Sentimental Journey (Ringo Starr album)

Last updated

Sentimental Journey
Sentimentaljourney.jpg
Studio album by
Ringo Starr
Released27 March 1970 (1970-03-27)
Recorded
  • 27 October – 26 December 1969
  • 14 January – 6 March 1970
Studio EMI, Olympic, Wessex Sound, De Lane Lea, Trident and Morgan, London; A&M, Los Angeles
Genre Traditional pop, jazz
Length34:03
Label Apple
Producer George Martin
Ringo Starr chronology
Sentimental Journey
(1970)		 Beaucoups of Blues
(1970)

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.

Contents

Starr began recording Sentimental Journey in London in October 1969, in response to Lennon's private announcement that he was leaving the Beatles. He recruited George Martin to produce the sessions and used different musical arrangers for each song. Starr made a promotional film for the song "Sentimental Journey", in which he performed with an orchestra and dancers at the Talk of the Town nightclub. The cover of the album shows Starr in front of a pub in the Dingle area of Liverpool, where he grew up.

The album's impact was compromised by Paul McCartney's refusal to delay the release of his solo debut, McCartney , and by McCartney then initiating the group's break-up. Despite receiving mixed reviews from music critics and confusing Beatles fans through its choice of music, Sentimental Journey charted inside the top ten in the United Kingdom and peaked at number 22 on the Billboard Top LPs chart in the United States. The album was a forerunner to standards collections by artists such as Harry Nilsson and Linda Ronstadt, and to the vogue from the late 1990s onwards for rock artists such as Bryan Ferry, Rod Stewart and Boz Scaggs to embrace big band music.

Background

I was lost for a while. That's well-documented ... And I just thought of all those songs that I was brought up with, all the parties we'd had in Liverpool at our house and all the neighbours' houses ... So I called George Martin and said, "Why don't we take a sentimental journey?" [1]

– Ringo Starr, 2001

Despite his limited songwriting experience, Ringo Starr was encouraged to make a solo album by his Beatles bandmates. His mother Elsie Starkey and stepfather Harry Graves also supported the idea when Starr visited them at their Liverpool home. [2] His mother said that Starr had a good singing voice. [2] He first considered making a country music album, [3] but then decided to record a collection of old standards that would reflect his mother's favourite songs. [4] The tapes from the Beatles' January 1969 Get Back film project captured Starr expressing a wish to make an album of standards. [5]

Starr committed to the project in order to keep active following John Lennon's unpublicised decision in September 1969 to leave the Beatles, signalling that the group were effectively no more. [6] [7] Starr described his mindset at the time: "I sat in the garden for a while wondering what the hell to do with my life ... It was quite a dramatic period for me – or traumatic, actually." [8] [9] He asked Beatles producer George Martin to produce the album. [10] [nb 1] Starr compiled a list of the songs he wished to record, and Martin and Beatles aide Neil Aspinall contacted the musical arrangers. [3]

The material Starr selected included works from the big band era [13] and songs well known through recordings by Bing Crosby, Doris Day, Frank Sinatra, Fats Waller and Matt Munro. [14] Starr explained their appeal in a 1990 interview: "I was brought up with all those songs, you know, my family used to sing those songs, my mother and my dad, my aunties and uncles. They were the first musical influences on me." [3] [10] He decided to have each song arranged by a different musician – ranging from his London associates Martin, Paul McCartney, Klaus Voormann and Maurice Gibb, to American arrangers and producers such as Richard Perry, Quincy Jones and Elmer Bernstein. [15] [nb 2] He thought the variety would add an element of interest to the project. [3] [18]

Recording

October 1969 – January 1970

The recording for Sentimental Journey was initially sporadic, as Starr was involved in other musical activities through to the end of 1969. [19] These included participating in sessions for Leon Russell with George Harrison in October. [20] He also played drums on Harrison's productions for Apple Records artists Doris Troy [21] [22] and Billy Preston. [23]

The session musicians on the album were credited as the George Martin Orchestra. [24] Although many of the arrangements incorporated drums and other rock instruments, Starr's role was confined to that of lead vocalist. [25] Preston played keyboards on some of the songs. [21] Aspinall recalled inviting some of the arrangers to create the backing tracks themselves, with their chosen musicians, and that the tapes were then sent to London for Starr to add his vocals. [26] EMI engineer Phil McDonald was the main recording engineer in London, [3] and Geoff Emerick prepared some of the mixes for the album. [27] Sessions began on 27 October, [28] when Starr, backed by an orchestra, recorded "Night and Day" at EMI Studios (now Abbey Road Studios). [29] Martin conducted the orchestra from an arrangement by Chico O'Farrill. [5] The track was mixed the same day. [30] [nb 3]

