How Ringo Starr Influenced Paul McCartney, According to Wings Member Denny Laine
Ringo Starr is still alive and well, thank you very much. The drummer said Paul McCartney likes to think he’s the only Bealte left, but Macca’s opinion doesn’t change the fact that the drummer and his songs live on. And Ringo’s influence on Paul might be as profound as Macca’s impact on pop music.
Ringo Starr’s drumming was almost as important to The Beatles as Paul McCartney’s songs
The Beatles wouldn’t have been as massively popular as they became without infectious hit tunes. Chalk one (or several) up for Paul, whose songs became some of the Fab Four’s biggest No. 1 hits. “Yesterday,” “Hey Jude,” and “Let It Be” were Paul songs made famous by The Beatles.
On the flip side, though, the songs wouldn’t have sounded as crisp without Ringo’s drumming.
Though buried deep in the mix and often sitting behind The Beatles’ sweet melodies, Ringo’s beats on early songs are extraordinary. His snare double-taps and rolling fills on “Please Please Me,” the deft high-hat cymbal control on “Anna (Go to Him),” and Ringo’s rollicking take on “Roll Over Beethoven” telegraph the otherworldly drumming that came later.
He might have been underappreciated by many music fans then, but now we know Ringo changed drumming forever with his playing in The Beatles. Ringo’s influenced Paul with his nifty stickwork, according to Denny Laine.
Ringo influenced Paul’s drumming according to Denny Laine, Macca’s Wings bandmate
All-time great drummers such as Dave Grohl, Max Weinberg, Tre Cool, Stewart Copeland, and Jim Keltner praised Ringo’s drumming when he entered the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Paul’s Wings bandmate Denny Laine did the same, albeit in a roundabout way.
Ringo’s skill as an expert timekeeper was matched by his ability to perfectly fit his playing into the song. In an interview with Guitar World, Laine said Ringo’s influence led to Paul playing similarly.
“Paul’s got a good sense of rhythm, and he doesn’t overplay, which I like. I think he got a lot of his style playing with Ringo because Ringo’s a very basic drummer. He doesn’t overplay. He doesn’t try to show off and put in too many fills. So Paul just had that same approach to drumming. It’s all about having a good feel and working with the vocal.”
Denny Laine on how Ringo Starr influenced Paul McCartney’s drumming
Laine saying Ringo influenced Paul’s drumming is subtly one of the biggest compliments he could give. Macca possesses incredible musical talent on bass, piano, and guitar. He capably played drums on several Beatles songs, too. The fact that the beat didn’t fall apart and he didn’t overplay proves that Ringo influenced Paul’s drumming.
Macca knew he was in the presence of greatness
It makes sense Paul absorbed some of Ringo’s drumming techniques in their eight years playing together in The Beatles. The fact that the sometimes stubborn Macca was open to gaining that knowledge speaks volumes about him. Yet the bassist always knew he was in the presence of greatness.
The Beatles shared the same Hamburg, Germany, stages as Rory & the Hurricanes, Ringo’s first band. Paul and his bandmates realized there was something special about their drummer. Then he sat in with them. Paul needed just a few seconds to know Ringo was the perfect drummer for The Beatles.
Ringo Starr’s influence turned Paul McCartney into an adequate drummer, which is no easy feat. Macca will never join Ringo in the percussionist hall of fame, but he learned enough for Laine to spot Ringo’s playing all over Paul’s drumming.
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