The Genius of Ringo
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- Опубликовано: 1 авг 2020
- Ringo Starr was more than just a lucky drummer who hooked up with The Beatles. This video makes the argument that his originality, technique, skill, patience, and influence all add up to making him an unqualified genius of his instrument. He was, by all meaningful ways, the FIRST rock and roll drummer.
George Hrab is creator and producer of The Geologic Podcast, has released seven independent albums and a concert DVD, written two books, and has professionally been the drummer with The Philadelphia Funk Authority since 1998.
This video was created for the North East Conference on Science and Skepticism's 2020 NECSS conference. [ necss.org ]
more at GeorgeHrab.com and GeologicPodcast.com
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A few notes:
Ringo does indeed play the “Help” fill on both the snare and floor tom with both hands playing in unison. I was more interested in demonstrating the rhythmic differences, so I only played it on the snare.
I mistakenly left out an extra kick drum note on the “In My Life” groove. Apologies…
I am an ignorant American when it comes to the pronunciation of “Giles.” Apologies for that too!
I also meant to say "over 150" songs... and was talking about the really well known and culturally indelible ones.
And as far as the Come Together pattern- This was a delicate dilemma for me. I've seen the video with Ringo and Dave Stewart, and quite honestly (and with utmost respect) I think that Ringo is misremembering what he did. I know that sounds amazingly presumptive, but if you listen to the isolated drum tracks from Abbey Road, I think the take they used has Ringo going "down" the toms. They are quite muted with towels draped over them so the relative pitch is hard to make out [plus Ringo had an extra tom on his bass drum for those sessions, which in my example I did not], so I humbly am playing what I'm hearing. I very well may be wrong, and I did go back and forth (literally!) on how to play it. I think the left handed-ness is the most relative point though. Thanks for watching! 
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"John is the mind, Paul is the heart, George is the soul....and Ringo is the flesh and blood" - Brian Epstein, Beatles manager
That is it.
Ringo is the drummer.
Spot on dude.
@@GigaChad-tv7xl actually ringo is Richard Starkey
I would've thought Paul was the mind and John the heart
Real drummers and musicians never questioned the genius of Ringo. He simply is.
Absolutely!
Lol what? He’s mediocre as an actual drummer I get it he’s a Beatle tho
@@aunch3 really? Why because he doesn't do fills and flourishes. He's great because he keeps perfect time. He plays what's needed for the song. He has that kind if feel. That's one of the things that make him great.
@@grantmalone exactly
I'm not a musician but I believe that he is one of the greatest drummer of all time
Ringo isn't just a drummer. He's a true musician.
Right, he's all about creating the perfect song, not showing off his own skills.
Yes, this is it. I think it also explains a lot of the hate. The idea that rock drumming is a kind of macho extension of the drummers ego is pretty prevalent.
It’s clear Ringo was never interested in that, just in being musician and a huge part of that is listening for what’s ‘right’. Sometimes that’s technically simple, but the listening part is WAY harder than people realise. Having an ear and feel for what you’re playing is real musicianship.
Only 4 musicians in the world can be called a Beatle, Ringo was one and for a really good set of reasons.
Lol not at all. He was in the right place at the right time and was from Liverpool so he got on well w the others w out stepping on their toes
@@aunch3 So Ringo was the only drummer in Liverpool who was a cool guy? They picked him, not vice-versa. And what does geography have to do with it? If Lennon and McCartney were from different cities and never met, you might not have heard of the Beatles. Not sure how that is relevant to what they accomplished. Pete Best was great for the stage, the girls loved him. But they were concerned with quality. So they chose Ringo, and the could have chosen anyone. As to "got on well", that's part of the deal for making good music. Good chemistry. Like sports. A bunch of superstars does not make a great team. Chemistry does.
Pete Best
@@mlburkh Yes, I mentioned him.
4, definitely
AND Pete Best.
😁
If you isolate the drum part on ANY Beatles song you would still know what song it is. Not just a drummer but a true musician.
My question ! What do you think is the sound at the beginning of "I am the Walrus"? sounds like scissors
And conversely, you could listen to almost ANY Sir Paulie isolated Bass part, and not have a clue as to what song it is!!! Example: ruclips.net/video/UPtLyS-kAHc/видео.html&ab_channel=AblyHouseLessons%26IsolatedTracks
Yup! And just the opposite would be Sir Paulie! Listen to almost EVERY one of his isolated Bass parts, ,and you'll for the most part not have a clue what song it is!!! Check this out: ruclips.net/video/UPtLyS-kAHc/видео.html&ab_channel=AblyHouseLessons%26IsolatedTracks
@@georgescarlett2320 Funny that you picked one from very early in their career, when bass parts were strictly rhythm and rooting the chord. As soon as Rubber Soul and Revolver, you can hear him start to expand what he's doing to become more melodic.
I actually paid close attention to the drums in Come Together for the first time and now I see what gives the song that very dark mood. There's hardly any cymbals and the way he does the Tom roll instead of a backbeat or hi -hat doesn't overpower the distinctive bass riff (that's now famous) but enhances it. Ringo is a master of less is more and the sum of the parts is greater.
Ringo just "sat" in the song - he played what the song needed. Any song. Every time.
Which is also precisely what George Harrison did. Not flashy virtuoso stuff, but exactly what was right for the song.
What about Helter Skelter? Couldn’t that song have used some rollicking drums?
Like nick mason. Not the best, but does a solid job
That's what Sina says
ruclips.net/video/0NCczct2ZIM/видео.html
He spent most song sessions playing dominoes with Mal Evans until instructed what to play with Paul doing some of the drumming himself which the laconic Richard just accepting it as he knew he had been a very lucky bunnie. Don't read more into it all you social media buffoons.
Yes, Ringo is a genius drummer. People who put him down have never listened closely to all of the incredibly imaginative things that he does in his drumming.
