Saturday 3 November 1962 | Live performance | Hamburg, Germany | By Beatles Fabdom
On 3 November 1962, The Beatles played the third date of their second residency at Hamburg’s Star-Club. The fortnight-long engagement ran from 1 to 14 November at Große Freiheit 39, off the Reeperbahn in St. Pauli. John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr returned to a city central to the group’s early performing career, now with a British debut single in the shops.
This was their first Star-Club residency with Ringo as their drummer. Pete Best had played during the earlier spring engagement; by November the familiar four-member recording line-up was in place. The visit also brought further contact with Little Richard, whose performances had been an important influence on the young musicians.
| Date | Saturday 3 November 1962 |
|---|---|
| Venue | Star-Club |
| Historic address | Große Freiheit 39, 22767 Hamburg, Germany |
| Residency | The Beatles’ second Star-Club engagement |
| Position in the run | Third of 14 dates |
| Residency dates | 1–14 November 1962 |
| Line-up | John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr |
| Weekly fee | 600 Deutsche Marks for each band member |
| Working hours | The dated account gives 3½ hours nightly; the surviving contract specifies three hours in separate stints. |
The third night of the November Star-Club residency
The Beatles had begun this engagement on Thursday 1 November. After their second night on 2 November, the Saturday performance continued the same 14-date run. The itinerary kept them at the Star-Club every day through 14 November rather than moving between different towns.
They were already familiar with the venue. Their first Star-Club appearance on 13 April 1962 had helped open the new club. That spring stay extended through 31 May; the November return was a much shorter engagement.
The difference between the two visits was not simply their duration. Ringo had replaced Best, Brian Epstein was managing the group’s developing career, and Love Me Do had been released in Britain on 5 October. The Beatles were still working long club schedules in Hamburg while their recording career began to take shape at home.
The four-piece line-up with Ringo Starr
The November residency brought Lennon and Harrison on guitars, McCartney on bass and Ringo on drums. Ringo’s earlier Hamburg work with Rory Storm and the Hurricanes had already placed him in the same club environment as The Beatles, but this time he was a member of the group itself.
| Musician | Role |
|---|---|
| John Lennon | Guitar and vocals |
| Paul McCartney | Bass guitar and vocals |
| George Harrison | Guitar and vocals |
| Ringo Starr | Drums and vocals |
The personnel change separates this performance from both the spring Star-Club shows and the band’s first Hamburg visit. Two years earlier, on 3 November 1960 at the Kaiserkeller, The Beatles had been a five-piece with Stuart Sutcliffe on bass, McCartney on guitar and Best on drums. Ringo was then working with the Hurricanes.
The contract: working hours and weekly pay
The surviving contract for 1–14 November 1962 was signed by Brian Epstein and Star-Club owner Manfred Weissleder. Reporting accompanying its 2024 auction described three hours of performance a day, divided into separate stints with an hour’s break after each performance, and a weekly payment of 600 Deutsche Marks to each Beatle.
The dated concert account gives a different duration: three and a half hours nightly, totalling 49 hours over the fortnight. The contract’s three-hour daily requirement amounts to 42 hours across 14 dates. These are distinct descriptions of the engagement: the contract states the agreed terms, while the dated account reports the longer stage schedule.
The fee was per musician per week, not a single payment of 600DM for the whole band or the entire residency. The division into stints also matters: the working night was not presented in the contract as one uninterrupted three-hour concert.
Epstein’s signature connects the booking with the management arrangements behind the group’s early career. Read more in Brian Epstein: The Manager Who Made The Beatles.
Little Richard and the Hamburg connection
The Beatles shared Star-Club bills with Little Richard during this visit. They had already appeared on a bill with him at the Tower Ballroom in New Brighton on 12 October 1962, at an event promoted by Epstein’s NEMS company. The November association therefore followed contact on Merseyside the previous month.
For McCartney, Little Richard was a major musical influence. In his 2020 tribute, he recalled playing with Richard in Hamburg, spending time in his dressing room and watching his preparations for the stage. The recollection concerns their Hamburg relationship rather than a backstage encounter assigned specifically to 3 November.
