Monday, April 18, 2011

A Band With a Hard Edge

April 1961

It is now an iconic photo of John Lennon, one of his favorites, used by him on his solo oldies album released in 1975.  It was taken in Hamburg by Jurgen Volmer, one of the Beatles young German followers (the "exis").  We don't know the actual date, but it was taken sometime around 50 years ago today.

There is a cornucopia of photos from this time here.  A couple of things to look for.  If you look carefully (set one, third picture), you may notice Paul holding a Rosetti guitar strung with a piano string!  That guitar is about to give up the ghost, one victim of the grueling schedule.  During this time of transition for the bass guitar from Stu to Paul, without the Rosetti, Paul would sometime play the house piano on stage at the Top Ten Club.  One can't help but be struck by the strain showing on the faces of the boys in these pictures.  Yet, rock and roll kept them going all through the cold and dreary Hamburg nights.

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