Beaucoups of Blues

Beaucoups of Blues
Studio album by Ringo Starr
Released	25 September 1970
Recorded	Late June - 1 July 1970
Genre	Country
Length	33:25
Label	Apple/EMI
Producer	Pete Drake
Professional reviews
Allmusic link Rolling Stone (not rated) link
Ringo Starr chronology
Sentimental Journey (1970) Beaucoups of Blues (1970) "Ringo" (1973)

Beaucoups of Blues is the second album by former Beatles member Ringo Starr, and also his second full-length release in 1970, coming after his debut Sentimental Journey. However, Beaucoups of Blues is very far removed in style from its predecessor.

While playing on sessions for George Harrison's All Things Must Pass (the recording of which began on 26 May), Starr - a long-time country and western fan - met Pete Drake, whom Harrison had called upon to play pedal steel guitar. Realizing Drake's deep connection to country (having also played on Bob Dylan's Nashville Skyline), Starr asked him if they could collaborate on an album together. Drake promptly told Starr his musician friends could compose more than an album's worth of material from which Starr could pick his favourites and record his vocals. Starr was very keen and agreed. He flew to Nashville on 22 June to begin working on the project.

While most of the tracks were cut in two days (30 June and 1 July), Drake had produced some earlier sessions with The Jordanaires on backing vocals so that Starr could add his lead on top. The sessions went exceedingly well, and it was clear to all that Starr's vocals were much more suited to genre of country than the old standards that characterised Sentimental Journey. For Ringo Starr, making Beaucoups of Blues had fulfilled a lifelong ambition.

Beaucoups of Blues was released that September to a fan base that was once again bemused with Starr's abrupt change in style. While the album is more acclaimed than Sentimental Journey, Beaucoups of Blues didn't perform nearly as well, missing the UK charts and reaching only #65 in the US. The album did do a little better in Norway, peaking at #21.

In light of the tepid commercial reaction, Starr would refrain from further album releases for the time being, preferring to concentrate on his second vocation: film acting.

Even though it was moderately successful at the time, in retrospect many critics have stated that this may be Ringo's masterpiece, and surely one of his best albums.

Beaucoups of Blues was remastered and reissued on CD in 1995 with the addition of two bonus tracks: "Coochy Coochy" (a Starr original that appeared as the B-Side to the single release of "Beaucoups of Blues") and a jam with all the musicians entitled, appropriately enough, "Nashville Jam" (similar in vein to the "Apple Jam" on the fifth and sixth sides of George Harrison's All Things Must Pass).

Track listing

1. "Beaucoups of Blues" (Buzz Rabin) – 2:33
2. "Love Don't Last Long" (Chuck Howard) – 2:45
3. "Fastest Growing Heartache In The West" (Larry Kingston/Fred Dycus) – 2:34
4. "Without Her" (Sorrells Pickard) – 2:35
5. "Woman Of The Night" (Sorrells Pickard) – 2:21
6. "I'd Be Talking All The Time" (Chuck Howard/Larry Kingston) – 2:10
7. "$15 Draw" (Sorrells Pickard) – 3:29
8. "Wine, Women And Loud Happy Songs" (Larry Kingston) – 2:18
9. "I Wouldn't Have You Any Other Way" (Chuck Howard) – 2:57
10. "Loser's Lounge" (Bobby Pierce) – 2:23
11. "Waiting" (Chuck Howard) – 2:54
12. "Silent Homecoming" (Sorrells Pickard) – 3:55

Personnel

• Ringo Starr – Vocals, Drums, Acoustic Guitar
• Jim Buchanan – Fiddle
• Charlie Daniels – Guitar
• Pete Drake – Pedal Steel Guitar
• D.J. Fontana – Drums
• Buddy Harman – Bass Guitar
• Chuck Howard – Guitar
• Roy Huskey Jnr – Bass Guitar
• The Jordanaires – Backing Vocals
• Ben Keith – Pedal Steel Guitar
• Jeannie Kendal – Vocals on 'I Wouldn't Have You Any Other Way'
• Jerry Kennedy – Guitar
• Dave Kirby – Guitar
• Grover Lavernder – Fiddle
• Charlie McCoy – Harmonica
• Sorrells Pickard – Guitar
• Jerry Reed – Guitar
• George Richey – Fiddle
• Jerry Shook – Guitar

External links

• JPGR's Beaucoups of Blues site