Episode 36: REPLACING RINGO? The Jimmy Nichol story part 1

Jay discusses the absence of Ringo star from the Beatles in 1964 due to tonsillitis and pharyngitis. With a tour to continue, The Beatles welcome Jimmy Nichol as their stand-in drummer. For 13 days Jimmy Nichol is a Beatle. But when Ringo heals up what is to happen with poor Jimmy? Listen and find out!

Contact the show: jaysrockandrollstories@gmail.com

Transcript

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Hello rock and roll! Welcome back. Welcome back to Jay's Rock and Roll Stories. I'm your host Jay, and I have some cool news. Some awesome news. I was uh contacted by the rep of the author uh Jim Birkenstadt, and they said to me, they're like, Well, we like your podcast, and we'd like to give you Jim's new book. I said, Awesome, I would love to read Jim's new book. Jim Birkenstadt um has covered a lot of books on the Beatles. Uh he uh a book about the um like unreleased recordings, bootleg music by the Beatles. He has done, he was the consultant to Martin Scorsese's HBO M, uh the Emmy-winning film George Harrison Living in the Material World. Um he's done lots of stuff with Apple, uh, just covering the Beatles. He's the he's the Beatle guy, man. He knows a lot, he knows his stuff. He is the rock and roll detective. He um has written a couple books about conspiracy theories, you know, putting truth into these things. So it's pretty cool. So when they asked me, would you like to read uh Jim's new book, The Beatle Who Vanished, I said, yeah, I would be honored. So that's what we're doing today. The Beatle Who Vanished by Jim Birkenstadt. Let's get into it. Let me tell you all about this. So I'm gonna set the table here. It's 1964, right? George Martin and Brian Epstein are gonna have the Beatles do a first ever world tour. This is uh June 4th. It's gonna include Denmark, the Netherlands, Hong Kong, Australia, and New Zealand. And uh, as of right now, 1964, they have a top five chart position simultaneously on the Billboard 100 Hot Singles with I Wanna Hold Your Hand, She Loves You, Please Please Me, Can't Buy Me Love, Twist and Shout. Alright, so this tour is gonna be freaking expensive. It's all hands on deck. It's sort of um we it it has to be done. We we can't lose this. We gotta do it, right? Guess what happens? Ringo Starr, the drummer of the Beatles, gets tonsillitis and pharyngitis. So uh pharyngitis is also that's the inflammation of the pharynx, right there between the back of the throat, between the tonsils and the voice box. So Ringo's out. George Martin, the record producer of Apple Records, calls up Jimmy Nickel. He's an experienced studio drummer who has also worked with um, he's worked with the tail end of the big bands and the beginning of the new rock bands. So he's he's experienced. He's worked with Billy J. Kramer, Georgie Fame, and the Blue Flames. So he's a good choice. He looks like a Beatle, he's uh got the Beatle haircut, about the same size as Ringo. So the the guy Jimmy, Jimmy Nicole, he's pretty excited about this. Very excited about an opportunity to be in the Beatles. Who wouldn't be, right? But George Harrison, he's like, no. George Harrison said the band is not the Beatles without Ringo's Star. I'm not doing it. So uh finally, Brian Epstein, after some convincing, explains listen, George, if we don't do this, we're letting everybody down. So George agrees to do it. Alright. Let me give you some backstory on Jimmy Nickel. Who is this guy? So he is an accomplished drummer. We're gonna go back to 1958. So he's he gets some recognition when he's playing uh drums in a band called Colin Hicks and the Cabin Boys, and they are filmed live by this Italian director who puts them in one of those Mondo films. You don't know what Mondo films are, it's like like an expose of wow, look at all this crazy shit that's going on. You know what I mean? Like like like strippers and dancers and hippies, and like just kind of like a you know, a montage of of setting the scene of the year and music and and art and everything. So, anyway, so Colin Hicks and the Cabin Boys are in this film, and it's made by an Italian director, and um they the movie does does well in Italy, like people like this film, and the film is uh is successful in Italy, and they arrive uh to tour Italy, uh Colin Hicks and the uh and the Cabin Boys to tour Italy with the band The Platters. The Platters were that the that oldies band only you you know that one. So they're doing um tour of Italy. There's this young guy in in Italy who saw the movie. His name is Um Max Lobkowitz. Uh the movie, if you want to know, it's called Europa di Note, European Knights. That's the movie where you can see this. So Max Lobkowitz saw the movie uh in the theater in Italy, and he was like, he's I really want to hang out with uh Colin Hicks and the cabin boys. Like I want to hang out with those guys. And look lucky lucky Max, right? His wish comes true because they tour Italy. So Max finds out about this, and he he finds the band, he sort of kind of latches onto them and sort of becomes like a guide, like a translator. He becomes like good buddies with the with these guys. Um he says it was great. Um so he explains one time that uh he first um experienced uh marijuana with uh with with the band because the smoke was coming from their hotel room, right? He went in there. He was like, Yeah, marijuana is great because it's better than alcohol and it