"I grew up in Hamburg, not Liverpool." – John Lennon
Germany was where The Beatles truly became a band.
From 1960 to 1962, the group honed their craft in Hamburg's clubs, an experience so fundamental that John Lennon later claimed he had "grown up in Hamburg, not Liverpool". It was in Germany that The Beatles made their first commercial recording, where John Lennon returned to film How I Won the War in 1966, and where the group staged their triumphant Bravo-Beatles-Blitztournee during their final tour in June that same year.
First published by Genesis Publications in 1997, BIG: Beatles in Germany documents this extraordinary relationship across 138 pages, nearly 200 photographs, and words from the Beatles’ friends and German collaborators, tracing the band's story from their early nightclub residencies to their final tour.
To mark the 60th anniversary of that tour – and nearly three decades since the book's original publication – Genesis Publications has assembled 100 Anniversary Copies. Presented in a newly designed commemorative slipcase and accompanied by rare archival material and memorabilia, these specially created sets offer a unique new presentation of one of Genesis's early Beatles publications.
'A terrific pictorial document' – Beatle Brunch
BIG: Beatles in Germany is illustrated with a wealth of rare and seldom-seen photographs documenting the Beatles' extraordinary six-year relationship with Germany.
Among the photographic treasures are Peter Bruchmann's classic images of the young Beatles at Hamburg's Top Ten Club and previously unpublished photographs by Günter Zint documenting John Lennon's time in Germany during the filming of How I Won the War, and the Beatles' triumphant return for the Bravo-Beatles-Blitztournee of June 1966.
Together, these photographs reveal the Beatles both on stage and behind the scenes, from their formative years in Hamburg to their return to Germany at the height of Beatlemania in 1966.
'Was it down to fate? I couldn't say that the whole thing that happened in Hamburg at that time was intent in producing The Beatles, sending them out into the world. That might have been true, but we didn't experience it like that. To us, it was a free-for-all, a wonderful, crazy, electrifying time...' – Tony Sheridan
Introduced by guest editor Ulf Krüger, BIG: Beatles in Germany combines a richly illustrated narrative history with original recollections from many of those who witnessed the Beatles' German years first-hand.
Throughout the book, original text from Astrid Kirchherr, Peter Brüchmann, Günter Zint and archival quotations from John Lennon provide personal insights into the people, places and events that shaped the Beatles' formative relationship with Germany. Together with input from Beatles historians Uwe Blaschke and Thorsten Schmidt, their contributions bring to life one of the most significant periods in the band's development.
The book concludes with a specially written afterword by Tony Sheridan, singer on 'My Bonnie' – the Beatles' first commercial recording. Here, Sheridan reflects candidly and at length on the earliest days of the Beatles' career and his enduring friendship with the band.
For collectors and discographers, BIG: Beatles in Germany also includes a detailed seven-page German Beatles discography, complete with release dates, formats and catalogue numbers, creating an invaluable reference to the Beatles' recorded legacy in Germany.
Exclusive to these Anniversary Copies is an original production photographic print, measuring 8 × 11 inches and suitable for framing, created and used during the making of BIG: Beatles in Germany.
Printed directly from the original negatives and produced by Genesis during the preparation of the book, these traditional darkroom prints occasionally bear original pencil annotations on the reverse relating to image size and page placement, and have remained preserved in the Genesis archive for nearly three decades.
Featuring rare Beatles photographs by Peter Bruchmann and Günter Zint, many of these unique production prints reproduce images by photographer Günter Zint, whose signature also appears within the accompanying book. Together, they offer a fascinating insight into the making of BIG: Beatles in Germany and establish a direct physical connection with one of Genesis Publications' early Beatles editions.
No two Anniversary Copies contain the same archive print.
Created exclusively to mark the 60th anniversary of the Beatles' final tour of Germany, only 100 Anniversary Copies of BIG: Beatles in Germany have been assembled by Genesis Publications.
Each individually numbered set includes:
• Signed copy of BIG: Beatles in Germany in a commemorative slipcase
• Original mid-Sixties 'We Love The Beatles' gingerbread seal by Pahna (146 × 142 mm)
• Original 1997 Beatles stamp sheet
• Bravo-Beatles-Blitztournee concert ticket (facsimile)
• Star-Club menu (facsimile)
• Beatles promotional card signed by Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr in 1966 (facsimile)
• Individually numbered A5-size 'We Love The Beatles' print (1997)
The centrepiece of each Anniversary Copy is an original archive Beatles print created during the making of BIG: Beatles in Germany:
• One unique darkroom photographic print, printed directly from the original negative (8 × 11 inches / 229 × 270 mm) and suitable for framing
• Publisher-signed Certificate of Authenticity identifying the individual photograph contained within the set
The accompanying book forms part of a signed limited edition of only 1,750 copies worldwide and is personally signed by guest editor Ulf Krüger, photographer Günter Zint and the late Tony Sheridan.
Master printed in Italy on Bodonia art paper, BIG: Beatles in Germany comprises 138 pages measuring 300 × 245 mm (11¾ × 9⅝ inches).
Only 100 Anniversary Copies
BIG: Beatles in Germany chronicles the remarkable relationship between The Beatles and the country where they truly became a band, from their first Hamburg engagements in 1960 to their final tour of Germany in June 1966.
Since 1974 Genesis has created signed limited edition books on behalf of authors and artists ranging from the Beatles to Buckingham Palace.
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+44 (0)1483 540970
Genesis House, 2 Jenner Road, Guildford, Surrey, GU1 3PL, England
