The Drum Mystery in The Beatles' Most Beautiful Song | Dear Prudence

[@YouCantUnhearThis]

New episode is here!! Who do YOU think played 🥁? Paul, Ringo...or both? Let me know in the comments!

[@elirosen1391]

To reiterate what I said earlier, based on the evidence you have presented here, the idea of Ringo playing the drums on "Dear Prudence" is ostensibly illogical. It doesn't seem right that neither the Beatles nor EMI crew would have mentioned his involvement on it if he had contributed to it after he had nearly called it quits.

[@joemartin35541]

Hey I love your videos and I think personally it’s Paul could you ever look into doing a video on Blue Jay Way such a good trippy one from George

[@TheNewSoda]

Honestly I thought Ringo was on the background vocals

[@damianmoon]

As a drummer for 12 years, I'm 99% sure that's Ringo playing. The feeling and fills used in the ending of the song are his signature. Paul is a great drummer, but no way he could play it that way.

[@jasonnewman4152]

It's not out of Paul's range, listen to Kreen Akore (from McCartney), but regardless os who played it, it is an absolutely amazing song.

[@WowIndescribable]

Why doesn't someone simply ask Ringo and Paul about this to find out (while they still can)?

[@kinsarangel5267]

Great idea.

[@lauraval4757]

Exactly what I was wondering!

[@crystalbelle2349]

Being a person born in 1961, of these men remember I’d almost bet they both remember it differently LoL. I agree that would be a great conversation.

[@kpk124]

I asked Paul when he did an ask me anything on Twitter during early pandemic or so. No dice

[@cameronthomas826]

Absolutely. Another thing, Im not sure why no one has attempted to get Ringo and Paul to sit and chat for an hour or so. Now i speculate they have some sort of aversion to each other which only makes sense being the biggest band in history and the way things were ended and all but im sure they could put that aside and understand a sit down with them would be bigger than whatever differences they have. I dont know if any attempt has been made for something like that but it would be a killer Dateline or 60 Minutes special probably go down as one of the greatest television moments ever. Times running out for an event like this…

[@feelthejoy]

Those fills definitely feel like Ringo. His drumming style is often described as “shuffling” and he himself described it as “like falling down the stairs”. That being said, Paul is a gifted mimic and a decent drummer. The question is, is/was he good enough to imitate Ringo’s style that well? I’m not sure!

[@feliscatos4435]

The sound of the snare drum changes. You can hear the ringing when the stick catches the rim and the head when the drum is tuned for it and there is no muffling on the head.

[@streamofconsciousness5826]

Maybe he could imitate the feel, but not the confidence, those drums are hit with confidence, a bit of "SEE!!" and some territorial swagger.

[@proteus244]

It's Ringo. The unique style and the snare hits behind the beat leave no doubt. There is no song where McCartney plays drums that sounds like that. As Ringo pointed out, Paul is a good, but limited, drummer.

[@stevenflack2763]

Yer right ... Paul is a decent drummer ... but in no can anyone in the whole wide world that can, as you say, can imitate Ringo's style of , as Ringo himself says, "falling down the stairs" ...spot on

[@johnmcminn9455]

@@proteus244 Band on the Run, tho

[@johnyarusso4953]

As a drummer myself, it has always sounded like Ringo playing during the end section, especially the very last fill LRRLRRL which Ringo often used and McCartney never used. However, McCartney probably could have pulled it off with numerous takes.

[@seralouise.]

i think he couldve pulled it off just fine. hes a perfectly fine drummer who knew his friend and his style very well. it mightve taken practice but its not like a ludicrously hard part or anything

[@jethrox827]

Just sounds like a variation of the Purdie shuffle to me, Billy probably got the shits with Ringo being a bitch and just pulled Bernard in for a quick single take, no big deal lol

[@BigSky1]

@@seralouise. I thought i was responding to someone else and not you. Damn KZbin. I will delete my comment to you and put it where it should be. Sorry.

[@BigSky1]

Don’t you mean could have pulled it off and not couldn’t?.

[@BigSky1]

@@seralouise. I was trying to reply to the person at the top and not you. They have contradicted themselves.

[@endthisnonsense7202]

It doesn't matter who plays what. The switch in style of drumming is one of the many things that makes the song great!

[@javierfueyo6871]

ALASBUENAS Otia Tôy Flipando He Hacido un Guapo capicúa. SALUD

[@shaft9000]

Agreed; it's not interesting or anything to 'un-hear'. If Ringo didn't play in the session... well, so what?

[@robpassavanti]

Ringo, absolutely. Every drummer has a certain way that he addresses the drums, even if they play the same exact notes. As a drummer I I hear Ringo in the more complex part.

[@michaelbarat3212]

That's good enough for me.

[@kevinwilliams1602]

I agree, just, as in my post above, it could be from earlier recordings dubbed in

[@_Dalton_]

As a drummer it just sounds like he just flipped the switch on the snare strainer to me. As a recording musician the drums you can hear bleeding through don’t contribute anything as evidence as laying down a simple beat just to play on before re-recording a better wrote groove later down the line at the start of a recording is pretty common. I’ve known plenty of people that can’t play to a metronome while recording, so had to resort to using a simple drum track

[@gutgolf74]

Since Ringo wasn't there and there is ABSOLUTELY no documented drum overdub anywhere and NOBODY from the Beatles EVER claimed this for Ringo that is highly unlikely. And WHY would he even go there and overdub this certain part??!! Absolutely no logical or musical or technical reason for it. Furthermore, that ending is in fact quite messy and rhythmically all over the place. Ringo would have been much more precise. It totally sounds like what Paul did on "Keen Akrore", it's just him fooling around trying to come up with an interesting drum part. It sounds more complex as it is because there are indeed two drum tracks - both played by PAUL.

[@abneryokum]

@@gutgolf74 Your use of all caps has convinced me that you must be correct.

[@gspublishingdirect1749]

Paul’s drumming is unmistakable in the ‘Ballad of John & Yoko’. That’s the way Paul drums. In my opinion, Ringo definitely dubbed the drum fills on ‘Dear Prudence’. Those fills are something I never heard from Paul. 🥁

[@jasperhalsey8574]

@@healthywaves4706 Good point. You cant fake experience and the second bit was definitely played by an experienced drummer

[@2ridiculous41]

With you there. While Paul is a perfectly good drummer, the style at the end is completely different and fits Ringo perfectly.

[@85geoffm]

@@healthywaves4706 true, but this is something Paul would have understood as well. Given the uncertainty as to whether Ringo would return to the band at all, Paul could have come to this same realization and adapted a more Ringo-esque style so as not to have to explain to fans that Ringo was no longer in The Beatles while recording a new album, which was the most ambitious and experimental album of their career. It certainly does sound like Ringo, though. Occam's razor may apply, but Paul was good enough to sound like Ringo.

[@Lorddavud]

@@85geoffm I suppose that Paul is the featured drummer in the earlier portions, and then Ringo over-dubbed in the later portions, possibly as a way of the boys making up for pissing him off and driving him away. This is the first time I'm hearing of this though. Has anybody asked either Paul, or Ringo, what's what?

[@85geoffm]

@@Lorddavud well, the problem there is that Paul has misremembered things in past interviews. Hard to blame him though. He's forgotten more than I could even remember.

[@MrCook1227]

I have always found the way the guitars build up in complexity and volume throughout the song so thrilling to listen to that I never noticed the change in the drumming. Even after watching this I can't stop focusing on the guitars.

[@marcusphelan57]

Yes they're brilliant.

[@marcusphelan57]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/m3OYYn2Zncqqesk

[@be_reel]

The drums at the end have the leading left-hand rolls from right-to-left which are Ringo's trademark, as he can't roll around the kit from the other side. All of Paul's examples such as Back in the USSR have the left to right rolls (snare, high tom, floor tom). Both Paul and Ringo (on the outro) are on the track.

[@cgall4444]

Anyone that spent their youth listening to the Beatles know it’s Ringo.

[@gutgolf74]

@@cgall4444 LOL, only it's impossible to be him. He wasn't there when they recorded it, and Ken Scott confirmed they didn't do later overdubs.

[@mikem9001]

Quite right. Ken Scott never ruled out that they did overdubs, nor ruled out that it was only Paul drumming. They frequently overdubbed and its quite likely John would consider a passage by Ringo to be better for that song. As literally dozens of experienced drummers have observed on this thread alone, the style does not fit Paul at all.

[@gutgolf74]

@@mikem9001 Every single of your statements is false, and there is nothing you can do.

[@mikem9001]

@@gutgolf74 Single what? Everything I have written is correct, and you know it.

[@nateds7326]

Paul really was a jack of all trades. Not as good a drummer as Ringo, but pretty damn good by most standards. Great drummer, great guitar player, fantastic pianist, and one of the best bass players and singers ever.

