Ringo

Ringo
Studio album by Ringo Starr
Released	2 November 1973 (US) 23 November 1973 (UK)
Recorded	5 March - 26 July 1973
Genre	Rock music
Length	37:07
Label	Apple SWAL-3413
Producer	Richard Perry
Professional reviews
Allmusic link Rolling Stone (not rated) link
Ringo Starr chronology
Beaucoups of Blues (1970) Ringo (1973) Goodnight Vienna (1974)

Ringo is the third album by Ringo Starr, released in 1973 on Apple Records. It peaked at #2 on the Billboard 200, and has been certified platinum by the RIAA. It is noted for the appearance of all four Beatles, and for its numerous guest stars, something which would become a signature for Starr on many of his future albums and tours.

History

After releasing the standards tribute Sentimental Journey and the country and western Beaucoups of Blues, both in 1970, Starr would only record and release a couple of singles in the interim, namely "It Don't Come Easy" in 1971 and "Back Off Boogaloo" in 1972. While both were big successes and would have ordinarily inspired albums to support them, Starr declined to follow through, preferring to concentrate on acting during this period.

In early 1973, Starr decided the time was right to begin - in his mind - his first proper solo album, despite its two predecessors. Having already used Richard Perry to arrange one of the tracks on Sentimental Journey, Starr asked Perry to produce the sessions, which began that March.

As soon as Starr sent word to all his musician friends to help him in his new venture, they all responded positively. Taking part in the sessions were Marc Bolan, members of The Band, Billy Preston, Klaus Voormann, Nicky Hopkins, Harry Nilsson and Jim Keltner. Additionally, all three of his former bandmates appeared on and composed material for "Ringo", and Starr, Lennon and Harrison appear together on the Lennon-penned song "I'm The Greatest". Not surprisingly, when word of the session hit the media, furious Beatles reunion rumours (the first of several) began spreading. It would be the closest to a Beatles reunion until The Beatles Anthology project in 1995.

The experience of making "Ringo" was an enjoyable one for Starr and all involved, with its wide acceptance only furthering his personal feeling of success. Upon its November release, the critics were very warm in their appraisal, with "Ringo" hitting #1 for three weeks in Canada, reaching #7 in the UK, and denied the top spot in the US by Elton John's blockbuster Goodbye Yellow Brick Road ^[1] (it still managed to peak at #1 in Cashbox and Record World ^[2]). In America, the singles from Ringo "Photograph" and Starr's cover of "You're Sixteen" both went to #1, while becoming Top 10 UK hits.

Ringo was remastered and reissued on CD in 1991 with three bonus tracks, all from singles: Starr's debut 1971 hit single "It Don't Come Easy" and its b-side "Early 1970", as well as "Photograph"'s flip side "Down And Out".

Track listing

Side one

1. "I'm the Greatest" (John Lennon) – 3:21
   • Ringo Starr - lead vocal, drums; Lennon - piano, harmony vocal; Billy Preston - organ; George Harrison - electric guitars; Klaus Voormann - bass
2. "Have You Seen My Baby" (Randy Newman) – 3:44
   • Starr - lead vocal, drums; James Booker - piano; Marc Bolan - electric guitar; Voormann - bass; Jim Keltner - drums; Milt Holland - percussion; Horns - Tom Scott
   • The tracklisting on the album cover, as well as on the record label, incorrectly label this song as "Hold On".
3. "Photograph" (Harrison/Starkey) – 3:56
   • Starr - lead vocal, drums; Harrison - harmony vocal, electric guitars; Bobby Keyes - tenor sax; Vini Poncia, Jimmy Calvert - acoustic guitars; Nicky Hopkins - piano; Voormann - bass; Keltner - drums; Lon and Derrek Van Eaton - percussion; Jack Nitzsche - orchestral and choral arrangements
4. "Sunshine Life For Me (Sail Away Raymond)" (Harrison) – 2:45
   • Starr - lead vocal, drums, percussion; Harrison - guitar, backing vocals; Robbie Robertson - guitar; Levon Helm - mandolin; Rick Danko, - fiddle; David Bromberg - banjo, fiddle; Garth Hudson - accordion, Voormann - double bass
5. "You're Sixteen" (Bob Sherman/Dick Sherman) – 2:48
   • Starr - lead vocal, drums; Poncia, Calvert - guitars; Hopkins - piano; Voormann - bass; Paul McCartney - "mouth sax" solo, backing vocals; Linda McCartney, Harry Nilsson - backing vocals

Side two

1. "Oh My My" (Poncia/Starkey) – 4:16
   • Starr - lead vocal, drums; Poncia - harmony vocal; Calvert - guitar; Preston - piano, organ; Voormann - bass; Keltner - drums; Scott - saxophone solo, arrangements; Jim Horn - arrangements; Martha Reeves, Merry Clayton - backing vocals
2. "Step Lightly" (Starkey) – 3:15
   • Starr - lead vocal, drums; Steve Cropper - electric guitar; Calvert - acoustic guitar; Hopkins - electric piano; Voormann - bass; Scott - clarinet arrangement
   • Features the tapdancing of 'Richard Starkey, M.B.E.
3. "Six O'Clock" (P. McCartney) – 4:06
   • Starr - lead vocal, drums; P. McCartney - piano, synthesizer, string and flute arrangements, backing vocal; Poncia - guitar, percussion; Voormann - bass; L. McCartney - backing vocal
4. "Devil Woman" (Poncia/Starkey) – 3:50
   • Starr - lead vocal, drums; Calvert - guitar; Tom Hensley - piano; Voormann - bass, backing vocal; Keltner - drums; Chuck Finley, Scott - horns; Richard Perry - backing vocal
5. "You and Me (Babe)" (Harrison/Mal Evans) – 4:59
   • Starr - lead vocal, drums; Harrison - electric guitar; Poncia - acoustic guitar; Hopkins - electric piano; Holland - marimba; Scott - horn arrangements; Nitzsche - string arrangements

1991 Reissue bonus tracks

1. "It Don't Come Easy" (Harrison/Starkey) - 3:02
   • Starr - lead vocal, drums; Harrison - electric guitars; Stephen Stills - piano; Voormann - bass; Pete Ham, Tom Evans - backing vocals; Ron Cattermole - horns
   • Originally released as a single in 1971
2. "Early 1970" (Starkey) - 2:20
   • Starr - lead vocal, drums, acoustic guitar, piano; Harrison - electric guitars, bass, backing vocal
   • Originally released as the b-side to "It Don't Come Easy" in 1971
3. "Down and Out" (Starkey) - 3:04
   • Probable line-up: Starr - lead vocal, drums; Harrison - electric guitar; Gary Wright - piano; Voormann - bass; unknown horns
   • Originally released as the b-side to "Photograph" in 1973

Singles

Notes

External links

• JPGR's Ringo site