Hey, don’t mess with Ringo. Although he has also found spiritual help on his path through Buddhism, he is now “a Christian” who finds he must “get down on my knees daily.” He also narrated the authentic “Thomas the Tank Engine” stop-motion presentations of Rev. Wilburt Awdry’s “The Railway Series,” moral parables despite not being specifically Christian. (George Carlin voiced them in America, where they were worked into the insufferably bad “Shiny Time Station” show.)
I remember hearing Paul tell a story about the first time Ringo played with him and John. During the session, Paul and John looked at each other in amazement, and afterward they both said it was the first time they had played with a truly professional drummer.
What made Ringo stand out was his rock-solid timing that freed Paul to be melodic on bass, his short and perfectly placed fills that always served the song, and his unusual left-handed feel on a right-handed kit that gave the Beatles a unique swing. He was unselfish, creative with the kit, and had a rare sense of dynamics—knowing when to push and when to hold back.
In short, he wasn’t flashy, but he was the ultimate musician’s drummer, and he made the Beatles sound tighter and bigger than ever.