Simon Cowell Says Ringo Slam Was A Joke

LOS ANGELES — The Beatles once got in trouble over a flip comment about Jesus. Now Simon Cowell has ruffled feathers with a quip about the Beatles.

Cowell says that he really was joking when he claimed the legendary group wouldn't have made the cut on "American Idol" or "Britain's Got Talent."

After drawing fire for the remark, the producer and TV talent-show judge said Friday he's repeatedly referred to the Beatles as the group he wished he could have signed.

Cowell was on CBS' "The Early Show" Wednesday when he was asked how the Beatles would have done as contestants. He replied that he would have taken the group – minus drummer Ringo Starr.

John Lennon's 1966 remark that the Beatles were more popular than Christ provoked angry protests by some in America.

Comments

[hallowellboy]

Ringo is a legend. Cowell is, well boring.

[Titus]

I think Ringo can take it...

Listen to the drumming on "Rain",,,, it's bloody good.

[BigCheese]

It seems dry British humor is still a little too difficult for many Americans to appreciate.

[maggiee]

If you listen to the Beatle out take tracks (lots of them on Beatles Anthology and tons of bootlegs hanging around), you hear the Paul, John and George make mistakes and have to restart (not surprising since they recorded EVERYTHING, even rehearsals) but never Ringo. Never.

[BlackJAC]

Of course the Beatles would've been rejected by AMERICAN IDOL: the Beatles don't fit the solitary-h­it-single-­intended-s­olely-for-­short-term­-profit-th­at'll-beco­me-a-trivi­a-question­-in-three-­years business model that AMERICAN IDOL promotes.

[american-dolt]

Cowell is a man with little knowledge of music as art. Ringo rocks. Simon is a Kock

[slobone]

People who know what they're talking about, like Max Weinberg, say Ringo was one of the great drummers of all time...

[phantom5551]

considering the Beatles' clear and indisputable musical legacy, why would ANYONE with any sense care what this Cowell guy thinks or whether or not they would get picked for this insipid, asinine, wretchedly bad show?

[pov]

Needless to say Simon Cowell would never have had a chance of making it in the USA if it were not for the British Invasion which was led by the Beatles. He would be a $144 Million plus dollars poorer, yet he may have made a few bob for his pocket back in Britain.

[DrJimmy]

Ringo is the reason Zak was taught by Keith Moon!

[jrsightes]

Funny how, in fact, no less authority than Sir Paul himself attributes the sudden wave of Beatlemania to their acquisition of Ringo in 1962. With Pete Best as their drummer, they were languishing in obscurity in Hamburg. All of the other Beatles have said that Ringo was the best drummer they knew. So if Simon had signed them "minus Ringo," he may not have had much success at all.

[GO-BAMA]

Hmm. "best drummer" meaning, "best fit for the image". Pete Best was widely known to be the superior technical musician at the time, but Ringo was far more inline with the public image the band was about to take, and he was easier to work with.

[Mr-Larry]

You absolutely don't know what you are talking about. Pete Best was considered a poor drummer. You can check what George Martin has said about this many times. To this point, he hired a session drummer to replace Pete when he believed that Pete was still with the Beatles. This never happened once he heard Ringo.

[maggiee]

Have you ever heard any of Pete Best's drumming? If you had, you would know that he wasn't very good. Also, if you listen to the single of "Love Me Do" you will hear what a typical professional studio drummer sounded like in 1962 (that isn't Ringo playing). Ringo was clearly better. Finally, the one later Beatles' song that did not feature Ringo on drums was also obvious because the drums weren't as good as usual. I'd tell you which song it was but it is a more obscure single and from your comment, I'm not sure you would be familiar with it.

[GO-BAMA]

Sure sure. I don't know what I'm talking about. I'd love for both of you to spend a day at work with me.

[talkingdog]

It don't come easy,
You know it don't come easy.

It don't come easy,
You know it don't come easy.

Got to pay your dues if you wanna sing the blues,
And you know it don't come easy.
You don't have to shout or leap about,
You can even play them easy.

Forget about the past and all your sorrows,
The future won't last,
It will soon be over tomorrow.

I don't ask for much, i only want your trust,
And you know it don't come easy.
And this love of mine keeps growing all the time,
And you know it just ain't easy.

Open up your heart, let's come together,
Use a little love
And we will make it work out better.

(ah -)
(ah -)
(ooh-ooh)
(ah-ooh-ooh)

Got to pay your dues if you wanna sing the blues,
And you know it don't come easy.
You don't have to shout or leap about,
You can even play them easy.

Peace, remember peace is how we make it,
Here within your reach
If you're big enough to take it.

I don't ask for much, i only want your trust,
And you know it don't come easy.
And this love of mine keeps growing all the time,
And you know it don't come easy.

**********­**********­*****

Not too shabby, it has a catchy tune too!

[maggiee]

It's gonna go through my head all day! Thanks!

[Pamzy]

What does Cowell have? And hasn't he jumped the shark already?

[skoplowi]

The Beatles wouldn't have been the Beatles without Ringo's signature beat. You know what makes him stand out as one of the greatest? His unique style. You always know it's Ringo even if you have never heard the song. Simply the best!

[drumz]

Yup, a lefty playing a right handed kit; very unique. Just like Jimi playing lefty with a right handed guitar.
It's really hard to play some of his stuff because of the crossover to the toms he does with his left hand.

[GO-BAMA]

you're joking right? Ringo replaced Best for a number of reasons, his "signature beat" and musical prowess were not one of them.

[maggiee]

yes they were.

[MikeJames]

When asked if Ringo was the best drummer in the world, Lennon replied that he wasn't even the best drummer in The Beatles.

[The Ogre]

That's called a joke.

[RedDogBear]

Actually, Paul was a pretty decent drummer, he plays all the drums and percussion (as well as everything else) on his first and best solo album McCartny.

[drumz]

No, the quote was "he's a great Beatle"

[AnnoyedCanuck]

That was a flip comment by Lennon in one of the band's early interviews. These were full of wordplay and self-mockery - and no one was more inclined to mock than Lennon, with his acid tongue and aggressive attitude. Later, Lennon called Ringo 'the best drummer in rock 'n roll'.

I read a story about one of Lennon's last recording sessions before he died. He complemented the session drummer, then tempered his praise with the remark, "but you know who my favorite drummer is . . . ". He left the sentence unfinished - not hard to figure out who he meant.