No Hamburg, No Beatles

“We were born in Liverpool but grew up in Hamburg”, John Lennon once said. This feature documentary seeks to find the truth in those words. The long and winding road that the Beatles took to worldwide fame passed through Hamburg, Germany in the early 1960s. Only a couple of years before they became household names, the former Quarrymen were cutting their musical teeth on nightclub stages in the city. Hamburg had become the vice capital of Europe after World War Two, its neon-lit streets home to sailors, sex workers, drug dealers, gangs and low life. Meanwhile, the English band was still developing, still young and virtually unknown. By the time of their last German visit in 1966, the Beatles were an international phenomenon. 'No Hamburg, No Beatles' explains how learning their trade in this fascinating city helped propel them to global stardom.

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  John Lennon

  Self (voice) (archive footage)
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  Paul McCartney

  Self (voice) (archive footage)
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  Pete Best

  Self
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  Howie Casey

  Self
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  George Harrison

  Self (voice) (archive footage)
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  Little Richard

  Self (archive footage)
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  George Martin

  Self (voice) (archive footage)
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  Winston Churchill

  Self (archive footage)
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  Klaus Voormann

  Self