Ringo Starr: more thoughts

After the dust settled on last night's first performance of the "new" Mystery Trip band, in Woodbury Tennessee, I had time to reflect on it.  While I was driving home in the freezing conditions, I mused that it took a kit with 4 toms and 2 snares to even come CLOSE to re-creating the different drums sounds Ringo had on those albums, which were, when you look at it, all recorded in a mere 7 year period.

It still amazes me just how much the Beatles changed the way we listen to (and record) music in such a short time.  The same goes for Ringo (and to a certain extent, engineer Geoff Emerick).  If the truth be known, I would probably have to have had at least 3 kits to accurately recreate the evolution of Ringo's drum sound.  From the relatively standard drum sound of the early sixties, to the experimental sounds from Rubber Soul onwards, Emerick and Starr were constantly trying new methods of miking, damping tuning etc...

We owe them everything we do now!

Here, There and Everywhere: My Life Recording the Music of the Beatles
All You Need Is Ears: The inside personal story of the genius who created The Beatles
British Audio Engineers: Geoff Emerick, Glyn Johns, Steven Wilson, Alan Parsons, James Guthrie, Nigel Godrich, George Shilling, Nick Launay

Ringo Starr: A Life
The Ringo Starr Encyclopedia
Ringo Starr, Second Edition (Beatles)

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