by Richie UnterbergerOne of the most successful, and certainly one of the most prolific, German rock groups of the '60s, the Rattles enjoyed reasonable success in their native land without making much of an impression elsewhere (though some of their material was released in other countries). Starting out in the same Star Club-based Hamburg scene as the Liverpool groups of the early '60s, their early repertoire was built upon a similar base of '50s rock and soul/R&B. They released about 30 singles during the '60s (some on the Star-Club label itself), as well as almost ten albums, eventually making the transition to original material, and marching on well into the 1970s.