Yep, it was only A&M’s Herp Alpert who convinced her to sing, she had intended to be the drummer only. The first record was remarkably jazzy, very unlike what Richard and Karen would ultimately be known for.
Follow-on to above, Ringo innovated more than he gets credit for. His cymbal work on I Feel Fine might be the closest thing to Stewart Copeland till the Police. He was playing double kick-bass on Good Morning, Good Morning decades before death metal. His fills on Rain and A Day In The Life are routinely cited by accomplished rock drummers as groundbreaking revelations.
Ringo said it himself that the Beatles were a pretty limited band with just three guitarists and a drummer. So, to compensate, he would play all sorts of percussionist instruments, whether it be the castanets or tambourine just to provide some rounding out of the band’s capabilities.