[lastfm link_type="artist_info"]George Martin[/lastfm], retired producer for The Beatles, celebrates his 86th birthday today!

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It was 1962 when Brian Epstein, manager for[lastfm link_type="artist_info"]The Beatles[/lastfm], then unknowns, brought a demo of the band to producer George Martin. Martin liked them, but wasn’t crazy about their drummer,[lastfm link_type="artist_info"]Pete Best[/lastfm]. When the band heard this, they replace Best with the drummer that had been his “fill-in” at gigs, [lastfm link_type="artist_info"]Ringo Starr[/lastfm].

On The Beatles’ first single, “Love Me Do,” that’s not even Ringo playing. They used a studio drummer, because Martin didn’t even have time to audition Ringo before cutting the record. But that was the last time you didn’t hear Ringo on a Beatle record. Martin really liked Ringo’s “super-steady beat” and the sound it gave the records.

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