"The Beatles" Drop-T bass drum head, used on The Ed Sullivan Show
Musician
Ringo Starr
(English, born 1940)
Musician
The Beatles
(English, 1960 - 1970)
Maker
Remo Inc.
(American, founded 1957)
Date1964
ClassificationsMusic
DescriptionRingo Starr's custom painted "Drop T" Remo Weather King bass drum head. The drum head is white Mylar with black text that reads, "Ludwig" at top and "THE / BEATLES" at center. The Beatles logo has been painted with a "drop T," where the capitalized letter T is stylized to extend below the other letters. Housed in a reproduction black oyster pearl bass drum shell. This bass drum head was affixed to Ringo's Ludwig drum kit when The Beatles made their debut performance on The Ed Sullivan Show on February 9, 1964.
This bass drum head was the second drum head created with the Beatles now iconic "Drop T" logo. Ringo purchased his first Ludwig drum kit in April 1963 (see 2015.003.0001) at Drum City Ltd. in London, England. Ringo and Epstein wanted to include the band's name on the drum head, and worked with the store's owner, Ivor Arbiter, on the design. Arbiter contracted Eddie Stokes and paid him £5 to paint the now iconic "Drop T" logo on the first kit's bass drum head.
When The Beatles traveled to the United States in February 1964, Ringo was forced to leave his original Ludwig kit in England. The band had a quick turnaround for filming of A Hard Day's Night upon their return in March. Epstein ordered a second Ludwig kit, which was delivered to Manny's Music in New York City on February 9, 1964 - the day the band was set to perform on The Ed Sullivan Show. Ringo asked Stokes to paint a second drum head, which was brought from England and used on the newly-acquired Ludwig kit that night.
Ringo used this drum head for The Beatles' February 9 performance on The Ed Sullivan Show, which set a then-record with 73 million television viewers. He continued to use it during The Beatles' first tour of the United States. This included performances at the Washington Coliseum, Carnegie Hall, and the band's second appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show, which was broadcast live from the Deauville Hotel in Miami, Florida.
This drum head contributed to The Beatles' stage presence and was there as "Beatlemania" swept across the United States.
