Ringo (album)

Ringo is the third studio album by English musician Ringo Starr, released in 1973 on Apple Records. It peaked at No. 7 on the UK Albums Chart and No. 2 on the Billboard 200, and has been certified platinum by the RIAA. In Canada, it reached No. 1 on the RPM national albums chart.

Ringo
Studio album by
Ringo Starr
Released2 November 1973
Recorded5 March – 26 July 1973
StudioSunset Sound, A&M, Burbank, The Sound Lab and Producers' Workshop, Los Angeles; Apple and Abbey Road, London
GenreRock, pop[1]
Length37:07
LabelApple
ProducerRichard Perry
Ringo Starr chronology
Beaucoups of Blues
(1970)		 Ringo
(1973)		 Goodnight Vienna
(1974)
Singles from Ringo
  1. "Photograph"
    Released: 24 September 1973 (US); 19 October 1973 (UK)
  2. "You're Sixteen"
    Released: 3 December 1973 (US); 8 February 1974 (UK)
  3. "Oh My My"
    Released: 18 February 1974 (US only)

The album is noted for being the only project on which all four Beatles collaborated between the band's breakup in 1970 and the murder of John Lennon in 1980 (though they didn't all work on the project simultaneously at any point), and for its numerous guest stars, something which would become a signature for Starr on many of his subsequent albums and tours.

Background

Starr released the standards tribute Sentimental Journey and the country and western Beaucoups of Blues in 1970. He issued the singles "It Don't Come Easy" and "Back Off Boogaloo"[2] over 1971–72, both produced by and co-written with his former Beatles bandmate George Harrison.[3] Both of these singles were big successes and would ordinarily have inspired albums to support them, but Starr declined to follow through, preferring to concentrate on acting during this period.[4] In early 1973, Starr decided that the time was right to begin his first rock solo album. He had already used Richard Perry to arrange one of the tracks on Sentimental Journey, so he asked him to produce the sessions.[5]

Recording

Recording started on 5 March 1973[6] upon Starr's arrival in Los Angeles[7] at Sunset Sound Recorders.[8][9] Sessions were produced by Richard Perry.[7] Starr sent word to his musician friends to help him in his new venture and they all responded positively. Taking part in the sessions were Marc Bolan, four members of The Band (except Richard Manuel),[5] Billy Preston, Klaus Voormann, Nicky Hopkins, Harry Nilsson, Jim Keltner, and James Booker.[8] Additionally, all three of his former bandmates appeared on and composed material for Ringo.[6]

"Photograph" had been written on 15 May 1971 while on a sailing holiday with his wife Maureen, Harrison and Harrison's wife Pattie Boyd, and Cilla Black. Starr and Harrison wrote the song with input from the others.[8] The song was first recorded in late 1972 with Harrison as producer, during the sessions for Harrison's Living in the Material World album.[10] The song was remade five months later, produced by Perry for its appearance on Ringo.[10] Harrison and Mal Evans were sharing a living space in Los Angeles when they wrote "You and Me (Babe)" after Evans asked Harrison to add music to a song which he was working on.[10]

Just like that; no planning. The three ex-Beatles recorded one of John's songs. Everyone in the room was just gleaming… it's such a universal gleam with The Beatles.[8]

– Richard Perry, recalling the session for "I'm the Greatest"

Harrison dropped by on the sessions on 10 March to see what kind of material Starr had recorded up to that point,[8][9] saying that he was "knocked out by what you've done".[8] He returned on 12 March and laid down backing vocals.[8][9] Starr, John Lennon, and Harrison appear together on Lennon's "I'm the Greatest",[2] which was recorded on 13 March.[nb 1][8][12] Ten takes of the song were recorded in a session lasting approximately 18 minutes.[8] Both Lennon and Harrison were in Los Angeles for business matters with Capitol Records.[7] Lennon returned to New York on 14 March.[8]

British music magazine Melody Maker reported on 17 March that the session was a Beatles reunion. "Rumours flashed through Los Angeles this week that three of the Beatles have teamed up for recording purposes. John Lennon, George Harrison and Ringo Starr are all in Los Angeles with Klaus Voormann, the bassist rumoured to replace Paul McCartney after his departure from the group."[9] Also recorded during this month was Randy Newman's "Have You Seen My Baby?";[nb 2] it features overdubbed guitar by Bolan which was added at A&M Studios.[13] This group of sessions lasted until 27 March.[8] The next day, Starr and Perry flew to England.[8] More work on the tracks was done at Burbank Studios, The Sound Lab, and Producers' Workshop.[8] On 16 April,[9] Starr went to Apple Studio in London to record "Six O'Clock" with Paul McCartney,[14] and his wife Linda,[8] as McCartney could not enter the US due to drug arrests.[12] McCartney played synthesizer and piano and sang backing vocals on the track.[5][15]

