Early 1970

Last updated

"Early 1970"
Early 1970 B-side.jpg
Picture sleeve (reverse)
Single by Ringo Starr
A-side "It Don't Come Easy"
Released9 April 1971 (1971-04-09)
RecordedOctober 1970
Studio EMI, London
Genre Rock
Length2:21
Label Apple
Songwriter(s) Richard Starkey
Producer(s) Ringo Starr
Ringo Starr singles chronology
"Beaucoups of Blues"
(1970)		"It Don't Come Easy" / "Early 1970"
(1971)		"Back Off Boogaloo"
(1972)

"Early 1970" is a song by English rock musician Ringo Starr that was released as the B-side of his April 1971 single "It Don't Come Easy". A rare example of Starr's songwriting at the time, it was inspired by the break-up of the Beatles and documents his relationship with his three former bandmates. The lyrics to the verses comment in turn on Paul McCartney, John Lennon and George Harrison as individuals, and the likelihood of each of them making music with Starr again. In the final verse, Starr offers a self-deprecating picture of his musical abilities and expresses the hope that all four will play together in the future. Commentators have variously described "Early 1970" as "a rough draft of a peace treaty" [1] and "a disarming open letter" from Starr to Lennon, McCartney and Harrison. [2]

Contents

The song's working title was "When Four Nights Come to Town". Starr recorded the basic track in London in October 1970, midway through the sessions for Lennon's John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band album, and then completed the recording with Harrison. Apple Corps manager Allen Klein suggested that the three former Beatles invite McCartney to contribute, to weaken the latter's case for the band's legal dissolution, but this did not take place.

Background and inspiration

It was a relief once we finally said we would split up ... I sat in the garden for a while wondering what the hell to do with my life. After you've said it's over and go home, you think: "Oh, God – that's it, then. Now what do you do?" It was quite a dramatic period for me – or traumatic, actually. [3]

– Ringo Starr recalling his reaction to John Lennon saying he was leaving the Beatles

As the Beatles' drummer, and only a nascent songwriter, Ringo Starr felt lost when the band broke up. [4] [5] Although the official announcement came on 10 April 1970, [6] the group's demise was initiated by John Lennon's statement during a September 1969 band meeting that he wanted a "divorce" from his fellow Beatles. [7] In a February 1970 interview in Look magazine, midway through sessions for his first solo album, Sentimental Journey , [8] Starr explained his disorientation: "I keep looking around and thinking where are they? What are they doing? When will they come back and talk to me?" [9] Beatles historian Bruce Spizer writes that these sentiments "form the basis" of Starr's composition "Early 1970". [9]

Discussing the song in a 2001 interview, Starr said it reflected how he could count on Lennon and George Harrison's musical support after the break-up, but not on Paul McCartney's. [10] A rift had grown between Starr and McCartney in March 1970 due to McCartney's refusal to have his own debut solo album held back in Apple Records' release schedule to allow for Sentimental Journey and the Beatles' Let It Be album, [11] and thereby avoid saturating the market with Beatles product. [12] The two musicians had a heated exchange at McCartney's St John's Wood home on 31 March. The confrontation had what Beatles biographer Peter Doggett terms a "grievous effect" on Starr and McCartney's friendship, [13] and contributed to the latter announcing his departure from the band. [14] In the same 2001 interview, Starr recalled that "Early 1970" was also informed by McCartney's subsequent attempts to be released from the band's Apple record label and the acrimony this created. [10]

Composition

The song's working title was variously "When I Come to Town (Four Nights in Moscow)" [15] and "When Four Nights Come to Town". [1] Spizer describes "Early 1970" as a "country-flavored" track. [9] It followed Starr's full immersion in the country music genre on his Beaucoups of Blues album, [16] a project that resulted from meeting Nashville session musician and producer Pete Drake when they both worked on Harrison's All Things Must Pass in June 1970. [17] [18]

