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He should remind Paul about the money gripe!
I just love your videos - they make me feel - at peace in world gone mad. They said that whne George crossed over, the people in his hospital room said that he was absolutley at peace, and when he left his body, the room filled with light.
He was a beautiful soul from what everyone has said about him. What a talent.
George Martin didn’t rate Pete as a drummer.
Not true. Ron Richards producing the session said to George Martin that he would prefer to use a session drummer if they got a contract. George Martin told Brian he didn't mind what he did with them as a group for playing live, which was the same for so many other artists who had session musicians play on their records. The Wrecking Crew, Booker T and the MGs, and people like Bobby Graham and Andy White as session drummers here. Normal practice. However, it was interpreted by John Paul and George as George Martin not thinking Best was good enough. That is different.
“Mrs. Best’s little lad” provides a clue. You can’t be a mama’s boy and hang with the Beatles.
A mama's boy? Ringo adored his mum, George adored his mum, but sadly John and Paul had lost theirs. Not a reason to change drummers though.
Lewiston wrote about this, I have to get the book tho.
He has, but makes several errors in covering the story unfortunately.
They chose Ringo for the nose, he looked more bullish ,The character is reflected in the playing is obvious In a group, complicity is required as well as ability.
So John Lennon was lying? John said Pete’s drumming was always terrible and they only used him because of the gig in Germany temporarily
You can't take a single quote from Lennon and build a thesis from it. He changed his mind so many times depending on the day of the week, the interviewer or the substance he was on at the time. You have to study all the evidence. Another quote from John was that if you didn't see the Beatles in the clubs and dance halls in Liverpool and Hamburg when they played straight rock, you never saw the real Beatles. We were feeling shit as soon as Brian put us into suits. John's favourite time with the Beatles? Those first 2 Hamburg trips in 60 and 61, when Best was drumming. George also said their peak for playing live was at the Top Ten Club in Hamburg in 1961, also with Best. Paul says in Anthology, immediately before John's quote you mentioned, that Pete was a really good drummer. He has repeated that too.
To all you PID Believers, watch the "James Paul McCartney" TV special 1973, (here on KZread for everyone to see) at the 20 minutes mark there's a McCartney family get together in a Liverpool pub, they're all getting pissed (drunk) singing along with him and showering him with kisses! Now how is it that his Dad, aunties, uncles and cousins can not see it's not their Paul the one they have grown up with, the one they have always known, but he's in fact an imposter named Billy!
Ringo was a better fit personality wise most likely. They kept Stu Sutcliffe in because John wanted him there, so yeah.
In hindsight, Ringo was perfect for them, but socially they didn't know him that well. George had become good friends with Ringo in early 62, which is why he championed Ringo and had to persuade John and Paul. Ringo was also one of 4 drummers approached and offered the job.
How come there was no sound on half of it? 😂
Ken’s very spritely for a 91 year-old
He certainly is. What a man!
pete was sick. ringo filed in. end of story. NEVER GET SICK
Ringo got sick, Jimmie Nicol filled in. Ringo recovered, and all was well.
The background noise is so very annoying but otherwise a great story
Sorry about the noise - what a day!
A big part of my life's work is understanding why people do and say the things that they do. It amazes me that in all the discussions about why Best was kicked from the Beatles, no one ever considers the motivations of the people speaking. Think about this...The Beatles became the biggest band ever. One guy was essentially cut out of ALL of that, and had the worst luck ever. How are those involved going to talk about this sad sack years later? Do you think Paul is going to be a dick and say that Pete sucked? Is George? Is other George? Is Ringo? No, they are probably going to soften it, make themselves look better, and make Pete look better. Think about the way Paul deftly handled the topic. He made a point to say how talented Pete was, but then give a fair answer that he just wasn't right for "The Beatles." It was a very political answer... Make the guy look good, but still make it seem like it was needed. It says Pete WAS good enough, just not the right fit, implying it was not Pete's fault. Past that, everyone flipped the blame to someone else, but softly. No one wanted to be the bad guy, and no one ratted out anyone else.....except John. His detailed explanation seemed the most plausible to me. The way he described their rise, and how Pete did and didn't work sounds genuine. He's also the only one to diss Pete's drumming, and that's important. He said he wasn't very good, but then gave very plausible understanding of why they kept him as long as they did. The story that John told is a tale as old as time when it comes to the performing arts, and sounds like tons of stories i've witnessed first hand. Obviously, i'm not sure. No one is. And over time, i'm sure people that did know, have had their memories shaped by years of discussion after the fact. So, even if everyone living could give an account to the best of their knowledge, they would probably have different answers. But I think John's seemed to be the most honest, and not shaped by any other motivation than to be honest.
