Pete Best facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Pete Best
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Best performing in 2006
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Randolph Peter Scanland |
| Born | 24 November 1941 Madras, British India |
| Origin | Liverpool, England |
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Randolph Peter Best (born 24 November 1941) is an English musician. He was the drummer for the Beatles from 1960 to 1962. He left the band just before they became famous worldwide. Many people call him one of the "fifth Beatles."
Pete's mother, Mona Best, opened the Casbah Coffee Club in the basement of their house in Liverpool. The Beatles, then called the Quarrymen, played some of their first shows there. The Beatles asked Pete to join them on 12 August 1960. This was right before their first trip to play in clubs in Hamburg. Ringo Starr later replaced Pete on 16 August 1962. The band's manager, Brian Epstein, let Pete go after John Lennon, Paul McCartney, and George Harrison asked him to. This happened after the band's first recording session.
More than 30 years later, Pete Best received a lot of money for his time with the Beatles. This happened after their 1995 album Anthology 1 was released. Pete played drums on 10 songs on that album. After playing in a few music groups that were not very successful, Pete left music. He worked as a government employee for 20 years before starting the Pete Best Band.
Contents
Early Life and Music Beginnings
Pete Best was born on 24 November 1941 in Madras, which was then part of British India. His mother, Mona Best, was training to be a doctor. She met Johnny Best, who came from a family in Liverpool that ran a boxing arena. After they married, Pete's brother, Rory Best, was born. In 1945, the Best family moved to Liverpool, England.
The Best family lived in different places in Liverpool. Pete went to Blackmoor Park primary school. He later studied at Liverpool Collegiate Grammar School. Pete decided he wanted to be in a music group. His mother bought him a drum kit. Pete then started his own band called the Black Jacks.
In 1957, Mona Best bought a large house with 15 bedrooms. She later opened The Casbah Coffee Club in the house's basement. Pete had asked his mother for a place where his friends could meet and listen to music. The Quarrymen, which included John Lennon, Paul McCartney, and George Harrison, played at the club. The Black Jacks later became the main band at the Casbah.
Joining The Beatles
In 1960, the Beatles' manager, Allan Williams, set up some shows for them in Hamburg, Germany. The shows were supposed to start on 17 August 1960. The band did not have a regular drummer. Paul McCartney looked for someone to play drums for the Hamburg shows.
Pete Best had been seen playing with his band, the Black Jacks, at the Casbah. People noticed he played the bass drum on every beat, which made the rhythm strong. In Liverpool, his female fans called him "mean, moody, and magnificent." This made McCartney think Pete would be a good fit for the group. After the Black Jacks broke up, McCartney convinced Pete to go to Hamburg with the Beatles. They would each earn £15 per week. Pete had passed his school exams and could have gone to teacher-training college. But he decided playing in Hamburg would be a better choice. Pete had an audition and traveled to Hamburg the next day.
Playing in Hamburg
On their first trip to Hamburg, the Beatles realized their stage clothes were not strong enough. They bought leather jackets, jeans, and cowboy boots. These were much tougher. The band members, except Pete, started taking pills to stay awake because they played for many hours each night. Pete always refused to take them.
The Beatles played their first full show with Pete Best on 17 August 1960. This was at the Indra Club in Hamburg. The group slept in a small, dirty room with bunk beds at the Bambi Kino cinema. Pete was the only band member who had studied German in school. He could talk with the club owner and the customers. After the Indra Club closed due to noise complaints, the group started playing at the Kaiserkeller.
In October 1960, the group left the Kaiserkeller to work at the Top Ten Club. The new club offered them more money and a better place to sleep. This meant they broke their contract with the old club owner. When Pete and McCartney went back to the Bambi Kino to get their things, they found it dark. McCartney played a small trick on the old club owner. The owner reported them for trying to start a fire. Pete and McCartney spent three hours in a local prison. They were then sent back to England on 30 November 1960. George Harrison was also sent back for working when he was too young.
