Pete Best

[Matt Wilson]

Have we (in our relentless Beatles talk) ever *really* discussed Pete Best? The unluckiest man in the history of rock. Supposedly the best-looking Beatle (though I don't see it) with the biggest fan base in 1962. Would the fabs been better off with Pete, just what does BCB think?! *

Here's some vids to consider:

Could Ringo come up with a song this good in the 21st Century?



Here's a sample of what he was doing after the Beatles:



Now, I'm not really saying this guy was a better drummer than Ringo, but it's interesting to consider what might have been...


* Got the idea from a Facebook thread.

[Brickyard Jack]

I understand that at the time there was no question Ringo was a more exciting drummer.

[Bent Fabric]

The rather lumpen quality of his musicianship is a matter of record (Tune In is a seriously scintillating and engaging read, as regards this part of their story), but it is also suggested that he was a bit of a dud on some basic level and couldn't necessarily "hang" the way that Ringo and the others could. These things definitely matter, and in combination...

His place on the Mount Rushmore of "unenviable historical figures" seems quite fixed.

[naughty boy]

The rather lumpen quality of his musicianship is a matter of record (Tune In is a seriously scintillating and engaging read, as regards this part of their story), but it is also suggested that he was a bit of a dud on some basic level and couldn't necessarily "hang" the way that Ringo and the others could. These things definitely matter, and in combination...

His place on the Mount Rushmore of "unenviable historical figures" seems quite fixed.

Yeah, poor fucker.

To say 'it can't have been easy'...I mean, just 18 months after he was given the boot, they're the biggest band on the planet? I understand he suffered from depression for quite some time. Rejection of any kind is tough, and when you're faced with reminders of what you're missing out on, on (probably) a daily basis for years?

Would be some strange kind of 'payback' if he outlives Ringo and Paul...



That book! Every few weeks I check out Lewisohn's site to see how things are going with the follow-up to Tune In - it's obviously an extremely time-consuming project, but - y'know - GET THE FUCK ON WITH IT!

[Matt Wilson]

No comment regarding the videos? I particularly liked the first one.

[naughty boy]

I've got a CD 'The Best of Best' and the standout (actually the only half-decent thing there) is the second vid you've posted. Pebbles 18 type of deal.

[Bent Fabric]

and when you're faced with reminders of what you're missing out on, on (probably) a daily basis for years?

If people on social media are regularly lamenting the ubiquity of the Beatles, the case for "it could always be worse" is compelling.

You can't imagine the guy sitting around cranking "Everybody's Got Something to Hide..."

[pcqgod]

I agree the Beatles were improved by his replacement. One listen to the full Decca tapes confirms it. Nevertheless, Best did manage an fairly amazing postscript to his career with his 2008 album Hayman's Green. I doubt if he contributed much more than drumming to the overall effort, but it's a terrific album of Beatlesque pop/rock.

[sloopjohnc]

The rather lumpen quality of his musicianship is a matter of record (Tune In is a seriously scintillating and engaging read, as regards this part of their story), but it is also suggested that he was a bit of a dud on some basic level and couldn't necessarily "hang" the way that Ringo and the others could. These things definitely matter, and in combination...

I was going to mention Tune In. They never mention that the other Beatles resented his fandom among women, but more that he was a loner and didn't have the same sense of humor. Ringo had been playing professionally for years and fit in a lot more comfortably personality-wise.

[zoomboogity]

The events which led to The Beatles even existing are a great example of the randomness of life. From Mona Best's Wikipedia page:

After moving to 17 Queenscourt Road in 1948—where the Bests lived for nine years—Rory saw a large Victorian house for sale at 8 Hayman's Green in 1954, and told his mother about it. The Best family claim that Mona then pawned all her jewellery and placed a bet on a horse that was ridden by Lester Piggott in the 1954 Epsom Derby, called "Never Say Die", which won at 33–1, and used her winnings to buy the house in 1957.

[...]

Mona came up with the idea of the club after watching a TV report about The 2i's Coffee Bar in London's Soho where several singers had been discovered. She decided to open The Casbah Coffee Club—which was located in her cellar—on 29 August 1959, for young people to meet and listen to the popular music of the day.

[...]

Mona had booked the Les Stewart Quartet to play the opening night with Harrison on guitar, but they cancelled the booking after Stewart and Brown had a quarrel. Stewart was angry that Brown had missed a rehearsal, because Brown was helping Mona to decorate the club. As 300 membership cards had already been sold, Harrison said that he had two friends in a band called The Quarrymen who would play instead. Lennon, McCartney, Stuart Sutcliffe and Harrison went to the club to arrange the booking, to which Mona agreed, but said she needed to finish painting the club first. All four took up brushes and helped Mona to finish painting the walls with spiders, dragons, rainbows, stars, and a beetle, which still survive. John Lennon was short-sighted, mistaking gloss for emulsion paint, which took a long time to dry in the dark, damp cellar. Cynthia Powell, later the wife of Lennon, painted a silhouette of John Lennon on the wall, which is also still intact.

[...]

Pete was studying at the Collegiate Grammar School when he decided he wanted to be in a music group, so Mona bought him a drum kit from Blackler's music store and Best formed his own band; The Black Jacks.

Having seen Pete's band at The Casbah, Paul asked him to join The Beatles and go to Hamburg. When they returned to Liverpool, Ringo sat in on a couple gigs when Pete couldn't make it, so they already knew they had a musical and personal chemistry. (Beatles factoid which I learned only recently: Ringo is left-handed. He usually plays his drum fills from right to left.)

This channel used to have other clips - A Day In The Life was awesome - but now there's only this. Says it all, really.



It would have sucked to be him in the '60s, but the royalties from Anthology 1 made him an instant millionaire. He's been married to the same woman for 55 years, so he seems to have done alright in the end.

[toomanyhatz]

Have to say, I'm not terribly impressed with the song. Being "Beatlish" is a pretty easy thing to do, really. And if you were once in the Beatles, I'm sure you can find people willing to help you. RIngo's recent music's awful, but if he needed to put together some decent Beatlish songs in a pinch I'm sure he could do just as good a job. And the drumming would be better. If anything, Ringo's worse because he's got fawning people with their own careers, like Dave Stewart, helping him.

I can feel bad for him, and I can understand if he still has some lingering bitterness. But if they hadn't replaced him with RIngo? They'd be on Nuggets 2. Maybe.

[Matt Wilson]

But if they hadn't replaced him with RIngo? They'd be on Nuggets 2. Maybe.

Hyperbole of the day, if not the week!

[Moleskin]

I think the point is that Pete was in the Beatles, but he wasn't ever a Beatle. Ringo was. I think the interpersonal issues were at least as important as drumming.

[naughty boy]

Yeah.

He didn't say a whole lot.

[Moleskin]

Yeah.

He didn't say a whole lot.

He was nice enough when I met him. Chatted a bit when he did a signing in Bournemouth of his Beatles/Casbah book.

[Bent Fabric]

Yeah.

He didn't say a whole lot.

It is difficult to picture him quipping the quick banter that the others did at those press conferences.

[Goat Boy]

I dunno, it's like those kids you knew when you were 14 who were really good friends but by the time you were 18 they were like strangers.

Ringo was just right, in all kinds of ways.

Poor Pete. Life's harsh.

[Bent Fabric]

A lot of people aren't good enough to be in the Beatles.

And none of us are known for it.

[Matt Wilson]

Interesting point of view, John.

[naughty boy]