The next session took place on 6 November at Wessex Sound Studios. [29] Starr and the orchestra, conducted by Martin, recorded "Stormy Weather", although the song was omitted from the album. [34] The following day, they recorded the backing track for the McCartney-arranged "Stardust", [35] which nearly earned the album the title of Ringo Stardust. [18] On 14 November, Starr added his vocal to "Stardust" and began recording "Dream". [36] Arranged by Martin, [37] the latter was finished on 18 November at Trident Studios. [38] The backing track for "Blue, Turning Grey Over You", from an arrangement by jazz bandleader Oliver Nelson, [39] was taped on 28 November and completed on 4 December, although Starr did not record his vocal until early in 1970. [40]

Returning to other projects, Starr spent time promoting The Magic Christian , a film in which he co-starred with Peter Sellers. [41] This included being filmed at several London locations for a BBC2 documentary devoted to him, for the show Late Night Line-Up . [36] He also appeared on With a Little Help from My Friends, an all-star television tribute to Martin that was first broadcast on the ITV network on 24 December. [42] [43] For the latter, Starr lip-synched to his Abbey Road composition "Octopus's Garden" in a Yorkshire Television studio on 14 December, [42] after recording a new vocal at EMI on 8 December. [44] [nb 4] On 3 January 1970, he joined Harrison and McCartney to record "I Me Mine" and add overdubs to "Let It Be", for their inclusion on the album accompanying the documentary film from the Get Back sessions, now titled Let It Be . [45]

On 14 January, at Olympic Sound Studios, Starr recorded his vocals for "Love Is a Many Splendored Thing" and "Sentimental Journey". [46] [47] The backing track for "Love Is a Many Splendored Thing" had been taped at A&M Studios in Los Angeles on 26 December, when Jones conducted a 27-piece orchestra playing his arrangement. [27] [48] The Perry-arranged "Sentimental Journey" was also recorded in the US late the previous year; [49] the backing featured an unusual mix of instruments, including a "talking guitar" solo. [50] On 26 January, Starr and his wife Maureen Starkey left for the US to attend the premiere of The Magic Christian [51] and promote the film. [52] [nb 5]

February–March 1970

Authors Chip Madinger and Mark Easter write that after the intermittent recording since October the previous year, work on Starr's debut album began "in earnest" in early February 1970. [27] From this point, EMI's Studio 2 became the main location. [27] A 3 February session was devoted to a remake of "Love Is a Many Splendored Thing", since Jones and Martin were unhappy with the previous recording. [56] Jones flew to London to work on the new version; [56] Starr recorded a vocal that day, only to replace it on 5 February. [57] [nb 6] More time was spent on "Love Is a Many Splendored Thing" than on any other song, as strings were then added to the remake on 17 February, followed by backing vocals and further instrumentation on the 19th. [59]

On 9 February, Starr added his vocal to Bernstein's arrangement of "Have I Told You Lately That I Love You?", [60] [49] which had been taped at A&M on 3 February. [61] At Martin's urging, Starr recorded an improved vocal part on 18 February. [61] "I'm a Fool to Care" was recorded at EMI on 11 February. [60] Voormann, the song's arranger, [62] conducted a 15-piece jazz orchestra [63] and Starr added his vocal track. [60] On 12 February, a 31-piece orchestra and a chorus of nine singers recorded Les Reed's arrangement of "Let the Rest of the World Go By". Starr added his vocal that day but then replaced it on 18 February. [60] [64] On 17 February, Francis Shaw conducted a 15-piece string section as a final addition to "I'm a Fool to Care". [48] Following the 18 February overdubbing session, Starr taped an early version of his rock song "It Don't Come Easy" (then titled "You Gotta Pay Your Dues"), with Harrison directing the musicians. [60] [nb 7]

On 20 February, final mixing took place on "I'm a Fool to Care", "Let the Rest of the World Go By", "Sentimental Journey" [66] and "Have I Told You Lately That I Love You?" [67] Starr recorded his vocal for "Blue, Turning Grey Over You" on 24 February. [54] At De Lane Lea Studios the following day, Johnny Dankworth conducted a 20-piece orchestra on his arrangement of "You Always Hurt the One You Love"; [56] Starr then added his vocal to the track. [54] The songs "Autumn Leaves" and "I'll Be Looking at the Moon" were thought to be outtakes from the February 1970 sessions and were subsequently sought out by collectors. [68] According to Madinger and Easter, however, studio documentation does not support their existence, and the two songs were merely listed as candidates for inclusion in a contemporaneous magazine article. [67] [nb 8]

Starr and Martin moved to Morgan Sound Studios on 5 March, at McCartney's suggestion. [54] They taped the basic tracks, with a 36-piece orchestra, for "Whispering Grass (Don't Tell the Trees)", arranged by Ron Goodwin, [69] and the Gibb-arranged "Bye Bye Blackbird". [54] Goodwin and Gibb each conducted the orchestra and Starr added vocals to both songs. [70] On 6 March, recording for the album was completed at Morgan, [54] with the addition of saxophone (played by Dankworth), drums and piano on "You Always Hurt the One You Love". [56] [71] This and four other tracks [54] were mixed that evening at EMI Studios. [71]

Packaging and promotional film

The Empress pub, which was pictured on the album cover The Empress, High Park Street, Liverpool (2).JPG
The Empress pub, which was pictured on the album cover