Back in Liverpool, the band members did not talk for two weeks. Pete and his mother made many phone calls to Hamburg to get the band's equipment back. In late 1961, Mona Best arranged all the shows for the group in Liverpool.
Recording Music
The Beatles went back to Hamburg in April 1961. While playing at the Top Ten Club, singer Tony Sheridan asked them to be his backing band. They recorded songs for the German Polydor record label. The producer was Bert Kaempfert. They signed a contract on 22 June 1961. On 31 October 1961, Polydor released the song "My Bonnie." It appeared on the German music charts. The song was listed under the name "Tony Sheridan and the Beat Brothers."
Brian Epstein became the Beatles' manager. He arranged a recording audition at Decca Records in London on New Year's Day 1962. The group recorded 15 songs. A month later, Decca told Epstein they did not want to sign the group. All the band members except Pete were told about this. Epstein officially became the Beatles' manager on 24 January 1962. The contract was signed at Pete's house.
Epstein then met George Martin, a record producer at EMI. Martin was impressed with Epstein. He agreed to sign the Beatles to a recording contract. He made this decision after listening to the Decca audition tape. He had not met or seen the band play live yet. The Beatles performed a "commercial test" on 6 June 1962 at the Abbey Road Studios. Pete's drumming had been fine for Polydor in Hamburg. However, Martin felt Pete's timing was not good enough for studio recordings. He wanted to use an experienced studio drummer for the recordings. This was a common practice at the time.
Martin later said:
I decided that the drums, which are really the backbone of a good rock group, didn't give the boys enough support. They needed a good solid beat, and I said to Brian, 'Look, it doesn't matter what you do with the boys, but on record, nobody need know. I'm gonna use a hot drummer.' Brian [Epstein] said, 'Okay, fine.'
Pete's Dismissal
When John, Paul, and George learned that George Martin wanted a different drummer for their next recording session, they thought about letting Pete go. They asked Epstein to do it. Epstein found this decision very difficult. He wrote in his book that he was "not sure" about Martin's opinion of Pete's drumming. He also said he "was not anxious to change the membership of the Beatles."
Epstein also asked Liverpool DJ Bob Wooler for advice. Wooler knew the Beatles well. He said it was not a good idea because Pete was very popular with fans. Pete was good at live shows and popular with female fans. This helped bring people to their concerts. But the band members decided that making the best music for records was more important. Epstein did not tell Pete that EMI had offered the band a recording contract.
Epstein decided that "If the group was to remain happy, Pete Best must go." Pete played his last two shows with the Beatles on 15 August 1962. Epstein called Pete to his office and told him he was dismissed on Thursday, 16 August. Pete was asked to play with the Beatles on 16 and 17 August, but he changed his mind and did not show up. Johnny Hutchinson filled in for him.
Bill Harry, the editor of Mersey Beat magazine, reported Pete's dismissal. Many Beatles fans were upset. The group faced some angry shouts and teasing in the street and on stage for weeks. Some fans yelled, "Pete forever, Ringo never!" One angry fan even hit George Harrison.
As Pete's replacement, Ringo Starr joined the band for their second recording session with EMI. George Martin at first did not want Ringo to play. He was not familiar with Ringo's drumming. On 11 September 1962, Martin used a session musician named Andy White on drums instead of Ringo. Ringo played the tambourine on some songs while White played the drums.
Reasons for Pete's Dismissal
Drumming Style
John Lennon said Pete was hired only because they needed a drummer for Hamburg. He said Pete "was a lousy drummer" and "never improved." Paul McCartney said Pete was "good, but a bit limited." He explained that George Martin wanted drummers who were very "in time." McCartney said:
The truth was, we just kind of fell in love with Ringo's drumming. Ringo was in another band, and we had Pete, and we were working, and we used to see this other band. We said, "God, that drummer's good." And one night, Pete couldn't do it and Ringo sat in for him. And we all just went "[Gasp]." Behind us was this powerhouse and this person who was, like, taking care of the job. And we went, "Oh dear."