[@emanuelmota7217]

Not to mention one of the greatest musical composers in rock \ pop music history.

[@boxsterman77]

And one of the most versatile tenors of all.

[@mikaelsjoberg1894]

Sounds like i've would have written that comment myself!

[@adamdavidsoddities8573]

Still is. I just saw him in concert a few weeks ago, granted he didn't play drums. He did play a few other instrument though.

[@InstantKaarma]

Great in everything, very basic in drumming

[@gturner9533]

I think it's fairly well documented that Ringo's return occurred in early September at Abbey Rd, when George had arranged for Mal Evans to deck out Ringo's drum kit with flowers. Mark Lewisohn's Recording Sessions book documents this as taking place on 5 September, the day after Ringo had in fact rejoined for the shooting of the Hey Jude / Revolution promo clips at Twickenham (out of interest, this was also the same day the Beatles 'liberated' the EMI 8-track machine from Francis Thompson's office...). While Dear Prudence, by all apparent evidence, was wrapped at Trident the week before, I always had it in my head that it would have been an apt gesture for the Beatles to have Ringo overdub a drum part onto Dear Prudence to pump up his tyres and emphasise his worth to the band. There's no evidence of this of course, and the Beatles history is ridiculously well recorded in intricate detail... However, you just never know. For example, with the release of Get Back last year, it has become apparent that the Beatles had almost certainly engaged in additional Let it Be recording sessions at some point in February 1969 - sessions for which there is no documented evidence.

[@gutgolf74]

Whatever you've got "in your head" and feel to be "apt" - as you also admit, there's absolutely no evidence of this. End of story. It's pure fan-fiction. All Paul, no Ringo, no mystery.

[@allenjones3130]

Actually that tape machine that the Beatles appropriated was made by 3M, not EMI.

[@tomjoad9447]

The latter half drums sound like Ringo ...it's brilliant as are the guitar parts...George's leads are cosmic psychedelic and even bluesy

[@saucyjk6453]

why doesnt someone ask Ringo for fucks sake. lol

[@mikem9001]

@@saucyjk6453 Its unlikely anyone would remember details like that, even a few years later. it certainly could have been Ringo. There is no 100% evidence of what overdubs they did or didn't do.

[@francispaulmarottikal1839]

I once was in a electronic devices showroom. They played, Dear Prudence, on Bose speakers. I thought that the Beatles were in the next room playing live. I had heard this song but to me it was just another Hit musical piece from the Beatles. Now I was completely hooked on this classic masterpiece. Sometimes you need to hear on a real good sound system and know the worth.

[@andrewarthurmatthews6685]

For me it’s nothing to do with the audio quality and everything to do with drumming style. I M O this has Ringo’s hands all over it

[@SeanPowell-p4v]

Amazing! Bose speakers? They wouldn’t be my choice for bringing music to life, but to each his own👍🏻

[@travistownsend6750]

So interesting! The second drum part is what made this my favorite Beatles song back in the day! I definitely always felt like it sounded like Ringo.

[@Chiggerticky]

"Dear Prudence" almost always leaves me with tears in my eyes. Thank you for this amazing backstory.

[@couriertx]

I like to think that the Beatles found Dear Prudence to be incomplete without Ringo, and when he came back, He put his mark on this (of many) Beatles masterpiece.

[@gutgolf74]

Since Ringo wasn't there and there is ABSOLUTELY no documented drum overdub anywhere and NOBODY from the Beatles EVER claimed this for Ringo that is highly unlikely. And WHY would he even go there and overdub this certain part??!! Absolutely no logical or musical or technical reason for it. Furthermore, that ending is in fact quite messy and rhythmically all over the place. Ringo would have been much more precise. It totally sounds like what Paul did on "Kreen Akrore", it's just him fooling around trying to come up with an interesting drum part. It sounds more complex as it is because there are indeed two drum tracks - both played by PAUL.

[@bobsquires4521]

@@gutgolf74 ya? no documentation except the recording.

[@gutgolf74]

@@bobsquires4521 Indeed. But at least Ken Scott has confirmed they didn't do any later overdubs, he was quite sure about that.

[@OzBloke]

Just as an aside - you may like to have a listen to Australian ‘Doug Parkinsons’ cover. I am a Beatles fan from early 60’s but even so, some of their song were covered magnificently over the years.

[@JFFM730]

@@gutgolf74 honestly i cant really decide my opinion on whether ringo is playing the final drum section on this song, so im definitely not disagreeing with you, however it is possible - just because theres no documentation it doesnt mean that it definitely didnt happen. its known that the beatles re-recorded parts of dont let me down at an undocumented recording session. and there wouldnt be “no reason” to add some complexity to the drums for the outro of the song, all of the fills make the general outro of the song sound a lot better. in conclusion, theres a decent chance your right about there being no ringo at all on this track, but its not impossible.

[@wilberforce95]

the "new snare drum" could literally just be a tea towel (which they often used as dampening) accidentally falling off the snare and allowing it to ring out

[@leowatley]

or the mics were moved/changed. it could also have been a different eq setup. getting overdubs to match perfectly back then would have been much more difficult ti nail.

[@lisag18]

exactly

[@peteskyrunner4845]

If the tea towel had 'accidentally' fallen off surely they'd have stopped and put it back on again. It's not like it was a live performance. I guess they could have deliberately taken it off if they'd decided they wanted the sound to change.

[@mmjahink]

@@peteskyrunner4845 Certainly a valid theory. The Beatles by this point in their recording career would allow for random things like that to exist and help develop the track they were working on.

[@AlIguana]

yeahbut... the Beatles were into multiple takes and overdubs, if the sound wasn't deliberate (or a happy accident) then they wouldn't have left it in

[@jamesshugart8015]

One of my favorites, I bought the album the day it hit the stores in Pasadena Texas and took it to School with me the next Monday and played it in art class ,Miss Reid was cool like that.

[@Stonkzy]

Another thing I heard about the sound change of the snare drum near the end may have been due to the tea towel on it falling off, but your theory is also an interesting take on it

[@YouCantUnhearThis]

Good point! I hadn’t considered that, but it’s certainly a possible explanation for the change in sound.

[@SamHarrisonMusic]

exactly my thinking!

[@elirosen1391]

Or maybe Paul decided to take it off midway into the song. Regardless, how do you account for the fact that the drums leaking into the vocal track are different from the released version?

[@SamHarrisonMusic]

@@elirosen1391 There's definitely a punch in when the fill drums come in - I'm 100% certain about that. It's the mid way change between ringing snare and tea towel snare that could have been accidental :)

[@TheHSIHP]

Especially because the "new"snare sounds is ringy.

[@jrlaudio]

Please do not ask how I know this, I can't respond. That being said, at the time EMI did not have the ability to mix down an 8 track recording, so the tracks were mixed down at Trident to four track. Once back at EMI two of the four tracks were bounced down to a single track in order to overdub additional drum tracks. These were performed by Ringo upon his return. This was after the group played the tracks for Ringo and he had some ideas to supplement what was already done. They decided to let him add the additional parts as a way to bring the group back together as a unit and ease some tensions. This is why some tracks were bounced to one, to make room for Ringo's new parts. So yes, those overdubs were Ringo.

[@lancegould]

Cool. That sounds about right. It seems that, over the years, I’ve read something about an appeasement of Ringo for his return. The story was about George’s song, so the details in the article were vague, but I could totally believe that it was viewed as incomplete if that’s not Paul playing. Although there’s quite a bit going on at the end of that song, I the we can all agree that it wouldn’t be the same with only, in essence, a click track in back. Plus, I’m convinced, after watching this video, that you can tell that whomever is playing that end part, is doing so whilst smoking a cigarette.

[@ebkesq72]

If we cannot ask you how you “know” this, then we have no way to judge the accuracy of your comment.

[@bobsquires4521]

@@lancegould They ALL smoked cigs and THEY ALL played the drums. lol But I bet none of them could claim to hold a match to Ringo's ability. You can hear it - night and day. Anyone with ears PLUS half a musical brain (that's important) can recognize Ringo's niche in the Beatles - just because Ringo wrote the song and played the piano for his only 1 Beatles song that he contributed ("Don't Pass Me By") doesn't mean he was a pianist.

[@jrlaudio]

@@ebkesq72 It's bad enough I made this comment, but the reason is NDA's I signed many years ago which have yet to expire. To hint at it, I had access to original multitracks when doing some archival A/D conversions for Abbey Road, which means I could hear conversations during recording between takes. It was Ringo on those tracks. I really can't say more.

[@pennyether8433]

@@jrlaudio When do your NDAs expire, roughly?