The album was first announced in December 1969 with the title Ringo Stardust. [72] Beatles historian Bruce Spizer comments on the aptness of the eventual title, since Starr was "literally taking his fans on a sentimental journey" through his choice of songs. [3]

The LP cover consisted of a photograph by Richard Polak, showing the Empress pub in Dingle, [73] the area of Liverpool where Starr grew up. [74] The Empress was his local pub as a young man; [75] according to author Alan Clayson, in past decades, all of the album's standards would have been sung by happy patrons in the bar there. [15] [nb 9] A photo of Starr dressed in a tuxedo was superimposed so that he appears to be standing at the door to the pub. The figures in the windows are his relatives, [76] superimposed from family photos. [61] [nb 10] The back cover had a photo of Starr in casual clothing, standing outside a building and gesturing towards the wall. The track listing, with the name of each arranger, and other album credits appear in white as if printed on the wall. [61]

To promote the album, Starr made a promotional film for the title track, which was directed by Aspinall and shot before an invited audience at the Talk of the Town nightclub on 15 March 1970. [77] [78] Starr sang the song live over a mix of the studio recording in which his main vocal had been removed, [78] and the Talk of the Town Orchestra, conducted by Martin, played along behind him. [77] Doris Troy, Madeline Bell and Marsha Hunt appeared as backing singers. [68]

In author John Winn's description, in its grand production, the "Sentimental Journey" clip rivals the sequence for "Your Mother Should Know" that closed the Beatles' 1967 TV film Magical Mystery Tour . [78] The stage backdrop contained the LP cover image [79] blown up and expanded to include more of the Dingle neighbourhood. Large flags hung down from each side of the set; midway through the song, from opposite sides of the stage, male dancers appear from under the American Stars and Stripes and female dancers appear from under the British Union Jack to congregate around Starr. Towards the end, a large platform carrying Troy, Bell and Hunt lowers from the ceiling. [78]

Release

Apple Records released Sentimental Journey in the UK on 27 March 1970 (with the catalogue number Apple PCS 7101) [80] and in the US on 24 April (as Apple SW 3365). [81] [82] Following avant-garde and other experimental solo albums by Harrison and Lennon (the latter in collaboration with Yoko Ono) since 1968, it was the first studio album in the popular music vein by an individual Beatle. [83] The "Sentimental Journey" promo clip first aired on Frost on Saturday on 29 March, [84] during Starr's live appearance on the show. [80] [85] In the US, it was shown on The Ed Sullivan Show on 17 May. [18] Starr also promoted the album with interviews for BBC Radio 1's Scene and Heard, BBC Radio 2 and Radio Luxembourg. [86]

The release of Sentimental Journey was the source of friction between Starr and McCartney, who was estranged from his bandmates due to their appointment of Allen Klein to manage the band's Apple Corps organisation. McCartney refused to have his debut solo album, McCartney , held back in Apple's release schedule to allow for Sentimental Journey and the Beatles' Let It Be album. [87] [88] The two musicians had a heated exchange at McCartney's St John's Wood home on 31 March, [89] when Starr personally delivered a letter from Harrison and Lennon explaining the need to delay the release of McCartney. [90] [91] [nb 11] To placate McCartney, Starr conceded the point, [91] but the confrontation contributed to McCartney announcing the Beatles' break-up in his promotion for McCartney. [93] [nb 12]

According to NME critic Bob Woffinden, the album was seen as a "grievous faux pas" amid the publicity surrounding McCartney's announcement on 9 April, since it appeared as though Starr had similarly tried to launch a solo career on the news that the Beatles had broken up. [95] Starr later rued that, because McCartney was issued so soon after his record, it "slayed" Sentimental Journey. [96] The album peaked at number 7 on the UK Albums Chart and number 22 on the US Billboard Top LPs chart, despite the lack of a supporting single. [97] [nb 13] In the US national charts compiled by Cash Box and Record World , it reached number 21 and number 20, respectively. [3] The album sold 500,000 copies there within the first two weeks of release, [99] but failed to achieve gold certification by the Recording Industry Association of America as McCartney and Let It Be did. [100] [101]

In music journalist Paul Moody's description, Sentimental Journey established Starr as "the rootsiest and least affected of the Fab Four". [102] In a Radio 1 interview with Johnny Moran, [103] Harrison described it as "a great album" and "really nice". [104] [105] By contrast, Lennon told Rolling Stone editor Jann Wenner in December 1970 that he was "embarrassed" by the record. [106] Starr later likened the project to "the first shovel of coal in the furnace that makes the train inch forward". [107] He told music journalist Paul Du Noyer in 2001: "if it did nothing else it got me off my bum, back into recording. Then I started to write a bit, and I did 'It Don't Come Easy', 'Back Off Boogaloo', tracks that George Harrison co-wrote with me." [1] Following the album's release, he considered offers for a Las Vegas concert season, performing for hotel diners in the style of Elvis Presley's engagements at the International, but decided against it. [108] [nb 14]

