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Something Else loves these 
by S. Victor Aaron, and Nick DeRiso
Beatles drummer Ringo Starr has taken his share of knocks over the years. Some of those, in the interest of full disclosure, came from us. Then there was legendary jazz figure Buddy Rich’s blunt assessment: “Ringo Starr was adequate. No more than that.”
Still, it wasn’t like he didn’t have his moments — often curiously effective moments, but moments nonetheless. As former bandmate John Lennon told Playboy in one of his final interviews: “He’s not technically good, but I think Ringo’s drumming is underrated the same way Paul’s bass-playing is underrated.”
In keeping, we’d like to give Starr (nee Richard Starkey) his due. Something Else! presents five Beatles songs where Starr really stood out:
1. “Tomorrow Never Knows” (Revolver, 1966): Though this song was uniquely Lennon’s, emerging from an acid-addled subconscious, Ringo made two odd-ball, though very important contributions.
The title was a malaprop that Starr was fond of using, and he also fashioned this unusual, lopsided beat that we believe was invented just for this number.
Both matched the mood of the moment perfectly.
There was considerable thought put into getting just the right sound out of Ringo’s kit. His tom skins were reportedly slacked, and then the track was heavily compressed, using Fairchild 660 valve limiters and compressors according to engineer Geoff Emerick.
Combine that with the exotic tack taken by Starr — something in full accord with the whole Eastern-influenced full-on psychedelia Lennon was aiming for — and “Tomorrow” gains a hypnotic character that entrances even amidst all the tape loops and other various effects tossed ad hoc into the recording.
As hard as it must have been to do at the time, Ringo read Lennon’s mind perfectly.
2. “I Feel Fine” (single, 1964): Ringo pulls off a cymbal/tom-toms R&B shuffle with the proficiency of Joe Chambers. In fact, you could have transferred this drum track onto any number of Blue Note soul-jazz dates of that time and it would have fit right in.
This inate ability to swing was what initially earned Ringo a spot with the band.
“The drumming,” Beatle bandmate Paul McCartney said in the book “Many Years From Now,” “is basically what we used to think of as ‘What’d I Say’ drumming. There was a style of drumming on ‘What’d I Say’ which is a sort of Latin R&B that Ray Charles‘ drummer Milt Turner played on the original record and we used to love it. One of the big clinching factors about Ringo as the drummer in the band was that he could really play that so well.”
The Beatles then added a country-ish guitar riff — influenced, fellow Fab George Harrison later recalled, “by a record called ‘Watch Your Step,’ by Bobby Parker” — and a hit song was complete.
3. “Rain” (B-side to “Paperback Writer” single, 1966): A favorite Beatles deep cut for many, but not necessarily for us — though we can’t precisely explain why.
There is, after all, a lot we like about this tune: the sparkling, jangly guitars, McCartney’s grooving bass brought up front and acting almost as a third guitar, and the drums. More to the point, Starr’s drum breaks.
“I think it was the first time I used this trick of starting a break by hitting the hi-hat first instead of going directly to a drum off the hi-hat,” Starr once said, calling “Rain” his favorite Beatles performance.
Continuing through a period of intense studio experimentation, the Beatles reportedly recorded the original rhythm track for “Rain” at a fast tempo, then slowed the tape down to get the desired effect — “a big ominous noise,” McCartney later said.
Lennon’s drawn-out vocals, at times, threaten to drag the song down to a crawl, but Ringo’s rousing rat-a-tat keeps pulling the song out of the rut.
4. “Ticket to Ride” (Help, 1965): “Ticket” is itself a fun ride, beginning with a thundering beat that, in a clever move, actually speeds up just before the fade. John liked to call it “one of the earliest heavy-metal records.”
It’s also one of those examples where Starr’s drumming would sound like an amateur taking ill-advised chances — until you consider the context. Ringo once said he plays to the vocals, and no where is that more evident.
Throughout, Starr is in almost telepathic sync with the heartbreak theme, and follows Lennon stride for stride into a more strident cadence for the bridge. The rolling fills in between the chorus and verse add some flair, too.
