Jimmy Nicol: The Beatle Who Vanished (2015) Jim Berkenstadt Interview
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- čas přidán 6. 09. 2024
- Legendary Disc Jockey, Eddie Winters talks to the Rock and Roll Detective, Jim Berkenstadt. Jim is the author of the recent book, “The Beatle Who Vanished” chronicling the life of Jimmy Nicol, the drummer who briefly replaced Ringo Starr during part of the Beatles’ 1964 concert tour. Learn how Jimmy was selected to play in the biggest band in rock history and how it effected him once his 15 minutes of fame were up.
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![Episode 72 | Jim Berkenstadt ["The Beatle Who Vanished"]](/img/n.gif)
Jimmy got the greatest gig in the history of pop music, and even though it was temporary he stepped-up, kicked some serious ass and injected some great energy into the band's live shows. No question, the entire extraordinary experience must have certainly left Jimmy with some post-euphoric head issues.
P E H I
Kwenz Landah There's always a dickhead in life. This time it's you!
And he never grassed them up.Just took some money and a Rolex watch from Brian Epstein.
I had the pleasure of talking to Jimmy Nicol for an article published in a 1984 issue of Modern Drummer magazine. I started on a screenplay of Jimmy's 2 weeks on that Beatle tour entitled THE EYE OF A BEATLE but no studio would buy it. Most said it was too obscure and some said it didn't fall under the 16 to 35 age range of Pixar or computer generated special affects bullshit. In short the movie industry as we older people who grew up with the Beatles are concerned will not touch bio-pics of older musicians or movie stars of yesteryear. Oh well, would've made a nice little movie for VH-I.
I spoke to Jimmy. He never heard of you.
That last sentence is very untrue. They wouldn't take it because it indeed was too obscure. The two weeks is not enough. He wasn't a Beatle. However, there were like 9 Beatles, honestly. This Jim guy knows this and I'm very disappointed in him.
Jimmy was a Beatle for 13 days ,accept it@AaronEddieHYo
Nicol could make a living appearing at Beatles conventions these days.
I saw Jimmie play with the Beatles in Hong Kong at the Princess Theater on the Kowloon side of Hong Kong...June 9th, 1964.I have pictures of him with them arriving at the Kai Tak airport that very same day. These are probably the only pictures of the Beatles at the airport landing in the world. My sister visited them back stage that night and got pictures of her with them . They were dressed only in towels having taken showers before their gig. She brought them some Beatle cupcakes....and still has the pictures.
Those photos could be quite valuable now. My uncle was in the Hong Kong police force and managed to get them to sign a postcard with them on it.
Auction them or pawn/sell them to Ric Harrison from The Prize of History. 😊
Cool!
It's probably too late now but you should have gotten help a long time ago. BTW-those pink unicorns in your bedroom are not real!
Didn’t know Jimmie Nicol was in Georgie Fane and The Blue Flames nor did I know he was in The Spotnicks. Both of those are great.
Oh, wow! That first band that you mentioned was the band Paul McCartney went to see when he met his future wife Linda Eastman.
@@catnc1 cool. Didn’t know it. Thanks. 🙏 Georgie Fame has this unique style of singing, an incredible voice.
JImmie Nicol part begins at 8:43.
thanks much
Thank you..No offense to anyone..But God it was boring before that
Thank you
thank you
You are my friend, Mr. Chopsticks
I read that Jim now owns Jimmy's gold watch, I would love to see a picture of that!
Great stuff! I love hearing new information about the Beatles!
New, ancient, whatever
It can be stated for the historical record that Jimmie Nicol WAS a Beatle, albeit one with 'temporary replacement' status. If you view the historical television footage, his name appears equally alongside those of John, Paul & George in graphics that were projected behind the band for press conferences/interviews. Moreover, Jimmie sat elbow-to-elbow with his bandmates and spoke freely as one of them. Had they chosen to, the Beatles & Brian Epstein could have relegated Nicol to lowkey 'temporary sideman' status and clearly conveyed that he was 'not a Beatle' by ommitting him from interviews and not including his name in Beatle graphics, etc. To their credit, they played it 100% right in making Jimmie a 'defacto Beatle' for his brief stint with the band. As a drummer, he was superb; exceptional dynamics, great feel & propulsive energy, which is exactly what the Beatles needed; these are ''X-factor' qualities that someone is either born with or isn't. While Pete Best was a steady drummer in terms of his time-keeping, his playing lacked the crucial energy and dynamism that Nicol brought to the mix. That Nicol had just one brief half-hour rehearsal in London before hitting the stage 24 hrs later is a testimony to his exceptional talent and professionalism, which is why he was chosen for the monumental task. Beyond this, the psychological aftermath of the entire meteoric affair must have understandably wreaked havoc on Nicol who experienced first hand in an all-too-real way what it is like to visit the Twilight Zone.