Capitol Records released a budget edition of the album in February 1981. [16] Sentimental Journey was remastered and reissued on CD in 1995, on 1 May in the UK and on 15 August in the US. [81] The promotional clip for the title track appeared on the CD/DVD version of Photograph: The Very Best of Ringo Starr . [110]

Critical reception

Contemporary reviews

Sentimental Journey received an unenthusiastic response from music critics. [111] According to Beatles biographer Nicholas Schaffner, the reaction from critics and fans was "one of embarrassed silence", [112] while journalist John Blake said it was the subject of derision. [113] In his review for Rolling Stone, Greil Marcus called the album "horrendous" but added, "at least it's classy." He also wrote: "There is a certain thrill to hearing Ringo swing immediately and finally flat on 'Stardust', reportedly Judy Agnew's favorite song. She won't like this version, which just might keep Ringo from being presented with an invitation to sing one of the nominated songs on next year's Academy Awards show. But a Grammy seems inevitable." [114]

In a review that Alan Clayson highlights as especially kind, [115] Andy Gray of the NME said that Starr's singing might surprise listeners, as it was not instantly recognisable as him, and was "mostly ... on the beat and on the melody line". Gray described the arrangements as "top-class" and predicted "healthy sales" for the LP. [116]

John Gabree of High Fidelity considered that the impressive cast of musical arrangers was merely "compensating for the fact that Ringo can't sing" and dismissed most of the material as "some of the tiredest junk ever written". [117] Village Voice critic Robert Christgau said the album's appeal was confined to "over-fifties and Ringomaniacs". [118] In Stereo Review , Don Heckman wrote that Sentimental Journey suggested that Starr had long hidden "the heart of a determined romantic" behind his Charlie Chaplin-like acceptance of his standing as the Beatles' "comic relief". Heckman criticised the selection of standards as "unbelievably hoary" but said the contrast in arrangements was stranger still, from O'Farrill's "pseudo-Basie" contribution to Bernstein's "Hollywood Bowl rock". [119]

Retrospective assessments and legacy

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [120]
Christgau's Record Guide C− [118]
Encyclopedia of Popular Music Star full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [121]
The Essential Rock Discography 5/10 [122]
MusicHound 3/5 [123]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide Star full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [124]

Writing in the late 1970s, NME critics Roy Carr and Tony Tyler called the record "a gawky, badly sung, overly sentimental selection of moribund mambos" and "the most embarrassing (to date) of all Beatles solo excursions". [125] Bob Woffinden described it as a project that "begged failure" due to the material and the unsuitability of Starr's voice, and because, even if Starr had sung them "perfectly", the Beatles had "revolutionised popular music" and provided a "fresh set of classics" that made such sentimental songs redundant. He also rued that, after fans had bought the album out of loyalty, they were then wary of Starr's far more worthy follow-up, Beaucoups of Blues . [126] [nb 15]

NPR music critic Tim Riley reacted more favourably: "Backed by full jazz band and occasional strings, Ringo poses as a Liverpudlian Jack Jones, with surprisingly good results." Riley added that the album had "a deceptively easy feel, and the strongest moments ... ('Dream' and 'Blue, Turning Grey Over You' ...) confirm his fundamental appeal as a personality." [128]

Sentimental Journey predated standards collections by other rock artists, including Harry Nilsson's A Little Touch of Schmilsson in the Night , Linda Ronstadt's What's New and Rod Stewart's It Had to Be You: The Great American Songbook . [97] On this point, William Ruhlmann of AllMusic writes: "Coming more than a decade before the fad for standards albums by rock-era pop stars like Linda Ronstadt, the album was taken not as a career move, but as a highly eccentric and expensive novelty of a kind only Beatles could afford to indulge. In retrospect, it remains harmlessly charming, if unexceptional." [120]

Bruce Spizer comments that Starr's album was "indeed novel" for a rock musician, particularly as he was yet to turn 30 and big band music was highly unfashionable in 1970. In addition to citing Ronstadt's 1980s albums with arranger Nelson Riddle and Stewart's series of Great American Songbook releases, Spizer views it as a precursor for "aging rockers" such as Bryan Ferry with As Time Goes By and Boz Scaggs with But Beautiful to "belatedly [jump] on the big band wagon" over subsequent decades. [3] [nb 16] In 2017, following Bob Dylan's recent albums exploring the Great American Songbook, Pitchfork included Sentimental Journey in its list of eight recommended standards collections that "surprise" and "involve artists finding themselves within songs meant for all". The writer admired Martin's production and said that Starr's "everyman charm" bypassed his vocal limitations and ensured that the selections became "his own". [131]

