Ringo Starr's third solo album, released in November 1973 on Apple — and the only post-Beatles record to feature all four Beatles, albeit never all in the same room at the same time. Produced by Richard Perry at sessions in Los Angeles and London, it's an old-school all-star pop record that happens to have the biggest all-star lineup imaginable hiding in the credits.
This was the commercial peak of Ringo's solo career. Both singles — "Photograph" (co-written with George Harrison) and "You're Sixteen" — went to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, and a third single, "Oh My My," hit #5. Beyond the Beatles, the credits read like a '70s rolodex: Marc Bolan, Harry Nilsson, Billy Preston, The Band's Robbie Robertson and Levon Helm, Nicky Hopkins, Jim Keltner, and Martha Reeves all show up.
Cool stuff:
- All four Beatles appear — but never together. Lennon and Harrison both played on Lennon's "I'm the Greatest." McCartney played on "Six O'Clock" (which he also co-wrote with Linda), and added kazoo imitation on "You're Sixteen." Harrison appears throughout.
- McCartney couldn't enter the US at the time due to a drug-possession conviction, which is why his contributions were recorded in London while the rest of the album was tracked in LA
- Peaked at #2 on the Billboard 200 (held off #1 only by Elton John's Goodbye Yellow Brick Road), #7 in the UK, and #1 in Canada
- The cover painting is by Tim Bruckner, and the gatefold famously opens to reveal a storybook-style illustration of Ringo surrounded by his musician friends
- Certified Platinum in the US — the only Ringo solo album to reach that status
Spin it for: '70s all-star pop with Beatles DNA throughout, two of Ringo's biggest hits, and the novelty of hearing all four Beatles on one LP sleeve after the breakup.
Standouts: "Photograph" · "You're Sixteen" · "I'm the Greatest" · "Oh My My"