Vertical Man
Vertical Man | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | 16 June 1998 | |||
Recorded |
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Studio |
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Genre | Rock | |||
Length | 51:41 | |||
Label | Mercury | |||
Producer |
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Ringo Starr chronology | ||||
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Singles from Vertical Man | ||||
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Vertical Man is the 11th studio album by
Background and recording
Ringo Starr met songwriter Dean Grakal at a party on New Year's Eve 1996, during which the pair had a discussion about songwriting, with Grakal proposing that they form a team with Mark Hudson,[4] whom Starr had met years prior while Starr was working on Time Takes Time (1992).[2][4] Starr spoke of the writing process in an interview with Billboard magazine: "This is the first time I've really been involved [in my record]. Whereas before, I'd just sort of pick out other people's songs or songs other people had written that I thought were vaguely trying to say what I would have liked to say, on this, we're really trying to say what I want to say, thank you."[5]
In February 1997, Hudson and Grakal visited Starr in his Beverly Hills residence for a songwriting session.[2] The result of this meeting was a song called "My Love", which was promptly renamed to "Everyday"[6] after Starr commented that McCartney had already used the title.[7] The song was demoed under that name by Starr, Hudson, Grakal, and guitarist Steve Dudas.[4] Happy with this session,[6] the quartet followed it up with more recordings the following month, at Los Angeles's Whatinthewhatthe? Studios.[8] There the musicians recorded two tracks: "Mr. Double-It-Up" and "One",[9] the latter of which, per Grakal's lyric sheet, was originally called "All It Takes Is One".[6] For these sessions, Starr played the drum set he had used during his time with The Beatles.[6] In mid-to-late April, Starr and Hudson worked on Vertical Man as Starr began rehearsals for an upcoming tour.[6] Before embarking on the tour (which would begin on 28 April), Starr recorded "I'll Be Fine Anywhere".[6] After the tour had finished on 8 June, Starr went on holiday, and returned in July.[6] Recording for the album restarted in the same month, on 20 July, with Starr playing with The Roundheads as his backing band.[6]
We had this open-door policy, whereby if you dropped by while we were recording, you were going to get asked to be on the record.[6]
– Ringo Starr, after several people showed up at the sessions
Starr and the Roundheads recorded the tracks "What in the... World", "La De Da", and "Mindfield" on 20 July at Whatinthewhatthe? Studios.[10] Starr added vocals to "What in the... World" on 28 July, and two days later to "Without Understanding".[10] On July 31, Joe Walsh showed up at Whatinthewhatthe? Studios and added guitar parts to "What in the... World", "La De Da" and "Mindfield".[10] The next day, Starr re-recorded his "Without Understanding" vocal.[10] On 5 August, the track "Old Country Song" (soon to be re-titled as "Good News") was recorded.[10] The bass track to "Good News" was recorded two days later, by Lee Rocker.[10] Starr and Hudson then flew to Europe at the end of August.[6]
On 29 September, at McCartney's
I've always loved that song. I didn't get to play on the first one (1962) – I'll show the bastards![6]
– Ringo Starr, on the choice of re-making "Love Me Do"
On November 7,
The following day, Tyler re-did his harmonica part to "Love Me Do". This was done at Starr's request, who wanted it to sound closer to the Beatles' original version.
Starr had not paid rent since the beginning of the record sessions. As a result, Nina Pieseckyj—the landlord's secretary—arrived at Whatinthewhatthe? Studios on 12 December to request the rent.[6] Starr immediately asked if she played an instrument, to which she replied "Yeah, cello". Starr proceeded to tell her to "go get it".[6] Pieseckyj ended up playing a cello riff similar to "I Am the Walrus" on the track "Vertical Man".[6] Also on this day, Starr was announced to have signed with an EMI subsidiary label, Guardian Records, to release his new album[3] on the planned date of 21 April 1998.[nb 1][6] On 16 December, a final mix of "Love Me Do" was made.[3] A few days after having been signed to Guardian, the label (along with several other minor labels) was shut down by then-current EMI president Ken Barry, leaving Starr without a label on which to release the album.[3] Upon finding this out, Starr added a final lead vocal track to "Vertical Man".[6] All musicians and staff members then took a Christmas break from recording.[6] Harrison's guitar overdubs were sent to Starr via mail and arrived on 22 December, after which he went with the Roundheads to Village Recorder Studios to hear the results.[12] Upon hearing the solos, Starr exclaimed "You're killing me, George. You've got me crying, you bugger!".[12]
Between 6 and 11 January 1998, the tracks "Mindfield", "King of Broken Hearts" and "Drift Away" were mixed at A&M Studios.[3] Osbourne added a vocal track to "Vertical Man" on 16 January.[3] The following day at A&M Studios, saxophonist Joel Peskin overdubbed saxophone onto "Puppet", which was then mixed on 23 January.[3] On 29 January, Starr and friends listened to a playback of the album.[3] Hudson and Emerick flew to New York on 17 February to oversee mastering of the album.[13] Later that day, Hudson and Grakal met with Mercury's Danny Goldberg, with whom they made a deal to release the album.[13] On 23 April, Starr removed Tyler's vocal at Mercury's request, as Aerosmith was due to have tracks released on the Armageddon soundtrack.[13] Mastering was handled the next day at Masterdisc by Greg Calbi.[13] Final mastering for the album was done[13] from 2 to 6 May at A&M Studios.[6] On the same day, at Abbey Road Studios, Starr, and Mark and Scott Gordon, via telephone, recorded Petty's (who is assisted by Greedy) vocals for the song "Drift Away", who was at Village Recorder Studios in Los Angeles.[6] "Drift Away" was remastered, now with Petty's vocals for the song in the mix, on 12 May.[6]
Promotion, release and reception
Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
The Essential Rock Discography | 5/10[16] |
Galeria Musical | [17] |
NME | 2/10[18] |
MusicHound | 2.5/5[19] |
Q | [20] |
With the recent Beatles Anthology having introduced the group to newer and younger fans, it was reasoned that Starr would benefit from the exposure;[6] McCartney's Flaming Pie had done very well upon its 1997 release.[21] With Starr newly signed to a worldwide major label deal with Mercury,[13] he was hoping for a similar reaction.
