Ringo Starr (3:45)

At the very beginning, when I started writing, I'd bring my songs in and I'd say, I've got this song, whatever. And they'd all be just laughing, hysterical, because all I'd done is rewritten another song and just changed the words. And so it took me a while to get through that moment into writing my songs, you know, and in the end I started turning out really good.

Interviewer (American BBC Host) (4:16)

Now you're a prolific songwriter.

Ringo Starr (4:18)

I am. And I like to write with people too. I like to play with people.

BBC Reporter Reagan Morris (4:26)

Welcome to the interview from the BBC World Service with Ringo Starr. Before our conversation began, I had to check something important.

Interviewer (American BBC Host) (4:35)

I've been calling people at the BBC

BBC Reporter Reagan Morris (4:37)

asking I have to call you Sir

Ringo Starr (4:38)

Ringo by etiquette, but no, Sir Richard.

BBC Reporter Reagan Morris (4:42)

Sir Richard.

Interviewer (American BBC Host) (4:43)

I'm just gonna call you Rinko.

Ringo Starr (4:44)

Oh, that'll do. Yeah. No, no, just call me Ringo.

BBC Reporter Reagan Morris (4:49)

Okay.

Ringo Starr (4:49)

I'm working. You're not from the BBC.

Interviewer (American BBC Host) (4:53)

I am from the BBC. They have. I'm one of the Americans. Yeah, this is the BBC.

Ringo Starr (4:58)

I feel surprised.

Interviewer (American BBC Host) (5:00)

I feel nervous, very nervous. A British national treasure and the American is here to do it. The Ringo. Thank you so much for doing this. It is such a genuine honor to meet you and I love your new album.

Ringo Starr (5:16)

I can go now then. Thank you. Thank you. Yeah.

Interviewer (American BBC Host) (5:21)

So the Long Long Road, it was recorded in LA and Nashville, but it, it feels a lot more Nashville.

BBC Reporter Reagan Morris (5:27)

Is that fair?

Ringo Starr (5:29)

Yeah, no, that's absolutely true. I mean, it's a country album, and there's no better place to do a country album than countryland Nashville. And what happened was that, you know, when T Bone and I came to the moment of. I asked him to produce the record and he told me he had lots of songs. He put, you know, we picked the songs between us. He send me some song, I'll say, I'll do those three, but not that too, whatever. And I want to do this one that I'm co writing. And he'd say, okay. And you know, we sort of got on like that, putting it together. And then he. So he, you know, we'd pick a song, any, any song you want. And he put some meat on it in Nashville, you know, sort of. He knows a lot of players there and he has a group he loves to use, so it's like a band. And then he'd send it to me and I'd play drums and sing the song and then we'd send all that back to Nashville and he put it all together and add stuff on top of that, you know.

Interviewer (American BBC Host) (6:43)

And you collaborated with like Sheryl Crow and Cheryl Crow.

Ringo Starr (6:47)

Cheryl's great. We met Cheryl a long time ago in Monte Carlo. They used to have a music festival there and she was it. And I gave her the award. But, you know, I bumped into her many times on the road. She'll come and see us or we went to see her. She's a really nice girl. And you know, and Molly's great too. And you know, Billy strings and just all the players on it, you know, that's T Bone's end. He knows them all. I know of them, but he knows them and because they're recording in Nashville, they just pop in and play. It's great.

Interviewer (American BBC Host) (7:28)

And you just said you, you would play the drums, but you're going on tour. Who's your drummer on tour?

Ringo Starr (7:34)

No, I'm the drummer.

Interviewer (American BBC Host) (7:35)

You're the drummer.

Ringo Starr (7:36)

I was going to say next to me is a drummer, because for the songs, I come down and sing from the front of the stage. We need a drummer. And, And Greg Bisson's a great friend. He's a great player. And so he takes over. Well, we, we play together through any of the other songs, Collins or Luke's, you know, and. And then when I go down front, he's the drummer.

Interviewer (American BBC Host) (8:05)

I imagine that's a hard job being a Ringo Starr's drummer.

Ringo Starr (8:08)

No, we have a lot of fun. We play together, which is great. So it gives the band a bit of meat.

Interviewer (American BBC Host) (8:15)

I believe you were talking to Rick Rubin on his podcast about how you, you never play alone, you only play music with other people.

Ringo Starr (8:21)

Is that I do. Is that I. Once I went up, you know, like the old movies into the back room and played the drums and all the neighbors get off when I was a lad. And I think that's what did it. And I've never. But if you play piano, bass, guitar, I don't care. Saxophone, I'll play with you all night. You know, I'll play with. That's how I did it. I made all my mistakes on stage in Eddie Clayton group, Rory, the Beatles, you know, not the mistakes. There's things you have to find and. And that's how I've done it. And I tell all my grandkids, get an event. Get a few of your schoolmates together. You know, just. They're practicing and playing by themselves. Get with people.

