Ringo

[Guy Berger]

When I first started listening to a lot of music, I was really into classic rock which of course included the Beatles. At the time I didn't think much of Ringo as a drummer, and I think this is a pretty common attitude among rock fans who rank drummers by how flashy/fast/loud they play. (I don't know how jazz fans feel.)

Around college my attitude really started to turn. A while back I pulled out the Beatles' second UK album (With the Beatles) and man -- Ringo was just great on this. Nothing especially complex or flashy, but the epitome of taste, attention to detail and versatility in this context. Two songs that particularly stood out were "All I've Got to Do" (the shift from a Latin/soul rhythm on the verses to a straight rock beat on the chorus) and "Money" (that bit in the outro where he starts bashing the cymbals after barely touching them in the previous 2 minutes is just brilliant).

Anyway, while I hate to rag on fans of modern rock or pop music, I get the feeling from talking to them that they are mostly deaf to this kind of thing. Too bad.

Guy

[JSngry]

I'm a fan/admirer (at least of his Beatles work, after that....), & I know a surprising # of drummers (jazz & otherwise) who are too. Perfect drummer for a band that was more than the sum of its parts. If he had been a "better drummer", then I think the music would have lost its balance. Plue, I give the guy credit for taste and pocket, neither of which require the type of chops that his detractors (of which I also know many) belittle him for not having.

None of them were "great musicians". Oh well.

[Chuck Nessa]

I thought he shot a man.

[Teasing the Korean]

Whenever a drummer rolls his eyes at the mention of Ringo, I say, "Play 'She Said She Said' like Ringo does and you're hired." It usually shuts them up.

You really have to hear the Beatles stuff in mono. The drums are generally more prominant in the mix on the mono versions.

[dave9199]

Have them play Rain also.

[JSngry]

Hell, just have them try the lead-in fill from the break of "I Feel Fine"...

[jazzbo]

I'm not really a fan of the Beatles.

I really like Ringo as a drummer.

[Daniel A]

Weren't there rumours about Bernard Purdie playing on Sgt. Pepper?

[JSngry]

No.

Purdie claims to have been hired to overdub parts on some 1964(?) cuts, but that's never been proven, and the existence of the original session tapes, which appear to match the released versions exactly. make his one of the more bizarre music industry claims.

[Van Basten II]

I thought that the Beatles remix Love, whatever you want to call this project, helped to showcase more prodomently his playing.

[mikelz777]

One song where Ringo's drumming impressed me was in "A Day In The Life". I'm thinking, "How in the heck does someone drum to that song?" I don't think anyone could have done it better.

Edited November 25, 2007 by mikelz777

[Teasing the Korean]

No.

Purdie claims to have been hired to overdub parts on some 1964(?) cuts, but that's never been proven, and the existence of the original session tapes, which appear to match the released versions exactly. make his one of the more bizarre music industry claims.

This was clarified some years ago.

He overdubbed drum parts for the US releases of the early Tony Sheridan-era stuff, when Pete Best was the drummer. These tracks came out on the Atco and MGM labels in 1964 during the mad rush to cash in on the Beatles name.

All of the variations of these tracks are apparently available on a Bear Family issue. You'd have to be a major completist to want this stuff, though. It's pretty bad.

[JSngry]

Ah, that makes sense. It was the Beatles and the session work was done in 1964, even if the original tracks weren't.

That's the first I've heard of this clarification, although I've not followed the "controversy" with anything remotely resembling resolute interest.

Purdie has for years been under the impression (or creating the impression) that he was the "Real Ringo" or some such.

To be the Real Pete Best is a distinctly lesser honor, although nowhere near as lesser as being the Real Jimmy Nicol...

Of more interest to me is how Carol Kaye gets off claiming to be the Real James Jamerson & Earl Palmer the Real Benny Benjamin. That's a lot deeper...

[Aggie87]

No.

Purdie claims to have been hired to overdub parts on some 1964(?) cuts, but that's never been proven, and the existence of the original session tapes, which appear to match the released versions exactly. make his one of the more bizarre music industry claims.

This was clarified some years ago.

He overdubbed drum parts for the US releases of the early Tony Sheridan-era stuff, when Pete Best was the drummer. These tracks came out on the Atco and MGM labels in 1964 during the mad rush to cash in on the Beatles name.

All of the variations of these tracks are apparently available on a Bear Family issue. You'd have to be a major completist to want this stuff, though. It's pretty bad.

From the Bear Family booklet:

"Meanwhile, Atco decided that the recordings they'd licensed needed to be spiced up. In order to get a more commercial sound, they called in session musicians to overdub drums and guitar on the masters of Sweet Georgia Brown and Take Out Some Insurance On Me, Baby. On Ain't She Sweet, they only added drums. Later, in the cutting room, the expletive "goddamn", heard on Take Out Some Insurance On Me, Baby, was edited out and Nobody's Child was shortened by almost one minute. All this was done sometime in mid-January 1964 at the Atlantic Recording Studio in New York. The guitar overdubs are believed to been played by Cornell Dupree and the drum overdubs by Atlantic session man, Bernard 'Pretty' Purdie."

I just picked this box set up a few weeks ago, and actually sort of enjoy it. I don't think it's bad. There is alot of repetition on it though - mono & stereo versions of the same tracks, versions with German intros, English intros, etc.

[Teasing the Korean]

Purdie has for years been under the impression (or creating the impression) that he was the "Real Ringo" or some such.

He probably just assumed that it was Ringo on the recording, and he probably had no idea that these were older recordings. It was just another day's work for him.

[Jim Alfredson]

I love the Beatles and I agree that Ringo was the perfect drummer for the band.

Speaking of other drummers though, didn't Paul play some drums on some of the stuff in the later years?

[JSngry]

Speaking of other drummers though, didn't Paul play some drums on some of the stuff in the later years?

Yeah, a fair amount, mostly on his own tunes. Sometimes he'd play everything on them.

[Ron S]

What about that guy Richard Starkey?

[sal]

"Strawberry Fields Forever" has some great drumming.

[BruceH]

Have them play Rain also.

...And wish them good luck. "Rain," some of his work on the White Album, the melodic fills on some early songs, and his taste and subtlety throughout the Beatles' career are enough for me. Also, "Ticket To Ride."

[Jazzmoose]

Ah, that makes sense. It was the Beatles and the session work was done in 1964, even if the original tracks weren't.

That's the first I've heard of this clarification, although I've not followed the "controversy" with anything remotely resembling resolute interest.

Purdie has for years been under the impression (or creating the impression) that he was the "Real Ringo" or some such.

To be the Real Pete Best is a distinctly lesser honor, although nowhere near as lesser as being the Real Jimmy Nicol...

Of more interest to me is how Carol Kaye gets off claiming to be the Real James Jamerson & Earl Palmer the Real Benny Benjamin. That's a lot deeper...

Just for the record, I am the real Gertrude Futz.

[Kalo]

Speaking of other drummers though, didn't Paul play some drums on some of the stuff in the later years?

Yeah, a fair amount, mostly on his own tunes. Sometimes he'd play everything on them.

Paul wasn't a terrible drummer, but he was no Ringo.

[Kalo]

Back in my rock'n'roll days, any drummer we auditioned who bad-mouthed Ringo (or Charlie Watts) got shit-canned automatically.

[Daniel A]

George Martin wasn't a dope no matter how "nice" he or the fact he died on Staten Island...

George Harrison? (Died in LA BTW)

[BruceH]

Ringo: the Dave Tough of rock'n'roll.