[@chrisp4962]

Listening to Paul's tracks in the other songs, Dear Prudence sounds like Ringo's style to me. I am not a musician, just a fan of 55 yrs.

[@dynjarren7523]

Dear Prudence is proof of Lennon’s genius. It wasn’t a single or a top 40 hit but it is brilliant and moving. I also enjoyed his beautiful tribute song to his mother Julia. He was a great artist.

[@davidcarter5038]

Agreed, but it's interesting that the cover by Siouxsie and the Banshees reached #3 in the UK singles chart.

[@garethde-witt6433]

John was a crap singer

[@P.Galore]

The Beatles considered singles different and in addition to an album....

[@s.w.3604]

You must be a Bieber fan? Lol.@@garethde-witt6433

[@PC4USE1]

@@garethde-witt6433 OMG to have that 'crap' voice would be a blessing to any singer. Not as versatile as Paul but a fantastic singer.

[@NilsMontanEsq]

I was 19 when I first heard "Dear Prudence" in 1968 and it has remained one of my favorite songs of all time - regardless of who played the drums.

[@paulnovosel9359]

That's Ringo's feel. There is no doubt in my mind (I'm a professional drummer of 30+ years and big Beatles fan too lol). Paul could well have been able to play the piece technically speaking but that feel man ..we all know it.

[@ADHSR]

You nailed it Paul. I couldn't agree more. Paul's drumming never had that same feel. He was a pretty good drummer, but Ringo had an obvious groove and feel.

[@jeffreyr.pettibone8746]

Agree 100! Ringo has authority to his hit, but also a laid back lagging feel. So distinct!

[@NicanTlacaWarrior1]

..Paul copied it

[@gutgolf74]

Since Ringo wasn't there and there is ABSOLUTELY no documented drum overdub anywhere and NOBODY from the Beatles EVER claimed this for Ringo that is highly unlikely. And WHY would he even go there and overdub this certain part??!! Absolutely no logical or musical or technical reason for it. There drums where overdubbed even before the vocals, so they can't have been added later. Furthermore, that ending is in fact quite messy and rhythmically all over the place. Ringo would have been much more precise. It totally sounds like what Paul did on "Kreen Akrore", it's just him fooling around trying to come up with an interesting drum part. It sounds more complex as it is because there are indeed two drum tracks - both played by PAUL.

[@stephenellis2866]

Was Ringo!

[@thomasriley5830]

People often undersell Pauls drumming. Check out “My Dark Hour” by Steve Miller from 1968! Paul Plays drums and sings backing on it. The drumming is very intense and uncharacteristic of Paul’s drumming!

[@ChromaticHarp]

Wow I just listened to My Dark Hour. I had no idea that Paul played drums on that!

[@evertvdb000]

its 1969

[@waynecameron4579]

Wow didn't know that

[@zakmike8615]

Yeah, Paul's a competent drummer... Blah blah blah. I am a better drummer than Sir Paul McCartney. Ringo obviously contributed to Dear Prudence.

[@evertvdb000]

@@zakmike8615 i agree

[@siriusfun]

One of my all time favourite Beatles songs. Just perfect.

[@stephenquinn106]

It's been 6 mouths and I here been waiting for the day when he releases a new vid. Can't wait

[@gardner78]

The guitar work in this song is beautiful. It's just so calming.

[@bobsquires4521]

and in tune !

[@williamvanvugt9117]

After hearing and seeing this several times (and after a half-century and more of listening and studying the Beatles--whatever that is worth) I am convinced that Ringo did the overdub at the end. Not that Paul could not have done that just as well--but it would have sounded different. For me, the most brilliant drum track of all time is Ringo on "A Day in the Life." Listen to how sophisticated that is! No one else could sound quite like that, and it has similarities to the last drum track on "Dear Prudence." I agree that the real joy in this is the consideration and discussion. The genius of the Beatles becomes more and more apparent with superb documentaries like this. Thank You!!

[@ronnienaidoo3249]

Brilliant views !!!

[@Mike-ri6ez]

I couldn't agree more with your comment on Ringo on "A day in the life". One of my favorite drum tracks of all time. I'm not even sure why

[@aschneider70]

I met Ringo in a backstage gig in Brazil around 2011, my friend is a drummer and his company was promotion his All Star Band in Porto Alegre. I asked him many things, one of the question was "who is the drummer in Dear Prudence?" He said: " - Paul did it because I was on vacation, and I put my rolls before". He told he told: You make a lot of questions, what are you, a MI5?

[@gutgolf74]

What do you mean with "I put my rolls before "?

[@R.Akerman-oz1tf]

Great anecdote. Ringo's style; after that it's moot. When asked, "Is Ringo the greatest drummer in rock"? Mr. Lennon replied, "He's not even the the best drummer in The Beatles". Total fun for Us either way.

[@gutgolf74]

@@R.Akerman-oz1tf Dude, get INFORMED before parrotting debunked anecdotes. It was NOT Lennon who said that. Jeez...

[@R.Akerman-oz1tf]

It was a long time ago; so sorry. Still, it does sound like Ringo.@@gutgolf74

[@plinn777.]

@@gutgolf74 You are correct. In fact, NO one ever said it. Its from some parody/ comedy sketch.

[@feeberizer]

Ringo was, and is a massive talent. Personally, I don't care who played what, when, or how. What I pay attention to is the final cut and the mastery these four men had making music that changed the culture around the world.

[@tomfurlong5091]

i agree...

[@BeatlesCentricUniverse]

NOWHERE in Paul's entire drumming catalogue are there back-to-back tumbling fills like those heard in Dear Prudence. Yes, including My Dark Hour. (edited for spelling.)

[@listenup7284]

Maybe I'm amazed ghost notes.

[@aidannolastname]

Paul and Ringo have a kind of distinct style for drumming. Paul, being a perfectionist, has a very straightforward type of play style. Ringo is left handed and plays a right handed kit which gives him a "lagging" kind of style to his drumming, which is heard in Dear Prudence. As many people have said, it isn't impossible for Paul to have played that end section but the lagging kind of style just screams Ringo to me.

[@titmusspaultpaul5]

Totally agree, me ears tell me all the nuances are ringo. Having said that there is no proof, but I believe my ears. Paul doesn't dwell on the past and creates new music all the time and given he played on the song originally he wouldn't be able to give an answer. Unless someone played it on the spot for him and I don't see that happening. Plus the intrigue is better for everyone.... cheers.

[@JH-si9oe]

Paul is also left handed

[@SOcialHIPpie]

@@JH-si9oe Good point

[@siroswaldfortitude5346]

@@JH-si9oe yep good point...I didn't even realise that Ringo was left handed lol

[@theninjamaster67]

@@Oh_I_Will Wouldn't he have just been using Ringo's kit for this one though wouldn't make much sense to move in a whole new drum kit for just a few songs then move Ringo's right back in.

[@beckylynn209]

Probably my favorite Beetle's album! I remember sitting in my room singing every word to every song on this album.. I still owe it.. Thank you.. I learned a lot.. 🎶🤗🎵

[@justfelix6171]

I’m glad someone finally talked about this! These small Beatles mysteries are what absolutely intrigue me

[@AtomicLobotomy]

Just a note--Took a summer Arabic class at UC Berkeley -- summer of 78 or 79 -- and there was a young woman enrolled named Prudence. Actually, at first nobody thought twice about her name. But at some point, in a break somebody asked her about it and mentioned the Beatles' song. Well, sure enough, it was Prudence Farrow -- she was married to grad student at Berkeley and would herself get PhD from Berkeley. A few weeks later she threw a party--living in very modest grad student housing. A very, very nice, gentle person--somebody you could understand Lennon being attracted to. She was very, very deep into Maharishi Mahesh Yogi's teachings, and apparently spent all of her time either listening to lectures or in her bungalow meditating. (Sorry, I can't tell difference between Paul and Ringo's drumming.)

[@williamvanvugt9117]

Me too--and no other group or artist can touch me as deeply.

[@GodsArtGallery111]

Dear Prudence is one of my favorites. Paul’s bass playing is the best part for me. Some of his best I think.

[@davetir]

I am in the camp that Ringo came back and added drums later, simply because it sounds too "Ringo-ee" not to be him. But I never knew this story so I also always assumed "round round round..." was sung by Ringo because it sounds just like his voice. Is it a far fetched idea that Ringo came back and then added drums and backing vocals when the others welcomed him back?

[@SurferJoe1]

The vocals (always jumped out at me, too!) are documented: Mal and Neil, I think, and maybe someone else.

[@elirosen1391]

@@SurferJoe1 Mal, Neil Aspinall, etc. were in the chorus. Mal probably provided that bass D2 in the background, him being a 6'6 man mountain.