"never let the FACTS get in the way of a good story" ..... esp when Beatles fans are talking, some are SO unrealistically biased its unreal.
jonsilence pete best was not a good time keeper really bad drummer overall
@@031767sc: Agreed; Pete's playing was flatlined; no energy, no dynamism.
It is exactly the opposite. And Georege Harrison agreed with me...LOL If people here don't it is their problem. They refuse to see the truth. The other Beatles knew he was not even supposed to be a Beatle and never was. Possibly some so called fans don't know what it is to be a Beatle.
He had the best seat in the house on the drums.
I am so glad I found this interview. Love this stuff.
I had a bootleg album by the Beatles called LIVE IN ATLANTA GA. IN THE 1970S, someone recorded it in 1964
A fantastically interesting and informative interview! Mr. Berkenstadt certainly puts the subjects of his books into focus, thereby giving the readers the ride of their life into the back-stage intrigue of famous musical celebrities, or wannabees.
The man wants to be left alone. Leave him alone.
True but the Beatle loving world will always be fascinated about that part of their history.
Oh man this is the slowest interview which has old info that any Beatle fan has known since the 60s.
I love the tv interview they did with him. I think John liked him.
Fascinating stuff, gonna pick this book up asap
Jimmie is my neighbor. He’s a nice but very quite gal. Nobody in the neighborhood but me knows that he once was a Beatle.
Is this true?
Really we would need a picture he's 80 now so I would expect him to de in some kind of care home
@@georgebamber6871 You talk nonsense, not all old people end up in old people's homes.
@justincase2271 - “very quite gal?” What exactly does that mean?
@@jrh11254 Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa That's what I was thinking , Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm something not right !!!
Brian Epstein should have asked Pete Best to rejoin The Beatles for a couple weeks...LOL. Jimmy Nicol was obviously a great rock n roll drummer. I read a magazine article on him back in the 90's, he seemed grateful for the opportunity to be a temp Beatle.
I loved Pete to but i think it was a combination of , Beatles jealous of Pete's good looks and Pete lacking the groups fashion and drum style .
Pete Best is a nice guy, a passable drummer, and there's no doubt that he got screwed over by the Beatles, but Jimmy Nicol was 10 times that drummer that Pete was. Listen to Jimmy's records with his group, the Shubdubs. If this were a just world, he would have been picked up by a major-league rock group snad acknowledged as a great drummer.
Pete was (and still is) a very bad drummer
@@MarcoZucchi81 Lennon said "we're all better drummers than Ringo" meaning the other 3 Beatles. The Beatles did go through some drummers.
@@prmayner- Lennon never said that
Fascinating, sad, and a bit bizarre.
Jimmy seemed to be a very credible drummer. Kind of a sad story to be thrown into the eye of the hurricane for a few weeks and when it was over the world forgets you and you become just a footnote in history. Too bad he never latched on to another successful group.
I don't get it. Jimmy's son is an editor and is working with Paul McCartney on Anthology. Paul notices the younger Nicol's name and on the off-chance, asks if he is related to THE Jimmy Nicolsl. The boys says "yes", and then they surely spend a bit of time trading pleasantries. Surely Paul asked "How's your dad doing" during that brief period. What...did Jimmy's son not let on that he was alive? Wouldn't he have told him he was alive, which must have led to the invitation to join them as they worked on Anthology. Then, bizarrely, we're told his son went back to Paul, and on his dad's orders, told Paul, "Uhh...I guess I was wrong. My dad is actually dead".
Something doesn't add up.
Yikes alive !
Feels like a Faustian story. Like something from The Twilight Zone. Would you choose to become a Beatle for a few days if it meant giving up your future happiness? There are a lot of tragic stories associated with the Beatles: Pete Best, Stuart Sutcliffe, Brian Epstein, Mal Evans, John Lennon...It can start to feel spooky if you think about it too much.
Always was intrigued by Jimmie Nicol. He certainly had rock star looks. I’ll have to read this book. Sounds interesting. I always wondered why none of the ex-Beatles didn’t contact him again, invite him to play on studio recordings or play live.
Because he wasnt that good .
