The Beatles Boxed Set (30 page)

Ringo with the three Beatles, August 22,
1962, at the Cavern

            Now
with Ringo as drummer of the Beatles, the band and the Hurricanes performed on
the same bill during 1961 and at many concerts afterwards. In 1962, the two
groups played together at St Patrick’s Night Rock Gala, Queen’s Hall, and with
Little Richard at the Tower Ballroom.

Ringo
was still with the Hurricanes when Brian Epstein, whose family owned the NEMS
music store, discovered the Beatles. He was minding the store one day when a
teenager asked for a
My Bonnie
record, which the Beatles recorded with
Tony Sheridan in Hamburg, Germany. The following day, another teenager asked
for the record. Now Brian was curious because he’d never heard of the record or
of the group.

Brian Epstein, shown here with Ringo,
became the Beatles’ manager until his death

            His
search led him to the Cavern one day at lunch time. The Beatles played onstage
while Brian Epstein watched, riveted, from the back of the packed basement. As
he had studied acting at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London, he knew
how to judge performances. And while the Beatles played, the passion in their
voices and the intensity of their playing impressed Brian.

            That
visit was followed by another and another until Brian ventured into the band
room to converse with the group. Understandably, the four lads were skeptical
at first but was impressed by the man who carried himself with such elegance
that the group rarely saw in the Cavern.

            Brian
asked them whether they were interested in him as their manager to look after
their affairs. The band agreed and decided to sign Brian’s contract after one
of their lunchtime sessions at the Cavern.

            Wasting
no time, Brian set about landing a recording contract for the Beatles and
booked an audition for the group with Decca Records in London. The audition was
scheduled for January 1, 1962.

            The
lads were overjoyed. The audition with Decca Records would mean something
significant, as it could lead to success and start their professional career in
music. Their excitement at the possibilities that lay just ahead overshadowed
their complaints when Brian gave them a list of do’s and don’ts. No smoking, no
swearing, no gum-chewing onstage. He told them to start investing in suits and
ties. They should write their set lists before shows and stick to them. And
when they finished a song, they have to deliver a deep, choreographed bow.

Shortly before Ringo joined the Beatles, shown
here with the then-drummer Pete Best (second from left), the band auditioned
for Decca Records but was turned down

            For
the Decca auditions, Brian helped them in choosing the songs they’d play for
the executives such as
September in the Rain
and
Til There Was You
.
They added three Lennon-McCartney originals,
Love of the Loved, Hello,
Little girl
and
Like Dreamers Do
. However, these three songs barely
showed a hint of originality that their compositions in the years to follow
would contain.

            On
New Year’s Eve in 1961, Neil Aspinall, the Beatles’ road manager, drove them
down to London. Aspinall was unfamiliar with the streets and got lost and the
trip took ten hours. They arrived at 10PM, and John said they arrived “just in
time to see the drunks jumping in the Trafalgar Square fountain.”

            On
January 1, the Beatles were auditioned by Decca producer Tony Meehan. They
performed a total of 15 songs in less than one hour. They would find out later
that Epstein had paid Meehan to produce the studio’s recordings.

            Unfortunately,
the audition didn’t go well. For one, the group was hung over after partying
for the New Year’s Eve celebrations the night before. They sounded sluggish and
hoarse and the songs they performed sounded unsatisfying. Nevertheless, the
presiding engineer gave them a smile and a double thumbs-up after their
audition, saying that he couldn’t see any reason why they wouldn’t be recording
soon.

            The
boys were back in Liverpool, at the Cavern for their lunch-hour gigs. In March,
Epstein got word that Decca executive Dick Rowe wanted to meet with him.

            Rowe
didn’t beat around the bush. He told Epstein that the executives at Decca
didn’t like the sound of the Beatles and that “guitar groups are on the way
out, Mr. Epstein.” Rowe furthered that “the Beatles have no future in show
business” although it has been suggested that their performance that day did
not reflect their true potential. Decca instead chose The Tremeloes who
auditioned the same day that the Beatles did.

            Epstein
met with his boys at a club and told them the bad news. But he continued to
approach record companies, not losing hope of one day securing a recording
contract for his young charges.

            While
he was negotiating with Decca, Epstein also approached EMI marketing executive
Ron White. White then contacted EMI producers Norrie Paramor, Walter Ridley and
Norman Newell, but they all declined to record the Beatles.

