coinciding
with this stay in Hamburg was a Star Club engagement by Little Richard. Paul McCartney who had always been able to sing in
Little Richard's style grasped the opportunity to have his act polished by the master himself. At this time, Astrid Kirchherr
took the Beatles' photos in Reinhardt Wolf's studio.
18, December 31, December 1962
DM 700,00 per band member/per
week
accommodation at the Hotel Pacific
On 20, December 1962, the Beatles' first single 'Love Me Do' would
reach number 17 of the 'Music Week Top Twenty'. Liverpool band leader Edward 'King Size' Taylor instructed Adrian Barber (ex
'Big Three'), the Star Club's stage manager, to record most of the last night's program of that engagement, including the
full Beatles' set. In 1976, former Polydor producer Paul Murphy took care of marketing these tapes without the Beatles' consent.
By
adding more star-studded engagements Manfred Weissleder stressed his club's reputation as a beat-mekka, soon to become the
stepping stone to world fame for many Liverpool groups such as 'Gerry & The Pacemakers', 'The Searchers', and ' The Swingin'
Blue Jeans'.
Up to eight groups would appear at the Star Club per night, being booked mostly as house or resident bands.
Apart from some German bands, such as 'The Rattles', 'The German Bonds', and 'The Rivets', as well as a few 'exotics', e.g.
from Japan, predominantly British groups, most of them from Liverpool, appeared at the Star Club. Besides the 'regulars' such
as Tony Sheridan, 'Ian and the Zodiacs', 'King Size Taylor & The Dominoes', 'The Remo Four', 'Lee Curtis & The All
Stars', and the female 'Liverbirds' a string of internationally famous artists took the Star Club stage. Had it been mostly
the US veterans of rock'n'roll in the early days, the advancing sixties saw an increasing number of British artists who would
get their first taste of success in Hamburg.
When, at the end of the sixties, the scene had changed to the effect that
the super groups, having become a part of everyday life, would play large halls, or even stadiums, and had become far too
expensive for club appearances, and when most clubs had already closed or been transformed into discoteques, there came the
Star Club's final hour. After a concert by British artists 'Hardin & York' the night from New Year's Eve 1969 into 1970,
the lights went out in the former cinema on Grosse Freiheit 39, which, for eight years, had been the beat-center of the world.
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