Once in a blue moon, a Beatles artifact that is so staggering in scope and so historic in nature that it almost defies description becomes available. Here is such an artifact.
From 1963 onward, all throughout the height of their global fame, The Beatles used only six drop-T logo drumheads on Ringo’s kits onstage, some for extended periods of time, and others for surprisingly short spans. Only one of the six verified skins has ever been put up for public sale and that is the second one (Drumhead #2), the skin used throughout the Beatles’ two week long first American visit in February 1964, and that’s the total extent of the usage it got. That drumhead sold at auction for $2,125,000 in 2015.
Beatles owned and used instruments very rarely turn up for sale as most are still in the possession of Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, and the widows of John Lennon and George Harrison: Yoko Ono and Olivia Harrison. Even when they do, none seem to ever have been used extensively by The Beatles—rather only for a very short span of time, with very little, if any ‘stage time’ or ‘studio time’.
You simply can’t get closer to musicians than to own one of the tools of their trade: the gear they played live in concert and in the studio to demonstrate their craft as players, songwriters and recording artists. Consequently, whenever a Beatles instrument—or a major part of one, such as a ‘drop-T logo’ drumhead—surfaces in a public auction, it makes worldwide news, and rightly so. This is one of those rare newsworthy moments but, in this case, one that involves a private sale, not a public offering.
For your consideration, The Beatles’ original drop-T logo drumhead, used by the band on Ringo Starr’s signature Ludwig oyster black pearl drum kit exclusively from May 31, 1964 through August 1, 1965, a period of fourteen months.
This drumhead is by far the most utilized skin in Beatles history, present at 182 live concert performances, 17 television shows, in the studio with them during the recording of their third, fourth and fifth UK albums and subsequent singles recorded during the period (44 songs in total—see this listing below), and the drumhead was even also used throughout the filming of their second feature film “HELP!”. With statistics like these, it is also without question the most photographed and filmed Beatles drumhead.
All six of the Beatles’ drop-T logo drumheads were individually hand painted, making each one unique. In addition to the visible brush strokes, the width of the letters and the positioning of one letter relative to the next vary on every skin, making each as distinctive as a fingerprint while providing one sure method of verification. Like the other early Beatles skins, this Drumhead #4 was the handiwork of a London sign painter by the name of Eddie Stokes, whose role in the creation of the now-iconic Beatles drop-T logo is undeniable.
In April 1963, Ringo Starr and Beatles manager Brian Epstein, entered London’s first drums-only shop, an establishment called Drum City, founded by Ivor Arbiter, a saxophone repairer and part-time drummer. They were looking to replace the Premier drum kit that Ringo used early in his career with his previous band, Rory Storm and the Hurricanes. Initially interested in an all-black kit, Ringo spotted a swatch for Ludwig’s new oyster black pearl finish on Arbiter’s desk. An enamored Ringo had to have this finish, which was a Ludwig exclusive. The only kit in stock with this finish was a Ludwig Downbeat kit priced at £238, a price Epstein refused to pay. After a short negotiation, Arbiter agreed to trade the drums for Ringo’s well-used Premier kit. Though he made no money on the transaction, Arbiter saw the deal as a promotional opportunity. Because he had recently signed a distribution deal with Ludwig, Arbiter told Epstein that he wanted a sticker of the Ludwig logo featured on the bass drumhead. Epstein agreed but, in return, asked that the Beatles’ name also appear. Arbiter immediately began sketching out the now-famous drop-T logo onto a scrap of paper with the “B” and “T” made more prominent to stress the word “beat”. After Drum City was paid £5 for the artwork, Arbiter called in local sign painter Eddie Stokes to execute the final artwork for the logo he’d designed. Drum City had employed Stokes on a regular basis to paint bass drumheads for the store. With the new Beatles logo now displayed prominently on what would become known as Drumhead #1, the stage was set for the design that became the Beatles’ trademark identity from that day on.
Fast-forward one year. The Beatles had now firmly established themselves at the top of the pop charts and were internationally known and revered stars, having conquered Britain, America and most of the civilized world. On May 31, 1964, after a much-needed holiday break, the Beatles were set to play the Prince of Wales Theatre in London. That morning, Ringo took possession of a new Ludwig oyster black pearl drum kit, his first with a 22″ bass drum (the previous heads being 20″ in diameter). With a new drumhead needed to fit the larger size, Eddie Stokes was once again brought in to paint the logo, this time on a Remo Weather King bass drum skin. Stokes also hand painted the Ludwig logo above the Beatles logo.