When I was a kid in the 70's I heard people say he was the greatest drummer, the way you put the video together really showed his class, thank you.
im a drummer, and all drummers know that he is genius. almost every beatles song has a brilliant, distinctive drum sound. it's amazing.
Yep' everybody dismisses ringo as a simple drummer but he is the hardest to recreate. All the subtle nuances fly over these people's heads
@@onecrispyfrie1932 I think the reason they say ringo was a simple drummer was that he disappears in the music because he is able to glue the music together so brilliantly as if there was no drummer at play. Instead what you experience was the Beatles music as a whole. That is how great Ringo as a drummer was. In sum, drummers who overplay and cannot meld with the beat to me lacks the genius Ringo has. Phil Collins by the way said he learned his tricks from listening to Ringo.
Absolutely Correct !!
Cannot imagine A Day in the Life without that incredible drum part.
Most iconic drum intro in the history of recorded music. GENIUS!
Drum part? You mean the Drum Fills??
From the moment this video started, I waited patiently for a mention of A Day In The Life. It was surely inevitable that it would figure as an example of Ringo’s genius. The song’s drum part did eventually get a brief mention, but I had expected a little more detail. A Day In The Life is one of my favourite Beatles songs, but in my opinion it would not be the same without Ringo’s tasteful and perfectly appropriate drum fills. I agree with ferociousgumby, in that it’s difficult to imagine the song without them.
@@Oh_I_Will OK, so you know the terminology and I don't. Lean in and I'll give you a kiss.
@@Oh_I_Will You must be joking. ruclips.net/video/_NghYV6WTwo/видео.html
John Lennon said, "Say what you want about Ringo, but he's got the best backbeat in the business." I was listening to "Strawberry Fields Forever," "Tomorrow Never Knows" and "I Am The Walrus" the other night and it hit me that Ringo was the heart and soul of the band. He held that weirdness together. Pure genius and incredible musicality. Thanks for this!
I am on a big Ringo Starr kick watching a lot of different videos but you were the first person I have responded to. You are absolutely right. Strawberry Fields is a master class in drumming. Ringo gets really busy in the second chorus and it’s so perfect. He also just hits simple quarter notes on the ride cymbal in the same song. His sense of dynamics and doing what was right for the song are second to none. The best drummer is not the person who can play fastest, it’s the person who doesn’t just play the drums but plays the song on the drums.
@@mattlawson714 and @KnoxBronson I agree about Strawberry Fields love the drumming on that
@@mattlawson714yeah man the drumming on strawberry fields is unreal
Surprised no one has mentioned Ringo's amazingly creative drumming on "Hey Jude". Love the way he explodes into the music following the initial verse(s), just prior to "and anytime you feel the pain". Also the propulsive and energetic playing on the extended "fade-out".
so true!
I loved listening to Ringo's progression from basic drumming on Pls. Pls. Me album into a complex syncopated beat beginning on White album and Let It Be. I'd followed other known Beatles contemporaries but they're nowhere close.
Your comment reminded me of a similar moment, entering a slow Paul song of the same sessions after the first verse and to let you know that it just got real. Ringo's entry (after keeping minimal time on HH) in Let It Be exemplifies something paradoxical that he could manage that few others can, and the others are all undisputed giants- Levon Helm, Stew Copeland, and Bonham, for instance. He could lag the beat just a fraction of of a hair of a second while keeping perfect time and sharp attack, so that the fill sounds simultaneously urgent and mellow; explosive, but also utterly at home. Like "I don't even need to lift my drowsy eyelids to blow the roof off this".
@Nathan Cederoth slightly behind the beat, creating a wonderful momentum. You may be able to slow the beast a little, but can't stop that unstoppable force. Twist And Shout.
Boys...George's guitar solo and what Ringo does behind the solo is perfect, he changes things up.
Because is great drumming but not especially amazing for Ringo. Really noteworthy stuff is like Day inn the Life, Strawberry fields, She said she said, Rain...wonderful use of space between the notes. Very musical playing.
One striking thing is if you hear his drum parts in isolation you can tell which song it is. His drum parts are always imaginative and have character.
Very cool conment,your right-
Come together, Ticket to Ride, A Day in the Life are three off the top of my head I can think of. I have to try and find him playing in isolation on 'I Feel Fine'. Love his drumming in that one.
And just sound cool as f😂
Excellent observation. I wish I had said that.
terrythekittie I have long been interested in the similar motif he used in Ticket to Ride and Tomorrow Never Knows. First half of the measure the same. Second half in Ticket has a kind of syncopated feel with an eighth rest and eight notes on the Four & count. In Tomorrow he strikes that kind of flam after the motif and the rest is at the end of the count.
I always argue that the Beatles were just as lucky to get Ringo as the other way round. He had been a professional for some years in a more highly regarded band which had regular work and a lucrative residency at the time he chose to jump ship and join them - who were by contrast an unproven band with the just about the meanest contract in EMI's history to recommend them. He was the fourth corner of their jigsaw puzzle.
People seem to forget that back then and even nowadays finding a great drummer is the hardest thing to find for a band for live or studio work, when we were looking for a drummer the more drums and especially cymbals the worse the player. Some things never change, just listen to Steve Jordan, Steve Gadd and even Vinnie C Steve J makes me want to get up and dance.
Even by choosing to change bands he was a genius!!!
In the early days of Hamburg when Ringo was in Rory Storm, sure, Rory had the bigger group... but, by the time the Beatles were fed up with Pete Best, The Beatles by FAR were the bigger band. They were the headliners at the Cavern, and had just signed with Parlophone. They were the biggest group in Liverpool by a longshot. They were also doing original material, and Ringo knew them and was fond of them. It's not like Ringo took some huge gamble... he didn't think twice about leaving The Hurricanes when asked, and even had to leave Rory drummer-less on short notice (I think he finished up like two gigs that were already booked). And then was almost instantly famous. Within months.
@@liamahern6340 you're in the wrong comment thread.
@@liamahern6340 how do you know Mary was a virgin, the only people that know about it are her and the man responsible, it happens all the time.