[@SurferJoe1]

@@elirosen1391 Yeah, a voice that low is something you don't expect to hear on a Beatles record! I had wondered about it since I was a kid before finally looking it up, some years ago. A couple songs later we get the highest voice on a Beatles record from Yoko...

[@Mediawatcher2023]

Paul did all the drumming

[@heggy_69]

I still like to think Ringo did backing vocals

[@JaneNewAuthor]

While My Guitar Gently Weeps is my favourite song, ever. I'm 70, I remember when it was released. I was working in a cafe with a jukebox, I think I wore the record out.

[@angelotro]

My wife used to critique my lack of yardwork, one time singing "While My Mower Gently Weeps".😒

[@herberthallum2078]

One of my favorite songs too.

[@scalzmoney]

You got it right when you said they can sound like each other. Paul was great a mimicking George's guitar style. Maybe with overdubs and bounced tracks he was able to achieve the drum sound from the second half of the song.

[@z-mackdos6echo311]

This is a bit of trivia that neither adds nor detracts from how I connect to this track. Listening to this track just now after decades of not hearing it played brought a flood of all the images, the feelings it created for me back at the time I was a pre teen. There’s so much of my memory sensory entrenched in this track. I hadn’t realized that a lot of the atmosphere of that time period was encapsulated of what life was like back then in this song. It was a bit overwhelming, because it wasn’t something I was anticipating of being jolted with to my emotional equilibrium. Whether Ringo or Paul was the individual playing the drums doesn’t matter to me, because it doesn’t change anything of how I feel about it, and those dormant memories within me this song brings back to life. The final product is the final product and it’s a masterpiece not be be trifled with.

[@stephenjones3617]

Yes totally agree, I think the same way

[@barneybyron2094]

Paul's drumming always sound solid but quite simple. This really does sound like Ringo to me.

[@andrewgardner3092]

Yeah, after hearing it next to Strawberry Field’s concluding drums, it seems obvious to me to.

[@marcstevens8576]

I think it was Paul. He'd been playing with Ringo for so long, he knew Ringo's style & was most likely asked by producers to overdub a duplication of it in order to keep the same sound. Do remember, unlike The Who, who took years off between albums, The Beatles came out with at least one every year. Nobody really noticed at the time..

[@mega4m]

@@marcstevens8576 "...asked by producers" 😂

[@royharper2003]

Quite simple describes Ringo's playing

[@bhornannawindeedeigh5007]

... love, Love, LOVE "Dear Prudence" - one of my Top 5 Beatles tunes. In my humble opinion, it was Ringo's drumming on the final cut... it has his spirit in it. 🥁 Why won't someone simply clear up the debate by posing the question to him? "Did you, Sir Ringo, play all of Dear Prudence?" Inquiring minds want to know. 🤔... 😃 Thank you for this vid! I appreciate your work, dear channel owner! 💐🙏🏽❤️

[@HighlanderNoise]

Sure, one can easily say and prove Paul is a great and solid drummer. This can be heard in the drumming for Prudence's first part. But if you are truly familiar with Ringo's style, the fills in the later part of the song could have only been played (or added) by him. Paul is a solid drummer but with only a narrow selection of fairly straight forward fills while Ringo's style cannot be duplicated and this is exactly what we hear with those fills in the later half of the song.

[@beachcomber4141]

I have to go with this. It just sounds like classic Ringo. If Paul did do it, he was completely copying Ringo's style to a scary degree.

[@OldManBadly]

Either added by Ringo, or someone very skilled in the art playing specifically to sound like him. Ringo had a very specific sound for tom runs, both in tone as a result of how he hits, but also in pacing that is not as easy to duplicate as you might think. I sort of wonder if the drum parts were perhaps actually recorded for some other songs, and then stitched in to make up the part in his absence, perhaps without the band even really being aware?

[@royharper2003]

you have obviously never seen a Beatles cover band

[@HighlanderNoise]

Why would I want to? It has absolutely no bearing on this discussion.

[@SouthernSierra56]

Now did he play left handed on a right set?

[@damiend5050]

That’s definitely Ringo at the end, you can hear it instantly in his style. Paul is a great drummer but he wouldn’t try or be able to emulate Ringo’s fills like that. You can hear the similarity in style at the end of Helter Skelter just before Ringo got blisters on his fingers!

[@ScaryStoriesNYC]

It sounds like Paul on the McCartney album. The fact that it's cut in at least three sections increases the possibility that it was Paul because Fingo could have played it straight through LOL It's very good, whichever of them did it.

[@rachezzel]

✨fingo btarr✨

[@mgscheue]

A friend sent me an email with “Ringo” autocorrected to “Fungi”.

[@rachezzel]

@@mgscheue funnily enough, as I was writing my previous comment, the same thing happened

[@mgscheue]

@@rachezzel 😂

[@tyrannosauruszeppelin2205]

Ah yes, Fingo, the famous Beatles drummer

[@MichaelElias-q2z]

The melodic quality of John's voice is unrivaled in pop music history.

[@gutgolf74]

LOL, nonsense. Great voice, no doubt, but you don't have to look any further than Paul, who also was WAY more diverse in his vocal abilities! Lots of other great singers who not only rival but surpass John.

[@yigit_tky]

@@gutgolf74get a life bruh, I’ve seen you on each comment’s reply section

[@gutgolf74]

@@yigit_tky Good for you - I hope you read every single one and actually learned something!

[@yigit_tky]

@@gutgolf74 actually I’m with you on some cases, such as Paul being the one doing falsettos in A Day In The Life.

[@yigit_tky]

@@gutgolf74 however why would you care so much? Let people what they think, or be ignorant about this stuff. I don’t have a problem with people that say “I think it was Paul.” etc. I have a problem with people that say “I know it was Paul!”. Whether true or not, telling your opinion as if you know the absolute truth is childish.

[@beatlesrgear]

Even tho Paul was a competent drummer, the ending part reeks of Ringo's style. The touch and finesse that Ringo played with would not have been possible for Paul to perfectly duplicate as this human element is unique to musicians and singers. No matter when Ringo came back off holiday, he most certainly is playing at the end of the track.

[@RUfromthe40s]

what´s sad is that in cd the drums don´t sound like drums in Beatles Lp´s or any other sound ,the same happens with a lot of other bands

[@josiahcole3186]

I’ve studied Ringo’s drumming style for many years as a drummer, and also have a good grasp of Pauls ability. His timing and fills do not have the same clean ghost notes and rhythms as Ringo. It’s good sure, but a little more all over the place and simple. There are certain elements to the fills where you can just tell its ringos hands on those sticks, beyond what Paul would be capable in terms of so closely emulating rudiments and tight timing (when using Paul drumming references such as come and get it)

[@jamesfaivre1197]

Exactly. I bought the album when i was 9, began (lefty) drumming Xmas, '72... Paul's drum fills are stiff, rudimentary and "un-drummery", played like a guitarist, or bassist... drummers know drummers. :-)

[@gutgolf74]

@@jamesfaivre1197 9:44

[@lladnar69]

The over dubbed is Ringo imo. I've been playing drums since I was 13, now 60, b/c of Ringo (and Ginger), and duplicating his leading left hand fills are still a challenge. It is likely that George Martin gave Ringo a chance to contribute to what he missed, so that Ringo feel more sewn back into the band. Fantastic video, great job!

[@MontagTheMagician]

I knew people in high school who were drummers in a marching band who could very easily play any Beatles song.

[@onlyyuknow1]

Ginger Baker certainly was among one of the best drummers of his time along with Bill Bruford.

[@hppnq]

The strongest argument that it is Paul, to me, is that if Ringo had done the overdub, he would have played the entire song and not just the last bit.

[@lladnar69]

@@hppnq You can tell that there is a simple guide drum pattern with fills over dubbed. I think George Martin had Ringo come in and overdub the wild part at the end to help soothe the rough feelings of a drummer who was thinking of quitting.

[@zarzee8925]

Those examples of Paul's drumming sound... middling. No triplets, no flourishes. Makes me lean towards the camp of "Dear Prudence was overdubbed by Ringo." Man, to have been a fly on the wall of every Beatles recording ever!

[@brandonmshrock]

I’m not the most huge Beatles guy, but I have always liked this song and have learned this drum part. To me, it feels like it was something played by someone who doesn’t normally play drums, but still has some major skills (like Paul). It was wild and very outside of the box with lots of movement. To me, it sounds like something a bass player would come up with. I totally get the Ringo theory, but I personally believe it was Paul.

[@gutgolf74]

Well said!

[@brandonmshrock]

@@gutgolf74 Thanks!