George Harrison also liked Ringo's drumming more. He said, "Every time Ringo sat in with the band, it just seemed like, this was it." Ringo Starr himself said, "I felt I was a much better drummer than [Best] was."
Music critics and engineers also commented on Pete's drumming. One engineer said Pete was "very average and didn't keep good time." Another said Pete's drumming was "thinly textured and rather unimaginative."
However, George Martin said he was surprised when Pete was fired from live shows. He heard the news from Mona Best. He said:
I never suggested that Pete Best must go. All I said was that for the purposes of the Beatles' first record, I would rather use a sessions man. I never thought that Brian Epstein would let him go. He seemed to be the most saleable commodity as far as looks went. It was a surprise when I learned that they had dropped Pete.
Band Chemistry
Epstein said in his book that John, Paul, and George thought Pete was "too conventional to be a Beatle." He added that "though he was friendly with John, he was not liked by George and Paul." It has been said that John, Paul, and George often spent time together outside of shows, writing songs or hanging out. Pete often went off by himself. This made Pete feel left out of the group's inside jokes and experiences.
A German photographer, Astrid Kirchherr, took pictures of the band. Pete decided not to go to one of these photo sessions. Paul McCartney's girlfriend at the time, Dot Rhone, said Pete was very quiet and did not join in conversations with the group.
It was also said that Pete did not want to change his hairstyle to the "mop-top" style that the other Beatles adopted. He preferred his hair to be quiffed. However, Pete later said he was never asked to change his hairstyle.
McCartney explained that Pete "was a really good drummer, but there just was something; he wasn't quite like the rest of us; we had like a sense of humour in common, and he was nearly in with it all, but it's a fine line, you know, as to what is exactly in and what is nearly in."
George Harrison said, "Pete kept being sick and not showing up for gigs." He also said, "I was quite responsible for stirring things up. I conspired to get Ringo in for good; I talked to Paul and John until they came round to the idea."
Mona Best's Involvement
Before Epstein became their manager, Mona Best handled much of the Beatles' business. She helped the band a lot by arranging important early shows. But she was also very strong-willed. John Lennon told a friend that he thought Mona was "bossy" and was using the Beatles only for her son Pete. However, the Beatles later became friendly with Mona again.
Epstein found Mona's involvement difficult. She had contracts with the band, which made it hard to dismiss Pete. Epstein also did not like her interfering with his management of the Beatles.
Popularity with Fans
Pete was very popular with fans, especially girls. Many female fans thought he was the best-looking member of the band. Some people believe this caused tension. Radio presenter Spencer Leigh wrote a book about Pete's firing. He suggested that the other members, especially McCartney, were jealous.
In a music magazine, Pete was described as "musically authoritative and physically magnetic, example the mean, moody magnificence of drummer Pete Best." At one show, John, Paul, and George received applause, but when Pete walked on stage, the girls screamed. After the show, female fans surrounded Pete, while the other members were mostly ignored. John Lennon called the accusations of jealousy a "myth."
In 1963, Mona Best said on British television about Pete's dismissal:
- Mona: "From the point of clash of personalities, well, probably that may be it because Peter did have a terrific fan club, you know, compared to the others."
She added that there were no hard feelings now, but "it's just the way that it was done that has annoyed us."
After The Beatles
John, Paul, and George later said they regretted how Pete was fired. John admitted that "we were cowards when we sacked him. We made Brian do it." Paul McCartney said: "I do feel sorry for him because of what he could have been on to." George Harrison said: "We weren't very good at telling Pete he had to go." Ringo Starr, however, felt he did not need to apologize.
After Pete was dismissed, Epstein offered him a job as drummer for another band, the Mersey Beats, but Pete turned it down. He felt sad and stayed home for two weeks. On 25 September 1962, Pete's lawyer sent a letter to Epstein. It said Pete would sue unless he received money. The letter argued that since Pete's name was on the Beatles' first management contract, Epstein still had to find him work. Epstein replied that he had already found Pete another group. He also said Pete did not have the talent needed for the Beatles.
