Plucked from certain obscurity to the bosom of lifelong fame
Sixty years ago today, Ringo joined the band
1962 was a big year for The Beatles.
One former band member died, another was fired, and a final piece to the band was hired, completing the Fab Four as we knew it.
Former bass player Stuart Sutcliffe, who left the band to study painting and stayed behind in Germany when the other Beatles—John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Pete Best—returned to Liverpool in the summer of 1961 after a long stretch of playing Hamburg clubs. Sutcliffe’s propensity as a painter garnered him a postgraduate scholarship to study at university in Hamburg.
Remaining in Hamburg with his German fiancée, Sutcliffe complained of headaches and sensitivity to light. In February 1962, he crumpled to the floor during an art class, was seen by both German and British doctors who couldn’t find much wrong with the young Scotsman.
There was a lot wrong, however.
The one-time Beatle suddenly passed away from a brain hemorrhage due to a ruptured aneurysm on April 10, 1962. Stuart was 21 years old.
Sutcliffe’s demise was unknown to the band, who arrived back in Hamburg on April 13, scheduled to play nightly gigs most of April and May until they returned to London on June 6 for their first recording session at Abbey Road.
In June, Tony Sheridan & The Beat Brothers released the album called My Bonnie in Germany. This was the first album in the world to feature music from The Beatles, credited on the album as “Accompanied by The Beatles.”
Later that summer, after cutting some songs of their own in the Abbey Road studios, The Beatles held down regular gigs at The Cavern Club and played out at other hip joints around Liverpool and elsewhere.
Yet in mid-August, according to author Mark Lewisohn:
"In Skegness, Lincolnshire, 161 miles from Liverpool across the breadth of Britain, one of the most incredible strokes of good fortune in show-business history was about to touch a small-built, sad-eyed, 22-year-old Liverpudlian earning a meagre summer wage playing drums with a group called Rory Storm and the Hurricanes at the resort's Butlin's holiday camp. His name was Richard Starkey, known as Ritchie to his friends and Ringo Starr on stage, and on 14 August 1962 he was plucked from almost certain obscurity to the bosom of the Beatles and lifelong fame in one fell swoop.”
There are differing accounts whether John and Paul drove to Skegness at all, and if they did, whether it was on August 14th or 15th, or if John simply telephoned Ringo in Skegness.
The record shows that The Beatles played the Cavern Club for a lunchtime set and another evening set on the 15th. If The Beatles played these shows as reported by Barry Miles, these would be the last two shows that original drummer Pete Best would ever play with the band.
The reason I am confused is that an email newsletter I receive claimed that today—August 15—is the 60-year anniversary of John and Paul taking a car trip to Skegness to hire Ringo.
It could have been early in the morning on the 15th because The Beatles did not have a show on the 14th but did on both the 13th and 15th. I plugged Liverpool to Skegness in on Google Maps, and it said 161 miles. I have no idea the quality of roads they were dealing with 62 years ago, let alone the condition of the drivers or the car itself.
I’m figuring a 3-hour tour each way, minimum. Nevertheless, John and Paul made it to the Cavern Club to play their lunchtime set on the 15th and again for the evening gig. Youth pays, sometimes.
However, according to sources that I've read, it sounds like Ringo to The Beatles—with the purpose of putting Pete Best on waivers and giving his unconditional release—had been in the works for some time. Sounds like weeks or perhaps months.
Ringo had already sat in with the band—on February 5 during a lunchtime show at the Cavern Club and an evening show at The Kingsway Club due to a Pete Best illness.
Eventually, Brian Epstein, the manager of The Beatles, came around to thinking that Ringo was going to be a better fit with the band.
John, Paul, and George were also reportedly growing jealous of Best's good looks.
Producer George Martin believed that, despite Best's appeal to the throngs of young girls, that he was not up to the standard where he could do the drumming for Beatle records.
Plus, Best was an introvert whereas the rest of the lads were not. Hairstyles were important as well. Best refused to go with the style that the Beatles eventually made famous and was out of place with the other three.
Ringo agreed to wear his hair in the “fringe style” that the Fab Four popularized.
What we do know is that Pete Best, sometimes referred to as the "Fifth Beatle," was fired from the band by manager Brian Epstein on the morning of August 16, 1962. Johnny "Hutch" Hutchinson filled in on drums at the Riverpark Ballroom show that evening and for two shows the next day.
From The Beatles Diary Volume 1: The Beatles Years by Barry Miles:
THE SACKING OF PETE BEST
John, Paul and George couldn’t face telling Pete that he was no longer in the group and asked Brian to do it on their behalf. The Beatles’ roadie, Neil Aspinall, who lived in Pete’s house and was a close friend of his, was going to quit in disgust but Pete insisted that he stay.
The Beatles’ official comment was: “Pete left the group by mutual agreement. There were no arguments or difficulties, and this has been an entirely amicable decision.” They had decided that he did not fit the image of the group they wanted: he was too moody, and would not wear his hair in the distinctive Beatle cut.
In 1963 Pete Best gave his version of what happened: “On our third trip to Hamburg we became the first group to play at a new venue, The Star-Club. Whilst over there we received a telegram saying we’d got a Parlophone contract. Just before the first release I was told that I would have to leave the group. The news came as a complete surprise to me as I had no hint that it would happen and didn’t even have the opportunity of discussing it with the rest of the group.”
Ringo debuted with The Beatles as an official member on August 18 in a 10pm gig for the Horticulture Society Dance. The lads managed to fit in a two-hour rehearsal prior to taking the stage with The Four Jays.
And here we are 60 years later, still arguing about if The Beatles deserve the credit as the preeminent rock stars of a generation or if the Rolling Stones were better.
I love The Beatles music, especially the stuff around the time we're talking about. Probably “rock 'n' roll 1.5.”
You'll get the reference if you read yesterday's epistle which explored the early days of British rock 'n' roll amongst several other seemingly disparate subjects.
Everything I talked about yesterday was true, and my premise is that Portland, Oregon owes a perpetual debt of gratitude to Elvis Presley and Olivia Newton-John. It all makes sense if you get to the end.
The post is behind the dreaded paywall, however. It is about a 30 minute read, as are most of the paywalled pieces we have planned for you. Well worth your money, I've been told by the folks who have already joined us on that level...way more of you than I'd have ever anticipated at this stage.
Yesterday's email, in case you are new, or if you missed it:
If you are into Beatles history, these are some of the books I drew from today:
The Beatles Diary Volume 1: The Beatles Years by Barry Miles
The Complete Beatles Chronicle by Mark Lewisohn
Rock on,
Brian O'Leary