Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

There is a topic on the No Reply: Preserving History of the Beatles site regarding British Drummers. My question is, "How would you rate
Chris Curtis, formerly of the Searchers as a percussionist"? Better than Ringo?

Definitely! In fact,I noticed the drumming before I paid close attention to the guitars.Specifically, the drum breaks on "Since you broke my Heart" and "Saints and Searchers"; the drum roll on "Tricky Dicky", and his cymbal work, and the combinations of drums he used on diferent songs (snare/ tom tom, etc) he played. He was way ahead of Ringo's 4-4, and his drumming always fit perfectly with what they did.In my opinion he was the best drummer from the first wave (liverpool/ DC 5) drummers.

Chris Curtis is an awesome drummer. I have never paid as much attention to Ringo's work as I have to Chris'. The first time I heard "Saints and Searchers," the drum work was one of the first things I noticed. His fills on "Needles and Pins" are excellent as well. He used that fill pattern on a few others, too, like "No One Else Could Love Me" and "This Empty Place." Truly an excellent musician who made The Searchers extra special in their heyday.

I really appreciate the percussion on "What Have The Done To The Rain" and "No One Else Could Love Me." Chris left his signature on each recording and there was always something unique about his contribution.