Although rarely exploring it within their own incredible body of work, The Beatles always held a healthy appreciation for the sweet sound of soul music. Drummer Ringo Starr was particularly noted for his deep love for the soul stylings of Ray Charles and the like, but according to Starr, one particular effort by Al Green was particularly influential on his own unique playing style.
One of the most iconic soul stars of the 1970s, Al Green lived and breathed the language of soul. In fact, during his teenage years, he was ostracised by his family in Arkansas after being caught listening to legendary soul musician Jackie Wilson. Beginning his own musical career during high school, Al Green found success attempting to recreate the vocal style of his heroes Sam Cooke and James Brown.
Although a popular mainstay of America’s soul and R&B charts, it was not until the breakout success of his 1972 record Let’s Stay Together that Green found notoriety in the UK. The album’s title track remains one of the singer’s most popular efforts, identifying Green not just as somebody who could successfully emulate the likes of Cooke and Brown but as a gifted artist in his own right.
After the intense success of ‘Let’s Stay Together’, which peaked at number seven in the UK charts, Green struggled to recreate his transatlantic success. Nevertheless, it was enough to put him on the radar of one Ringo Starr. The Beatles always prided themselves on being open to countless different musical styles and genres, and the ‘peace and love’ loving Ringo was no exception.
The drummer was once noted by Paul McCartney as being able to successfully recreate the style of Ray Charles’ ‘What’d I Say’, though Ringo himself later clarified, “I listened to the records, but I wasn’t, like, big on listening to the drums” in opposition to his ex-bandmates assumption.
It seems as though Starr was much more influenced by the music of Al Green, particularly the track ‘I’m a Ram’. “You know, in Al Green’s ‘I’m a Ram,’ the drummer uses the hi-hat as a part,” he once shared. “Well, it blew me away. I love that. And the only drum solo I talk about is Cozy Cole’s ‘Topsy’ from all those years ago. That’s the only one I liked. But John Bonham did quite a good one one time.”
The track featured on Green’s Al Green Gets Next To You, which received a decent amount of commercial attention on the US Billboard Album Charts, but made little to no impact in the UK. Despite its disappointing performance across the pond, the spirit of the track lives on through the beloved drumming style of Ringo Starr.