On both 13 and 14 April 1998, Starr held interviews to help promote the album,
Vertical Man was released on 16 June in the US,
Vertical Man received average reviews and reached No. 61 in the US. The album was then released in the UK on 3 August,[30] where it bubbled below the official Top 75, reaching No. 85 there,[31] after having sold 2,000 copies.[32]
Within the album's week of release, Starr held an online chat with fans.[23] A tour followed the release of the album, although Starr said the tour was not only to promote the album: "I don't really ever want to do the two hours where it's just me. I like the mixture of the All-Stars because it's so much fun."[23] On 5 April 1999, Hudson and Gordon made a single edit version of "La De Da", which Starr approved on 9 June.[33] Nearly a month later, on 4 July, the single edit aired for the first time on British airwaves, thanks to The Chart Show.[34]
Track listing
All tracks written by Steve Dudas, Mark Hudson, Dean Grakal and Richard Starkey except where noted.
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
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1. | "One" | 3:02 | |
2. | "What in the... World" | 3:29 | |
3. | "Mindfield" | 4:06 | |
4. | "King of Broken Hearts" | 4:44 | |
5. | " Lennon-McCartney | 3:45 | |
6. | "Vertical Man" | 4:42 | |
7. | "Drift Away" | Mentor Williams | 4:09 |
8. | "I Was Walkin'" | Starkey, Hudson, Grakal | 3:19 |
9. | "La De Da" | 5:41 | |
10. | "Without Understanding" | Starkey, Hudson, Dudas | 4:22 |
11. | "I'll Be Fine Anywhere" | 3:39 | |
12. | "Puppet" | 3:19 | |
13. | "I'm Yours" | Starkey, Hudson, Mark Nevin | 3:24 |
Total length: | 51:41 |
No. | Title | Length |
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14. | "Mr. Double-It-Up" | 4:00 |
15. | "Everyday" | 4:09 |
Total length: | 59:50 |
No. | Title | Length |
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1. | "Mr. Double-It-Up" | 4:00 |
2. | "Sometimes" | 2:43 |
3. | "Good News" | 3:11 |
Total length: | 61:35 |
Personnel
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Charts
Chart (1998) | Peak position |
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Australian Albums (ARIA)[35] | 90 |
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[36] | 59 |
UK Albums (OCC)[37] | 85 |
US Billboard 200[38] | 61 |
References
Footnotes
Citations
- ^ "New Releases" (PDF). Radio & Records. No. 1250. 29 May 1998. p. 73. Retrieved 31 March 2024.
- ^ a b c d Newman, Melinda (16 May 1998). "Star Appearances Grace Ringo's Set". Billboard. Vol. 110, no. 20. p. 12.
- ^ ISBN 9780753508435.
- ^ ISBN 9780753508435.
- ^ Newman, Melinda (16 May 1998). "Star Appearances Grace Ringo's Set". Billboard. Vol. 110, no. 20. pp. 12, 19.
- ^ ISBN 9780711983076.
- ISBN 9780753508435.
- ISBN 9780753508435.
- ISBN 9780753508435.
- ^ ISBN 9780753508435.
- ^ ISBN 9780753508435.
- ^ ISBN 9780753508435.
- ^ ISBN 9780753508435.
- ^ Thomas, Stephen. "Vertical Man – Ringo Starr : Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 25 June 2013.
- ISBN 978-0-85712-595-8.
- ISBN 978-184195-827-9.
- ^ "Resenhas de Cds, Discos e Música em Geral!!! – Resenha de CD". Galeria Musical.
- ^ Beaumont, Mark (12 August 1998). "Ringo Starr - Vertical Man (Mercury)". NME. Archived from the original on 17 August 2000.
- ISBN 1-57859-061-2), p. 1083.
- ^ Kane, Pete (September 1998). "Ringo Starr – Vertical Man". Q (144): 104.
- ^ "allmusic ((( Flaming Pie > Charts & Awards > Billboard Albums )))". allmusic.com. Retrieved 25 June 2013.
- ISBN 9780753508435.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Newman, Melinda (16 May 1998). "Star Appearances Grace Ringo's Set". Billboard. Vol. 110, no. 20. p. 19.
- ^ ISBN 9780753508435.
- ISBN 9780753508435.
- ^ ISBN 9780753508435.
- ISBN 9780753508435.
- ^ 4 Songs From (Back cover). Ringo Starr. Mercury. 1998. RINGO 1.
{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ISBN 9780753508435.
- ISBN 9780753508435.
- ^ "Chart Log UK: DJ S – The System Of Life". Zobbel.de. Archived from the original on 22 March 2015. Retrieved 6 May 2013.
- ISBN 9780753508435.
- ISBN 9780753508435.
- ISBN 9780753508435.
- ^ Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (PDF ed.). Mt Martha, Victoria, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 265.
- GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 18 October 2022.
- ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 18 October 2022.
- ^ "Ringo Starr Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 18 October 2022.
External links
- Vertical Man at Discogs (list of releases)