Tuesday 6 November 1962 · The Beatles · Live performance · Hamburg, Germany
The Beatles performed at Hamburg’s Star-Club on 6 November 1962, the sixth date of their second residency at the venue. John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr were approaching the midpoint of a fortnight of nightly appearances, running from 1 to 14 November.
The club stood at Große Freiheit 39 in St. Pauli, off the Reeperbahn. This return to Hamburg came after the release of “Love Me Do” in Britain and was the group’s first Star-Club engagement with Ringo as a Beatle.
The Star-Club performance: key facts
| Date | Tuesday 6 November 1962 |
|---|---|
| Venue | Star-Club, Hamburg, Germany |
| Historic address | Große Freiheit 39, 22767 Hamburg |
| Residency | Second Star-Club engagement, 1–14 November 1962 |
| Position | Sixth of 14 dates |
| Line-up | John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr |
| Weekly fee | 600 Deutsche Marks per musician |
| Playing schedule | Separate stints nightly; three hours daily in the contract, three and a half in the concert chronology |
The sixth night of the November residency
The engagement began on Thursday 1 November. Tuesday’s show followed the fifth date on 5 November, with the band continuing at the same club until Wednesday 14 November.
The November booking was substantially shorter than the first Star-Club residency, which had begun in April and continued into May. The fortnight still demanded repeated stretches on stage, with breaks separating the musicians’ appearances across each evening.
This was the second Star-Club residency, rather than the second Hamburg visit. The Beatles had first worked in the city in 1960 and subsequently returned for engagements at the Top Ten and Star-Club.
Ringo Starr’s first Star-Club residency as a Beatle
Ringo had replaced Pete Best in August 1962. The November engagement brought him to the Star-Club as a member of The Beatles, alongside Lennon, McCartney and Harrison.
| Musician | Role |
|---|---|
| John Lennon | Guitar and vocals |
| Paul McCartney | Bass guitar and vocals |
| George Harrison | Guitar and vocals |
| Ringo Starr | Drums and vocals |
He already knew Hamburg from his time with Rory Storm and the Hurricanes. During the first visit, the Hurricanes and The Beatles had alternated sets at the Kaiserkeller.
The contrast can be followed on the same calendar date. On 6 November 1960, The Beatles were a five-piece group with Pete Best on drums and Stuart Sutcliffe on bass. McCartney was still a guitarist, while Ringo played with the Hurricanes.
Two years later, McCartney was the bassist and Ringo was behind The Beatles’ drum kit. The quartet had also begun recording for EMI and had their first Parlophone single in British record shops.
The November contract and weekly payment
The surviving agreement for 1–14 November was signed by Brian Epstein and Star-Club owner Manfred Weissleder. It provided a weekly payment of 600 Deutsche Marks to each musician, with the group working seven days a week.
The contract specified three hours of playing each day, divided into separate stints, with an hour’s break after each performance. Across the fourteen dates, that contractual schedule amounts to 42 hours.
The concert chronology gives three and a half hours nightly and a total of 49 hours for the fortnight. The surviving agreement establishes the contracted requirement rather than a daily log of actual stage time.
The fee was paid per band member per week, not as a single payment to the whole group for the residency. Brian Epstein’s management now covered the band’s recording career and British appearances alongside its continuing German engagements.
Little Richard and the November Hamburg visit
The Beatles shared bills with Little Richard during the November residency, after appearing with him in Merseyside the previous month. Hamburg gave the group further opportunities to watch a performer whose records and singing had influenced their own music.
Billy Preston was working with Little Richard’s band. His contact with The Beatles during the Hamburg period preceded his participation in their January 1969 recording sessions by more than six years.
The November engagement placed the young British group in the same club circuit as established American rock-and-roll performers. Their own work continued through the nightly programme while Little Richard’s appearances formed part of the wider residency.
Between Love Me Do and the next EMI session
“Love Me Do” had been released in Britain on 5 October 1962. The November Hamburg dates therefore came after The Beatles’ recording debut for Parlophone, but before the chart success and extensive British touring of 1963.
Although their recording career had begun, the German club bookings remained part of their working schedule. The musicians returned to extended evening performances rather than the short headline sets familiar from their later touring years.
The fortnight ended on 14 November. Later that month, The Beatles returned to EMI for further recording work, before another Star-Club engagement in December.
Astrid Kirchherr’s November 1962 portrait
Brian Epstein commissioned portraits of the new four-piece line-up in suits. Kirchherr photographed them at Reinhart Wolf’s studio during the November Hamburg engagement.
The studio setting included a distinctive chair and a paper backdrop. Lennon sits in the chair, McCartney sits in front, and Harrison and Starr stand behind them. The portrait records the line-up that had emerged after the personnel changes of the previous two years.
The National Portrait Gallery’s account describes Epstein’s commission and Ringo’s place in the new group. Kirchherr’s earlier fairground portraits had included Sutcliffe and Best; these studio pictures document the quartet together in 1962.
Complete November 1962 Star-Club itinerary
The second Star-Club residency comprised fourteen consecutive dates at the same venue.
- Thursday 1 November 1962: Star-Club, Hamburg
- Friday 2 November 1962: Star-Club, Hamburg
- Saturday 3 November 1962: Star-Club, Hamburg
- Sunday 4 November 1962: Star-Club, Hamburg
- Monday 5 November 1962: Star-Club, Hamburg
- Tuesday 6 November 1962: Star-Club, Hamburg, this performance
- 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
The later December engagement
The Beatles returned to the Star-Club in December 1962. The recordings eventually released on the 1977 Star-Club live album came from that later visit.
The November fortnight and December engagement were separate bookings. The surviving live tapes belong to the final Hamburg visit of the year, rather than this 6 November appearance.
Location map: the historic Star-Club site
The Star-Club stood at Große Freiheit 39, 22767 Hamburg, Germany. The original building no longer stands; the memorial site marks its former location. It was separate from the Kaiserkeller at Große Freiheit 36.
View the historic Star-Club site on Google Maps
Explore The Beatles’ Hamburg designs
The Beatles Star Club Hamburg T-shirt features a band portrait and December 1962 lettering, drawing on the later engagement that year.
Browse the BeatleMania Era collection for more designs connected with The Beatles’ early years.
Frequently asked questions
Where did The Beatles perform on 6 November 1962?
They played at the Star-Club, Große Freiheit 39, Hamburg, Germany.
Which night of the residency was it?
It was the sixth date of their second Star-Club residency, which ran from 1 to 14 November 1962.
Who was in the band?
John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr.
How much were they paid?
The November contract specified 600 Deutsche Marks per musician each week.
Why do accounts give both 42 and 49 hours?
The contract required three hours daily, totalling 42 hours. The concert chronology gives three and a half hours nightly, totalling 49 hours over fourteen dates.
Were the famous Star-Club tapes recorded that night?
No. The recordings later used for the 1977 live album came from the December 1962 engagement.
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