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1.25am
18 March 2010
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I guess Stu Sutcliffe was the 4th Beatle and Pete Best was the 5th, so Ringo would have been the 6th.
10.58pm
1 December 2009
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As long as we’re going beyond “Fifth” and into “Sixth”…
/forum/yesterday-and-today/the-5th-through-10th-beatles-rank-em/
GEORGE: In fact, The Detroit Sound. JOHN: In fact, yes. GEORGE: In fact, yeah. Tamla-Motown artists are our favorites. The Miracles. JOHN: We like Marvin Gaye. GEORGE: The Impressions PAUL & GEORGE: Mary Wells. GEORGE: The Exciters. RINGO: Chuck Jackson. JOHN: To name but eighty.
8.48pm
12 April 2012
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Whom would you call “the fifth beatle”? I would either say billy because he played on many songs in the end or george martin, because he also played piano on some songs and he was very important for the beatles sound, as producer and as arranger
Once there was a way to get back homewards. Once there was a way to get back home; sleep pretty darling do not cry. And I will sing a lullaby
10.48pm
16 February 2011
Offline Fundamentally speaking, it should be either Stuart or Pete. And since I feel like nit-picking right now, Ringo was actually the sixth beatle 
But I suppose I would give the title of “honorary beatle” to George Martin considering his influence on arranging and special effects, also, he is the only person outside the Beatles to have songs of his own on a Beatles record
11.26pm
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1 May 2011
Offline George Martin has a great claim but he was never a ‘beatle’. I’d probably end up sitting with Pete or Stu. Both were accepted as being fully fleged band members but on a push Stu had a greater influence; the hairstyle and his leaving pushing Paul to take up the bass being two.
"I told you everything I could about me, Told you everything I could" ('Before Believing' - Emmylou Harris)
12.12pm
15 June 2011
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8.03pm
3 May 2012
Offline I think that Brian (Epstein) is a contender for the ‘fifth Beatle’ title. He made The Beatles ”bigger than Elvis” and he kept them together, in a way. Although, if we´re talking literally, then I suppose it would have to be either Pete or Stu.
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8.19pm
31 March 2008
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I once had the idea of writing a book: “Fifty Fifth Beatles”. There are so many of them.
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8.19pm
Reviewers
14 April 2010
Offline When I hear the term “Fifth Beatle” I equate that to something along theses lines (stay with me).
Here in the U.S., when the fan base for any sports team goes above and beyond in their support, they are referred to as the extra man. In U.S. football, there are 11 players on each side. Therefore, a raucous home crowd is referred to as the “Twelfth Man”. I only bring that up because I feel you don’t have to be a member of the team to be a Twelfth Man any more than you had to be a member of the band to be a Fifith Beatle.
Having bored you with all of that, I vote for Brian Martin….or is it George Epstein?
Arguments can be made for many people (see Joe‘s post above), but for my money, it’s George Martin.
To the fountain of perpetual mirth, let it roll for all its worth. And all the children boogie.
9.19pm
10 August 2011
Offline Zig is 100% correct on all fronts, although Epstein and Martin I’d say are tied.
However, Martin was only with the Beatles in the studio and Epstein was only involved with touring (ONCE he got them a contract) (also merchandising, but he wasn’t so great there).
If you take a little poetic license with the concept of the 5th Beatle, only one person was with them nearly continuously from beginning to end, in the studio, on tour, on the movie set, in the movies themselves, on vacation with them, you name it;
that would be …. that’s right: 
Which is why Into the Sky is the history of the Beatles as seen through his eyes. [You knew I was going there, right?]
"Into the Sky with Diamonds" (the Beatles and the Race to the Moon – a history)
3.35am
1 December 2009
Offline No wrong answers here. But I go with George Martin, most chiefly because he played on, what, two-three dozen Beatles recordings?
GEORGE: In fact, The Detroit Sound. JOHN: In fact, yes. GEORGE: In fact, yeah. Tamla-Motown artists are our favorites. The Miracles. JOHN: We like Marvin Gaye. GEORGE: The Impressions PAUL & GEORGE: Mary Wells. GEORGE: The Exciters. RINGO: Chuck Jackson. JOHN: To name but eighty.
4.41pm
12 April 2012
Offline I always imagined if the beatles had continued after 1969 they would have made billy into their fifth member becuase I think they had to tour again if they wanted to continue, but I may be wrong. Anyway I always wondered why George Martin didn’t play piano during the get back sessions, he was really good
Once there was a way to get back homewards. Once there was a way to get back home; sleep pretty darling do not cry. And I will sing a lullaby
9.24pm
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1 May 2011
Offline Martin wasnt all for the Get Back project and had taken a step back from The Beatles due to the tensions in the band. He was still around just not as keen to participate.
I think youre right about Billy being asked to go on tour if it had ever happened George. They may have gone further and had additional outside musicians involved as well, good friends of theirs tho, as they were all too aware of the restrictions of 3 guitars and drums and the odd switch to piano/organ/keyboard.
"I told you everything I could about me, Told you everything I could" ('Before Believing' - Emmylou Harris)
12.16am
9 May 2012
Offline They would’ve probably invite Eric Clapton.
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3.35pm
10 December 2014
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Note by Ahhh Girl: Hildy had started a new thread with the title “Who was the ‘Fifth Beatle’ George Martin or Brian Epstein”. I moved the post into this on-going conversation about the subject. I hope you enjoy looking through this thread, @Hildy.
John, Paul, George and Ringo.
There were others who came before but the Fab Four as named above is the authentic band line-up.
We often hear talk of a 5th Beatle, but who would it be? Surely George Martin or Brian Epstein, but which one?
On the face of it, George Martin seems like a sound choice due to his influence on the music, but Brian Epstein influenced the band’s look, their behaviour on stage and he also organised and managed their hectic schedules.
The Beatles were four, but Martin and Epstein each had leading roles to play. I’m not sure I could put one before the other.
7.08pm
10 December 2014
Offline Ahhh Girl, I have no problem with you merging my thread into this one.
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20 August 2013
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Thanks, Hildy.
You may have noticed that the mods leave notes about merges just in case we have to undo any of them.
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8.34pm
20 January 2015
Offline Supporters of football teams are sometimes referred to as “The 12th Man” and using that logic I would say The 5th Beatle is the fans.
The obvious statement is, without the Beatles there’d be no fans and without the fans, there’d be no Beatles.
The Beatles are English - They have influences from all over - but they are English
9.20pm
1 November 2013
Offline Noah this was a thread that I subscribed to so that If I left the site the email would bring me back, now I must go find another thread to sub to bring me back.
10.00pm
26 March 2015
Offline A lot of people like to discuss who “the Fifth Beatle” is or whether there is one, so I decided to make a thread about it. Who do you believe to be the Fifth Beatle and why? Personally, I think that if the Beatles lasted longer, Billy Preston would be the Fifth Beatle. He definitely played a lot in the Get Back sessions and also had a part in a few Abbey Road songs and he also helped with the solo projects.
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