Six O'Clock

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"Six O'Clock"
Song by Ringo Starr
from the album Ringo
Released2 November 1973
GenrePop
Length4:05
5:26 (extended)
LabelApple
Songwriter(s)Paul McCartney, Linda McCartney
Producer(s)Richard Perry

"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.

Produced by

Apple Studios in London in April 1973. Following Starr's recent collaborations with George Harrison and John Lennon in Los Angeles, the session with McCartney added to speculation in the press that the Beatles were about to reunite. An extended version of the song appeared as a bonus track on the 1992 CD release of Starr's Goodnight Vienna
album.

Background and composition

"Six o'clock in the morning/You've just gone to sleep." Paul wrote that. See, they knew me so well, they would write songs that they felt I could get away with.[1]

– Ringo Starr, 2001

the Beatles' break-up in 1970, and by McCartney's subsequent lawsuit against his three former bandmates,[8][9] Starr said in late 1972 that relations among the ex-Beatles were "a lot better now … we're together as people [if not as a band], and that's more important really."[10] Once George Harrison and John Lennon had each agreed to contribute songs for Ringo, Starr was able to persuade McCartney by telling him: "You don't want to be left out, do you?"[11]

The song was credited to McCartney and his wife

Wings,[14] whose album Red Rose Speedway they had just completed. In a 2001 interview, Starr nevertheless cited "Six O'Clock" as an example of how his former bandmates always supplied him with material that suited his personality.[1] The song's lyrics address a friend or lover whom the singer confesses to not showing enough attention towards.[15] The repeated refrain "I don't treat you like I should" serves as an extended coda, anticipating a similar reprise in McCartney and Starr's 1997 collaboration "Beautiful Night".[16]

Recording

Starr recorded eight of the ten rhythm tracks for Ringo in Los Angeles during March 1973,

James Paul McCartney,[31][32] which McCartney had agreed to do to appease music publisher Lew Grade's concerns about the legitimacy of Linda's songwriting credits.[33][34][nb 2]

Paul and Linda McCartney at the 1974 Academy Awards. McCartney's participation in the recording of "Six O'Clock" ensured that all four former Beatles appeared on Starr's 1973 solo album.

Starr attended the premiere of That'll Be the Day on 12 April, with the McCartneys,

tap-dancing onto his composition "Step Lightly".[42] Further work was carried out on "Six O'Clock" at EMI's Abbey Road Studios,[17] as part of what Perry later described as "two or three wonderful nights" of recording in London.[32] Flutes and strings were added to the song, with McCartney providing the arrangement.[14]

News of Starr and McCartney recording together added to the media speculation that the Beatles might re-form.

Elstree Studios, McCartney had said that he saw "no real reason why we shouldn't get together again" once Lennon, Harrison and Starr had removed Allen Klein from his position as manager of Apple Corps, which they did on 31 March.[43] When fending off the reunion rumours during Wings' UK tour, in May 1973, McCartney said that writing the song and recording with Starr had merely been an act of friendship, adding: "I would do it for any friend."[45][nb 3]

Release

Apple Records released Ringo on 2 November 1973,

Devil Woman".[50] Helped by news of Starr having recorded with each of his former bandmates,[4] and the popularity of the single "Photograph", written by Starr and Harrison,[51] the album was a commercial and critical success.[52] The release was closely followed by that of Wings' Band on the Run album,[53] which gained critical acclaim for McCartney for the first time as a solo artist.[54][55]

The original mix of "Six O'Clock" extended to 5:26 due to the inclusion of the reprise-like coda, yet this portion was subsequently cut,

cassette and 8-track cartridge formats.[14][nb 4] This full version of the song was included as a bonus track on the CD release of Starr's 1974 album Goodnight Vienna,[57] issued in November 1992.[58]