Track listing

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)ArrangerLength
1."Sentimental Journey" Bud Green, Les Brown, Ben Homer Richard Perry 3:26
2."Night and Day" Cole Porter Chico O'Farrill 2:25
3."Whispering Grass (Don't Tell the Trees)" Fred Fisher, Doris Fisher Ron Goodwin 2:37
4."Bye Bye Blackbird" Mort Dixon, Ray Henderson Maurice Gibb 2:11
5."I'm a Fool to Care" Ted Daffan Klaus Voormann 2:39
6."Stardust" Hoagy Carmichael, Mitchell Parish Paul McCartney 3:22
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)ArrangerLength
1."Blue, Turning Grey Over You" Andy Razaf, Fats Waller Oliver Nelson 3:19
2."Love Is a Many Splendored Thing" Sammy Fain, Paul Francis Webster Quincy Jones 3:05
3."Dream" Johnny Mercer George Martin 2:42
4."You Always Hurt the One You Love" Allan Roberts, Doris Fisher John Dankworth 2:20
5."Have I Told You Lately That I Love You?" Scott Wiseman Elmer Bernstein 2:44
6."Let the Rest of the World Go By" Ernest R. Ball, J. Keirn Brennan Les Reed 2:55

Personnel

According to Bruce Spizer's book The Beatles Solo on Apple Records (except where noted): [132]

Charts

1970 weekly chart performance
Chart (1970)Peak
Position
Australian Go-Set Top 20 Albums [133] 12
Australian Kent Music Report [134] 15
Canadian RPM 100 Albums [135] 42
Japanese Oricon LPs [136] 59
UK Albums Chart [137] 7
US Billboard Top LPs [138] 22

Notes

  1. ↑ Music critic Tim Riley views "Good Night", a Lennon composition that Starr sang as the closing track of the Beatles' self-titled 1968 double album, as the forerunner to Sentimental Journey. [11] At Lennon's request, Martin gave the song a lush orchestral arrangement in the style of an Old Hollywood film soundtrack. [12]
  2. ↑ Starr had been impressed with Perry's work on Tiny Tim's 1968 album God Bless Tiny Tim . [15] [16] Perry went on to produce Starr's first two rock solo albums over 1973–74, Ringo and Goodnight Vienna . [17]
  3. ↑ Author Bill Harry states that on 1 October, Starr asked Count Basie to write an arrangement for "Night and Day", and the finished score arrived with Starr on 6 October. [31] The album credits list O'Farrill, Basie's arranger, [32] for the song's arrangement. [31] [33]
  4. ↑ The overdubbing was done to allow Starr to mime to the song without violating Musicians' Union restrictions on TV performances. [19] [43] The track was also altered through the replacement of the original lead guitar, piano and bass parts. [19] [42]
  5. ↑ While in Los Angeles, Starr taped an appearance for NBC-TV's Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In . [19] [53] The show aired on 23 February [54] and was one of several examples of Starr establishing his comedic persona as a solo artist. [55]
  6. ↑ In a 2018 interview, Jones recalled Starr attempting to fix a four-bar section of a drum part, without success, for "three hours". Jones said that, in Starr's absence, he and Martin then summoned jazz drummer Ronnie Verrell, who "came in for 15 minutes and tore it up". [58]
  7. ↑ Produced by Harrison, "It Don't Come Easy" became the A-side of Starr's first rock single, in 1971. [65]
  8. ↑ The same article named potential musical arrangers such as Henry Mancini and Sinatra associates Nelson Riddle and Billy May, none of whom contributed to Starr's album. [67]
  9. ↑ In Starr's recollection, he first heard the songs when members of his family and friends of his mother returned from the Empress and held parties at the family home. [26]
  10. ↑ Starr's mother and stepfather appear in one of the first-floor windows. [19]
  11. ↑ The letter also mentioned the Beatles' Hey Jude compilation, which had been issued in the US on 26 February. [92]
  12. ↑ The release of Sentimental Journey thereby took place before the break-up in the UK but after it in the US. [94]
  13. ↑ In his interview for Scene and Heard, on 25 March, Starr told reporter David Wigg that "Sentimental Journey" and "Whispering Grass" were contenders for a single, and that he favoured the latter song. [98]
  14. ↑ Starr and his wife attended a Presley show in Las Vegas on 30 January, the day after the Los Angeles premiere of The Magic Christian. [109] Negotiations began for a TV special starring Presley, Starr and Raquel Welch but Starr said he had to pull out as the preparations were "dragging on too long": "I told Elvis I couldn't wait – it was holding me up – and he could see my point." [55]
  15. ↑ Squeeze songwriter Chris Difford recalled thinking that the only positive thing to come from the Beatles' break-up was the chance to buy "four Beatles [solo] albums a year", but "then I heard Ringo's first album. I left it at a party one night." [127]
  16. ↑ McCartney also released an album of standards, Kisses on the Bottom , in 2012, recalling songs from his formative years in Liverpool, including "Bye Bye Blackbird". [129] In 1981, Harrison had included two Hoagy Carmichael favourites from his childhood on his Somewhere in England album. [130]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Long and Winding Road</span> 1970 single by the Beatles

"The Long and Winding Road" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles from their 1970 album Let It Be. It was written by Paul McCartney and credited to Lennon–McCartney. When issued as a single in May 1970, a month after the Beatles' break-up, it became the group's 20th and last number-one hit on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the United States.

