by Robert Wilkinson
Today we celebrate a merry 84th birthday of Ringo Starr, Beatle and drummer extraordinaire. He's still "rockin' on one time for us," as he once sang, and given what he's lived through this lifetime, that's no small thing. Today we have lots of videos of this singular talent, and because of the treasure trove of tunes, we begin early and dance through the afternoon into the evening!
This year's celebration features great videos of Ringo Starr (7 July 1940) drumming with the Beatles, as well as some videos of his post-Beatle career with his All Starr Band, featuring a rotating lineup of some of the best talent in the world. Some are really rockin' and fun, including performances of "It Don't Come Easy," "Photograph," and "You're 16" from his immediate post Beatle years, as well as a newer performance of "Honey Don't," written by the legendary Carl Perkins and sung by Ringo when he was "the most popular" Beatle.
Today's videos have a lot of great performances by Ringo and his many friends, including Sir George, Eric, Elton, Leon, and many more! I also found several live performances by Ringo doing songs he sang lead on when he was with the Beatles, including "Boys," "Honey Don't," "I Wanna Be Your Man," "Don't Pass Me By," and a host of others. He really was considered one of the better drummers in Europe when he was asked to join the Beatles, so enjoy his unique style.
To finish this bunch of odds and sods, there are videos of the Beatles both live and on television, including Shindig! and Ready Steady Go, both television series where lip synching was the norm, and a couple of music videos created for Ringo's post-Beatle hits. Enjoy the concerts, and a big happy merry and jolly to my mom's favorite Beatle.
He begin with the music video from his biggest post-Beatles solo hit, "It Don't Come Easy." This year the video of Ringo performing with George Harrison, Eric Clapton, and Bob Dylan at the iconic Concert for Bangladesh in 1971, is gone. So this year we get the audio with Ringo drumming and singing lead on "It Don't Come Easy."
He and George worked a lot together in the immediate period after the Beatles split. The Concert for Bangladesh. in 1971 was the first major charity concert in history, featuring Sir George, Sir Ringo, Ravi Shankar, Eric Clapton, Bob Dylan, Billy Preston, Leon Russell, and a whole lot of other great Beings. Here’s the video performance of the song “Bangladesh,” intercut with some grim images from that nation. This song is extraordinarily powerful, with Ringo and Jim Keltner cranking as the pulse of the machine in this dynamic live performance of "Bangladesh" (Sorry for the freeze frames, but these clips are pretty much all that’s out there.)
Also from that prototypical concert for the relief of suffering humanity, Ringo on the skins with George, Eric, and Leon on "While My Guitar Gently Weeps"
As with the title tune, last year I found clips of this amazing piece of history and some great tunes by the greatest, but this year there are literally very few to be found. Maybe next year there will be more, but at least I found three more!
“Something” (Sorry for the obnoxious cuts to John, Paul, and even Ringo in unrelated concerts.)
This show is from September 1985, with Ringo doing a song that he sang lead on with the Beatles, here's "Honey Don't" featuring Ringo Starr, Carl Perkins, and friends. From the same show, with George on lead vocals, “Blue Suede Shoes”
From 2005, a live performance by Ringo and the Roundheads of "It Don't Come Easy."
With the All Starr Band, "You're Sixteen" and "Who Can It Be Now."
It’s back! From the 2002 Concert for George, written by Ringo and George, “Photograph.” “Honey Don’t,” was written by the great Carl Perkins, with Ringo on lead vocals back when he did it with the Beatles is gone this year.
Here’s the entire 2 hour 27 Concert for George in 2002, where Ringo’s on drums pretty much the entire time except when he’s out front singing. For your transcendent experience, here’s 2 and a half hours of a serious high!
Leaping forward 20 years, here’s a great performance from May 28, 2022! Courtesy of 82 year old Ringo Starr and the Roundheads, ”Johnny B Goode,” “Hold the Line,” and “Photograph"
Going back in time, we land at the Greek Theater in LA in September 1989, where Ringo and his First All Starr Band crank out “Honey Don’t” (That band featured Joe Walsh, Nils Lofgren, Billy Preston, Dr. John, Garth Hudson, Rick Danko, Jim Keltner, Clarence Clemons, and his son Zak on drums at the beginning of his career.)
