Ringo Starr

Even though I grew up during the 70's (after the breakup of the Beatles), I was heavily influenced by Ringo. One of the most indelible memories I had of him was a clip I saw of the Beatles performing at a stadium (perhaps Shea, I'm not positive). He had the drum riser shaking while playing "I Wanna Hold Your Hand." Later, in my teens, when I started listening to different bands and drummers, I didn't think anything of Ringo or the Beatles because he wasn't busy or flashy and didn't play a big kit (afterall, it was the 80's). As I grew older and started playing the drums, I started to realize how great Ringo was. His drum parts fit perfectly within the songs. His feel is underrated; yes, we could all play his parts note for note, but it would not sound or feel the same. I'm still knocked out by his early drum sound. Those swishy hi hats and high-pitched snare still stand up to anything recorded today. He is more influential that a lot of us are willing to admit.
 
I still play my 1970 Black Oyster Pearl Ludwig set when I play out and at least once a night someone asks me if it is a copy or the real thing. It's always a big hit with other drummers. So I'd say Ringo was a big influence on me and my style. All the fancy chops are great but if you can't keep time then why bother.
 
I wasn't there when the Beatles recorded their great albums, so my opinions are based only on what I've heard, seen and my knowledge of drumming. One thing that cannot be denied, Ringo had impecible time, and a great feel for rock and roll. I've never seen Ringo demonstrate any advanced level of chops, but, I have seen film of him playing live in which he demonstrates some impressive power and endurance with his right hand high hat work. (Playing along to some of his songs is indeed a right hand challenge). There's also no way for me to know what part Ringo played in his own drum parts. He was the drummer for some of the greatest, most creative pop song writers in history. I wouldn't be surprised if Paul, John and George played major roles in determining what Ringo's drum parts. Isn't it odd that Ringo never played a double stroke or paradiddle. In any event, he played his parts to perfection.
 
Ringo was a major influence on me when I first started playing about 5 years ago. Sure he wasn't the reason why I picked up sticks (it was actually my brother's high school marching band, which I was later a part of) but my favorite band at the time, and still is, The Beatles, so I sat down and drummed along to Ringo tracks. I absolutly love him. Plus I saw him live, so eat that!

Even though now I've moved on and I'm jamming with Cream, Hendrix, Deep Purple, and The Who, I still go back to my all-time favorite band and lay down some 'slightly' more complicated fills on top of Ringo's. Its so much fun, he is such a great drummer. I still have trouble playing the End solo :(

Even compared with all the drummers of today, just take a listen to Abbey Road, and on it you'll hear some of the best drumming of all time. Even if you aren't impressed with his skill, listen to his drum sound. It is unmatched before and since. Those toms just give me the willies when I hear them!
 
It's very easy:

WITHOUT RINGO THERE WOULD BE NO DRUMMERWORLD
Thank you Mr. Starkey

Long long - very long - time ago - I picked up the sticks because of Ringo (and perhabs also because of Brian Bennett - Little B - Shadows)

It took some years - even after being pro for some time - then I discovered SG BR and GK.

I'm sure 100'000 drummers are getting better drummers studying Steve.....
But 5 Million picked up the sticks because of Ringo.

Not to speak about the Ludwig Drum Company who had to buy forests in Canada to make more drumsets. OK - quality went down, because the wood was not good - too fresh and not old enough, but that's another story. I'm proud of my 1964 - old - original - Ludwig Drum-Set..... also another story...

Bernhard
 
What is really reprehensible when the question of Ringo's drumming dexterity rears its ugly head is that Paul, John and George never did the right thing when they unceremoniously dumped Pete Best from the group in the first place.

Considering that the type of live drumming required by Rock & Roll percussionist in the early 1960's was not what it was by the late 1960's, Best was as good as, or better than, Ringo. John, Paul and George never complained about Best's competency for the year he played in clubs with them. In fact, it seems Best was the real draw for the chics who came to see these Liverpudlians.

It is obvious that when the Beatles were about to turn the corner, they had pangs of insecurity and even resentment about their current drummer, who was better looking and who might upstage their lyrics and melodies.

