Even though it’s received reverent reviews from music critics, Ringo Starr criticized The Beatles’ “Rain.” He compared it to other songs that feature his drumming. While “Rain” was a hit in the United States, it didn’t even chart in the United Kingdom.
Ringo Starr said The Beatles’ ‘Rain’ is ‘certainly different than 99% of’ his work
During a 2015 interview with Goldmine, Ringo discussed his drumming on “Rain.” “It’s not my best playing; it’s just different,” he said. “I played ‘Rain’ and I’ve never played like it since or before it. It’s very busy for me.”
“I always tend to take the fill half-time whereas with that song it was full-on [smacks his hands] fast!” he added. “If anyone asks me about my strangest drumming, it’s ‘Rain.’ I don’t think it’s the best I ever played and I don’t think it’s the most inventive I’ve ever played but it’s certainly different than 99% of everything else I’ve played.”
Ringo Starr said he doesn’t believe in the concept of musical mistakes
Ringo revealed his attitude toward making mistakes as a drummer. “There are some tracks where I made mistakes but I never stopped the track,” he explained. “I’ve always believed, it’s not that I didn’t make mistakes but you’ve never heard it.
“I have to do that now with musicians and they say, ‘We should have stopped there,’ and I didn’t stop and I said, ‘Well, we didn’t stop. It’s not a mistake,’” he said. Ringo has a poster in his studio that says he doesn’t make demos or mistakes. The “Back Off Boogaloo” singer has no interest in keeping a song exactly the same way he originally performed it.
The Beatles’ ‘Rain’ was the B-side of ‘Paperback Writer,’ which became a bigger hit
“Rain” was released as the B-side to “Paperback Writer.” The former reached No. 23 on the Billboard Hot 100, staying on the chart for seven weeks. Meanwhile, “Paperback Writer” was No. 1 for two weeks, staying on the chart for 10 weeks in total. Considering how unusual “Rain” is, it’s no surprise the track didn’t hit the top 10 or even the top 20. If it wasn’t by a band as prominent as The Beatles, it probably wouldn’t have charted at all.
“Rain” appeared on the album Hey Jude. That compilation peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 and stayed on the chart for 36 weeks.
In contrast, The Official Charts Company reports that “Rain” wasn’t a hit in the United Kingdom. “Paperback Writer” peaked No. 1 in the U.K. for two of its 13 weeks on the chart. Hey Jude never charted in the U.K.
While it never became a standard on the level of “Yesterday,” “Here, There and Everywhere,” or “Let It Be,” “Rain” inspired covers from a few artists such as Pearl Jam, U2, Todd Rundgren, and Heart. While “Rain” is not one of The Beatles’ most famous tracks, it is one of their most experimental.
“Rain” is a perfect song even if Ringo doesn’t think it has his best drumming.
