Stop and Smell the Roses | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | 27 October 1981 | |||
Recorded | 11 July 1980 – 12 February 1981 | |||
Genre | Rock | |||
Length | 32:23 | |||
Label | Boardwalk (US), RCA (UK) | |||
Producer | ||||
Ringo Starr chronology | ||||
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Singles from Stop and Smell the Roses | ||||
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Stop and Smell the Roses is the eighth studio album by English rock musician Ringo Starr. Released in October 1981, it followed the twin commercial failures of Ringo the 4th (1977) and Bad Boy (1978). The album includes the hit single "Wrack My Brain", written and produced by George Harrison, but otherwise failed to find commercial success. It also includes contributions from Paul McCartney, Harry Nilsson, Ronnie Wood and Stephen Stills.
The album began life in mid 1980 as Can't Fight Lightning, while Starr was signed to Portrait Records. After the label withdrew its support, the project lay dormant until he signed with the RCA subsidiary Boardwalk Records in 1981. John Lennon had been due to participate in the recording, having offered Starr the songs "Life Begins at 40" and "Nobody Told Me", but he was murdered in New York a month before the sessions were to have taken place. Starr was devastated by the news, and decided not to record either song. Stop and Smell the Roses was reissued in 1994 with six bonus tracks.
While visiting John Lennon at his Dakota apartment, Starr was given a demo of "Life Begins at 40" by Lennon. The song has the characteristic country style that Starr loved so much, and was recorded on a cassette tape with Lennon's vocals, his acoustic guitar and a drum machine. [1] Lennon wrote the song specifically for Starr, and wanted him to record it for his next album. However, the home demo remained unreleased until it was included on the 1998 John Lennon Anthology compilation. [1] Soon after meeting soon-to-be second wife Barbara Bach on the film set of Caveman in early 1980, [2] Ringo Starr met fellow former-Beatle Paul McCartney, and his wife, Linda, at a hotel while they had earlier visited the 33rd annual Cannes Film Festival, on 16 May. [1] Starr asked McCartney whether he would like to play on and possibly produce Starr's next album, to which McCartney agreed. [1] Starr started sessions in France for a new album, [2] at this point titled Can't Fight Lightning, on 11 July, at Super Bear Studios, lasting until 21 July. [1] With Wings then in limbo and McCartney II just released, [1] McCartney booked time with Starr to record three songs: "Private Property" and "Attention" (both McCartney originals) plus a cover of "Sure to Fall". [1] They also recorded the song "You Can't Fight Lightning", which Starr wrote after he and Bach were nearly struck by lightning. [1] Following on from a brief holiday, Starr and Bach flew to Los Angeles on 27 July. [2] Recording moved to Devonshire Sound Studio in Hollywood on 11 August. [1] [2]
Next Stephen Stills got involved, writing "You've Got a Nice Way" for Starr and producing its recording that August. On 4 September the recording session moved again, this time to Cherokee Studios. [2] Ronnie Wood of The Rolling Stones was keen to help out and brought with him the song "Dead Giveaway" on 23 September, [2] which they co-produced. Two days later on the 25th, the pair taped the track "Brandy". [3] Starr recorded alone on 27 September. [3] On 6 November Starr and Wood demoed the song "I Don't Believe You". [3] Long-time friend Harry Nilsson was next on Starr's checklist, presenting him with "Drumming Is My Madness" as well as the album's title track, both of which were recorded in early November, with early December sessions completing the work of the cork.[ clarification needed ] Before returning home to England, Starr planned for another session to be held at the studio on 14 January. [1] After working with McCartney, Starr also felt it appropriate to extend the invitation to his two other bandmates in The Beatles; Upon his return to his Tittenhurst Park residence on 10 November, Starr phoned George Harrison, inviting him to appear on the album. [3] When Starr arrived at Harrison's Friar Park estate [4] on 19 November, [3] Harrison presented him with "Wrack My Brain", [4] which he had composed for Starr.