The four verses focus on each of the Beatles in turn, [19] providing what Beatles Forever author Nicholas Schaffner describes as "a disarming open letter" to Lennon, McCartney and Harrison. [2] The lyrics gauge Starr's relationships with his bandmates according to how likely each one was to make music with him in the future. [20] [21] In author Andrew Grant Jackson's view, the verses suggest a group dynamic similar to the opening scene of the Beatles' 1964 film A Hard Day's Night , when Starr, Lennon and Harrison are seen sharing a laugh and enjoying each other's company, while McCartney is removed and remote. [22] [nb 1]

In the first verse, Starr addresses his strained relationship with McCartney. [1] The lyrics depict McCartney as full of "charm" [23] and engrossed in his domestic life [2] – on his Scottish farm with his wife Linda Eastman and their newborn daughter Mary. [24] Starr concludes the verse by singing, "And when he comes to town I wonder if he'll play with me." [9]

In verse two, he refers to Lennon and his wife Yoko Ono's 1969 bed-ins for peace [1] and, in the line "They screamed and they cried, now they're free", to their recent experiences on Arthur Janov's primal therapy course. [9] The latter treatment inspired the couple's 1970 solo albums, John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band and Yoko Ono/Plastic Ono Band , [25] both of which feature Starr on drums. [26] The verse ends with Starr asserting of Lennon: "And when he comes to town, I know he's gonna play with me." [9]

In the third verse, Starr describes Harrison as "a long-haired, cross-legged guitar picker" [23] whose wife, former model Pattie Boyd, picks daisies for his vegetarian meals. [9] Author Robert Rodriguez writes that Harrison's workload following the September 1969 release of the Beatles' Abbey Road album displayed the same "workaholic tendencies" traditionally associated with McCartney; [27] these projects usually involved Starr, [28] and Starr depicts Harrison as the bandmate most likely to continue working with him. [2] [19] [nb 2] He closes the verse by describing Harrison as "always in town playing for you with me", [9] so much so that the guitarist rarely sees his recently purchased Friar Park estate. [1]

In the song's autobiographical final verse, Starr refers to his own musical shortcomings: [2] [32]

I play guitar – A, D, E
I don't play bass, 'cause that's too hard for me
I play the piano if it's in C  ...

He concludes the song by declaring, "And when I go to town I wanna see all three" – a statement that music journalist Bob Woffinden takes as being an admission by Starr that he "clearly needed the support" of Lennon, McCartney and Harrison. [19]

Recording

At that point, I felt that when John comes to town, I know he's gonna play with me, and if George comes to town, I know he'll play with me, and if Paul comes to town, I "wonder" if he's gonna play. We were going through that Apple nonsense, where Paul was suing the three of us. And he was angry, and we were angry, and I was wondering when that would stop. [10]

– Ringo Starr, 2001

Starr taped the basic track for the song, as "When I Come to Town (Four Knights in Moscow)", at EMI Studios (now Abbey Road Studios) on 3 October 1970, [15] during a lull in the sessions for John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band. [1] [22] [nb 3] In their book Eight Arms to Hold You, authors Chip Madinger and Mark Easter comment on the difficulty in ascertaining reliable information on the song's recording; [15] Spizer similarly cites "[f]ading memories" as a hindrance to identifying the precise line-up of musicians. [9] Starr biographer Alan Clayson states that Lennon produced this initial session, [35] while Doggett writes of Lennon merely participating in the recording, along with Starr and bassist Klaus Voormann. [1] [nb 4] Starr subsequently completed the track with Harrison, [1] who finished his production of the drummer's "It Don't Come Easy" at this time. [15] [nb 5]

