When The Beatles formally announced the decision they had split up in April 1970 – the break-up chronicled in a fine song entitled ‘Early 1970‘ by the subject of this piece – few doubted John Lennon, Paul McCartney and George Harrison would enter solo careers sure to produce accomplished and successful work.
After all Lennon and McCartney as a songwriting duo, supported increasingly by Harrison as the 60s wore on, had been pivotal in taking popular music to previously uncharted heights – The Beatles making a series of breath-taking albums that redrew the boundaries for what could be achieved over two sides (on one occasion four) of an LP.
As individuals Lennon (‘Plastic Ono Band‘) and Harrison (‘All Things Must Pass‘) hit the ground running with acknowledged masterworks before the first year of the new decade was out.
It took McCartney slightly longer to produce a work at the same level of consistent excellence – ‘Ram‘ (1971) came close, ‘Red Rose Speedway‘ (1972) nowhere near – but with the majestic ‘Band On The Run‘ (1973) he at last staked his claim in the ‘best Beatle solo album thus far‘ stakes.
So, while his former colleagues were coming up with varying degrees of accomplishment, what of drummer and bon vivant Ringo Starr?
During the early 70s Ringo had embarked on a film career and appeared grateful just to have a record label prepared to indulge the pleasant, if lightweight records he had so far made.
(with a little help from his friends)
But more importantly Starr remained on good terms with each of his former bandmates. This at a time when Lennon and McCartney were sniping at each other in the press and firing off barbs in songs – John’s attack on Paul in ‘How Do You Sleep?‘ more torpedo than pot shot.
Given post-Beatle relationships between McCartney and in particular Lennon and Harrison were at a nadir as 1973 dawned, it seems astounding, nay a miracle, that Ringo was able to call on them all for his next record.
The affection in which the drummer was held is reflected in the contributions they were prepared to make – ultimately leading to a track where The Beatles came closest to reforming in the years before John Lennon was murdered.
From the credits of the subsequent ‘RINGO’ album (1973) it was clear the Starr-man had the most enviable contacts book in rock – nobody else at the time could have called on the three other former Beatles, a trio from The Band, Billy Preston, Bobby Keyes, Jim Keltner, Nicky Hopkins, Marc Bolan, James Booker, Harry Nilsson, Tom Scott, Milt Holland and Chuck Finley.
Throughout bass guitar duties are covered by old Hamburg mucker Klaus Voormann, who serves Ringo in the same effective way as he had John and George on their previous albums.
Between them Ringo and producer Richard Perry, an A-List music business operator long before someone thought of the term, come up with an excellent collection of songs and performances, moods and styles. Irrespective of Ringo being no Sinatra as a vocalist, he holds it all together with abundant charm and infectious enthusiasm – ‘Ringo‘ easily holding down a top five place in the pantheon of Beatle-solo albums.
Indeed, the only unimaginative thing about the entire piece is the title.
Of the ten songs, eight have Beatle-connotations – three by Ringo, two from George, one each by John and Paul with another – the worldwide hit single ‘Photograph‘ a collaboration between George and Ringo.
The three other former Fabs do him proud with material not to be sneezed at, providing tailor-made pieces allowing Ringo to ‘act naturally‘ so to speak. The lad himself proves no slouch either when it comes to penning a lyric, ‘Oh My My‘, ‘Step Lightly‘ and ‘Devil Woman‘ each containing some agreeable lines.
This Starr-studded extravaganza kicks-off with ‘I’m the Greatest‘, a witty John Lennon song full of yester-year references (‘Liverpool‘, ‘Billy Shears‘, ‘Greatest Show on Earth‘ even ‘Boogaloo‘ – ‘Back Off Boogaloo‘ had been a hit single for Ringo twelve months earlier).
With the exception of Paul, this admirable soft-rock number is a ‘Let It Be‘ session reincarnate, Ringo (drums), John (piano and harmony vocal), George (guitars), Billy Preston (organ), along with the aforementioned Voormann on bass.
They may not all have been in the studio at the same time and it is certainly not the ‘greatest’ song they played on together, but almost fifty years later it stills bears scrutiny not just for its historical significance but as a well-made period piece.
One of the two tracks not covered in Beatle-fingerprints, next up is ‘Have You Seen My Baby.’ Written by Randy Newman, Perry fattens up the song with a juicy horn arrangement – Ringo taking the role of jilted lover in this infectious, up-tempo number on which Marc Bolan lays down some sexy guitar lines. (The two had collaborated the previous year when Starr directed the Bolan-documentary ‘Born To Boogie‘ which in truth did little more than show Ringo could point a camera in the right direction).
The other song to come from outside the old gang is side one closer ‘You’re Sixteen (You’re Beautiful And You’re Mine‘), a jaunty re-working of the 1960 hit for Johnny Burnette. Built around a chunky piano riff with background vocals from Harry Nilsson and mouth sax solo by Paul (presumably a kazoo), through sheer ebullience Ringo just manages to carry it off.
The esteem in which he was held is underlined by the fact it reached the top five of the UK and US charts – this at a time when his contemporaries The Kinks and The Who were each putting out excellent singles that rarely made the Top Twenty.