"You Belong to Me", another cover from the past, was recorded, with Harrison producing. Starr also recorded a version of "All Those Years Ago", but Starr told Harrison the vocal was too high for his range and he didn't like the words. [4] Lennon was the last of the former-Beatles that Starr had yet to visit and – fresh from his musical re-awakening, having just released Double Fantasy – Lennon was eager to meet with Starr. [1] On 26 November, in New York City, Lennon handed Starr the demos for "Nobody Told Me". [5] With Lennon producing, they set a date, the one Starr had originally booked, [1] for 14 January 1981 to record the song. [5] Starr and Bach flew from New York to Los Angeles, on 28 November. [1] Back in Hollywood two days later, Starr, Nilsson and engineer Paul Travis listened to playbacks of the July sessions [1] at Compass Point Studios. [3] On 1 December, Starr laid down vocals for "You Can't Fight Lightning". [3] For the next two days, Starr and Jarvis mixed the album. [3] On 4 December, Starr added vocals to a re-make of "Back Off Boogaloo". [3] The next day Starr flew to the Bahamas to be with Bach. [3] On 8 December, Lennon was shot and killed. After a period of mourning, Starr returned to the studio on 14 January 1981. [3] Harrison took the "All Those Years Ago" track, changed some of the lyrics and, with overdubs by Paul and Linda McCartney, it was released as a tribute to Lennon. [4]
Starr, with Wood, recorded for three days from the 14th, at Cherokee Studios, with a further final batch of sessions taking place from 20 January [3] until 12 February. [1] During this time, the tracks "Dead Giveaway", "Wake Up", "Brandy", "You Belong to Me" and "Wrack My Brain" were finished. [1] On 13 February, final mixes of the tracks were made at Compass Point Studios and ten tracks were chosen for release on the album. [3]
Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AllMusic | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
The Essential Rock Discography | 5/10 [8] |
MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Rolling Stone | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
The Rolling Stone Album Guide | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
In April 1981, Starr left record label Portrait due to a disagreement with its distributor, CBS, [1] who was due to release the Can't Fight Lightning version of the album. [12] Starr would eventually sign to RCA Records (and a subsidiary called Boardwalk in the US), [1] for a multi-album deal. [13] At the Egham Aerodrome in Surrey, on 16 and 17 September, Starr filmed promo videos for the tracks "Wrack My Brain" and "Stop and Take the Time to Smell the Roses", both of which were directed by Keef & Co. [14] On 18 September interior filming in London took place for "Wrack My Brain". [14] The next day the promo for was edited for airing on TV. [14] Over a month later, from 26 October until 12 December, Starr gave several interviews to help promote the album. [15] Two days later, he appeared in a radio interview for WBEN, again, to promote the album. [14] Harrison's "Wrack My Brain", backed with "Drumming Is My Madness", was the first single, released on 27 October, the same day as the album in the US [14] by Boardwalk. [nb 1] [16] In the UK, the single was released on 13 November [14] by RCA. [nb 2] [16] While it missed the UK charts, it managed to give Starr his final US Top 40 hit, reaching number 38. In South Africa, "Wrack My Brain" reached number 17. [18] It also charted in Switzerland (#32) and did well in Belgium (#10).
With a re-sequenced running order and design change, the album was rechristened Stop and Smell the Roses, after Nilsson's donated song. The initial pressing was scratch and sniff per designer John Kosh. The album was released in the UK on 20 November. [nb 3] [20] Another radio interview to promote the album was held on 2 December, by Capitol Radio in Los Angeles. [20] Stop and Smell the Roses reached no further than number 98 in the US. [21] On 31 December, the HMV store in London announced that despite the busy Christmas period, only 30 copies of the album had been sold with the store. [1] On 13 January 1982, McCartney's "Private Property" was released as the second single, backed with "Stop and Take the Time to Smell the Roses", in the US, [20] but failed to chart anywhere. [nb 4] [22] Nonplussed, RCA dropped Starr in 1982. For the first time in his career, Starr was out of a recording contract with neither a UK nor US label willing to sign him. On 12 December 1982, the "Wrack My Brain" promo aired on Parkinson . [23] Stop and Smell the Roses was reissued on CD, on the same day as Old Wave , in the US by The Right Stuff on 22 August 1994 [24] with bonus tracks. [nb 5] [12] "Wrack My Brain" was re-released, this time on red vinyl, with "Private Property" as the B-side, on The Right Stuff on 1 November. A promotional CD was released in 1994 by Capitol, featuring three songs from both Old Wave (1983) and Stop and Smell the Roses. [nb 6] [25]
Record World said of the single release of "Wrack My Brain" that "You can't help but love Ringo here, as he sings of a stifled romance." [26]
The album was re released for Record Store Day 2023.