<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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">For You Blue</span> 1970 single by the Beatles

"For You Blue" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles from their 1970 album Let It Be. The track was written by George Harrison as a love song to his wife, Pattie Boyd. It was also the B-side to the "Long and Winding Road" single, issued in many countries, but not Britain, and was listed with that song when the single topped the US Billboard Hot 100 and Canada's national chart in June 1970. On the Cash Box Top 100 chart, which measured the US performance of single sides individually, "For You Blue" peaked at number 71.

The discography of English singer-songwriter and former Beatle George Harrison consists of 12 studio albums, two live albums, four compilation albums, 35 singles, two video albums and four box sets. Harrison's first solo releases – the Wonderwall Music film soundtrack (1968) and Electronic Sound (1969) – were almost entirely instrumental works, issued during the last two years of the Beatles' career. Following the band's break-up in April 1970, Harrison continued to produce recordings by his fellow Apple Records acts, notably former bandmate Ringo Starr. He recorded and collaborated with a wide range of artists, including Shankar, Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton and Gary Wright.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Old Brown Shoe</span> 1969 single by the Beatles

"Old Brown Shoe" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles. Written by George Harrison, the group's lead guitarist, it was released on a non-album single in May 1969, as the B-side to "The Ballad of John and Yoko". The song was subsequently included on the band's compilation albums Hey Jude, 1967–1970 and Past Masters, Volume Two. Although "Old Brown Shoe" remains a relatively obscure song in the band's catalogue, several music critics view it as one of Harrison's best compositions from the Beatles era and especially admire his guitar solo on the track.

<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'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">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">Early 1970</span> 1971 single by Ringo Starr

"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" and "a disarming open letter" from Starr to Lennon, McCartney and Harrison.

"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.

"The Lovely Linda" is a song by English musician Paul McCartney, released as the opening track of his debut solo album, McCartney, in April 1970. McCartney wrote the song to his first wife, Linda McCartney.

"Hear Me Lord" is a song by English rock musician George Harrison from his 1970 triple album All Things Must Pass. It was the last track on side four of the original LP format and is generally viewed as the closing song on the album, disc three being the largely instrumental Apple Jam. Harrison wrote "Hear Me Lord" in January 1969 while still a member of the Beatles, who rehearsed it briefly at Twickenham Film Studios that month, but passed it over for inclusion on what became their final album, Let It Be.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Māya Love</span> 1974 single by George Harrison

"Māya Love" is a song by English musician George Harrison, released on his 1974 album Dark Horse. The song originated as a slide guitar tune, to which Harrison later added lyrics relating to the illusory nature of love – maya being a Sanskrit term for "illusion", or "that which is not". Harrison's biographers consider the lyrical theme to be reflective of his failed marriage to Pattie Boyd, who left him for his friend Eric Clapton shortly before the words were written. Harrison recorded the song at his home, Friar Park, on the eve of his North American tour with Ravi Shankar, which took place in November and December 1974. The recording features Harrison's slide guitar extensively and contributions from four musicians who formed the nucleus of his tour band: Billy Preston, Tom Scott, Willie Weeks and Andy Newmark. Reviewers note the track as an example of its parent album's more diverse musical genres, namely funk and rhythm and blues, compared with the more traditional rock orientation of Harrison's earlier solo work.

"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".

<i>Is This What You Want?</i> 1969 studio album by Jackie Lomax

Is This What You Want? is the debut album by English rock and soul singer Jackie Lomax, released in 1969 on the Beatles' Apple record label. It was produced by George Harrison and features contributions from Harrison's Beatles bandmates Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr. The album includes Lomax's debut single for Apple, the Harrison-written "Sour Milk Sea". The US version added "New Day", which was produced by Lomax and released as a non-album single in Britain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Am Missing You</span>

"I Am Missing You" is a song by Indian musician Ravi Shankar, sung by his sister-in-law Lakshmi Shankar and released as the lead single from his 1974 album Shankar Family & Friends. The song is a rare Shankar composition in the Western pop genre, with English lyrics, and was written as a love song to the Hindu god Krishna. The recording was produced and arranged by George Harrison, in a style similar to Phil Spector's signature sound, and it was the first single issued on Harrison's Dark Horse record label. Other contributing musicians include Tom Scott, Nicky Hopkins, Billy Preston, Ringo Starr and Jim Keltner. A second version appears on Shankar Family & Friends, titled "I Am Missing You (Reprise)", featuring an arrangement closer to a folk ballad.