@@js4187 Nore was ringo 😂😂
@@williamhenry4986 wow even Jimmy nicols has a fanboi in his corner .
@@js4187 haven’t a clue what you mean but just saying none of them was any good fact
@@williamhenry4986 oh stop . Top selling musical act of all time . 4 of the most famous entertainers of all time .
4 really good musicians .
You must be a lady gaga fan
In 1969 or early '70 an Underground Rock magazine in Mexico published an interesting article ( in Spanish , of course ) about an ex Beatle drummer who was living there at the time & was playing with some ex Patriate American musicians in a Blues Rock band named " Blue Rain " & that they had a residency in a club called " Los Globos " ( The Balloons ) the same place where The Doors held a gig in 1969 , it is unknown if said band ever recorded anything & also was a time when the Government forced most Rock bands to go underground due to the ideology of the Hippie Ethos , they were considered a threat to the Establishment ...
If the Film ever materialises I know of a couple things about Nicol that would enliven the Movie as I was a member of his Band.
Would require that my hand be palmed with silver though.
Sounds legit.
@@singalexsong Found his playing too tight for me.
But there again - I'm a Jazzer.
Awesome book! I'm about to start chapter 8.
If you read the book you realize that the central theme and the moral of the story is keep your word to people and don't let your head get too big.
He played with the Beatles -- 'nuff said.
Jim should search for Rod Evans
Deep purple
He was never officially made a member of the band. He had a temporary gig filling in for Ringo, and a short gig at that. They had a contract. The Beatles themselves said that he was never a Beatle. That's a fact. And of course his name was listed with theirs for the short time he toured with them! George said that they would never have replaced Ringo. Ever.
I mean, The Beatles themselves said that they never officially asked him to be a member. I take their word for it.
He knew Ringo would be coming back after he'd recovered, he knew it was temporary.
And in a later interview, he spoke of his time with them fondly.
Nichol must have been talented to be selected to fill in for the then best band in the world. I mean, what an honor even if it was short lived. He's got kind of a unique face, maybe not rock star handsome but like he was a modest and funny guy.
"The best gig I ever had and the WORST. "Jimmy Nichols
The Beatles should have let Jimmy nicol write words to a song and then put it on Abbey Road so he could get royalties as a Thankyou for standing in for them in 64
Why does a footnote have to be a bad thing. You can be happy. You only live so long so make the best of it.
I wonder how they got him a same-day passport. I also wonder whether he could have returned to Georgie Fame's band after his stint with the Beatles - because it sounds like that would have been his best move.
Jim's analysis of the Tom Grant stuff is very very off. He's leaving facts out. That's very disconcerting. One has to wonder why.
I just finished the book yesterday
Social limbo is death, you're either a success or a fail, there is no in between and trying to return to either is impossible, fail doesn't want you because you represent wasted opportunity and success doesn't want you because you represent real life
Eight years to write a book on a drummer who filled in for Ringo on a sick day. Beatles fanaticism creates quite a market. When's the book on Andy White?
Wait, so McCartney tells Jimmy's son to ask Jimmy to be in the film. Jimmy says to his son, "Tell him I'm dead." So Jimmy's son then returns to McCartney and says, "Sorry Paul, when we spoke yesterday, I forgot to tell you that my dad was dead." Utter nonsense.
Spot on! There are so many immature/stupid things said and done in this crazy world of stardom! How about Jimmy telling his son to tell Paul he just didn´t want to see him or the other two Beatles?
Good point, the story doesn't make any sense.
It was obviously meant as a tongue in cheek way to tell his son to tell McCartney that he was just not interested.
Paul would likely have asked via an assistant (or possibly by e-mail or some other remote method), giving Jimmy's son turnaround time.
Hi Jimmy, their could be enough material to give each member an album of songs.
He was treated by the Beatles like a contest winner instead of a needed musician. I'm sure he personally felt that way but it didn't help his professional career after that in others minds.
Since when did Rick Sanchez get a podcast? 'waaaay up there Morty'
In one way it makes me think how Floor Jansen came to Nightwish, she did more successfull, but the first step.. get on that rollercoaster.. learn the songs in short time, and do it. Rise to stardom in short time.. you got to stand firm to manage that situation..
If Jimmy wanted the world to think he was dead, why didn't he just walk across Abbey Road with no shoes on?
he couldnt afford it
How do you collapse from Tonsilitis?
very carefully
Jimmie Nicol was paid 500 lbs , Where did you get that POUND symbol Aaron Johnson ! ?