Good musicians are good listeners, and Starr listened well on “Ticket To Ride.”
“Ringo is the leader in the education for all young drummers of style over flash,” Police drummer Stewart Copeland once said, “always playing the right things rather than a lot of things.”
In retrospect, this beat — perhaps best described as falling-down-the-stairs — was also a kind of preview of what he uncorked for “Tomorrow Never Knows.”
5. “A Day in the Life” (St. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band, 1967): Arguably the first prog rock song, it continues to rack up accolades both for main composer Lennon and for its brilliant arrangement. (A new Rolling Stone list, in fact, declares “Day” the best Beatles song ever.) But this was a Starr masterpiece, too.
Listen closely to his drums and how he works the timbres and shadings.
“The drum fills on ‘A Day In The Life’ are very complex things,” Genesis drummer Phil Collinssaid in a 1992 interview. “You could take a great drummer today and say, ‘I want it like that.’ They wouldn’t know what to do.”
The distant thunder effect Ringo gets from them, especially in the final verses, complements Lennon’s heavily reverbed voice to perfection. Starr manipulates the tonality of his kit with the finesse of a tympani player.
On that one day in 1967, Ringo Starr was a better drummer than Ginger Baker.
ALSO CONSIDERED: “I’m Down,” where the Beatles risked skidding out of control, if not for Starr’s steady hand; “Glass Onion,” as Ringo gallops along merrily; “In My Life” for the nifty, gentle hi-hat/snare funk rhythm; “Something,” a subtle delight; “Sgt. Pepper Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (reprise), which descends with a titanic opening beat; “She Said, She Said,” a terrific example of his straight-ahead rock style; “She Loves You,” with its signature high-hat sizzle; and “Come Together,” where Starr deftly blends his drums with both the vocals (“shoo” …) and McCartney’s bass. No one has ever been quite able to replicate that.
NOT CONSIDERED: Starr’s very rudimentary 17-second solo on “The End” from 1969′s Abbey Road; and both “Back in the U.S.S.R” and “Ballad of John and Yoko,” which actually feature McCartney on drums — and make utterly clear the ridiculousness of Lennon’s oft-quoted one-off comment that Ringo was the second-best drummer in the band.
"Come Together" is one that came to mind for me but these are very good choices.
I was sitting here thinking about Ringo's terrific work on Lennon's "Plastic Ono Band" record, too.
I was thinking the same thing – most of Ringo’s work on “Plastic Ono Band” is outstanding in it’s drive and simplicity. Truly memorable.
So how do you compare Ringo and his son as drummers. I'm not sure if Ringo could play with The Who..
Not sure that Ringo would want to play with the Who! Hell, Peyton Manning wouldn’t want to play with the Panthers, would he?
Along with his ongoing tenure with the Who, Zak Starkey has also appeared with the reformed Spencer Davis Group, Oasis, Denny Laine of Wings, Paul Weller and Johnny Marr. I think this speaks to his versatility, and professionalism. (He's often praised for not trying to sound like Keith Moon, a sort of back-handed compliment, if you ask me.) In direct comparison, I don't find Zak anywhere near as distinctive as his old man, but he's far better at the every-day craft.
My list:
- Savoy truffle
- Don´t let me down
- Oh darling´
- Magical mistery tour
- I don't want to spoil the party
Bonus (not beatles songs)
- Roll over Beethoven (live)
- Long tall Sally (live)
- Shout (terrific song, with a very fast shuffle and fast triplets between ride, snare and bass drum)
Many drummers think they are better than Ringo, and this is technically correct.
But you can´t deny that Ringo was a very imaginative and talented amateur. More imaginative and talented than MANY drummers.
I don´t understand why when someone say "Ringo have good drumming on some tunes" then other someone say "no, keith moon, bonham, lalalala". They was very good, but they aren´t the only good.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bxqQRMq0D74
“But you can´t deny that Ringo was a very imaginative and talented amateur.”
Are you nuts? An amateur? He’s Ringo freaking Starr and you are posting on the Internet! Uhhh… who is the amateur here?!?
