Ringo's Rotogravure
Ringo's Rotogravure | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | 17 September 1976 | |||
Recorded | April–July 1976 | |||
Studio |
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Genre | Rock, soul | |||
Length | 34:23 | |||
Label | Polydor (UK) Atlantic (US) | |||
Producer | Arif Mardin | |||
Ringo Starr chronology | ||||
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Singles from Ringo's Rotogravure | ||||
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Ringo's Rotogravure is the fifth studio album by Ringo Starr, released in 1976. It was the last project to feature active involvement from all four former Beatles before John Lennon's murder in 1980, and the second of two projects following the band's 1970 breakup to hold the distinction (alongside Ringo from 1973). Following the end of his contract with EMI, Starr signed on with Polydor Records worldwide (Atlantic Records handling US distribution).
Background and recording
It was reported in December 1975 that
Well, Paul asked to write a song. I asked John and ... eventually he came up with ["Cookin'"] ... I also asked George to write one, but there was an old one of his that was never released by anybody, that I always loved ... It's called "I Still Love You", a big ballady thing.[1]
– Ringo Starr on how he got material from his former Beatles bandmates
Starr again stuck to his proven formula of having friends write songs and perform on the recordings. This time, Eric Clapton took part, in addition to his old friend Harry Nilsson, and Peter Frampton, Jesse Ed Davis, Melissa Manchester, Dr. John, and former Beatles John Lennon, Paul McCartney and George Harrison.[4] Sessions began in April at Sunset Sound Recorders in Los Angeles,[1] and eventually moved on 12 June to Cherokee Recording Studios.[2] Starr was joined at this session by Lennon and his wife Yoko Ono, recording the Lennon-penned "Cookin' (In the Kitchen of Love)".[1][4] Lennon played the piano lines that are heard at the beginning of the song, in what was his only known studio recording during his five years of musical retreat that he kept until 1980, when he recorded his album Double Fantasy.[1]
McCartney, while on break from his
Music and lyrics
"Pure Gold", composed by Paul McCartney, had been influenced by Starr's then-girlfriend
Release
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
The Essential Rock Discography | 5/10[17] |
MusicHound | 2/5[18] |
The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [19] |
Ringo's Rotogravure was released on 17 September 1976 in the UK,[nb 2][2] to a lukewarm response. Despite letting him record the song, Harrison was not pleased with Starr's version of "I'll Still Love You", and proceeded to take legal action against Starr, which was soon settled out of court.[1] The album's title came from the film Easter Parade (1948).[21] At the time living as a UK tax exile, Starr promoted the album with interviews in Denmark, France and Italy.[2] The album was packaged with a free magnifying glass so that those who bought the album could read the graffiti that was featured on the album's back cover.[1] The "A Dose of Rock 'n' Roll" single, backed with "Cryin'", was released on 20 September in the US,[2] reaching number 26.[nb 3][22]
Released in the US on 27 September,[nb 4][23] the album performed poorly, only reaching number 28 in America and quickly falling off the charts, while it never even appeared in the UK charts. The promotional film for "You Don't Know Me at All" aired on Dutch TV, in the Netherlands, on the show Voor De Vuist Weg.[1] On 15 October the "A Dose of Rock 'n' Roll" single was released in the UK.[nb 5][24] In between this and the next single, Starr recorded the track "I Can Hear You Calling" at Atlantic Studios on 15 October.[24] The follow-up single, his cover of Bruce Channel's "Hey! Baby", backed with "Lady Gaye", was released on 22 November in the US and stalled at number 74.[nb 6][24] The single was released in the UK on 26 November.[nb 7][24] A single comprising "Las Brisas" and "Cryin'" was released in Mexico. Ringo's Rotogravure was issued on CD, on the same day as Ringo the 4th, on 16 August 1992, in the US[26] by Atlantic.[nb 8][23]
