The Beatles' "biggest fear" was being asked to read music

Ringo told the New York Times newspaper: "The biggest fear, a long time ago, was that the union was going to make us all read music. Because none of us - John, Paul, George and Ringo - none of us read music. I thought, well, I'll go play tambourine then."

Ringo was the last member of the group to start writing songs, but his efforts often reduced his bandmates to laughter with his unintentional mimicry.

He said: "It's hard to come to the front when you've got John and Paul.

"I'd say, 'I've got this song.' And halfway through they'd all be laying on the floor laughing, because I wasn't writing new songs. I was writing new words to old songs."

Paul confirmed: "We'd say, 'Yeah, that's a great one. That's a great Bob Dylan song.' "

The 84-year-old drummer is often shocked by his age.

He said: "It blows me away. I look in the mirror and I'm 24. I never got older than 24.

"But guess what? You did."

Ringo credits his love of music for keeping him feeling young.

He said: "Well, I love what I'm doing...

"When I first started, my mother would come to the gigs. She would always say, 'You know, son, I always feel you're at your happiest when you're playing your drums.' So she noticed. And I do." He smiled. "I love to hit those buggers."

Ringo used to act in the past but is no longer particularly interested any more.

Asked if he misses it, he said: "I don't barely, no. I'm just playing now, live and in the studio making records."

Both Ringo and Paul agree that the loss of their former bandmates has strengthened their bond.

Paul said: "With John and George not here, I think we realise nothing lasts forever.

"So we grasp onto what we have now because we realise that it's very special. It's something hardly anyone else has.

"In fact, in our case, it's something no one else has. There's only me and Ringo, and we're the only people who can share those memories."