Do us all a favor… upload either a drum part, a bass part, a lead part or a rhythm part of any Beatles song with you playing any part (though drums would be preferred!), and I might say ok. Otherwise, please access your favorite newspaper or sports team site and share your expertise with them.
Ringo is not a drum virtuoso. Didn’t have to be. He was a freaking Beatle, and his contribution to the band was equal (in one way or another) to the rest. That’s all he needs, and good enough for me. If not good enough for you, enjoy… and as Ringo would say, Peace and Love.
Beatles Rock Band does a lot to bring attention to Paul and Ringo, who are frequently doing more interesting things than George or John are doing on guitar. You can't help noticing how Paul blows everyone else out of the room as far as musical chops go, but Ringo has plenty of great moments too. Based on BRB, here are my picks:
1. I Me Mine – The contrasting mellow 3/4 and frenzied 4/4 sections make this my favorite song for drums in BRB.
2. Come Together – Certainly his most stylish moment.
3. Get Back – A simple, solid groove with great fills, the epitome of Ringo.
4. Here Comes the Sun – Features the Beatles' weirdest rhythmic pattern which Ringo handles like it was no big deal.
5. I Want You / She's So Heavy – The incredibly long ending is basically a drums & bass double solo, which you sadly can't hear very well in most recordings.
My favorite Ringo drums parts are on “Hey Jude,” “Strawberry Fields,” and “A Day In The Life.” On those songs I believe he was outstanding. However, there were times when I thought his drumming was entirely inappropriate. On “In My Life” what he played just didn’t fit well with the mood of the song. In fact the song would have been better without any drums at all. I always found Ringo to be a major annoyance on this song. On the opening track to Anthology One, “Free as a Bird,” Ringo just banged out a stiff, plodding beat and it’s his work like this that creates his criticism.
Charlie, to be fair, the rhythm track on “Free As A Bird” was already there, since Lennon used a metronome on the rough demo that provided the basis for that mid-1990s Three-tles reunion. There was no way to erase the old rhythm signature, plodding though it no doubt was, without losing parts of John’s vocal on this one-track cassette tape, so Starr simply recorded his own beat over the existing one. Of course, Ringo’s efforts weren’t helped by Jeff Lynne’s too-shiny overproduction, but that’s a conversation for a different day, I suppose.
Come on…Ringo latched onto a good thing…definitely the least talented of the Beatles. When assessing an artist, one should not have to look for “5 songs.” They should be outstanding on all!
Hi Nick.
FIrst, you need to put things in context/perspective: He sucks next to ? Also, are you taking into account the music/era?
Judging a drummer by his technical skills is like judging a book by its cover. It’s actually deeper and subtler than that.
Ringo’s a time-keeper with a beautiful and unique feel, never equaled by any drummer (including Mike Portnoy with all his machine-like precision) who ever attempted a beatles cover.
I can see where Buddy Rich was coming from when he said that Ringo was adequate; even though they’re both drummers, their roles were not the same.
Before this turns into a technique vs. feel thing, let me just say that Buddy (along with Kruppa) paved the way for some self-centered drummers who think they’re more important than the rest of their band. That’s why they have to solo every other bar and throw in everything but the kitchen sink to stand out.
Then there’s the other school of thinking which makes drummers just another piece of the puzzle, so they make songs their priority (instead of rotating drum risers and fireworks) and think grooves. That where the Ringos and The Charlie Wattses of the world fit in.
In the end it’s all a matter of preference, but that does not entitle you to imply he sucks.
Been in the business for 40 years. (successful too). Not a week goes by when we don’t wish we had a Ringo in the drum booth. He was(is) one of the best.
Consider:
1) Ringo’s innovation in that these things were done with no barometer to guage by. The ideas were his and his alone.
2) His ancillary percussion tracks especially mastery of the tambourine – a main staple in rock and pop music during the 60′s.
3) That said – listen again to “Paperback Writer” – here is a youtube link (lousy compressed audio)
featuring intro with only Ringo’s drums and Paul’s
bass leading to backing track without vocals before first verse.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eU0VbAf4e3o