I saw the new documentary on HBO Max and the first thing that struck me was how intensely amazing Ringo was in the band. He knew instinctively how to create the perfect scaffolding for each song and he was spot on perfect every time. He was a minimalist, and less definitely became much, much more.
Ringo of course got to be in many fabulous commercials for stuff such as pizza and in 1984, he gained a whole new audience by narrating the 1st season of Thomas the tank engine and friends.
One thing that's always struck me about "Tomorrow Never Knows" is that it sounds like Ringo is deliberately not playing exactly on the beat. The snare seems just on the back half of the beat, while the toms are on the front half of the beat in the same measure. It helps give the song that sort of "floating" sense of time.
not a drummer but i know exactly what you mean when i listen to it
That's such an iconic drum part.
(Please see my note, above.)
I just commented above about him doing just that - to less extreme degree - on the fill where he really enters "Let It Be".
You nailed it. It’s his effect.
Ringo wasn't just a superb musician. He was the "glue" holding the band together. Lennon and McCartney were busy trying to out-genius each other, and George silently fumed at being so neglected. Ringo was the smoothing element and a go-between who kept the other guys' egos in check and kept them speaking to each other, and he did so just by being himself, an ordinary bloke with extraordinary talent.
Ringo’s drums were melodic. He didn’t simply keep the beat and fill in the blanks with fills, they were melodies unto their own.
Although speaking English for about 25 years now and having read dozens English written books, only today have I encountered the word 'unto' for the first time. Had to google it up. Thank you for enriching my life.
ringo actually played the song. not just the drums
@@tod4y 🤣🤣
Yes. He completed the songs as we know them, the recorded songs, with his wonderful drumming, instrumental in creating the Beatles sound (no pun intended). One might say he was one of the arrangers. As great as the others were, they were lucky to have him; they were lucky to have each other.
@@nealfig yes arranger. yes arranger
Paul said, “Ringo was the engine that drove The Beatles.” Great video!! Thanks, well done.
In interviews Ringo admitted that he originally had trouble playing a right handed kit and had to improvise. But you will have to admit that he always made it sound like it belonged.
The Beatles already had a drummer, but they wanted this drummer for a reason.
George Martin specifically wanted another drummer because he didn't think Pete Best would cut it. And at first he wasn't very charmed of Ringo's playing either.
Apparently the reason he had the (even then) fairly basic kit was so he could stack all the drums inside the bass drum case and get it on the bus!
The fills on “Strawberry Fields Forever” and “ A Day In The Life” are amazing.
Yep... He learned that watching Buck Owens "Buckaroo" Willie Cantu!!!
Thank you. I've been saying this for years
.. and "Long, Long, Long" on The White Album.
Also twist and shout and she loves you!
And "rain"?
Okay it’s is about time someone agreed with me! I get so pissed when people rip on Ringo. The guy made great songs greater and he never overplayed on one fucking song. He understood his job better than any other rock drummer and added just a dash of Ringo. He played songs not drums, the song was his sole purpose. You mentioned Rain, that is a masterpiece and honestly that song isn’t the gem it is without Ringo. You can keep your overplaying, power hitting, speed junkie, 50 cymbal, gong banging, 3 minute soloing, double bass bashing show offs; if I’m starting a band I’m taking Ringo!
"It’s about time someone agreed with me! I get so pissed when people rip on Ringo!"... That makes two os us!
@@_Chuvisco_ That makes three of us. It's infuriating when people rip on him. However, I'm not angry for Ringo's sake, I'm angry that there are humans that are that brainless.
I totally agree! Ringo has become, over the years, my favorite Beatle. His humor and humility are the perfect accompaniments to his genius as a drummer. That said, I also think there's a place in this world for John Henry Bonham.
@@charlesdelair61 although it may have sounded like I was disrespecting the Bonham’s and Pert’s of the world that was not my intention it’s just that the people who worship those types of drummers usually fall over laughing when you mention Ringo as a great drummer. Also a guy in a power trio tend to play a different role in the mix than someone in a 4 or 5 piece band, in most cases. I just feel Ringo has more than earned his right to be considered amongst the best. Another thing, I saw Ringo in concert in 2019 and I never sat down in my seat for 90 minutes, name another drummer who can headline a show, never play a solo and entertain every second of an hour and a half show!
@@rays2794 Phil Collins could do it, but you would be very disappointed at the end because he did not personally play "In the Air Tonight".
Damn,I've listened to the Beatles for 50 years and never realized how much Ringo actually gave them that Beatles sound.It just works out so well that i never broke it down.When you did the comparision of how a traditional drummer would play really shows it
10:11 "Metronoms use a Ringo to make sure they have good time." I really like that joke.
And thank you for this spotlight on Ringo! I needed that.
No mention of his great acting skills? He could act naturally.
He might win a Oscar, you can’t never tell
@@crabken4969 I think the movies gonna make him a big star ⭐
I see what you did there.
And he had to sing about it.
Quest for Fire . . . Zugzug
Anyone who doesn't recognize Ringo's massive talent is blind to originality and musicality. He played drums like a stringed instrument player; with phrases and extreme awareness of what the song needed. His nice guy personality often makes him less than revered than he absolutely should be. Pure rhythm genius.
I respect Ringo's drumming more and more as I get older.
Ringo is a great drummer. Not was, IS a genius as a drummer. He was very innovative to his approach, very musical, and his time is impeccable. He's the only drummer to have made a song hook with the drums, (Come Together), he invented innovative ways of miking the drums that are used today. He invented many techniques that drummers still use today.
I read that Mark Lewisohn listened to every recording session The Beatles ever had. He looked at the records pertaining to each session. He noted how many times a recording came to a stop because someone made a mistake. Most of the time, one of the other Beatles was responsible for the mistake. He said Ringo made "less than a dozen" mistakes in a span of 8 years. If we assume "less than a dozen" is 11, that averages out to 1 mistake per year for 5 years and 2 mistakes per year for 3 years.
