Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Check out the thread THE VISIT in the Iron Door forum. Geoff Hogarth posted a recent letter from a friend that describes a first hand account of a visit from the Beatles and Brian Epstein to them, after hours, in reference to losing Pete Best and hiring Ringo, and a reason why.

I was pretty stunned, but no more comments have been posted over there. What do you think?

hmmm... how come I dont see it?

I tried to find a link, but didn't have much luck Mark. Could you post a link? There are at least a couple of stories floating around about the demise of Pete Best as a Beatle.

Here's a link to the thread:
../118667/163586.html>

Interesting.

Most of what I've read shows that the saking of Pete was primarily because of a personality non-fit. Pete just never clicked with the John/Paul/George close-nit gang. In fact, its been written that Pete was the one who was most reluctant to pop the 'prellies' that the others were so fond of.

We all know how bands are... it can be an intense thing where personal relationships (both positive and negative) are magnified... and of course that must have been especially true in those proto-beatlemania days. I have a feeling that "drugs" was just a convenient excuse that Paul was using. If Paul had been honest he would have just said "Pete's a good drummer but we're all fed up with him and his gloomy attitude. He just doesn't fit in with the rest of us. Ringo is also a good drummer and is funny and easy-going and we like him."

Could be, Kent. I just suggested on the other thread that "on drugs" might have been another way of saying "on another planet" or "whacko"...or just plain "not like we are".

Peter, sounds like a lot of members can't see that thread at all?

Interesting story for sure, but The Beatles saying they can't work with someone who "is on drugs" is pot calling the kettle black at that point in time, for they all popped pills then. A "whako" interpretation would hold more creedence it seems....

Yea, I agree that "on drugs" was probably not a literal reference.

I'm a Pete fan. I think his drumming has gotten an undeserved knock over the years. But I certainly do understand that J P & G would want to kick out anyone who was rubbing them the wrong way during their pressure-cooker existence.

I came across Pete's reference to a lawsuit against the Beatles in 1965. Anybody know more about this?

http://www.classicbands.com/PeteBestInterview.html

Q - I interviewed an attorney be the name of Freddie Gershen who said he represented you in your lawsuit* against The Beatles in 1965.

A - That's right. He was part of two attorneys, if my memory serves me right, Fred Gershen and Barry Goldberg. They were young attorneys at the time. I was in America and something was going on which had been said and they actually handled the American litigation for me and won, which was nice. I suppose you could turn around and say it was the first feather in the cap, so to speak, in their legal career. I don't know what happened to Barry, but Gershen went on to become very famous in the film industry in his own right.

I have two questions: What kind of sack did they use, and did they hit him very hard? Poor guy.

The sack was a Brian Epstein model, and yes, it did pack quite a whallop.

"Naturally he is tremendously excited about the future."

Someone had a working crystal ball

"by mutual agreement".... ya, mutual among John Paul and George.... especially George.

Really? Why George so much?

In a letter George Harrison wrote in October of 1960 to his friend 'Archibald Lad'(written while at The Kaiserkellar) George states "Rory Storm And The Hurricanes came out here the other week, and they are crummy. He does a bit of dancing around but it still doesn't make up for his phoney group. The only one who is any good in the group is the drummer". Looks like George would have already wanted Ringo in two years before they finally got him. For Pete's sake(pun) it would have been much better to get Ringo in right away. He sweated through two tough years and got the boot just before the big time.