Here’s a music video featuring John and Ringo performing "Only You"
From 1990, a great video of Ringo backed by Tom Petty, Jeff Lynne, and others in a tribute to John! "I Call Your Name”
Here's a weird clip of Ringo and Hoyt Axton on Boogie Woogie, Gospel, Rock and Roll Show from 1975 doing the outro to Hoyt's song, "The No No Song." I also found a rare and extremely funny clip of Ringo and the Smothers Brothers in 1974 doing "The No No Song" complete with sight gags and a really funny end.
An interesting montage of various video performance clips of Ringo singing "A Little Help From My Friends."
His hit after "It Don't Come Easy" was this single, written by Ringo and George, "Back Off Boogaloo." And I believe this is from 1987, the Billy Swan hit "I Can Help."
His third album, Ringo, is said to be his best and it certainly had a lot of hits! It led off with "I'm the Greatest," written by John Lennon for Ringo and the only time John, George, and Ringo ever played together in their solo years. This year I found this raw demo from December 1970 by John of "I'm the Greatest."
Also from Ringo, he wrote these hits (with George a regular contributor)! "Photograph" and "Oh My My." George wrote this gem that Levon Helm, Robbie Robertson, Rick Danko and Garth Hudson played on, "Sunshine Life For Me (Sail Away Raymond)." And I've always loved the "show biz" closing number, written by George with Mal Evens, an easy audio credit roll with good atmosphere, "You and Me (Babe)."
Here’s a great 2005 live performance by Ringo and the Roundheads of "It Don’t Come Easy." From the same gig, I found several songs that Ringo wrote and sang when he was a Beatle. First, from The White Album, “Don’t Pass Me By.” From Abbey Road, the great children’s song “Octopus’s Garden.” From the movie and Revolver, “Yellow Submarine.” And from Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, “With A Little Help From My Friends.” (“Back Off Boogaloo” has disappeared.)
Here’s Ringo and the All Starr Band live at the Mohegan Sun casino in 2006 performing more tunes he sang lead vocals on when he was with the Beatles! Here's a tune he wrote with John and Paul for Rubber Soul, “What Goes On.” From the same gig, “Honey Don’t” followed by “Boys” and we'll close with “Yellow Submarine”
From an All-Starr Band performance at the Greek Theater in 2008, “What Goes On,” and from the same gig, Ringo’s autobiographical tune about his time with the Beatles, the great “Liverpool 8.”
Last year I had an extraordinary clip of Larry King interviewing Ringo and Paul about the deaths of John and George, but it’s disappeared. However, I found some segments of that show. Larry King Interviews Ringo, Paul. Yoko, and Olivia Pt. 1
Larry King Interviews Ringo, Paul. Yoko, and Olivia Pt. 4 Larry King Interviews Ringo, Paul. Yoko, and Olivia Pt. 7It seems parts 2, 3, 5, and 6 are all blocked in the US.
Here’s an interesting duet by Paul McCartney & Ringo Starr doing "With a Little Help From my Friends" live! at Radio City.
Here’s a full 89 minute concert from 1991! Ringo Starr – Legends In Concert
Here’s a full 2 hour show from 2010! Ringo Starr’s 70th birthday Concert
His historic July 2012 concert of Ringo and his All Starr Band performing live at the Ryman in Nashville appears and disappears. This year I found a link which takes you to some videos from that show, as well as videos from other All Starr Band shows. Here’s Ringo at the Ryman - “Broken Wings,” “Kyrie,” “Hold the Line,” “Down Under,” “No Time,” “Dream Weaver” and more
Here are two videos from the Ryman show. Ringo at the Ryman - “Boys,” and he’s drumming on this Toto hit! Ringo at the Ryman - “Africa.”
Here’s the entire 1 hour 19 audio-only CD of Ringo Starr and the All Starr Band Live at the Ryman - 2012 (Set list: “Wings,” “I Saw the Light,” (with Todd Rundgren) “Evil Ways” (with Gregg Rolie), “Roseanna” (with Steve Lukather and Richard Page), “Kyrie” (with Richard Page), “Don’t Pass Me By,” “Bang the Drum All Day” (with Todd Rundgren), “Boys,” “Yellow Submarine,” “Black Magic Woman” (with Gregg Rolie), “Anthem,” “I’m The Greatest,” “Rocky Mountain Way” (with Joe Walsh), “You Are Mine” (with Richard Page), “Africa” (with Steve Lukather with Richard Page), “Everybody’s Everything” (with Gregg Rolie), “I Wanna Be Your Man,” “Love is the Answer” (with Todd Rundgren), “Broken Wings” (with Richard Page), “Hold the Line” (with Steve Lukather and Mark Rivera), “Photograph,” “Act Naturally,” “With A Little Help From My Friends” and “Give Peace A Chance.")
