In 1956 Tony formed his first band. In 1958, at 18, he began appearing on the BBC's Oh Boy, playing electric guitar. He was eventually offered a contract to perform at the Top Ten Club in Hamburg, Germany.
While performing in Hamburg between 1960 and 1963, Sheridan employed various backup bands. In 1961, one such band, who had met Sheridan during their first visit to Hamburg in 1960, and who worked with him on their second, was The Beatles (with their line-up at the time as John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Pete Best). When German Polydor agent Bert Kaempfert saw the pairing on stage, he suggested that they make some recordings together. In 1962, after a series of singles (the first of which, "My Bonnie"/"The Saints" made it to #5 in the Hit Parade), Polydor released the album My Bonnie across Germany. The word Beatles was judged to sound too similar to the German Pidels (pronounced peedles), the plural of a slang term for penis, hence the album was credited to Tony Sheridan and The Beat Brothers. After The Beatles had gained fame, the album was re-released in Britain, with the credit altered to Tony Sheridan and The Beatles.
By 1967, Sheridan had become disillusioned with his Beatle-brought fame. As he was more concerned by the Vietnam War, Sheridan agreed to perform for the Allied troops. While in Vietnam however, the band that he had assembled was fired upon and one of the members was killed. Reuters reported that Sheridan himself had died. For his work entertaining the Allies, Sheridan was made an honorary Captain of the United States army.
In the early 1970s, Sheridan managed a West German radio programme of blues music, which was well-received. In 1978, the Star Club was reopened, and Sheridan performed there along with Elvis Presley's TCB Band.
On August 13, 2002, Sheridan released Vagabond, a collection largely of his own material, but also including a new cover version of "Skinny Minnie", a song he had years earlier recorded for his first album.
Kansas City
Tony Sheridan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Coming to get my baby back home
Yeah, yeah
I'm gonna Kansas city
Coming to get my baby back home
Yeah, yeah
Well, it's a long, long, time
Since my baby's been gone
Ah, Kansas City
Coming to get my baby on time
Yeah, yeah
I'm gonna Kansas City
Coming to get my baby on time
Yeah, yeah
It's just a one, two, three, four
Five, six, seven, eight, nine, wah
Hey, hey, hey, hey
Hey, baby, you're no clown
I say you're no clown
Now, now, now, now,
Tell me baby
What's been wrong with you
Hey, hey, hey, hey
Hey, baby, you're no clown
I say you're no clown
Now, now, now, now,
Tell me baby
What's been wrong with you
Well, I'll say bye
Bye, bye, baby bye, bye
Oh, so long
Bye, bye, baby I'm gone
Yeah, I said
Bye, bye, baby, bye, bye
Bye, bye, bye, bye
Well, I'll say bye
Bye, bye, baby bye, bye
Oh, so long
Bye, bye, baby I'm gone
Yeah, I said
Bye, bye, baby, bye, bye
Bye, bye, bye, bye
The song “Kansas City” by Tony Sheridan is about a man who is trying to get his woman back in Kansas City, a location that is known for being a hub of rock and roll music in the 1950s and 1960s. The song speaks to the singer's love and commitment to his woman, stating that it has been a long time since she has been gone. He is determined to return to Kansas City to get her back, implying that there may have been a dissolution of their relationship. The repetition of the phrase “coming to get my baby back home” in the lyrics reinforces the message of the song and creates a sense of urgency.
Additionally, the song is packed with musical energy, with the repetition of the phrase “yeah, yeah” in the lyrics and the fast-paced, catchy melody amplifying the sense of urgency and determination the singer feels. There is also a call and response in the song, with the singer asking, “what’s been wrong with you?” and reinforcing his perception of his lover as “no clown." The song ends with the singer saying goodbye to his lover and Kansas City, setting the stage for a possible reconciliation in the future. Overall, the song is a testament to the enduring nature of love, and the importance of fighting for those we care about.
Line by Line Meaning
Ah, Kansas City
The singer is thinking about the city of Kansas City
Coming to get my baby back home
The singer is traveling to Kansas City to bring his lover back home
Yeah, yeah
The singer is excited about his plan to go to Kansas City
I'm gonna Kansas city
The singer is determined to go to Kansas City
Well, it's a long, long, time since my baby's been gone
The singer has not seen his lover for a long time and is eager to be reunited with her
Coming to get my baby on time
The singer wants to arrive in Kansas City at the right time to meet his lover
It's just a one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, wah
The singer is counting down the days until he sees his lover
Hey, baby, you're no clown
The singer is comforting his lover, telling her she is not a fool
I say you're no clown
The singer repeats that his lover is not a fool, trying to reassure her
Now, now, now, now, tell me baby, what's been wrong with you
The singer is concerned about his lover and wants to know why she's been upset
Well, I'll say bye, bye, baby bye, bye
The singer is saying goodbye to his lover in preparation for leaving Kansas City
Oh, so long
The singer is saying that it will be a long time until they see each other again
Bye, bye, baby I'm gone
The singer is leaving Kansas City and his lover behind
Bye, bye, baby, bye, bye
The singer is saying another farewell to his lover
Bye, bye, bye, bye
The singer is saying his final goodbye to his lover as he departs from Kansas City
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Ken Adams
Is there any possible way to get video of this? Damn this is sweet!!!! I'd really like to see the Beatles jammin with tony :)
Swetty Spaghtti
Yeah I think there is iPhone footage of this
sylvia wiggins
This is a 1964 recording of Tony with the Big Six(aka) the Beat Brothers.I was the keyboard player with the band.We backed Tony on all his records from 1963-1967. John Wiggins.
egojosepio
Interesante aporte.
orlando gonzález
hi John, you don´t know how much I love your music, please can you tell me who was the one on guitar solos please? thank you very much
Ronald Hoerstmann
this was the beginning of the best time for dancing in a new way - thank you Tony - hamburg loves you alltime
Vladi Aga
Заряжает.
emailink
Parece que alguno era peruano, fíjense como pronuncia: Kansas Cityyy... que bacáaann... en 2:00 , en 2:13 y en 2:22 clarísimo!
freitag42
Well, I dont think that there is a video because they played together in 1961. There were no one who made a vid about the beatles...
Ingvar Kristensen
It swings just great,but The Beatles are NOT on this one. It`s Tony own band