made the music sound great too. Yeah, I can do that, right? So let me explain. Um, the stage presence of Colin Hicks and the Cabin Boys. This is 1958. So 58 is kind of like your standard crooner with like a backup band, right? But the Cabin Boys, uh Colin Hicks and the Cabin Boys are it's it's it's crazy rock and roll. Like the guys are jumping off the the drum set. Jimmy Nichols, a really fast drummer. It's it's it's crazy. It it's crazy rock, loud rock and roll. Um, I I just out of curiosity, I I went and found a song by the band on YouTube, and um this song one of their one of their hits was is called uh Giddy Up a Ding Dong. And you know, okay, this is 1958, so it's not gonna be like loud, crazy, like Nirvana or like like heavy or anything like that, but it's it's it's pretty fast rock and roll for 1958. So anyway, um in after World War II in 1946, um they made it obligatory for young men to do a year in uh a military service. And um Jimmy Nichol got his his like you know his draft card or whatever whatever you want to call it. So so shit, this is interrupting uh the tour here. Because like, you know, they're going to Italy and they come back to London and then they they go to other places to do a tour. So he gets his card, and it's just like this is really gonna interrupt like you know, our success of playing music here. So one option, Jimmy Nichol, he thought of, well, I could be a draft dodger, I could just not go, but you know, you you you can get in trouble for that kind of thing, right? So he had another idea. So what he did is he just pounded the bottle like for days. He got really, really wasted, he didn't sleep, he he didn't uh eat, he didn't sleep, and then finally he went in looking like a pile of shit, and they just said, No, get get the hell out of here, we don't need you. So he's laughing, walking home, you know, feeling all fucking hung over and everything, but he says, It worked. Jimmy Nickel. Alright, rushing through 1915 and and to 1960, um, rock and roll is is happening right now, and and a a little concert tour that's put together combining American rock and roll and English rock and roll is called the fast-moving Anglo-American Beat Show. Long, long title, but anyway, it combines the the two uh worlds of rock and roll from uh England and United States. So the British um side is gonna be Vince Eager and his Quiet Three, and that that's the band that Jimmy Nichol is playing drums with. The American guys are gonna be Eddie Cochran and Gene Vincent. And um uh just just a side story. There's um so yeah, with Vince Eager and becomes really good friends with uh Eddie Cochrane and Gene Vincent, and unfortunately, um they're in a taxi cab and um the guy crashes and um Eddie Cochran dies. It's it's it's a it's a terrible story. Um so that that splits up, that ends that that rock and roll tour. Um Jimmy Nichols, Jimmy Nickel, sorry, Jimmy Nickel, moves on to do different gigs with uh more like big band music, uh more like traditional jazz stuff. And eventually he starts working with Georgie Fame and the Blue Flames. And Georgie Fame and the Blue Flames puts on these uh really popular all-nighters where they play from like you know six to six, like it's just wild, crazy rock and roll. Alright, so I'm gonna fast forward here. Ring goes out, Brian Epstein is looking for a drummer. Paul McCartney, who was friends with Georgie Fame, calls Georgie Fame and says, Hey, Ringo Sick, can we use your drummer? Georgie Fame says, sure. So, to tell you the truth, Jimmy Nickel, he knows all the Beatles songs. He knows exactly. I mean, he like the set list of what they're doing on tour, he knows that stuff. Why? Because Jimmy Nickel was um working on this little label called Top Six, and they would put these uh musicians together and do covers of the Beatles songs, the popular ones at the time. So um, and then they would they would issue the the the record like in a record shop, and it just says Beatlemania. So, you know, so a 14-year-old would see it and buy it, yay, the Beatles, I love the Beatles, and take it home. And it was like uh it was uh six songs, three on each side, put it on the put put it on the record player and realize this is this is this sounds like the Beatles, but it it's not the Beatles. Anyway, so uh Jimmy Nickel knows all the songs. So they they ask him to come in, they do a quick rehearsal. It's not even like a rehearsal, they just they they they want him. That's so he gets the job. Um Jimmy is used to be is used to getting nine pounds per session, and the Beatles are gonna pay him 2,500 pounds. And that's like that blows blows your mind, man, because that's that's what a jump. So he's totally pampered, you know. A stylist comes in to get him sized for his suits, um he gets his hair done. Um, you know, like a beetle mop top. So Ringo, poor Ringo's in the hospital, and he's quoted saying, It was all very strange. It wasn't well, I wasn't well, and they took Jimmy Nickel, and I thought they didn't love me anymore. And that was what I was going through in my head. Ah, poor Ringo, that sucks. So, this is definitely not a secret. It's um it's in the newspapers, it's uh you know, everyone knows this. It's not like they're secretly hiding uh Ringo away. It's known. Alright, so 1964, uh June 4th, they set out to Denmark. About 40 to 50 teens are there to say goodbye to the Beatles as they as they fly away. And uh Denmark is where Jimmy will experience thousands