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The Beatles- Tell Me What You See

Page 18

by Peter Checksfield


  00-12-72 – ‘Born To Boogie’ movie (UK)

  Tutti Frutti / Children Of The Revolution [with T. Rex and Elton John]

  Taped on 21-03-72, Ringo drums and Elton John plays piano on these songs by T. Rex, as well as directs the movie and appears in other scenes. Also performed was ‘The Slider’, but this wasn’t featured in the movie.

  00-11-73 – ‘Top Of The Pops’ Video (UK)

  Photograph

  Some of the videos made for ‘Top Of The Pops’ were terrible, not even featuring footage of the artists involved, but Ringo is at least in this one, fooling around in Tittenhurst Park. It was broadcast on the show on 01-11-73, with the single making No. 8 in the UK and No. 1 in the USA. Ringo’s 1973 album, simply entitled ‘Ringo’, is the nearest all 4 of The Beatles came to a reunion, with both performer and songwriter contributions from John, Paul and George. It peaked at No. 7 in the UK and No. 2 in the USA, while, also taken from the album, was ‘You’re Sixteen’, which got to No. 4 in the UK and No. 1 in the USA, and the US-only ‘Oh My My’, which peaked at No. 5.

  00-11-74 – Promo Video

  Only You

  Attempting to repeat the success of ‘Ringo’, the similar ‘Goodnight Vienna’ album got to No. 30 in the UK and No. 8 in the USA, with ‘Only You’ getting to No. 28 in the UK and No. 6 in the USA. Filmed on 14-11-74 on top of the Capitol Records Tower in Los Angeles with Harry Nilsson, the zany video was shown on ‘Top Of The Pops’ on 19-12-74 and 16-01-75, and is also on ‘Photograph: The Best of Ringo Starr’. Also taken from the album was the US No. 3 hit ‘No No Song’ b/w ‘Snookeroo’, and the US No. 31 hit ‘(It’s All Down To) Goodnight Vienna’. John Lennon’s version of ‘Only You’, for which he did a guide vocal for Ringo, was released in 1998.

  28-04-75 – ‘The Smothers Brothers Show’ (USA)

  No No Song [with The Smothers Brothers]

  A lively version of Ringo’s recent single, performed with the hosts of the show.

  22-05-75 – ‘Boogie Woogie Gospel Rock and Roll Show’ (USA)

  No No Song [with Hoyt Axton]

  Another live and loose version, this time performed with the writer of the song, along with Micky Dolenz, Kris Kristofferson, Paul Williams, Buffy Saint-Marie and many more. The song is about giving up drink and drugs, ironic, as everyone here looks drunk or high!

  00-09-76 – Promo Video

  I’ll Still Love You

  ‘I’ll Still Love You’ (also known as ‘When Every Song Is Sung’) is a George Harrison composition, and one of his very finest too. Taken from the US No. 28 and UK chart flop ‘Ringo’s Rotogravure’ album, the outdoors video, taped in Germany on 08-08-76, features a shaven headed Ringo, as do the other 2 promo videos he made this year. Also released as a single from this album was ‘A Dose Of Rock ‘n’ Roll’, which got to No. 26 in the USA, though no video was made.

  00-10-76 – Promo Video

  You Don’t Know Me At All

  Taped in late July 1976 in Monte Carlo and in Hamburg, this is Ringo’s most notorious ‘bald’ video, featuring lots of close-ups.

  00-11-76 – Promo Video

  Hey Baby

  Taped in Hamburg in early August, this features Ringo and a host of dancers on 2 huge staircases. A US No. 74 hit, interestingly, the soundtrack on the video is both different and longer than the released recording.

  00-09-77 – Promo Video

  Drowning In The Sea Of Love

  Taped in Europe, in what looks like a night club and an expensive penthouse apartment, Ringo’s surprisingly good version of Joe Simon’s soul classic is from the album ‘Ringo The 4th’.