If that's your take on this matter, then "a big part of [your] life's work" has failed you. First of, John is not, "the only [Beatle] to diss Pete's drumming". Paul told the following lie...the conversation never happened...which included a dig at Pete's drumming: *"George Martin pulled us aside and asked us to replace our drummer, and what were we gonna do, we couldn't pretend like Pete was the greatest drummer in the world."* While that is not as harsh and straightforward as Lennon's critical comments of Pete, that is just Paul's way, he always has a softer approach compared to the acid-tongued Lennon. But the message...the lie...is the same, that he Paul thought Pete's drumming was lacking. And Paul was not just talking about his own personal opinion of Pete's drumming, because Paul said, "we", so he was speaking for Lennon and Harrison, as well, when he told that lie. Now, let's get on your absurd take on Lennon's comment. You characterized Lennon's explanation of why they kept Pete as long as they did as "very plausible". It is not "very plausible". It is not even remotely plausible. It is risible. John said, *"The only reason he got into the group was because we had to have a drummer to go to Hamburg. We were always going to dump him as soon as we could find a decent drummer."* The Beatles first stint in Hamburg lasted 3 months. After it ended, Pete remained The Beatles drummer for another 21 MONTHS. And very early on in Pete's tenure, during that first trip to Hamburg, Pete invented the "Atom Beat", which revolutionized rock drumming, and had every drummer in the entire Hamburg-Liverpool circuit trying to copy it...including Ringo Starr. One bandleader, Faron of Faron's Flamingos, kept firing drummers because "they couldn't sound like Pete Best". The day before Pete joined The Beatles, they were the worst band in Liverpool. Mere weeks after he joined, on the strength of his Atom Beat, they were the hottest ticket in Hamburg. Ringo said, *"My band, Rory Storm & The Hurricanes, arrived in Hamburg about two months after The Beatles had gotten there. We were on the same bill a lot so I was always running into them. I'll never forget the first time I heard The Beatles play, they were already great. They were the only band I would go see on my time off. We were all playing the same songs back then, but The Beatles played them better than all of us."* Oh, JP&G had PLENTY of time to "dump" Pete. The Beatles were so hot they could've had any drummer they wanted! Certainly they could have by the end of Pete's first full year with the band, when The Beatles knocked Ringo's band, Rory Storm & The Hurricanes, out of the # 1 spot in the Mersey Beat Top Band Poll. Why didn't they go for Ringo then?? Ringo had known for over a year at that point that The Beatles were in a league by themselves. He would've jumped at the chance! So for Lennon to say that they were always going to dump Pete as soon as they could find a decent drummer is absolutely laughable. Particularly when you consider that John described Pete's tenure with the band as the zenith of their live playing: *"Our best work was when we were in our leathers playing the clubs and dance halls in Hamburg, doing straight rock 'n roll. But it wasn't recorded so the world never got to hear it. Nobody in England could touch us. But as soon as we got signed we fell apart as a live band."* For you to say that Lennon's "he was a lousy drummer and we were always gonna dump him" comment is "the most honest comment, not shaped by any other motivation than to be honest", tells me you just fell off the turnip truck. JP&G sacked Pete over JEALOUSY, because Pete was the far and away most popular Beatle for his entire 2-year tenure, and the gap was growing ever larger between his popularity and each of theirs. So to justify their betrayal of Pete, and to protect and preserve little Ringo's delusion that he was chosen to replace Pete on MERIT, and not because he was the shortest, scrawniest, ugliest drummer they could find with adequate skills, Lennon LIED and said Pete was a lousy drummer who never improved and they were always gonna dump him as soon as they could find a decent drummer. HA! What a laugh!!! But hey, don't take my word for it. Here's what a contemporary drummer of Pete's said when he was asked in an interview what he thought of Pete's drumming: *"He was a genius. You could sit Pete Best on a drum kit and ask him to play for 19 hours and he'd put his head down and do it. He'd drum like a dream with real style and stamina all night long, and that really was The Beatles' sound, forget the guitars. I was amazed when they replaced him. I even thought about learning guitar so he could be the drummer in my band. The Beatles didn't hate Pete Best, but they didn't want to be outshone by their drummer. Ringo was a good drummer but he was more ordinary."* -- Chris Curtis, drummer for The Searchers, a great Liverpool band who scored a 1964 Top 3 Hit in the US charts with their classic, "Love Potion # 9". Chris saw Pete Best play many times in both Hamburg and Liverpool during Pete's two years as The Beatles' drummer. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Best was fired by Epstein becoz his mother Mona best kept interfering with his plans for the Beatles - only way to get rid of her was to get rid of him...and that my friends is from Mona best herself and a convo i had with Paul many years ago....