In addition to his drum part, Starr played rhythm acoustic guitar on "Early 1970". [21] [39] According to Voormann's recollection, Starr overdubbed the opening dobro part and, in verse four, brief snatches of the various instruments on which he admits his musical limitations: the three guitar chords he names, a walking bass line, and a piano vamp following the third line of the verse. [9] Harrison played rhythm and lead electric guitar, [39] and a slide guitar part of which Madinger and Easter write: "George's distinctive slide solo after his 'section' of the song confirms his solidarity with Ringo, if nothing else." [15] Harrison also joined Starr on piano for the verse-four fill, playing the C chord high up the keyboard. [9] A piano enters during the verse dedicated to Lennon; in Jackson's view, its energetic quality signals the easy relationship Starr enjoyed with him. [22] Although Harrison's friend Gary Wright overdubbed piano on "It Don't Come Easy" that same month, [40] no one is credited for the main piano part on "Early 1970". [39]

Allen Klein, the manager of Starr, Harrison and Lennon, suggested inviting McCartney to participate in the recording of the song, thinking that his involvement would undermine any legal moves McCartney might make to quit the Beatles. [41] [42] No such collaboration took place, [43] and McCartney filed a suit in London's High Court on 31 December to dissolve the band's business partnership. [44]

Release

Starr chose "Early 1970" as the B-side of his first solo single in the UK, the lead side of which was "It Don't Come Easy". [40] The single was issued by Apple Records on 9 April 1971, [45] four weeks after the High Court had ruled in McCartney's favour. [46] Writing in early March, Alan Smith of the NME deplored the hostility that had come to light in the court proceedings and recent interviews, highlighting newspaper headlines such as "Paul was a spoilt child, says Ringo", although he acknowledged that Starr "still feels it would be possible for the Beatles to resolve their differences". [47] [nb 6] According to Doggett, whereas "Early 1970" had been "a rough draft of a peace treaty" originally, amid the unpleasantness surrounding the lawsuit, it "seem[ed] like a false memory of a mythic past, its Arcadia tangled with weeds". [52]

"It Don't Come Easy" was an unexpected commercial success and outsold some of the singles released around that time by the other former Beatles. [53] Schaffner recalled that for ardent fans, the "real intrigue lay in the B-side" and its insights into the Beatles' private world. [2] During May, all four were in the Cannes area of the South of France. [54] While attending Mick Jagger's wedding in St Tropez, Starr had an awkward reunion with McCartney, their first meeting in over a year. [25] [55] Although Starr later told Melody Maker that they "both knew that everything was OK" and merely "had to get warm together", [55] he was also vocal in dismissing McCartney's new album, Ram , and its predecessor. [25] [56] [nb 7]

"Early 1970" received a second commercial release in November 1975, when included on Starr's Apple compilation Blast from Your Past . [59] [60] For the CD reissue of Starr's 1973 album Ringo in 1991, the original ten-song album was expanded with the addition of three bonus tracks, [61] one of which was "Early 1970". [62] The song also appeared on Photograph: The Very Best of Ringo Starr , issued in 2007. [63]

Critical reception

In his single review for Record Mirror , Peter Jones predicted a top-five hit for the A-side and said that "Early 1970" offered "pertinent comments on how the Beatles as individuals are getting on", adding, "Don't miss this side." [64] Village Voice critic Robert Christgau, reflecting on the solo Beatles following Starr's appearance at Harrison's Concert for Bangladesh shows in August 1971, wrote that the song showed him to be "the ultimate Beatle fan". He cited it as typical of Starr's demeanour, in that he was content to defer to his more ambitious colleagues, having joined the band as a replacement drummer, and of how he served as the people's "representative" for fans mourning the group's break-up. [65] [nb 8]

Writing in 1973 – by which time the four ex-Beatles had united against Klein [66] – Alan Betrock of Phonograph Record commented on the former bandmates' "backward glances" in their music since the break-up. He concluded that "Ringo's little-known B-side 'Early 1970' was probably the sharpest commentary on their whole lot." [67] Reviewing Blast from Your Past for the NME, however, Bob Woffinden dismissed the track as "a period curiosity, interesting at the time, but of little substance". [68]

