First Fab Four Recording
1960 – John, Paul, George + Ringo (and Wally)
In 1960 John, Paul, George + Ringo recorded together for the very first time, nearly two years before Ringo joined – first Fab Four recording.
Nearly two years before Ringo joined the Beatles, they made their first recording together in the small Akustik studio in Hamburg.
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First Fab Four Recording
On 15 October 1960 the Fab Four, John, Paul, George and Ringo made their first recording together. The Beatles were on their first trip to Hamburg in Germany. Ringo was also performing there with his band, Rory Storm and the Hurricanes.
Allan Williams arranged the Beatles gig to Hamburg and also paid for the recording session at the small Akustik Studio in Hamburg.
First-ever John, Paul, George & Ringo recording
The recording process was to recorded the songs to tape and then cut them as 78 rpm discs.
Information about this recording session is very sketchy and contradictory. None of the original studio documentation has survived. Furthermore, the recollections from people who were there vary considerably.
It seems that they recorded three songs on tape, Summertime, Fever and September Song. Although, there is only evidence for one song, Summertime, being cut to a 78 rpm disc. A photograph exists of Summertime on the Akustik label. Moreover, handwritten on the label are three pieces of information, “Beatles and Wally”, “demo” and “Summertime”.
The B-side of the disc is interesting. Instead of another song, it contained adverts for a local business.
Participants at the recording session would buy copies of the discs recorded. It’s generally considered that around six copies of the Summertime disc were purchased. Sadly, non of these discs still exist.
The lineup for Summertime was John, Paul and George from the Beatles, with drummer Ringo and Lu Walters from Rory Storm and the Hurricanes. Walter Eymond used the stage name Lu Walters and was known as “Wally”. He took the lead vocal and also played bass guitar.
Other member of Rory Storm and the Hurricanes were at the session and probably played on the other two songs.
As for the three songs…
Summertime
Originally performed in Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess, which opened on Broadway in 1935.
Fever
Little Willie John had the original version. In the summer of 1956 he scored a Billboard R&B #1, where it stayed for 5 weeks.
After that, Peggy Lee took the song into the mainstream Billboard Top-40 in 1958. The song made top ten and peaked at #8.
September Song
Another song originally written for a stage show. September Song featured in the 1938 play Knickerbockers Holliday.
Johnnie Ray released a version in 1959.