Best wasn't fired by Epstein, as he couldn't fire him. He wanted to keep Pete, but John, Paul, and George insisted he was replaced because George Martin wanted a session drummer. That is the only reason, and it makes sense. All the other reasons, like the Mona Best reason, was secondary. It was a good way for John, Paul and George to convince Brian to tell Pete the bad news.
Rubbish. Brian fought JP&G to keep Pete in the band. Pete was the most popular Beatle by a mile, Brian was adamantly opposed to replacing him. He ultimately capitulated when JP&G wouldn't budge, but he wasn't happy about it at all.
20 years wasted on getting your facts wrong!
Which facts can you disprove? Happy to be corrected with evidence if you have it.
Seems like Pete should have had, in addition to Brian as a band lawyer, a personal attorney to represent HIS interests! He was led to believe he was fired/sacked and thus removed himself under misleading circumstances. Did Pete ever sign a document quitting any and all interests in The Beatles? Or was simply joining another group (Lee Curtis) grounds for breach of contract and legal termination. I know Pete was embarrassed but he should have fought this, to the extent that British courts allowed.
Pete did get legal advice, just bad advice. His lawyer tried to sue Brian for wrongful dismissal, so Brian's lawyer kept replying that his client, Brian, did not employ Mr Best. So he had bad advice. To change groups didn't need any paperwork. By joining the other group, he naturally quits the Beatles and becomes a member of the new group.
Do you believe that it is possible that Paul McCartney died and was replaced? I say yes...
No, not a chance.
I have read a few things over the years about why Pete Best was dismissed from The Beatles, and it all depends on who is asked apparently. Regardless of why, I think the way he was let go was very unprofessional and low class. The other three Beatles should have talked with him and just told him face to face. Instead they not only lost a drummer, they lost a friend. I have to really admire Best though as he does not seem to hold any animosity over the John, Paul, and George.
Very well said, thank you. I agree with you.
david ive been in touch with the guy who was the guide round mendips and he swears that bob dylan turned up one day to see mendips surely not true
That is true, and he went on the normal tour and nobody recognised him at first!
@@BrightmoonLiverpool david did you see that vid where the guy asks was paul mccartney in the crowd when the quarrymen were playing ?? looks like him tho LOL is it macca ?
@user-iq6uf1il8q Yes seen it. Definitely isn't Paul, 100%. Just a coincidence. Checked with Charlie Roberts who took the photo and lived there. Also checked with Colin and Rod from The Quarrymen.
I so enjoyed this book. Had heard rumors over many many years of his notes about his days with The Beatles. I was very happy when it came out and loved the stories of Mal and his real life, first hand experiences with JPG&R.
Glad you enjoyed it, it is a fantastic book.
NO PUEDE EXISTIR UNA FECHA MAS GRANDE , QUE CUANDO SE CONOCEN DOS SERES TOTALMENTE INMORTALES. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ UN DIA EN LA VIDA ETERNA 🦾🦾🦾🦾🦾🦾🦾🦾🦾🦾🦾🦾 ♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️ DEBE SER ALGO MARAVILLOSO 🌞🌞🌞🌞🌞🌞🌞🌞🌞🌞🌞🌞 OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH YEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH I ❤️ THE 👤👤👤👤4️⃣ E V E R.
Very true. Thank you.
@@BrightmoonLiverpoolMUCHÍSIMAS GRACIAS A TODOS VOSOTROS POR VUESTROS VIDEOS. THE 👤👤👤👤 ES ALGO APASIONANTE . INACABABLE .🦾🦾🦾🦾.
He tended to get ahead of the beat . As the song wore on it sped up slightly. George Martin couldn't record them like that. Oh and he was a fancy pants.
What are you basing your analysis on? It seems quite specific?
Ringo was the only one in John’s orbit that didnt get dressed down by lennon’s wicked tongue. May Pang, Cynthia, Julian all got shouted at heavily; Ringo was exempt and that says all you need to know. Lennon was boss and Ringo was the only one he deferred to.
Eventually, definitely. There were plenty of harsh words early on as Lennon tried to shape Ringo into a Beatle, but he did ultimately respect him.
If you watch the Washington concert Ringo played like a man possessed. I dont think any drummer of that era Pete included could play like that.
