He's Best Without Beatles

The most frequent question asked of ousted Beatles drummer Pete Best is why was he ousted from the band just before Beatlemania hit the fans. His answer is, "A mystery." John, Paul, and George never told him why and they had manager Brian Epstein do the face-to-face. Of course, John and George are dead now and Paul wishes he was, but Pete, now 64, is alive and happy and still playing gigs with his six-member Pete Best Band. As the decades go by, we learn more and more how the lads from Liverpool weren't the nice boys their Richard Lester-filmed shenanigans had us believing. And still want to. (CNN)

The consensus among Beatleologists is that the other three and the band's new producer George Martin felt Best's drumming was simply not up to snuff. Personality issues may have played a part, too. Best was reserved and displayed little of the trademark Beatles cheekiness. He never got a mop top. Maybe worse, Best was very popular with the Liverpool girls. As Bob Spitz recounts in his exhaustive 2005 book The Beatles, Paul in particular noticed the "orgasm of shrieks" when Best was introduced on stage.

OK, so when exactly did Beatlemania turn into Beatleology?

Beatles with Best; Best without Beatles.

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