<P> When Ringo Starr collapsed with tonsillitis and was hospitalised on 3 June 1964 , the eve of The Beatles ' 1964 Australasian tour , the band 's manager Brian Epstein and their producer George Martin urgently discussed the feasibility of using a stand - in drummer rather than cancelling part of the tour . Martin suggested Jimmie Nicol as he had recently used him on a recording session with Tommy Quickly . Nicol had also drummed on a ' Top Six ' budget label album as part of an uncredited session band , as well as an extended play single ( with three tracks on each side ) of Beatles cover versions ( marketed as ' Teenagers Choice ' and entitled Beatlemania ) which meant that he already knew the songs and their arrangements . Producer Bill Wellings and Shubdubs trumpeter Johnny Harris ( freelancing as an arranger and composer ) were responsible for putting together alternative budget cover versions of songs taken from the British Hit Parade aimed at cash - strapped teenagers . Harris said : `` The idea was for me to try and guess which six songs would be topping the charts about a month ahead . I would do the arrangements and then go into the studio and record `` sound a-likes '' ; the first EP ( extended play ) released got to number 30 in the charts . Jimmie was on drums and , as you can imagine , we covered a lot of the Beatles ' songs . '' Although John Lennon and Paul McCartney quickly accepted the idea of using an understudy , George Harrison threatened to pull out of the tour telling Epstein and Martin : `` If Ringo 's not going , then neither am I. You can find two replacements . '' Martin recalled : `` They nearly did n't do the Australia tour . George is a very loyal person . It took all of Brian 's and my persuasion to tell George that if he did n't do it he was letting everybody down . '' Tony Barrow , who was The Beatles ' press officer at the time , later commented : `` Brian saw it as the lesser of two evils ; cancel the tour and upset thousands of fans or continue and upset the Beatles . '' Ringo stated that `` it was very strange , them going off without me . They 'd taken Jimmie Nicol and I thought they did n't love me any more -- all that stuff went through my head . '' The arrangements were made very quickly , from a telephone call to Nicol at his home in West London inviting him to attend an audition / rehearsal at Abbey Road Studios , to packing his bags , all in the same day . At a press conference a reporter mischievously asked John Lennon why Pete Best , who had been The Beatles ' previous drummer for two years but dismissed by the group on the eve of stardom , was not being given the opportunity of replacing Ringo , to which Lennon replied : `` He 's got his own group ( Pete Best & the All Stars ) , and it might have looked as if we were taking him back , which is not good for him . '' Later , on the subject of remuneration , Nicol recalled : `` When Brian ( Epstein ) talked of money in front of them ( Lennon , McCartney and Harrison ) I got very , very nervous . They paid me £ 2,500 per gig and a £ 2,500 signing bonus . Now , that floored me . When John spoke up in a protest by saying `` Good God , Brian , you 'll make the chap crazy ! '' , I thought it was over . But no sooner had he said that when he said , `` Give him ten thousand ! '' Everyone laughed and I felt a hell of a lot better . That night I could n't sleep a wink . I was a fucking Beatle ! '' These sums of money , which were vast in 1964 , are unverified . </P>
<P> When Ringo Starr collapsed with tonsillitis and was hospitalised on 3 June 1964 , the eve of The Beatles ' 1964 Australasian tour , the band 's manager Brian Epstein and their producer George Martin urgently discussed the feasibility of using a stand - in drummer rather than cancelling part of the tour . Martin suggested Jimmie Nicol as he had recently used him on a recording session with Tommy Quickly . Nicol had also drummed on a ' Top Six ' budget label album as part of an uncredited session band , as well as an extended play single ( with three tracks on each side ) of Beatles cover versions ( marketed as ' Teenagers Choice ' and entitled Beatlemania ) which meant that he already knew the songs and their arrangements . Producer Bill Wellings and Shubdubs trumpeter Johnny Harris ( freelancing as an arranger and composer ) were responsible for putting together alternative budget cover versions of songs taken from the British Hit Parade aimed at cash - strapped teenagers . Harris said : `` The idea was for me to try and guess which six songs would be topping the charts about a month ahead . I would do the arrangements and then go into the studio and record `` sound a-likes '' ; the first EP ( extended play ) released got to number 30 in the charts . Jimmie was on drums and , as you can imagine , we covered a lot of the Beatles ' songs . '' Although John Lennon and Paul McCartney quickly accepted the idea of using an understudy , George Harrison threatened to pull out of the tour telling Epstein and Martin : `` If Ringo 's not going , then neither am I. You can find two replacements . '' Martin recalled : `` They nearly did n't do the Australia tour . George is a very loyal person . It took all of Brian 's and my persuasion to tell George that if he did n't do it he was letting everybody down . '' Tony Barrow , who was The Beatles ' press officer at the time , later commented : `` Brian saw it as the lesser of two evils ; cancel the tour and upset thousands of fans or continue and upset the Beatles . '' Ringo stated that `` it was very strange , them going off without me . They 'd taken Jimmie Nicol and I thought they did n't love me any more -- all that stuff went through my head . '' The arrangements were made very quickly , from a telephone call to Nicol at his home in West London inviting him to attend an audition / rehearsal at Abbey Road Studios , to packing his bags , all in the same day . At a press conference a reporter mischievously asked John Lennon why Pete Best , who had been The Beatles ' previous drummer for two years but dismissed by the group on the eve of stardom , was not being given the opportunity of replacing Ringo , to which Lennon replied : `` He 's got his own group ( Pete Best & the All Stars ) , and it might have looked as if we were taking him back , which is not good for him . '' Later , on the subject of remuneration , Nicol recalled : `` When Brian ( Epstein ) talked of money in front of them ( Lennon , McCartney and Harrison ) I got very , very nervous . They paid me £ 2,500 per gig and a £ 2,500 signing bonus . Now , that floored me . When John spoke up in a protest by saying `` Good God , Brian , you 'll make the chap crazy ! '' , I thought it was over . But no sooner had he said that when he said , `` Give him ten thousand ! '' Everyone laughed and I felt a hell of a lot better . That night I could n't sleep a wink . I was a fucking Beatle ! '' These sums of money , which were vast in 1964 , are unverified . </P>
who filled in for ringo starr during a beatles tour when ringo had tonsillitis
who filled in for ringo starr during a beatles tour when ringo had tonsillitis
Jimmie Nicol
Jimmie Nicol