Among Beatles biographers, Alan Clayson opines that the commercial success of "It Don't Come Easy" gave Starr "instant self-esteem" at a time of uncertainty, but the B-side would have "gone in one ear and out the other" had it not been for the song's subject matter. [69] Chris Ingham, writing in The Rough Guide to the Beatles, highlights it as one of the more tempered responses to the break-up relative to the "musical sniping" in Harrison's "Wah-Wah", McCartney's "Too Many People" and especially Lennon's "How Do You Sleep?" He describes "Early 1970" as a song with "affectionate, comic" verses that "accentuated the human aspect of losing the old gang". [70] Robert Rodriguez deems the track "utterly charming" with a "delicious slide guitar part", and adds: "'Early 1970' was the perfect tonic for beleaguered Beatles fans wondering if the band would ever, if not get back together, at least achieve some civility." [20] Bruce Spizer similarly views it as a "charming delight". [71] [nb 9]

Personnel

According to Bruce Spizer (except where noted): [9]

Notes

  1. ↑ Jackson adds: "Now the loner was instituting legal proceedings to allow him to leave the gang permanently." [22]
  2. ↑ Their shared activities included sessions for American singer Leon Russell [29] and for Harrison-produced albums by Apple artists Billy Preston [30] and Doris Troy. [31]
  3. ↑ Some commentators suggest that the mention of "cookie" in the lyrics to Lennon's Plastic Ono Band track "Hold On" led to Starr including the word in his "Early 1970" verse about Lennon. [33] [34]
  4. ↑ Neither Madinger and Easter nor Spizer acknowledge Lennon on the recording, for which Starr is credited as sole producer. [36]
  5. ↑ Harrison was at Abbey Road carrying out final mixing on All Things Must Pass [37] while Lennon and Starr were recording Plastic Ono Band. [38]
  6. ↑ Amid this media speculation, rumours claimed that Lennon, Harrison and Starr were to form a band with Voormann, named the Ladders. [48] [49] Lennon told an interviewer that it was "90 per cent" likely that he, Harrison and Starr would record together again, "but maybe not as the Beatles". [50] The rumour gained in intensity when Voormann moved into Friar Park to escape the press. [51]
  7. ↑ In the same Melody Maker interview, Starr said that his recent session work for B.B. King and Howlin' Wolf meant no more to him than playing with Lennon or Harrison. [57] He praised Lennon's individuality as a rhythm guitarist and described Harrison as "the best rock guitarist around". [58]
  8. ↑ Christgau nevertheless predicted that, just as fans struggled with the wider social implications of the break-up, Starr's position was the most vulnerable. He concluded: "since Ringo is all of us, we'd better figure out what there is for us now that we can't be Beatle fans any longer." [65]
  9. ↑ In 2017, while promoting the expanded edition of Harrison's 1980 autobiography I, Me, Mine , his widow Olivia Harrison discussed the discovery of an unreleased song he wrote for Starr in the early 1970s, titled "Hey Ringo". [72] In the song's lyrics, Harrison states that Starr's drumming provided an essential, complementary quality to his own playing, with lines such as "Hey Ringo, now I want you to know / That without you my guitar plays far too slow". [73]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Concert for Bangladesh</span> 1971 benefit concert organised by George Harrison and Ravi Shankar

The Concert for Bangladesh was a pair of benefit concerts organised by former Beatles guitarist George Harrison and Indian sitar player Ravi Shankar. The shows were held at 2:30 and 8:00 pm on Sunday, 1 August 1971, at Madison Square Garden in New York City, to raise international awareness of, and fund relief for refugees from East Pakistan, following the Bangladesh Liberation War-related genocide. The concerts were followed by a bestselling live album, a boxed three-record set, and Apple Films' concert documentary, which opened in cinemas in the spring of 1972.