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer | Length |
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1. | "Private Property" | Paul McCartney | McCartney | 2:44 |
2. | "Wrack My Brain" | George Harrison | Harrison | 2:21 |
3. | "Drumming is My Madness" | Harry Nilsson | Nilsson | 3:29 |
4. | "Attention" | Paul McCartney | McCartney | 3:20 |
5. | "Stop and Take the Time to Smell the Roses" | Richard Starkey, Nilsson | Nilsson | 3:08 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer | Length |
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1. | "Dead Giveaway" | Starkey, Ronnie Wood | Ringo Starr, Wood | 4:28 |
2. | "You Belong to Me" | Pee Wee King, Redd Stewart, Chilton Price | Harrison | 2:09 |
3. | "Sure to Fall" | Carl Perkins, Quinton Claunch, William Cantrell | McCartney | 3:42 |
4. | "You've Got a Nice Way" | Stephen Stills, Michael Stergis | Stills | 3:33 |
5. | "Back Off Boogaloo" | Starkey | Nilsson | 3:16 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer | Length |
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11. | "Wake Up" | Starkey | Stills | 3:45 |
12. | "Red and Black Blues" | Lane Tietgen | Stills | 3:20 |
13. | "Brandy" | Joseph B. Jefferson, Charles B. Simmons | Starr, Wood | 4:08 |
14. | "Stop and Take the Time to Smell the Roses" (Original vocal version) | Starkey, Nilsson | Nilsson | 3:09 |
15. | "You Can't Fight Lightning" | Starkey | McCartney | 5:41 |
16. | "Hand Gun Promos" | 2:02 |
No. | Title | Length |
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1. | "Attention" | 3:20 |
2. | "Private Property" | 2:44 |
3. | "You've Got a Nice Way" | 3:33 |
4. | "Wake Up" | 3:45 |
5. | "You Can't Fight Lightning" | 5:41 |
6. | "Wrack My Brain" | 2:21 |
7. | "Dead Giveaway" | 4:28 |
8. | "Brandy" | 4:08 |
9. | "You Belong to Me" | 2:09 |
10. | "Stop and Take the Time to Smell the Roses" | 3:08 |
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Sir Richard Starkey, known professionally as Ringo Starr, is an English musician, songwriter and actor who achieved international fame as the drummer for the Beatles. Starr occasionally sang lead vocals with the group, usually for one song on each album, including "Yellow Submarine" and "With a Little Help from My Friends". He also wrote and sang the Beatles songs "Don't Pass Me By" and "Octopus's Garden", and is credited as a co-writer of four others.
In addition to the Beatles' films A Hard Day's Night (1964), Help! (1965), Magical Mystery Tour (1967), Yellow Submarine (1968) and Let It Be (1970), Ringo Starr also acted in films such as Candy (1968), The Magic Christian, Blindman (1971), Son of Dracula (1974) and Caveman (1981). Starr directed and appeared in Born to Boogie (1972), a concert film featuring Marc Bolan and T. Rex. For the 1979 documentary film on the Who, The Kids Are Alright, Starr appeared in interview segments with fellow drummer Keith Moon. He starred as Larry the Dwarf in Frank Zappa's 200 Motels (1971). His voice is also featured in Harry Nilsson's animated film The Point! (1971).
English musician Ringo Starr has released 20 studio albums and 49 singles. Starr achieved international fame as a member of British rock band the Beatles.
Ringo is the third studio album by English musician Ringo Starr, released in 1973 on Apple Records. It peaked at No. 7 on the UK Albums Chart and No. 2 on the Billboard 200 and has been certified platinum by the RIAA. In Canada, it reached No. 1 on the RPM national albums chart.