We'll wind up this second part of his career with one from 2014 in Westbury, NY, where Ringo and the All Starr Band give us another performance of his tune on the White Album, “Don’t Pass Me By”
For the finale, Ringo and the All Starr Band in 2008. Live at the Greek Theater, a fitting end to the show quoting his old friend. “Give Peace A Chance.”
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We now request your kind attention during our brief intermission as we are offering you a movie he starred in with Peter Sellers! It's always been one of my favorite movie, with "Sir Guy Grand" and his adopted son (Ringo) given the name "Youngman Grand" as he proceeds to see what it will take for people to do ridiculous things for enough money. Funny, outrageous, sometimes jaw dropping, here's Ringo in The Magic Christian, with lots of famous guest stars and a soundtrack by Badfinger!
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Thank you for your patience. And now, the next set of our reeely big shew? Heeeeere's THE BEATLES!
This is a great clip from Swedish television in 1963 in an extraordinarily intimate setting, and it totally rocks! This was one tight rock and roll band… ”She Loves You,” “Twist And Shout,” “I Saw Her Standing There,” and “Long Tall Sally”
I found this version of “She Loves You” from that show which looks to be better video. “She Loves You”
From Nov 1963, the Beatles in their legendary Royal Variety Performance! They were 7th on a 19 act bill. Nobody remembers the other 18 acts.
This year I was lucky and found the whole thing as it was broadcast back then, with intro sound glitches and all. At least they caught all of the Beatles! For your enjoyment, the very young Beatles performing at The Royal Variety Performance They were a seriously tight band!
In past years I only had clips of the individual songs, so I’ll keep them here for now.
From Dec 1963, The Beatles live on BBC Television 1963 (“I Want to Hold Your Hand,” “Money,” “Twist and Shout,” and a short instrumental version of “From Me to You.”)
Here’s their classic live "performance" in 1963 on the British television hit series, "Morecambe," we have The Beatles performing "This Boy (Ringo’s Theme)," "All My Lovin’," "I Want To Hold Your Hand,” and a gag number “On Moonlight Bay”
THE performance which blew the doors open to the British Invasion! This electrified America and began the global phenomenon of Beatlemania. I found a few clips this year of their historic appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show. From their first appearance on February 9 (I saw this on tv and it blew my mind!) “I Saw Her Standing There” has disappeared but we still have “I Want to Hold Your Hand.”.
Next week they performed “She Loves You,” “This Boy,” “All My Lovin’,” “I Saw Standing There” “From Me to You” and “I Want To Hold Your Hand” Then on February 23, they broadcast this performance which had been taped two weeks earlier of “Twist and Shout.”
Here’s a strange 8 minute clip that’s part of a larger show titled Around The Beatles in 1964 – A Midsummer Night’s Dream
I found it again! Here’s the medley of hits from Around the Beatles in 1964. For your enjoyment, Around The Beatles 1964 – “Love Me Do,” “Please Please Me,” “From Me to You,” “She Loves You,” “I Want to Hold Your Hand”
It’s back! Here’s their historic 1964 Washington DC Coliseum concert video, which was the Beatles’ first performance in the US! The Beatles Live at Washington Coliseum
Here are some individual clips of that incredible show!
There are no clips of the Washington DC performance of this song anywhere, so instead, from 1964 in the Netherlands, a great live performance of ”I Saw Her Standing There”
Except for “I Saw Her Standing There,” this is the entire concert in audio! The Beatles Live at the Washington DC Coliseum - 1964
From 1964, here’s a great live clip of Ringo and “the lads” with Ringo on lead vocals belting out “Boys”
The clip of Ringo doing “Boys” at the Hollywood Bowl is gone, but I found this great live performance from that era of Ringo drumming and singing lead on “Boys”
I found it again! Here’s the entire 11 song show from the Hollywood Bowl! The Beatles Live at the Hollywood Bowl - 1964
Last year I had both videos from their 1964 Melbourne appearance, but part 1 is nowhere to be found this year. The Beatles Live in Melbourne - Part 2
The 24 minute live video performance from Adelaide, Australia in 1964 has disappeared. However, I found this 30 minute audio clip from the Adelaide show, and they’re as tight as any band could ever be. Harmonies are perfect, and all in all, it’s a great atmosphere!
