Pete Best Reveals Why He Was Kicked Out Of The Beatles | Letterman
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- Опубликовано: 28 мар 2023
- The Beatles original drummer says it wasn't his drumming skills that got him booted from the band.
(From "Late Night," air date: 7/14/82)
#beatles #petebest #letterman
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Welcome to the Letterman RUclips Channel, home to all your favorite clips from Late Night and Late Show - as well as conversations with the writers, producers and performers who helped make it all happen. The language may strike you as quaint & flowery, the clothing comically lacey & ornate - but that’s how things were back in this colorful and now bygone era. 
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![Beatle Pete Best HILARIOUS Interview on Howard Stern [1986]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/m2_DJQm-72o/mqdefault.jpg)
This is the first time I've heard him speak. I'm amazed by how soft spoken he is.
I love it, wish more people were as natural and unassuming. Those sort of talk shows are full of loud mouths saying nathin these days. My uncle sounds alot like Pete.
Seems as he has a clicking sounds as he talks.
@@spy1965yes. My nextdoor neighbour's gardener speaks exactly like him. Not many of these true scousers left now.
Pete finally got his royalties when The Beatles' Anthology CD's came out because his drumming was on one of the CD's from the Beatles' early days. Pete's got a comfy pension now. Good for him.
$14M
@@paulweston285 Not sure where $14 million comes from, his current net worth is estimated at around $600k
@@paulweston285 Or between £1 million and £4 million
I heard he died shortly after this interview, so he doesn't have a pension now.
@@brucenator Pete Best? He's doing fine, alive and well at 81 years of age.
He later joined the Civil Service, working for JobCentre in Liverpool, eventually rising to training manager for Northeast England... training people for new careers after losing their old ones. He did well for himself, and he had the ultimate "I got fired from an awesome job" story!
Every turn in life impacts the end result of one's identity....
Mr. Best has much to be proud of 😉
How ironic.
Pretty cut throat. And it fits the pattern of the personalities involved who just sued and sued each other. The Beatles are not nice lads and I’m happy I went with Zep.
@@Civil_War_Now
*_John Lennon was a toxic ingredient in the whole Beatles story!_*
@@Civil_War_Now are you 12?
This has to be the most respectful interview Dave Letterman has ever done, and good on him for it.
How about the one with Cindy Crawford.
@@robertpolnicky7702 I'll check it out, thanks.
@@Pneumanon I was being a little sarcastic. Dave had a problem with pretty women. I have the same problem. The interview was funny though.
@@robertpolnicky7702 Just watched a couple of his Cindy Crawford interviews, they seemed to get on alright!
What's with the audience tho? They're sniggering away in the back ground for no apparent reason 🤔
Pete seems like he is an honest person. I can't imagine the heart ache he has dealt with for practically his whole life. He seems to have done the best job he could. I'm glad he is getting the recognition he deserves
Indeed. I wonder what the reason was that he got fired. Was it his drumming, was it jealousy for whatever reason, was it something else. Like a who shot Kennedy question.
@@raccuia1
you've made a *very* astute analogy
@@raccuia1 Not a good analogy. The U.S. gov't assassinated JFK because he wanted to stop Viet Nam and get rid of the Federal Reserve so he died.
@@raccuia1 George Martin said he couldn't keep a beat. He told them to keep him if you want but he can't play on records.
@@NaturalRagman The little I have heard of Pete Best drumming, including the Decca records audition and various other RUclips videos, I tend to err on the side of his drumming prowess. I think The Beatles made the right call with Ringo. I have watched YT vids of Pete Best being interviewed and he comes across as a good fella. I hope he was able to cope with the churning stomach and emotional pain through the years.
I can't believe the audience was giggling and laughing at some of the serious things he said. Dave's audience had some real azzholes in it, that night.
yeah, I heard that Paul McCartney was in the audience in disguise and kept giggling at the most inappropriate times.
yes! I totally agree, jeez, what is wrong with these idiots? so disrespectful!
Yes, so inappropriate. I am sure the ones who laughed have nothing going for themselves.
The Letterman audiences always seem to be giggly and disrespectful, laughing at nothing..
@@jude2235 Agreed.
You never know how your life will pan out. Pete Best came across as a decent person which is more important than success or money. Good on you Pete!
Exactly. Success does not mean money, it means fulfilment.
He comes across as decent ... until he blames getting kicked out on "jealousy." That's just not believable and doesn't come across as remotely honest.
He stood in the way of them getting a record contract. He was with them when they first walked into a recording studio, but Producer George Martin wasn’t happy with him.
Yes, most people that are filthy rich are saying to themselves, "Dammit! Why am I cursed with all this money, fame and notoriety when I could have just been a decent person"?
Gosh this thread brings out the cynics
Much respect for Pete he handled the whole situation like a champ 🏆
Comes across as a decent bloke. I wish him well.
top bloke
Agreed. Be well Dave.
He certainly does. I’m impressed by his manner.
Made $14M out of Anthology
I heard he always comes on and starts looking for balloons, but nobody gets his humour.
The poor man candidly speaks about a very painful and hugely impactful part of his life and the crowd laughs. Juvenile and insensitive crowd. It seemed like only Mr. Letterman understood the situation. Respect to Mr. Best.
I agree. Dave showed class but many in the audience were being classless POS and total douchebags
The Letterman audience was always like that. Like drunk chimps.