            In
June 1962, the Beatles returned in Hamburg for another stint at The Star Club. They
were there when a telegram from Epstein arrived, with the good news that they
would soon be recording for EMI subsidiary, Parlophone. As it turned out,
producer George Martin heard the Beatles’ Decca demos and decided to meet the
band.

            The
boys were ecstatic. It was certainly good news. And although it didn’t mean
that they would automatically get a contract, it was certainly better than the
last two years performing in various clubs.

            The
Beatles arrived from Hamburg just in time to travel to London for an audition
with Parlophone Records. George Martin left them with engineer Ron Richards,
who was thoroughly impressed with the band’s performance that he summoned his
boss to listen for a while. Martin was also impressed with them, though he especially
liked the Beatles’ personalities, at least the three who actually talked. Pete
Best, the drummer, was a quiet guy and tended to be more or less impassive.

            That
reminded Martin of his drumming, which he felt didn’t have the snap that he was
looking for. A few days later, Martin called Epstein and told him about what he
thought. He said that the guitar players were fine, but Parlophone would use a
journeyman drummer for the Beatles’ recording session. Martin insisted that
there was nothing to worry about as it was common practice at the time to use
an experienced session drummer in recordings. Pete could still play shows with
the Beatles.

            But
the rest of the Beatles were having second thoughts about Pete.

            Everybody
seemed to have his own reason for wanting to fire Pete from the Beatles. Could
it be that John grew tired of Pete’s lack of style? Or was Paul jealous of
Pete’s appeal to their female fans? Did George grow tired of the lack of swing
in Pete’s drumming? Or was it Brian, who obviously disliked Pete’s mother’s
suggestions about Epstein’s handling of her son’s career?

            Pete
was a sweet guy and a decent drummer, but it was starting to look that he
wasn’t one of them. It looked as though the Beatles on their way to something
big, and Pete couldn’t keep up. So the three Beatles asked their manager to
fire Pete when they were away. From then on, none of them spoke to Pete again.

            Epstein
agonized about having to fire Pete so he asked Bob Wooler for advice. Wooler
thought it was a bad idea to replace Pete as he was popular with the fans. But
eventually, Epstein decided that “If the group was to remain happy, Pete must
go.” He dismissed Pete on August 16, 1962, ten weeks after the band’s first
recording session. Pete had been a Beatle for two years and four days.

            The
Beatles performed at a show for promoter Sam Leach at the Tower in New
Brighton. In between songs, some of the fans chanted their dislike for
dismissing Pete from the group. They chanted “Pete forever – Ringo never!”. Pete
was then the drummer for Lee Curtis and the All-Stars, and the band was
scheduled to perform that night, too. As Curtis’ band was leaving after their
performance and the Beatles went onstage, Pete just put his head down.

            Ringo
played his first concert with the Beatles on August 18, 1962. He felt lucky for
having the opportunity to be the Beatles’ drummer. He showed up for the first
official gig with his hair in the appropriate Beatle style and wearing his
Beatles suit, but it took him awhile to get comfortable in the closely knit
Beatle fraternity. He was a newcomer and an outsider, a fact that wasn’t lost
when he wasn’t informed of John’s wedding to Cynthia Powell on August 23. What
was more disheartening was the fact that EMI used another session drummer when
they re-recorded
Love Me Do
.

Ringo played during the first recording
of Love Me Do

            That
day, the band recorded
Love Me Do
for the second time. Andy White was
behind the drum kit while Ringo was handed the tambourine. When they recorded
PS
I Love You
, Andy was still the drummer and Ringo shook the maracas. But as
it turned out, it was the Ringo version of
Love Me Do
that was finally
released as a single. And George Martin said that after the September 11
recording session, there was no thought of replacing Ringo again.

            Eventually,
Ringo was able to adjust and settle in and became the lovable Beatle. He fit in
as both a drummer and a personality.

When
the Beatles showed up for their EMI recording session, George Martin was struck
by how each member added his own distinct personality to the group. Physically,
musically and intellectually, John, Paul, George and Ringo stood apart from one
another, but when they came together, they did so in a perfect kind of unison.

            Martin
had a lot of much faith in this group although initially he thought that the
original songs they presented to him, including
Love Me Do, Ask Me Why
and
PS I Love You
, weren’t so promising. He said that he was “quite
certain that their songwriting ability had no saleable future.”