What a great point! Forgot to mention that. Thanks Keith--
I've got the book and it's even better than you:d expect. It was before the anthologies. That's when I found out " I've got blisters on my fingers" was Ringo I'd just assumed it was John. ML was the 1st person allowed to listen to the tapes in full while he was treated for cancer.
Hey I just found the book, it's huge. I was wrong about ML, it was actually an engineer that had cancer, then they got ML to write the book . Don't know if you're looking for it but if you are this might help: The Beatles Complete Recording Sessions , Hamlyn Publishing Group 1988 , ISBN 0 600 55798 7 . I got it in about 1990 when I managed a bookshop & we got a few copies in. From memory ISBN is universal, my copies printed in Hong Kong. Great book, huge McCartney interview at the start.
Oh-- I have that... so great!
that's some great math dude!
i never realized how masterful the drum beat is in something. the “normal drummer” version made me physically cringe. ringo knew to never overplay and let every instrument shine HES MY FAV
They all were like that. They NEVER tried to make themselves stand out as individuals. When they plated together, it was ALWAYS about the music and NEVER about them
@@mrfester42 i agree, except paul kind of had the most tendency to show off a bit with his bass playing but it always served the song- filling out the minimalist rhythm section they had
@@filmaticpictures9693 It sounds like you're kind of contradicting yourself.
I see the Beatles, as a band, as genius. Yeah, I know! That word is thrown around so loosely these days it looses its meaning. I agree with that., but it really is the case with them. All four of these guys were master musicians. Not so much in the technical sense, although they had more then their fair share of technical expertise on their instruments, including their voices.
They were master musicians more in the sense that they all knew that, in the end, the most important thing was the music. They always left their egos at the door when they played together and after listening to them for over 55 years, I can't think of a single note that any of them ever played that betrayed even a hint of one upsmanship or any of them wanting to stand above his mates. Not one note.
You say Paul "had the most tendency to show off a bit" and then go on to say that his playing "always served the song". Paul was the most naturally musically gifted of all of them and he used all of that gift. Some may read that as showing off but I've always read it as not being afraid to use what he had... regardless of what anyone may have thought about it.
It always seemed to me that Paul was the most self controlled and emotionally well grounded of the four and, in general, tended to handle his fame, fortune and talent in more healthy ways than the others. Everyone thinks that John was the most musically experimental and adventurous one but that's simply not true. It was mostly Paul who led the band down the many unbeaten paths they ventured down.
His was a personality that didn't let his fears overtake him. He was the one who wasn't afraid to make his bass almost into a lead instrument.. He was the musical ground breaker of the group.
I can understand how it might seem that he was showing off but I don't know how anyone can say that is what it was. I see it as showmanship on one side. healthy competition on another and and the desire to always improve. on yet another. Along with John he was after all the most successful songwriter in history. From the start, his music was highly critically acclaimed. That's obviously a hell of a lot for most people to handle and it can easily be taken the wrong way, even by those who knew him the best. Like George, for example, who seems to have had a bit of a chip on his shoulder when it came to Paul. They didn't remain close after the breakup.
However much he may have been showing off it amazes me that he didn't do it more. The guy had everything in spades.
@@mrfester42 it’s quite simple really- his busier melodic playing served the songs that weren’t filled out with as many moving parts as other rock bands.
For me, Something is one of the greatest drum tracks ever. Ringo melts the drums in and out of Paul's bass. Brilliant.
Thank you George for posting this, and covering all of the elements that made Ringo's work with the Beatles so extraordinary. Your message is a full-on echo of what noted jazz drummer Steve Jordan proclaimed and explained in a lengthy interview some years ago in Modern Drummer magazine, which is that Ringo Starr's playing as a Beatle was PERFECT.
Paul McCartney has told the story of the group's first gig after bouncing Pete Best and putting Ringo behind the drums, on a Friday night date at a club in Liverpool. About half way thru the third number, McCartney glanced over at Lennon, who looked him straight in the eye, with both of their expressions saying the same thing...."Can you believe how f - ing good we sound!!? Rich Starkey made all the difference. One that would soon turn the world on its ear.
I feel sorry for folks who just don't get it. They don't know what they're missing.
I've been listening to the Beatles a lot lately. Most recently listening to Long, Long, Long. And I am blown away at how Ringo's work on that piece punctuates it perfectly. It takes a mellow, soulful, soft presentation from George and picks it up repeatedly. Perfectly. And then there is the whole miraculous happenstance that these four guys from Liverpool found themselves at the same time and they were all geniuses.
yeah that is such an underrated song. one of ringo's finest performances as well.
That is one beautiful song!!
Ringo was a Beatle. In my opinion, no further discussion required
Ringo made match grip popular but never did anything Special except keep the beat,This bloke obviously got a huge cheque from Ringo
@@alfching2499 Ringo is a fantastic drummer, troll.
@@alfching2499 tell us, oh great and wise Alf, what makes a drum part great?
@@alfching2499 - I agree that Ringo wasn’t as proficient as say Buddy Rich buuuut to say Ringo never did anything special is just talking out of your ass.
@@alfching2499 you obviously know jack about drumming & music as a whole. If you did know anything about music you would know Ringo is a great drummer.
Ringo's drumming on the song "Something" is pure genius.
Something and Come Together are 2 of the best examples of the drums complimenting the music perfectly.
I was going to say that too: at the start of "Something" - it sounds like 3 quick beats then 2 against 3, sounds really smooth. He goes from one rhythm to a different one and back to the original within about 3 seconds.
@@davidnorris3802 I thought he was left handed but learned and played with a right handed kit which added the delay.
Yes it was one of the two
@@Altmetalpunk YES!
Please, guys. Pay attention on the drums in "Fixing a Hole".
one of my favorites
Thanks for mentioning this 👍🏼
I can't remember if it was an interview with Ringo or Paul, but I heard that back in the day when the Beatles performed in large stadiums, Ringo could not even hear the music play over the screams of the crowd, and the only way that he could keep time or even know what they were playing was by watching the other three tap their feet; and he kept the timing perfect. Amazing.
