David Marks and Peter Best

[Magic Transistor Radio]

Imagine a band filled with people who were orignal members of a super star group. But they either left or were fired before the group was in their prime. Help me fill out this ficticous band for fun...

David Marks - guitar
Peter Best - drums

[TheLazenby]

Syd Barrett.

Does Stuart Sutcliffe count?  I mean, he died before the Beatles were famous, but he apparently sucked as a bassist, so it was just a matter of time before he was booted...

[TheLazenby]

Oh, the original guitarist of the Soul Giants (before Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention name change) would be a good contender.  Don't remember his name though.

[Exapno Mapcase]

Jesus, the Beatles again.  Welcome to the Steve Hoffman board. 

[alanjames]

As far as I know, Pete Best was asked to leave when the Beatles aren't famous.
David played on the five first albums, with tons of hits, and had been famous with the Beach Boys.
A big difference.
Syd Barett too.

[Andrew G. Doe]

Imagine a band filled with people who were orignal members of a super star group. But they either left or were fired before the group was in their prime. Help me fill out this ficticous band for fun...

David Marks - guitar
Peter Best - drums

Instead of the obvious drummer, try these:

Doug Samden - drums
John Mayhew - drums

[Ed Roach]

Oh, the original guitarist of the Soul Giants (before Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention name change) would be a good contender.  Don't remember his name though.

Ray Hunt

[Carrie Marks]

Imagine a band filled with people who were orignal members of a super star group. But they either left or were fired before the group was in their prime. Help me fill out this ficticous band for fun...

David Marks - guitar
Peter Best - drums

That's a great idea...but I would need some biographical background for the band's promo. Please send me a list of all the Beatles hits Pete was on and any helpful background information, such as...how many years he toured, significant TV appearances, chart positions of the singles & LPs he was on, and provide some insight into how his 'sound' influenced the band, etc.  Also, please point me to a place I can find lots and lots of photos of Pete Best with the Beatles...including official band photos, album cover artwork and candid live shots from both the 1960s and more recent shots...just to round out the package.  Any video you may have of Pete onstage with the Beatles performing any of the classic "Pete Best Era" Beatles hits would also be appreciated.

[Magic Transistor Radio]

Imagine a band filled with people who were orignal members of a super star group. But they either left or were fired before the group was in their prime. Help me fill out this ficticous band for fun...

David Marks - guitar
Peter Best - drums

That's a great idea...but I would need some biographical background for the band's promo. Please send me a list of all the Beatles hits Pete was on and any helpful background information, such as...how many years he toured, significant TV appearances, chart positions of the singles & LPs he was on, and provide some insight into how his 'sound' influenced the band, etc.  Also, please point me to a place I can find lots and lots of photos of Pete Best with the Beatles...including official band photos, album cover artwork and candid live shots from both the 1960s and more recent shots...just to round out the package.  Any video you may have of Pete onstage with the Beatles performing any of the classic "Pete Best Era" Beatles hits would also be appreciated.

I am not sure if you are serious or making a point. I know that David Marks was still with the Beach Boys when they were famous, and its not a good comparison to Pete Best. And I have read the book 'The Lost Beach Boy' and understand how much a part of the band he was. The only reason I put them together is because they were forgotten.

I can't tell if you are upset about this thread or you REALLY want more info on Pete Best.

[Magic Transistor Radio]

Imagine a band filled with people who were orignal members of a super star group. But they either left or were fired before the group was in their prime. Help me fill out this ficticous band for fun...

David Marks - guitar
Peter Best - drums

Instead of the obvious drummer, try these:

Doug Samden - drums
John Mayhew - drums

Who did they drum for?

[Magic Transistor Radio]

As far as I know, Pete Best was asked to leave when the Beatles aren't famous.
David played on the five first albums, with tons of hits, and had been famous with the Beach Boys.
A big difference.
Syd Barett too.

Syd Barett definitely. Since they were much bigger after he left. He is probably a better comparison to David Marks then Pete Best.

[Wrightfan]

What about Leppo from the Ruttles? 

[Ed Roach]

I am not sure if you are serious or making a point. I know that David Marks was still with the Beach Boys when they were famous, and its not a good comparison to Pete Best. And I have read the book 'The Lost Beach Boy' and understand how much a part of the band he was. The only reason I put them together is because they were forgotten.

I'm pretty certain Carrie was just making a point, as I remember hearing this almost verbatim from Stebbins when he first started working with David on the book.  I also made the mistake of mentioning the analogy between between Best & Marks, and Jon very quickly pointed out the very same things Carrie did here - which is that there is a world of difference between the two.

[Jon Stebbins]

Dave Marks = Pete Best is definitely a dumb comparison, or a world of difference as Ed more diplomatically said. Especially if you've read The Lost Beach Boy. Best was gone prior to any commercial notoriety or hit recordings. Gone before a real record contract. David was in the BB's when they became a national phenomenon, played on a bunch of their hit records and helped create the signature early BB's guitar sound. David Marks was in a band that sold millions of records while he was a member. Pete Best was not.

Syd Barret is also a faulty comparison to Pete Best. Syd wrote and sang the first two Pink Floyd hits, and wrote and sang most of their first LP which was a major success. Pete Best played drums in a bar.