You need to cut and past from any internet source page.
+Brian Bingham Not necessarily.. £
Oh thanks. (I haven't tried to figure out how to make my keyboard generate the British currency pound symbol which I now cut and pasted from your comment.) ££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££
I'm rich in lbs
Option 3 on apple.
No mention of (Spotnic's)
Are drummers replaced more often than other musicians?
In my experience, yes lol
Are there any live recordings with Jimmy on drums?
Can see him as a young man playing with Colin Hick's Cabin Boys, for example.
Correct, The only live footage with Jimmy playing drums with the Beatles is when they played in Holland June 1964. ,, I saw her standing there,,
@@tjvanpopta sorry but you are wrong Theo. Just on video I have already The Beatles in Holland (unofficial), the TV show The Beatles did for Dutch television. That complete concert was only 6 numbers. In my personal archive I have various real live tracks from Holland and Danmark. All ofcourse with Jimmy.
@@paulbakker6765 the tv show ( june 5 1964) wasn,t live. The next day they did 2 live concerts in Blokker, one in front of only 2500 fans , in the afternoon and one for 7500 fans in the evening. That concert was sold out.
The only remaining footage from the second live concert is " i saw her stranding there. I live in the Netherlands and remember those remarkable days very well.
Good interview, but I wish interviewers in general would refrain from saying “wow.”
Wow, what a wowesk comment
George was right. They should have postponed the tour till Ringo came back.
He never exploited the situation being a temp beatle he should have done and milked it like crazy he could have made a ton of money it was an opportunity lost he just needed a clever agent/manager
They picked him because he could pull off the Beatle haircut right away
Nichol was great..but Ringo.has the it something.. you just can't put ur finger on it.. but it's there ..Ringo was the musical glue that kept the Beatles tight as group..
Some reporter said he looked like Frankenstein without the bolts on his neck.
There is a few solo singles from Jimmy Nicol. It would have been great if he had stayed with the Beatles and recorded heaps more
another ringo fill in [in france]was an american.cant remenber his name,but he was in a movie with chevy chase.he played a biker in the movie.does any one know who he was??
Never happened.
The interviewer isn’t listening. The guy tells him about their music rehearsal and then the host he asks if they rehearsed! By the way, Ringo plays right handed and writes right handed. He thinks that he crosses his hands over when he goes from the left Tom to the right Tom because when he was little he started out a lefty but (as with me), his mother discouraged him from doing so. By the way, a rare film exists and that all? Hey, on CZcams you can see jimmy playing with the Beatles. He did a great job. Jimmy was a real accomplished player for years before he filled in for Ringo.
Ringo is naturally left handed and was forced to be right handed, he has said so n many interviews. He played on a right handed kit, but would lead with his left hand, this caused his unique sound.
they had to be english,no other race or place could have produced them.
And nowhere other than Liverpool in England could have produced them either. It truly is a unique, wondrous place
I heard, Brian Epstein wanted Pete Best to fill in for Ringo, for that tour.
possibly but I know Lennon said "We didn't want Pete thinking we were taking him back besides he had his own band". George Martin suggested Nicol.
Where did you hear this? It's not likely!
@@jimm6095 Paul M is right.
Cracks me up how Americans say Edinbuhro lol it's pronounced Edinburah, not complaining tho it's very charming
Or Edinbruh
I usually hear Americans call the city "Edin-BURG"!
Hmm. I'm an American and pronounce it Edinburah. We're not all ignorant. 😉
jimmy was the greatest beatle he always claimed he could make a bigger shite than john paul george an ringa
Dose anybody know what happen to Jimmy nicol anyway.
Played in some bands but didn't want pub
Ringo would have been a much much better drummer if he was allowed to turn his drums around. Speaking from experience. The Beatles should have gotten Jimmy in the first place. Not a knock on Ringo as a drummer. He is one of a kind. But Jimmy had a raw power in the footage of him that I have seen. A very early version of Keith Moon perhaps. To know Jimmy just fell off the planet is just strange.
Clearly you don't understand or appreciate what Starr brought to the Beatles
Snail mail, not stale mail......
Sorry, but there is a big mistake here. He never was a Beatle. He only played for 13 dias when Ringo could not for having his tonsils removed. This is so different than being a Beatle. To be a Beatle it was necessary the right amount of talent, charism, charm and that special "something" we can't describe. Only four me in history were Beatles: Paul, John, George and Ringo.
sorry hen. they considered he had the qualities you mentioned and that is how he got the gig
However,it is beyond dispute that this part of Beatles history. I highly recommend reading the book.