The Letterman audience members are told in no uncertain terms if they are going to attend they must provide a laughter track, whether or not they find it funny. It's not their fault if they were not forewarned there was going to be a serious interview which did not require laughter. Very awkward.
Least he can say I was the Beatle first drummer or at least say I was part of the the Beatles not many people can say that because there's only a couple people that can or could
😂😂😂
Fair play to Pete he persevered. Life isn't fair but you've got to keep going.
[ ... unless it kills you, of course ]
Looking at this interview I'd say he was kicked out because of his total lack of personality and charisma. That and his inadequate drumming skills were the 2 factors not jealousy.
@@CB-xr1eg Well, he doesn't actually drum in this so there is no way you would know. None of the beatles really struck me as full of charisma and personality, they were marketed as being pretty bland. This guy would fit right in with any interview you saw with them.
That he's not practiced at being interviewed would go without saying. However, we have no idea what would do it. He doesn't say 'musical jealousy' so it could have just been that he was better looking than them.
Either way, Johns dead thanks to being a beatle, so no matter how much money he had, he still comes out ahead.
@@mikearchibald744 "marketed as being pretty bland"...what a load of absolute nonsense.
@@CB-xr1eg Go watch interviews of them, if thats not bland, not sure what is.
I heard an interview with him as The Pete Best Band was playing my home city (Edmonton, Canada). this was probably in the 2000s. He seemed alot more at piece with his life. He said "we all know what happened to John, and George lived in fear and was attacked in his own home. I'm still a celebrity in Liverpool and a minor celebrity in most of England, so, no regrets"
Ciertamente, lo que hicieron los Beatles con Pete Best no fue una broma. Se puede decir que George y Paul le tenían un sentimiento de aversión a Best. Por eso cuando conocieron a Ringo en Hamburgo, sobre todo George, lo quisieron incorporar al grupo. Pero Ringo no era tonto, los escucho tocar y se dió cuenta que no tenían nada y que no iban a tener futuro a corto plazo. De ninguna manera se iba a salir del grupo de Rory Storm, que en ese entonces era un grupo más profesional y traía mejor sonido que los Beatles. Lo más delesnable de los Beatles, es que si sabían que Best no encajaba con ellos, se lo debieron haber dicho desde la primera vez que fue con ellos a Hamburgo. Se la jugo con ellos desde que fue el baterista oficial de los Beatles, también hizo el trabajo rudo junto con los otros, esto es, era un equipo. Y cuando conocieron a Epstein y luego a George Martin que fue con Pete Best, no con Ringo, se dieron cuenta que estaban por lograr el éxito y así si, mandaron llamar a Ringo y este ni tardó ni perezoso, ahora sí acepto unirse a los Beatles. Otra observación, Martin nunca dijo nada malo sobre Pete Best. Lo que él dijo fue que respetaba la desicion de los otros tres y que el nunca corrió a Best. Dijo que en los estudios de grabación se sustituia a quien fuera necesario y el público no se enterario, cuando menos a corto plazo. Así como George Harrison fue sustituido por Eric Clapton las veces que fuera necesario y no por eso iban a correr a Harrison. Aunque alguna vez John pensó en sustituir a Harrison por Eric Clapton, pero seguramente Clapton no hubiese aceptado. Una vez dicho lo anterior, el Karma alcanzo a los que hicieron el complot en contra de Best. Abur
It's peace not piece.
What could anyone possible say to this poor man? He has class, dignity and is a gentleman.
Not really. There's really no reason for him to go on tv complaining. Bands change personnel all the time. They were kids then. If Pete had stayed, the success nor the music would have been the same. Sounds like sour grapes.
@@angusmount3913 hi
@@angelabluebird609 Who would have sour grapes after a bad ditch? That is natural, specially if you get ditched by your friends.
@@hanslund308 Not really. A gentleman of class and dignity would not publicly whine. Change of personnel in bands is common. He is also paid the royalties he is due, no small amount, either. I'm from a musical family and married into a musical family. This is just silly. The Beatles were and are magic, with John, Paul, George and Ringo. That is how it happened and how it is.
@@angelabluebird609 hardly whining is he ?I think you underestimate the cataclysmic effect this would have on your psyche especially given the magnitude of their success and he was treated quite shoddily
Tough break.
But Pete is still relatively famous,
and he's never gonna be worried about the rent. He continued to play music
and also became a family man,
Husband to a beautiful Wife,
and Father to 2 Kids,....
as he carried with him a great outlook.
🍻 Cheers, Pete.
... and it can (sort of) be argued that he's only famous by being carried on the coattails of the band that became enormously successful
@@sexobscura
With that line of thinking,
if that's the argument, then it can easily also be argued that because of them
he didn't get the chance to be as successful as he might've been had he never met them.
@@skelter1153
Correct
Fame by association
Actually he got royalties to some beatles anthologies which had his drumming in the recordings so he took Monag from Beatles recently.
@@innosanto It was never about the Monag.
Longer, deeper, and with an better audience this interview could have been one of the greatest
Audience were quite rude
if The Beatles weren't ever successful (as they certainly weren't when Best left), who'd really be as interested in this story ...
The thing is Pete Best will always be remembered as the first Beatles drummer who signed a contract with the other Beatles.
True. I’ve heard his story many times.