of teens like awaiting them at the airport, and it's definitely a bit of a change from not having fans to having this kind of a thing. He's not used to this, right? But it's pretty cool. So they're scheduled to play two shows at this sports arena inside Copenhagen's Tivoli Gardens. Um, a couple of bands are scheduled to play before the Beatles. So the Beatles are only gonna do a few songs with but with no encores, and they have to scrap a song, um, I Wanna Be Your Man, which was a song that was sung by Ringo. So they can't do that one. Jimmy's not a singer. Alright, so um, the band that goes on before the Beatles is called the Hitmakers, and they are wrapping it up, but then uh they're about to leave the stage, but then they go on for an encore, so the Beatles have to wait. And their encore is Little Richard's uh Long Tall Sally, which really pisses off Paul McCartney because that was gonna be their last song. Not an encore, but their last song. So um finally the Beatles go on, and it's a little rocky because the teens are screaming so loud that Jimmy can't hear the band. So uh he's playing too fast, you know, it's not time. So John turns and shows Jimmy uh like stroking on the two note, on the four note, so at least he can have the beat. So it's cool because it's not like like fuck you, Jimmy, you fucked us up. No, no, no. They they like Jimmy. Jimmy's great, you know? So after they're um after they're set, they walk off. There's no encores for the Beatles. Uh the fans are kind of pissed, they're like throwing shit, throwing like a potted plant or something, and then uh Paul McCartney goes over to the hitmakers and like kind of like admonishes them, saying, like, you st you played, you're not, you're not gonna play that song on the second second set, okay? Because they're doing two. They said, Okay, we're sorry. We're sorry, Paul. Alright, June 5, June 5th, 1964, Amsterdam. Uh, the press interviews where uh Jimmy Nicole really shows his his humility. He's you know, he's a pretty he's a decent guy, he's a he's a nice guy, and um the the band equally respect him. So they do a lip sync session of a few songs, and um the fans storm the stage and they get whisked off. Uh June 6, 1964, um they're in a glass-ceiling boat in like the canals of Amsterdam, and and um fans are like jumping into the canal to swim to the boat, but the the police are right there to like pull them in, and and there's you know, some every once in a while you'll see like a sign, like a fan will hold a sign like handwritten that says, get well, Ringo. So you know they're accepted, you know, Jimmy's accepted, but there's also that the thought of like when is Ringo coming back? Um they do an evening show after the the the little boat, the little boat canal ride, and they make a killing doing um they they they make a killing on uh merchandise, like people or like thousands of dollars they made on like hats and programs and pins and uh even nylon beatles nylon stockings, all all during like a quick less than an hour performance. Alright. Jimmy is having a blast. Uh the Beatles are accepting and friendly to him. Jimmy's quote is This is strange and scary all at once. There is so little sanity to it at all. Alright. I think Jimmy is experiencing Beatlemania. So June 7, 1964, a flight to Hong Kong. Um, the singer Tony Sheridan, who is uh is friends with the Beatles and friends with um Jimmy Nichol, and they party on the plane. They they're just drinking champagne and taking uh preludin pills, it's like speed. June 9 in Hong Kong. Okay, Hong Kong is still under English English control. They have like an army base there, and the concert tickets for the Hong Kong show are way too high. Like there's no there there's there's no way like a young teenage kid could could could get a ticket. So the the the audience is basically military people. So it was uh Paul McCartney thought it was funny because it was like the audience was completely khaki. Khaki, the color, you know, the the pants and everything. And as and Paul McCartney said it was com it was very quiet. We could hear he was like, it was very it was very funny, but at least we could hear what we were playing. There's no screaming. Okay, so now the plan is to go to Australia for the next part of the tour. Uh Jimmy Nicole is um he's kind of like nerve-wracked a little bit because uh there's not there's not much for you to do. You're gonna be in a plane, then you're gonna be in a car, then you're gonna be in a hotel, then you're gonna be in a concert, then you're gonna be back at the hotel. So he just he describes this as being in boxes from one box to another. And um uh but he is really getting along with John Lennon, and they have a similar sense of humor. They talk a lot about music, everyone likes Jimmy. Uh the three Beatles know that uh this Beatle lifestyle is definitely not for everyone, and they can see they can see Jimmy like getting a little razzled, right? Alright, so um reports are asked by Brian Epstein about the audience. Like they want to know, is with a replace a Ringo replacement, are you guys doing good? Are you doing bad? Are you doing doing what is this a disaster? Is it should we pull the plug? But no, it's it's it's great. Like there is um there is uh uh a curiosity of like when's Ringo coming back, but we're loving it, you know what I mean? So it's win-win. Okay, so um let's see here. There's no way uh yeah, there's no way Jimmy is being