♫ Ringo with the tambourine...so, who's the drummer?♫

The most successful pop group of the 20th century changed popular culture forever. They impacted not only music but an entire generation. There was hardly a day within the decade from 1960 to 1970 without mention of this phenomenal group.They were legendary. They became icons.

Today in Music History: May 30

1964 The Beatles went to No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Love Me Do', the group's fourth US No.1 in five months. The version released in America had Andy White playing drums while Ringo played the tambourine. The British single was a take on which Ringo played the drums.

Andy White: He’s cool. Always was, still is.

Songfacts: The Beatles recorded versions of this with 3 different drummers. At their first Parlophone audition in June, 1962, Pete Best was still their drummer. When they recorded this on September 4, Ringo was their drummer, but when George Martin decided this would be the single, he had them record it again a week later. At this session, he used a session drummer named Andy White and stuck Ringo with the tambourine. The version with Ringo drumming was released as the single, but the version released on the album had Andy White's drumming. Ringo didn't pitch a fit when he got bumped at the session, but was very upset and felt real insecure, especially since The Beatles had just fired a drummer.

 

1968 The Beatles began recording what became known as the White Album. The double-LP whose official title was simply ‘The Beatles’ became the first Beatles album released with the Apple label. The first track they recorded was ‘Revolution’.

Songfacts: There are so many versions of this song because Paul McCartney didn't like it. Lennon really wanted this song to be the 'A' side of the single instead of "Hey Jude," and kept changing it around to come up with something that would make Paul see it his way. He basically wrote the song because he felt like he was being pulled in so many directions by different people, all of whom wanted his backing, politically. It was also him questioning his own belief in the revolution that was going on... whether he was "out" or "in." In truth, he was writing about a revolution of the mind rather than a physical "in the streets" revolution. He truly believed that revolution comes from inner change rather than social violence. (This is discussed in the DVD Composing the Beatles Songbook)

From the 60s into the early 70s emerged an American country and pop singer-songwriter and comedian Harry Ray Ragsdale, also known as...

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1970 Ray Stevens went to No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Everything Is Beautiful'. The former DJ had a string of novelty hits, including 'Jeremiah Peabody's Poly Unsaturated Quick Dissolving Fast Acting Pleasant Tasting Green & Purple Pill'.

Songfacts: A very popular and family-friendly entertainer throughout the '60s, Ray Stevens was given his own TV variety show in 1970 called The Ray Stevens Show, which lasted just one season as a summer replacement. He wrote the uplifting "Everything Is Beautiful" as the theme for the show. Stevens explained to mybestyears.com, "I needed a very special song for the program. I went down in my basement for about three days. I had crumpled paper all over the place. And suddenly the idea for the song came to me. I wrote it in maybe 45 minutes. It was a very special song and one that a lot of people still remember and sing along when I do it in shows."

Today's Tidbit of Trivia...

 2007 Britney Spears said she "truly hit rock bottom" when she went to rehab earlier this year. In a message on her website, the singer wrote that she "genuinely did not know what to do with myself" following her split from husband Kevin Federline. The 25 year old singer entered a Malibu treatment facility in February after months of partying which ended with the singer shaving off all her hair.

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Brittany Spears has sold over 100 million records worldwide.
In 2006, Spears was ranked sixth on Forbes list of the 100
Most Powerful and Influential celebrities in the world.
She is also the third most mentioned musician on the internet. 

And the music goes on beating to the rhythm of the changing times...