Would Billy Cobham or Ginger Baker have fit into the Beatles scheme better than Ringo? Of course not. Ringo was the perfect non-threatening musician who was counted on to compliment the stylized George Martin studio sound and who would not Wow! listeners with riffs that might diminish the other three's capabilities.

But it is interesting when the group (John, Paul, George) pursued individual careers, they all employed drummers whom they did not inhibit from a more productive and energetic rhythm than Ringo demonstrated on the Beatles 13 albums.

Had Ringo been Herman's Hermit's drummer would anyone know his name today? No. But Ringo was smart enough to know a good thing when he saw it (heard it?) and he rode the Beatles phenomenon for all it was worth.
 
It's very easy:

WITHOUT RINGO THERE WOULD BE NO DRUMMERWORLD
Thank you Mr. Starkey

Long long - very long - time ago - I picked up the sticks because of Ringo (and perhabs also because of Brian Bennett - Little B - Shadows)

It took some years - even after being pro for some time - then I discovered SG BR and GK.

I'm sure 100'000 drummers are getting better drummers studying Steve.....
But 5 Million picked up the sticks because of Ringo.

Not to speak about the Ludwig Drum Company who had to buy forests in Canada to make more drumsets. OK - quality went down, because the wood was not good - too fresh and not old enough, but that's another story. I'm proud of my 1964 - old - original - Ludwig Drum-Set..... also another story...

Bernhard

I wanted to play drums at a very young age, my two influences were John Bohnam and Mitch Mitchel
 
Ringo's playing might seem deceptively easy to some of you until you try to play it. I particularly liked some of his performances on "Live at The BBC".There's a track on there where he's doing some great fast paradiddles on the intro. On "What Goes On" his right hand pattern on the hats is really tough to do while not doing straight 4s on the kick. The fact that he didn't solo much doesn't bother me at all. Try to do the latin beat of "I Feel Fine" at that speed and stay at even tempo. His fills are really hard to imitate unless you're a lefty playing a right hand kit. Then we get into some of the original grooves and use of things. The Timpany on "A Day In The Life" being integrated into the kit and not overdubbed?...absolutley brilliant. Listen to his groove and fills on "Flying" or the ferocious playing on "Slow Down"! He played those hats wide open while rocking. Where ya thing Bonham go the idea for that sound? Ringo. I love the man's playing, and I love the man.

As for Gadd being the most recorded drummer in pop music, I don't know. Hal Blaine maybe? I guess it depends on the time frame too. ...Matt
 
onemat said:
As for Gadd being the most recorded drummer in pop music, I don't know. Hal Blaine maybe? I guess it depends on the time frame too. ...Matt

Yeah, I found that one a bit hard to believe too, I would suggest Sly Dunbar...

Also, I was a big fan of Ringo until I saw the extras on the Band's The Last Waltz DVD. There's a long jam on it, it's pretty awful (most of the musicians who guested during the gig are on stage at the same time, so it's quite a mess), and Ringo is in the middle, adding to the chaos. Now I'm not totally dissing Ringo, I just thought that it was weak, and especially seeing as it was the drummer who had come up with such amazing stuff as Tomorrow Never Knows etc etc...I thought he could have put a bit of a shape on things. Maybe I'm being a bit harsh...many of the most famous musicians in the world on stage at the same time, it's forgiveable that no-one had the nerve to take the bull by the horns. Just a lost opportunity.


Hey! First post! Hooray!
 
I am a huge fan of both Ringo and Zak. There should definately be a section dedicated to Zak's work. I love Keith Moon too, and in my opinion there is no one else who can fill the void left by moonie.

Kelly
 
i did a search and i didn't find a ringo thread!! !?!?!!!!!!

i love his playing, he has a nice touch, very natural.. he is creative, very expressive, very musical and he did the beatles proud IMO

i love A Day in a Life, that has such a great feel to it, and strawberry fields too.. i can't really put into words what it is i like about his playing, or how much i like it, but yeah i just thought he deserved a thread of his own (like he'd care, but still..)
 
