Post by Rob Durkee on Feb 18, 2013 19:12:43 GMT -5
By ROCKIN' ROBIN
Tony Sheridan, the only singer in history to have a Top 40 hit backed by the Beatles, died Saturday (2/16/13) in Hamburg, Germany. According to his daughter, Wendy Clare Sheridan-McGinnity, the New York Times and HuffingtonPost.com, he was 72. No cause of death was initially announced. The only performer other than Sheridan that wasn't a Beatle to get label credit on a Beatle hit was Billy Preston on "Get Back."
Special thanks to long-time radio friend Larry Cohen for this news tip.
Sheridan was part of the Beatles' initially conquering America in early 1964, when "My Bonnie" reached #29. The old standard's act on the MGM record label said it was by "The Beatles With Tony Sheridan." It sounded like this…
www.youtube.com/watch?v=-GNrVb-HtZ4
When the single was first released in October 1961 in Germany on the Polydor label, the label credit went to "Tony Sheridan and the Beat Brothers." Over in England, the single became a huge hit in Liverpool, where a record store employee, Brian Epstein, noticed the demand for the single. Epstein would eventually connect with the group as their manager.
Bert Kaempfert, who had a #1 single himself in late 1960-early 1961 with "Wonderland By Night," worked closely with the Beatles in their early years in the early 1960's. In the spring of 1961, Kaempfert offered recording contracts to both Sheridan and the Beatles. The initial plan was for the Beatles to back Sheridan but the Beatles also had the option to go out on their own, which they eventually chose. Still, in those early years of 1961-62, Sheridan not only recorded "My Bonnie" with the Beatles, but also these songs: "The Saints," "Why (Can't You Love Me Again),""Nobody's Child," "Take Out Some Insurance On Me, Baby," "Sweet Georgia Brown" and "Swanee River."
Sheridan met the Beatles around 1960 when Paul McCartney, George Harrison and John Lennon were guitarists, Stu Sutcliffe was on bass and Pete Best the drums. Ringo Starr would join later.
As told by Casey Kasem on "American Top 40" on the 7/15/78 show, the billing on the record label of 'My Bonnie" should've been the other way around. After all, Sheridan was the established singer before the Beatles. Sheridan had told Dennis Hunt of the Los Angeles Times, "When the record was released, the Beatles were just a backing group and I was the singer. The Beatles came to Germany after I did. I was the first English singer to go to Hamburg and do well. Eventually, we joined up and even lived together above the club that we worked in."
When it came time for the Beatles to return to England and explode, Sheridan wasn't interested. Explained Sheridan, "By that time, I was doing better than they were. I had no reason to leave Hamburg. And I was in love with a chick and had no ambitions to go back to England."
Looking back on his decision--and thus missing out on all the fame and fortune of being a Beatle, Sheridan said. "You can't miss what you haven't had. I have no regrets."
Tony Sheridan, the only singer in history to have a Top 40 hit backed by the Beatles, died Saturday (2/16/13) in Hamburg, Germany. According to his daughter, Wendy Clare Sheridan-McGinnity, the New York Times and HuffingtonPost.com, he was 72. No cause of death was initially announced. The only performer other than Sheridan that wasn't a Beatle to get label credit on a Beatle hit was Billy Preston on "Get Back."
Special thanks to long-time radio friend Larry Cohen for this news tip.
Sheridan was part of the Beatles' initially conquering America in early 1964, when "My Bonnie" reached #29. The old standard's act on the MGM record label said it was by "The Beatles With Tony Sheridan." It sounded like this…
www.youtube.com/watch?v=-GNrVb-HtZ4
When the single was first released in October 1961 in Germany on the Polydor label, the label credit went to "Tony Sheridan and the Beat Brothers." Over in England, the single became a huge hit in Liverpool, where a record store employee, Brian Epstein, noticed the demand for the single. Epstein would eventually connect with the group as their manager.
Bert Kaempfert, who had a #1 single himself in late 1960-early 1961 with "Wonderland By Night," worked closely with the Beatles in their early years in the early 1960's. In the spring of 1961, Kaempfert offered recording contracts to both Sheridan and the Beatles. The initial plan was for the Beatles to back Sheridan but the Beatles also had the option to go out on their own, which they eventually chose. Still, in those early years of 1961-62, Sheridan not only recorded "My Bonnie" with the Beatles, but also these songs: "The Saints," "Why (Can't You Love Me Again),""Nobody's Child," "Take Out Some Insurance On Me, Baby," "Sweet Georgia Brown" and "Swanee River."
Sheridan met the Beatles around 1960 when Paul McCartney, George Harrison and John Lennon were guitarists, Stu Sutcliffe was on bass and Pete Best the drums. Ringo Starr would join later.
As told by Casey Kasem on "American Top 40" on the 7/15/78 show, the billing on the record label of 'My Bonnie" should've been the other way around. After all, Sheridan was the established singer before the Beatles. Sheridan had told Dennis Hunt of the Los Angeles Times, "When the record was released, the Beatles were just a backing group and I was the singer. The Beatles came to Germany after I did. I was the first English singer to go to Hamburg and do well. Eventually, we joined up and even lived together above the club that we worked in."
When it came time for the Beatles to return to England and explode, Sheridan wasn't interested. Explained Sheridan, "By that time, I was doing better than they were. I had no reason to leave Hamburg. And I was in love with a chick and had no ambitions to go back to England."
Looking back on his decision--and thus missing out on all the fame and fortune of being a Beatle, Sheridan said. "You can't miss what you haven't had. I have no regrets."