<i>McCartney</i> (album) 1970 studio album by Paul McCartney

McCartney is the debut solo album by English musician Paul McCartney, released on 17 April 1970 by Apple Records. McCartney recorded it in secrecy, mostly using basic home-recording equipment at his house in St John's Wood. Mixing and some recording took place at professional London studios. In its loosely arranged performances, McCartney eschewed the polish of the Beatles' past records in favour of a lo-fi style. Apart from occasional contributions by his wife, Linda, McCartney performed the entire album alone by overdubbing on four-track tape.

<i>Sentimental Journey</i> (Ringo Starr album) 1970 studio album by Ringo Starr

Sentimental Journey is the debut solo album by English rock musician Ringo Starr. It was released by Apple Records in March 1970 as the Beatles were breaking up. The album is a collection of pre-rock 'n' roll standards that Starr recalled from his childhood in Liverpool. As a departure from the experimental quality that had characterised solo LPs by George Harrison and John Lennon since 1968, it was the first studio album by an individual Beatle to embrace a popular music form.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">All Things Must Pass (song)</span> 1970 song by George Harrison

"All Things Must Pass" is a song by English rock musician George Harrison, issued in November 1970 as the title track to his triple album of the same name. Billy Preston released the song originally – as "All Things (Must) Pass" – on his Apple Records album Encouraging Words (1970) after the Beatles had rehearsed the song in January 1969 but did not include it on their Let It Be album. The composition reflects the influence of the Band's sound and communal music-making on Harrison, after he had spent time with the group in Woodstock, New York, in late 1968. In his lyrics, Harrison drew inspiration from Timothy Leary's poem "All Things Pass", a psychedelic adaptation of the Tao Te Ching.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">It Don't Come Easy</span> 1971 single by Ringo Starr

"It Don't Come Easy" is a song by English rock musician Ringo Starr that was released as a non-album single in April 1971. It was produced by Starr's former Beatles bandmate George Harrison, who also helped write the song, although only Starr is credited. Recording for the track took place in March 1970 at Trident Studios in London, with overdubs added in October. Starr and Harrison performed the song together in August 1971 at Harrison's Concert for Bangladesh shows in New York City, a recording from which was released on the live album of the same name. Starr has continued to perform it in subsequent decades with his All-Starr Band.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Photograph (Ringo Starr song)</span> 1973 single by Ringo Starr

"Photograph" is a song by English rock musician Ringo Starr that was released as the lead single from his 1973 album Ringo. Starr co-wrote it with George Harrison, his former bandmate from the Beatles. Although they collaborated on other songs, it is the only one officially credited to the pair. A signature tune for Starr as a solo artist, "Photograph" was an international hit, topping singles charts in the United States, Canada and Australia, and receiving gold disc certification for US sales of 1 million. Music critics have similarly received the song favourably; Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic considers it to be "among the very best post-Beatles songs by any of the Fab Four".

<i>The Best of George Harrison</i> 1976 compilation album by George Harrison

The Best of George Harrison is a 1976 compilation album by the English musician George Harrison, released following the expiration of his EMI-affiliated Apple Records contract. Uniquely among all of the four Beatles' solo releases, apart from posthumous compilations, it mixes a selection of the artist's songs recorded with the Beatles on one side, and later hits recorded under his own name on the other.

"I'm the Greatest" is a song written by English musician John Lennon that was released as the opening track of the 1973 album Ringo by Ringo Starr. With Starr, Lennon and George Harrison appearing on the track, it marks the only time that three former Beatles recorded together between the band's break-up in 1970 and Lennon's death in 1980. Lennon wrote the song in December 1970 as a wry comment on his rise to fame, and later tailored the lyrics for Starr to sing. Named after one of Muhammad Ali's catchphrases, the song partly evokes the stage-show concept of the Beatles' 1967 album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Give Ireland Back to the Irish</span> 1972 single by Wings

"Give Ireland Back to the Irish" is the debut single by the British–American rock band Wings that was released in February 1972. It was written by Paul McCartney and his wife Linda in response to the events of Bloody Sunday, on 30 January that year, when British troops in Northern Ireland shot dead thirteen civil rights protestors. Keen to voice their outrage at the killings, Wings recorded the track two days later at EMI Studios in London. It was the band's first song to include Northern Irish guitarist Henry McCullough.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Back Off Boogaloo</span> 1972 song by Ringo Starr