Critical reception

In his album review for Rolling Stone, Ben Gerson wrote of "Six O'Clock" having "a certain slight charm" but rued its lack of "collaborative feeling" next to the contributions from Harrison and Lennon. Gerson concluded that Starr was "merely grafted onto a typical McCartney confection".[59] In the NME, Charles Shaar Murray derided Ringo as "an album that should be purchased only by those who wish to go to extraordinary lengths to indulge their nostalgia for the Beatles", and he dismissed McCartney's composition as "well below form".[60] More impressed, Alan Betrock of Phonograph Record wrote: "Paul McCartney's 'Six O'Clock' would have been a perfect chart-topper for himself and Wings, possibly rivaling 'Yesterday' in worldwide stature. McCartney's patented string arrangement is refreshing to hear, offering a nice counterpart to Richard Perry's often overdone backgrounds. Perhaps 'Six O'Clock' is a bit too drawn out, but it still comes off quite nicely."[61] In his review for Disc magazine, Michael Benton described the song as "a mixture of sugar sweet lyrics and gentle music".[62]

In his 1977 book The Beatles Forever, Nicholas Schaffner admired Starr for bringing out the best in his collaborators, which in McCartney's case "produce[d] the strongest, most lyrical pop ballad he had composed since 'The Long and Winding Road'".[13] Writing in 1981, NME critic Bob Woffinden similarly opined that Starr's strength of character had ensured that the Beatles' past differences were forgotten, resulting in his three former bandmates providing "excellent compositions", with "Six O'Clock" "distinguished by a lovely melody".[2]

Among more recent commentators, former Mojo editor Mat Snow considers that whereas Harrison and Lennon "did their old buddy proud" on Ringo, McCartney's offering was "so weak that Ringo's rumbustious 'Devil Woman' beat it for intrigue and excitement".[63] Alan Clayson identifies the "snotty synthesiser ostinato" as the song's most salient feature, adding: "'Six O'Clock' could have been made up by McCartney in his sleep. It was certainly commensurate with the wispy lyrics and syrupy jingles that comprised Red Rose Speedway, Wings' 1973 album."[31] Conversely, Tim Riley describes the song as "a standout track",[64] while Robert Rodriguez views it as "a catchy ballad" that would have been "unremarkable" if issued by McCartney, yet it became a "stellar" track in Starr's version.[65]

In 1975, London-based recording engineer

ARP synthesizer,[68] the album was one of the first releases on Starr's short-lived record label, Ring O' Records.[69]

Personnel

According to Bruce Spizer:[14]

Notes

  1. ^ During this period, McCartney was preparing for Wings' first major tour,[26] and his recent drugs conviction prevented him from entering America.[27] In addition, according to author Robert Rodriguez, McCartney was most likely keen to avoid meeting up with Lennon and Harrison until they had formally severed ties with their manager, Allen Klein.[28]
  2. ATV Music Publishing, which had acquired the Beatles' Northern Songs publishing company in 1969.[33][34] Citing Linda's lack of credentials as a musician and songwriter, Grade had sued McCartney in 1971[35] on the grounds that the joint writing credit was a ruse that denied ATV the second composer's publishing royalties.[33][36]
  3. ^ As an example, McCartney stated he would do the same for singer Rod Stewart "if he rang up" – a comment that led to Stewart phoning him and requesting a song.[45] McCartney duly wrote "Mine for Me",[46] which he and Linda recorded with Stewart[47] for the latter's 1974 album Smiler.[48]
  4. ^ The Mexican LP used the 5:26 version, however, since pressings there were taken from the original master tape.[14]

