(L-R) Ringo Starr, Hamish Stuart, Gregg Bissonette and Colin Hay, playing with Ringo Starr's All-Starr Band - The Venetian Theatre; Las Vegas, CA (6-1-24). @ringostarrmusic @ColinHay @greggbissonette @HamishStuart11

Photo: Jeff Bliss

Ringo Starr and His All-Starr Band Live from Montreux 1993 Rykodisc ————————————————— Tracks: 01. The Really “Serious” Introduction 02. I'm the Greatest 03. Don't Go Where the Road Don't Go 04. Yellow Submarine 05. Desperado 06. I Can’t Tell You Why 07. Girls Talk 08. Weight of the World 09. Bang the Drum All Day 10. Walking Nerve 11. Black Maria 12. In the City 13. American Woman 14. Boys 15. With a Little Help from My Friends —————————————————

Tim Cappello

Burton Cummings

Dave Edmunds

Nils Lofgren

Todd Rundgren

Timothy B. Schmit

Richard Starkey “Ringo Starr”

Zak Starkey

Joe Walsh

* Long Live Rock Archive

Remembering Gary Wright 1943-2023

Musician Gary Wright has died at 80.

I actually learned about Wright's music through Wayne's World. In the first SNL sketch of Wayne's World, Wayne sings this song. Then in a later sketch they had this song play during the dream sequences, i.e. hockey with Wayne Gretzky and truth or dare with Madonna. Then it was featured on in the 1992 movie and on the soundtrack, during the parts when Wayne sees Cassandra or Garth sees his dream girl.

Through Wright's mutual friend Klaus Voormann, Wright became close friends with George Harrison and they collaborated quite a bit. Wright played keyboards and organ on Harrison's magnum opus All Things Must Pass (read my review of the 2021 anniversary edition here). Wright also performed on Harrison's albums Living in the Material World, Dark Horse, Extra Texture, Thirty Three & 1/3, George Harrison, and Cloud Nine. Wright also performed on some songs with Ringo Starr too. From 2008-2011, Wright was a part of Ringo Starr's All-Starr Band, including the show I saw in July 2010 at Radio City Music Hall, where the band performed "Dream Weaver" and "Love is Alive".

The link above is the obit from Rolling Stone with embedded video clips.

I know it’s all just standards.

But Ringo’s Sentimental Journey is utterly charming.

We really should talk more about how he turns to this project as therapy as the band is falling apart. It’s pure nostalgia in a bottle but with Ringo jazz drumming and just having fun with it singing and adding these cute little improv bits. Blues Turning Grey Over You is a highlight for the “I just lost myself there, child!” laugh at the end.

It’s all utterly charming.

It’s a really cool collaboration too. He recruited different musicans arrange each piece (including Paul, who arranged Stardust, perhaps before the breakup drama heats up). George Martin produces and gets the big band together. They start recording more sporadically at first, starting Oct 1969. Night and Day, Stormy Weather (which got left off the final album but I love he tried it), Stardust, and Dream, all recorded before Christmas. The rest are Jan-Mar 1970.

It gets ripped to shreds by the rock cred sector. But Ringo using this as a grief project, sorta returning to childhood in the midst of a blow for comfort, feels more honest and healthy than he gets credit for. It’s also brassy af. This is the height of “fuck jazz,” and Ringo’s just like “so what? I’ll do what I like.”

George said he liked it. John slagged him off for it in interviews, but I bet he secretly liked it too. Not sure whether Paul ever commented on it given the dual release drama. He does his own standards album decades later, after it becomes a thing artists do. But when Ringo does it in 1970? No one was doing that.

Ringo Starr and His All Starr Band were phenomenal last night at The Fruit Yard Amphitheater in Modesto.

Teamed up with amazing musicians from Men at Work, Toto, Average White Band, and The Edgar Winter Band, the fans were treated with 23 songs that are a footprint in rock history. 📷 @rockinshots @ringostarrmusic @mnprmagazine @soundcheck_sf @thefruityard

happy birthday to this rockstar of a man. peace and love wherever you go!