Little Richard’s band also included Billy Preston. Preston’s early association with The Beatles through this period preceded his later keyboard contributions to their 1969 recordings and his work for Apple. It is a connection across two stages of the group’s history, not a claim that he joined The Beatles’ own line-up for this Saturday performance.
Astrid Kirchherr’s portrait of the new line-up
During the November visit, Astrid Kirchherr photographed the quartet in suits. The National Portrait Gallery dates her group portrait to November 1962 and explains that Epstein commissioned portraits with the new drummer and smarter appearance. Ringo stands slightly apart from the other three members.
The portrait belongs to the same stage of the group’s career as the residency. It is a studio image rather than a photograph of the 3 November stage performance. Its four-member line-up contrasts with Kirchherr’s earlier Hamburg photographs featuring Sutcliffe and Best.
Complete November 1962 Star-Club itinerary
The second Star-Club residency comprised 14 consecutive dates. This Saturday was the third night; the linked 2 November entry covers the preceding performance.
- Thursday 1 November 1962 — Star-Club, Hamburg
- Friday 2 November 1962 — Star-Club, Hamburg
- Saturday 3 November 1962 — Star-Club, Hamburg: this performance
- Sunday 4 November 1962 — Star-Club, Hamburg
- Monday 5 November 1962 — Star-Club, Hamburg
- Tuesday 6 November 1962 — Star-Club, Hamburg
- Wednesday 7 November 1962 — Star-Club, Hamburg
- Thursday 8 November 1962 — Star-Club, Hamburg
- Friday 9 November 1962 — Star-Club, Hamburg
- Saturday 10 November 1962 — Star-Club, Hamburg
- Sunday 11 November 1962 — Star-Club, Hamburg
- Monday 12 November 1962 — Star-Club, Hamburg
- Tuesday 13 November 1962 — Star-Club, Hamburg
- Wednesday 14 November 1962 — Star-Club, Hamburg
November performances and the later Star-Club recordings
The Beatles returned to the Star-Club again in December 1962. Recordings from that later visit eventually formed the basis of Live! At The Star-Club In Hamburg, Germany; 1962, released in 1977. They should not be treated as an audio record or setlist of this 3 November performance.
Our article on the 1977 Star-Club album release follows that separate part of the story. The November and December engagements share a venue and year, but remain different runs of performances.
Star-Club historic site: Große Freiheit 39
The Star-Club stood at Große Freiheit 39, 22767 Hamburg, Germany. It was separate from the Kaiserkeller at number 36 and the Indra farther along the street. Hamburg’s official tourism guide identifies a courtyard memorial at the former club site.
The original Star-Club building no longer stands. The club closed at the end of 1969, and the site is now remembered by a commemorative plaque. This map targets the historic address and memorial area, not a surviving 1962 auditorium.
Open the Star-Club historic address in Google Maps.
Hamburg designs from the Star-Club era
The Star Club Hamburg unisex T-shirt features the club name, a band photograph and December 1962 lettering, connecting it with the later engagement that year.
The Beatles Hamburg boxed mug also carries a Live in Hamburg design with December 1962 dates.
Frequently asked questions
Where did The Beatles perform on 3 November 1962?
They performed at the Star-Club, Große Freiheit 39, in Hamburg, Germany.
Which night of the residency was this?
It was the third date of their second Star-Club residency, which ran from 1 to 14 November 1962.
Was Ringo Starr their drummer for this visit?
Yes. Ringo had replaced Pete Best earlier in 1962 and played on the November engagement.
Why do accounts give both 42 and 49 hours?
The surviving contract specifies three hours a day, totalling 42 hours over 14 dates. The dated concert account gives three and a half hours nightly, totalling 49 hours.
How much were The Beatles paid?
The contract provided 600 Deutsche Marks per musician each week.
Were the famous Star-Club recordings made on this date?
The recordings issued on the 1977 Star-Club album came from the later December 1962 visit, not this November performance.
Explore all 17 stories in the 3 November in Beatles History timeline, browse the On This Day archive, or return to The Beatles Knowledge Hub.
0 comments