The Beatles Unravelled – Special Edition #3
…..Pete Best Sacked – Why?
Why was Pete Best sacked from the Beatles after drumming with them for 2 years? Who wanted it, George Martin, Brian Epstein and/or the Beatles themselves?
19-25 November
…guest feature on the Mop Tops and The King show
Derek Shelmerdine presents the feature segment The Beatles Unravelled (alternating with Elvis Presley Unravelled)
…fortnightly on Steve Chelmsford’s Mop Tops and the King show.
……This Mop Tops and The King – Hot Line is a special six-minute edition of the segment.
The MTK Network broadcasts the show, syndicated to nearly 100 radio stations around the world.
See the Show Schedule for broadcast details of times and radio stations.
(The times on the Show Schedule are Eastern Time, the UK is five hours ahead.)
Listen Again
PODCAST – Pete Best Sacked – Why?
Why was drummer Pete Best sacked from The Beatles?
On 16th August 1962 Beatles manager Brian Epstein called Pete Best into his office and unceremoniously sacked him. There was no warning, it came completely out of the blue. Pete Best said in an interview in 2018, “To this day, hand on heart, I don’t know the actual reason why I was fired”.
Pete Best was fired on the eve of the band’s success, after two years as the Beatles’ drummer. They had already recorded the first version of their UK debut single, Love Me Do.
Pete Best’s drumming failed to impress producer George Martin. After the first recording session for Love Me Do, Martin told Beatles’ manager Brian Epstein he wanted a session drummer for the next recording session. Ringo Starr occupied the drum stool for the second recording session. Ringo’s playing also failed to impress Martin but they didn’t sack Ringo! For the third recording session, George Martin called in drummer Andy White
Contradiction surrounds the stories of why Pete Best was sacked. Some say it was because Brian Epstein wanted to distance the Beatles from Mona Best, Pete’s mother. Mona ran the Casbah Club in Liverpool and had a long-standing relationship with the group. In the Anthology book, John says, “We were always going to dump him”.
There is no definitive “truth”. Consequently, there is a mountain of speculation.
Extracts from Rock’n’Roll Unravelled
All of The Beatles/Elvis Presley Unravelled podcasts are based on extracts from Derek Shelmerdine‘s book Rock’n’Roll Unravelled.
THE EXTRACTS FOR THIS STORY
6 June 1962: First Love Me Do recording session
Pete Best also features in numerous stories throughout the Beatles’ 1960 to 1962 elements in the book.
About the book – Rock’n’Roll Unravelled
With its unique three-part structure, Rock’n’Roll Unravelled tells the story of rock’n’roll from its roots to mid-1970s punk. Click on the link for lots more information…
TO BUY – a signed copy of Rock’n’Roll Unravelled
Mop Tops and The King Radio Show
Derek Shelmerdine presents the feature segments Elvis Presley Unravelled and The Beatles Unravelled on Steve Chelmsford’s weekly Mop Tops and The King radio show.
Derek is a fortnightly guest on Steve’s show.
The MTK NETWORK of nearly 100 radio stations around the world carries the Mop Tops and The King show. This means that every day, someone, somewhere in the world is broadcasting the Mop Tops and the King show.
For the broadcast time for each station – check out the WEEKLY SCHEDULE. (The times in the weekly schedule are Eastern Time – the UK is five hours ahead.)
The Mop Tops and the King show is all about the music, lives and times of The Beatles and Elvis Presley.
For all the previous editions of…
The Beatles Unravelled and Elvis Presley Unravelled
First Broadcast: Pete Best sacked – why?
This show was first broadcast 19-25 November 2021, on the MTK network of radio stations around the world.
