Ringo Starr will release his 17th solo album, Ringo 2012, on January 31 in the US (January 30 everywhere else) on HIP-O/UMe Records.
The album title is a reference to Ringo, the drummer's most successful solo album, which was released in 1973 and featured guest appearances by John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Billy Preston, Marc Bolan, Harry Nilsson, Robbie Robertson and other A-listers.
This time, the sizable guest list includes guitarists Joe Walsh and Kenny Wayne Shepherd, plus Michael Bradford, Steve Dudas, Charlie Haden, Amy Keys, Kelly Moneymaker, Richard Page, Van Dyke Parks, Dave Stewart, Bruce Sugar, Benmont Tench, Don Was and Edgar Winter.
Starr and Walsh have worked together several times over the years; Walsh produced Starr's 1983 album, Old Wave, and has been a member of Starr's All Starr Band on several occasions.
Ringo 2012 features another nod to its 1973 counterpart -- a new recording of "Step Lightly," which appears on the original Ringo album. Starr also revisits "Wings," a song from his 1977 album, Ringo the 4th (Check out the video below).
Of the album's nine tracks, two are covers: "Think It Over" by Buddy Holly and "Rock Island Line," a skiffle song made popular by Lonnie Donegan and well known to the members of the Beatles as kids growing up in Liverpool. "Think It Over" was released earlier this year on Listen To Me: Buddy Holly, one of two high-profile Holly tribute albums released in 2011. The other album, Rave On Buddy Holly, features McCartney's version of "It's So Easy." McCartney owns the publishing rights to Holly's catalog of songs.
The track listing and songwriting credits are as follows (Note: Richard Starkey is Starr's real name):
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01. Anthem (Richard Starkey/Glen Ballard)
02. Wings (Richard Starkey/Vince Poncia)
03. Think It Over (Buddy Holly/Norman Perry)
04. Samba (Richard Starkey/Van Dyke Parks)
05. Rock Island Line (Arr: Richard Starkey)
06. Step Lightly (Richard Starkey)
07. Wonderful (Richard Starkey/Gary Nicholson)
08. In Liverpool (Richard Starkey/Dave Stewart)
09. Slow Down (Richard Starkey/Joe Walsh)
The album was produced by Starr, as was his last album, 2010's Y Not. It was recorded in Los Angeles and mixed in England by Starr and Sugar. Ringo 2012 will be released digitally, on CD and vinyl.
Damian is Editor-in-Chief of Guitar World magazine. In past lives, he was GW’s managing editor and online managing editor. He's written liner notes for major-label releases, including Stevie Ray Vaughan's 'The Complete Epic Recordings Collection' (Sony Legacy) and has interviewed everyone from Yngwie Malmsteen to Kevin Bacon (with a few memorable Eric Clapton chats thrown into the mix). Damian, a former member of Brooklyn's The Gas House Gorillas, was the sole guitarist in Mister Neutron, a trio that toured the U.S. and released three albums. He now plays in two NYC-area bands.
