Was Pete Best really that bad of a drummer?

I thought that was The Godfather thread!

 

Also, Ron Richards produced the 9/4/62 (sorry, 4/9/62 since it took place in England) session, not George Martin. Martin's seemingly skewed recollections make more sense in that context.

 

Discussion point: so, why is Pete using a name like "Upsiditus"?

 

Been listening to both his stuff with and without The Beatles. By 1966, he seems to have figured out to play the drums ok (going by the 'Best of the Beatles' album material), but I'm now listening to the Decca Audition yet again, Three Cool Cats to be exact and seriously, wtf, he puts those drum rolls in such odd places, and out of nowhere. Just when I think he's keeping a steady daaa-da-da-dahh beat, out of nowhere comes that bloody drum roll again!

 

Have you met Pete? He's not remotely like 'Sheldon Cooper'. Perhaps this forum is not the therapy you require?

 

yes we still are unsure of the exact facts, GM did leave it to Ron Richards and also left it to him to get in Andy White, he could only go by what Ron would have told him in his absence, plus GM was already aware of PB's limitations ( its one of the reasons for the night of the long knife ) and as far as he was concerned the new drummer was untried and could have been just as limited. Ringo also would have had limited experience in a studio environment so hiring a pro when you had limited studio time and an unknown new drummer would just have been a sensible no brainer precaution imho.

 

Upsiditus is an anagram for "stupid upsi", maybe Pete is venting his anger at Brian's little known henchman Upsi?

 

Can't seem to find this now year later - due to copyright issues. Anyone have a possible link that would work for us Canadians? lol

 

Pete was lucky the girls liked him and his mom helped them out or they would have dumped him earlier.

 

I'm sure the discussion went along the lines of Martin asking Richards how the session went. He. Iggy have indicated that it took a while to get the song nailed down, and that the new drummer was a little uneasy. All is understandable given that the song was new for Ringo, and he was not used to being in the studio.

From there, it was probably an easy decision that a session drummer would be more expedient in the studio.

Fortunately for Ringo, they needed about as many takes for the 2nd version of Love Me Do, the completed takes are nearly identical, and Ringo's drumming on other tracks was great. Compare the final Please Please Me to the Anthology version. That was probably the clincher. Why pay for a session drummers when you really don't have to.

 

I think it is irrelevant whether he was a good drummer or not. He just wasn’t a good fit for the chemistry of the Beatles regarding his personality and his team spirit. Mona may have been a issue too (just as Yoko was later)

Shy, moody, selfish (refusing to put the band before himself - hairstyle). The Beatles with him in it wouldn’t have been the phenomenon it was with him in it so he didn’t miss out on what they achieved.

 

The guy's image didn't fit, either. You have very three very British looking dudes and this guy looks like an Italian-American 50s greaser. Can you imagine him in the Pepper era?

 

Pretty sure he's better than me!

 

I'm listening to the 62 audition and I can barely hear him. I'm no audiophile but it sounds like the band is playing harder and heavier to try to keep the rhythm themselves, almost like overcompensating for a guy who is playing too soft. I mean drums weren't complex or technical in the 60s but on those Buddy Holly records they smashed. The Beatles actually just sound like a run of the mill late 50s - early 60s group on the Decca Audition because of the weak drumming. It drags down the performance, makes the other guys play in a more Cro-Magnon, simpler way. Listening to the 62 Decca tape I can see why Decca passed. Ringo isn't the "best" drummer ever, but he clicked with the other three musically. With Best they just sound like a typical 60s doo wop act.

 

Its not that he was a bad drummer but when I listened to the stuff with him the drum pattern sounded the same for just about every song

 

He was no Ringo. I mean, Ringo was slated here and there (everywhere?) but at least his critics were referring to what we now know commonly as "his originality"

 

Yep Best lost out on being in the Beatles long term cos he had curly hair nothing to do with the drumming!!

 

The Thread That Refuses To Die continues to draw breath!

 

I know huh!?



Let it die already.

Just bored Beatle People.
Beave

 

That and he had one drum fill and he played it constantly/endlessly

 

LOL, yet the same ppl bitch about the same ppl on the thread...HA!

 

HA right back to ya Michael!
Beave

 

: - )

 

Beatles Sgt Pepper original cut out of Tony Curtis used on cover | eBay

Only $97,000 for this piece of cardboard. What a bargain.

 

'Okay' drummers are a dime-a-dozen;
Drummers like Ringo are one of a kind.