A conversation with Ringo Starr

Ringo’s new album “Ringo 2012” hits the shops and the download markets these days. I’ve been playing the CD in my car over the weekend. It’s well played, but a bit on the slim side, materialwise.

There’s a couple of cover versions (Buddy Holly’s “Think It Over”, already out last year on a Holly tribute album and “Rock Island Line”, popularised in the UK by skiffle pioneer Lonnie Donegan), then he covers himself a couple of times (“Wings” from Ringo the 4th in 1977 and “Step Lightly” from the Ringo album, released in 1973). There’s a new chapter in his Liverpool saga, “In Liverpool” and four other songs, I think of them as “fillers”. All in all nine songs, and less than half an hour of new Ringo music. I like the new version of “Wings”, it’s far better than the original. “Step Lightly”, on the other hand, isn’t. The Buddy Holly song is a good one and Ringo delivers a refreshing steel drums driven version of it. On the other hand, “Rock Island Line” does the song no favours. If he had played it in a skiffle environment, it would have been a far better move. I’m all in favour of the new Liverpool song, you can hear he has his heart in that one. The rest is pleasent enough (unless you get rashes from hearing Ringo sing, like my girlfriend gets), but forgettable. This week, Ringo is in promotion modus and hits the media stateside.  He’s also come up with a new stunt, he is inviting amateur filmmakers to make a music video for the song “Wings”.

Ringo will personally choose the winner, which will be serviced to media as the official promo video for Wings.

‎”I’ve partnered with @Genero to give you the chance to make the official video for my new single, Wings from RINGO 2012. I’m leaving it open for you to interpret so let your creative juices flow! I’m picking the winner and you’ll get $3000. Entries close Mar 7.”

All the details are at Genero TV.