Top Ten Club
The building at Reeperbahn 136 in Hamburg's St. Pauli district stood empty for years before Peter Eckhorn decided to change its fate. This location had hosted the Grand Hippodrom and Café of Carl Richter during the early twentieth century. Postcards from 1911 show the interior view of that earlier entertainment hall. By 1955, the venue carried the name Hippodrom and belonged to Herbert Eckhorn alongside a bar operation.
Peter Eckhorn was born on the 12th of February 1939 in Hamburg. He inherited the property and chose to close the old hippodrome rather than maintain it as a cinema or dance hall. The decision came with a specific goal: rebuild the space into a music club under a new identity. Horst Fascher served as his manager during this transition period. They officially opened the Top Ten Club on the 31st of October 1960.
Disagreements between Eckhorn and Fascher emerged shortly after the opening. Fascher left to work as a waiter in a restaurant located on Große Freiheit. There he persuaded Manfred Weissleder to convert the former Stern cinema into another music club called the Star-Club. Fascher became the manager of that new venture while Eckhorn continued running the Top Ten Club alone.
Bruno Koschmider owned the Kaiserkeller where the Beatles performed until the 31st of December 1960. The band members frequently visited the Top Ten Club to see acts like the Jets from London featuring Tony Sheridan. They occasionally played together at the venue, which Koschmider discovered and disapproved of. His annoyance led him to tip off the police about their activities.
On the 21st of November 1960, George Harrison faced deportation back to England by local authorities. He was only seventeen years old and too young to work in a nightclub after midnight according to German law. This legal restriction forced him to return to Liverpool immediately.
Paul McCartney and Pete Best were arrested for attempted arson on the 29th of November 1960. Police claimed they set fire to a condom while packing personal belongings inside Bruno Koschmider's Bambi cinema where they slept. The pair spent three hours at the Davidwache Police Station before being deported on the 1st of December 1960. John Lennon returned to Liverpool on the 10th of December, with Stuart Sutcliffe following in February 1961.
The Beatles returned to perform at the Top Ten Club starting the 1st of April 1961 alongside Tony Sheridan. They played ninety-two consecutive nights between that date and the 1st of July 1961. Each member received thirty-five deutschmarks per night for their performances. The group logged five hundred three total hours on stage during this residency.
Summer Set featured Les Humphries who later discovered Boney-M and married a Yugoslav princess. Chris Manders also performed with Summer Set before returning months later in a new band called The Decadent Streak. Bluesology appeared in February 1966 with keyboard player Reg Dwight who eventually became Elton John.
The Decadent Streak included Robin Hunt on drums, John DaCosta and George Haywood on guitars, and Ian Baldwin on bass. They played there throughout May 1966 before moving across town to perform two weeks at the Big Apple Club. Next of Kin was a South Wales rock group from Ebbw Vale featuring Frankie Allan and Robert Evans.
Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich arrived in 1968 as a Blackpool band led by Mike Proctor. Their lineup included Stewart Bain and Ronnie Brambles among others. The Blackjacks played in March 1963 with Pat Harris singing and Don Callard playing lead guitar. Universe was a South-Wales rock band that completed five residencies between May 1970 and August 1971.
Harvest from Teesside joined Universe in May 1970 as a seven-piece ensemble. Still Earth from Bristol featured Phill Crowther and Dave Pratt while staying at the Atlantic Hotel annex. Aarons Rod from Birmingham performed around April or May 1970 alongside Still Earth. Strawberry Dust later evolved into Racing Cars during February 1971.
Sweet Marriage recorded sessions inside the club's secret studio operated by Iain Hines. Mal Jefferson provided vocals for their songs which appeared on forty-five rpm singles released through the Top Ten record label. One track titled Ooh My Soul! reached number one on German Juke Box Hits charts.
