News Ringo Starr named the most pivotal moves The Beatles ever made: “The biggest band in the world”
In their decade of existence, The Beatles made many significant moves. From the decision to throw themselves into the nightlife of Hamburg to electing to share a joint with Bob Dylan in a New York hotel, even what would have been dismissed as trivial undertakings at the time by the group proved to have transformative consequences for music and culture itself. One man who was best placed to watch it all unfold was drummer Ringo Starr.
Not only did Starr have a comprehensive view of people’s full-bodied reaction to the quartet in their breakout period, but as a perennial jokester, he was often right in the action. His tales about the Fab Four’s heyday are as first-hand as they come, despite the narcotic influence on his perception. Whether it be his comical anecdotes about their globe-trotting create voyages or more serious takes on the nature of their friendships, Starr remains the most forthcoming of the surviving band members.
This seems natural given that he was often an onlooker in the group, watching the great artistic tussle between John Lennon and Paul McCartney play out, as well as when guitarist George Harrison asserted himself in the conversation towards the end of their career. This gave him a holistic vantage point.
Starr deems several key moments as highlights from the group’s career when they were not mired in the feuding that would ultimately engulf them. He revealed all when sitting down with Modern Drummer in 1981. Asked to name the most significant moments for the band and his playing, his choices offered insight into how the group dealt with such immense fame, which was of such an intensity it hasn’t been seen since.
Understandably, the two moments that stick out in Starr’s memory are from the period when the band were riding the crest of a wave and quickly rising to become the era’s most essential outfit. The first was their resounding performance in October 1963 on Val Parnell’s variety show Sunday Night At The London Palladium. The group played ‘From Me To You’, ‘I’ll Get You’, She Loves You’, and ‘Twist and Shout’, which was more than enough. It was a resounding success and officially inaugurated the phenomenon dubbed ‘Beatlemania’ by the press.
The second moment Starr picked was their 1964 debut on The Ed Sullivan Show, which introduced the band to America and changed the direction of their career. Not only did it kick off the British invasion, but it also instituted the incredible cultural explosion that would occur throughout the rest of the decade. Without this moment, the story of rock music would be very different. There’d be no Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin or even Nirvana.
Starr said: “As an act, which we were, the Palladium or the Ed Sullivan Show because they were definite moves in a career. We still wanted to be the biggest band in the world. Not that we knew it would be a monster, but we knew we were aiming somewhere, and the only [way to measure] it is popularity. And we did become the most popular group on earth, so there’s all those moves.”
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Ringo Starr named the most pivotal moves The Beatles ever made: “The biggest band in the world”
Arun Starkey
Thu 11 April 2024 16:45, UK
In their decade of existence, The Beatles made many significant moves. From the decision to throw themselves into the nightlife of Hamburg to electing to share a joint with Bob Dylan in a New York hotel, even what would have been dismissed as trivial undertakings at the time by the group proved to have transformative consequences for music and culture itself. One man who was best placed to watch it all unfold was drummer Ringo Starr.
Not only did Starr have a comprehensive view of people’s full-bodied reaction to the quartet in their breakout period, but as a perennial jokester, he was often right in the action. His tales about the Fab Four’s heyday are as first-hand as they come, despite the narcotic influence on his perception. Whether it be his comical anecdotes about their globe-trotting create voyages or more serious takes on the nature of their friendships, Starr remains the most forthcoming of the surviving band members.
This seems natural given that he was often an onlooker in the group, watching the great artistic tussle between John Lennon and Paul McCartney play out, as well as when guitarist George Harrison asserted himself in the conversation towards the end of their career. This gave him a holistic vantage point.
Starr deems several key moments as highlights from the group’s career when they were not mired in the feuding that would ultimately engulf them. He revealed all when sitting down with Modern Drummer in 1981. Asked to name the most significant moments for the band and his playing, his choices offered insight into how the group dealt with such immense fame, which was of such an intensity it hasn’t been seen since.
Understandably, the two moments that stick out in Starr’s memory are from the period when the band were riding the crest of a wave and quickly rising to become the era’s most essential outfit. The first was their resounding performance in October 1963 on Val Parnell’s variety show Sunday Night At The London Palladium. The group played ‘From Me To You’, ‘I’ll Get You’, She Loves You’, and ‘Twist and Shout’, which was more than enough. It was a resounding success and officially inaugurated the phenomenon dubbed ‘Beatlemania’ by the press.
The second moment Starr picked was their 1964 debut on The Ed Sullivan Show, which introduced the band to America and changed the direction of their career. Not only did it kick off the British invasion, but it also instituted the incredible cultural explosion that would occur throughout the rest of the decade. Without this moment, the story of rock music would be very different. There’d be no Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin or even Nirvana.
Starr said: “As an act, which we were, the Palladium or the Ed Sullivan Show because they were definite moves in a career. We still wanted to be the biggest band in the world. Not that we knew it would be a monster, but we knew we were aiming somewhere, and the only [way to measure] it is popularity. And we did become the most popular group on earth, so there’s all those moves.”
Regarding his playing, Starr looked to the recording of ‘Rain’ in April 1966. He has long deemed it his finest performance on the drums. He said: “[In terms of playing], the ‘Rain’ session, where something just comes out of the bag, that just arrives—that’s exciting. It’s not a conscious thing—it just happens, and some sessions can get exciting. Musically, sometimes you would be blown away with what came out, but not every time. Other times, you did the best you could, and if it worked, great. But sometimes magic just came out of the blue, and it comes out for everybody.”
The Beatles might have ended acrimoniously, but generally speaking, Starr looked back fondly on his time with them. Recalling that the group were often moving in unison musically, he said it was a form of magic that was simply “unexplainable”.
Watch The Beatles’ debut on The Ed Sullivan Show below.