After finishing "Six O'Clock", Starr asked his chauffeur to buy some tap dancing shoes which Starr would use on "Step Lightly".[8] He then recorded "You're Sixteen" and "Step Lightly" with Nilsson;[12] McCartney also appears on kazoo on "You're Sixteen".[8] This second block of recording sessions lasted until 30 April, and overdubs were added at Sunset Sound Recorders throughout July.[8] The album was mixed at Sunset Sound on 24 July.[8][9]

Release
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
Christgau's Record GuideB–[16]
Encyclopedia of Popular Music[17]
The Essential Rock Discography7/10[18]
MusicHound3.5/5[19]
Music Story[20]
Q[21]
Record Collector[22]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[23]

According to a report in Billboard magazine in late September 1973, Ringo's release was delayed while work was being completed on the album artwork.[24] On 24 September, "Photograph" was released as the album's lead single in the US, backed by "Down and Out".[9] Starr filmed a promo clip for the song at his Tittenhurst Park residence, although the film's only screening was on a single episode of BBC TV's Top of the Pops, which has since been lost.[8] The single was issued a month later in the UK, on 19 October.[25]

Apple Records released Ringo on 2 November in the US,[nb 3] and on 9 November in the UK.[nb 4] Helped by the international success of "Photograph",[28] and speculation regarding the former Beatles working together on the same project,[29] the album reached No. 1 in Canada,[30] No. 7 in the UK,[31] and No. 2 on the US Billboard 200 chart, denied the top position by Elton John's Goodbye Yellow Brick Road.[32] Ringo peaked at No. 1 on America's other albums charts, however,[33] in Cashbox and Record World.[34] The album was certified gold in America on 8 November and in Britain a month after its release there.[25] Ringo was critically well-received also.[35] Loraine Alterman of The New York Times described it as an "instant knockout ... [a] sensational album".[36][37] In his review for Rolling Stone, Ben Gerson said that, on one hand, Starr's limited artistry and the abundance of star guests made the album "rambling and inconsistent", yet in terms of "atmosphere", "Ringo is the most successful record by an ex-Beatle. It is not polemical and abrasive like Lennon's, harsh and self-pitying like Harrison's, or precious and flimsy like McCartney's, but balanced, airy and amiable."[38]

"You're Sixteen" was released as the album's second single, backed with "Devil Woman", in the US on 3 December.[25] In late December, on the 28th, "Photograph" went gold in the US.[25] "You're Sixteen" acquired gold status in the US on 31 January 1974,[8] and was released in the UK on 8 February,[25] reaching No. 4.[8] In the US, the singles from Ringo "Photograph" and Starr's cover of "You're Sixteen" both went to No. 1.[39] On 18 February, "Oh My My" was released as a single only in the US, backed with "Step Lightly".[nb 5][25] After the singles became hits, Lennon sent Starr a telegram: "Congratulations. How dare you? And please write me a hit song."[5]

The original cassette tape and 8-track versions of the album, as well as a small number of early promotional copies of the vinyl album, contained a longer version of "Six O'Clock".[15] All of the stock copies of vinyl version of the LP, including both the original pressing and the 1981 LP re-release of the album, as well as reissues in various other formats over time, contained the shorter version of the song.[41][42] The record label on the original stock pressing of the vinyl album incorrectly lists the running time of "Six O'Clock" as 5:26, which may have led some to mistakenly assume that the original pressing contained the long version of the song. The label on the reissued vinyl album correctly lists the running time as 4:06.[41][43] At the time of release, various reviews and press articles of the day stated that the longer version was "snuck" onto the tape duplicating masters at the last moment. Artwork for a quadrophonic version was produced, but was never released.[44] Additionally, the original artwork lists the second song, written by Randy Newman, as "Hold On" which was later corrected to "Have You Seen My Baby" in following pressings.