What I love about Ringo is that his work is always complimentary to the piece. Never overwhelming or distracting. Zach Starkey has the same quality.
complementary: to make complete, whereas 'complimentary' is a synonym for praiseworthy
self-correction: 'complimentary' means 'free', but a 'compliment' is 'praise'--it morphs!
Ringo's drumming continues to amaze me. His timing is impeccable. and his tasteful fills and unique beats are the perfect fit for every song.
I just read a Ringo biography. It say that he got his first drum kit 1958 when he was almost 18 years old.
And he was working a regular job at the time.
Nonetheless he turned professional only two years later with Rory Storm and the Hurricanes.
Another two years later he was in the studio recording with the Beatles.
I'm a musician and a drum teacher.
People usually still struggle with holding the sticks right, keeping time and getting their limbs to work together
after playing the drums for only a couple of years.
Ringo on the other hand just made the whole world groove after playing the drums for only four years.
Unbelievable.
What a talent !
Blows my mind.
Ringo was the ingredient that transformed The Beatles from club band to superstardom!! His groove and feel were vital components that helped make all of their classic tunes iconic.He was so rock solid AND creative at the same time. George Hrab's video is the best tribute I've seen to Ringo's genius--for ANYONE wanting to know why Ringo matters this video is must viewing. REALLY well done Mr Hrab--kudos!!
Ringo was the luckiest drummer in the world when he got to join the Beatles. BUT the John, Paul and George were just as lucky to get Ringo. They needed each other very much.
John and Paul knew instinctively that they needed exactly this drummer and the world is lucky they all came together
@@andreasplatzgummer6014 They did? See above.
Thank George. He thought of it.
Not exactly luck. He was the best drummer in Liverpool and especially George H felt how the whole group just came together whenever Ringo sat in (which he did on several occasions before joining). And when George Martin told them Pete Best wasn't good enough for recording, that sealed it. The Fab Four were never that before Ringo.
@@lonedrone Not just George felt that way. When Ringo sat in with them, all three Beatles noticed the immediate improvement. The band just felt right to them when Ringo was on drums.
Ringo is the King of Feel. He knows what a song needs....
People go on and on about the Led Zeppelin drummer, John Bonham. I would like to comment on his drumming vs Ringo's drumming. Bonham's drumming was certainly skillful, but he was into bashing, releasing aggression. Ringo is a sensitive drummer, a drum artist. There never was a 'look at me' element, a 'look at how good I am' element .. never a hint of ego, of a prima donna ... Ringo is a humble, sensitive artist who complemented the Beatles so perfectly. It is impossible to imagine The Beatles without him. Bonham, while skillful, wanted to impress, he appealed to people loaded with aggression. Ringo is a far superior drummer. He is so very gifted .. a rarity .. the most sensitive soul. Each and every Beatle song he brought his own unique interpretation to, enhancing and embellishing, adding a dimension no one else could have.
Great analogy. Ringo was a Drum ARTIST. Whereas Bonzo was simply a high energy power basher. Perfect for hard rocking Led Zep, but not for more artistic Beatles.
@@kkelleybass Exactly. "a high energy power basher" A perfect description.
Sorry, got to disagree....just as it is impossible to imagine the Beatles without Ringo, it’s impossible to imagine Led Zeppelin without Bonham.
It’s possible to admire them both - to say Bonham was a “basher” is very unfair. The same could be said of Keith Moon, and the Who wouldn’t be The Who without him.
(Btw, I love Ringo’s drumming.)
@@mvaughan007 Yes, Led Zeppelin wouldn't be Led Zeppelin without Bonham. They knew that .. when he died they knew that was the end of Led Zeppelin. They have said such in an interview. This, however, does not mean he wasn't a basher .. even though a very skillful basher. Keith Moon could rightly be described as a basher too. Both men, Bonham and Moon, were an intergral part of their respective groups .. no one is saying otherwise .. but both were "high energy power bashers" as kkellybass has aptly said .. this is undeniable.
@@johnwhite9825 it's funny that Moon was the one who taught Ringo's son, Zach, how to play and Zach has played with The Who in the past.
You forgot a couple of genius tracks. His takes on ‘I Feel Fine’ and ‘Ticket To Ride’. No drummer would even begin to come up with those
yes, I agree. Love the unique drum lines of those two tunes
well i feel fine is based off afro-cuban rhythms but the application is still genius
Ringo taught me how to play drums. Seven years old, banging on a stool to "She loves you" and "A hard day's night ". No better education, trust me!
ditto
Agree 100%. I started playing drums by copying Beatles records age 8. Now at 53 I tell my drum students ( after about 60,000) lessons that Ringo bought me my house.
It’s officially called the “Ringo falls down the stairs” triplet!
Recognizable by drawing a little blue elephant next to a normal triplet.
First heard in the intro of “She loves you”.
It is by far the most difficult and barely impossible note to play correctly for us simple mortals..
Octopus's Garden, written by Ringo, captures the psychedelic period and the Beatles 'good feeling vibe' with it's lyrics perfectly. To me it stands as a quintessential Beatles song. Great video!
I liked Act Naturally better, it had a country touch to it. Pretty cool for a Brit band.
Ringo was the greatest because he played to the song. He didn't play only basic beats, but he didn't play unnecessary fills. He treated the drums like George and John treated the guitars, as an equally important instrument in the song's composition.
In my opinion Ringo's genius was not necessarily his drum skills, but he was a way better musician than most drummers are. I mean, he hardly ever just played a rhythm, he composed percussive parts. He made The Beatles sound better than they would have with any other drummer.
So was he a great drummer? I don't know, but he was absolutely a great musician. One of the best!
yes he played for the music, the most important part
@@BudderB0y2222 ; Absolutely!
Nicely put!