As a writer Harrison makes his first contributions on ‘Photograph‘ and ‘Sunshine Life for Me‘ (Sail Away Raymond), songs three and four of side one. The former is a classy, engaging cut, boasting a superb string arrangement, great sax solo (Keyes) and some gorgeous 12-string guitar work from George – the instrument making a welcome return to Beatle-circles, Paul adopting it to equally good effect on the ‘Band On The Run‘ title track later in the year.
Worthy of note also is the marvelous drum work by Ringo and Jim Keltner – when it comes to simply keeping time and serving the song, Starr proves once more he’s the best in the business.
For those (of us) intrigued by such things, it would be interesting to know whether it was Ringo or George writing as the first person in this poignant break-up song.
At the time both were experiencing matrimonial turmoil, so if the line, ‘Now you’re expecting me to live without you, but that’s not something that I’m looking forward to,’ was written by Harrison, it takes on even greater resonance when recalling his ode to wife Patti on ‘Abbey Road.’
In contrast, ‘Sunshine Life for Me‘ verges on being a latter-day sea shanty, in which George extols the virtues of a simple, spiritual life, far removed from the craziness surrounding rock stars.
Levon Helm (mandolin), Robbie Robertson (joining Harrison on guitar) and Rick Danko (fiddle) from The Band each make their mark – the line, ‘Now most folks just bore me, always imposing, and I’d rather meet a tree, somewhere out in the country‘, written from the heart by George and sung from such by Ringo.
The notion of life being lived too fast is explored to varying degrees in three self-penned tracks on side two. In the raucous ‘Oh My My‘, Ringo feels compelled to ignore advice from his doctor to continue having a good time – hats off to Billy Preston and Tom Scott for their sterling keyboard and sax work – while ‘Step Lightly‘ is altogether more restrained and reflective, the rag-time arrangement working a treat.
Acknowledging he needs to step back from living a perpetual party existence (before long Starr, Nilsson, Keith Moon and on occasion John Lennon had formed themselves into a 70s version of The Rat Pack and often at the centre of unruly incidents in L.A. nightclubs). But in ‘Step Lightly‘ Ringo pens a cautionary memo to self, conjuring lines more ‘self-aware’ songwriters should envy.
On the other hand ‘Devil Woman‘, the toughest rocking song of the set, is a Faces-style rave up in similar vein to ‘Stay With Me‘ – the lyrics raunchy or sexist depending on whether the song is judged by 1973 or 21st Century standards.
With the line ‘Sexy Sadie you look like a devil to me‘, Ringo shows he too is prepared to give the past a nod, this track showing the double-drumming technique of Starr and Keltner at its most effective (going on to become a feature of subsequent Ringo albums). In giving their kits a decent pummeling toward the end, they veer toward (I Know) ‘I’m Losing You‘, a cornerstone of the Faces live repertoire.
Between ‘Step Lightly‘ and ‘Devil Woman‘ in the middle of side two comes ‘Six O’ Clock‘, a delicate piano ballad by McCartney that thankfully steers clear of his more mawkish tendencies. Paul handles all the keyboard work, string and flute arrangements, joining wife Linda in singing harmony.
Strange McCartney should give away his two best love songs of period, this and ‘Mine For Me‘ (Rod Stewart) – neither of them ‘silly‘ in the slightest.
After ‘Devil Woman‘ Ringo slows the pace, bringing matters to a close with ‘You and Me‘ (Babe). Written by Harrison and former Beatle road-manager Mal Evans, over a homely blend of acoustic and electric guitars (George on lead) and delicious electric piano work by Nicky Hopkins, Ringo regales us with a humorous tale of a life spent on the road, into which a fleeting romance is incorporated – the female at the centre of the story thus informed:
‘Though I may not be in your town, you know that I can still be found, right here on this record, spinning round, with the sounds.’
At this point Ringo rallies the musicians as they begin taking the song to its conclusion, but rather than let the track merely fade out he begins thanking ‘everyone involved in this wonderful piece of plastic we’re making – Klaus Voormann, good old Jim Keltner, Nicky Hopkins……..George Harrison, John Lennon, Paul McCartney‘, going on to thank several more members of the cast.
From anyone else this would be schmaltz beyond the pale (amazing to think Elton John didn’t do it first) and unthinkable from the likes of James Taylor or Neil Young – but from Ringo it sounds entirely natural, he being the only rock star who could get away with it.
Producer Perry, who in the years before collaborated with artists such as Barbara Streisand, Ray Charles and Carly Simon, later said working on ‘Ringo‘ had been ‘the biggest thrill of my career.’
For his part, when delivering acknowledgements at the end of ‘You and Me‘ (Babe), with a slight chuckle Starr thanks Perry……..’the producer of this masterpiece.’
In jest many a true word is spoken.
RINGO – Ringo Starr (Released November 2 1973):
I’m the Greatest/Have You Seen My Baby/Photograph/Sunshine Life for Me (Sail Away Raymond)/You’re Sixteen/Oh My My/Step Lightly/Six O’Clock/Devil Woman/You and Me (Babe);
This article was first published on 15/5/2019.
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NEIL SAMBROOK is the author of ‘MONTY’S DOUBLE‘ – an acclaimed thriller now available in paperback and as an Amazon Kindle Book.