Andy White (drummer)
Andrew McLuckie White was born in Stranraer on the 27th of July 1930. He grew up as the son of a baker and began playing drums in a pipe band at age 12. By 17, he had become a professional session musician. During the 1950s and early 1960s, he played with swing and traditional jazz groups across the United Kingdom. In 1958, White formed his own big band jazz outfit. He took this group to the American Northeast to perform live shows. There, they backed rock acts like Chuck Berry, the Platters, and Bill Haley & His Comets. White noted that he used big band arrangements but added a back beat to fit the rock 'n' roll style. This experience gave him a practical understanding of how drumming should function within the new genre.
Producer Ron Richards called White to attend a Beatles recording session at EMI Studios on Abbey Road in London. The date for this specific meeting was the 11th of September 1962. The band had already recorded Love Me Do twice before this day. They first tried it on the 6th of June 1962 with Pete Best on drums. They tried again on the 4th of September 1962 with Ringo Starr playing drums. George Martin remained unhappy with both performances. On the 11th of September, Richards decided to record the song one more time. White replaced Starr on the drums while Starr played tambourine instead. The band also recorded P.S. I Love You during this same session. White played a lightweight cha-cha-chá beat on bongos for that track. He received £5 for the session plus 10 shillings for bringing his own drum kit. He earned no royalties from the records sold later.
Different versions of Love Me Do appeared across British and American markets over several decades. The version with Ringo Starr on drums went onto early British pressings of the single in 1962. The version featuring White on drums appeared on the first American pressings of the single in 1964. This specific recording also showed up on all later releases of the single. It appeared on the Beatles debut album Please Please Me in 1963. Most subsequent albums included this version as well. A 1992 single combined both the Starr and White versions into one release. Listeners can distinguish them by checking if Starr plays tambourine. His version lacks the instrument entirely. The Pete Best version was released for the first time on Anthology 1 in 1995. The Rarities compilation came out in North America in 1980. Past Masters received a worldwide release in 1988 containing the Starr version.
White played on hit records by Herman's Hermits during his career. He performed on Tom Jones hit song It's Not Unusual. He also recorded Shout by Lulu. Other musicians he worked with included Rod Stewart, Anthony Newley, and Bert Weedon. The BBC Scottish Radio Orchestra in Glasgow employed him as well. In the mid-1960s, White toured the United States with Marlene Dietrich. He performed in her cabaret shows under musical direction from Burt Bacharach. From 1965 until he retired in 1975, he worked with British pianist William Blezard. AllMusic described White as one of the busier drummers in England from the late 1950s through the mid-1970s. His extensive session work spanned two decades of rock history.
In the late 1980s, White moved to the United States and lived in Caldwell, New Jersey. There he taught Scottish pipe band drumming to local students. He served as a judge for the Eastern United States Pipe Band Association. White acted as drum instructor for the New York City Department of Corrections Emerald Pipe Band. He married Thea White, who was a librarian. She supplied the voice of Muriel on the Cartoon Network show Courage the Cowardly Dog. A student gave him a bumper sticker reading 5THBEATLE which he placed on his car. This detail reflected how deeply the Beatles connection had become part of his identity outside the studio.
White died after a stroke at his home in Caldwell, New Jersey on the 9th of November 2015. He was 85 years old when he passed away. Before his death, he recorded with the Smithereens in May 2008. The New Jersey-based rock band released Meet the Smithereens! in 2007 as a tribute album. They asked White to record P.S. I Love You again at The Grip Weeds House of Vibes recording studio in Highland Park. His drumming appeared late in 2008 on B-Sides The Beatles. This album covered Beatles B-side tracks from 1962 to 1965. A Smithereens version of Love Me Do featuring White remained unreleased until a single came out in 2020. He also played drums for the band during a charity health-care fundraiser at the Paper Mill Playhouse in Millburn in May 2008.
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Common questions
When was Andy White born and where did he grow up?
Andrew McLuckie White was born in Stranraer on the 27th of July 1930. He grew up as the son of a baker and began playing drums in a pipe band at age 12.
Why did Andy White replace Ringo Starr during the Beatles recording session on the 11th of September 1962?
Producer Ron Richards called White to attend a Beatles recording session at EMI Studios because George Martin remained unhappy with previous performances of Love Me Do. White replaced Starr on the drums while Starr played tambourine instead for that specific meeting.
Which version of Love Me Do features Andy White on drums and when was it released?
The version featuring White on drums appeared on the first American pressings of the single in 1964. This specific recording also showed up on all later releases of the single and appeared on the Beatles debut album Please Please Me in 1963.
What other musicians did Andy White work with besides The Beatles?
White played on hit records by Herman's Hermits, Tom Jones, Lulu, Rod Stewart, Anthony Newley, and Bert Weedon. He toured the United States with Marlene Dietrich from 1965 until he retired in 1975.
Where did Andy White live after moving to the United States and what did he do there?
In the late 1980s, White moved to the United States and lived in Caldwell, New Jersey. There he taught Scottish pipe band drumming to local students and served as a judge for the Eastern United States Pipe Band Association.
When did Andy White die and how old was he at the time of his death?
White died after a stroke at his home in Caldwell, New Jersey on the 9th of November 2015. He was 85 years old when he passed away.