The Beatles in Hamburg - John Lennon, Rock N Roll Album Cover, Hamburg, Germany, 1975 - Jägerpassage
00:00:00 Jägerpassage - John Lennon, Rock N Roll Album Cover, Hamburg, Germany, 1975
BONUS:
00:02:23 Auto Park Hotel - The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix and More
"The Beatles up close: inconspicuous as it may seem, the Jägerpassage is full of history, for one of the most famous record covers in music history was created in this St Pauli courtyard. The Jägerpassage is a real insider tip for all those looking to follow in the footsteps of the Beatles in Hamburg.
In 1961, when four talented musicians from Liverpool took their first steps towards an unparalleled global career, an iconic picture was taken in the heart of the St Pauli district. It depicts John Lennon leisurely leaning against the entrance of a building, while Paul McCartney’s and Stuart Sutcliffe’s blurred silhouettes can be seen walking by. The photo was taken at the Jägerpassage, a courtyard of 22 Wohlwillstrasse. The photographer, Jürgen Vollmer from Hamburg, got to know the lads during their time at the Top Ten Club. Yet the picture didn’t become famous until the 1970s, when John Lennon made it the cover picture for his LP album “Rock ’n’ Roll” in 1975. The entrance to the house has barely changed over the years, and the setting is almost the same as it was when John was leisurely leaning against that doorway. All those who would like to take a little detour to this secluded venue, while of course respecting the privacy of local residents, are more than welcome to re-enact the photo against this legendary backdrop. " - ttps://www.hamburg-travel.com/see-explore/sightseeing/jaegerpassage/
"John Lennon, Rock N Roll Album Cover, Hamburg, Germany, 1961
Photograph
By Jurgen Vollmer
About the image
This photograph captures John Lennon in 1961, leaning against an arched brick doorway in Hamburg, Germany. Three of the four other Beatles at the time, Paul, George, and Stu Sutcliffe, are seen partially blurred as they walk in the foreground. In 1974, John Lennon called upon Jürgen to use this image as the front cover of his album of 1950s-1960s Rock 'n' Roll classics called John Lennon - Rock 'N' Roll.
Jürgen was interviewed about the photo shoot and the subesquent use of this image in 2004 by Goldmine, exerpted below:
“Vollmer always liked what he calls “the backyards” of Hamburg, which to him looked mysterious. A doorway at Jagerpassage 1, Wohlwillstrasse 2 caught his eye, and his thought at the time was, “It would be great to have a rock ’n’ roller in there.”
In April 1961, a 20-year-old Lennon became that rocker. Vollmer, then 21, was in what he called his study phase, and he wanted to experiment by placing his camera on a tripod and setting a long exposure. “Before I even started taking any pictures, I said to John, ‘You just lean there and look arrogant, like you always do,’” Vollmer recalled with a laugh. “And I wanted the other three out of focus.”
Those “other three” in the photo are Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Stuart Sutcliffe. Vollmer did want their shoes in focus, so he had them practice walking past Lennon first, then shot a roll of 12-exposure film.
Years later, when Vollmer was working in New York as a magazine art director, he received a phone call from May Pang, Lennon’s companion during his so-called “lost weekend” away from Yoko Ono. Pang was calling on behalf of Lennon, who was interested in seeing Vollmer’s photos from their April 1961 session. Lennon wanted to use one for the cover of “Rock ’n’ Roll,” an album featuring his versions of early rock hits. (The Beatles often covered songs from the same era during their Hamburg club days.)
Vollmer made enlargements of his photos and met Lennon at the studio where he was recording. According to Vollmer, he designed “Rock ’n’ Roll” as a gatefold cover and remembers Lennon describing it as “beautiful.” But in the end, the packaging was redesigned under the direction of Roy Kohara, and the album was released in 1975 with a standard cover and Vollmer’s now-famous photo—cropped tight and not showing the in-focus shoes of the blurred McCartney, Harrison and Sutcliffe—on the front.”
Collector's Notes:
Jürgen Vollmer's photographs are printed to order, so please allow 2-4 weeks for delivery. Each silver gelatin photograph is hand-signed by the artist and buyers will receive a certificate of authenticity following delivery." - ttps://sfae.com/Artists/Jurgen-Vollmer/John-Lennon-Rock-and-Roll-Album-Cover-Hamburg-Germ
"Very close to the St. Pauli entertainment district, the Auto-Parkhotel Hamburg GmbH is a central starting point for discovering the Hanseatic city - the Beatles and Jimi Hendrix also stayed in this hotel. Good connection to public transport, the hotel also has over 40 non-smoking rooms with shower, toilet, television, telephone and wireless Internet access." - ttps://www.hamburg.de/zwei-sterne-hotels/