  00-04-78 – ‘The Last Waltz’ Movie (USA)

  I Shall Be Released [with Bob Dylan, The Band and Ronnie Wood]

  Taped at Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco on 25-11-76, ‘The Last Waltz’ is the feature length movie of The Band’s farewell concert, for which Ringo played on this one song.

  26-04-78 – ‘Ognir Rrats’ (USA)

  I'm The Greatest / Medley: A Dose Of Rock ‘n’ Roll - Act Naturally / Yellow Submarine / You're Sixteen [with Carrie Fisher] / With A Little Help From My Friends / Heart On My Sleeve / Hard Times / A Man Like Me

  A modern update of ‘The Prince and The Pauper’ (something Tommy Steele did with ‘The Duke Wore Jeans’ 20 years earlier), this TV special is genuinely funny, and there’s much to enjoy musically too, with all songs being new recordings. Amongst the highlights are ‘Act Naturally’ with the slow part of ‘A Dose Of Rock ‘n’ Roll’ used as the intro, a duet with Carrie Fisher (hot at the time due to her recent success in ‘Star Wars’), and ‘Heart On My Sleeve’ and ‘Hard Times’, live recordings backed by a band that includes Dr. John. ‘You’re Sixteen’ is on ‘Photograph: The Best of Ringo Starr’, though sadly with the duet soundtrack replaced by the original studio recording, and the entire TV special, re-titled ‘Ringo’, was shown in the UK on 02-01-83. Additionally, various outtakes circulate from the February-March 1978 taping.

  00-07-78 – Promo Video

  Tonight

  Another great video, with Ringo playing an unlikely romantic lead, the song is from the album ‘Bad Boy’, which again failed in the UK, and got to No. 129 in the USA.

  00-06-79 – Promo Video – RON WOOD

  Buried Alive

  Taped in April 1979, Ringo plays drums in this video.

  03-09-79 – ‘The Jerry Lewis Muscular Dystrophy Association Telethon’ (USA)

  Money (That’s What I Want) / Twist and Shout / Jumpin’ Jack Flash [all songs are with Bill Wyman, Todd Rundgren, Doug Kershaw and Kiki Dee]

  Ringo jams with another Rolling Stone this time, on a televised charity show. He would work with Todd Rundgren again many times in the future.

  00-11-81 – Promo Video

  Wrack My Brain

  Taped on 17/18-09-81, the video sees Ringo in a house of horrors, with various ghouls and monsters, one of them played by his wife Barbara. The song, a No. 38 US hit, is from ‘Stop and Smell The Roses’, Ringo’s 1st album since the death of John. Getting to No. 89 in the US album charts, unfortunately the album and all singles for it failed to chart in the UK.

  12-12-81 – ‘Parkinson’ (UK)

  Singing The Blues [with Barbara Bach, Michael Parkinson, Tim Rice and Jimmy Tarbuck]

  This is a loose jam with the other guests on the show.

  00-01-82 – Promo Video

  Stop and Take The Time To Smell The Roses

  Taped on 16/17-09-81, this is another amusing video, featuring Ringo both as a posh ‘toff’ in top hat and tails and as a motorcycle cop. The song is, more or less, the title track of Ringo’s latest album.

  00-02-82 – ‘The Cooler’ (UK)

  Private Property / Sure To Fall (In Love With You) / Attention [with Paul and Linda McCartney]

  Ringo had long embraced the music video to help promote his music, and this time he, with a little help from Barbara plus Paul and Linda, made a 12 minute film. Taped on 13/14/15/18-01-82, this features a vague storyline about Ringo being thrown into jail, and then falling in love with a beautiful and sexy prison warden, played by Barbara of course. ‘Sure To Fall (In Love With You)’ is an old Carl Perkins song that The Beatles performed at the BBC, and even, in the Pete Best era, played at their infamous Decca audition. In 1983, Ringo followed this with ‘Old Wave’, which, although a pretty good album, failed to even get a release in the UK and USA, initially only being available in Germany and Canada. He recorded an aborted album in 1987, but he wouldn’t actually release another new studio album until 1992.