When Ringo was reissued for compact disc, the three bonus tracks included on it were all from singles: Starr's 1971 hit single "It Don't Come Easy" and its B-side "Early 1970", as well as the B-side to "Photograph", "Down and Out".[45] The CD was released in the UK on 4 March 1991,[nb 6] and in the US by Capitol on 6 May.[nb 7][45] On some CD reissues "Down And Out" is inserted into the album as the fourth track (between "Photograph" and "Sunshine Life For Me (Sail Away Raymond)"). Also on the CD, "You and Me (Babe)" begins crossfaded over the end of "Devil Woman," even though the original album had these songs separated by silence. The longer version of "Six O'Clock" was oddly not added as a bonus track to the reissue of this album, but rather to the reissue of Goodnight Vienna.[15]

Track listing

Side one

  1. "I'm the Greatest" (John Lennon) – 3:21
  2. "Have You Seen My Baby"[nb 8] (Randy Newman) – 3:44
  3. "Photograph" (Richard Starkey, George Harrison) – 3:56
  4. "Sunshine Life for Me (Sail Away Raymond)" (Harrison) – 2:45
  5. "You're Sixteen" (Bob Sherman, Dick Sherman) – 2:48

Side two

  1. "Oh My My" (Starkey, Vini Poncia) – 4:16
  2. "Step Lightly" (Starkey) – 3:15
  3. "Six O'Clock" (Paul McCartney, Linda McCartney)[46] – 4:06
  4. "Devil Woman" (Starkey, Poncia) – 3:50
  5. "You and Me (Babe)" (Harrison, Mal Evans) – 4:59

1991 reissue bonus tracks

  1. "It Don't Come Easy" (Harrison, Starkey) – 3:02
  2. "Early 1970" (Starkey) – 2:20
  3. "Down and Out" (Starkey) – 3:04

Personnel

Track numbering refers to CD and digital releases of the album.

Charts

Cover version

An instrumental version of the album was produced by David Hentschel and titled Sta*rtling Music.[61] Sta*rtling Music was the first release on Starr's label, Ring O' Records; released on 18 April 1975 in the UK,[nb 9] and four years later on 17 February 1979 in the US.[nb 10][61] Just prior to the album was a single, "Oh My My", backed with "Devil Woman", released on 17 February 1975 in the US,[nb 11] and on 21 March in the UK.[nb 12][61] The album, was re-released in the US on Capitol in October 1980.[nb 13][62] A budget edition was released in the UK on 27 November by Music for Pleasure.[nb 14][62]

gollark: We have a bunch of instincts and desires about socialisation because ??? evolution in a way we don't particularly (in general) for PRNG output or something.
gollark: Not all complex things are also emotionally salient and... interesting? That isn't really right.
gollark: That seems very poetic but also probably wrong.
gollark: Motor control stuff probably spends lots of effort on modelling friction and gravity and kinematics and muscle output and whatever, but I don't believe that's plugged into "general intelligence" functions like social interaction is.
gollark: I think it's relevant, though.

References

Footnotes

  1. Lennon previously recorded a demo of the song on 28 December 1970, after watching a repeat of the Beatles' A Hard Day's Night,[8] with the intent of recording the track himself.[11]
  2. The track is sometimes titled as "Hold On".[13]
  3. US Apple SWAL-3413[26]
  4. UK Apple PCTC 252[27]
  5. US Apple 1872[40]
  6. UK Parlophone CDP 7 95884 2[27]
  7. US Capitol CDP 795637[45]
  8. Titled "Hold On" on the album cover and record label.
  9. UK Ringo O' 2320-101[61]
  10. US Ringo O' ST 11372[61]
  11. US Ringo O' 4030[61]
  12. UK Ringo O' 2017-101[61]
  13. US Capitol SN-16114[62]
  14. UK Music for Pleasure MFP 50508[62]

