#reeperbahn

A ropewalk/Reeperbahn is a long straight narrow lane, or a covered pathway, where long strands of material are laid before being twisted into rope. The rope maker first stretched a number of individual strands along the length of the rope walk and later twisted or plaited these strands into thicker ropes. The standard rope of the British Navy, the British Naval Rope, was one cable length long (180–220 metres). Until the introduction of steam engines in 1836, over 200 men were required at the British Chatham Dockyard to produce a ship’s rope with a circumference of 20 inches.

"The Ropewalk in Edam" by Max Liebermann, 1904

As the finished ropes usually had a considerable length, generally around 200 metres, the Reeperbahnen/ ropewalks were up to 400 metres long. When they were no longer needed, the tracks were often converted into roads, so that today there are streets named Reeperbahn in several places in Germany. The Reeperbahn in Hamburg’s St. Pauli red light district is world-famous. But there are also Cable streets like the one in London or the RopeWalks district in Liverpool.

So if you ever come across a very long road like that, or one with a similar-sounding name, it’s quite likely that there is a rope/ cable history behind it.

If music is at their heart, then their story is the clothes it wears.

Those who fail to appreciate The Beatles — and even many who do appreciate them — underestimate the specific progression of events that transpired during their journey, let alone the quickness of it all. The Beatles were a professional band for only seven years.

Here are the benchmarks of The Beatles‘ career from zero to hero :

YEAR 0

John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Pete Best.

Brian Epstein is The Beatles‘ manager as of a few weeks ago.

First studio audition at Decca (on New Year's Day).

Regular gigs at Cavern Club, Casbah, elsewhere in Liverpool.

First BBC radio performances.

First shows in south of England.

Original bassist Stu Sutcliffe dies.

Return to Hamburg, seven-week residency at Star Club.

First EMI studio session.

Pete Best is fired from The Beatles.

Ringo Starr joins The Beatles.

First TV appearances.

John & Cynthia marry.

First single “Love Me Do”; becomes Top 20 hit.

Opening for Little Richard (in Liverpool and Hamburg).

Follow up single recorded.

Last Hamburg residency (through New Year's Eve).

YEAR 1

Second single “Please Please Me”; becomes first chart-topper.

UK tour opening for Helen Shapiro.

Recording debut album in one day.

UK tour opening for Chris Montez and Tommy Roe.

First LP Please Please Me; becomes #1 for 30 weeks.

UK tour opening for Roy Orbison.

Third single “From Me To You”; first undisputed #1.

Paul starts dating Jane Asher.

BBC radio performances: Saturday Club, Easy Beat, and others.

Extensive UK concerts.

Hosting BBC radio series Pop Go The Beatles.

Fourth single “She Loves You”; first to sell million copies in UK.

First UK Tour as headliner.

Band meets The Rolling Stones; John & Paul write song for them.

London Palladium.

Beatlemania.

Sweden Tour.

Royal Variety Show.

Fifth single “I Want to Hold Your Hand”; has a million pre-orders.

Second LP With The Beatles; displaces previous album at #1.

The Beatles Christmas Show (three weeks in London).

YEAR 2

Finishing three-week run of The Beatles Christmas Show.

Three-week Paris residency at Theatre Olympia.

“I Want To Hold Your Hand” hits #1 in US.

First US Visit: Ed Sullivan, Washington Coliseum, Carnegie Hall.

Filming and recording soundtrack for first motion picture.

Sixth single “Can't Buy Me Love” (#1).

John publishes first book In His Own Write.

Hold top five spots on Billboard Hot 100 chart.

First World Tour.

First motion picture A Hard Day's Night; blockbuster.

Third LP A Hard Day's Night (#1).

Seventh single “A Hard Day's Night” (#1).

Frequent BBC radio and TV performances.

UK Tour dates; occasionally The Kinks and The Who open.

First US Tour; first rock tour by chartered jet.

Hollywood Bowl.

Meet Bob Dylan first time, get stoned.

Brian Epstein publishes autobiography A Cellarful Of Noise.

Eight single “I Feel Fine” / “She's A Woman” (#1).

First deliberate feedback on record.

Fourth LP Beatles For Sale (#1).

Another Beatles Christmas Show; Yardbirds (w Clapton) open.

YEAR 3

Finishing three-week run of Another Beatles Christmas Show.

Ringo and Maureen marry.

First full week of studio sessions.

First use of outside studio musicians.

Filming and recording soundtrack for second motion picture.

First direct exposure to Indian music.

Ninth single “Ticket To Ride” (#1).

The Dental Experience.

Paul records “Yesterday”.

Europe Tour; The Yardbirds (w Beck) open.

John publishes second book A Spaniard In The Works.

Tenth single “Help!” / “I'm Down” (#1).

Second motion picture Help!

Fifth LP Help! (#1 on pre-orders alone).

Second US Tour.

Shea Stadium (largest concert attendance in history).

LSD pool party in LA.

Roger McGuinn, David Crosby bring Ravi Shankar records.

Peter Fonda tells “I know what it's like to be dead” anecdote.

Hollywood Bowl.

Awarded MBE's.

One-month recording new album.

George introduces sitar to band.

First use: extreme equalisation; tape speed manipulation.

Eleventh single “Day Tripper” / “We Can Work It Out” (#1).

Sixth LP Rubber Soul (#1); first album with no filler.

