Video: 'Sweet Georgia Brown (Remastered 2015)'

(Thursday, May 24, 1962, approximately 6:00 p.m. until 9:00 or 10:00 p.m. Central European Time) — British rock band The Beatles recorded the instrumental backing tracks for Tony Sheridan’s “Sweet Georgia Brown” and “Swanee River” today at Studio Rahlstedt in Hamburg, West Germany, with Bert Kaempfert producing.

Performing with The Beatles was pianist Roy Young, who had been informally accompanying the group during its current residency at the Star-Club.

Sheridan did not attend this session, but instead added his vocal to “Sweet Georgia Brown” two weeks later on June 7, 1962, by which time The Beatles were back in England. It was released on a German EP, Ya Ya, later that year (with The Beatles billed as “The Beat Brothers”). The tape of “Swanee River” was apparently lost in a fire years later.

The Beatles recorded a number of songs with Tony Sheridan in Hamburg in June 1961. Today’s session came about due to a contract The Beatles had signed with Bert Kaempfert, who had produced the 1961 recordings. When Brian Epstein began managing the group and started looking for a record deal, he discovered that they were still technically under contract with Kaempfert.

Epstein and Kaempfert agreed that The Beatles would be released from their obligation if they recorded one more session with Sheridan when they next returned to Hamburg.