Beatles History 6: How and Why Pete Best was Replaced by Ringo Starr

The story of why Pete Best was sacked has been raging since 1962. Beatles historian and author David Bedford explains the forensic research that concludes why it happened, how it happened, who was asked, and why Pete Best wasn't sacked/ dismissed.

Many theories have been put forward and perpetuated without evidence. Using objective analysis and interviews, plus the crucial eyewitness who confirmed that Pete Best was never sacked: fact, not theory.

[fordprefect]

I heard a demo recording with Pete on drums. I've never touched a drum kit in my life, but even I can detect his timing is quite off. Ringo is a charming guy, has swing, keeps the beat and he was already a good friend of the band before he joined.

[scottandrewbrass]

Ringo was a drummer and Pete Best owned a drumkit. There's the difference.

[robinrobyn]

This perfectly answers a question that I, as an American, have been puzzled about for years. I have asked how it was that Pete could be sacked, just like that, when he was under contract?

[jasona]

5:20 Too bad that the Merseybeats were a bit too young at that time for Pete to feel comfortable joining them. They eventually had six Top 40 hits. SORROW is my personal favorite song of the Merseybeats.

[techdad]

I’m sure there were social/political/personal reasons they dumped Pete, but the main reason was musical. In an interview with John, he says they were always going to dump Pete eventually and I believe him. The push or impetus to act on this was George Martin expressing Pete wasn’t solid enough to use on studio recordings. So, on the cusp of a big break, they unceremoniously fired Pete because they knew they needed a better drummer. Not very nice, but that’s why they called it the music “business”. Paul Weller broke up The Jam at their peak because he had to move on, change and grow. Look at the career he’s had and, look the massive impact of The Beatles with Ringo. Ringo Starr is just a better, more solid and imaginative drummer than Pete Best. Martin only used Andy White on their first record because he didn’t want to get shown up by these punks and their “new” drummer. Martin was a professional and was in charge. After he saw Ringo play, he had no reservations using Ringo on every other Beatles recording, because he was a solid time-keeper. Compare the Decca tapes and the first session with Parlophone with officially released versions of songs like “Money”, “Til There Was You” and “Love Me Do”. Pete was pretty good at the surf/jungle beat, but it was one dimensional. “Money” rocks harder with Ringo and he plays a reverse backbeat on the verses and turns it around for the choruses, much like the original Motown recording. Also, Pete has no subtlety on ballads on “Til There Was You”. What’s with the sixteenth-note hi-hat? In contrast, Ringo plays a basic latin-type groove which suits the song. Ringo was always good at playing what suited the song. “Love Me Do” with Pete is atrocious, changing tempos all over the place. Listen to any Beatles recording and the drumming is solid. Pete was average and limited at best and off-time at his worst. To be honest, the Decca audition isn’t great as everyone was probably nervous. But the evidence, to me points more toward a musical decision to have a better band.

[joannebeauchamp]

Glad to see Pete Best is doing so well today. He deserves it. One thing a lot of people overlook is that regardless of what you think about Pete’s drumming, he was more attractive than Ringo. Back in those days, fans didn’t give a rip about the drumming part, but wondered…was he cute? After Pete left, Paul became more of the focal point of The Beatles due to his good looks. Looks really counted back in the 60’s…

[deaconblue]

Some good insight here. In bands however, there always seems to be one guy on the outside looking in. This was the case with Pete Best. He wasn't like the other three. He also didn't show up for certain gigs according to both Harrison and McCartney. When Ringo sat in with them Best's fate was sealed. Ringo gave them the groove and fit in personality wise. Later on when McCartney had Wings he had a drummer named Geoff Britten for a short while in the band(less than a year) and he wasn't like the rest of the band and became difficult to work with. McCartney wasn't quite sold on his playing and fired him. He then hired an American drummer named Joe English who gave him everything he was looking for. Sound familiar?

[paulclinton]

David's insights are the most accurate I have seen on Pete's dismissal.

