After decades in the rearview, it seems like rock fans are still processing the breakup of The Beatles. While it may have seemed like the Fab Four could have gone on forever if they wanted to, the bad business dealings of Allen Klein, alongside growing creative tension, led to every band member going off on their own, creating new sonic avenues in their solo careers. Although every solo Beatle preferred to keep to themselves, they did still jam together occasionally.
For his first proper solo, Plastic Ono Band, John Lennon used Ringo Starr on the drums, playing as a three-piece alongside bassist Klaus Voorman. Though Lennon would eventually bring George Harrison back to play lead guitar on his Imagine album with Starr, there was no chance that Paul McCartney would be allowed on the record, having dragged Lennon’s name through the mud on ‘Too Many People’.
Instead of working off his bandmates, McCartney preferred to make a name for himself with the help of his wife, Linda, crafting one fantastic song after another on albums like RAM and the beginnings of his next band, Wings. Although McCartney relished having a team effort again, he didn’t bring in any of his former bandmates throughout his new band’s career, only working with Starr on a handful of songs in the 1980s.
For a while, it looked like George Harrison would be the most popular solo Beatle. Earning a massive single with ‘My Sweet Lord’, his debut solo effort, All Things Must Pass, made for a double album of pure joy, along with another disc of jams that the group had played outside of the fleshed-out songs.
Amid his bandmates seeing success, Starr remained the lovable musician in the group. While he was never heralded as the greatest songwriter by anyone’s standards, Starr’s ability to keep the groove of a song and deliver the occasional ballad or rave-up tune brought a bit of levity to every track the band put out.
After dipping his toes into country music on the album Beaucoup of Blues, Starr’s return to rock music on the album Ringo marked one of the only times that every Beatle played on a Beatles solo album. Featuring help from Harrison on the knockout single ‘Photograph’, Starr’s vocal is propped up by various backup singers, as well as a token appearance from Harrison on guitar.
To kick off the record is the cheeky ‘I’m the Greatest’, co-written by John Lennon. Being an unabashed declaration of Starr’s skills, Lennon provides a few guest vocals in the background of the tune as well. While McCartney tended to be the one holdout of the group, even he couldn’t pass up the chance to help out one of his best mates behind the drums.
Further down the album, McCartney oversaw the arrangements and played a bit of piano on the song ‘Six O’Clock’ which he co-wrote with Linda. Looking to have some fun in the studio, McCartney also played a kazoo solo on Starr’s other hit from the record, ‘You’re Sixteen’.
Even though each member had fun working on their respective tracks, it would never be enough for a full Beatles reunion, with Starr eventually left to his own devices for the rest of his solo career. The Fab Four were never going to be the same after the breakup, but this album is a subtle reminder of the joy that they could bring to people’s lives when they were all together.