This discussion reminds me of how Freddie Mercury is reported to have said he wasn't really a very good pianist. He'd studied classical piano at school, up to grade IV, and so knew, presumably, he was far from being a top-notch player, technically. Yet, this is the man who composed and played so many iconic, unforgettable piano parts for Queen, in both recordings and live performance. Who doesn't instantly recognise the first few bars of the ballad section of Bohemian Rhapsody? Or get a kick from his dazzling piano work on Somebody to Love (Live in Montreal, 1981) or his White Queen duet with Brian May on lead guitar, at Hammersmith Odeon?
Surely many thousands of more technically advanced pianists have existed, yet none could have produced the unique music he did. Technique, however dazzling, is only one ingredient in the alchemical compound that makes a great musician, and a great band.
Spent 6 years in a Beatles cover band. I have nothing but Love for Ringo. Solid, creative, supported the music, played without ego.
Another underrated but amazing drum part by Ringo is on the song 'I me mine'
His fills on there are amazing and the rhythm is awesome.
John is distraught, "'cuz you walked hand-in-hand, with another man, in my place........cshhhhh." It's the last line at the end, before the final "No reply...no reply." Ringo follows John's line with a lone cymbal crash. It's John's heart, breaking; it's his "mic drop." Perfect drumming throughout the tune, but that soft cymbal crash ... damn. All these years later, one of the reasons their music stands the test of time is that Ringo was so much better than we understood then.
Dennis: Great example!
Wow. That's a perfect way to descibe his genius.
It's 'Tomorrow Never Knows" for me. Coolest drum part ever IMO. ruclips.net/video/pHNbHn3i9S4/видео.html
I love your comment! I have always admired the genius of that simple little perfectly placed, sad "cshhhhhh" of Ringo's lone cymbal crash in No Reply! It truly was a "mic drop" and artfully embellished the song with emotion. I've never heard anyone else express appreciation of that. 👍
@@Soapandwater6 "Artfully embellished" That's so cool!
Been a fan of Ringo's drumming for decades, he is one of the most original and musical drummers of all time. Good to see him getting some long-overdue recognition in recent years, while he still alive to hear it. :)
Each Beatle changed the way there respective instruments were played forever. Also, every band member wrote a No:1 hit, not too many bands can claim that!
That is a point I had never thought of... Add another, as if there weren't enough!
Ringo didn’t write any no 1s mate
He co-wrote 'Photograph', went No 1 in 1973. In the 70s he had a ton of top 10 hits, not all written by him but he was a superstar after the Beatles broke up.
Queen too! Another band with supremely talented individual members.
On top of all of that, Ringo was the ultimate 'feel' drummer, but by his own admission, he was such a feel guy that he sometimes couldn't duplicate what he had previously played. No worries though, whatever he did come up with, integrated all of what George talks about in the video into the perfect fill. BTW...I played matched grip BECAUSE of Ringo! I always thought traditional grip guys were a bit pretentious. As a rudimental drummer, and having learned that while playing matched, matched made so much more sense to me when I eventually moved to a kit.
Thank you so much for this analysis my friend.. It's Always been discouraging to me to hear So Many People Trashing Ringo over what they have determined to be poor technique, when it was apparent that his approach was simply beyond their ability to fully comprehend.. Ringo's drumming skills have Always been dedicated to the Benefit of the Song, and Nothing More.. His work has Never been about Flash or Show.. He is a Great Musician, and I find it to be refreshing that he is Completely Satisfied to exist in that role.. Lary
I could an interview with Paul from the early 70's in which he was challenged as to why he still turned to Ringo to perform on his studio albums. His response was that Paul would play his song for Ringo once, Ringo would do a run through, Paul would add his thoughts, Ringo would adjust and they'd record the song with the perfect drum part. Simple as that. Ringo knew what his mates needed in the song.
A different interview about twenty years later, George was discussing Paul trying to get Ringo to do an introductory solo. Ringo absolutely refused, he wouldn't use his instrument to solo in an ensemble work.
In being able to listen to some of the more in depth studies of the Beatles, it amazes more how far they creatively moved each instrument away from the norms of how and instrument would be used or played for any given song. There are 9 string chords to open songs, Paul using the bass as a percussion instrument, Ringo carrying the melody on a song. These were four young men with varying degrees of musical genius that each may have had a significant career solo, but melded for a time to create legacy music. And none of them had formal training in musical theory, much to the rest of the world's gain.
Ringo didn’t let his ego run away from himself, I saw him interviewed once where he said “ I’m a drummer, not a percussionist” it shows the respect for his trade and other musicians.
Thank you for your contributions to the post.. You all bring up Great points.. Ringo's work has always blown me away.. I play almost everything but horns and anytime I'm at my drum kit I end up with even more respect and admiration for the man.. He's simply Amazing... Lary
Ringo was a beatle not just a drummer playing is that band.
I wish you weren't so awkward bud
What the eff does that even mean!!!
Yes is that band
You know he meant 'in'
@@annettekiwi yeah people just want to cyber bully all the time
True story. Best rock drummer ever. Nearly every other drummer wants to stick in as many hits as possible, show off their skills, etc. The Beatles would not have been the same without him. One quibble, Paul played the drums on many Beatles tracks (and guitar for that matter.) But you could always tell when it was Ringo, he was distinctly clever in figuring out the rhythmic hook of the song. Absolutely a genius.
By all counts, Paul played drums on four tracks. USSR, Prudence, Ballad of J&Y, and Martha My Dear. It's interesting to listen to those and note the differences in tone and feel. Great tracks all--
@@Hrab Seriously, _I_ could have played as well (better, even!) than the drumming on "Ballad of J&Y"! That track always felt to me like Paul rolling his eyes and thinking "oh ffs let's just get this thing done and over with then ASAP we can get back to work"!
Ringo was the first rock/pop drummer where you could tell what song it was by the drum track alone.
Lets remember that the Beatles asked Ringo,,, to join Them.