And the worst Beatles' drummer ever
Actually, he wasn’t the first Beatles drummer mentioned in the interview. It was another drama before we called Tommy Moore, the fact is, he wasn’t a good drummer and didn’t keep a good time. Ringo was a better drummer, it is said metronomes were calibrated to Ringo’s timing.
@@walrus1300 Yes they did have other drummers. I should clarify my post: Pete Best was the first official Beatle drummer who signed a contract with the Beatles.
@@vangroover1903 No that was Paul..........
He's a inspiration for those who don't give up on life. Pete Best ♥️🤘🤘🤘🇬🇧🇬🇧
I met Pete around this interview. What a wonderful nice kind and respectful man. He was dealt a bad hand but has made a good life for himself. It’s the one part of the Beatles story that I’m not happy with how they handled it.
When you learn that they sacked one of the Quarrymen via their manager, it’s not so unusual for Pete to be dismissed the same way.
@@GaryLangEngr well if you can read I wrote “not happy with how they handled it”. I never wrote that they made a mistake. Pretty big difference there Gary.
@@GaryLangEngr to bring the guy in and tell him face to face. You know like the way YOU would want to be fired. Not cower and hide and make your manager do your dirty work. It makes perfect sense. You must be too dense to understand.
Pete got bad attitude, and John, Paul and George felt this and talked to their manager. Brian the Manager already knew this and to avoid rough time among them, the Manager decided to put him out of the band, otherwise, it would have taken to The Beatles eventually breaking up.....
@@buffalobraves9at the end of the day as bad as I feel for him, it’s kind of his own fault. He repeatedly would miss concerts and be unreliable, refused the Beatles haircut and didn’t really improve his skill as a drummer. This behaviour would get you sacked from most garage bands nevermind the Beatles.
A true gentleman. Terrible how they treated his departure he deserved better.
Pete didn't show up for several performances, which didn't endear him to the others He also refused to get a Beatles haircut. Probably most important, as John said, "He wasn't quick like the rest of us."
He was in the Beatles for 2 years which is very cool indeed. Its sad for him that he was sacked but I bet he has some good memories of those early days. My bands were never successful but I dont regret doing it. doing it is whats important, not the money
Comes across as a lovely guy, that must have been a very hard interview to push through. Good for him that he eventually saw royalties from his earlier work.
He seems very honest and straightforward
I appreciate the sensitivity Dave brought to this interview. I feel for Pete.
Pete has a very calming relaxing sound to his voice. Very therapeutic.
I can’t “imagine” the emotional rollercoaster ride this gentleman has experienced. He’s one tough tough man! Much respect Mr. Best. ✨🙏✨🥁
Pete is in the Beatle recordings, he is therefore a Beatle forever.
That statement deserves a yeah, right.
Pete was never a Beatle but was on the recordings that was rejected by Decca.
@@paulnodalo9130 I think he is on Anthology.
...he will always be a "Founding" member.🥁
Ringo wasn't...he was a replacement.
no disrespect to Ringo.
@@paulnodalo9130 were* rejected by Decca, not was*
Actually, I believe that when they were recording their first album, George Martin thought the drumming was weak and wanted someone different. But can you imagine being in a band for two years, and a month or so before something called Beatlemania strikes your given the boot. Then having to watch the band you put your blood sweat and tears into becomes the biggest, most successful band in music history. Ouch!!! I feel for the guy.
it was definitely a bad break for Pete, but...George Martin was right.
No sweat and tears were expended. Have you ever listened to his drum playing from that time? He was awful. (I have the recordings) Plain and simple. He also had a habit of missing gigs. Even Lennon who usually was moot on the subject spoke publicly of Bests' substandard playing.
It was George Martin that decided to replace Pete with Ringo. There was jealousy in the band as the girls favorite was Pete. Lennon was upset when they played at the Cavern without Pete and the fans were yelling...someone had a recording of this and Lennon agreed with the fans.
@@barbj9785 No he didn't. McCartney also said as much in Ringo's induction to the R&R hall of Fame. I also have the sound and printed interview with Lennon. I also have ALL of the recordings with Best. He was awful. Don't spread lies.
@@justiceforall6412 True, Pete wasnt a good drummer. But I did hear George Martin say they needed to make a change in the drumming. Whether he made that decision himself or not I dont know. It was handed down to Brian Epstein to tell Pete.
This is one of the more respectful interviews I have seen Dave do.
God bless him! As much as I love Ringo's drumming, I really hope things worked out well for Best too.
Worked out for the Best, if you will
The crowd was eager to laugh, but Dave, gave a great interview here. I feel.for the guy, as a drummer who's been kicked out of a band 😂
I heard that Dave Payne was kicked out of RUSH before they picked up some guy named Neil.
Yeah, I couldn't understand what was wrong with the crowd, there.
There's no Dave on this video, it's either David or Pete.
@@CB-xr1eg what do you think dave stands for
@@grimes558 Hmm, that's a tough one. Is it an acronym?🤔
Some of the Decca auditions appear on the more recent Beatles Live at the BBC, and they prove Pete was a sub par drummer, at Best. The guy couldn't even keep time.
Ironically, Pete was Best in name only.
What a unique position to be in - Mr. Best has real class - it's been a long time but he comes across as content and with no rancor - nice to see someone so well adjusted to reality - may God bless him.
