I finally understand Ringo!

[Ickybaby]

? I guess I missed it again. ?

You can't appreciate every artist. Some people like the artists that are all about technique and the ability to recreate flawlessly while others may prefer abstract, improvising, flowing art. Some like complex art, some like their's simple. Some like a lot of all of it, others can't stand but a smidgen.

I really like Rubber Soul and Revolver. Ringo has some creative stuff there, simple but devilishly clever. I don't think there is anything another drummer would have done there that could have improved a song on either of those 2 albums. Not more tom hits, or hi-hat splashes, or gong bass drum to floor to timbale licks.

 

[JazzDrumGuy]

Huge Beatles fan. When people ask me what my favorite band is, I don't mention the Beatles because they're my honorary number one. Huge Ringo fan. He's simple but so clutch and talk about right place at the right time. This clip, though, really did nothing for me. Pretty rudimentary playing.

I googled "Ringo Starr isolated drum tracks" and found a bunch of them. I think the two clips below really highlight his creativity and swinging feel of his play....Tomorrow never knows, Come Together, Back in the USSR, Taxman, Birthday....many better examples, too....

 

[JDZ]

This guys knows all the songs.

Sorry in advance if this has been posted before.

 

[JDA]

Ringo threads-a-bloomin
Gotta be a sign of Spring

 

[Mcjnic]

Ringo‘s choices on the tune were pretty wild. Really took me by surprise. He is such an inventive drummer.
The biggest takeaway for me ... those cymbals really sucked to my ears. Very enlightening.

 

[nickrobotron]

Ringo‘s choices on the tune were pretty wild. Really took me by surprise. He is such an inventive drummer.
The biggest takeaway for me ... those cymbals really sucked to my ears. Very enlightening.

What about the crash sound on Ticket to Ride and I Feel Fine? Both hits come later in the song and sound so good. I'm surprised at how well it was captured for mid 60's.

 

[Bandit]

Ringo‘s choices on the tune were pretty wild. Really took me by surprise. He is such an inventive drummer.
The biggest takeaway for me ... those cymbals really sucked to my ears. Very enlightening.

Can't tell if serious?

 

[Mcjnic]

Yeah. The ticket to ride crash is nice.
But the original song post ... man. Those hats and crash sounds were just not hitting my ears in a good way.

I was serious, Bandit. For whatever reason, those cymbals in the original post just grate on me. The other post was nice, though.

My guess ... it’s most likely due to the frequencies isolated in order to separate the drums. Man, I hope so

 

[JDA]

I said it; post #5. the hats sounded 'like' nickle-silver.
What year was that. maybe they're Zyns. Or just the way the Avedis sounded that day.
reminded me of the 'Ludwig/Paiste Standards' I had briefly long ago (15s they were)

 

[Bandit]

Yeah. The ticket to ride crash is nice.
But the original song post ... man. Those hats and crash sounds were just not hitting my ears in a good way.

I was serious, Bandit. For whatever reason, those cymbals in the original post just grate on me. The other post was nice, though.

My guess ... it’s most likely due to the frequencies isolated in order to separate the drums. Man, I hope so

OK then.

 

[Houndog]

I think I suck at drumming , my bag of tricks is small . Ringo is better than me .

 

[JDA]

grass green sky blue water wet

 

[RobbiefromAtlanta]

My mom was a big Beatles fan so I heard em a lot as a kid. Ringo was Ringo to me. As far as I was concerned he rocked.

 

[Obiwandrumobe]

I've been a Beatles fan since I was a little kid back in the early 70's. And as I grew to appreciate drumming I've also learned to appreciate the simplicity of his playing. What he did with The Beatles worked for it at that time. And in fact it's withstood the test of time because I still love listening to much of their music. However, when critically analyzing what Ringo did, I can't help but conclude that we are hearing all that he was capable of doing. In other words, he didn't have the chops to do anything more than we were hearing. Since he's been mentioned, Steve Jordan may be known for his simple straight forward grooving but anyone who's been listening to him over the years knows that there are lots of recordings where he shows the full breadth of his skills. John Scofield's Electric Outlet and Who's Who are two examples. And anyone who spent way too many hours up late at night watching him on the Letterman Show knows how he can stretch and play both simply and complex. Like I said, Ringo was right for The Beatles and he was part of creating ground breaking music with them but you don't need monster chops to replicate what he did. I'm not bashing him and in fact lately I've been focusing on trying to play more simply because at times simple is far better than complex.

--------------------------------------------------------------
You don't need monster chops to replicate what he did - just enormous talent and taste. Ditto John, Paul and George.

 

[frankmott]

There is so much I could say here. I'll try to be succinct.

* I really feel sorry for any musician -- let alone a drummer -- who can't grasp Ringo's towering genius behind the drums. That track oozes Ringo groove. Seriously. You can't hear that?

* He's got plenty of chops -- more than adequate for The Beatles. Sit down and play I Feel Fine up to tempo. Play the break coming out of the bridge of Tell Me Why -- up to tempo; snare and floor together, no flams! Geez, just try and cop that between-straight-and-swing feel that permeates everything he plays. Very few players can do that. Sit down and seamlessly play through all the time signature changes/dropped and added beats in She Said, Good Morning, and Happiness is a Warm Gun -- and make it groove while you're at it. There are dozens more examples.

* John or Paul come to you with a new song. You've got about an afternoon (less in the early days) to come up with a perfect, yet beautifully creative part for the song -- EVERY TIME! Bass and drums were almost always the first thing put down. No time to think it over, no time to woodshed, they're rolling tape NOW.