Yes! The Beatles chose Ringo as their drummer. I trust their judgment!
I smiled at this. You are right!!!
That explains EVERYTHING
He was the best in Liverpool. And he wento to the Beatles because they pay more! kkkkk
They wouldn't have been the same without ringo. Ringo was the square peg in the square hole so to speak.
My brother , who is an excellent drummer himself , said the only people who seem to think Ringo isn't a good drummer don't play the drums. He and every drummer he's ever known have great respect for Ringo and his skill as a musician...
Ringo is left headed. Playing a right handed drum kit. And leads his left hand.
I love how he plays “ come together”.
That what George said😃
This is a revelation ! I heard so many people saying Ringo was barely competent drummer. And now, you made me realize he was just a misunderstood genius. Thank for the video and for vindicating his artwork!
The 13 thumbs down must be from Pete Best, and family.
Blue Meanies
Probably just jealous drummers that overplay and know that they have never contributed anything to rock's history or future.
Best was, or is, a decent straight ahead drummer. The reason he was replaced is exactly what was explained in this video. The other Beatles have related in interviews here and there that they recognized Ringo's talent at once. He was slightly older and already a respected drummer when they picked him up. There really never has been a question about it except to the uninformed.
Not from people who know the 6th word in ''In my life'' is 'all' .
not 'in'?
(I haven't thumbed down)
Pete Best has made a good living off of his Beatles connection.
Those who are Beatle Fanatics would know that Ringo fell in love with drums at an early age and practiced constantly (as did George on guitar). So it is no surprise he was good.
He was as creative as the rest of the Beatles. I like his drumming on All I've Got To DO.
Probably the best video isolating and promoting a musician that I've ever watched. Thanks George Hrab.
The right guy, the right time, the right drumming , the right personality to be part of history....a little better or a little worst drummer ...an The Beatles could have ended being another group of the brit invasion. Ringo deserves his place in music. period
And not to mention his drumming on "Ticket to Ride", most unususal style on that song
Rain is awesome too!
Paul came up with the signature drum sound on Ticket to Ride. He showed Ringo what he wanted
@@ctgranto1 Ringo explained how he came up with that beat on television. It was one of those accidents of playing left handed on a right handed kit. That's it. The fact it sounds awesome is incidental.
@@orlandopockets6372 Purdie is a delusional buffoon. King of groove, but delusional nonetheless.
@@orlandopockets6372 Suuuure he did.
This is one of my favorite clips on RUclips; I’ve watched it at least five times, already. Thank you.
This was a great and informative post. I loved the analysis, the demonstration and the insight.
Ringo's solo on The End is perfect. No other drummer would've played it the way he did. A true musical genius. Saw him in concert 10 years ago. Awesome show!
When Ringo quit the band, the other 3 begged him back. That says it all.
Then why did Paul play drums on all the recording’s.
Because he sucked and would never show up.
@@tomtom6319 No Paul didn't.
@@mikem9001 do your research.
@@tomtom6319 Paul played a couple of songs on drums, sometimes I believe because Ringo was sick, he also suffered from illness for most of his childhood years, which is probably a reason he sometimes got sick in his older years . Paul did not play drums on “all” of the sessions, very little actually. With Back in the USSR, Ringo at the time had left the band because of how bad and tense the relationships between the members, so paul had to pick up the slack. If YOU did your research than you should know this. I don’t know if you are just trying to to start a fight with random people, because you’re obviously wrong.
@@Biggases777 yes that’s right! Ringo had a lot of health issues starting from when he was a kid, including appendicitis and tuberculosis. That’s how he started drumming actually, when he was hospitalized for tuberculosis he ended up in the hospital band. Later when the Beatles were really big he had tonsillitis, so they had to have someone stand in for a little bit while he recovered.
This is most comprehensive, well explained, and even demoed exposition of Ringo's talent, temperament and artistry that I've seen yet. EXCELLENT VIDEO. Thank you.
I loved every single second of this video. Thank you, Geo. X
Excellent analysis. I heard a isolated version of Ringo's part to "Golden Slumbers" recently and at one point all he does is a single ringing hi-hat and it is so perfect. Not a complex fill or anything obviously but just so very musical, so delicate and so emotional. They were lucky to have him...
Exactly. 1 note placed perfectly is all I need.
I agree the only True Solo, I can recall him doing as a Beatle...is was A PURE VIRTUOSO performance...just perfect fit for that run of songs.
This is absolutely terrific stuff! Ringo was the first truly “famous” rock era drummer and also naturally talented, served the songs and therefore informed future drummers about how to do it!
Great job George, Complete Production. Great that you spoke, played and sang.
Anyone who appreciates music on a musical level knows Ringo is a genius. A casual fan or listener would think he's just playing easy beats to a relatively simple song, but really Ringo is driving the entire band as a good drummer does but also making each song distinct from eachother.
Idk. He's my favorite Beatle.
Ringo... a completely enlightened drummer. To be open to Ringo and to listen, his drum parts will nudge you towards absolute awakening. Love YOU RINGO
This is fantastic. The only thing I would disagree with is when you say at the end (and the beginning): "Ringo was a genius!" Fact is: Ringo still IS a genius!
Exactly my thought as well!
Hey George; so so glad you took this moment to de-scribe the action. I have felt all of this you made clear but never put it into words like you did here. After 60 years you brought the light back onto the genius of “the lads”. Great work.
I’ve been looking for “this video” for years. Thank you!
Ringo's drummer arrangements were as important any other instrument in the song. He was a melodic drummer and offered the song exactly what it required and then executed it precisely.
And do keep in mine that he also took direction from the others...mainly Paul, it is said...
@@dcaccavo1 Yes of course, most song writers know basically what they want in an arrangement but Ringo even under some guidance was able to interrupt drumming in a certain way that was 'Ringo'
He played to the song--you are perfectly correct. It's why he only had one solo in his career with the Beatles!
Thank you, George.