This particular drumhead became known as #4 and, over the following fourteen months, The Beatles used it more than any other in their history. For every musical moment The Beatles created, this drumhead was right there with them—literally at the center of it all. The list of its appearances reads like a litany of Beatles career highlights.
It debuted on Sunday, May 31, 1964 at the Prince of Wales Theatre in London, the site of their triumphant performance on the Royal Variety Show the previous November. Ringo played that night, but was soon hospitalized when, three days later (June 3rd), he collapsed with tonsillitis and pharyngitis, sidelining him for much of the group’s first world tour due to begin the following day. Consequently, the drummer behind the drumhead for its first run of shows was Ringo’s replacement, Jimmie Nicol. Eleven days later, on June 14th, Ringo reunited with the band and resumed as drummer. The drumhead was used all through the 27-day world tour at concerts in Denmark, The Netherlands, Hong Kong, Australia, New Zealand.
Upon the Beatles’ return to London and for the remainder of 1964, the drumhead was used for several television appearances, including “The Beatles in Nederland”, “The Beatles Sing For Shell”, “Top of the Pops”, “Thank Your Lucky Stars”, “Top Gear”, “Blackpool Night Out”, “Scene at 6:30”, “Ready Steady Go” and even the top American music program, “Shindig!”. It was also utilized for numerous other performances like those in Brighton, Blackpool, Bournemouth, Scarborough and even four concerts in Stockholm, Sweden. Amid these gigs, on July 23, 1964, the drumhead was onstage with them during the famous “Night of a Hundred Stars” performance.
Perhaps the most noteworthy use of this drumhead was for the Beatles’ first full-fledged North American tour, which had the band crisscrossing the United States and Canada for a staggering total of 32 shows in 33 days. Among these shows were the Beatles’ now-legendary August 23, 1964 concert at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles and the September 20th charity show at New York City’s Paramount Theater, as well as the tour opener at the Cow Palace in San Francisco on August 19th.
On October 9, 1964, nineteen days after the end of the American tour, the Beatles would embark on their first and only British tour of 1964, which consisted of 54 shows in 33 days — and the drumhead was in use at each of these performances. At the end of year, the group headlined “Another Beatles Christmas Show”, which encompassed 38 performances, all using this drumhead – which was by now starting to show some signs of wear and tear.
Interspersed between concerts throughout the months of August through October, and basically on their days off from stage work, The Beatles found the time to record the “Beatles For Sale” album at EMI Abbey Road Studios, as well as the accompanying “I Feel Fine/She’s A Woman” single release. During these sessions this drumhead was present and photographed on Ringo’s bass drum in the studio on multiple occasions, including one instance whereby John Lennon was behind Ringo’s drum kit, sticks in hand, during some down time during the sessions.
The year 1965 saw the Beatles again employ Drumhead #4 extensively, starting with the recording of their fifth studio album, “HELP!”. The skin also made its cinematic debut in to their second feature film, also entitled “HELP!”, appearing in performance sequences in the film, including the title track at the beginning of the movie, “I Need You” and “The Night Before” filmed on the Salisbury Plain near Stonehenge, and “Another Girl” (which was shot in the Bahamas on what is now Sandals Resort’s own private island).
The Beatles rarely had a day off, and the drumhead was also in constant use during a short European tour of France, Italy and Spain, which took place from June 20 to July 3, 1965.
Throughout its period of use, Drumhead #4 was also present for numerous radio appearances, such as “Saturday Club”—and, in 1965, its TV credentials piled up further with more appearances on “Thank Your Lucky Stars” and “Top of the Pops” as well as The 1965 “New Musical Express Poll Winners” concert, “The Eamonn Andrews Show” and “Les Beatles” (for Paris TV). This drumhead made its final appearance on Sunday, August 1, 1965 on the ABC Television variety show, “Blackpool Night Out”, which was a fabulous live 6 song performance promoting both the “HELP!” movie, which had come out in theaters 3 days earlier, and the “HELP!” album, released in record stores 5 days after “Blackpool Night Out”.
By the time it was retired, The Beatles’ drop-T logo Drumhead #4 had made 182 concert appearances onstage, 17 television appearances, was used for numerous radio performances as well as in the recording of 44 songs at EMI Abbey Road Studios….AND it was heavily featured in the movie “HELP!”.