Epstein secretly arranged for Pete to join Lee Curtis and the All-Stars. This group later became Pete Best & the All-Stars. They signed with Decca Records and released a song, but it was not successful.
The Pete Best Combo
Pete later moved to the United States with songwriters Wayne Bickerton and Tony Waddington. They formed the Pete Best Four, and then the Pete Best Combo. They toured the United States, playing old songs and new ones. They recorded for small record labels but did not have much success. They released an album called Best of the Beatles. The name was a play on Pete's name, which sometimes confused people who thought it was a Beatles album. The group broke up soon after.
Later Years and Anthology 1
Pete decided to leave the music business. In 1968, when a writer was working on an official Beatles book, Pete did not want to talk about his time with the band. Years later, he wrote in his own book that the Beatles "never held out a helping hand." He said they spread rumors that he was not a "real" Beatle and was unsociable. In a 1965 magazine interview, John Lennon said Ringo filled in for their drummer when he was "ill." Ringo added, "He took little pills to make him ill." Pete sued the Beatles for hurting his reputation. They settled the case outside of court for less money than he had asked for.
Pete tried to end his life in the 1960s, but his mother and brother stopped him. In 1963, Pete married Kathy, a sales clerk he met at an early Beatles show. They are still married and have two daughters and four grandchildren. Pete worked loading bread into delivery vans. Later, his education helped him become a government employee in Liverpool. He worked his way up to training manager.
In 1995, the remaining Beatles released Anthology 1. This album included ten songs with Pete Best as the drummer. These songs were from the Decca and Parlophone auditions. Pete received a large amount of money from the sales of this album. He was not interviewed for the book or TV shows that went with the album. The album cover for Anthology 1 includes an old group photo that had Pete in it. But Pete's head was removed and replaced with a photo of Ringo's head. A small photo of Pete can still be seen on the left side of the Anthology cover. Pete also appeared in a TV advertisement for Carlsberg lager in 1995. The ad's slogan was "Probably the Pete Best lager in the world."
The Pete Best Band
In 1988, after 20 years of not playing drums in public, Pete finally agreed to perform at a Beatles event in Liverpool. He and his younger brother, Roag, played together. After the show, his wife and mother told him he would go back into music. The Pete Best Band released an album called Haymans Green in 2008. It had all new songs.
Pete Best has toured the world with the Pete Best Band, sharing drumming duties with his brother Roag. He announced that he will stop public appearances and performing on April 5, 2025, due to personal reasons.
Honours
On 6 July 2007, Pete Best was added to the All You Need Is Liverpool Music Hall of Fame. He was the first person to be given this honour. Liverpool also honored Pete on 25 July 2011. Two new streets in the city were named Pete Best Drive and Casbah Close.
Discography
Albums
- Best of the Beatles (1965)
- The Beatle That Time Forgot (1981)
- Rebirth (1981)
- Back to the Beat (1995)
- The Pete Best Combo: Beyond the Beatles 1964–1966 (1996)
- Live at the Adelphi Liverpool 1988 (1996)
- Best (1998)
- Casbah Coffee Club 40th Anniversary Limited Edition (1999)
- The Savage Young Beatles (2004)
- Haymans Green (2008)
Singles
- "I'm Gonna Knock on Your Door" (1964)
- "Don't Play With Me (Little Girl)" (1965)
- "If You Can't Get Her" (1965)
- "Kansas City" (1965)
- "(I'll Try) Anyway" (1965)
- "I Can't Do Without You Now" (1965)
See also
In Spanish: Pete Best para niños
- Outline of the Beatles
- The Beatles timeline
- Jimmie Nicol - The Beatles' replacement drummer for 10 days in 1964 when Ringo Starr was sick.