Citations

  1. Ringo at AllMusic
  2. Schaffner, Nicholas (1980). The Boys from Liverpool: John, Paul, George, Ringo (1st ed.). New York: Methuen. p. 164. ISBN 978-0-416-30661-3.
  3. Spizer, Bruce (2005). The Beatles Solo on Apple Records. New Orleans, LA: 498 Productions. pp. 293, 297. ISBN 0-9662649-5-9.
  4. Schaffner, Nicholas (1980). The Boys from Liverpool: John, Paul, George, Ringo (1st ed.). New York: Methuen. pp. 162, 164. ISBN 978-0-416-30661-3.
  5. Schaffner, Nicholas (1980). The Boys from Liverpool: John, Paul, George, Ringo (1st ed.). New York: Methuen. p. 165. ISBN 978-0-416-30661-3.
  6. Rodriguez, Robert (2010). Fab Four FAQ 2.0: The Beatles' Solo Years, 1970–1980 (illustrated ed.). New York: Backbeat Books. p. 34. ISBN 978-0-87930-968-8.
  7. Rodriguez, Robert (2010). Fab Four FAQ 2.0: The Beatles' Solo Years, 1970–1980 (illustrated ed.). New York: Backbeat Books. p. 139. ISBN 978-0-87930-968-8.
  8. Miles, Barry; Badman, Keith, eds. (2001). The Beatles Diary After the Break-Up: 1970–2001 (reprint ed.). London: Music Sales Group. ISBN 978-0-7119-8307-6.
  9. Harry, Bill (2004). The Ringo Starr Encyclopedia. London: Virgin Books. p. 118. ISBN 978-0-7535-0843-5.
  10. Rodriguez, Robert (2010). Fab Four FAQ 2.0: The Beatles' Solo Years, 1970–1980 (illustrated ed.). New York: Backbeat Books. p. 35. ISBN 978-0-87930-968-8.
  11. Harry, Bill (2004). The Ringo Starr Encyclopedia. London: Virgin Books. p. 222. ISBN 978-0-7535-0843-5.
  12. Rodriguez, Robert (2010). Fab Four FAQ 2.0: The Beatles' Solo Years, 1970–1980 (illustrated ed.). New York: Backbeat Books. p. 140. ISBN 978-0-87930-968-8.
  13. Harry, Bill (2004). The Ringo Starr Encyclopedia. London: Virgin Books. p. 213. ISBN 978-0-7535-0843-5.
  14. Rodriguez, Robert (2010). Fab Four FAQ 2.0: The Beatles' Solo Years, 1970–1980 (illustrated ed.). New York: Backbeat Books. pp. 35–36. ISBN 978-0-87930-968-8.
  15. Rodriguez, Robert (2010). Fab Four FAQ 2.0: The Beatles' Solo Years, 1970–1980 (illustrated ed.). New York: Backbeat Books. p. 36. ISBN 978-0-87930-968-8.
  16. Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: S". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. ISBN 089919026X. Retrieved 13 March 2019 – via robertchristgau.com.
  17. Larkin, Colin (2011). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (5th edn). London: Omnibus Press. p. 1984. ISBN 978-0-85712-595-8.
  18. Strong, Martin C. (2006). The Essential Rock Discography. Edinburgh, UK: Canongate. p. 1028. ISBN 978-1-84195-827-9.
  19. Gary Graff & Daniel Durchholz (eds), MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide, Visible Ink Press (Farmington Hills, MI, 1999; ISBN 1-57859-061-2), p. 1082.
  20. "Ringo Starr Ringo". Acclaimed Music. Retrieved 17 November 2014.
  21. Martin, Andrew (April 1991). "Re-releases: Ringo Starr Ringo". Q. pp. 95–96.
  22. Staunton, Neil (February 2018). "Ringo Starr Ringo; Goodnight Vienna". Record Collector. p. 104.
  23. Brackett, Nathan, with Hoard, Christian (eds). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th edn). New York, NY: Fireside. p. 777. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
  24. "Inside Track". Billboard. 29 September 1973. p. 66. Retrieved 31 January 2014.
  25. Harry, Bill (2004). The Ringo Starr Encyclopedia. London: Virgin Books. p. 119. ISBN 978-0-7535-0843-5.
  26. Harry, Bill (2004). The Ringo Starr Encyclopedia. London: Virgin Books. p. 185. ISBN 978-0-7535-0843-5.
  27. Harry, Bill (2004). The Ringo Starr Encyclopedia. London: Virgin Books. p. 184. ISBN 978-0-7535-0843-5.
  28. Rodriguez, Robert (2010). Fab Four FAQ 2.0: The Beatles' Solo Years, 1970–1980. Milwaukee, WI: Backbeat Books. p. 261. ISBN 978-1-4165-9093-4.
  29. Schaffner, Nicholas (1978). The Beatles Forever. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill. p. 161. ISBN 0-07-055087-5.
  30. Library and Archives Canada. Archived 29 November 2014 at the Wayback Machine