"Back Off Boogaloo" is a song by English rock musician Ringo Starr that was released as a non-album single in March 1972. Starr's former Beatles bandmate George Harrison produced the recording and helped Starr write the song, although he remained uncredited as a co-writer until 2017. Recording took place in London shortly after the pair had appeared together at Harrison's Concert for Bangladesh shows in August 1971. The single was a follow-up to Starr's 1971 hit song "It Don't Come Easy" and continued his successful run as a solo artist. "Back Off Boogaloo" peaked at number 2 in Britain and Canada, and number 9 on America's Billboard Hot 100. It remains Starr's highest-charting single in the United Kingdom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ding Dong, Ding Dong</span> 1974 single by George Harrison

"Ding Dong, Ding Dong" is a song by English rock musician George Harrison, written as a New Year's Eve singalong and released in December 1974 on his album Dark Horse. It was the album's lead single in Britain and some other European countries, and the second single, after "Dark Horse", in North America. A large-scale production, the song incorporates aspects of Phil Spector's Wall of Sound technique, particularly his Christmas recordings from 1963. In addition, some Harrison biographers view "Ding Dong" as an attempt to emulate the success of two glam rock anthems from the 1973–74 holiday season: "Merry Xmas Everybody" by Slade, and Wizzard's "I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday". The song became only a minor hit in Britain and the United States, although it was a top-twenty hit elsewhere in the world.

"Sue Me, Sue You Blues" is a song written by English musician George Harrison, released on his 1973 album Living in the Material World. Harrison initially let American guitarist Jesse Ed Davis record it for the latter's Ululu album (1972), in gratitude to Davis for his participation in the Concert for Bangladesh. When writing the song, Harrison drew inspiration from the legal issues surrounding the Beatles during the early months of 1971, particularly the lawsuit that Paul McCartney initiated in an effort to dissolve the band's business partnership, Apple Corps.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wah-Wah (song)</span> Song by George Harrison

"Wah-Wah" is a song by English rock musician George Harrison from his 1970 triple album All Things Must Pass. Harrison wrote the song following his temporary departure from the Beatles in January 1969, during the troubled Get Back sessions that resulted in their Let It Be album and film. The lyrics reflect his frustration with the atmosphere in the group at that time – namely, Paul McCartney's over-assertiveness and criticism of his guitar playing, John Lennon's lack of engagement with the project and dismissal of Harrison as a songwriter, and Yoko Ono's constant involvement in the band's activities. Music critics and biographers recognise the song as Harrison's statement of personal and artistic freedom from the Beatles. Its creation contrasted sharply with his rewarding collaborations outside the group in the months before the Get Back project, particularly with Bob Dylan and the Band in upstate New York.

"Sunshine Life for Me (Sail Away Raymond)" is a song by English musician Ringo Starr from his 1973 album Ringo. It was written by George Harrison, Starr's former bandmate in the Beatles, and was one of several contributions Harrison made to Ringo. Recording for the song took place in Los Angeles in March 1973, with Richard Perry as producer. In addition to Starr and Harrison, the musicians on the track include Levon Helm, Robbie Robertson, Rick Danko and Garth Hudson of the Band, and multi-instrumentalist David Bromberg.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Run of the Mill (George Harrison song)</span> 1970 song by George Harrison

"Run of the Mill" is a song by English musician George Harrison, released on his 1970 triple album All Things Must Pass. Harrison wrote the song shortly after the Beatles' troubled Get Back sessions in early 1969, during a period when his growth as a songwriter had inadvertently contributed to the dysfunction within the Beatles' group dynamic. The lyrics reflect the toll that running their company Apple Corps had taken on relationships within the band, especially between Paul McCartney and the other three Beatles, as well as Harrison's dismay at John Lennon's emotional withdrawal from the band. Commentators recognise "Run of the Mill" as one of several Harrison compositions that provide an insight into events behind the Beatles' break-up, particularly the difficulties surrounding Apple.

