FEATURE:
Don’t Pass Me By
IN THIS PHOTO: Ringo Starr in 1967/PHOTO CREDIT: Richard Avedon
Ringo Starr at Eighty: Saluting a Drumming Icon
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WHEN a musician I love celebrates…
a big birthday, I am keen to throw a lot of passion their way. I have already penned a couple of Ringo Starr features, where I saluted his drumming genius and picked his ten best performances. I think there are some quarters who, rather unoriginally, think he was not even the best drummer in The Beatles, or that his work deserves to be mocked! I hope that notion has been dispelled because, not only has Starr been behind some of the finest drumming ever, but he is one of those human beings that inspires you. The fact that he is on Twitter, and sends out these messages of peace and love is infectious and, frankly, what we all need right now! Starr ()Richard Starkey) turns eighty on 7th July, and he continues to put out brilliant music – his last album, What’s My Name, was released last year. I have already published some general pieces regarding Starr’s best work, so I will not cover the same ground. I wanted to write a feature that showed what Ringo Starr means to me on a personal level. There is no doubt that Starr has influenced so many drummers, and there are so many musicians who owe him a lot. My first experience of The Beatles was listening to albums like Rubber Soul, and Revolver. Of course, I loved the music because it was The Beatles and I was struck by their incredible power and talent!
IN THIS PHOTO: The Beatles at Twickenham Film Studios on 9th April, 1969/PHOTO CREDIT: Bruce McBroom/Apple Corps Ltd
I had always heard about John Lennon and Paul McCartney being these songwriting titans who were responsible for some of the best music that has ever been made. I think I almost take Ringo Starr for granted when I heard those records; assuming he was not as important as John Lennon and Paul McCartney (or George Harrison). At a certain age, I really started listening out for Ringo Starr’s drums and realised just how essential they were in regards The Beatles’ brilliance. From Rain, and In My Life through to Strawberry Fields Forever, and Here Comes the Sun, it was obvious just how unbelievable his work was. I listen now and am blown away by Starr’s originality and talent. He provides these fills and beats that no other drummer would attempt. He hooks up amazingly with Paul McCartney’s bass and gives the songs of The Beatles such power and personality. The Beatles’ promotional clips are infectious, and I remember as a child seeing them and always drawing my eye to Starr, as he seemed like the coolest and funniest! There is so much to idolise when we think of Starr, but the sheer weight and brilliance of his drumming cannot be understated. I am listening to Rain whilst typing this and, to me, this is his greatest performance. I am not a musician or know the technical details, but I listen to that song and I cannot for the life of me understand how he manages to make the sounds he does – it is no wonderer Starr ranks Rain as his finest Beatles moment!
Now more than ever, I am listening to Beatles classics and I am appreciating the drumming in new ways. As a child, I was not quite aware of just how instrumental Starr’s role was and how much he contributed to each song. I also love Ringo Starr as a singer, and I think he gives so much heart to songs like Don’t Pass Me By, Boys, Yellow Submarine, and With A Little Help from My Friends. In The Beatles’ films, I think Starr provides the best acting performances (though some would say George Harrison was the best actor), and I loved his turn in A Hard Day’s Night. In short, Ringo Starr is this amazing all-rounder that, for so long, has to fight off idiots who questioned his drumming ability! There is no questioning the importance and genius of Starr, and he means a lot to me and so many music lovers. I think he warrants a lot of love and tribute as he turns eighty, and fresh appreciation. I think Starr’s drumming is so amazing, that one can debate as to which album truly defines him. I would say Rubber Soul, and Abbey Road are the best albums that showcase Starr’s range, but there are others who say Revolver is king.
I want to source from a fabulous article from Modern Drummer, where they look at Starr’s work on Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, and Magical Mystery Tour in 1967; how he really added something to The Beatles and changed the way they sounded for the better:
“There was no doubt that Ringo was listening to his influences, and that’s what came out in his playing. And this is when they, as a complete group, started changing the landscape of recording. The songs they were writing really dictated his new style of playing and what the drums did. It wasn’t solely based on the Mersey beat anymore, with that open hi-hat and driving beat, which had been the hallmark of their sound. That was the major change in Ringo’s drumming. And then you add the sonic experimentation with the drums, which was also pioneering. In the recording process they now used compression, limiting, phasing, and backward recording. And then there was the use of the tea towels on his drums. So you combine those elements and you have sounds and playing that no one had ever heard before. All of this was brand new.
For anyone who’d ever questioned Ringo’s playing before, this [period] really highlighted his or her ignorance about the value of his playing and what his contribution was to the greatest band of all time. The drums are so prominent on Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band and Magical Mystery Tour—very dominant. It was clear to me, and I believe everyone else, that it was absurd to not understand his importance.
On 1967’s “Strawberry Fields Forever”/“Penny Lane” single and the Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band and Magical Mystery Tour albums, the Beatles were doing more complicated and orchestrated music, as well as experimenting more with sound. To fit in, Ringo’s drums became part of the orchestra. The miking of his drums was different, and he started placing tea towels on his drums for a flatter sound. Not only was he keeping time, he was now creating different parts for the intro, verse, chorus, and bridge of the song—his parts changed with the mood changes in the song. On “A Day in the Life” and “Strawberry Fields,” his drums were the instrument that answered the vocals, whereas before the release of Sgt. Pepper, it was normal to hear guitar or keys doing the answering. This took the mind of a thinking drummer. When the melody changed, so did Ringo’s drum part. To change a Ringo drum part in a Beatles arrangement would be like changing the chords to the song”.
I will wrap things up, but I think Ringo Starr turning eighty is a great excuse, not only to listen to The Beatles and his solo work, but really appreciate what an inspirational musician he is - Starr is also streaming a birthday celebration, and Paul McCartney is one of the artists who will help mark Starr’s eightieth. One does not have to listen too hard to modern music to realise that countless drummers cite Starr as pivotal; how he has managed to help transform the music scene. For the last time before his birthday, I want to tip my cap and sing the praises of one of music’s…
UNTOUCHABLE geniuses.