Monday, March 09, 2009

The Pete Best Band
Hayman's Dream

Casbah Coffee Club 2008
CD-rip 224-320 Kbps VBR

Wich ex-beatle made the best album in 30 years?
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Normally I won't post anything what's been released quite recently but I am totally stunned by this album. Listening to this album one can only wonder what great musical contributions he could have made to the Beatles if Pete Best was not been replaced by Ringo Starr. We would miss "Don't Pass Me By" wouldn't we?
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Well, Pete was a Beatle a long, long, time ago. Best joined The Beatles on 12 August 1960, only one day before they were to go to Hamburg to play a season of concerts. He was dismissed from the group two years later, on 16 August 1962. His drumming can be heard on the Silver Beatles "Decca Tapes" and as one of the Beat Brothers (Beatles) on "Tony Sheridan and The Beat Brothers" as well on the first "Love Me Do" version.
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Best later relocated to the United States along with songwriters Wayne Bickerton and Tony Waddington. They ultimately released an album on Cameo Records titled "Best Of The Beatles". The group disbanded shortly afterwards. Bickerton and Waddington were to find greater success as songwriters in the 1970s, writing a series of hits by the Rubettes.
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Nowadays, The Pete Best Band regularly tours the U.S. and he recently released this album. All tracks on their new album Haymans Green is written or co-written by Pete Best. The lyrics are very "autobiographic". Haymans Green is is filled with wonderful songs and is without doubt Beatlesque.
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What about that little torn piece of photo on the albumcover? It's the piece of history what is missing on the Beatles Anthology album...
tracks:
1. Come With Me 2:23 / 2. Step Outside 3:57 / 3. Start Again 2:38 / 4. Grey River 3:18 5. Gone 2:34 / 6. Dream Me Home 3:47 / 7. Everything I Want 3:37 / 8. Beat Street 2:05 / 9. Broken 3:56 / 10. Red Light 4:00 /11. Haymans Green 3:04
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4 comments:

Luis Casas said...

I think this is a great album ( i already had it), but i don´t think that Pete´s drumming is better than Ringo´s. Another fact is that Pete don´t sing.

Imagine "Yellow submarine" or " Goodnight" with another singer. Great album but not better than Ringorama or Vertical man for example.

n8w8 (nightwatch) said...

Hi Luis

Someones opinion can never be wrong so I stick to my opinion. Like I wrote in my post, I think that the songs from Pete are great compositions and better than Ringo's. I didn't compare their drumming- nor their singing skills.

Well, said that, it took Pete long enough to come up with such an album. I think his older work is not more than average and Ringo's worst work is better than any of Pete's older stuff.

Anonymous said...

Actually, Pete's not on Love Me Do. He was already gone when The Beatles went in to record the band's first album. The story you're thinking of is when George Martin replaced Ringo with a studio drummer (whose name escapes me). Ringo is on one version and the studio drummer's on the other. But Pete was gone by then.

n8w8 said...

On June 6 1962, the Beatles, including Pete Best, were recording "Love Me Do" the first time. George Martin wasn't pleased with Pete's drumming. John, Paul and George insisted to replace Pete by Ringo. On september 4 1962, they recorded "Love Me Do" again (15 takes), now with Ringo. Still, George wasn't happy with the sound and so they went on recording again on september 11. Ringo didn't play on these sessions but was replaced by studiodrummer Andy White. This is the version wich made de single.

Still, on the first recording of "Love Me Do" the drummer was Pete Best.