Had the Beatles had a fifth member...

[TheCheapGuitarist]

They did have a 5th member.

 

[String Tree]

I dunno, the Fab Five doesn't have a ring to it.
I can't hear a Single.
NOPE!!!

 

[Mike Eskimo]

Stones were the Fab Five. (Or rather another F word Five )

 

[Chester P Squier]

This thread reminds me of a Saturday Night Live sketch performed not long after Albert Goldman had written scathing books about both Elvis Presley and John Lennon.

In the sketch, Goldman was the fifth Beatle, playing trombone with them before they were famous. Elvis visits the Beatles at the Cavern Club and advises them to drop the trombonist (Goldman) and be a quartet. None of the other four Beatles wants to fire him, but Paul, George, and Ringo remind John that he's the leader of the group and it's up to John to fire Goldman.

And that was supposedly why Goldman wrote the scathing books about Elvis and Lennon.

The funniest part was hearing early Beatles music with a trombone added.

 

[blowtorch]

They did have a fifth member

 

[Chester P Squier]

I found the SNL sketch I was referencing earlier this afternoon.
John, Paul, George, Albert Goldman, and Ringo.

 

[Lone_Poor_Boy]

Not directed at OP at all, but wanted to note I despise these shows for many reasons but a top one is where they get people on just to be able to mock them. And the audience of trained seals can laugh along. It's not an accident the goofballs make it to the stage.

A lot of these folks they get on to intentionally mock take themselves seriously and are sometimes not the most balanced sorts. Pure meanness and elitism just for ratings.

 

[Happy Enchilada]

Here's your fifth Beetle!

Reminds me - my oldest just skyped with us to show off the ring he just gave his girl. Guess he's engaged now. This video reminds me that things could always be worse ...

 

[craigs63]

Clarence helped out on saxophone...

 

[posttoastie]

Oops, Wrong Band.

 

[ABetterTelePlayer]

I found the SNL sketch I was referencing earlier this afternoon.
John, Paul, George, Albert Goldman, and Ringo.

To be fair, it's not like that anymore. It's changed but I hate the way it is even more so now.

Now everyone has a sob story and that's why I prefer The Voice over America/Britain's Got Talent or American Idol. At least the judges aren't swayed by the depressing stories of constants on The Voice during the auditions.

 

[Lone_Poor_Boy]

Oops, Wrong Band.
View attachment 1101581

Such a colorful pic. This has to be 1975. Ronnie was playing live with them by then but Keith looks too good for it to be much later than 1975. His face really started going south about the time of 'Black and Blue'. Plus Jaggers look looks like 75. Here's a live version of 'Star Star' from 1975 and you can see Billy Preston on keyboards.

 

[VWAmTele]

Billy just seemed to have blended in and the other Beatles were definitely comfortable around him. He was good enough to immediately fit in musically and at the same time not step on anyone's toes.

 

[posttoastie]

 

[ZackyDog]

Sorry---it was really Clarence Walker.

 

[Vibroluxer]

Oh, there certainly was 5th Beatle. #5 shows up in 1966 and is called "the studio". That's my take on it.

 

[Killing Floor]

They did. The guy on the left of Spears is the most important member of The Beatles by a factor of ten.

Even combined McCartney, Lennon, Harrison and the drummer the real reason their music is still so significant is George Martin. You remove Martin from the mix and you’d be left with something completely different.

 

[Michael Poche]

I would nominate El Marin.

 

[JIMMY JAZZMAN]

It would be: Drum roll please: Paul's grandfather, he's very clean, you know.

 

[Chester P Squier]

They did. The guy on the left of Spears is the most important member of The Beatles by a factor of ten.

You mean Shears, don't you? Billy Shears.