rejected. He's not, he's being accepted. Alright, so upon arriving at Sydney, Australia, a DJ announces his umbrage at uh um uh a drummer taking the place of Ringo star. And the this DJ is saying how if you're coming all the way to Australia without Ringo, why don't you give an Australian drummer a chance? There's so many drummers down here that that could that could help out the Beatles. That's like the only it was like the only uh kind of a negative uh like any any kind of comment they heard. And but they don't risk they no one in the band or any press like responded. It was it was just kind of ridiculous, uh ridiculous notion. But um a separate DJ has done some uh work and has located Jimmy's uh cousins. He has cousins down in Australia and and and he kind of got them together. So um Jimmy spends a day with his cousins. Alright, so George, John, and Paul are all very recognizable, right? But it's Jimmy who's the one. He could he could sneak out of the hotel and he's not gonna get swarmed, right? And he does. He likes it, he he does this. You know, I need to get out and go see the town. So the other three are stuck in the hotel room. Jimmy, Jimmy's out, he goes to a bar or whatever. So the other three are stuck in the hotel room, and they have parties, they have they have girls in there, and and they have um there's drinking and and partying and stuff. Um there's like some sort of uh PR agent who's in there, and something something is a little fishy about this guy, and they start watching him, and it turns out that he has like a little tiny James Bond camera on on his tie, and he's like trying to take these little pictures of you know John making out with his chick, or or you know, like George pounding the champagne. They finally catch him and they take off the little James Bond uh camera and they open it and they pull out the film and they and they kick him out of the hotel party. They say, a spy was among us. They all start laughing. It was funny. Alright. Meanwhile, meanwhile, Jimmy successfully sneaks out, no one recognizes him, and uh he has some choices of where to go. There's a lot of big uh kind of like popular bars, right? He he chooses this place called Checkers. It's a cabaret club, which um this night the performance is by this woman named Frances Fay. Frances Fay was an American, American artist, and she's known for singing, mentioning, joking about. Her her bisexuality, so it's kind of risque, and and she's fun and she's funny and she loves the beatles. So as soon as Jimmy enters the bar, she sees him and she says, The Beatles are here, and uh she pulls him aside for a sec and then finishes her first set, and then um uh during the break, she uh invites Jimmy back to her room, and and they uh they talk about music and Jimmy plays drums for her second set, and she was she was so thankful. She's like, I'm gonna send you all my records, thank you so much. And but that that's the cool thing about Jimmy. He's uh he he's a good dude, like he he likes to party and he he plays drums and he he he's not afraid, man. He he does it so June 12th, oh forgot I got so anyway, but that same night Paul tries to sneak out as well. Paul tries to sneak out and it's unsuccessful. Some kids spot him, they chase him, and he has to get back in the hotel. Poor Paul. Alright, anyway, June 12th, Adelaide. Adelaide, Australia. No one shows up at their airport, but as soon as they get on the road, it is lined with crowds of people. It's like the biggest thing they've ever seen. 300,000 people are like, you know, welcoming the Beatles. So they're um they're on their car through the road, they drive up to the uh the Lord Mayor's town hall home where they are whisked in and they're doing like uh balcony waves, they're going the balcony waving, and there's so many people that everyone is saying, like, you know, uh audience members, a press, uh you know, anyone who's around are saying this is more people than when the Queen visited us. And uh George's George Harrison's reply to that was of course she didn't have any hit records. Um so another thing here is that the press are are questioning Jimmy. Like when they do like these press conferences, they'll ask John and George all these things, but then they get around to Jimmy. Every once in a while they have they have a little question, something like, uh Jimmy, what how would you feel if Brian Epstein made you Ringo Starr's permanent stand-in? You know, like the it's putting the seat in his head, like maybe I could maybe I can be the drummer, you know. He's getting used to it, he likes it. Maybe I could be the drummer. You know he's thinking about it, right? So that that's that's what's that's the question, right? Unbeknownst to Jimmy, the word had officially arrived that Ringo was on his way to meet the band in Melbourne, accompanied by Brian Epstein. That's where we're gonna take a break right here. So, is the party over? What's gonna happen? So, thank you for sticking around. I'm really enjoying this book, uh, The Beatle Who Vanished by Jim Birkenstadt. And uh I will see you next time. Um if you like this episode, you like this podcast, uh give me five stars. Go ahead. Use any uh app you use. What Spotify, Apple, whatever, iHeartRadio. Um, if you want to contact the uh podcast, you can send an email to Jay's Rock and Roll Stories at Proton.me. Uh and I will see you next time for part two of The Beatle Who Vanished, Jimmy Nickel. See you then. Bye.