  00-07-82 – Promo Video – PAUL McCARTNEY

  Take It Away

  See the PAUL McCARTNEY section for more details!

  08-10-82 – ‘Parkinson In Australia’ (Australia)

  Medley: Honey Don’t – Blue Suede Shoes [with Glenn Shorrock]

  Ringo plays drums behind Glenn, but doesn’t sing.

  00-12-83 – Promo Video – PAUL McCARTNEY

  So Bad [with Ringo St
arr]

  See the PAUL McCARTNEY section for more details!

  04-07-84 – Washington Monument, Washington D.C. (USA) – THE BEACH BOYS

  Back In The U.S.S.R. / Good Vibrations / Fun, Fun, Fun

  Ringo plays drums during part of this Beach Boys concert.

  25-10-84 – ‘Give My Regards To Broad Street’ movie (UK) – PAUL McCARTNEY

  Wanderlust / Ballroom Dancing / Not Such A Bad Boy / So Bad / No Values

  See the PAUL McCARTNEY section for more details!

  08-12-84 – ‘Saturday Night Live’ (USA)

  Medley: With A Little Help From My Friends – What Kind Of Fool Am I? – Act Naturally – I’ve Gotta Be Me – Octopus’s Garden – Photograph – Yellow Submarine – With A Little Help From My Friends (Reprise)

  This medley is performed with Billy Crystal, impersonating Sammy Davis Junior.

  00-01-85 – ‘Water’ Movie (UK)

  Freedom [with George Harrison]

  See the GEORGE HARRISON section for more details!

  00-10-85 – Promo Video – ARTISTS UNITED AGAINST APARTHEID

  Sun City

  Made to highlight apartheid in South Africa, Ringo guests on this song, and is also in the video that includes Bob Dylan, Pete Townshend, Bruce Springsteen, Little Steven, Lou Reed, Peter Gabriel, Bono and many others.

  19-10-85 – Limehouse Studios, London (UK)

  Honey Don’t [with Carl Perkins] / Matchbox [with Carl Perkins and Eric Clapton]

  Rehearsals for ‘Blue Suede Shoes: A Rockabilly Tribute To Carl Perkins and Friends’, taped two days later.

  00-12-85 – ‘Alice In Wonderland’ (USA)

  Nonsense

  Taped in May 1985, and broadcast on US TV in 2 parts on 09-12-85 and 10-12-85, Ringo plays the mock turtle in this live action musical adaption of the famous fairytale.

  01-01-86 – ‘Blue Suede Shoes: A Rockabilly Tribute To Carl Perkins and Friends’ (UK)

  Honey Don’t [with Carl Perkins] / Matchbox [with Carl Perkins and Eric Clapton] / Medley: That's Alright Mama - Blue Moon of Kentucky - Night Train to Memphis - Amen / Glad All Over / Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On / Gone, Gone, Gone / Blue Suede Shoes / Blue Suede Shoes (Reprise) [All songs from the medley onwards are with Carl Perkins, George Harrison, Eric Clapton, Dave Edmunds and others]

  See the GEORGE HARRISON section for more details!

  06-06-87 – ‘The Princes Trust Concert’, Wembley Arena, London (UK)

  Stand By Me [Performed by Ben E. King] / While My Guitar Gently Weeps [Performed by George Harrison] / Here Comes The Sun [Performed by George Harrison] / With A Little Help From My Friends

  See the GEORGE HARRISON section for more details!

  26-09-87 – The London Brassiere, Atlanta, G.A. (USA)

  Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On / Blues At Midnight / Great Balls Of Fire / Mony Mony [with Jerry Lee Lewis and others]

  Briefly investing in a restaurant in Atlanta, Jerry Lee Lewis was one of the guests at the grand opening, and Ringo played drums on some of the songs.