[OneEar/OneEye]

Pete Best was the most popular Beatle at the time, there were riots when we he was ousted from the group (George Harrison got a black eye).   He played with them during their important developmental years (Hamburg for example).  He appears in many classic photo's of the band during their early period.   He plays on the Decca audition tapes.  He was with them right up until the 12th hour (so to speak) before being booted. 
And anybody that knows the Beatles story knows about Pete Best.
Whether he's a good/competent drummer is up to the snobs to decide I guess.

[Jon Stebbins]

Pete Best was the most popular Beatle at the time, there were riots when we he was ousted from the group (George Harrison got a black eye).   He played with them during their important developmental years (Hamburg for example).  He appears in many classic photo's of the band during their early period.   He plays on the Decca audition tapes.  He was with them right up until the 12th hour (so to speak) before being booted. 
And anybody that knows the Beatles story knows about Pete Best.
Whether he's a good/competent drummer is up to the snobs to decide I guess.

Yes but the point is he played in the Beatles BEFORE they became recording stars. If the Beatles ended the day Pete Best left they would be remembered as a great CLUB band with no records. If the Beach Boys ended the day Dave Marks left they would be remembered as a band with four classic hit LPs, and a bunch of classic hit singles, not to mention successful ARENA concerts, and the biggest rock band of 1963. The Beatles with Pete Best were the biggest band in Liverpool(that's like being the biggest band in San Bernadino). The Beach Boys with Dave Marks were the biggest band in America. No comparison. Pete never made the big time, but he played in a great band that became gigantic after he was gone.

[Andrew G. Doe]

Imagine a band filled with people who were orignal members of a super star group. But they either left or were fired before the group was in their prime. Help me fill out this ficticous band for fun...

David Marks - guitar
Peter Best - drums

Instead of the obvious drummer, try these:

Doug Samden - drums
John Mayhew - drums

Who did they drum for?

Samden (or Samdom) - pre-Moon Who
Mayhew - pre-Collins Genesis

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

Man, f*** the Beatles.

[Alex]

Man, foda the Beatles.

What's so great about the Beatles? All they did was rip off The Rutles.

[Jason]

Peter Green should be a good fit. And I like Fleetwood Mac's stuff before 1975.

[The Shift]

Imagine a band filled with people who were orignal members of a super star group. But they either left or were fired before the group was in their prime. Help me fill out this ficticous band for fun...

David Marks - guitar
Peter Best - drums

I think the original question needs to be read again. "... left or were fired before the group was in their prime[/i]" is the relevant phrase.

For me, that means Summer Days onwards for the BBs, Rubber Soul onwards for the Fabs.  In which case mention of both Dave and Pete Best, no matter how far apart their stories are, both fit the criteria.

But that's just my interpretation. Everyone's entitled...

[Jon Stebbins]

Imagine a band filled with people who were orignal members of a super star group. But they either left or were fired before the group was in their prime. Help me fill out this ficticous band for fun...

David Marks - guitar
Peter Best - drums

I think the original question needs to be read again. "... left or were fired before the group was in their prime[/i]" is the relevant phrase.

For me, that means Summer Days onwards for the BBs, Rubber Soul onwards for the Fabs.  In which case mention of both Dave and Pete Best, no matter how far apart their stories are, both fit the criteria.

But that's just my interpretation. Everyone's entitled...

No question that they are a minority around here...but there are undoubtedly many people who would consider Surfin USA, Shut Down, Lonely Sea, In My Room, Catch A Wave, Surfer Girl, Hawaii, Little Deuce Coupe, Spirit of America, Our Car Club, Be True to Your School etc...a good part of the Beach Boys "prime". And it is very arguable that Dave did not leave "before" their prime, but during their early prime...and certainly within the early stage of prime success. Pete Best had no part in anything that can even be hallucinated as anything near the Beatles prime, and no whiff of their prime success either. So for you to say "both fit the criteria" is definitely a subjective interpretation of what is prime and what is not.

[Howie Edelson]

I just want to chime in on the Pete Best thing because like everything concerning the Beatles, there's a lot of myth surrounding what exactly went down. Now, I know Pete Best. He's a very, very sweet guy -- he's LITERALLY exactly what you picture him being like. He is also NOTHING in the least like Lennon, McCartney, Harrison or Ringo. The accent, kinda -- apart from that, nothing. He was mismatched on every level. Even the type of good looks he had didn't fit.

This myth that Pete Best was the "most popular" member of the Beatles in Liverpool has been proven to be entirely incorrect. First of all, let's get things straight -- I have yet to meet ANYONE (who was not directly burned or left behind ingloriously by the band, or by extension NEMS) that ever felt that Lennon and McCartney weren't always the ultimate draw of the Beatles in the pre-1963 era.

The fact remains that Pete Best was forgotten immediately. In a fortnight. Name one group -- including THE BEATLES -- that loses their "most popular" member and b-e-c-o-m-e-s THE BEATLES.

[Jason]

Well, Syd Barrett was the one in Pink Floyd who everyone thought had the star potential and they went on to greater success without him.

[OneEar/OneEye]

Let's just amend that then to, 'he was a popular member of the group' - maybe you'd concede that?

I believe John Lennon himself was quoted as saying (at least once) that the Beatles "prime" was their days before their success - to him, the early rocking, pre-Ringo Beatles was their prime.  

What "prime" is can be different for everyone.

However, bands like the Beatles, Beach Boys...could be said to have more than one prime.  The Beatles had a consistent prime from stage to stage.  The Beach Boys fluctuated a bit more, but still (IMO) had several different "primes".