Class? I've heard a few of the recordings on which he played, and he was clearly a below average drummer. Yet he claims he was fired because of "jealousy" over his physical beauty. I can understand his trying to cash in, and he was certainly owed something for the one or two contributions he made to the anthology. But a big payday? Only if he made a big contribution.
I have the utmost respect for this man. Had it been me, I'd not have been around to talk about it. I hope life has treated him well. As for Dave's audience: What a bunch of jerks.
Cool to hear his take on what happened, but I think this was the wrong platform for him to appear. The Letterman audience was there for comedy, and I can't help but think their laughter in hearing how he was unceremoniously kicked out of of the band 1 month before they became the most popular rock band in history must have been humiliating. Certainly demoralizing.
I don't think he cared that they laughed. Not to be harsh, but Pete was on Letterman to cash in on a Beatles career that he wasn't really part of (other than he was the timekeeper while they polished their skills in Hamburg). Not many people can turn a 2 year job which ended in being fired, into a lucrative lifelong career.
I don't think Dave went for humor with every guest in those days. Sometimes the guest was funny, other times it was just somebody promoting a book or whatnot and Dave didn't always go for laughs. I was too young in `82 but I feel like this was true of the show in the late 80s. It was only later that it became all jokes and jams (which obviously turned out quite well).
I heard he was already demoralized long before that.
So what. So sensitive
Letterman was useless for serious subjects
It's weird and awkward that this crowd is laughing at his story. Like him or not, it's rude, and i would have been embarrassed if i were in this audience.
People watch Letterman to laugh. I got the sense it was more of the nervous laughter of people confronted with how but for a simple twist of fate their lives may have been much different.
The audience is warmed up before the show and is primed to laugh at the slightest thing.
I heard the audience thought he was rude and kept giggling out of embarrassment.
It's even weirder when you come to the conclusion: the (US) audience had probably never heard of the guy. Little wonder why the are giggling. Human nature.
ive Seen many Roger Waters interviews where he is asked about Syds erratic behavior during what is an obvious mental breakdown and gets laughs from the audience to Rogers annoyance i wish these interviewers would read the room or talk to the audience before hand , unbelievable .
Poor guy. I would have been thoroughly devastated. Letterman handled this interview grace and sensitivity. Pete Best was dealt rough hand and he managed to stay a nice person. God Bless you Mr Best.
At least he will forever be known as the first Beatles drummer, that’s an awesome title to have.
Pete Best isn’t a bad guy at all. I wish him well.
the other beatles were jealous cause he was more popular with the girls.
@@visearms5774 not really. They just liked Ringo’s personality better. Pete is quiet. And come on- Paul McCartney is unequivocally the handsomest Beatle. But Pete is nice enough. Too quiet and not charismatic enough to have stayed with them though.
Jenny, Pete was better looking and the girls favored him.
They were calling them Pete Best and the Beatles and John despised that.
Also Pete didn't conform to the mop top hair style the others had
John was a major D-Bag and Paul was too.
@@haley3420 Ya, John is held up as a paragon of peace, yet he was a wife beater.
Interesting to hear his side of the story: still a good looking guy, even two decades later!
I heard the other side of his side of the story, but it didn't involve jealousy.
He looks a lot like the Hall of Fame bowler Pete Webber🎳
@@brucenator What did it involve?
@@Cosmo-Kramer Lack of personality and lack of drumming skills.
I don’t know if I could go on with my life once The Beatles became what they did. To know you were that close to success and immortality and then it was all ripped away would’ve been devastating.
There’s a video that I believe was uploaded by Vice, about this guy who was with the k-pop group BTS for a while, then right before they hit it big he was kicked out. I’ll admit I don’t know a damn thing about any k-pop group or anything related because it’s just not my cup of tea when it comes to music/entertainment, but I felt that man’s pain down to my bones while watching that video. It’s a great watch, even if k-pop in general is the last thing on earth you would care to invest time in. I could be wrong on the specific channel that produced and uploaded the video, but if I’m not mistaken I think it’s called “almost in BTS”. I had forgotten about that video till I stumbled upon this one here.
A lot of people would love to have been in the beatles
@@Amy-cw6qsactually there a few guys who almost were in bts and didn’t make the cut at the end. The 7 final members trained for years and practiced for more than 16 hours daily, some people couldn’t take the pressure and hard work so they left. No one was kicked out right before they made it big, the 7 members were the final line up for a year before they even debuted and they didn’t make it BIG BIG until 3-4 years after their debut. So while it is true some guys were almost in bts, it wasn’t like Pete who actually got kicked out, these guys either quit or were let go because the others were better. Some of them still work for the group either as producers or choreographers though so that’s cool.
@@inmundo6927 And he would know .lol
@Amy-cw6qs
That guy trained with BTS, but he was never going to be in the final group. Deep down he knows he wasn't good enough. "Almost" in BTS is being overdramatic.
Just can't imagine how he must've felt on a daily basis during Beatle Mania. It must have been horrendous plus having to just carry on living a normal life/job with everybody he ever met wanting to talk about it on a daily basis. Bless him. The gormless laughing by the audience on this video made me feel sick.