  31. "The Official Charts Company Ringo Starr – Ringo" (PHP). The Official Charts Company. Retrieved 12 February 2012.
  32. Sharon Mawer. "US number two albums". Archived from the original on 17 April 2009. Retrieved 19 March 2009.
  33. Spizer, Bruce (2005). The Beatles Solo on Apple Records. New Orleans, LA: 498 Productions. p. 305. ISBN 0-9662649-5-9.
  34. "Billboard, CASHBOX & Record World #1 ALBUMS(1973年)". Archived from the original on 17 April 2009. Retrieved 19 March 2009.
  35. Rodriguez, p. 143.
  36. Michael Frontani, "The Solo Years", in Kenneth Womack (ed.), The Cambridge Companion to the Beatles, Cambridge University Press (Cambridge, UK, 2009; ISBN 978-1-139-82806-2), p. 266.
  37. Alterman, Loraine (25 November 1973). "Ringo Dishes Up a 'Hot Fudge Sundae'". The New York Times. p. 188.
  38. Gerson, Ben (20 December 1973). "Records: Ringo". Rolling Stone. p. 73. Archived from the original on 1 October 2007. Retrieved 28 June 2013.
  39. Rodriguez, Robert (2010). Fab Four FAQ 2.0: The Beatles' Solo Years, 1970–1980 (illustrated ed.). New York: Backbeat Books. pp. 34, 262. ISBN 978-0-87930-968-8.
  40. Harry, Bill (2004). The Ringo Starr Encyclopedia. London: Virgin Books. p. 260. ISBN 978-0-7535-0843-5.
  41. Harry Castleman & Walter J. Podrazik, All Together Now: The First Complete Beatles Discography 1961–1975 (New York: Ballantine Books, 1975), 268
  42. Perry Cox & Joe Lindsay, The Official Price Guide to The Beatles Records and Memorabilia (New York: House of Collectibles, 1995), 235.
  43. Labels on Apple Records SWAL 3413 & Capitol Records SN-16114.
  44. "QuadraphonicQuad Beatles Surround Music Releases". Quadraphonicquad.com. Retrieved 31 May 2012.
  45. Harry, Bill (2004). The Ringo Starr Encyclopedia. London: Virgin Books. p. 141. ISBN 978-0-7535-0843-5.
  46. "MPL Music Publishing Inc". mplscommunications.com. MPL Communications. Archived from the original on 20 December 2010. Retrieved 13 March 2013. Enter Six O'Clock in the Title field, click Begin Search click Six O'Clock
  47. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  48. "dutchcharts.nl Ringo Starr – Ringo" (ASP). dutchcharts.nl (in Dutch). MegaCharts. Retrieved 12 February 2012.
  49. "Hit Parade Italia – Gli album più venduti del 1974" (in Italian). hitparadeitalia.it. Retrieved 12 February 2012.
  50. "- Yamachan Land (Archives of the Japanese record charts) – Albums Chart Daijiten – The Beatles" (in Japanese). 30 December 2007. Archived from the original on 14 February 2012. Retrieved 31 August 2011.
  51. "norwegiancharts.com Ringo Starr – Ringo" (ASP). VG-lista. Retrieved 31 August 2011.
  52. Salaverri, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
  53. "Swedish Charts 1972–1975 (in PDF-files)" (PDF) (in Swedish). Hitsallertijden. Retrieved 12 January 2014.
  54. "allmusic (((Ringo – Charts & Awards – Billboard Albums)))". allmusic.com. Retrieved 12 February 2012.
  55. "Album Search: Ringo Starr: Ringo" (ASP) (in German). Media Control. Retrieved 12 February 2012.
  56. "Dutch charts jaaroverzichten 1973" (ASP) (in Dutch). Retrieved 2 April 2014.
  57. "RPM Top 100 Albums of 1974". RPM. Retrieved 3 October 2011.
  58. Billboard – Year-end Albums – 1974. Retrieved 29 January 2012.
  59. "British album certifications – Ringo Starr – Ringo". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 11 February 2012. Select albums in the Format field. Select Gold in the Certification field. Type Ringo in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
  60. "American album certifications – Ringo Starr – Ringo". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 11 February 2012. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH. 
  61. Harry, Bill (2004). The Ringo Starr Encyclopedia. London: Virgin Books. p. 214. ISBN 978-0-7535-0843-5.
  62. Harry, Bill (2004). The Ringo Starr Encyclopedia. London: Virgin Books. p. 281. ISBN 978-0-7535-0843-5.
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