Is The Ringo on Drums Version of "Love Me Do" on Past Masters at the right speed?

I was listening to the Ringo on drums version of "Love Me Do" from Past Masters today, and I was surprised by how fast it sounded. For a while now I had only been listening to the Dr. Ebbetts needle drop, which is noticeably slower. Does someone who has the actual single know which one is at the proper speed is?

"Love Me Do" with Ringo on drums

 

Anybody?

 

Amazing that you posted this now. Just yesterday, I was comparing the PM version to Ebbetts' needle-drop, and the PM is definitely faster. As for which is correct, the Ebbetts plays at the same pitch as the Andy White version on the CD EP box, and also the Andy White version on my needle-drop of Die Beatles. They weren't diddling with playback speed back then, so I would assume the Ebbetts version is more accurate. Yet another thing that makes the PM needle-drop unacceptable.

 

Mmm....that's interesting. The Ebbetts needle drop sounds more natural to me, but there does seem to be a huge difference in pitch between the two, which gives me pause.

 

How do these compare to the earlier Capitol US Rarities needle drop version?

 

That's just it. Even without comparing to anything else, the Ebbetts just sounds right. I've never heard any complaints about speed problems on his needle-drops, so barring any reliable information we might hear from here on, I think we can rest easy that he did this track right.

 

mmmm....shiny

 

I just had a thought. Presumably John used the same harmonica on both the Andy White version and the Ringo version, so at least the harmonica's fixed pitch should match on both.

 

The Ebbetts stuff is spot on. His cart is slightly bright but they are among the best needle drops I've heard.

 

In case my first post wasn't too clear, this link has clips of the PM version and the Dr. Ebbetts's version.

 

Steve, you just couldn't resist showing it off again, could you?

 

The harmonica was in fact what I used to compare the pitch.

 

Just for clarification, which DESS needle drop are we talking about here? He does so many different ones, duplicating the same songs several times on different albums.

 

I'm referring to the one on the Ebbetts UK Singles Collection.

 

Thanks. I suppose we can assume he used different sources when working with, for example, his version of Past Masters and the US version of Rarities.

 

I just compared the CD EP of the Andy White version to the needle drop. The harmonica is not quite at the same pitch, but it's pretty close. The Andy White version is taken at a faster tempo, so maybe that's why they speeded up the needle drop on PM.

 

I don't have either of those DEs, but he supposedly used the US vinyl of the respective albums for those titles. The LMD on his UK Singles Collection is supposed to be sourced from a first-issue Parlophone 45.

 

I think the pitch match is close enough that we can assume the Ebbetts is at the right speed. You have to account for the fact that they're different performances all together and that John's harmonica isn't always pitch-perfect at any point in either version. Also, the fact that Paul's bass is out of tune on the "Ringo on drums" version doesn't make comparing any easier.

 

I tend to agree. BTW, I added the first 15 seconds of the Andy White version for comparison.

 

I have the original 45 and PM, but I haven't listened to the PM version in a long time. I will try to remember to compare the original 45 to the PM version tonight.

 

But your link on that page points to the DE version...

Derek

 

Thanks for catching that, Derek. I fixed it.

 

Just curious...Which version do you guys prefer, Ringo's or Andy White's? I have to go with Andy's...not that the drumming is any better or worse. The Beatles performance is just more solid all around IMO. Plus Ringo is on there on tambourine.