Ringo played the drums the way a composer would write a drummer's part for the music the Beatles played. He made the music better and never overplayed. He never played with chops or did anything that would draw the listener's attention from the overall sound of the music to the drums.
 
Ringo played with personality and creativity. These are two things we all strive for. He was a bona fide professional drummer before he joined The Beatles. He inspired more people to start playing drums than anyone else. Although he's never been known as a technician, if he wasn't any good he would not have been in the biggest band in the world to begin with. Even after the Fab Four broke up he played on everybody's solo albums. You can't not acknowlege that. Buddy Rich was once quoted as saying "Ringo was adequate, nothing more." Well, given Buddy's penchant for calling rock drummers no-talent animals, I'd take that as a compliment!
 
Being 44, like thousands of others Ringo was my inspiration to play the drums. While Ringo's drumming obviously did the job my one knock against him is that while the other band members grew and matured so much in their songwriting and playing Ringo remained as he ever was...adequate at best. Must have been his self admitted disdain for practicing. I will say that Ringo did pioneer that slamming rock style we all still see today. I mean take a look at some of the old videos...that whole kit was just swaying when he played...and match grip too at a time when that was not even considered a valid grip!

That being said no one really cares but other drummers. Ask your average man on the street to name a famous drummer and 99 times out of 100 they will say Ringo!
 
By the time the Beatles came to the U.S. I was just old enough to go to bars (18 was legal then) and I watched a lot of drummers in bar bands. When Ringo appeared on Ed Sullivan we were saying that he wasn't any good, and besides he held his sticks all wrong. I'm still not convinced that he was a very good drummer, but one thing he did do was introduce a whole new rock beat. Up to then most bands were playing four on the floor for bass. Also he influenced many people, me included, to take up drums, just as the others got a lot of guitar players started.
 
I was wondering if there were any Ringo threads anywhere! I love Ringo. He is by far my favorite drummer. He doesn't try to take over a song, but he does give as much backbone to it as it needs. To point out a few of his particularly good tunes.........

I Feel Fine- the drum part on this song is quite complicated, yet he stays steady on through.

Rain- I really like the fills he puts in this song, bouncing around between snare and tom(s)

Helter Skelter- his work on this song sounds almost heavy metal, with the loud, bashing rhythm (and the part at the end where he yells "I've got blisters on my fingers!")

Come Together- I like the parts before the verses where he circles from ride to hi-hat to toms and back again.

Here Comes the Sun- this is a rather complicated drum part that he again did perfectly. I believe the tempos change throughout the song.

Those are it for now. I could go on for a lot longer, but I won't. DON'T BASH RINGO! haha.
 
Bernhard said:
I'm a big fan of Ringo, so here are the points:


The idea that Ringo was a lucky Johnny-on-the-spot-with-a-showbiz-stage-name is wrong. In fact, when Beatle producer George Martin expressed his unhappiness after the first session with original drummer Pete Best, the decision was made by Paul, George, and John to hire who they considered to be the best drummer in Liverpool - Ringo Starr. His personality was a bonus.

Bernhard

Bernhard...

I think the jury is still out as to why Pete Best was replaced by Ringo. Another take on the story has it that "the boys" were jealous of all the attention Pete was getting from the ladies and Brian Epstein realized that to keep the ego's in check and from a marketing perspective that attention needed to be diverted where it rightly belonged...front and center, Lennon & McCartney.

No debating that Ringo was one of the best drummers on the scene at the time but was it merely coincidence that he was also a real goofy looking sort of fellow...certainly not the model type looks that Pete had at the time
 
Ooops...I see Narada already covered that Pete Best angle that I mentioned...

...note to self...read all posts first before replying.............

What I still can't believe after all these years and all the success the Beatles had, not one of them ever spoke to Pete again. You would think that there would be some sense of guilt. I mean they went through the wars together and then when they are on the threshold of greatness...poof...they boot him.

I know if I was John, Paul or George with all their millions I would have rang him up and said thanks for getting us there Pete...here's a million dollars for all your hard work...you have a nice life.

That's the one part I don't understand.........
 
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