Track listing
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "A Dose of Rock 'n' Roll" | Carl Groszmann | 3:24 |
2. | "Hey! Baby" | Margaret Cobb, Bruce Channel | 3:11 |
3. | "Pure Gold" | Paul McCartney | 3:14 |
4. | "Cryin'" | 3:18 | |
5. | "You Don't Know Me at All" | Dave Jordan | 3:16 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Cookin' (In the Kitchen of Love)" | John Lennon | 3:41 |
2. | "I'll Still Love You" | George Harrison | 2:57 |
3. | "This Be Called a Song" | Eric Clapton | 3:14 |
4. | "Las Brisas" |
| 3:33 |
5. | "Lady Gaye" |
| 2:57 |
6. | "Spooky Weirdness" | uncredited | 1:26 |
Personnel
- Ringo Starr – lead vocals, drums, percussion
- Peter Frampton – guitars
- Jesse Ed Davis – guitars
- Lon Van Eaton – guitars
- Eric Clapton – guitar on "This Be Called a Song"
- Danny Kortchmar – guitars
- John Lennon – piano on "Cookin' (In the Kitchen of Love)"
- Dr. John – keyboards
- Jane Getz – keyboards
- Jim Keltner – drums
- Klaus Voormann – bass
- Paul McCartney – backing vocals on "Pure Gold"
- Linda McCartney – backing vocals on "Pure Gold"
- Melissa Manchester – backing vocals
- Harry Nilsson – backing vocals
- David Lasley – backing vocals
- Mariachi Los Galleros de Pedro Rey[12] – instruments and backing vocals on "Las Brisas"
- John Kosh — Art Director and Album Cover Designer
Charts
Weekly charts
Chart (1976) | Position |
---|---|
Australian Kent Music Report[27] | 19 |
Canadian RPM Albums Chart[28] | 35 |
28 |
References
Footnotes
- ^ "Where Are You Going" was one of two songs that was co-written between Starr and Billy Lawrie in the early 1970s.[8] The other was "Rock & Roller", a track that would be recorded by Lawrie at Starr's Startling Studios in May 1973 for his album, Ship Imagination (1973).[8]
- ^ UK Polydor Deluxe 2302 040[20]
- ^ US Atlantic 45-3361[22]
- ^ US Atlantic SD 18193[23]
- ^ UK Polydor 2001 694[22]
- ^ US Atlantic 45-3371[25]
- ^ UK Polydor 2001 699[25]
- ^ US Atlantic 7 82416-2P[23]
Citations
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Miles; Badman 2001
- ^ a b c d e f Harry 2004, p. 122
- ^ a b c d e f g h Robinson 2005, p. 112
- ^ a b c d Rodriguez 2010, p. 37
- ^ a b Harrison 2002, p. 228
- ^ a b Rodriguez 2010, pp. 37–38
- ^ Harry 2004, p. 174
- ^ a b Harry 2004, p. 235
- ^ Harry 2004, p. 256
- ^ Harry 2004, p. 176
- ^ Harry 2004, p. 9
- ^ ISBN 978-1-61713-632-0.
- ^ Harry 2004, p. 320
- AllMusic(retrieved 19 July 2012).
- ISBN 089919026X. Retrieved 13 March 2019 – via robertchristgau.com.
- ISBN 978-0-85712-595-8.
- ISBN 978-184195-827-9.
- ISBN 1-57859-061-2), p. 1083.
- ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
- ^ Harry 2004, p. 184
- ^ Harry 2004, p. 295
- ^ a b c Harry 2004, p. 188
- ^ a b c d Harry 2004, p. 185
- ^ a b c d Harry 2004, p. 123
- ^ a b Harry 2004, p. 215
- ^ Harry 2004, pp. 144–145
- ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
- ^ Library and Archives Canada. Archived 29 November 2014 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "allmusic (((Ringo – Charts & Awards – Billboard Albums)))". allmusic.com. Retrieved 12 February 2012.
Sources
- Harrison, George (2002). I Me Mine. San Francisco, CA: Chronicle Books.
- Harry, Bill (2004). The Ringo Starr Encyclopedia. London: Virgin Books. ISBN 9780753508435.
- Miles, Barry; Badman, Keith, eds. (2001). The Beatles Diary After the Break-Up: 1970–2001 (reprint ed.). London: Music Sales Group. ISBN 9780711983076.
- Robinson, Lisa (2005). "A Dose of Rock'N'Roll". NME. NME Originals. 2 (3).
- Rodriguez, Robert (2010). Fab Four FAQ 2.0: The Beatles' Solo Years, 1970–1980. New York: Backbeat Books. ISBN 9780879309688.
External links
- Ringo's Rotogravure at Discogs (list of releases)
- JPGR's Ringo's Rotogravure site