Last UK tour; The Moody Blues (w Denny Laine) open.

Turn down offers for third motion picture.

YEAR 4

Three months off.

George and Pattie marry.

John gives “more popular than Jesus” interview.

Friends of The Beatles open Indica Bookstore.

John discovers The Psychedelic Experience by Leary & Alpert.

Two-and-a-half months recording new album.

Starting with “Tomorrow Never Knows”.

First use: backwards tape; tape loops; automatic double-tracking.

First Indian musicians on Beatles session.

Klaus Voormann (artist friend from Hamburg) designs cover.

Last Beatles concert in UK.

Twelfth single “Paperback Writer” / “Rain” (#1 in 12 countries).

Song is subtle plug for Indica Bookstore.

Last World Tour.

Death threats in Japan.

Kidnapped in Philippines, and the First Lady incident.

Last US Tour.

Beatle burnings in Bible Belt of US.

Thirteenth single “Eleanor Rigby” / “Yellow Submarine” (#1).

Ringo's first lead vocal on Beatles single.

Seventh LP Revolver (#1); first album they don't perform live.

Last concert at Candlestick Park, San Francisco.

Three months off.

John films How I Won The War in Spain.

Paul writes film score for The Family Way.

George studies sitar under Ravi Shankar.

Ringo visits John in Spain and holidays.

John meets Yoko Ono at Indica Gallery.

New sessions begin with “Strawberry Fields Forever”.

YEAR 5

Sessions evolve into concept for new album.

Fourteenth single “Strawberry Fields Forever” / “Penny Lane”.

First single in four years to miss #1.

Paul helps organise Monterey Pop Festival.

Eighth LP Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.

Our World broadcast, recording of “All You Need Is Love”.

Paul publicly admits to taking LSD.

Fifteenth single “All You Need Is Love” (#1).

Meeting the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi.

Brian Epstein dies.

Filming and recording soundtrack for new DIY movie project.

Sixteenth single “Hello Goodbye” / “I Am The Walrus” (#1).

Televised movie Magical Mystery Tour.

YEAR 6

George records original film score for Wonderwall.

Band holds last recording sessions before India trip.

Meditation retreat at Maharishi's camp in Rishikesh, India.

Hanging with Mia Farrow, Brian Wilson, Mike Love, Donovan.

Meditating, writing songs for next album.

Donovan teaches them new picking pattern.

Seventeenth single “Lady Madonna” / “The Inner Light” (#1).

George's first composition on a Beatles single.

Return to London (first Ringo, then Paul, John & George last).

Foundation of Apple Corps.

John and Yoko fall in love.

Band records Esher demos at George's house.

Twenty weeks of sessions for new double album.

Paul and Linda fall in love.

Jane Asher dumps Paul on live TV.

First animated film Yellow Submarine.

Eighteenth single “Hey Jude” / “Revolution” (#1).

Ringo Starr quits The Beatles.

John and Cynthia divorce.

Ringo Starr rejoins The Beatles.

Eric Clapton sits in on “While My Guitar Gently Weeps”.

The Beatles’ authorised biography published.

Ninth LP The Beatles, a.k.a. the “White Album” (#1).

John and Yoko busted for cannabis possession.

Hell's Angels crash Apple Christmas Party.

YEAR 7

Thirty days writing, rehearsing, recording and filming new project.

Directed by Michael Lindsey-Hogg, filmed first at Twickenham.

Glyn Johns audio engineer, George Martin musical supervisor.

George Harrison quits The Beatles.

Tenth LP Yellow Submarine (#2, behind The White Album).

Sessions relocate from Twickenham to Apple building.

Apple Studio installed in basement over weekend.

George Harrison rejoins The Beatles.

Billy Preston (unofficially) joins The Beatles.

Apples Studio sessions.

Rooftop performance.

John, George & Ringo hire Allen Klein as band's new manager.

John and Yoko marry (Bed-In For Peace in Amsterdam).

Paul and Linda marry.

George and Pattie busted for cannabis possession.

Nineteenth single “Get Back” / “Don't Let Me Down” (#1).

Twentieth single “The Ballad Of John And Yoko” (#1).

John and Yoko announce The Plastic Ono Band.

Sessions for one more album at Abbey Road.

Mostly leftovers from Get Back and the White Album.

Paul rejects Allen Klein as manager.

Band's last photo shoot together.

The Plastic Ono Band plays Toronto Rock'n'Roll Revival festival.

Band includes Klaus Voormann, Eric Clapton, and Alan White.

John Lennon quits The Beatles.

Apple keeps John's departure a tight secret.

Eleventh LP Abbey Road (#1).

Twenty-first single “Something” / “Come Together” (#1).

YEAR 8

Last Beatles session for new song; John does not attend.

Overdubs onto material for Get Back.

Phil Spector hired to produce soundtrack album for new film.

Paul McCartney publicly announces The Beatles’ breakup.

Documentary film Let It Be.

Twelfth LP Let It Be (#1).

Twenty-second single “Let It Be” (#1).

Ringo, Paul, George, and John all release solo records.

Paul McCartney sues to dissolve The Beatles.

Ever get the feeling there's something obvious you overlooked....?

Reeperbahn I by Hannah Höch, 1927 Watercolour and pen and ink drawing on light card 8,8 cm x 7,4 cm Private collection