  20-01-88 – ‘The Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame’, The Waldorf-Astoria, New York (USA)

  Twist and Shout / All Along The Watchtower / I Saw Her Standing There / Stand By Me / Stop! In The Name Of Love / Medley: Whole Lotta Shaking Going On - Hound Dog - Hi Ho Silver / Born On The Bayou / Like A Rolling Stone / (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction [with George Harrison, Mick Jagger, The Beach Boys, Ben E. King, John Fogerty and others]

  See the GEORGE HARRISON section for more details!

  00-02-88 – Promo Video – GEORGE HARRISON

  When We Was Fab

  See the GEORGE HARRISON section for more details!

  00-04-89 – Promo Video – TOM PETTY

  I Won’t Back Down [with George Harrison]

  See the GEORGE HARRISON section for more details!

  00-06-89 – Promo Video

  Act Naturally [with Buck Owens]

  A duet with the (other) guy who made the song famous, this amusing video, taped on 22-06-89 is on ‘Photograph: The Best of Ringo Starr’.

  00-06-89 – Promo Video – GENTLEMEN WITHOUT WEAPONS

  Spirit Of The Forest

  Taped on 05-03-89, this song and video were made to highlight the destruction of the rain forests, and features an impressive line-up that includes Brian Wilson, Iggy Pop, Joni Mitchell, Kate Bush, Chris Rea, David Gilmour, Deborah Harry, Belinda Carlisle, Bonnie Rait, Jon Anderson, Kim Wilde, Olivia Newton-John, Richie Havens, Rita Coolidge, Little Steven and more.

  Mid. 1989 – Promo Video – JAN HAMMER

  Too Much To Lose

  Taped in March 1989, Ringo guests on this video.

  03-09-89 – The Greek Theatre, Los Angeles (USA)

  It Don't Come Easy / No No Song / Yellow Submarine / Iko Iko [Performed by Dr. John] / The Weight [Performed by Levon Helm, Dr. John and Rick Danko] / Will It Go Round In Circles [Performed by Billy Preston] / Act Naturally / You're A Friend Of Mine [Performed by Clarence Clemons and Billy Preston] / The Shape I'm In [Performed by Rick Danko] / I Wanna Be Your Man / Life In The Last Lane [Performed by Joe Walsh] / Up On Cripple Creek [Performed by Levon Helm and Rick Danko] / Boys / Bein' Angry Is A Full Time Job [Performed by Nils Lofgren] / Right Place, Wrong Time [Performed by Dr. John] / Quarter To Three [Performed by Clarence Clemons] / Rocky Mountain Way [Performed by Joe Walsh] / Photograph / With A Little Help From My Friends

  Now teetotal, fit and healthy following a stay in The Betty Ford Clinic the previous year, Ringo finally put into practice an idea he’d been toying with for years, and that is going out on tour with what he’d dub ‘The All-Starr Band’. Touring the USA and Japan, it would run from 23-07-89 to 08-11-89, and feature the following guests: Joe Walsh (The Eagles/James Gang), Nils Lofgren (Crazy Horse/The E Street Band), Dr. John, Billy Preson, Rick Danko (The Band), Levon Helm (The Band), Clarence Clemons (The E Street Band) and Jim Keltner, with occasional guests Ringo’s son Zak Starkey and Garth Hudson (The Band). Issued on VHS, and later on DVD, Ringo would repeat the idea, with differing line-ups, many times over the coming decades.

  05-05-90 – ‘Lennon: A Tribute’ (UK)

  I Call Your Name

  Backed by a band that includes Jeff Lynne and Tom Petty, Ringo taped this in California on 28-03-90, especially for the ‘Lennon: A Tribute’ event, and he does a very fine job too.

  00-10-90 – Promo Video #3

  It Don’t Come Easy

  A live version, taped on the 1989 ‘All Starr Band’ tour, this was used to promote Ringo’s 1st live album, but unfortunately, like all of Ringo’s live albums (there’s been 11 so far), it failed to chart.

  00-06-91 – Promo Video – NILS LOFGREN

  Valentine

  Taped in February 1991, Ringo guests in this video, as does Bruce Springsteen.

