“I was devastated”: Why Ringo Starr hated George Martin
Each member of The Beatles was an important factor contributing to their success. However, their success didn’t just lie within the band itself. They also owe a lot to the team around them, who helped them skyrocket to fame, and the people who assisted with recording their music. George Martin was just as pivotal a member of The Beatles as the rest of the band, which is why he is commonly dubbed the fifth member.
Martin started working with the band in 1962. Originally, he wasn’t very excited about taking on The Beatles, but working with them ended up being one of the best decisions he ever made. He worked well with the band and was always receptive to their ideas, no matter how out there they were. That being said he often clashed with Ringo Starr, whom he was quite hard on.
They had an ongoing feud with one another that was sparked the moment Starr first started playing with the band. The Beatles got rid of Pete Best and brought on Starr. Within a short period, he was heading to London to help the band record some of their first songs. While Starr was wide-eyed and excited about getting to prove himself as a drummer to the band, Martin pushed him to the side and brought in a session drummer instead.
Andy White, the session drummer in question, had already been booked in case the band couldn’t find a replacement for Best in time. As such, Starr understood why he was there but didn’t understand why he was still needed when The Beatles new drummer was ready to play. He admitted that Martin’s decision not to use him on that day resonated with a years-long hatred.
“I was devastated that George Martin had his doubts about me,” said Starr. “I came ready to roll and heard, ‘We’ve got a professional drummer’. He has apologised several times since, has old George, but it was devastating — I hated the bugger for years; I still don’t let him off the hook!”
Paul McCartney said that even though Starr put on a brave face, he never admitted to liking the single the band had recorded. When he spoke about ‘Love Me Do’, he would always say that he liked the B-side, but he could never bring himself to admit that he liked the A-side, given that it’s not him playing drums on the track.
“I don’t think Ringo ever got over that,” said McCartney. “He had to go back up to Liverpool and everyone asked, ‘How did it go in the Smoke?’ He’d say, ‘B side’s good’, but Ringo couldn’t admit to liking the A side, not being on it.”
While Starr was weary of Martin for some time after the tension created the first time they met, the two did end up getting along. George Martin made it up to Starr throughout the years they worked together, and the two formed a good working relationship. When Martin passed away, Starr said that he was kind, great and loving.