Sadly we don't have film footage of Pete with the Beatles. Ringo certainly developed that head shaking style by 1964, though in 62 after he joined and 63 in the UK that wasn't fully developed yet. He was much more in the background. Going to the US released something new in him, which became his trademark.
If you dont have autoplay on or anything, the words "James Im dead!" being the last words of this video and then dead silence makes the rumor so much creepier 😅
Definitely!! 😂
Amazing to think that just 10 years and three days later, John would be singing to millions of people via the worldwide Our World satellite hook-up. Incredible
It is such a rapid rise. He wouldn't have thought that back in 1957.
Pete says he was called in and told he was out and being replaced by Ringo. He goes on to say he joined another group and played the same stage on the same notes as The Beatles. He also said he was friends with Ringo prior to the change.
All true. Sadly, none of the Beatles ever spoke to him again.
This musical & producer 1st-person analysis kzread.info/dash/bejne/nIlnw5OdlczMXdo.html seems a lot more compelling and makes more sense than your story. I'm not disputing your facts, but they mostly seem beside the point that Pete wasn't consistent enough [which is the core of good drumming] to play on recordings.
I've seen that one before. The lack of consistency and criticism of Best's drumming is very subjective and often biased. He was good enough for John, Paul and George for 2 years, so that argument never makes sense to me. If he was that poor they would have got rid of him much sooner. There was no issue before 6th June 1962.
@@BrightmoonLiverpool Some of the criticism of his drumming may be subjective, but even if George Martin's and the others' critiques were subjective, there's plenty of evidence from "the horse's mouths" that was what forced the change. Best was apparently fair enough for club gig drumming, when there is a lot of ambient noise and poor acoustics, but not for recordings. And the tempo analysis of recordings of his drumming on the video I linked above could not be more objective [unless the creator set playback in some misleading way, for which there is no evidence]. At least you don't buy Best's explanation of "jealousy" I heard on the Letterman Show in the 1980s, right? I've seen nothing to explain or backup that claim, other than his own mother's opinion. But thanks for reading and responding!
George Martin initially wasn't impressed with Ringo Starr either. On one of their first recorded songs, George Martin sent Ringo Starr for the day and used a session drummer. Not only that, but Ringo was not even the first, second or third drummer approached to replace Pete Best. When the first choices turned down Martin, only then was Ringo asked to join the group. However, when it is all said and done, Ringo fit in better with the Beatles as an bandmate.
Very true about Ringo being replaced by a session drummer, Andy White. It was Brian who offered the role to 3 other drummers and they turned Brian down. But the right drummer was definitely Ringo!
Lennon used mock the fans while on stage. He thought the fans were spastic so adding fuel to this was fun for him.
I named my dog Penny Lane.
How cute!
Wow, krásné vystoupení,moc se mi to líbilo, krásně zpíváte, určitě by se to Johnovi líbilo,kdyby vás slyšel zpívat ❤️❤️
I’m just finishing Mal’s book and I’m struck by how much of his life he gave the Beatles and how little the Beatles gave to him. His compensation was pathetic. I’ve always loved the romanticism around the Beatles, but the more I learn about them, the less I really like them as individuals.
I agree they should have done so much more for their loyal supporters like Mal
because the plan was to push Paul as the new messiah and Best took lots of attention off him
An interesting angle
Interesting chat! David, will your talks in Beatleweek be available online afterwards for those who couldn't be there ?
I know quite a lot is being filmed this year, so it might be possible.
It was sad, and ruined the lads life, but that’s life…
That's the business bit of showbusiness.
How much money did Pete get in the end from the anthology, I believe he received a big cheque, does anyone know how much, I think it might of been a million?
I am sure it was more than £1 million.
Fantastic! What year was this filmed?
It was 1973
The only one thing I disagree with here is that they couldn't have done what they did with anyone else but Ringo. Ringo was a good drummer, but he was a very basic, average, no frills no thrills drummer and if they had almost any decent drummer, they would still have done what they did. If any of those other drummers had said yes, no one would know who Ringo is to this day, but everyone would be raving about that drummer. To a point, Pete got screwed and Ringo really did get lucky, but sometimes being in the right place at the right time is how luck happens.
The Beatles would definitely have achieved worldwide success, as that was down to the songwriting talents they had. Ringo has an incredible sense of knowing the right rhythm for the right song and although he wasn't technically brilliant as some would want it, I still think the chemistry he brought to the other 3 gave them something unique that only he could do.