Now you know why the A Hard Day's Night album has only 13 tracks on it, the 14th track would have been a Ringo song.
See my separate post on this subject.
What the hell are you even talking about?
The interviewer needs to cut off the caffeine.
Filling in for a sick drummer for a week doesn't make someone a band member.
sure it does....he was a member for 2 weeks
ringo said he was right handed but,played a left handed drum set.
No, Ringo was left handed but played a righty kit.So,his fills were usually led with his left,giving them a unique flavor.
*At (**1:04**) in...I'm already done*( *The instant I hear 'Lost Recordings' of over what are being presented as 'Lost Beatle Recordings' I know everything after will be PURE SHIT presented as 'Real'* ) *Lennon made it very clear from 1970 to his murder in 1980 that "No...that's all crap, like the 'Paul is dead' thing and other rubbish said to be true...if I played a few notes or bars of something just mucking-about and there happened to be a microphone aroundthat recorded it...it IS NOT a 'Beatle' thing meant to be released or anything like it...just shite from people who want to make some money from us"* *When we were at Twickenham, or wherever the fuck it was and I played some of this thing or that thing just to hear it DOES NOT MEAN A 'BEATLES' TUNE was made...EVERYTHING WE DID WAS RELEASED if it was any good and we all agreed on it because 'way back in the 'Olden Days' when George still 12 or so we recorded a lot of shite like that "Sheik of Araby" thing...and some of those covers were so bad we never did anything with them...we did like the way "A Taste of Honey" came out with Paul doing lead because I thought it was awful with me doing it so that went-out and some others like "Kansas City" as well...but I've gone thru hundreds of hours of stuff from 'then' and never found ANYTHING that we recorded and meant to release as 'Beatle' songs or covers...it just ain't there* (Lennon, '75 interview, here on 'Tube) *This 'twat of a writer' saying he found well over a THOUSAND tunes 'unreleased' is complete insanity!* *Any 'Beatle' fan knows that there's 'NO FOOKIN' WAY' anyone could make Lennon record that much shit and then never release it...so that makes this guy A FUCKING LIAR no different than 'Clifford Irving' and his claims over time he spent talking to HRH or the ass-hole w/the fake 'Hitler' diaries*
He was never a Beatle….simple as that.
Interviewer is terrible.
every where there is fame,every where there is money,every where there governments,every where there is a crown,and some religion.the last is where it starts.now more than ever,can they hide forever?
less of a beat keeper than Ringo
says you jimmie could drum rigo under the table i saw him do it
I new Jimmy Nicoles (lou nicoles) mum and she told me the stories about him, I may have meet him once or twice only as they were my neighbours in battersea London. she told me the Beatles were very mean to him and dumped him when Ringo Star decided came back to the band after he went on a drinking/drugs bender and they needed a drummer quick, he was a great drummer. she told me he had very little time to the learn the stuff to. Sad story, she also told me Jimmy court up with Paul years later when jimmy was doing some sound engineering, Paul tried to make some sort of half hatred apology but Jimmy was not interested. They dumped him on a train station somewhere, the band didn't show up, this distressed Jimmy. The band went off on tour without him.
Peter......Any intelligent person will know that most of what you've written is absolute rubbish.
peter pelluet Ringo went on a bender and the band dumped Jimmy at a train station 😂. You forgot to mention the time they got Elmo to fill in as drummer for the US tour and paid him in cookies. You crack me up 😂
I read an interview with Jimmy in a North American magazine back in the 1990's. Jimmy spoke of his time with the Beatles fondly. He was asked why he never wrote a book about his 10 days/4 concerts with the Beatles. He responded (I'm paraphrasing), "I did think about it, especially when the money got thin, but I didn't want to step on any toes, they were damn good to me". I specifically remember Jimmy Nichol being quoted as saying the Beatles and Brian were "Damn good to him".
Ringo collapsed with tonsillitis/pharyngitis at a photo shoot on the eve of the tour. Jimmy knew he was only a stand in drummer until Ringo was well again. He was well paid and he got on well with The Beatles, he said so himself which is why he never dissed them or tried to exploit his connection. When he was driven to the airport it was early morning, The Beatles were all sleeping and he decided not to wake them to say goodbye. He says he had a great time with them, and he certainly wasn't 'dumped'. He was only ever a fill in drummer and he knew that. All this is on the record.
@@jasona9 That is from wikipedia-I'm sure you remember an interview quote from the 90's.