My Bonnie - Singles

Singles

The recording sessions with Tony Sheridan spawned a number of singles, three of which were not released until The Beatles had gained fame, and interest in the previously unreleased material grew.

"My Bonnie" b/w "The Saints" (credited to Tony Sheridan and The Beat Brothers) was first released in October 1961, and reached #5 in the German Hit Parade. In the United Kingdom the single was released on 5 January 1962 (credited to Tony Sheridan and The Beatles). In the United States, the release of 4 April 1962 (Decca 31382) was cancelled, but when the material was released on 27 January 1964 on MGM K-13213 as The Beatles with Tony Sheridan, it charted at #26 on Billboard.

After The Beatles gained fame, also "Ain't She Sweet"/"Nobody's Child" received a release, the former of which includes only The Beatles, while the latter features Sheridan on lead vocal. Next came "Sweet Georgia Brown"/"Take Out Some Insurance On Me, Baby", on which the credit is sometimes disputed, as it has not been proven whether The Beatles play on this version of "Sweet Georgia Brown". However, "Take Out Some Insurance On Me, Baby" is known to feature The Beatles, and was recorded in the same session as "Ain't She Sweet".

Finally, "Why"/"Cry for a Shadow" was released, on which "Why" was performed by Sheridan, with The Beatles on backup, and "Cry for a Shadow" was a Harrison/Lennon instrumental, the only one credited in this way. Numerous compilations of these early recordings have been released to the public, both officially and unofficially, most conclusively in the Bear Family box set Beatles Bop – Hamburg Days.