[@francoismariedru5581]

"I’m not the most huge Beatles guy."... all is said. it's Ringo

[@mcnultyssobercompanion6372]

@@francoismariedru5581 His preface about not being a "huge Beatles guy" was him being intellectually honest. It actually _enhances_ his argument a bit. Beyond that, he's clearly a drummer, which means his ability to discern technique cannot be dismissed just because he likely cannot name every track on "Rubber Soul". He at least presented an argument. To be fair, your argument consists of two words: "it's Ringo". We all know you believe that. Why? Who knows. BRANDON SHROCK'S argument doesn't *prove* who's on the recording, but it's an informed opinion from a drummer and, for me, that makes it interesting and worthwhile.

[@sportsmediaamerica]

Can someone just go ask Paul?? He's still alive, you know. Ringo too.

[@maxxxmodelz4061]

I can't believe Dear Prudence wasn't a massive hit back in 68. I wasn't alive back then, but having been introduced to The Beatles by my dad's extensive collection of their albums, I always found that song to be one of their best. It was remade in the 80s by Susie and The Banshees and became a hit for her. Great song.

[@blackletter2591]

It's because it was an album song and it was in no way up to the standard of the big hitters from that album. There was no need to make Prudence a single release - we all had it on the album. Back in the USSR, ObladiOblada, While my guitar gently weeps, Blackbird, Julia etc. "Beatles most beautiful song"? Nah, not even close. Not even the best song on the album which had at least 8 good songs, with Prudence coming in about 7th. In those days, everybody bought every Beatles album, because we knew you'd get your money's worth. Other bands and artists, you'd get maybe one or two hits and a bunch of duds.

[@larryglusak8176]

Dragonize is correct. We didn't buy singles and we learned that most of the Beatles music was of the same caliber. I bought the white album at least six times. Every time the girl I was living with back then and I separated, it seems they got the albums that I paid for. Fortunes of war I guess.

[@frankjamesbonarrigo7162]

you were alive. Just in a different form

[@williardbillmore5713]

By the time this happened they knew each others styles and techniques so well, and they were both so good, that Ringo could convincingly play an imitation of Paul, playing an imitation of Ringo, that could fool and confuse anyone. They were both capable and both had the mischievous personalities that would pull such a thing off in any combination just to mess with people. I will, as I always have, enjoy the song and I will never lose any sleep over who played what where. I know it's a Beatle song and that is all I need to know.

[@jsat1526]

I think the very powerful fills are Ringo. I have heard similar from him and although I've heard Paul on drums, I don't recall him laying down such similar fills.

[@lg4360]

As a drummer too, this is a sticky question all the more so because Paul is left handed like Ringo. Any right handed drummer will listen and re-listen to Ringo's fills because they do not follow the normal pattern a right handed drummer would follow. Subtle but astonishingly significant. Ringo, rightfully so (no pun intended) could not round the set from left to right because his fills were lead by his left hand and not his right. That made Ringo's drumming VERY unique. Paul would have the same trouble, actually more so as Ringo was somewhat ambidextrous by playing his kit set up for a right handed person. His grandmother forced Ringo to use his right hand as it was more socially acceptable than being a "lefty". Thus, Ringo "appears" to be a normal right handed drummer, when in fact he had to lead his fills with his left hand. Again, Paul did NOT play his instruments as a right handed player. He played as a lefty. Paul thus would have very similar fill characteristics as Ringo although clearly not to the extent or capability of Ringo. I agree the drumming sounds very inline with what you would expect from Ringo yet I believe it most likely was Paul for the said reasons as well as the fact that Paul often "instructed" Ringo how he wanted the drums played, ie. fills, tempo etc. So much so that during these session for the White Album Ringo left the band because he was fed up with Paul constantly telling him what to do. A small break in the Mediterranean and Ringo was back.

[@THOMMGB]

Has anyone ever asked Ringo or Paul about the drumming on Dear Prudence? I know it's been a very long time, but I'd be very interested in hearing what they had to say.

[@joehumeas7196]

They’re both alive, I’m surprised no one has asked them

[@foxandscout]

My thoughts exactly. Why deliberate when they are both alive and certainly know the answer.

[@bassesatta9235]

@@foxandscout they did ask them, they both said paul. Its already proven that paul played in the track, the mystery lies in the coda. Who played the ending since it sounds vastly different to the previous sections. Did ringo overdub the ending? Thats something neither of them can remember

[@foxandscout]

@@bassesatta9235Thank you! I guess that makes sense considering how much music they put out together and alone; considering that this was the first time in an 8-track studio And they went a little overboard though the result with dear prudence was magic. There are plenty details I don’t remember in My life even though my long-term memory is pretty intact. I just turned 68 last day May. More important to enjoy the music Then investigate Every tiny detail.

[@dachille1]

I saw Ringo in an interview he said he’s not on the track. it was on some TV talkshow.

[@sqidvishus]

The last part on Dear Prudence was definitely Ringo. Paul's style and technique at that point in time was very straight forward. With the dynamics and accents as well as the groove, it certainly feels and sounds like Ringo.

[@JimmyBComputerGuy]

Paul (on drums) is more of a "chipper", meaning he just sort of chips away undynamically with very little groove. Also, his fills are completely linear - a hallmark of the beginner. "Back in the USSR" is definitely Paul.

[@gutgolf74]

Since Ringo wasn't there and there is ABSOLUTELY no documented drum overdub anywhere and NOBODY from the Beatles EVER claimed this for Ringo that is highly unlikely. And WHY would he even go there and overdub this certain part??!! Absolutely no logical or musical or technical reason for it. There drums where overdubbed even before the vocals, so they can't have been added later. Furthermore, that ending is in fact quite messy and rhythmically all over the place. Ringo would have been much more precise. It totally sounds like what Paul did on "Kreen Akrore", it's just him fooling around trying to come up with an interesting drum part. It sounds more complex as it is because there are indeed two drum tracks - both played by PAUL.

[@hektor6766]

Ringo played drums on all those songs you mentioned plus Strawberry Fields Forever. No mistaking that unique "tumble-over" style. This is definitely Ringo dubbed in. I would play this song over and over on the first day of summer vacation. It is sonically the month of June. And I didn't know the backstory about Prudence Farrow at the time, but she fits the image I had perfectly.

[@gutgolf74]

Yeah, only Ringo wasn't there and they didn't do later overdubs, as Ken Scott confirmed. So it can't be Ringo, and it totally sounds like Paul anyway.

[@mikem9001]

@@gutgolf74 Ken Scott didn't confirm it, and he wouldn't necessarily know.

[@gutgolf74]

@@mikem9001 LOL, yes he DID confirm it, and if you would follow his content and interviews you'd see that he DEFINITELY knows what he's talking about - in SHOCKING contrast to Emerick.

[@mikem9001]

@@gutgolf74 Ken Scott declined to say that it was definitely all Paul on the drums, he was recollecting years after the event, and he wasn't the only engineer involved. His words give no basis for concluding that there were no additional overdubs.

[@gutgolf74]

@@mikem9001 LOL, nice try. Ken said he can't say what happened in the studio while they recorded it. He mixed it, so he surely DOES know if there were any overdubs, and since he's very clear about remembering that, we have no reason to doubt him. Please give us some verbatim quotes from any other engineer involved who confirms it's Ringo, overdubbed. Wait, I even accept a quote confirming the POSSIBILITY it was Ringo overdubbed later! See, YOU are the one who has "absolutely no basis" for your claim. See 9:44. Bye!

[@ericingham9925]

I did notice Ringo's terrific drumming in She Said She Said is very much his own unique style. Thanks for this great video and comments.

[@eugenetalley7447]

Rain.... I don't mind to die in the rain

[@eugenetalley7447]

He had a micro beat he had to make it fine. I can show you

[@frankjamesbonarrigo7162]

One of the finest Drum songs ever

[@drvee1983]

I'm really happy to read and hear these audio tracks. I read drum music before English when I was 5 years old. McCartney played a decent drum track going back to their Hamburg days and white album/solo albums/career. He was a human click track, and his tempo ( meter) was spot on, and still is. All of the later fills are completely Ringo chops. As a lefty drummer, turned righty , he had fills that are difficult to reproduce/imitate today for right-handed drummers. No one plays like Ringo. His signature is unique. It's Ringo. Thanks for posting!

[@lauskanaal4260]

Only thing is, McCartney was also left-handed. For the rest I agree with you completely. The end is definitely Ringo.

[@drvee1983]

Yes. But he always had to play right handed drums. He can also play right handed guitar, (upside down ) or proper position....growing up in a right handed world. Most lefty guitarists can play something on righty instruments, drummers also. It's the great upside down guitarists that will confuse you as a righty jamming with them. See Albert King for further reference. It's Ringo.

