Ringo Starr - It Don't Come Easy - Non-Album Tracks (1969-1973)
In 1970, the year the Beatles officially broke up, Starr released two solo albums. They were unusual in that both of them were all covers albums. He didn't release his first proper solo album all the way until 1973, with the acclaimed album "Ringo." I've long felt there should have been another album between 1970 and 1973. If there had been, it would have been one of his best. So here at least we have a rough version.
What makes it really strange that he didn't put out a solo album during this time is that he had two big hit singles, some of the biggest of his entire solo career. In 1971, "It Don't Come Easy" was a Top Ten hit in both the U.S. and Britain, and in 1972, "Back Off Boogaloo" was also a Top Ten hit in both countries. In fact, both of them came close to reaching Number One in Britain. It's pretty much unheard of to have that much success with singles and not capitalize on it with an album as well. But I guess as an ex-Beatle Starr was in a unique position and could do whatever he wanted.
This album starts off with "Octopus's Garden," a song Starr co-wrote with George Harrison for the Beatles album "Abbey Road" in 1969. However, this version is NOT that version, even though it sounds very similar. Instead, this version was performed by other musicians, with a unique lead vocal by Starr, for a British TV show called "With a Little Help from My Friends," which aired in December 1969. This is unreleased.
The next two songs are from Starr's 1970 solo album "Beaucoups of Blues." I don't think much of his two 1970 solo albums. In my opinion, they were vanity projects, and I don't have them in my music collection. But "Beaucoups of Blues" is the better one, and I like these two songs from that one. "Coochy Coochy" is a B-side to the song "Beaucoups of Blues" when it was released as a single. That one was written by Starr.
The next four songs are the two hit singles I mentioned above, plus the B-sides. If we look at all of Starr's music career, he didn't put much effort into songwriting, and usually had others write songs for him. But he co-wrote both of the hits with George Harrison (although Harrison chose not to get co-writing credits), and also wrote the B-sides. Actually, he wrote or co-wrote all the songs on this album, except for "Tommy's Holiday Camp" and the two songs from the "Beaucoups of Blues" album.
Speaking of "Tommy's Holiday Camp," that's the next song here. It comes from a 1972 album of "Tommy" by the Who. It was a different version of that album, featuring members of the Who performing with the London Symphony Orchestra, and lots of guest stars, like Starr. He actually sang lead on two songs. But I didn't include the other one, "Fiddle About," because I don't like the song much, and I think it really only makes sense as part of the "Tommy" album.
"Photograph" was another hit for Starr in 1973. I'm not including it here, because it was on his 1973 album "Ringo." But "Down and Out" is its B-side, and that wasn't included on the album, so it is included. It's another song Starr wrote by himself.
"Band of Steel" is a strange case. This song was written by Starr in 1970 for the "Beaucoups of Blues" album. But it wasn't included when the decision was made to have it an all covers album. In 1976, Starr gave it to another musician, Guthrie Thomas. They did a duet version which was included on an album Thomas released that year called "Lies and Alibis." I'm including it here because even though it was released in 1976, it really should be considered a 1970 song.
There's a bonus track, "Act Naturally." Starr famously did this Buck Owens song with the Beatles in 1965. I thought this version was interesting because it was done as a duet with Cilla Black for a BBC TV show in 1971. It's unreleased. Unfortunately though, the sound quality isn't that good, which is why it's only a bonus track.
If this was a real album, it would be my second favorite one of Starr's solo career, behind only 1973's "Ringo." It's too bad he didn't keep pushing himself to write more songs, like he did for most of the songs here.
This album is 35 minutes long, not counting the bonus track.
01 Octopus's Garden (Ringo Starr)
02 Beaucoups of Blues (Ringo Starr)
03 $15 Draw (Ringo Starr)
04 Coochy Coochy (Ringo Starr)
05 It Don't Come Easy (Ringo Starr)
06 Early 1970 (Ringo Starr)
07 Back Off Boogaloo (Ringo Starr)
08 Blindman (Ringo Starr)
09 Tommy's Holiday Camp (Ringo Starr)
10 Down and Out (Ringo Starr)
11 Band of Steel (Ringo Starr & Guthrie Thomas)bonus track - Act Naturally (Ringo Starr & Cilla Black)