The Beatles in Adelaide - 1964 (“I Saw Her Standing There,” “I Want To Hold Your Hand ,” “All My Loving,” “She Loves You,” “Till There Was You,” “Roll Over Beethoven,” “Can’t Buy Me Love,” “This Boy,” “Twist and Shout,” “Long Tall Sally.”)
Here’s the 26 minute clip of their Melbourne concert with some others in 1964. "The Beatles in Australia 1964" ("You Can't Do That," “All My Loving,” "She Loves You," "Can't Buy Me Love," “Twist and Shout,” "Long Tall Sally,” “Till There Was You,” "Roll Over Beethoven," "This Boy," "I Saw Her Standing There.")
From the 1964 NME show, the Beatles in a live performance of “She Loves You,” “You Can't Do That,” “Twist And Shout,” and “Long Tall Sally” Here’s the phenomenal performance of the last number, ”Long Tall Sally”
From a Ready Steady Go television special in 1964, around the time they were filming A Hard Day’s Night, the Beatles did this 10 minute medley of their best! “Love Me Do,” “Please Please Me,” “From Me To You,” “She Loves You,” “I Want To Hold Your Hand,” “Can’t Buy Me Love,” “Shout.”
From that show, a better clip of “Can’t Buy Me Love”
For those who remember when tv show performances didn't actually allow the acts to perform their hits, here are the Beatles "performing" a couple on Shindig! in October 1964: ”Kansas City,” "I'm a Loser" and "Boys"
Live at Blackpool 1965, here’s Ringo on lead vocals giving us “Act Naturally.” From the same show, John’s masterpiece! “Help”
Here’s the entire show! The Beatles Live in Blackpool – August 1, 1965. (This show was recorded just before their last tour, and was the first performance of “Yesterday.” Set list is great! “I Feel Fine,” “I’m Down,” “Act Naturally,” “Ticket to Ride,” “Yesterday,” and “Help.”)
While the video of the entire show is still nowhere on the web, this year I found the video of “Hard Day’s Night”
We also have this 30 minute audio-only track of The Beatles Live in Paris – 1965. From that show, with Ringo on lead vocals, “I Wanna Be Your Man”
The 1965 Shea Stadium show by the Beatles is usually impossible to find. They couldn't hear a note they played or sang, and some of the kids there probably suffered ear drum damage from the decibel level of screams, which were constant throughout the concert! This year I got lucky and found the whole 30 minute audio of the show, so enjoy it while you can, since it usually disappears quickly!
The Beatles Live at Shea Stadium
From that show, audio-only, but it’s real! “Ticket To Ride”
Here’s their 1965 BBC television show performance of “Help” and this seems to be the intro to that show, set to videos of “the lads clowning around.” The second song on this clip is the scene from A Hard Day’s Night, always a great movie even now! “The Night Before” and “I Should Have Known Better.”
In a strange lip-synch, from December 1965, the Fab Four give us the official video for “We Can Work It Out”
From 1965 in Atlanta, the audio of the full 30 minute show! The Beatles at Atlanta Stadium
From their 1965 appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show,, “I’m Down” (The whole show is our finale!)