@@BrightmoonLiverpool He may have been a good fit for them in that sense but still they could have had that same chemistry with a number of drummers who could play decent. No one drummer or any other musician is so magical that no one could do what they did, except maybe someone like Buddy Rich who was one major exception, but as a drummer myself, I still maintain a good deal of drummers could have played the songs with the right rhythms and if it was someone else, that drummer would be getting all the same kudo's Ringo got for being the Beatles drummer. Again, Ringo was good but still average and ordinary and very over-rated simply due to the popularity of the band he was in.
@jimo3173 I do agree with you, as I think a lot of his creative drumming was inspired by what John, Paul or George was wanting from a song. Ringo never dominated the sound either. My analogy is always football - soccer. A team that had the best players in the world doesn't guarantee the best teamwork. None of the Beatles were the best at their instrument in Liverpool! But as a team, they were incredible. But yes, most of those drum patterns could have been played by a very competent drummer.
@@BrightmoonLiverpool That Ringo never dominated the sound was probably one of the reasons why they replaced Pete along with Pete not being very social with them outside of band business. I've always heard Pete was a little bit of a power player which wouldn't have been what they wanted or needed. Try to imagine if they had John Bonham on the kit. His drumming would have been too much for them. Your team sport comparison is on though because there have been many bands where the players were mediocre but had a good sound together and Ringo did give them that.
Sir, thanks for this interview. Great.!I always look forward to your work. Henry O NYC.
Thanks Henry always nice to hear from you!
Silly question with a simple answer; Use Your Ears‼️ Best just wasn’t the best drummer, couldn’t keep a steady beat & what he managed to keep was uninspiring. If that isn’t enough proof, he was, for all intents & purposes, never heard from again.
What makes you think he couldn't keep a steady beat? The other Beatles said he could and it does not take 3 musicians of the quality of John, Paul, and George 2 years to suddenly realise the drummer can't keep a beat. Trust me, any band member will tell you that if the drummer can't keep a steady beat you replace them straight away, not after 2 years and hundreds of hours playing live.
Use your own ears to hear, not hear say. If you think he has a good beat, then that’s what he has, period. As far as my ears are concerned, tho, I beg to differ. There were other reasons they stuck with him for a while despite his mundane mediocrity that have nothing to do with talent.
@raymeedc I've listened many times over to him and have no problem. I've interview many people who saw and heard him play, including drummers, who had no problem. It depends what you listen to. I've played in bands with many different drummers for over 40 years and I know a bad drummer very quickly. Pete Best wasn't like that. Paul has said several times Pete was a really good drummer. They had no problem with him at the time. John said that Pete could lay a beat down and keep it going for hours. George said they were at their best and tightest playing at the Top Ten in 1961. All the evidence, except for historical revisionism, says they had no problem. If you don't like his drumming, that is your opinion as you say. But the evidence says he was a really good drummer.
George Martin certainly didn’t think so. & neither do I, who by the way has been in one band and/or another since 1965…. that makes 2 of us 😊 Silly, tho, for most all art is just a matter of opinion anyway when it comes down to brass tacks, so let’s call it a draw & concede that we’re both correct ❣️
Faul is doing ok.
Was Pete Best’s life ruined, or perhaps saved by being ousted from the group? There were attempts on the lives of George Harrison and of course John Lennon, which happened solely because of their fame. Or if not a life saver, was Pete’s obscurity during the ‘60s and ‘70s at least a life improver? When the Beatles hit that wall where they realized they were “For Sale,” as the album was called, Pete Best wasn’t. And even during the height of Beatlemania, he could go anywhere he wanted without any police escort, and get all the sleep he needed without Imelda Marcos instigating a riot against him. No fake holy man exploited him. There is no “Pete is dead” disinformation campaign badgering him. And he wasn’t watched under the microscope that turned every hiccup the Beatles did into worldwide gossip. And after all that freedom and mobility, Pete Best is still well known and appreciated today. Overall, perhaps a good trade off?
Excellent detective work!
Ringo was perfect for the Beatles ‘
This is your theory ‘
Worcester Mass. is NOT a Suburb of Boston. It is It's Own city in the Middle of the State.There are three cities in Massachusetts. Boston on the East coast, Worcester in the Middle of the State and Springfield in the West of the State where Basketball was invented and where Dr. Seuss came from.
This is great David fascinating listen the Beatles A Hard Days Night for me is a masterpiece will have to look at getting Steve's book 👍👍🎸😎🎸 BB (👍25 )
Where is that mole on his left side of his face according anther video the real paul had one