Why Paul McCartney Played Drums Instead of Ringo on 'Old Brown Shoe'
Between summer 1968 and January ’69, relations between The Beatles hit an all-time low. During the making of the White Album, Ringo Starr registered his personal disgust with the situation by walking out on the band for a few weeks (in August ’68).
That left the group without a drummer, which led the remaining three to try their hand at the kit on “Back in the U.S.S.R.” Though Ringo returned before long, that set a precedent. Later in the White Album sessions, Paul McCartney played drums on “Mother Nature’s Son” even though Ringo was in the studio that day.
The following year, Paul was back on drums for a May ’69 single. On the A-side, listeners heard “The Ballad of John and Yoko,” John Lennon’s No. 1 hit. For its B-side, fans got the George Harrison track, “Old Brown Shoe.” In this case, Paul played drums on both because Ringo was on a film shoot.
Source: cheatsheet.com
