Tuning in to Auntie’s premier news cast this morning, during a trail for a puff piece on Thomas the Tank Engine, Anna Foster refers to ‘ex Beatle Ringo Starr’.
Ex Beatle?!?
Do the others know about this? Is Zak available?
Are the R4 Today programme’s editors just too young?
Ex Beatle?!?
R4 staff are generally ignorant of pop music. A couple which spring to mind:
News of the Liam Gallagher/John Squire single on Today. To set the scene they played brief extracts of This Is The One and Don’t Look Back In Anger, an Oasis song sung by, erm, Noel Gallagher.
On Saturday Live, the track Tim Minchin’s inherited from his Grandfather was What A Wonderful World by Louis Armstrong, recorded in 1967, and not the version played, which is from 1999, by Kenny G.
And when Mary Wilson died, they played either Where Did Our Love Go or Baby Love, both sung by Diana Ross, after an interview with someone (Gambo, probably) extolling Mary’s lead vocals on Stoned Love, Nathan Jones and Floy Joy.
Shame they didn’t play I Agree With Pat Metheny by RT, a fine addition to Pat M’s objection to Kenny G’s insertion of himself into Satchmo’s record.
Don’t get it. He is an ex Beatle
I am also confused. He is an ex-Beatle as you say. That chapter in history is closed everywhere except maybe on the Hoffman pages, although they mostly like Wings over there (who also split up.)
Ex as in deceased.
Yes, I know, it doesn’t work when everyone understands what was meant perfectly well.
No “dead” means deceased not “ex”
Unless you’re talking Monty Python. Remarkable Beatle, the Ringo Starr, isn’t it? Beautiful plumage!
Pining for the fjords and the Norwegian wood? Like the famous Blue.
Ex as in ceased to Beatle?
Very good! 😀
Is that what it means? I think I am more confused than ever. About everything – I feel like I am standing outside the chip shop of life, next to a pile of sick, with DD in teddy boy gear, ranting about non-league football and the no-hits Clash. Maybe Aki Streeter is the one who left the pile of sick.
Now you are as confused as I am.
Maybe it was news to the OP that they had broken up? And sorry to be the bearer of more bad news but John and George are no longer with us. So the “others” I think he is referring to is actually only Paul.
I was also confused about the ‘puff piece on Thomas the Tank engine’ – that sounds weird. I mean it’s a good joke because… puffs of smoke… or something…
Oh dear, it thinks they had hits. Bless.
And ffs clear up your sick, everyone knows it’s yours, no one’s impressed.
Guilty! The chips were nice though.
Maybe the OP is getting confused with the word “late”?
or former.
Ringo is gonna be the next Gerry Rafferty.
If you think about it, he’s actually the new Paul
Or possibly Dave Swarbrick
When my son was very young I started to read him the Thomas books until I realised they were the most dreadful Tory propoganda and quietly binned the lot. In retrospect I thought I might have been overreacting/misinterpreting but it turns out even the Daily Mail agrees with me!
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1234547/Thomas-The-Tank-Engine-branded-right-wing-conservative-demeaning-women.html
Until you reach the comments section obviously..
Pretty sure Pa Bigballs is quite rightly pointing out that Ringo is not an Ex Beatle, he is an actual Beatle until the sad day he misses the off beat on Paperback Writer.
I’m afraid a full bottle of red has poured down my throat but do the Beatles as a group entity exist and I think the answer is no.
Certain bands have continued the name with new members but can we imagine the Beatles with other members, I think no.
Can Ringo and Paul be classed as ex-Beatles or Beatles?
Ex-Beatles. They broke up. It was quite a big deal at the time. I don’t recall them going back on tour or making any new records.
We-ell, that’s a topic for debate…
FAAB
RL
NAT
True, so strictly speaking, full title is the former-ex-Beatle, Don’t Pass Me By hitmaker Sir Ringo Starr.
My immediate reaction to the OP was that, such is the enormity and cultural heft of the group, that Ringo and Paul (and lets face it John and George) are forever The Beatles.
If that was the intention, I agree: Were I to see Paul in the street, I would approach him as part of the musical and cultural institution of Beatledom.
We can argue semantics all we like, but they’ll always be The Beatles.
When did Ringo last do something as a Beatle? Is Geoff Hurst still an England football player?
The way the English go on about it you would think rest of the team are too, death being no impediment.
According to Wikipedia, Ringo drummed on a Beatles number one hit single in 2022/23.
We’ve all chosen not to mention Now and Then out of politeness, haven’t we?
New? Warmed up leavings, methinks.
Well, yeah, but Macca and Bongo added their bits recently. So they “did something as a Beatle”. Unfortunately, “did something” in the way my cat did something when trapped in the cupboard under the stairs.
I quite like it.
I’d rather they used the litter tray…
Move over Ex-Beatles, Meet The Sex Beatles, featuring eminently sozzled, prematurely balding fret-mangler (and erstwhile Kevin Ayers sideman) Ollie Halsall.