Here's the skinny on Ringo. The Beatles already had a drummer named Pete Best. (According to the version of the legend that I choose to believe), when they auditioned for Parolophone (EMI) records, A&R rep George Martin thought they had a good sound but questioned Best's drumming and suggested that the rest of the Beatles replace him. They did so, bringing Ringo Starr in at literally the last minute.

When the Beatles recorded "Love Me Do," Martin was still hesitant about the drummer issue. He hired session drummer Alan White to handle the timekeeper chores, and gave Ringo a tambourine. That's the version that was released as the Beatles' first single.

When "Love Me Do" became a hit, and it looked like the Beatles were going to amount to something after all, Martin relented and let Ringo drum on the LP that was mostly recorded in a single-day marathon session. Along the way, they also re-recorded "Love Me Do," with Ringo behind the kit, and released that version on the album. Thus, two full versions of their first single exist. What format you bought the song in determines which version you got.

As the Beatles' career as a band progressed, and they grew as musicians, Ringo did too. You can hear him in the early days, steadily rocking out in the background, but toward the psychedelic days of the late 60s, he adopted more complex rhythms setting the stage for drummers such as Keith Moon and John Bonham to further advance the art.

Maybe he's not that great a singer, or songwriter, but the man could keep a beat. Personally, I can't imagine the Beatles with anyone else on drums. If there is higher praise, I don't know how to give it.