Quoted from walrusgumboot

Those of us old enough enough to remember and who lived through this ( creak creak) will probably remember that there was a serious suggestion for The Beatles to continue, with Klaus Voorman om Bass and Billy Preston on keyboards...seems strange 40 years on but it really couldn't have been any worse than some of the early solo stuff.

I remember that. And I thought my mind was playing tricks with me! I also remember very vaguely something about Jim Keltner replacing Ringo.

Quoted from walrusgumboot

Those of us old enough enough to remember and who lived through this ( creak creak) will probably remember that there was a serious suggestion for The

Beatles to continue, with Klaus Voorman om Bass and Billy Preston on keyboards...seems strange 40 years on but it

really couldn't have been any worse than some of the early solo stuff.


     Walrus

Thats a very interesting theory. I have always harboured a wish that the Beatles cotinued with Preston.

I'm pretty sure the suggestion was not made by The Beatles themselves. Probably some journalist trying to add fuel to the fire that hardly burnt.

Quoted from BlueMeanie

I remember that. And I thought my mind was playing tricks with me! I also remember very vaguely something about Jim Keltner replacing Ringo.

Yes I remember this - but as Bobber said I'm pretty sure it was more journalistic guessing than anything the band themselves said. Are we all remembering this from the book "The Beatles Illustrated Record"? ( though thinking about this I think they suggested Nicky Hopkins for the keyboard role)
Either way, I find the prospect of The Beatles dominated by Angry John and Sanctimonious George a gloomy prospect indeed. (just as a Chirpy Paul band was never quite the same).

Quoted from Kevin

Yes I remember this - but as Bobber said I'm pretty sure it was more journalistic guessing than anything the band themselves said.

More than likely. But I can't imagine how on earth they would have come up with Keltner? Where was the connection?

Quoted from BlueMeanie

More than likely. But I can't imagine how on earth they would have come up with Keltner? Where was the connection?

I knew he worked with John and George. I researched it further on Wiki:

Keltner is best known for his session work on solo recordings by three of the Beatles, working often with George Harrison, John Lennon (including Lennon solo albums, as well as albums released both by the Plastic Ono Band and Yoko Ono), and Ringo Starr. He and Starr were the drummers on the Concert for Bangladesh, rock's first charity benefit, initated by George Harrison and Ravi Shankar, in August, 1971. Keltner later joined the 1974 George Harrison/Ravi Shankar after many phone calls on the road from Harrison to him. His first gig on the tour was Memphis November 20, 1974.

Keltner's relationship with the former Beatles was such that he was parodied on albums released by both Harrison and Starr in 1973. Early that year, Paul McCartney, the only Beatle not to have worked with Keltner, included a note on the back cover of his Red Rose Speedway album, encouraging fans to join the "Wings Fun Club" by sending a "stamped addressed envelope" to an address in London. Later that year, both Harrison's Living in the Material World and Starr's "Ringo" contained a similar note encouraging fans to join the "Jim Keltner Fun Club" by sending a "stamped undressed elephant" to an address in Hollywood. Keltner plays the role of the judge in the video for George Harrison's 1976 Top 30 hit, "This Song".

In the late 1980s, Keltner toured with Ringo Starr's All-Starr Band. He also played drums on both albums released by Harrison's 1980s supergroup, the Traveling Wilburys, playing under the pseudonym Buster Sidebury.

I know that, but where was the connection before that? How would the press have come up with his name in, say...1969?

Quoted from BlueMeanie

I know that, but where was the connection before that? How would the press have come up with his name in, say...1969?

Methinks you're right and they didn't - probably a bit of 70's journalistic hindsight.

Quoted from Kevin

Methinks you're right and they didn't - probably a bit of 70's journalistic hindsight.

No, I'm sure I remember Keltner and Voorman being talked about at the same time. Maybe it was for a 70's 'reunion' then, and not ca. 1969.

Well, Keltner's name was around in the early 70's.

I saw this snippet of information in an article not long ago, can't remember the reference, but I'm sure it said this:

"After Paul McCartney announced he was leaving the Beatles, the remaining members briefly considered replacing him on bass with Klaus Voorman, and restarting the band as the Ladders".

Does anyone know about this plan to reform as the Ladders? Like I said, I read this and am not making it up!

If my memory serves me well, I believe that the Stones had to buy Brian Jones about of the band--100,000 pounds upfront and 20,000 pounds a year as long as the Rolling Stones continued.  Whether Brian could have fought for more is an interesting, but he was "fired" on June 9, 1969 and died on July 1-2, 1969.  

To answer the original question - no.

if the Beatles kicked out McCartney, it woundn't be the Beatles! it's as Simple as That!

Quoted from Andy Smith

if the Beatles kicked out McCartney, it woundn't be the Beatles! it's as Simple as That!

Pete Best forever, Ringo never! Maybe they should have change their name earlier then?