Well said, especially the feeling of loss and what could've been. I feel very sorry for him, but that particular aspect, which you mention, never occurred in my thoughts.... I simply saw it as a piece of ill fortune, which most people encounter in different ways during their lifetime... but his on a much larger scale. Good on him, he still manages to talk about it with good grace. When they first appeared in the limelight -- with Ringo the drummer -- I thought they were wonderful and a welcome change to the pop scene. But years later when I learned about the ditching of Pete, my opinion of them soon changed.
Pete! That must have been a disastrous blow to a young man's life! I hope he is ok now.
hes alive and well, and finally got a very nice royalty payment
Hes a millionaire now
@@robd1329crazy part is the royalty payment didn't come until over a decade after this interview
@@ianr1557 He didn`t get any royalties because he had not performed on any Beatles albums, that was until 1995 when they released, Anthology 1. Which contained some songs with him. (and also bassist Stu Sutcliffe) . Im also happy to hear he is financially ok today. :)
@@oywee928 oh I know, I just mean it's crazy to think that he had no idea he would get royalties when this was filmed... he was famous for not being famous, and had no idea he was going to be rich in 13 years
Pete held the torch for the formative years, but Ringo's understated, peerless foundation made the brand what it was.
I heard the brand was marketed by George Martin.
@@brucenator Martin produced, Epstein marketed...
True
They wouldn't have become the Beatles the world has loved for nearly 60 years without Ringo Starr.
i mean, ringo is AMAZINGLY tastefull drummer. it really makes those songs shine
Pete Best conducted himself with class, serenity, and wisdom. He took the "higher road" with grace; this is real success beyond the glamour of artistic fame. Congratulations!
That's a bad deal to treat someone like that after two years together.
On the one hand, they had two years to replace him, but instead opted to keep him around right up until contract time. On the other hand, Best wasn’t very reliable. He no-showed for a lot of gigs where Ringo replaced him.
Had Pete known at the time that Capitol was intending to sign The Beatles, he could have held up the deal in a dispute over rights to the name as a full-fledged member. Brian Epstein delayed the news until they could fire him first.
A couple years too young to have been a *serious* Beatles fan, but love them of course (really, how can you not?) but what strikes me here (and likely I saw this ep when it first aired) is that this whole thing was only *20 years* in the past! 20 years ago now is 2003 and I have socks older than that. But now those events were *60* years ago.
All this to say that it makes me feel old. 😀
And as someone else said, Mr Best comes across as a decent bloke.
@Peter L
No one needs to hear the tawdry details of your personal wardrobe ("I have socks older than that".)!
What's next -- the lurid revelation that your jock strap is 15 years past its "Sell by" date?
HONESTLY!!!
--- Rich
P.S. Just kidding, Peter -- just * kidding * . [Truth be told, I envy you your obviously tender (And * touching * !) relationship with ancient footwear (And I hope you won't think me cold when I confess that -- to me -- my socks are just, well, ... * socks * .).]
P.P.S. I think Pete's a right dude, too.
P.P.P.S. And -- while we're on the subject -- I'm not getting any younger myself....
The guy was a class act. You never really know how life will turn out. He handled a very tough situation with class and grace.
And then blamed his being dropped from the band on jealousy? casting aspersions on the rest of The Beatles and boasting about his looks and talent in the process?
The Beatles have made it clear the Pete Best was a dreadful drummer and that they intended to get rid of him as soon as possible. They were blown away by Ringo when he sat in with them.
Well all I can say is Pete Best is a class act.. Terrible that they blew him out like that.
Blew him out? It was the right choice. He wasn't that good. He kept missing engagements. That's how they discovered Ringo in the first place.
i can totally sympathize with how he feels. having something be so close that would’ve been amazing and brilliant, all to be ripped away right before you obtain it. he seems like such a kind and genuine guy. i love the beatles with all my heart, but i know the pain he must’ve went through was horrible. my heart goes out to him as no one deserves that experience :(
I feel for the guy. Anything he would ever say or do will always be filtered through the mythology surrounding the other three.
I heard that it was in the plea deal that everything he ever said was always filtered through the other four.
This was big news in tabloids in the early 60s. My mother read all of them and I had access to all them and the teen magazines.
Pete only confirmed what everyone could actually see. Pete was really good looking and well spoken. He would have been more popular, probably already was in Germany.
Jealousy and a little marketing to draw the attention to Lennon and McCartney. Everyone in the world knew this gentleman got screwed by the Beatles. But most of us still Love Him.
We love you, Pete Best!!!
I remember he said that when he heard that the Beatles had their first number 1 hit, he was stacking bread in a van to be delivered in Liverpool. Can you imagine??!!
He got kicked out of the band, was on the BREAD line, so he used his LOAF and got a job with a baker to make some DOUGH as he couldn't get a SLICE of The Beatles action and his music career was TOAST.
Cue drum ROLL.
When Decca chose another band over the Beatles, they decided to make a change. They wanted a less attractive, more versatile, more affable and more compliant drummer. Ringo fit the bill perfectly. Pete played over 700 shows with the Beatles in two years while based in Liverpool, a city of over a million people. If Pete was as incompetent as his detractors claim, he never would have lasted as long as he did and they could have easily replaced him. John and Paul were going to write all their hits no matter who was on drums. It just happened to be Ringo.
A very dignified and humble man.
Pete's 2008 album Haymans Green is actually really good. No surprise, it's rather Beatlesque, but the songs and playing are on point.
Nice fella. Still have my copy of his book 'Beatle', which he kindly signed for me at the book launch in Liverpool in '84, when I was 16. He'll always be part of the story, and isn't forgotten.