"See Yourself" is a song by English musician George Harrison, released on his 1976 album Thirty Three & 1/3. Harrison began writing the song in 1967, while he was a member of the Beatles, in response to the public outcry surrounding bandmate Paul McCartney's admission that he had taken the hallucinogenic drug LSD. McCartney's announcement created a reaction in the press similar to that caused in 1966 by John Lennon's statement that the Beatles were more popular than Christianity. In its finished form, the song's lyrics advocate self-awareness and consideration for the consequences of one's actions. Musically, the composition contains unusual shifts in time signature from standard 4/4 to 9/8, while the songwords reflect the era of its genesis by recalling themes first espoused in the Beatles tracks "Within You Without You" and "All You Need Is Love".

"Six O'Clock" is a song by English rock musician Ringo Starr from his 1973 album Ringo. It was written by Starr's former Beatles bandmate Paul McCartney and the latter's wife, Linda, who also participated in the recording of the song. It was the first time McCartney and Starr had worked together since the Beatles' break-up in 1970. Their collaboration reflected an easing of the tensions that had existed between the two musicians for much of that period.

"You and Me (Babe)" is a song by English musician Ringo Starr, released as the final track on his 1973 album Ringo. Starr's fellow ex-Beatle George Harrison wrote the song along with Mal Evans, the Beatles' longtime aide and a personal assistant to Starr during the making of Ringo. The track serves as a farewell from Starr to his audience in the manner of a show-closing finale, by lyrically referring to the completion of the album. During the extended fadeout, Starr delivers a spoken message in which he thanks the musicians and studio personnel who helped with the recording of Ringo – among them, Harrison, John Lennon and Paul McCartney, and his producer, Richard Perry.

"I'll Still Love You" is a song written by English rock musician George Harrison and first released in 1976 by his former Beatles bandmate Ringo Starr. Produced by Arif Mardin, the track appeared on Starr's debut album for Atlantic Records and Polydor, Ringo's Rotogravure. The composition had a long recording history before then, having been written in 1970 as "Whenever", after which it was copyrighted with the title "When Every Song Is Sung".