[@lauskanaal4260]

Dave Grohl at 2:53: "You hear his drumming, you know exactly who it is". kzbin.info/www/bejne/rXu3m513jamNibs People don't recognize how great a drummer Ringo is. They think Paul can just imitate Ringo's drumming. Even Beatles fans don't see that Ringo is a drummer that Paul can never be. It amazes me.

[@foujj]

If you listen close you'll hear Ringo's weird emphasis on fills because he plays a backwards kit. Paul is good, he can even get close to mimicking Ringo, but feel is everything and Ringo has an unmistakable feel.

[@abundantYOUniverse]

Exactly right

[@jimmullane3498]

Sounds correct to my ear.

[@jimmullane3498]

@@abundantYOUniverse they should ask them!! Both are nostalgic and open to talking..... have Sean Lennon ask them both!! Love that kid!

[@abundantYOUniverse]

@@jimmullane3498 Me too and Julian is a great musician too.

[@spambrando]

WTF?! A BACKWARDS kit?! LOL, Seriously? For who? The left-handeds? It's set up for righties. I write left-handed but play righty. The floor tom is to his right. Wow....

[@joethelion6016]

This is one of the Beatles most interesting songs, very haunting. Siouxsie and the Banshees cover was rather good too

[@chrissayler6767]

Siouxie’s great on that

[@chrissayler6767]

Ya

[@PaulFormentos]

Jerry Garcia Band does a great version of Prudence.

[@joethelion6016]

@@PaulFormentos just listened to it, I agree ☺️

[@citygirlfarm]

I always felt some of John's more poetic writing appears on The White Album, and Dear Prudence is one of them. Ringo stated that he was in a band with three want to be drummers. It's funny how after all these years Ringo is getting credit for his talent and input. Back in the 70's he was really cast as just a lucky guy, but his style has finally been put more in the spotlight. By the way it was Ringo.

[@ronnienaidoo3249]

Yes the poetic genius of John's writing is clearly seen in "Dear Prudence". Beautiful !!!

[@lewisfolksongrevivallewis1912]

I couldn’t agree more!!!! You can isolate the drums in any Beatles song and know it’s a Beatles song by the drums!!! Imagine being able to make your mark as a drummer among 3 other Beatles!! He’s a Beatle!! He’s a fabulous drummer!! The drum parts sparkle!! Ringos drum parts are unique, special- different than just keeping time- talent!! Genius

[@leethrelfalllt]

Yes, I remember as a kid in the seventies that ringo was undervalued as a Beatle! Obvious now that he was an equally talented member of the group.

[@andypozzuto7612]

I believed Paul was the drummer but after listening to this it really does sound like Ringo. Not sure either would still remember but I wonder if anyone ever asked one of them.

[@asarand]

Has no one asked Paul and Ringo about this? They are the only two Beatles left. Since this concerns both of them I would think that they would be able to clear this up, and I'm sure that they would both be willing to.

[@jimreadey4837]

Thanks, I'm on it, *Wayne.* I've put in on my calendar to call them both on Monday...

[@jamespenny9482]

@@jimreadey4837 Lol

[@raindrops21_9]

@@jimreadey4837 🤣🤣

[@ronnienaidoo3249]

Yes absolutely !!! They should be approached.

[@DarthCalculus]

Yeah, these mYsTeRiEs are great for clicks (it got mine 😬) and if this oddity has been discovered after their deaths it would be a cool thing to discuss... But right now it's just "we didn't have the resources to get the answer"

[@karenvillaneda]

Ringo has a style you can’t deny. It’s him.

[@gutgolf74]

9:44

[@colinjames2469]

it is Keith Moon

[@Studio-62]

I listened to the isolated tracks, so the piano, drums and French horn track reveals the following: The hi hat sounds weak through the whole first section, the tell tale of an amateur drummer. At 2:03 where the piano enters, there is a brief silence in the drums, then the drum beat continues, but it’s more complex, with Ringoesque fills. At 2:10 one hears a lone hi hat, louder in the mix, three hits. Then at 2:20 the drum part quickly starts to get louder, and the mics start to pick up the room sound, with the drums sounding more defined, especially the snare, the mark of a professional drummer. The hi hat is also much more defined. It’s worth noting that the tempo also seems to pick up. It would be very difficult to overdub drums unless there was a reference such as McCartneys original drum track. In the isolated vocal and acoustic guitar, the drum track can be heard in the background, but at the same critical moment, 2:03, two drum beats can be heard. Then it goes back to a single beat, and drum fills are heard over the top. So in my own analysis it appears Lennon laid down his basic tracks, likely with Paul providing a basic drum track. Either the take that was used sped up naturally towards the end, or they spliced two takes together, at around 2:20. Assorted overdubs were done, and at some point Ringo returned to the sessions. He (or all of them) may have listened to the track and decided to add Ringo’s fills to Paul’s uninspiring drum performance in the second half, or he may have played along with the whole track, and only the second half was used. But only one drummer is ever heard in the final mix. I think those three isolated hi hat hits at 2:10, loud and clear, may have been a cue for Ringo to come in on the second half of the tune, but he seems to come in before that, at 2:03. I don’t think it was only McCartney on drums in the second half, as he and the others would have thought it very insulting to Ringo to attempt copying his style in his absence. Thanks for this interesting video!

[@YouCantUnhearThis]

Great analysis, thanks for sharing! It’s remarkable how many little details can be uncovered in that latter section by listening to the isolated tracks.

[@davidemaria9791]

You are damn right.

[@HauntedHarmonics]

This is such an underrated channel. Such a fantastic intersection of history, art analysis, and video essay content. All with top notch production value. You’re probably one of my favorite channels on the entire platform right now. Keep up the good work dude👍🏻

[@melissasiegel9682]

I subscribed based on your comment!

[@GuitarUniverse2013]

I couldn’t agree more!

[@Chris.from.1950]

I have no idea who played any of this, but I have been listening to this album since it was first released, and I love what you are doing here. The Beatles's oeuvre definitely rewards this kind of close listening! Many thanks!❤🧡💛💚💙💜🖤🖤

[@Jeffsguitargroove]

This is an interesting video. I never knew people thought Paul played drums on this song. I think it definitely sounds like Ringo (huge compliment to Paul if it’s Paul). Either way it was definitely recorded on Ringo’s drum set. This is one of my favorite Beatle albums and I hope they’ll release some White album film footage one day.

[@robyoung9968]

A great song, Always loved John’s vocals.. The harmonies are great.. Paul has played drums more times than some ever realized.

[@vgreedsonsinc4458]

Four Beatle tracks... Dear Prudence, Ballad of J&Y, Back in the USSR, and Why Don't We Do It In the Road.

[@r2arrigo]

@@vgreedsonsinc4458 ---dont forget Vack in the USSR

[@rogerbond2244]

I had no idea this was an issue - it's one of those few Beatles tracks I've heard a very few times in the background, rather than listened to and studied. So, when you played the isolated drum track and the critical bar arrived, it was the first time I'd 'listened to' it, and there was no doubt in my mind - that's Ringo. Having played in many bands over the years I've learned to cover Ringo, Charlie Watts, Keith Moon, John Bonham, Brian Bennett, Bobby Elliott and many others - and, as with so many things in life, covers are on a spectrum: one end, you put your own mark on an existing song (say, for example, how Siouxie and the Banshees did with Dear Prudence); other end, you're copying every riff, every fill, as close as you can. And some players can sound uncannily close to the original. But...to my mind (and tired old ears), there's an indefinable something about individual drummers: maybe the kick is a fraction ahead of the beat but the snare a fraction behind; the way they don't play fills around the kit but seemingly randomly instead BUT it's brilliantly theirs...all that stuff which you can spend months or years trying to match, and they just sit there and play it. And then a bunch more stuff you never even thought of. It's a bit like an audio fingerprint. Or a signature, because they'll not play it twice identically but you can still tell it's them, and it's so damn difficult to forge. My money's on Ringo. Thank you, by the way, for a very thoughtful and thought provoking video.

[@ckallen23]

Very helpful examination of one of the biggest Beatles controversies: Who played drums on Dear Prudence, Paul or Ringo? The answer is, indisputably, both!

[@patriciaeddy7629]

These guys were so incredible! John seemed like a magician and poet in one. Never was he more impressive than on the song Rain, his voice so hauntingly beautiful and calming. I never met him,but loved him deeply through every song he sang.💜

[@57Jimmy]

Well said. How he wound up under the spell of that evil witch is hard to fathom. I know of no one that sees it any differently. That moody anchor just wreaks of destruction to every link in her barnacle encrusted chain.

[@patriciaeddy7629]

@@57Jimmy Agree. 100%

[@davidbritnn]

Ringo says Paul did the drumming on it. I'd have to track down where I heard him say it. I don't think it sounds like Ringo, though he loosens up later, Paul is kind of stiff in the first verses. Very similar drumming technique can be heard on 'McCartney' a year and a half later and even on the 'Band on the Run' album.