I'm in North America and I have a copy of that book as well. I've never met Pete Best, that's cool that he signed a copy for you. For anyone interested in his story, the book is a good read.
I enjoyed this interview of Pete Best from David Letterman. David of course did ask him questions, but not the kind that would be considered mean-spirited, thank goodness. Plus, it's fabulous that Pete has managed to live a reasonably healthy and productive life, in spite of being thrown a curveball. Tim Allen once said, "You don't make decisions. Life makes decisions for you." Another quote; "Sometimes you don't always get to choose your paths in life. Your paths makes choices for you." I hope that Pete will be able to live the rest of his life with being content, regardless of what he does. Also, I seems like an honest, down-to-earth, and true gentlemen. Best wishes to Pete and his family.
Pete was a Beatle and he can go shopping at the mall and not get mobbed. That has got to be worth something.
I have the original Beatles first lps, and as a five year old, i went and drew funny mustaches on the blokes on the cover pix with a pencil!😮🙃🫣
I have an album signed by all four
@@paulweston285 which one? The one i drew on is 'With the Beatles' release
@@mannybravo237 The White Album
So you had original Beatles albums at 5 years old?🤔
@@CB-xr1eg yep, still have two. They were originally my older sisters, then gifted to me and my brother, or maybe I just claimed them as my own!
I saw this interview when it first aired, when I was 20, while in college. For some reason I thought this happened later after I was out of school working, and watched Letterman daily. I was Letterman from the beginning!
Always liked Pete as a person & a gent & yes he struggled most of his life after being dumped by the Beatles & lets not forget from 1994 onwards he made millions off the back of the Anthology CDs etc...... And well deserved as well.
Wow! This is very fascinating. A lot of people have forgotten about the fact that Pete Best was part of The Beatles until Ringo Starr replaced him in 1962, and David Letterman helped everyone remember that.
I heard that everybody forgot. It was like mass amnesia.
@@brucenator Really!? I'm surprised.
Lol. Ur dumb. David Letterman did not help people remember. Nobody watches Letterman
Well, when you have a drummer like Ringo in the band it's easy to forget the previous occupant of the drum stool, who clearly wasn't up to scratch.
@@CB-xr1eg Exactly!
Could someone please get him a glass of water !
I was just thinking that.
I’m not the only one thinking that…
Also some charisma and personality. What a dull, dour man he is, no wonder he was fired. The others all had charisma charm and wit, this guy doesn't know what those words mean.
Pete just wasn't meant to be. The Beatles were, and will always be, a magical meeting of four musicians. Changing members in bands is not unusual, and is normally done without a lot of
ceremony.
I have seen Pete perform several times. He is a very nice, soft-spoken man. But he is not as capable on the drums as Ringo, that is a simple fact. The Beatles made the right move.
From Wikipedia: Reasons for dismissal
Drumming ability
According to Best, Brian Epstein told him he was "not a good enough drummer" and "Ringo [Starr] was the better drummer." The other Beatles - as well as producers, musicians, and critics who had heard Best play with the group - confirmed this reasoning.[84][better source needed]
John Lennon said that Best was recruited only because they needed a drummer to go to Hamburg. "We were pretty sick of Pete Best, too, because he was a lousy drummer, you know? He never improved, you know? ... And we were always going to dump him when we could find a decent drummer" ... "By the time we'd rolled back from Germany we'd trained him to keep a, you know, a stick to keep going up and down at four in the bar; he couldn't do much else."[85]
Paul McCartney stated that Best was "good, but a bit limited." McCartney remembered:
George Martin was used to drummers being very 'in time', because all the big-band session drummers he used had a great sense of time. Now, our Liverpool drummers had a sense of spirit, emotion, economy even, but not a deadly sense of time. This would bother producers making a record. George took us to one side and said, 'I'm really unhappy with the drummer. Would you consider changing him?' We said, 'No, we can't!' It was one of those terrible things you go through as kids. Can we betray him? No. But our career was on the line. Maybe they were going to cancel our contract.[86]
McCartney later suggested Ringo's drumming was a significant improvement over Best's.[84][better source needed]
The truth was, we just kind of fell in love with Ringo's drumming. Ringo was in another band, and we had Pete, and we were working, and we used to see this other band. We said, "God, that drummer's good." And one night, Pete couldn't do it and Ringo sat in for him. And we all just went "[Gasp]." Behind us was this powerhouse, and this person who was like taking care of the job. And we went, "Oh dear."
The random laughter in the audience at completely inappropriate times. I vaguely remember this airing 40 years ago. I wouldn't have been able to keep it together like Pete did.
Many years ago a friend of mine, who's about 12 years older than me (I'm now 61), said that Pete Best was a very flashy drummer, but not a very good time keeper. His feeling was that the other Beatles wanted a more solid drummer who, he claimed, Ringo was. I was born in '61, so I can't really speak to this....
We love you, Pete Best!!!
💕 💕 💕 💕 💕 💕 💕
To be that close to being in the biggest most famous band in the world then miss out
has to prey on a person's mind. Paul said in an interview about ten years ago that being a Beatle feels like it happened to somebody else not him. That it felt like somebody else's life. I found that to be a very interesting comment. To be as young as these guys were and have to deal with that level of fame boggles the mind how these kid's kept it together performing and writing such incredible music. It's just incredible!
