Ringo Starr

I have just joined a Beatle Band!  Yes,  "Mystery Trip"  are a group of Nashville based session musicians who share a love of all things Beatles,  and they recently asked if I would be interested in joining.

Needless to say, they didn't beed to ask twice.  Having been brought up on the Beatles (my parents were big fans of popular music, and introduced us to a wonderfully varied diet of all things musical: and yes, I am very lucky).

In the process of learning the tunes,  I had to really get in deep and analyze Ringo's playing style, which turned out to be something of a revelation!  I always loved his solid approach, his sense of timing, and even his technique (yes, Ringo had technique).  But until now I had never really appreciated the sheer musicality of what he did.  It's as if every note he played was designed to compliment the song he was playing.

Now this might have been carefully thought out, or it might have simply been a "gut reaction" - the reason is irrelevant.  The result is what matters.

No aspiring drummer should even try to embark of a career in the music industry without first dissecting some of Ringo's key drum tracks.  To that end,  here are some of my personal favourites (this is not so say they are definitive, just a personal choice, OK?)

Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
Penny Lane
In My Life
With A Little Help from My Friends
Magical Mystery Tour
Strawberry Fields
I Want You (She's So Heavy)
While My Guitar Gently Weeps
A Day In The Life

Have At It!

Ringo Starr: A Life
The Ringo Starr Encyclopedia

The Beatles [USB]
The Beatles Mono Box Set
Photograph: The Very Best of 
And His All Starr Band
Ringo