[@BikeVermont71]

Nothing explains the corporate genius of the Beatles like this analysis of Dear Prudence. The group is greater than the sum of its parts. The Muse worked through all of them together -- even when Ringo was absent.

[@johnhenrycurry8209]

I agree. For me the Beatles were an artist's collective more than a band. It didn't matter who did what, they were all part of all the music called The Beatles. They early broke many pop music molds; first as a fabulous vocal group that wrote its own material *and* played its own accompaniment. After they gave up on touring their collective dominated. They became a single artist with four heads. Who did what didn't much matter and, as you suggest, it was greater than the individual parts. Which played a roll in their disbanding. The compromises a collective requires became a drag. In "Get Back," George asks about adding Billy Preston to the group but Paul says (something like); it's hard enough for the four of us!

[@ronnienaidoo3249]

A great assessment !!!

[@SamHarrisonMusic]

I'm actually in the Paul camp here - the playing to me doesn't really feel like Ringo, I don't know why. Whoever it was, I LOVE it!

[@dynaboyjl.4220]

That swing feel is missing. It's still a great drum track, but it doesn't feel as confident as Ringo's work. But I'm not a drummer myself, what do I know.

[@thesilvershining]

Honestly, I think it's Paul because it's a tiny bit sloppy, which absolutely WORKS for the song. Ringo was always extremely precise in his fills.

[@Dashie04]

@@dynaboyjl.4220, You’re absolutely right, as a drummer myself.

[@orendungan3455]

Totally agree. Dear Prudence is not only one of the best Beatles songs, but has to rank as one of the greatest songs period. The picking pattern, which John used all over the album, is really in its element for this. I adore Paul's bass line, and George's fanfare type solo at the finale is just icing on the cake. The drumming might have been done by Paul in the first part, as the rhythm is straightforward and grounded, but as it builds to the climax I do think it was Ringo. Once you isolated the transition, I thought immediately of Strawberry Fields. If it was Paul, he would have had to choose to specifically emulate Ringo's sound, and been good enough to do it at the drop of a hat, whereas Ringo could just walk in the door and...Act Naturally.

[@gutgolf74]

Ringo wasn't there, and Ken Scott confirmed there were no later overdubs. No mystery, no Ringo.

[@mikem9001]

Great points. There is no proof that they didn't overdub Ringo later on, and it certainly sounds much more like him.

[@bonalba20]

Revolver is in my opinion the best album the Beatles ever made and is also my favourite Beatles album. The Taxman track is as good as anything John or Paul ever wrote. Also the most distinctive cover as well! The count in sounds like George to me. I was 18 years old when it was first released and I still remember how different it sounded from previous albums.

[@tokingreens]

I rank it at the top three - love it...

[@paulrickford6154]

George wrote the song and was the band’s lead guitarist, Paul played the famous guitar solo on it.

[@gregoryschleitwiler9601]

Exactly the time I knew the Beatles were better then the early years. Wasn't much impressed until REVOLVER

[@wantabwriter]

I happened across this by accident. Very glad I did. I'm a Beatles fan since they arrived in U.S. in 1964 and continue to be. I enjoy the comments on this. Very, very interesting. Irrespective of what actually occurred with Dear Prudence it turned out top notch. As with some of the many other things regarding their creative period the mystique is part of the charm.

[@BUNKERJR53]

The way I look at it being a Beatle fan since the beginning if you are a true Beatle fan it really doesn't matter. It adds to the mystery of this group like when the rumors were flying that "Paul was Dead". The were a band that liked to play with peoples minds and that's what made them unique and the greatest group that ever was. They started it all and their music will never die.

[@chrismac9640]

The Beatles were a super talented group who grew from humble beginnings in the 1950's, endured hard life experiences while in Germany (Stuart Sutcliff Death), replaced the original drummer (Pete Best) with Richard Starkey (Ringo Star), to end up producing some of the best music of the 1960's which is still current today. Their music will live on forever. The pressure placed on Ringo Star causing him to walk out was and is understandable, with the remaining beatles improvising by using Paul McCartney as a drummer, and or supplementing some of Ringo's other drum recordings onto other tracks is a reflection of how the band survived and produced so many good songs. THEY WERE SO GOOD.

[@june241976]

And yet one of their most underrated songs. What a masterpiece!

[@dorothybeacham4856]

In just listening to the end part of the drumming to my ear, having heard Ringo’s unique style on Rain, etc, it is Ringo playing at the end. I love Paul’s drumming, but Ringo does have a distinct, rolling sound, on the snare. In Rain, it really makes that song another Beatles masterpiece in my view. So many layers in their music that fit seamlessly into a whole complete piece. You may not hear the individual parts but the whole is a true work of musical art. Penny lane is another example.

[@gutgolf74]

This sounds nothing like "Rain", but it does sound a LOT like "Kreen Akrore". That's because it's Paul on the drums. Ringo wasn't there when they recorded it. And Ken Scott confirmed that they didn't do ANY additional overdubs later at Abbey Road with Dear Prudence. So it's just not possible. Also, it's quite sloppy, just like Paul fooling around, trying to add a little drum flavour at the end. He did two drum tracks, one basically providing the basic beat, the other with some experimental fills. No mystery at all, and definitely no Ringo.

[@mikem9001]

@@gutgolf74 There is no proof that additional overdubs were not done. It likely is Ringo, and doesn't sound anything like Kreen Akrore

[@chicklets4ever51]

It's definitely Ringo in the last part. He has one of the most distinct styles in rock. Paul might have been able to imitate it, but it would never be quite the same. Even in the samples of Paul's drumming you give in this video, his execution just sounds much more bland and regular than Ringo's light touch and swirl around the beat. The question doesn't even seem that ambiguous to me. Ringo all the way for the last part. (But why not ask Ringo himself?)

[@gutgolf74]

Since Ringo wasn't there and there is ABSOLUTELY no documented drum overdub anywhere and NOBODY from the Beatles EVER claimed this for Ringo that is highly unlikely. And WHY would he even go there and overdub this certain part??!! Absolutely no logical or musical or technical reason for it. Furthermore, that ending is in fact quite messy and rhythmically all over the place. Ringo would have been much more precise. It totally sounds like what Paul did on "Keen Akrore", it's just him fooling around trying to come up with an interesting drum part. It sounds more complex as it is because there are indeed two drum tracks - both played by PAUL.

[@dorothybeacham4856]

I certainly agree!

[@richardlawson6787]

Paul was a decent drummer but Ringo was out of this world awesome...but most people don't know Ringo could also play guitar...piano...etc.

[@gutgolf74]

@@richardlawson6787 Yeah, Ringo said he could play "anything on the piano, as long as it's in A!" 😀 He couldn't play MUCH guitar, and he could only do VERY basic piano.

[@richardlawson6787]

@@gutgolf74 wrong...Ringo was kidding...there is a song on an album he put out in the nineties...on one song Ringo plays all the instruments...and I can tell you he can play them very well.

[@hobbzee77]

The thing that seals it for me is the playing coming out of the fill section when it straightens out for the last 6 bars. For me there's no question that's Ringo's famed backbeat swagger & not Paul's on top of, if not pushing the beat style. So i've always thought it's Paul right up until the fills come in & then it's a chopped up overdubbed Ringo all the way home \m/

[@ianbanks2844]

I've always loved this song . I think it's pretty unique and a real masterpiece . My they were good weren't they ?

[@lewisfolksongrevivallewis1912]

I think Ringo has the gift of sounding different than any other drummer!! He is a great great drummer!! So is Paul but Ringo is fascinating on drum- almost like he did the 2nd part to say -“THIS is what you should play!! “ almost like a little argument-but I LOVE both parts!!! And Ringo!! And Paul!!!!!! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

[@davidfreud9188]

I think he sounds so unique due to being a self-taught leftie playing rightie. Just my opinion

[@michaelneary888neary7]

i'm a drummer, Ringo is the reason for this and to my ear those rolls and fills have Ringo all over them, ie pro fills, a drummer can hear different patterns of play between both hands, paul was not at that level of technical ability at this time, his drumming was straight, and in terms of hand control, paul's drum rolls are still flat, left right left right left right, where as Ringo can paradiddle ie left right left left right left right right, there are many patterns like this and these kinds of rolls are a Ringo trade mark, from strawberry fields to day in the life.... another reason i think its Ringo is because he would play floor tom to high toms in a roll because he was left handed on a right hand kit, thats what i'm hearing, most drummers play high toms to floor tom. the floor tom was Ringo's go to drum.

[@Igor_Vinicius]

I can't imagine this kind of debate involving any other band. That's just one of the reasons the Beatles are and always will be the most fascinating act of all time.