Ring O' Records was a record label founded by former Beatle Ringo Starr in 1975. The label's formation coincided with the winding down of the Beatles' Apple Records and allowed Starr to continue supporting other artists' projects while maintaining his solo career. The label was shut down in 1978, having failed to achieve commercial success with a roster of artists that included David Hentschel, Bobby Keys, Graham Bonnet and Rab Noakes. Starr himself never recorded for Ring O' Records, although, following the expiration of his contract with Apple in January 1976, he signed with Polydor, which distributed his label throughout Europe. From 1977, Ring O' was distributed in some territories by Mercury Records.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Doggett, p. 145.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Schaffner, p. 140.
  3. ↑ The Beatles, p. 348.
  4. ↑ Woffinden, p. 44.
  5. ↑ Ingham, p. 170.
  6. ↑ Badman, p. 4.
  7. ↑ Doggett, pp. 103–04.
  8. ↑ Miles, pp. 369, 370.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Spizer, p. 294.
  10. 1 2 3 White, Timothy (26 May 2001). "Music to My Ears: Ringo's All Starrs Play and Act Naturally". Billboard . p. 4. Retrieved 29 March 2021.
  11. ↑ Clayson, p. 206.
  12. ↑ Doggett, pp. 120, 122.
  13. ↑ Doggett, pp. 121–22.
  14. ↑ Woffinden, pp. 32–33.
  15. 1 2 3 4 5 Madinger & Easter, p. 498.
  16. ↑ Spizer, pp. 287, 294.
  17. ↑ Clayson, pp. 207–08.
  18. ↑ Schaffner, pp. 139–40.
  19. 1 2 3 Woffinden, p. 45.
  20. 1 2 Rodriguez, pp. 29–30.
  21. 1 2 Clayson, p. 220.
  22. 1 2 3 4 5 Jackson, p. 46.
  23. 1 2 Rodriguez, p. 29.
  24. ↑ O'Dell, pp. 122–23.
  25. 1 2 3 Clayson, p. 217.
  26. ↑ Castleman & Podrazik, pp. 171, 183.
  27. ↑ Rodriguez, p. 1.
  28. ↑ Clayson, pp. 202–05.
  29. ↑ O'Dell, pp. 106–07.
  30. ↑ Davis, Andy (2010). Encouraging Words (CD booklet). Billy Preston. Apple Records.
  31. ↑ Leng, p. 61.
  32. ↑ Rodriguez, p. 30.
  33. ↑ Madinger & Easter, pp. 37, 498.
  34. ↑ Spizer, pp. 34, 294.
  35. ↑ Clayson, p. 218.
  36. ↑ Castleman & Podrazik, pp. 100, 210.
  37. ↑ Badman, p. 14.
  38. ↑ Hertsgaard, p. 308.
  39. 1 2 3 4 Castleman & Podrazik, p. 210.
  40. 1 2 Spizer, pp. 293–94.
  41. ↑ Doggett, p. 149.
  42. ↑ Jackson, pp. 46–47.
  43. ↑ Jackson, p. 47.
  44. ↑ Badman, p. 19.
  45. ↑ Castleman & Podrazik, p. 100.
  46. ↑ Badman, p. 32.
  47. ↑ Smith, Alan (6 March 1971). "The Beatles: It's Open Warfare". NME . Available at Rock's Backpages (subscription required).
  48. ↑ Clayson, pp. 216–17.
  49. ↑ Ingham, p. 310.
  50. ↑ Doggett, p. 164.
  51. ↑ Badman, pp. 32–33.
  52. ↑ Doggett, pp. 145, 163–64.
  53. ↑ Ingham, p. 177.
  54. ↑ Badman, p. 35.
  55. 1 2 Doggett, p. 166.
  56. ↑ Badman, p. 39.
  57. ↑ Clayson, pp. 204, 392.
  58. ↑ Watts, Michael (31 July 1971). "Ringo". Melody Maker . p. 15.
  59. ↑ Schaffner, p. 182.
  60. ↑ Ingham, p. 180.
  61. ↑ Madinger & Easter, pp. 507, 645.
  62. ↑ Ruhlmann, William. "Ringo Starr Ringo". AllMusic . Retrieved 30 January 2014.
  63. ↑ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Ringo Starr Photograph: The Very Best of Ringo Starr". AllMusic . Retrieved 30 January 2014.
  64. ↑ Jones, Peter (17 April 1971). "Mirrorpick". Record Mirror . p. 18.
  65. 1 2 Christgau, Robert (September 1971). "Living Without the Beatles". The Village Voice – via robertchristgau.com.
  66. ↑ Rodriguez, p. 137.
  67. ↑ Betrock, Alan (December 1973). "Ringo Starr: Ringo". Phonograph Record . Available at Rock's Backpages (subscription required).
  68. ↑ Woffinden, Bob (3 January 1976). "Ringo Starr: Blast from Your Past". NME . Available at Rock's Backpages (subscription required).
  69. ↑ Clayson, pp. 219–20.
  70. ↑ Ingham, p. 77.
  71. ↑ Spizer, p. 298.
  72. ↑ Gensler, Andy (3 April 2017). "Olivia Harrison Reveals Ringo Recently Stumbled Upon a Lost George Harrison Song". Billboard . Archived from the original on 3 April 2017. Retrieved 5 April 2021.
  73. ↑ Daly, Rhian (17 June 2017). "A lost George Harrison song written for Ringo Starr has been found in a piano bench". NME . Retrieved 1 April 2021.

Sources

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.