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 Du Noyer 2001, p. 50.
  2. 1 2 Blake 1981, p. 78.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Spizer 2005, p. 282.
  4. ↑ Schaffner 1980, p. 162.
  5. 1 2 3 Winn 2009, p. 334.
  6. ↑ Doggett 2011, p. 105.
  7. ↑ Spizer 2005, pp. 281–82.
  8. ↑ The Beatles 2000, p. 348.
  9. ↑ Doggett 2011, pp. 104–05.
  10. 1 2 Olander, Staffan (1995). Sentimental Journey (CD liner notes). Ringo Starr. Apple Records. CDP 0777 7 98615 2 1.
  11. ↑ Riley 2002, p. 288.
  12. ↑ Schaffner 1978, p. 115.
  13. ↑ Rodriguez 2010, p. 1.
  14. ↑ Clayson 2003, pp. 201–02.
  15. 1 2 3 Clayson 2003, p. 201.
  16. 1 2 Harry 2004, p. 312.
  17. ↑ Woffinden 1981, pp. 77–78.
  18. 1 2 3 Rodriguez 2010, p. 22.
  19. 1 2 3 4 5 Madinger & Easter 2000, p. 494.
  20. ↑ Winn 2009, p. 328.
  21. 1 2 Spizer 2005, p. 340.
  22. ↑ Davis, Andy (2010). Doris Troy (CD liner notes). Doris Troy. Apple Records.
  23. ↑ Winn 2009, p. 351.
  24. ↑ Castleman & Podrazik 1976, p. 212.
  25. ↑ Spizer 2005, pp. 283–84.
  26. 1 2 The Beatles 2000, p. 349.
  27. 1 2 3 4 Madinger & Easter 2000, p. 495.
  28. ↑ Harry 2004, p. 112.
  29. 1 2 Miles 2001, p. 359.
  30. ↑ Harry 2004, p. 256.
  31. 1 2 Harry 2004, p. 19.
  32. ↑ Winn 2009, p. 379.
  33. ↑ Castleman & Podrazik 1976, pp. 88, 211.
  34. ↑ Winn 2009, p. 336.
  35. ↑ Harry 2004, p. 320.
  36. 1 2 Miles 2001, p. 360.
  37. ↑ Castleman & Podrazik 1976, pp. 88, 210.
  38. ↑ Harry 2004, p. 190.
  39. ↑ Castleman & Podrazik 1976, pp. 88, 209.
  40. ↑ Miles 2001, pp. 359, 360.
  41. ↑ Clayson 2003, pp. 193–94.
  42. 1 2 3 Winn 2009, p. 345.
  43. 1 2 Clayson 2003, p. 196.
  44. ↑ Miles 2001, p. 361.
  45. ↑ Doggett 2011, p. 112.
  46. ↑ Miles 2001, p. 367.
  47. ↑ Madinger & Easter 2000, pp. 494, 495.
  48. 1 2 Winn 2009, p. 371.
  49. 1 2 Harry 2004, p. 212.
  50. ↑ Winn 2009, p. 364.
  51. ↑ Miles 2001, pp. 367–68.
  52. ↑ Winn 2009, pp. 359, 366.
  53. ↑ Winn 2009, p. 365.
  54. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Miles 2001, p. 370.
  55. 1 2 Clayson 2003, p. 210.
  56. 1 2 3 4 Spizer 2005, p. 284.
  57. ↑ Miles 2001, p. 368.
  58. ↑ Cook-Wilson, Winston (7 February 2018). "Quincy Jones on the Beatles: 'They Were No-Playing Motherfuckers'". Spin . Archived from the original on 17 October 2020. Retrieved 26 April 2021.
  59. ↑ Winn 2009, pp. 371–72.
  60. 1 2 3 4 5 Miles 2001, p. 369.
  61. 1 2 3 4 Spizer 2005, p. 285.
  62. ↑ Rodriguez 2010, p. 83.
  63. ↑ Winn 2009, pp. 370–71.
  64. ↑ Harry 2004, p. 235.
  65. ↑ Schaffner 1980, p. 163.
  66. ↑ Harry 2004, pp. 222, 235, 312.
  67. 1 2 3 Madinger & Easter 2000, p. 496.
  68. 1 2 Castleman & Podrazik 1976, p. 264.
  69. ↑ Castleman & Podrazik 1976, pp. 88, 212.
  70. 1 2 Winn 2009, p. 375.
  71. 1 2 Winn 2009, p. 376.
  72. ↑ Clayson 2003, p. 200.
  73. ↑ Harry 2004, p. 311.
  74. ↑ Du Noyer 2001, p. 51.
  75. ↑ Frame 1999, p. 72.
  76. ↑ Harry 2004, p. 196.
  77. 1 2 Miles 2001, p. 372.
  78. 1 2 3 4 Winn 2009, p. 377.
  79. ↑ Clayson, Alan (2003). "A Starr Is Born!". Mojo Special Limited Edition: 1000 Days of Revolution (The Beatles' Final Years – Jan 1, 1968 to Sept 27, 1970). London: Emap. p. 117.
  80. 1 2 Miles 2001, p. 373.
  81. 1 2 Harry 2004, pp. 184–85.
  82. ↑ Castleman & Podrazik 1976, pp. 88, 293.
  83. ↑ Frontani 2009, pp. 155–56.
  84. ↑ Winn 2009, pp. 378–79.
  85. ↑ Hall, James (30 March 2020). "Ringo Starr's Sentimental Journey: How an 'embarrassing' solo album helped doom the Beatles". The Daily Telegraph . Archived from the original on 25 January 2021. Retrieved 29 April 2021.
  86. ↑ Winn 2009, pp. 378–80.
  87. ↑ Clayson 2003, p. 206.
  88. ↑ Rodriguez 2010, p. 3.
  89. ↑ Winn 2009, p. 380.
  90. ↑ The Beatles 2000, pp. 350–51.
  91. 1 2 Doggett 2011, pp. 121–22.
  92. ↑ Doggett 2011, pp. 121, 122.
  93. ↑ Woffinden 1981, pp. 32–33.
  94. ↑ Rodriguez 2010, p. 8.