Not much of consolation, but being part of musical history has to be something to feel good about. Besides close and distant family members, Pete Best, Stuart Sutcliffe, Astrid Kirchherr, Jimmie Nicol, etc., will always be remembered for their part, of that history. Most of us don’t even get that 15 minutes of fame. Being even a footnote, at any level (deserved or not), has to be more than most of us will ever achieve.
@@brmc6145 - Yes, Mr. Best received royalties from the Anthology release. Except for making us aware, not sure how your response has any relevance to the comment? Unless the monetary value is of importance, in a person’s value? If so, Mr. McCartney was of significantly more importance, to the Beatles, because his net worth is 1.2 billion. While Mr. Lennon’s importance is not comparable, to the Beatles, since his estate’s net worth is only half that. I can understand the point of your response, but I would say something’s are much more important, than it’s monetary value? Mr. Preston’s value, to the Let it Be sessions, was quite significant, but not if you match it to the actual dollars he earned, which was probably only session fees. So, not to start a war, I’m taking your response as just making us aware that Mr. Best did get monetarily rewarded, ‘for his troubles’. But I personally remember Pete Best, for much, much more, than his net worth.
Just got back from Liverpool.
There is a Beatles museum on Mathew Street near the Cavern Club. This museum has many of the old original instruments, speakers ,props and other pieces that other Beatles Museums dont offer.
The "Beatles Story" museum is nice but is full of replicas.
The museum on Mathew Street is owned by Pete Best and is the best in Liverpool..
What a great guy. No bitterness, no putting the band down. and from wonderful, Liverpool. Apparently, they were jelouse of his Good looks, and the popularity he was getting.
I would say claiming they were just jealous of him is an expression of bitterness and a put down.
@@b.g.5869 So right.
C'est bon, c'est pas Best qui a fait le succès des Beatles ! Et il n'était même pas beau...
Unfortunate the crowd was just laughing the entire time, this is a heartbreaking story that none of us can even come close to relating too
heartbreaking is a bit strong... the death of a family member is heartbreaking. I'm sure it sucked for him to see the other 4 rise to the top, but no one should measure their life in money or fame.
@@davidovics92 Getting blindsided and fired by who you thought were friends is pretty heartbreaking , he even said he was depressed and very upset over the ordeal ... Multiple things can break your heart ya know, it doesn't have to be death.
@@davidovics92 how would you feel if you left a lottery syndicate and they win the jackpot the week after?
@@davidovics92 we can all relate to the death of a family member… he said it’s a heartbreaking story that none of us can relate to. Pete essentially fumbled the biggest bag in history. That would drive me mad
No one can relate to? There are literally thousands of people who just missed out on fame and fortune. It's simple. There isn't a slot for everybody. Some people will not make it by a mere thread. There are much worse things people can experience than only just missing out on fame.
@10:25 Every now and then i feel bad for the guest and how little empathy the audience has... Laughing at people is totally often... but I know 100% this dude is being laughed AT more than necessary. Dave is doing GREAT! I believe he is actually being less funny in an attempt to reel back the audience? 🤔 Dave did his research for this interview, so obvy there is sonw respect there...
If indeed this album is a rare recording if the beatles earliest attempts... This sort of project of releasing a 'lost tape' would actually be aplauded IMO. I for one am going to see if this album is on youtube right now 🖖
PS I checked and came back to repost my comment... The silver Beatles playlist is on RUclips 🥰❤️🔥 Thx RUclips team for sharing
I have watched a lot of old footage and I was going to comment the same thing. His audience back then is often embarrassing to listen to now. I feel so uncomfortable with how they laughed at some of the guests.
I didn't know they the audience was laughing at times. It was a very good serious interview.
Respect for Pete, good interview.
Dave's audience in the early years always had awkward moments of laughter.
He was in the band because his mother had a club.. He was out of the band because the people doing the recording didn’t think he was a good enough drummer.
Simple as that.
I heard the band was in the club because their mothers didn't have a club.
i recall seeing an interview that they also thought when you looked at the group as a whole, one of the main factors besides drumming is that “he didn’t look like a beatle”. and if you look at their group shots, they were kinda right. pete was a good looking dude w three cartoonish looking dudes; ringo pulls up as a good drummer (became the best after doing 900 gigs in two years with the beatles around the UK) and if you looked at him, he fit in with the other goofy looking blokes as well. who’s to say if pete had gotten the time to tour around with them for as long as they did before they started recording, that he may have been just as great as ringo. i recall quincy jones saying ringo was terrible as well
@@twentyoneHz Quincy Jones can say anything that he wants but don't take it as a fact. Majority of the known drummers look up to Ringo
ironic because Ringo isnt a great drummer either.
Wow. Great interview, great guy.
You gotta feel for him ,,,how can you ever get over that ,
Best seems like a good bloke but one listen to a Beatles record will tell you that Ringo was a far superior drummer who tightened up the overall group sound. Supposedly Best got a huge payday of several million dollars upon the release of the Beatles Anthology video and CDs which featured some early recordings with him on drums.
I heard Best was the best drummer in the early days and that's how he got his name, but then Richard practiced more and became a star, even though he mostly wrote country songs.