* Throughout The Beatles recording career, there were no click tracks. Yet producer George Martin often would cut up various takes and splice them together. The tempo's were always perfect. I couldn't do that now -- after playing for 50 some years. Ringo was nailing it every time at the age of 23-29.

* A careful listening of The Beatles reveals lots of little mistakes made by those other three guys (particularly in the early days). Not Ringo. I've only found one, and I'm not saying.

* Praise for Ringo is understandably nearly universal among professional drummers (I was in "the Biz" for 20 years, and had conversations about Ringo with lots of heavy cats).

I have no patience for Ringo naysayers. To them I say this: What would you change about Sir Richard's parts? Be specific.

 

[BennyK]

Ringo's righteous . I understand the people who don't understand that .

 

[Pounder]

OK, taking this with a grain of salt. I love the drum part on this song, actually Sgt Peppers is a groundbreaking album for drum sounds. That is a fact. But, I'm just as baffled by the isolated drum track being a source of inspiration as I am by the critics above who can't handle the cymbal sounds, etc.. If you listen to this on the album the bass drum sounds nothing like it does on the isolated track. The cymbals are mostly obscured by other percussive elements (maracas?) and guitar strumming. The album hasn't really aged very well for some things, while other things it was groundbreaking.

Anyway I think usually it's like this: you either like the Beatles in general, and therefore by extension Ringo's drumming, or you don't.

 

[snappy]

I'll begin by saying that I arrived late to the party when it comes to listening to The Beatles. Yes, I've heard them throughout my life, know many of the songs, and appreciate and respect their contribution to modern music. I much prefer the older recordings and never cared much for Magical Mystery Tour or ironically, Sgt. Pepper's.

That said, this post appeared in my You Tube feed yesterday and blew me away. I'm enamored, and now completely understand the love and praise for Ringo. I can't stop listening and loving everything about it. I'm a big Steve Jordan fan and good lawd do I hear the influence now!

I've said it before but it's worth repeating - The best thing about music is that it knows no age, no time, and no circumstance. It's there for us always, waiting to be discovered and enjoyed, limitless in its reach and powerful in its influence.

Further reading for you

Please submit Ringo's Best Drumming Efforts (Snappy Responds...)

I never gave his playing a single thought. I am drawn to melodies and lyrics and I don't dive deep into the drum parts (some exceptions) if I am not learning it. Recently I saw posted "In My Life" "Paperback Writer" as good examples of his playing. I listened closely and am getting an opinion-a...

www.drumforum.org

 

[Mcjnic]

the critics above who can't handle the cymbal sounds, etc..

Don't misunderstand ... I LOVE Ringo.
It was just the sound of those cymbals on that particular drums-only thing that kinda took me by surprise.
Hope I didn't come across as a negative. Ringo's ... Ringo!

 

[rhythmace]

There is so much I could say here. I'll try to be succinct.

* I really feel sorry for any musician -- let alone a drummer -- who can't grasp Ringo's towering genius behind the drums. That track oozes Ringo groove. Seriously. You can't hear that?

* He's got plenty of chops -- more than adequate for The Beatles. Sit down and play I Feel Fine up to tempo. Play the break coming out of the bridge of Tell Me Why -- up to tempo; snare and floor together, no flams! Geez, just try and cop that between-straight-and-swing feel that permeates everything he plays. Very few players can do that. Sit down and seamlessly play through all the time signature changes/dropped and added beats in She Said, Good Morning, and Happiness is a Warm Gun -- and make it groove while you're at it. There are dozens more examples.

* John or Paul come to you with a new song. You've got about an afternoon (less in the early days) to come up with a perfect, yet beautifully creative part for the song -- EVERY TIME! Bass and drums were almost always the first thing put down.

* Throughout The Beatles recording career, there were no click tracks. Yet producer George Martin often would cut up various takes and splice them together. The tempo's were always perfect. I couldn't do that now -- after playing for 50 some years. Ringo was nailing it every time at the age of 23-29.

* A careful listening of The Beatles reveals lots of little mistakes made by those other three guys (particularly in the early days). Not Ringo. I've only found one, and I'm not saying.

* Praise for Ringo is understandably nearly universal among professional drummers (I was in "the Biz" for 20 years, and had conversations about Ringo with lots of heavy cats).

I have no patience for Ringo naysayers. To them I say this: What would you change about Sir Richard's parts? Be specific.

Very well said. Let me add some. Ringo has a wicked right hand. He doesn't just play 8th notes on the hats behind the bass and snare. Listen to it. lt's all tight yet musical. He was the first to put a "wall of sound" with the hats, when appropriate. Raising both sticks at the same time before the backbeat was new and really cool. He recently said that "his art is that he never plays the same fills." He holds the sticks at the butts for power, yet he has fast fingers when needed. His taste is impeccable. Beatle music is in a category all it's own. They showed the music world what could be done. I often wonder if John, Paul and George fully appreciated Ringo. When Paul plays drums, it sounds like the drums are not grounded or something. If you don't get Ringo, or the Beatles, maybe it's you? Laugh! Ace
P.S. I still have Beatlemania

 

[Pounder]

Don't misunderstand ... I LOVE Ringo.
It was just the sound of those cymbals on that particular drums-only thing that kinda took me by surprise.
Hope I didn't come across as a negative. Ringo's ... Ringo!

No but when you listen to the song the cymbals are difficult if not impossible to hear in some cases. So I question the accuracy of this "isolated drums" video as per everything. Bass drum sound, cymbal sounds etc. As I said, not sure the method used to isolate the drum parts. Until I am satisfied I call not true on any critique of the drums sound wise. This album was recorded with a 4 track recorder. How were the drums removed from the mix? If it was some type of EQ method then you're not hearing what the cymbals and drums actually sounded like during recording, anyways.