  95. ↑ Woffinden 1981, pp. 35–36.
  96. ↑ Watts, Michael (31 July 1971). "Ringo". Melody Maker . p. 15.
  97. 1 2 Rodriguez 2010, pp. 22–23.
  98. ↑ Winn 2009, p. 378.
  99. ↑ Badman 2001, p. 6.
  100. ↑ Schaffner 1978, p. 149.
  101. ↑ Castleman & Podrazik 1976, p. 332.
  102. ↑ Hunt 2005, p. 25.
  103. ↑ Miles 2001, p. 371.
  104. ↑ Harrison, George (30 March 1970). "The Beatles Today" (Interview). Interviewed by Johnny Moran. BBC Radio 1. Event occurs between 15:45 and 16:16.
  105. ↑ Winn 2009, pp. 376–77.
  106. ↑ Badman 2001, p. 16.
  107. ↑ Clayson 2003, p. 202.
  108. ↑ Clayson 2003, pp. 210–11.
  109. ↑ Winn 2009, p. 359.
  110. ↑ "The Official Ringo Starr Site". Ringostarr.com. Archived from the original on 1 February 2014. Retrieved 10 June 2013.
  111. ↑ Frontani 2009, p. 156.
  112. ↑ Schaffner 1978, p. 129.
  113. ↑ Blake 1981, p. 101.
  114. ↑ Marcus, Greil (14 May 1970). "Ringo Starr: Sentimental Journey". Rolling Stone . Archived from the original on 20 December 2007. Retrieved 3 August 2019– via greilmarcus.net.
  115. ↑ Clayson 2003, pp. 201–02, 392.
  116. ↑ Hunt 2005, p. 30.
  117. ↑ Gabree, John (August 1970). "Review: The Beatles Let It Be; Paul McCartney McCartney; Ringo Starr Sentimental Journey". High Fidelity . p. 110.
  118. 1 2 Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: S". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies . Ticknor & Fields. ISBN   089919026X. Archived from the original on 13 April 2019. Retrieved 13 March 2019– via robertchristgau.com.
  119. ↑ Heckman, Don (August 1970). "Ringo Starr Sentimental Journey". High Fidelity . p. 95.
  120. 1 2 Ruhlmann, William. "Ringo Starr Sentimental Journey". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 1 May 2021. Retrieved 28 April 2021.
  121. ↑ Larkin, Colin (2011). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (5th edn). London: Omnibus Press. p. 1984. ISBN   978-0-85712-595-8.
  122. ↑ Strong, Martin C. (2006). The Essential Rock Discography. Edinburgh, UK: Canongate. p. 1028. ISBN   978-184195-827-9.
  123. ↑ Gary Graff & Daniel Durchholz (eds), MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide, Visible Ink Press (Farmington Hills, MI, 1999; ISBN   1-57859-061-2), p. 1083.
  124. ↑ Brackett, Nathan, with Hoard, Christian (eds) (2004). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th edn). New York, NY: Fireside. p. 777. ISBN   0-7432-0169-8.
  125. ↑ Carr, Roy; Tyler, Tony (1978). The Beatles: An Illustrated Record. London: Trewin Copplestone Publishing. p. 87. ISBN   0-450-04170-0.
  126. ↑ Woffinden 1981, pp. 36, 37.
  127. ↑ Clayson 2003, pp. 200, 392.
  128. ↑ Riley 2002, p. 343.
  129. ↑ Anon. (21 February 2012). "Album Reviews: Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr". The New Zealand Herald . Archived from the original on 28 April 2021. Retrieved 27 April 2021.
  130. ↑ Madinger & Easter 2000, pp. 459, 461.
  131. ↑ The Pitch (9 February 2017). "8 Standards Albums Actually Worth Hearing". Pitchfork . Archived from the original on 28 April 2021. Retrieved 27 April 2021.
  132. ↑ Spizer 2005, pp. 282–85.
  133. ↑ "Go-Set Australian charts – 4 July 1970 Albums". poparchives.com.au. Archived from the original on 27 April 2021. Retrieved 27 April 2021.
  134. ↑ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 . St Ives, NSW: Australian Chart Book. ISBN   0-646-11917-6.
  135. ↑ Library and Archives Canada. Archived 29 November 2014 at the Wayback Machine
  136. ↑ "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.
  137. ↑ "Ringo Starr, Sentimental Journey". Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on 27 April 2021. Retrieved 27 April 2021.
  138. ↑ "Chart History: Ringo Starr (Billboard 200)". Billboard . Archived from the original on 26 April 2021. Retrieved 27 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.