The Beatles
ListenMy Bonnie · German introduction · 1961
Tony Sheridan with the Beatles — “My Bonnie,” with the German introduction heard on the 1961 German single.
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1961 · Polydor
My Bonnie / The Saints
Before a Beatles name appeared on their own hit singles, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Pete Best backed Tony Sheridan in Hamburg. This German “My Bonnie” single captures that working band, credited on the label as the Beat Brothers. [1] [2]
| Accession | OMMA-0027 |
|---|---|
| Artist | Tony Sheridan & the Beat Brothers |
| Release | 1961 · Germany; United Kingdom |
| Label | Polydor · 24 673 |
| Format | 7-inch vinyl single · 45 rpm · mono |
| Issue | German-introduction commercial issue |
| Runouts | Not documented |
| Recorded grade | VG · VG+ sleeve |
Release history and significance
The June 1961 sessions took place at Hamburg’s Friedrich-Ebert-Halle, a school assembly and civic function hall valued for its acoustics. Producer Bert Kaempfert brought the Beatles in to accompany Sheridan. The sessions turned their Hamburg partnership into a record. [1]
“My Bonnie” recast an old standard as a beat performance, with Sheridan singing and playing the guitar solo. The musicians also recorded “The Saints,” another traditional song. Introductions to “My Bonnie” were prepared in German and English; the German introduction is heard on this copy. [1]
Polydor released the coupling in Germany in October 1961. Pete Best, the drummer in this early lineup, later signed the company sleeve accompanying this record. [1] [2]
Market context
Discogs lists sales for the German-introduction edition from US$30.23 to US$372.09, with a median of US$81.40, as recorded on 13 September 2026. The latest listed sale was 5 August 2026. [2]
Physical Description
Black vinyl with orange Polydor labels. The A-side carries the subtitle “Mein Herz ist bei dir nur” and the designation “Rock.” Its printed arrangement credit names Sheridan and Bertie. The record is housed in a red-and-cream Polydor company sleeve bearing Pete Best’s autograph in black ink. [2]
Condition
The record is graded VG and the sleeve VG+.
Provenance
Acquired on 21 July 2025 from the collection of German Beatles collector and historian Thorsten Knublauch, author of The Beatles: Mach Schau in Hamburg. [3]
Sources
- The Beatles Bible, June 1961 Hamburg recording sessions. Friedrich-Ebert-Halle, Kaempfert, the musicians, the two introductions and the October single.
- Discogs, Tony Sheridan & the Beat Brothers, release 1799589. German-introduction Polydor 24 673, labels, arrangement credits and sales record.
- Apcor Books and Records, The Beatles: Mach Schau in Hamburg. Publisher’s identification of author Thorsten Knublauch.
Catalogue text reviewed 13 September 2026.