The Mastersounds were a Liverpool R&B combo featuring Adrian Lord and Tony Cockayne. They often received support from Ricky Barnes who played tenor saxophone and Isobel Bond on vocals. Occasionally Jimmy Doyle joined them on drums while Iain Hines handled keyboards. Their recordings contributed to the club's reputation beyond live performances.
Tony Merrick led Sweet Marriage in 1969 along with Alan Doyle and Ronnie. The group met Sean Connery and the Krupp Brothers within the venue walls. These encounters happened while they recorded material using the hidden studio setup available only to resident acts. The resulting records achieved commercial success across Germany despite limited distribution channels outside Hamburg.
Since 1994 approximately ten different owners have taken control of the building at Reeperbahn 136. Each new owner changed the name again shortly after taking over operations. MC-Music Club became the first replacement before evolving into new Top Ten Club.
Soap Opera operated under that title until La Cage took over from 1997 to 2001. Titty Twister opened in 2002 based on a bar featured in the film From Dusk Till Dawn. Golden Stars followed in 2003, then Glam ran from 2003 to 2005. La Rocca held the license between 2005 and 2006.
Moondoo served as the name from 2008 through 2024 with Lago Bay Betriebsgesellschaft mbH operating the business. In March 2025 the Molotow Club officially opened at this same location. The rapid succession of closures and reopenings reflects instability within the venue's management history since its original era ended.
The site now operates as the Molotow Club following decades of ownership changes. It remains located at Reeperbahn 136 in Hamburg's St. Pauli district where Peter Eckhorn originally opened the Top Ten Club. A plaque on Beatles-Platz commemorates the discovery of the Beatles and Tony Sheridan by Kaempfert and Schacht during their residency period.
Photos taken inside the club were sold to Paul McCartney for thirty thousand pounds in the mid-seventies. These images documented performances that occurred over ninety-two consecutive nights starting April 1961. The building continues to host live music events while preserving connections to its past as a major European rock venue.
Historical records show how the venue evolved from early twentieth-century entertainment halls into a modern music space. Postcards from 1911 document the Grand Hippodrom interior before any musical transformations took place. Today's operators maintain the physical structure while adapting it for contemporary audiences seeking authentic Hamburg nightlife experiences.
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Common questions
When did Peter Eckhorn open the Top Ten Club at Reeperbahn 136 in Hamburg's St. Pauli district?
Peter Eckhorn officially opened the Top Ten Club on the 31st of October 1960. He inherited the property and chose to close the old hippodrome rather than maintain it as a cinema or dance hall before rebuilding the space into a music club under this new identity.
What legal issues caused The Beatles to be deported from the Top Ten Club in November 1960?
George Harrison faced deportation back to England by local authorities on the 21st of November 1960 because he was only seventeen years old and too young to work in a nightclub after midnight according to German law. Paul McCartney and Pete Best were arrested for attempted arson on the 29th of November 1960 and subsequently deported on the 1st of December 1960.
How many consecutive nights did The Beatles perform at the Top Ten Club starting April 1961?
The Beatles played ninety-two consecutive nights between the 1st of April 1961 and the 1st of July 1961 while performing alongside Tony Sheridan. Each member received thirty-five deutschmarks per night for their performances during this residency which logged five hundred three total hours on stage.
Which future famous musicians performed with Summer Set or Bluesology at the Top Ten Club?
Summer Set featured Les Humphries who later discovered Boney-M and married a Yugoslav princess, while Chris Manders also performed with that group before returning months later in a new band called The Decadent Streak. Bluesology appeared in February 1966 with keyboard player Reg Dwight who eventually became Elton John.
What happened to the building at Reeperbahn 136 since the original Top Ten Club era ended?
Since 1994 approximately ten different owners have taken control of the building at Reeperbahn 136 and each new owner changed the name again shortly after taking over operations. Moondoo served as the name from 2008 through 2024 with Lago Bay Betriebsgesellschaft mbH operating the business until the Molotow Club officially opened there in March 2025.