[paulorobertopedroso]

Pete Best was invited to come to Brazil, he was honored by a rock brazilian Band called * paralamas do Sucesso* and had participate as a drummer ina Samba Scholl, in Rio de janeiro, it was wonderfal, pete will be always in my heart

[theselector]

Absolutely great investigative work & research there David. You are SPOT
The thing I find is that people can't accept the truth. They think if you accept the 'Pete Story' then you have to dislike Ringo or The Beatles for what they did. It's almost a type of Cognitive Dissonance people have about the whole situation. It's understandable considering the massive social significance The Beatles had on people & society in general. I, myself, have no problem accepting The "Pete Story" & still being a massive fan of the band with Ringo.
Knowing and accepting one doesn't discount the other.

[ozrob]

I always thought the Beatles treated Pete Best shabbily, but the rest was history.

[UAL]

If anyone says they knew Ringo would be as great as he became they’d be lying. In hindsight, of course, he was a superb choice.

Pete did phenomenally well helping to create the “buzz” around the band after the return from Hamburg.

It all came down to George Martin “spooking” Eppy and the Beatles by seeming to put the sessions in question due to Pete’s lack of fine technical skill (although George made it very clear it didn’t matter who they kept up on stage). After they’d come all this way, they wanted NOTHING in the way of the recording sessions. It was 50% that and 50% that he (and his mother) didn’t really fit with the other three.

[glennbentley]

Because John Lennon, Paul McCartney and George Harrison were users.

[bobdavis]

I have listened to Pete best. He is a gentleman, but John said they were going to get rid of him .He never improved. When Pete was sick Ringo set in and they fell in love with his drumming. Now Pete is successful in his own right He has been married 60 years to his wife .He was given money from the anthology project, about 12 million, he was technical advisor for backbeat the movie .And he got over it.He is still alive, John and George are dead .As I said he is a gentleman and he has had more success than I have.He has been married 60 years raised a family and he tours with his brother roeg. Keep it up Pete I wish you success.

[TomByron-hs]

I feel so bad when people fight over Ringo or Pete. Ringo was better for sure. Pete was ok too. Just leave it alone already. What tripe.

[mgconlan]

I remember when I first heard The Beatles' surviving recordings with Pete Best – the July 1961 Hamburg recordings with Tony Sheridan and the January 1, 1962 Decca audition – I thought that Pete was a better drummer technically than Ringo but Ringo fit in more with the band. When my then-girlfriend Cat and I first got the bootleg LP of the Decca audition we both thought, "If THIS is what we'd had to go on, we wouldn't have signed them, either!" Once Ringo played those thundering tom-tom parts on "Please Please Me, " it was clear he deserved the gig.

[edwardrossman]

Interesting terminology here about 'Ringo joining to make a new group.' That Pete never quit The BeaTles and there was a legal snafu in that because all 4 were equal partners. Good insight.

[rockykoast]

That finally makes sense. I've heard different versions of 'why' & 'what happened '. The contractual thing has a ring of truth. Bands follow the same rules of evolution as we all do biologically; 'survival of the fittest '.

[pedromanuel]

“We never rocked harder or sounded better than the Hamburg gigs” - John Lennon. (Paraphrasing). Pete Best was definitely a part of that “Best Sound” in Hamburg. After Pete Best, they went from a hardcore Proto-type punk/rock band to a highly commercialized (and extremely successful) Pop Band. Yes, absolutely… TWO different bands. You can definitely tell in the way John Lennon sometimes reminisced about the “old days” in Hamburg that he missed that “other” Beatles Rock Band. John was the purest rocker of all 4 Beatles

[justmaximumpublicity]

Just listen to Pete Best on Love Me Do, and make your own mind up. - it's on the Anthology - the 3 versions Pete Best, session drummer and Ringo. Before he joined The Beatles we all knew who he was with Rory Storm. On Love Me Do the main drumming is more like the drummer with Freddie and the Dreamers - all cymbals. Also the first time they recorded for George Martin they used Pete Best and that's when Martin made his mind up as he didn't like Pete's drumming. Martin wouldn't accept Ringo at first, and that's when they used the session drummer, and Ringo, according to Martin, always held it against him. I heard George Martin introducing some Beatles songs and when it came to The Ballad of John and Yoko, only two Beatles were on this: John and Paul. Paul played the drums and George Martin pointed out that it wasn't a patch on Ringo - he just kept the beat, which is the main role for a drummer.