The provenance of this iconic piece is impeccable; its pedigree unchallenged. From 1965 until 2008, Drumhead #4 was in the possession of close family friends of music talent agent Bob Bonis (who worked for General Artists Corporation, the company that booked The Beatles U.S. tours) held the distinction of serving as The Beatles’ tour/road manager for all three of the group’s North American tours (1964-66) as well as for the first five American tours for the Rolling Stones.
In 2006, the drumhead was acquired by a private collector. It has never been sold publicly through any major auction house and is now being offered here, exclusively, through private sale.
This drumhead wasn’t a Beatles prop, it was an integral part of Ringo’s drum kit during a significant period in their history. It was a tool with which the boys plied their trade and was the focal point of each concert and performance as it identified the most famous group in the world. It was present for an important, whirlwind fourteen-month period in the band’s well-documented history, absorbing the magical vibes of every musical moment created by The Beatles throughout the entire timeframe that it was in use.
The drumhead bears numerous identifying marks that link it to photos of the skin from the 1960s, including the unique brushstrokes applied by original painter Eddie Stokes as well as multiple distinguishing wear marks and staining that resulted from extensive handling during its period of steady use.
In July 2008, the elaborately-painted carnival-style drumhead used in 1967 on the cover of the Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band LP sold for $1.1 million at Christie’s in London. While this drumhead was front and center on the cover of their most influential and acclaimed LP and quickly became the iconic symbol of not only the album but the “Summer of Love”, the fact remains that it was merely a prop used for one day only in a photo studio. It was never utilized for the purposes of recording or performing, yet it garnered a 7-figure sum and as has subsequently continued to escalate greatly in value in the 14 years since its sale.
As the single most utilized drumhead in the band’s history, whenever and wherever Drumhead #4 appeared, whether in concert, on television or in film, it was the nucleus of The Beatles band, the fixed focal point of the stage or television studio when they were performing, as The Beatles were creating their magic mere feet away from it on almost a daily basis. That drop-T logo was the band’s identity and while John, Paul and George moved about, the drumhead was an immovable fixture that visually and figuratively shouted out to everyone present: “This is THE BEATLES!” On stage, it was the veritable center of the Beatles universe.
Since the early 1980s, when major auction houses first began offering rare Beatles artifacts for sale, the term “holy grail” has been tossed around with abandon to describe remarkable, one-of-a-kind Beatles pieces. But in the case of this historic Beatles Drumhead #4, the phrase aptly applies. This world-class piece belongs in a museum, where it would be a jaw-dropping, centerpiece attraction in a place where Beatles fans (and also popular music fans and historians) can come up close and see a certifiable piece of Beatles, music and pop culture history. For this amazing artifact, any superlative seems inadequate.
A treasure of this caliber seldom finds its way into private hands. This is the very pinnacle of Beatles collecting — the end of the hunt for the ultimate and impressive Beatles ‘big game trophy’ to hang on the wall — a piece to be discussed and jealously admired by all who have the privilege of seeing it in person.
The following 44 songs were recorded by The Beatles at EMI Abbey Road Studios during the period that this drumhead was being utilized, representing a significant portion of the band’s recorded catalog. Beatles Drumhead #4 was right there on Ringo’s kit during all of these sessions, absorbing some of the magical vibes floating around in the studio as The Beatles were creating some of the most phenomenal music ever recorded.
1964
“Matchbox”
“I’ll Cry Instead”
“Slow Down”
“I’ll Be Back”
“Anytime At All”
“Things We Said Today”
“When I Get Home”
“I Feel Fine”
“She’s A Woman”
“No Reply”
“I’m A Loser”
“Baby’s In Black”
“Rock and Roll Music”
“I’ll Follow The Sun”
“Mr. Moonlight”
“Kansas City – Hey Hey Hey Hey”
“Eight Days A Week”
“Words Of Love”
“Honey Don’t”
“Every Little Thing”
“I Don’t Want To Spoil The Party”
“What You’re Doing”
“Everybody’s Trying To Be My Baby”
“Leave My Kitten Alone”
“Yes It Is”
1965
“HELP!”
“The Night Before”
“You’ve Got To Hide Your Love Away”
“I Need You”
“Another Girl”
“You’re Gonna Lose That Girl”
“Ticket To Ride”
“Act Naturally”
“That Means A Lot”
“If You’ve Got Trouble”
“It’s Only Love”
“You Like Me Too Much”
“Tell Me What You See”
“I’ve Just Seen A Face”
“Yesterday”
“Dizzy Miss Lizzy”
“Bad Boy”
“I’m Down”
“Wait”