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Flint’s Classic Rock – 103.9 The Fox

Ringo Starr – ‘It Don’t Come Easy’

  • Writer: Richard Starkey and (uncredited) George Harrison
  • Producer: George Harrison
  • Recorded: March 8th and 11th, October 1970, at EMI and Trident Studios (?), London
  • Released: April 9th, 1971
  • Players:
    Ringo Starr — vocals, drums & percussion
    George Harrison — guitars, vocals
    Klaus Voorman — bass
    George Harrison and Badfinger’s Tommy Evans & Joey Molland — backing vocals
    Gary Wright — piano, organ
    Ron Cattermole — saxophone, trumpet
  • Album: Blast From Your Past (Apple, 1975)
  • Also On:
    Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band (Rykodisc, 1990)
    Ringo Starr & His Third All-Starr Band (Blockbuster, 1997)
    VH1 Storytellers (Polygram, 1998)
    Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band: The Anthology…So Far (Koch, 2001)
  • Ringo Starr‘s first solo hit (and second single), “It Don’t Come Easy” reached Number Four on the Billboard Hot 100 and Number Five in the U.K.
  • The song, like all of Starr’s songwriting credits, is attributed to his given name of Richard Starkey. Starr has said that George Harrison in fact co-wrote the song, but did not ask for credit.
  • Multiple versions of the song were recorded at the time, including an early version produced by George Martin which featured Stephen Stills on piano.
  • “It Don’t Come Easy” sold more than a million copies in its first four months of release, earning a gold record.
  • It also outsold his former Beatles bandmates’ singles of the same period, including John Lennon‘s “Power To The People,” Paul McCartney‘s “Another Day,” and George Harrison’s “Bangla Desh.”
  • Released solely as a single, it didn’t appear on an album until Starr’s 1975 greatest hits set Blast From Your Past.
  • A nearly complete version of the song featuring Harrison on lead vocal has made the collectors’ rounds. On the Harrison-sung version the backing vocals feature Harrison and members of the Apple act Badfinger singing a brief chant of “Hare Krishna” during the guitar solo, which was mixed down on the finished master.
  • One of the most memorable performances of the song came in Harrison’s Concert For Bangla Desh on August 1st, 1971 at New York’s Madison Square Garden. On the live version, Starr forgets some of the lyrics.

FAST FORWARD:

  • The Beatles were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on January 20th, 1988. McCartney did not attend because of prolonged litigation with his former bandmates.
  • Starr is married to actress Barbara Bach and splits his time between homes in Monaco, England, and the U.S.
  • Starr has regularly toured with his All-Starr Band, which includes the best, most interesting players he can think of that are available in a given year.
  • Starr and Spider-Man creator Stan Lee are working on a project for a super-hero based on Starr’s personality. Starr will provide the voice for animated uses.
  • Starr released his latest album, called Liverpool 8, in January.

Ringo Starr and his All Starr Band kick off their summer tour on June 19th in Niagara Falls, Ontario at the Fallsview Casino Resort. Joining Starr on the road are All Starrs Colin Hay of Men At Work, Billy Squier, Hamish Stuart of the Average White Band and Paul McCartney‘s band, Edgar Winter, and first-timer Gary Wright. Starr will be joined on drums by Gregg Bissonette.