Going back to the early days, we have a live audio from late 1963, just as they were breaking big globally! It begins with the only “drum solo” I ever heard Ringo do with the Beatles, and it’s 18 seconds of perfect drumming. For your enjoyment, 30 minutes of The Beatles at the Liverpool Empire Theater – December, 1963
For our closer, two clips from Buddokan. First, I found their entire 30 minute set from June 30, 1966 at Buddokan! (The Beatles enter at 16:10). The Beatles Live at Buddokan - 1966 (Set list: “Rock and Roll Music,” “She’s A Woman,” “If I Needed Someone,” “Day Tripper,” “Baby’s In Black,” “I Feel Fine,” “Yesterday,” “I Wanna Be Your Man,” “Nowhere Man,” “Paperback Writer,” “I’m Down”)
Second, here’s their entire Budokan show in audio! The Beatles Live at Budokan - 1966
For our first encore, here’s 15 minutes from July 1966 of The Beatles Live in Germany at Circus Krone (Set list: “Rock and Roll Music,” “Baby’s In Black,” “I Feel Fine,” “Yesterday,” “Nowhere Man,” “I’m Down”)
For our second encore, from near the end of the run, the Beatles live with Ringo’s rock steady beat cranking out “Revolution”
Our third encore features the only two tunes written by Ringo and recorded by the Beatles! The first one was on The White Album which Ringo first brought to the band in late 1962. Since it was released in 1968, it's become a country classic! Here's the original Beatles' studio recording of “Don’t Pass Me By” and for an added bonus, here's a rip-snortin' screaming guitar version done by the Georgia Satellites of “Don’t Pass Me By”
Ringo's second composition is considered another classic, part country, part kid, and part singalong. George Harrison thought it "peaceful" and "lovely," a "cosmic song." Here's the kid fantasy of "Octopus's Garden." And from The Ed Sullivan Show, the Muppets do their version of "Octopus's Garden."
We’ll begin to wind this down with a rare obscurity toward the end of the Beatles. It's a jam, with Paul on organ, George on guitar, John on bass, and Ringo on drums doing a very "Grateful Dead-ish" noodle supposedly "written" by Paul. For your enjoyment, "The Palace of the King of the Birds"
We'll leave his Beatle years with an hour an 18 of The Beatles at the Star Club - 1962 (The strange vocals on tracks 1 & 3 were by the guys who ran the Star Club).
A Brief Interlude
Before we move into the interviews, these two clips are an amazing reproduction, note for note, of two of the Beatles' most loved tunes from the Sgt. Pepper era! For your enjoyment, an exquisite performance by “the Beatles’ Magical Orchestra” conducted by my friend, the Maestro David Amram. Even though these weren’t written by Paul, it’s still a very good tribute!
The Beatles’ Magical Orchestra Conducted by David Amram – “Strawberry Fields Forever”
The Beatles’ Magical Orchestra Conducted by David Amram – “Within You Without You”
And now, the finale!
At their peak in September 1965 on The Ed Sullivan Show here’s the entire Beatle appearance where they perform “I Feel Fine,” “I’m Down,” “Act Naturally,” “Ticket To Ride,” “Yesterday,” “Help.” Wow! Enjoy it!
Shifting to a lighter look at life and other things, as a postscript to this tribute here’s an interview that was broadcast 5 March 1988 on the Aspel & Company TV show. This is a fairly funny interview with George and Ringo. Of course, John and the Beatles came up as a topic.
George Harrison & Ringo Starr 1988 Funny interview on Aspel & Co. – Pt 1
George Harrison & Ringo Starr 1988 Funny interview on Aspel & Co. – Pt 2
George Harrison & Ringo Starr 1988 Funny interview on Aspel & Co. – Pt 3
George Harrison & Ringo Starr 1988 Funny interview on Aspel & Co. – Pt 4
The Beatles at times could be really funny guys, which is one of the ten thousand reasons the world fell in love with them, together and individually, and really never stopped!
Please enjoy your trip to another place, space, and time, when things weren't nearly as weird as they are today. It really was a time when magic, love, and hope were in the air. And of course, keep rockin' on one time for all of us, Ringo. We all really love you!
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On a related note, on July 7, 1967 the song "All You Need Is Love" was released. It had been performed on the June 25 broadcast of Our World, the first live global television link watched by over 400 million in 25 countries. Here’s the original 94 minute show. The Beatles fade in at around 1 hour 17 and the segment ends at 1h 20. From BBC1, here’s the original 1967 Our World - The First Worldwide Television Broadcast
Here’s a 10 minute behind the scenes look at the making of the song! The Making of "All You Need Is Love" and after many years of not being able to get it via the web, here's the original studio version of "All You Need Is Love," and we'll leave you with Macca, Rod Stewart, and Joe Cocker giving us a great unifying performance of "All You Need Is Love"
"Love is All You Need!"
© Copyright 2024 Robert Wilkinson
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