Is it true that Ringo didn play the drums on most Beatles records?
Ringo did indeed play the drums; EMI studio documentation proves he was present and was paid for sessions in the group. The only exceptions: he played tambourine to Andy White’s drums on one take of “Love Me Do” in 1962 (producer George Martin wasn’t sure Ringo was good enough—he’d just joined the Beatles at that time), and for a week in August 1968 Ringo took off during the White Album sessions, distressed at the group’s animosity. Paul and John filled in for him till he returned. An anonymous drummer was also paid for sessions involving “Can’t Buy Me Love”, and some differences in drum tracks are apparent between mono and stereo versions, but whoever the drummer was, he was likely filling in for Ringo, who was filming “A Hard Day’s Night” that day. It’s unclear whether this instance involved an entirely new drum track or whether Ringo’s was merely “sweetened”. The origins of this rumor are probably an anonymous studio drummer who was hired to overdub the Beatles / Tony Sheridan tap
