The Beatles -- Before They Were Fab

Posted on Aug 16th 2010 7:45PM by Spinner Staff
Comments

It's hard to imagine a time when the Beatles weren't famous. But like every other band that ever battled its way to the big time, the Fab Four paid their dues playing in dark, dingy venues to indifferent audiences. Captured in our gallery below by famed photographer Astrid Kirchherr and others, you'll find the Beatles in their pre-Ringo Starr days, performing on small stages in Liverpool and Hamburg, along with much-beloved portrait shots of the band in their youth..

http://xml.channel.aol.com/xmlpublisher/fetch.v2.xml?option=expand_relative_urls&dataUrlNodes=uiConfig,feedConfig,localizationConfig,entry&id=922915&pid=922914&uts=1282053710

http://www.aolcdn.com/ke/media_gallery/v1/ke_media_gallery_wrapper.swf

Before Beatlemania

Flip through photos of the Beatles before they were the Fab Four.
See All Pictures >>

Michael Ochs Archive / Getty Images

Before Beatlemania

The Silver Beatles (from left: Stu Sutcliffe, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Johnny Hutch and George Harrison) onstage in 1960 in Liverpool, England. Hutch was sitting in on drums, as they did not have a regular drummer at the time.

Before Beatlemania

Pete Best, George Harrison, John Lennon, Paul McCartney and Stuart Sutcliffe, from left, pose for a group shot at the Hamburg Funfair in Germany.

Before Beatlemania

John Lennon, Paul McCartney and George Harrison perform live onstage circa December 1962, during the Beatles' final residency at the Star-Club in Hamburg, Germany.

Before Beatlemania

Hamburg's Star-Club opened April 13, 1962, and the Beatles played a series of shows there on two occasions that same year. The club closed Dec. 31, 1969. In 1987, the building it occupied was destroyed by fire.

Before Beatlemania

John Lennon posed in the doorway of a Hamburg street in April 1961. This image, shot by Juergen Volllmer, a German friend of the Beatles, was used as the front cover of Lennon's 1975 covers album, 'Rock 'n' Roll.'

Before Beatlemania

The Beatles standing outside Paul's Liverpool home, circa 1962. Ringo Starr had not yet joined the band at the time.

Before Beatlemania

Paul McCartney onstage at the Cavern nightclub in Liverpool. The Beatles made a staggering 292 appearances at this intimate cellar club from 1961 through 1963.

Before Beatlemania

Guest pianist Roy Young performing with the Beatles, then still featuring Pete Best on drums, circa May 1962 at the Star-Club in Hamburg, Germany.

Before Beatlemania

Pete Best, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, John Lennon and Stuart Sutcliffe, performing live onstage at the Top Ten Club in Hamburg. As Sutcliffe was the bassist at this time, the versatile McCartney did double duty on piano and guitar.

Before Beatlemania

Stuart Sutcliffe and George Harrison onstage at the Top Ten Club in Hamburg, 1961. Sutcliffe, who left the Beatles later that year to pursue his art studies, died of a brain hemorrhage in 1962.

Before Beatlemania

50 Beatles Moments