Ringo Rama is the thirteenth studio album by Ringo Starr, released in 2003.
Beaucoups of Blues is the second studio album by the English rock musician and former Beatle Ringo Starr. It was released in September 1970, five months after his debut solo album, Sentimental Journey. Beaucoups of Blues is very far removed in style from its pop-based predecessor, relying on country and western influences. A longtime fan of the genre, Starr recorded the album over three days in Nashville with producer Pete Drake and an ensemble of local session players. Beaucoups of Blues failed to chart in Britain but achieved moderate commercial success in the United States, where it reached number 35 on Billboard's Country Albums list and number 65 on the Billboard Top LPs chart.
Goodnight Vienna is the fourth studio album by Ringo Starr. It was recorded in the summer of 1974 in Los Angeles, and released later that year. Goodnight Vienna followed the commercially successful predecessor Ringo, and Starr used many of the same players, including Billy Preston, Klaus Voormann, Robbie Robertson, Harry Nilsson, and producer Richard Perry. The title is a slang phrase meaning "it's all over".
Blast from Your Past is a compilation album by English rock musician Ringo Starr, released on Apple Records in 1975. It is both Starr's first compilation LP and his final release under his contract with EMI. It was also the last album to be released on the Beatles' Apple label until it was revived in the 1990s.
"Act Naturally" is a song written by Johnny Russell, with a writing credit given to Voni Morrison and publishing rights transferred to Buck Owens. It was originally recorded by Buck Owens and the Buckaroos, whose version reached number one on the Billboard Country Singles chart in 1963, his first chart-topper. In 2002, Shelly Fabian of About.com ranked the song number 169 on her list of the Top 500 Country Music Songs.
Ringo the 4th is the sixth studio album by English musician Ringo Starr, released on 20 September 1977. Its title is sometimes ascribed to him being the fourth member of the Beatles. Others have suggested that it is his fourth mainstream album, which excludes his Great American Songbook homage, Sentimental Journey, and his country-western foray, Beaucoups of Blues. However, Ringo the 4th is a dance-oriented record, crafted for him by his Atlantic Records producer, Arif Mardin.
Bad Boy is the seventh studio album by English rock musician Ringo Starr, released in 1978 by Polydor Records. The album was released at a time of diminishing success for Starr, failing to chart in the UK and reaching only No. 129 in the US and No. 98 in Australia, with none of its singles charting in either the UK or US. Prior to its release in the US, it was cross-promoted with the TV special Ringo, which was poorly received, and a planned follow-up special never came to fruition. Bad Boy would ultimately be Starr's final album release for Polydor.
Old Wave is the ninth studio album by English rock musician Ringo Starr. It was originally released in June 1983, on the label Bellaphon, and is the two-year follow-up to his 1981 album Stop and Smell the Roses. The title is a play on new wave music.
Starr Struck: Best of Ringo Starr, Vol. 2 is Ringo Starr's second official compilation album, released in the US in 1989.
Ringo Starr and His All-Starr Band is Ringo Starr's first official live album, and the first album recorded with his All-Starr Band, recorded in 1989 during his successful comeback tour and released in 1990. It was also Starr's first release of unheard material in seven years.
Ringo Starr and His All Starr Band Volume 2: Live from Montreux is Ringo Starr's second official live album and was released in September 1993.
Ringo Starr and His Third All-Starr Band, Volume 1 is a limited edition live album by Ringo Starr and his All-Starr Band, recorded at the Nippon Budokan in Tokyo, Japan. It was released on 12 August 1997 by Blockbuster for $5.99. The All-Starr Band included the return of the keyboardist Billy Preston from the First All-Starr Band, and Starr's son Zak Starkey continuing from on from the Second All-Starr Band.
"Back Off Boogaloo" is a song by the 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.
"A Dose of Rock 'n' Roll" is a song written by Carl Groszman, who at the time was signed to Ringo Starr's record label, Ring O' Records. Starr released his own recording of the song on his 1976 album Ringo's Rotogravure. Also issued as the album's lead single, it became his first hit as an Atlantic Records artist.
"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.
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