Yes decent fella , Ringo rules Love peace ✌️🕊️
It was also Ringos personality. He was more like the other 3 and funny. I dont sense that from pete. Good guy thougj
You feel bad for Pete but his lifeless drumming on the Decca audition sunk him. Ringo was always the more dynamic drummer hands down.
what a gentleman , for sure.
John said he wasn’t a good enough drummer to be in the Beatles. Neither are most people. Its no reason to belittle the man. Its no reason to knock John or Paul. It was strictly business.
True
Both Quincy Jones and Chips Moman said Ringo was a horrible drummer . Quincy overdubbed him with a jazz drummer and Chips overdubbed him with the superior Gene Christman ! Wonder if they would have done that to Pete , especially Moman, who had a great ear for hit music and the true sound !
Pete makes a small but very important reference to the genre. The early Beatles were all about the mersey beat era. Pete says after he'd been kicked out of the Beatles , the band he toured with came back to England and the scene had changed.
This was the end of the Mersey beat era and the advent of the new psychadelic rock era which the fab four line up adapted to and were involved in.. I think Ringos drumming style was better suited for the albums like Revolver, Sgt. Peppers lonely hearts club band and Magical mystery tour.
I agree about Ringos drumming.
My uncle is a professional drummer. He told me he thought that Pete Bests drumming was a bit old fashioned and Ringo's style was newer.
I was the “Pete Best” of a band so I have a sense of the feeling. I was in my Band longer than Pete and was a founder of said Band. In the last years of the band, I was in law school and ultimately became a lawyer. The other guys? They just did the band thing. Amongst other things, there was a kind of resentment that I pursued a separate career whilst they were “focusing” solely on the band. The split happened quickly and unexpectedly. When your in a band, it’s like being in a marriage or long term relationship. You spend a lot of time together, sacrifices etc. The band I was in continued to rise, got signed, toured and had other exposure. Ultimately the band broke up. It was tough at the time to see someone replace me, play songs I wrote etc. Although I must say that I liked what they did after my departure. The band was the Lovehammers.
I was watching this the night it aired back in '82 and have been fascinated with Pete Best and his story ever since.
That audience laughing at Pete Best are disgusting. At least Pete can say that he was in The Beatles for 2 years. What have they ever done.?
I like Pete Best. I wish him all the best
I know some musicians who were in Pete's Band in the 1990's which toured Canada doing Beatles tunes & they had nothing but good things to say about Pete.
The made it further in the music business than more than 99% of musicians.
What's sad is that this rather cold-hearted replacement of band members is fairly common. In 1969 an up-and-coming band called Yes unceremoniously dumped their original guitarist, and then went on to be a huge success without him. The original guitarist had the same bitter experience with his former friends in Yes as Pete Best had with the Beatles. His name? Peter Banks!
Lol….your comparing Yes to The Beatles! Lol……think about that……….
Richard Starkey was just a better drummer. It’s not that complicated why he was replaced.
His nephew is an old friend ,, you wont believe this ,, some dude used to live 3 doors down from me ,, his dad is ringos cousin ,, he got me ringos autograph on his album when he played outside st georges hall in liverpool
During the Dave Letterman interview Pete mentioned a drummer named Tommy Moore who was in the group before him. THAT guy quit and Paul asked Pete to join. Can you imagine how Tommy Moore felt around 1963 when the Beatles started having hit songs in the U.K. ?
Tommy Moore was significantly older than the other Beatles and I believe married. He and John Lennon didn't get along either. He quit the band to become a fork-lift operator. He saw more future (and money) in that than playing with the Beatles.
@@jasona9 this had to be bittersweet for Tommy Moore. Realizing later what the Beatles became , but also knowing how he felt about John.
@@gregorybush3224 Tommy Moore didn’t have time to be bitter. I recall reading that he died around the age of 50.
@@jasona9 how old was he when he played with them in Germany? He definitely had to feel something when they started blowing up in '63-'64 after he left.
@@gregorybush3224 Tommy was with the band for a short while in 1960 and toured Scotland 🏴 with them. By the time they reached Hamburg Pete Best was their drummer. I don’t recall any interviews with Moore or his wife. I do recall that he didn’t enjoy being with the group. He was significantly older that John, Paul and George. Tommy was at least 28 at the time he was with the band. He and John Lennon didn’t get along. Finally the Promoter from that Scotland tour did NOT pay them what he had promised. Tommy had a wife at home…he couldn’t afford not to be paid.
I have a feeling Pete has good friends in his life after the Beatles.
Very humble man 🎼👊
When John Lennon was asked was Ringo the best drummer in the world, he said, he's not even the best drummer in the Beatles. I know what he meant!
I'd love to hear him sing "A Little Help from My Friends", "Yellow Submarine", "Octopuses Garden", etc.
I think it was McCartney who once said, "Pete was the better drummer but Ringo was the better Beatle..." When the classic line up formed, it was like four corners of a square coming together. It must be incredibly annoying to see the great success and fame the other guys enjoyed, well done to Pete for remaining dignified.
Nope, John said that.
Wow I never heard that. I always heard it was strictly about the drumming skills.
It had nothing to do with drumming skills. John didn't like people calling them 'Pete Best and the Beatles'. Also Pete wouldn't adopt their dopey mop top hair cuts. That didn't help.
@@kennyw218 No, John did NOT say that, some British comedian did. And, for the record, it’s not funny.
@@gretchennelson7056 Ok.