Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

The following photos show Paul McCartney playing Pete Clarke's drum kit during his stint at Apple. Apparently, this was the night before Macca got married to Linda. Tom Kelly is credited with having taken the photos.

Those are great photos Peter. Look at all the Fender gear in evidence.

Brian: It would seem that fools seldom differ here. I too found it interesting to see the Fender gear which we all know they used quite extensively over the years, all the while hidden somewhat from the Fab Fours' endorsement of Vox.

I believe these photos were from a Mary Hopkin recording session.

If a photograph of Clarkie playing this drum kit turned up it would be the icing on the cake. Peter used the kit on Top OfThe Pops with Kiki and in Holland on TV again with Kiki. All the Liverpool scene stuff except for the States.

Since Peter McCormack posted the shot of Paul McCartney playing on Peter Clarke's drum kit, we have discovered that it was NOT taken on the eve of his wedding. Peter Clarke explains...... Quote... "Macca fooled around on my kit lots of times (he liked it as much as I did) however , he was only photographed twice, once before he got married, and the other was when he was with 'Donovan' when these shots were taken. So this is the night 'Will' and I played the song 'Next Time'. End of Quote.
I should explain Will was Billy Kingsley of the 'Merseybeats', when Peter was appointed to the permanent staff at 'Apple' he asked Billy Kingsley and Paul Pilnick to join him. In the early days of the internet on 'APPLES' Who's Who; Peter was referred to as the 'Beatles Back Up' Drummer.
Peter Clarke (CLARKIE) started his musical career at the Iron Door( aka Storyville) so it is appropriate that the information is posted on the Iron Door forum.

13_temple_street wrote:Since Peter McCormack posted the shot of Paul McCartney playing on Peter Clarke's drum kit, we have discovered that it was NOT taken on the eve of his wedding. Peter Clarke explains...... Quote... "Macca fooled around on my kit lots of times (he liked it as much as I did) however , he was only photographed twice, once before he got married, and the other was when he was with 'Donovan' when these shots were taken. So this is the night 'Will' and I played the song 'Next Time'. End of Quote.
I should explain Will was Billy Kingsley of the 'Merseybeats', when Peter was appointed to the permanent staff at 'Apple' he asked Billy Kingsley and Paul Pilnick to join him. In the early days of the internet on 'APPLES' Who's Who; Peter was referred to as the 'Beatles Back Up' Drummer.
Peter Clarke (CLARKIE) started his musical career at the Iron Door( aka Storyville) so it is appropriate that the information is posted on the Iron Door forum.

...with Donovan it was indeed.

Hi godber; Thank you for posting the photograph of Mecca and Donovan, I am absolutely thrilled to view this shot...

Well I'm "Dead Chuffed" as Helen Mirren said when she picked up her Oscar. That is assuming this post holds, cos" I just tried to post on "The Inn Crowd" site & got thrown off ! So I left a message instead. Anyhoo, there were a more than a few times that Macca was on my Kit, but he was only photographed twice, and I must admit at first I thought , this was the night before he and the lovely Linda got hitched. However, since Donovan was there as well then It's the night of the first Beatles & Allan Klein meeting, and that, my friends was a whopper!!!!! Which I will gladly relay as soon as this post is accepted...... Clarkie. PS, To that sweet soul who thought this was from the Mary Hopkin sessions ? Er.....No. PPS The photographer was Tom Hanley, not Tom Kelly. ( my mistake)..p

Peter: Thanks for your comments about your drumkit. I see that this post remained in place. I do not believe that it is your service provider that is dropping your connection as this site has not terminated posters submissions. Perhaps composing your posts as a text file on your computer and then cutting and pasting them to the forum would give you the time you need to post and also have a handy backup in case your connection is dropped. I would also be willing to post it on your behalf if you are able to email it to me. I know well the frustration of typing a long message only to find it is lost in cyberspace.

admin wrote:Peter: Thanks for your comments about your drumkit. I see that this post remained in place. I do not believe that it is your service provider that is dropping your connection as this site has not terminated posters submissions. Perhaps composing your posts as a text file on your computer and then cutting and pasting them to the forum would give you the time you need to post and also have a handy backup in case your connection is dropped. I would also be willing to post it on your behalf if you are able to email it to me. I know well the frustration of typing a long message only to find it is lost in cyberspace.

Well, Shiver me Timbers and Avast Matey,(and I don't mean the anti-virus) .... I'm back; and it only took three years..... When Macca came down from the meeting with Mr. Klein, instead of going over to Donovan, he came straight at me and Will, (Kinsley not Kingsley) and he says; " I just wrote a song coming down the stairs and if I don't play it, ..." ( I said;) " For at least 30 minutes, ..." (Will;) " When you wake up tomorrow morning, ...." ( Moi;) " You won't have a song." ...... Macca; " Exactly." ...... So, for the next 30 minutes, the three of us played, " You never give me your money, You only give me your funny paper ."........ We stopped, and now that it was well and truly in Paul's head, ..we took a break....
What took place next is kind of interesting...........However............ Tune in tomorrow Boys and Girls, to find out.......... Clarkie.

Peter, I love first-hand accounts, that was truly awesome!

Cool story .... YNGMYM is the best musically-constructed tune on the Abbey Road album, in my view, with it's distinctive arrangement from being a piano-based song in the beginning, (based somewhat in the key of "C") and transitioning full out, with rocking guitars, somewhat in the key of "A", in the latter half. Great lyrics, great melody, a penetrating Bass-line and the Lennon-Harrison guitars at the end are so cool

Welcome back Peter, I suspected that you would return to the forum ,my sincere apologies to Billy for mispronouncing his name.I am thrilled that Rich and Collin have replied to your posting with such amazing clarity.