John, Paul, George, and — Jimmy?
June 1964, London: Photoshoot
On the eve of The Beatles first world tour Ringo Starr was suddenly taken ill. The stricken drummer rushed to University College Hospital where there was good and bad news.
The diagnosis was severe tonsillitis — unpleasant but not serious. The downer was that he needed to rest and recuperate for at least ten days. Ringo would miss the early part of the tour, including some eagerly awaited dates in Australia.
It was a major blow. The Beatles brainstrust (George Martin and Brian Epstein) went into emergency session. Martin had a name in mind for a substitution. ‘What about Jimmy Nichol’.
Jimmy who?
‘The ex-Shubdubs drummer. Now with the Blue Flames. He did payed on some Beatles cover versions for me recently.’
‘Okay,’ said Brian, the needs of the hour overcoming his reservations about this modest CV. ‘He’ll have to do.’
Within a day Jimmy Nichol was getting his Beatle haircut and being measured for his Beatle suit. He was joining the Fab Four.
An unwelcome guest?
I was having a bit of a lie down after lunch when the phone rang. It was EMI asking if I could come down to the studio to rehearse with The Beatles. Two hours after I got there I was told to pack my bags for Denmark. Jimmie Nichol
The other Beatles were not happy about the idea of a substitute drummer. They wanted to cancel the tour — with George being particularly vociferous in his insistence that his Jimmy’s presence was a humans rights outrage. They were still arguing about this on the airport tarmac at Heathrow.
At this stage, however, Beatles were not yet in a position to dictate terms to ‘ the suits’. Brian patiently explained about their contractual obligations and the financial penalties for not fulfilling them.
When this was translated into hard cash terms the strike was quickly abandoned. So Jimmy got the eight gigs: in Denmark, Holland and Australia.
‘And introducing Jimmy Nichol (loud boos)
On the face of it, this appeared to be Mr Nichol’s big break. It was not, however, an entirely comfortable experience. His new big-league buddies quickly made it clear that a Beatle suit does not a Beatle make. The other three treated him with indifference boarding on disdain — at press conferences they ‘hooted and whistled’ when his name was announced.
Nor did the young fans buy Jimmy’s Beatle credentials — they howled with outrage at every reminder of Ringo’s absence. It quickly became apparent that Jimmy’s only chance of a good reception was to heard and not seen.
It’s tough being an understudy, especially when facing thousands of bitterly disappointed teenage girls. Even the most modest ego would be challenged at some level. There were, however, compensations.
Few musicians could boast to having played with the greatest band of all time — even fewer to have done this at the height of their fame. And Jimmy was paid £500 for his trouble. He also received an engraved watch which would now fetch twenty times that on Ebay. The inscription read: From the Beatles and Brian Epstein to Jimmy — with appreciation and gratitude.
Brian personally presented the watch in a taxi en route to Melbourne Airport. This was where Jimmy’s career as a Beatle ended — as abruptly as it had began.
Springboard?
One compensation for these perceived sleights was that Jimmy flew back to England with his arms seeming overloaded with career breaks. Even a brief stint with the biggest group of all time was not nothing.
Brian had offered him his own band and a recording contract — and Brian was always as good as his word. For a brief period, chart success and even minor stardom seemed realistic goals
Alas, the curse of the ex-Beatle struck. All these openings swiftly closed. The band(s) folded, the singles failed to reach even the lower regions of the charts. Bookings became less regular and less remunerative.
There was, perhaps, some mileage left on the chat-show circuit but for that Jimmy would need to have shown due reverence for his former bandmates. And Jimmy was no longer in the market for biggin-up The Beatles.
More bitter than sweet
A sense that he had been somehow been swindled took hold. Within a couple of years he was telling the world that playing with the Fabs had ruined his life.
On one occasion Jimmy was playing a gig when George Harrison turned up incognito. George ordered a drink to be sent backstage - but Jimmy was sent it back. He had his pride
And with that Jimmy Nichol exited stage left from The Beatles story — there was to be no last minute Anthology windfall. Everyone felt sorry for Pete Best — three years a Beatle and diddly squat for his trouble. He deserved his million.
Those squeezing into ‘I Stand with Jimmy Nichol’ t-shirts have a less obvious case to pursue. Yes, Beatles Inc treated him shabbily but, alas, he joins a very long line in that regard.
Craig Brown in One, Two, Three Four The Beatles in Time (2020) writes an extended and very entertaining account of this strange episode.