  09-05-92 – ‘Dame Edna’s Hollywood’ (USA)

  Act Naturally [with Dame Edna Everage]

  00-05-92 – Promo Video

  Weight Of The World

  In an interesting video that features Ringo on a giant pair of weighing scales, ‘Weight Of The World’ scraped to No. 74 in the UK charts but wasn’t a hit in the USA. It is taken from the critically-acclaimed ‘Time Takes Time’ album, which, despite being his first in 9 years, failed to chart.

  27-05-92 – ‘The Arsenio Hall Show’ (USA)

  Weight Of The World

  13-07-92 – ‘Live From Montreux’, Casino, Montreux (Switzerland)

  I'm the Greatest / No No Song / No Time [Performed by Burton Cummings] / Girls Talk [Performed by Dave Edmunds] / Rocky Mountain Way [Performed by Joe Walsh] / I Can't Tell You Why [Performed by Timothy B. Schmit] / Shine Silently [Performed by Nils Lofgren] / Bang The Drum All Day [Performed by Todd Rundgren] / Don't Go Where the Road Don't Go / Yellow Submarine / Desperado [Performed by Timothy B. Schmit] / Lysistrata [Performed by Todd Rundgren] / One World [Performed by Todd Rundgren] / Keep On Tryin' [Performed by Timothy B. Schmit] / Wiggle [Performed by Tim Cappello] / Black Maria [Performed by Tod
d Rundgren] / In the City [Performed by Joe Walsh] / You're Sixteen / Weight of the World / Walkin' Nerve [Performed by Nils Lofgren] / I Hear You Knocking [Performed by Dave Edmunds] / American Woman [Performed by Burton Cummings] / Boys / Photograph / Act Naturally / With a Little Help From My Friends

  Ringo’s 2nd All-Starr Band toured the USA and Europe from 02-06-92 to 06-09-92, and featured: Joe Walsh (The Eagles/James Gang), Nils Lofgren (Crazy Horse/The E Street Band), Todd Rundgren (The Nazz/Utopia/The New Cars), Dave Edmunds (Love Sculpture/Rockpile), Burton Cummings (The Guess Who), Timothy B. Schmit (Poco/The Eagles), Zak Starkey and Timmy Cappello. Peter Cetera (Chicago) left before the tour started.

  06-09-92 – ‘The Jerry Lewis Muscular Dystrophy Association Telethon’ (USA)

  You’re Sixteen

  This was broadcast live from Caesar’s Palace, Las Vegas.

  00-09-92 – Promo Video

  Don’t Go Where The Road Don’t Go

  A terrific rocker from the ‘Time Takes Time’ album, the video features concert clips with a stop-motion effect.

  21-10-92 – ‘The Arsenio Hall Show’ (USA)

  Don’t Go Where The Road Don’t Go / Act Naturally

  16-04-93 – The Earth Day Concert, The Hollywood Bowl, Hollywood (USA) – PAUL McCARTNEY

  See the PAUL McCARTNEY section for more details!

  18-04-93 – ‘Ringo Starr: Going Home’ (USA)

  I’m The Greatest / Yellow Submarine / Boys / Weight Of The World / You’re Sixteen / Don’t Go Where The Road Don’t Go / Photograph / Act Naturally / With A Little Help From My Friends

  An excellent concert/documentary special made for the Disney channel, the concert sequences were taped in The Empire Theatre, Liverpool, on 06-07-92, with additional off-stage sequences in Liverpool on 29-09-92.

  24-04-93 – ‘Farm Aid VI’ (USA)

  Something Wild / The Dark End Of The Street / She Makes Me Feel Good / If I Had A Boat / Farther Down The Line [All songs are with The New Maroons]

  Heavily bearded, Ringo plays drums for this band, and clearly enjoys not being in the limelight himself and just playing.

  26-06-93 – ‘Music: Together For Our Children’ (USA)

  Something Wild / The Dark End Of The Street [All songs are with The New Maroons]

 

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