 Sir Richard Starkey (born 7 July 1940) is known professionally as Ringo Starr Starr; he is a musician, singer, songwriter, and actor who gained fame as the primary drummer and provided laughs for The Beatles  Ringo joined The Beatles after achieving moderate success. With the band Rory Storm and the Hurricanes replacing Pete Best. Ringo did more than play drums for the band. He sang vocals on at least one album  He sang lead vocals on several Beatles classics. He also wrote their songs “ Don’t Pass Me By” and “ “Octopus Garden”  Ringo played key roles in the Beatles’ films and was in several others. After the Beatles broke up in 1970, he released several successful singles in the UK and in the US  Starr has been featured in several documentaries and appeared in a few films. He was the narrator for the children’s show Thomas & Friends and portrayed “ Mr. Conductor” during the first season of the children’s PBS show Shining Time Station. Ringo appeared as himself on an early episode of The Simpsons.He has been touring with thirteen variations of Ringo Starr and his All-Starr Band since 1989. Ringo always seems to have the time of his life when playing the drum. Ringo’s appeal as an artist must be because of his drummer skills and likable personality. Ringo handles the duties of being a lead singer from behind the drum set and still is a skilled drummer. Starr is one of rock music’s notable and charismatic drummers.

I SAW RINGO STARR IN CONCERT TONIGHT AND I CAN'T BELIEVE IT WAS REAL. HOW IS THIS MY LIFE

Gregg Rolie of Santana, Journey and New Sol (playing with Ringo Starr's All-Starr Band - Bob Hope Theatre; Stockton, CA (11-17-16). @ringostarrmusic @greggrolieband

Photo: Jeff Bliss

Ringo & His All-Starr Band 2002 King Biscuit Flower Hour ————————————————— Tracks: 01. Photograph 02. Act Naturally 03. Logical Song 04. No One Is to Blame 05. Yellow Submarine 06. Give a Little Bit 07. You’re Sixteen 08. The No-No Song 09. Back off Boogaloo 10. Glamorous Life 11. I Wanna Be Your Man 12. Lucky Man 13. Take the Long Way Home 14. All the Young Dudes 15. Don’t Go Where the Road Don't Go 16. With a Little Help from My Fiends —————————————————

Sheila Escobedo

Greg Lake

Roger Hodgson

Ian Hunter

Howard Jones

Mark Rivera

Ringo Starr

* Long Live Rock Archive

BEST CONCERTS OF 2022

2022 was the year I returned to live music and live theater. In April, I attended my first live concert in over two years and it felt so good to be back I returned to more shows and I even returned to theater in October as well (see my Best Theater of 2022 list here). I forgot how much I missed the live experience until it was taken away.

Honorable Mention:  Phoenix  (Sept. 13, 2022 Roadrunner, Boston)

5.  Sheer Mag  (May 10, 2022 House of Blues, Boston)

The support act for headliners only played for about 45 minutes, but that is exactly why it seemed like a short burst of energy from these rockers!

4.  Alvvays  (Nov. 18, 2022 Roadrunner, Boston)

The entire band was firing on all cylinders! Bigger and better than the last time I saw them in 2015.

3.  Death Cab for Cutie  (Oct. 1, 2022 Leader Bank Pavilion, Boston)

Tie.  Arcade Fire  (Nov. 8, 2022 MGM Music Hall Fenway, Boston)

Both bands have been putting out great indie rock for decades now and this year marked my first time seeing them both live. Worth the wait!

2.  LCD Soundsystem  (April 5, 2022 Roadrunner, Boston)

My first live in-person concert since Feb. 2020 and I was so lucky to have it be James Murphy and his legendary band!

1.  Ringo Starr and His All Starr Band  (June 2, 2022 Boch Center, Boston)

Tie.  Paul McCartney  (June 8, 2022 Fenway Park, Boston)

In less than a week, I got to see two former Beatles in-concert. In their early 80s, both of these showmen have more energy than bands a quarter their age. For a lifelong Beatle fan like me, seeing both Sir Ringo and Sir Paul was quite a thrill!

I finally got to see a Beatle live! Plus it was like 5 concerts in 1!

ringo was on tv a minute ago! :D