[@jimreadey4837]

I think it's the other way around -- _because_ the Beatles are and always will be the most fascinating acts of all time, this kind of debate has arisen.

[@williamvanvugt9117]

Spot-on, my friend. Spot-on.

[@robfaulhaber8204]

Grateful Dead

[@vollsticks]

I see you're not familiar with The Fall's online community...

[@vollsticks]

@@jimreadey4837 I get why a lot of people, especially serious muso types, would believe that but calling The Beatles *the* most fascinating act of all time is a tad hyperbolic, no?

[@doofs]

i remember hearing this theory when i was 10, i had just picked up drumming the same year and was an avid beatles fan, dear prudence was by far my favourite song at the time too, so seeing the discussion in early youtube comments saying it was paul really blew my mind. as a kid, i thought it was paul just 'cause i thought itd be funny probably the most difficult drum solo in the beatles wasn't even ringo, but after 13 years of drumming experience i can confidently say that's ringo. no discredit to paul, but those drum examples you pulled are super stripped down 1 & 2 type beats. the flavour of the solo is distinctly ringo, the phrasing of the kit, the triplets on the toms, and moreover (this sounds bs but humour me) solos required a trained ear to create, and there's a lot of drum-feel and intuition you can only hear if youre a drummer too; things like the double cymbal crash on the second bar is a habit you sometimes develop, and to me that screams experience. without a doubt ringo.

[@wchambers3849]

IMHO John's greatest under rated song and my favorite Beatles track...period! I listen to it nearly everyday. Absolutely a joy to listen to! "Won't you come out to play..."

[@markhunter8554]

For me it's a tie between Rain and Prudence.

[@albeatle17]

Ringo, in my opinion. If ever this issue is to be settle it will be because of the style and the character of the drumming. 1. Own perception. The drum pattern at the end of Dear Prudence resemble those of A Day in the Life, Strawberry Fields, Blue Jay Way, Cry Baby Cry, Hello Goodbye, Here Comes the Sun, She Said She Said, Yer Blues, Good Morning Good Morning, Rain, etc. The hallmark of Ringo's style is unmistakable, mainly I think, in the use of silence at the heart of a complex fill (e.g. A Day in the Life) as well as the particular and "chaotic" alternation of the snare drum with the toms and even the hi-hat (e.g. She Said She Said). In Dear Prudence there is and example of his "signature beat (especially the falling-down-the-stairs, swampy rolls)". 2. Argument from authority. I found on the KZbin channel of batmankozyy the best drum covers of Beatles songs: precise, dynamic, fluid, forceful and faithful. He's been uploading videos since 2008 and I consider him an authority, being able to master Ringo's style and drumming intention. He even has a drum lesson video for Dear Prudence final part, with a transcription of the fills and an execution by himself (kzbin.info/www/bejne/pXO4pIVqbc9pm9k&ab_channel=batmankozyy). In the comment section, when asked specifically if he thinks the final part is done by Paul or Ringo, he answers that he's convinced it's Ringo. He even points out Ringo's drumming in the song Vertical Man (exactly between the minute 2.35-2.42) arguing it's almost the same feeling as in Dear Prudence (kzbin.info/www/bejne/r3a4h5tumJdmZrc&ab_channel=hotttomali). 3. Counterarguments for Paul's drumming. Although Paul is able to mimic John's vocal tone in many songs it's not the same as trying to mimic Ringo's drumming due to the technical dexterity needed in the execution. Not even the counterexamples of Paul's drumming as in Kreen-Akrore, Miss America or My Dark Our matches the blueprint of Ringo's style. Even in videos of Paul playing drums, although his capability, he is seen with some stiffness (kzbin.info/www/bejne/gIvCeWCup7KAbqM&ab_channel=LaEstrellaInglesa) that wouldn't allow such a fluid section as in Dear Prudence. 4. Extra hypothesis. Maybe when Ringo returned and asked for contributions in the already recorded tracks, he wanted to print decisively his style and, at least in Dear Prudence, he might wanted to show with strictness the power of his musical contribution to the Beatles. He was first replaced with Jimmy Nichols (in a different context of course) but he felt insecure of his position in the band ever since (as he declared in the Anthology). His intervention in the final section of Dear Prudence might be taken as a drummer statement, as saying "if I ever leave again, let's see if you can replace this".

[@ColinWilliamsDrums]

The effort in this comment is underrated

[@rebecapasillas]

You are, indeed, the guy in the audience with the score on his knees.

[@brettalbert3276]

If you go back to Baby You're a Rich Man and Strawberry Fields, which were played by Ringo - some of the fills in those songs have an extremely similar feel. I'm in the camp that Ringo dubbed in the fills in Dear Prudence.

[@patbrennan6572]

Why don't we as Paul or Richard who did what on the drums for Dear Prudence? Just another masterpiece for the greatest of all time.

[@mickavellian]

As a kid being more and more fascinated with music in general than just drumming grooves I remembered my utter infatuation with"Dear Prudence " because it broke pretty much EVERY rule my young drumming career has exposed me to. The vocals playing on top of ta lengthy drum fill (which became a groove and THAT was never mentioned as a UNIQUE drumming technique ( which has not been repeated again by anyone)

[@johnyarusso4953]

Another similar situation would be Old brown shoe. Abbey Road remix claims it was played by Paul because Ringo was filming The magic Christian movie ( in London) at this time. I believe that McCartney couldn't have possibly handled the drums in this song for multiple reasons. There are 5 major and difficult techniques that Paul has never shown the ability to play especially the synchronized double sticking as well as amazing swing, which McCartney admits he can't do. I wish someone would finally clear this mystery up but I believe that if someone at Apple claims Paul played drums on Come together, people would believe it.

[@elementrypenguin3116]

I still think it’s Ringo on OBS. The fills and his cymbal and hi hat work seem like Ringo

[@johnyarusso4953]

@@elementrypenguin3116 I'm sure it is Ringo. The opening fill is the same as Tell me why. The shuffle beat in the verses he used in the bridge in I forgot to remember to forget her. The fast hi hat snare fills are in Ie mine and more. It's Ringo at his best but we suppose to believe it's Paul? Paul's an ok drummer but Old brown shoe is great drumming.

[@elementrypenguin3116]

@@johnyarusso4953 I totally agree! I still say it’s Ringo.

[@marcusphelan57]

Yes definitely Ringo on OBS.

[@mrmustard4478]

Look up Paul touring his studio here on KZbin and he says he can't play shuffles due to lack of coordination. In all his many drumming credits, there's not 1 shuffle, even a slow one. Old Brown Shoe is 100% Ringo. It was just an error on the box set.

[@thomasvinelli]

Probably my favorite Beatles song. Also learning how to play that intro on guitar into that finger picking style is loads of fun. Lennon was a brilliant guitar player.

[@marylouleeman591]

It's Paul playing Ringo throughout. It is now being revealed what a brilliant musician was Paul Mac. But, wait! that two different snare drum tones, unable to be missed...ok, this would be explained by laying more tracks here and there. Ringo was in the Mediterranean with his family.

[@AnnieVanAuken]

It's Richard in the last section of "Dear Prudence". The flourshes are reminiscent of his work on "I Am the Walrus" where the drums practically sing a rhythmic counterpoint.'

[@beachcomber4141]

One of my most loved of all songs. So beautiful. This is one of those songs when it starts, the world stops and all that matters is listening to this song. I have to go with Ringo especially towards the end. It just sounds so much like Ringo's laid back style. This song absolutely has a huge place in my heart and mind.

[@gutgolf74]

Since Ringo wasn't there and there is ABSOLUTELY no documented drum overdub anywhere and NOBODY from the Beatles EVER claimed this for Ringo that is highly unlikely. And WHY would he even go there and overdub this certain part??!! Absolutely no logical or musical or technical reason for it. There drums where overdubbed even before the vocals, so they can't have been added later. Furthermore, that ending is in fact quite messy and rhythmically all over the place. Ringo would have been much more precise. It totally sounds like what Paul did on "Kreen Akrore", it's just him fooling around trying to come up with an interesting drum part. It sounds more complex as it is because there are indeed two drum tracks - both played by PAUL.

[@beachcomber4141]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/pojHlWmVj92LbsU

[@christianakre7324]

All documentation from that time is clear on Paul providing the drums on this track. The last part with the fills is clearly more technically advanced and required overdubs and most likely parts spliced together. As Paul is a self taught drummer, he lacks the grip proficiency and thus doesn't have the same attack as Ringo. This distinguishes Paul's drumming from Ringo's, and on this track it's noticeable all through, so Paul is playing and kind of emulating Ring in the fills at the end of "Dear Prudence".

[@gutgolf74]

LOL, some people will read this and think you said it is Ringo playing!