That was the best articulation of why Ringo is a genius that I have ever seen - now I can point people to your video instead of trotting off all of these things myself (and I am a guitarist!).
In the 80s, George Martin had Ringo and Steve Gadd's kits set up beside each other, and Martin said that he was "shaken" at how distinctive Ringo's playing was on a kit that was not that special - and that was coming from someone who had been in hundreds of sessions with Ringo over the years.
Perhaps the most important thing, though, is that Ringo is a compassionate, loving person and a a great humanitarian.
Ringo probably is the most underrated drummer in Rock n Roll...i still love him
I never got why people called him a bad drummer, whenever I would listen to him he sounded great for the style and era.
I have a friend who's not rich or famous, but is a life-long professonal drummer and percussionist, and he simply says "I love Ringo".
What John actually did say was that Ringo would have been a success without the Beatles.
Technically, he was kind of already a success when he joined the band. They were all astounded that he had a car.
As the Billboard Hot 100 #1 hits retrospective blog We Are Number Ones put it, *_"Ringo Starr is a promising country singer sidetracked by being a Beatle."_*
They actually headhunted Ringo - he was already a well-established musician in the NW and had plenty of options. He was of a significantly higher status when he joined the Beatles and they must have thought they'd had a right touch getting him.
@@noneofyourbeeswax01 Ringo was their Ringer.
The fake quote not only shuns Ringo, but it hurts John as well. Do you think John Lennon would've had Ringo on the drums if he weren't the best drummer? And yes, there are songs that Ringo didn't drum in, but that's not due to his lack of skill. But the fake quote cancels itself out. We assume John as this egotistical "bigger than Jesus" guy and here he is saying this drummer, who is shite, but can still put himself on a pedestal? Get outta town.
When I was a teenager, playing drums in a series of garage/basement bands, I used to say I admired Ringo for his creative use of rests. I assumed that it was a good solution to not having the athletic wherewithal to do amazing 64th note fills, and not being very athletic myself I really appreciated that approach. But I lacked the musical sophistication at the time to recognize just how innovative and integral to the Beatles' sound he really was. Thank you for this video.
A great video, and I really appreciate the examples of Ringo's techniques.
One of the attributes of The Beatles was the sheer range of their music, in terms of different styles and genres - they could pretty much do it all. But while other drummers with their particular style might just have basically done what they do on all these track, Ringo was able to take each individual song, submerge his own ego and provide the song with exactly what it needed. If that requirement meant he had nothing to do but strike a triangle every so often, then that's damn well what he'd do. He allowed the style and form of the song to inform his drumming, rather than the other way around. And he achieved all that variation and subtlety on (mostly) a basic four-drum kit as well.
I read not long ago that his favorite song for his wonderful drumming is Rain! Someone mentioned Rain in these comments! Type in Rain on RUclips and watch!
Ringo is an absolute treasure. To add to all that has been presented here, he had awesome tone, an innate understanding of how the *sound* of what he was playing would enhance the song. But wait, there’s more:
Listen to him sing “Good Night” on the White Album. Any singer worth their salt would be proud of that performance. The love that he communicates is extraordinary.
I perform in 2 Beatles tribute bands as Ringo and I've noticed through the years that most people who don't think Ringo was very good, can never recreate his sound or playing.
George, I've been bingeing on Beatle-videos for a while, and as a guitarist I fell for the popular word on the street, that he's not that good. Your video has blown me away more than most! I have the feeling I'll remember what you said for as long as I listen to the Fab Four! Thank you ;-)
As a Beatles fanatic and a bass player, this video was absolutely amazing and provided a tremendous amount of insight to the value of Ringo’s drumming, talent, and contributions to the most iconic music ever played! Well done!!
The true measure of Ringo's greatness...try to imagine any Beatles song WITHOUT Ringo's drumming! You cant do it! He is the originator of modern rock drumming and the reason I started playing drums. Once I saw them on Ed Sullivan, and saw how much fun Ringo looked to be having, I was hooked! God bless Ringo!
I can. She Loves You. Alan White created that part. Who was chosen by Martin. Later learned it. Felt threatened. Got even better.
Try again.
A good thing is to say "Listen to the demos," and you'll hear great songs that are just acoustic rhythm and vocals.
But does that mean that, say, Paul's bass wasn't an extra incredible element? Or George's lead? Or the harmonies? Or a French Horn or a string section etc etc etc?
No -- as great as the songs were without these extra elements, they were elevates to precision perfect by the band's treatment and George Martin's production. That is true of Ringo's drum compositions as much as anything.
So I agree with you that the OP's test doesn't work -- I can easily imagine the song's without Ringo's drums; but it was a bad test to begin with, because that doesn't measure the genius of his parts.
Having said that, your reasoning for disagreeing with the OP is incredibly flawed. Dude I don't think you even know the difference between She Loves You and Love Me Do -- White *never* played on She Loves You! So, if you know that little about the subject, don't just guess who wrote what, or at least don't try to talk Ringo down based upon your vague memories of half-learned stories.
@@Matthew-ve7uv Thanks for clearing up that last point, Matthew. I was puzzled as to why GM would have been using a session drummer for She Loves You, so (relatively) late on, well after Ringo had settled in. I knew about GM having Andy (not Alan!) White booked for the LMD session, it being the band's first time recording for EMI/Parlophone. Of course GM didn't know at that point yet, what Ringo could do.
My drums teacher was by far no fan of Ringo at all but he did say he was the right guy for the band. He didn't think it would have sounded better with like Steve Gadd or Buddy Rich.
Love this video, there should be more out there. Ringo is one of the greats and drummers that came after him owe something they do to him.
Thank you for this educational, well-written, and thoughtfully researched video of our incredible Ringo Starr.
You know how great of a drummer Ringo is when you see that both John and George, in their first solo albums after the Beatles called Ringo to play on them, when they could have call any other great drummer at the time. That’s because they know that Ringo is the master of feel, he adapts so perfectly the drums to the song and not the other way around like many regular drummers do.