References

  1. ^ a b Timothy White, "Music To My Ears: Ringo's All Starrs Play And Act Naturally", Billboard, 26 May 2001, p. 4 (retrieved 31 August 2016).
  2. ^ a b Woffinden, pp. 75, 77.
  3. ^ Doggett, pp. 198–99, 207.
  4. ^
    Ultimate Classic Rock
    , 23 November 2013 (retrieved 30 August 2016).
  5. ^ Madinger & Easter, pp. 500–01.
  6. ^ Clayson, p. 241.
  7. ^ Rodriguez, p. 139.
  8. ^ Doggett, pp. 120, 122.
  9. ^ Clayson, pp. 211, 217.
  10. ^ Hunt, p. 68.
  11. ^ Doggett, pp. 207–08.
  12. ^ Spizer, p. 307.
  13. ^ a b Schaffner, pp. 160–61.
  14. ^ a b c d e f Spizer, p. 308.
  15. ^ Jackson, p. 97.
  16. ^ Madinger & Easter, pp. 389, 506.
  17. ^ a b Madinger & Easter, p. 501.
  18. ^ a b Spizer, p. 306.
  19. ^ Woffinden, p. 75.
  20. ^ Riley, pp. 564–65.
  21. ^ Badman, pp. 92, 94.
  22. ^ a b Harry, p. 118.
  23. ^ Rodriguez, pp. 437–38.
  24. ^ Steve Sutherland (ed.) NME Originals: Lennon, IPC Ignite! (London, 2003), p. 108.
  25. ^ Rodriguez, pp. 35, 438.
  26. ^ a b c Madinger & Easter, p. 182.
  27. ^ Sounes, pp. 300–01, 314.
  28. ^ Rodriguez, p. 35.
  29. ^ Spizer, pp. 306, 308.
  30. ^ Schaffner, pp. 151, 163.
  31. ^ a b Clayson, p. 243.
  32. ^ a b c John Tobler & Stuart Grundy, "Richard Perry", The Record Producers, BBC Books (London, 1982); excerpt available at Rock's Backpages (subscription required).
  33. ^ a b c Woffinden, p. 67.
  34. ^ a b Sounes, pp. 303–04.
  35. ^ Schaffner, p. 151.
  36. ^ Doggett, pp. 167–68.
  37. ^ Badman, pp. 96, 98.
  38. ^ a b Rodriguez, p. 36.
  39. ^ a b Album credits, Ringo CD (Apple/Capitol, 1991; produced by Richard Perry).
  40. ^ Castleman & Podrazik, p. 212.
  41. ^ Badman, p. 98.
  42. ^ Madinger & Easter, pp. 501, 504.
  43. ^ a b Hunt, p. 69.
  44. ^ Rodriguez, pp. 158, 438.
  45. ^ a b Badman, p. 100.
  46. ^ Badman, pp. 100, 143.
  47. ^ Rodriguez, p. 240.
  48. ^ Madinger & Easter, p. 201.
  49. ^ Badman, p. 111.
  50. ^ Castleman & Podrazik, p. 128.
  51. ^ Spizer, p. 305.
  52. ^ Rodriguez, pp. 157, 261.
  53. ^ Woffinden, p. 79.
  54. ^ Hunt, p. 14.
  55. ^ Palash Ghosh, "Band On The Run: 40 Years Ago, Paul McCartney Saved His Career With An Album Made Under Duress In Nigeria", International Business Times, 16 July 2013 (retrieved 31 August 2016).
  56. ^ Madinger & Easter, p. 506.
  57. ^ Madinger & Easter, pp. 506, 646.
  58. ^ Badman, p. 491.
  59. ^ Ben Gerson, "Ringo Starr Ringo", Rolling Stone, 20 December 1973, p. 73 (retrieved 31 August 2016).
  60. ^ Charles Shaar Murray, "Paul McCartney: Band On The Run/Ringo Starr: Ringo", NME, 19 January 1974; available at Rock's Backpages (subscription required).
  61. ^ Alan Betrock, "Ringo Starr: Ringo", Phonograph Record, December 1973; available at Rock's Backpages (subscription required).
  62. ^ Michael Benton, "Ringo's Album Unites the Beatles", Disc, 24 November 1973, p. 25.
  63. ^ Snow, p. 44.
  64. ^ Riley, p. 482.
  65. ^ Rodriguez, p. 158.
  66. ^ Clayson, p. 271.
  67. ^ Bob Woffinden, "Ringo Starr: Everyone One of Us Has All We Need …", NME, 12 April 1975; available at Rock's Backpages (subscription required).
  68. ^ Clayson, pp. 271–72.
  69. ^ Woffinden, p. 78.

Sources

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