Interviewer (American BBC Host) (9:15)

T Bone Burnett, the legendary producer who you've just made this album with. This is your second album, country album with him. He describes your sound as Texas.

Ringo Starr (9:27)

I know, I know, but, you know, what's it mean?

Interviewer (American BBC Host) (9:32)

Well, I didn't realize. He says that you. Is this true that you. Long before the Beatles, back in Liverpool, your band was. Was it called the Texas Ravers? The Raving Texans?

Ringo Starr (9:44)

I was never in the Texans, so this is now. Okay. He told me that. I think. I don't think that's me, but, you know, you've got to let him get on with this.

Interviewer (American BBC Host) (9:54)

I see. So that's not true. You weren't in a Texas.

Ringo Starr (9:58)

No, I don't remember any band called the Texans. Jerry and the Pacemakers and a lot of other bands at that time in Liverpool was great time for musicians. I think a lot of it came because the call up had stopped. You know, if you were born after September, I think it was 1939, you didn't have to. There was no call up for you. And so to go the military. I left the factory and became a musician.

Interviewer (American BBC Host) (10:32)

Didn't have to go to war.

Ringo Starr (10:33)

Yeah.

Interviewer (American BBC Host) (10:34)

One of the songs on the album is that beautiful cover, the Carl Perkins.

Ringo Starr (10:39)

Perkins, yeah.

Interviewer (American BBC Host) (10:40)

You. You've had a real affinity with him.

Ringo Starr (10:43)

I did, I did. I, you know, I loved him and I loved, you know, a lot of other players and Jerry Lee Lewis. I always wanted to sing like Jerry Lee, but that never happened. Eddie Cochran, that time. Johnny Ray even further back. Frankie Lane even further back. And you know, because as you grow and if you're listening to more different music, you know, you all go through the Jake and Jamaican moment and reggae and, you know, I just love music really, you know, I'm not like only that.

Interviewer (American BBC Host) (11:23)

But you. You have loved country music for quite some time. And when you were with the Beatles, I believe you only wrote two songs and one of them was a country song, kind of.

BBC Reporter Reagan Morris (11:32)

Don't.

Interviewer (American BBC Host) (11:33)

Don't Pass Me by. Can you.

Ringo Starr (11:35)

Well, we did it in a country fashion. Yeah. I think it would have been more country now if we done it with two.

Interviewer (American BBC Host) (11:43)

It's country for the Beatles.

Ringo Starr (11:44)

Don't pass me by don't make me cry don't make me blue yeah.

Interviewer (American BBC Host) (11:50)

Can you take us back to what it was like introducing that song to the band and. Or playing it for the first time?

Ringo Starr (11:56)

Well, that was, you know, way into the band at the very beginning when I started writing. I'd bring my songs in and I'd say, I've got this song, whatever. And they'd all be just laughing, hysterical, because all I'd done is rewritten another song and just change the words. And so it took me a while to get through that moment into writing my songs, you know, and in the end, I started turning out really good.

Interviewer (American BBC Host) (12:32)

Now, you're a prolific songwriter.

Ringo Starr (12:34)

I am. And I like to write with people, too. I like to play with people. And, you know, right now, this friend of mine, Bruce Sugar, who, you know, if I put the drums on these tracks, he's the engineer, because he's at the studio in my house. That's where he is. And, you know, that's how it is.

Interviewer (American BBC Host) (12:58)

And you recently played at the. At the Grand Old Opry, I believe,

Ringo Starr (13:02)

for the first time in. Yeah, that was an amazing night. I did. I played the Ryman with the All Stars several times. And that was, you know, every time, just before I went on, it was like, man, this is the Ryman. You know, if you like country music, this is the Ryman. And. And then they invited me to play at the Grand Old Opry was like. Which is great because they have a huge piece of the Ryman stage at the Grand Old Opere. So you're standing at the Ryman, really. And there they asked us to play. And it was a great night because it was like five or six bands and we all did three numbers and it was a great audience. And, yeah, I'm at the Grand Ole Opry. They made me an honorary resident, and the Nashville Musicians Union let me join them. So it was just great. Giving and loving and, you know, because the last time I was there with Pete Drake, a legend in their time, a long time ago,

Interviewer (American BBC Host) (14:21)

was that. Is there anything like that? I mean, that sounds like a real bucket list moment. Is there any place you haven't.

Ringo Starr (14:27)

No. That was an incredible. Even the Ryman was a. What a. What a wow. At the Ryman Ring up at the Ryman was big enough. And then after years, just last year, up to last year, then the Grand Old Offery invited me, and that was like, oh, God. You know.

Interviewer (American BBC Host) (14:50)

But is there anywhere you haven't played, I guess, or the any experience.

Ringo Starr (14:53)

Oh, it wasn't experience. It was like because you understood if you followed music. But the Ryman was the place. And now it's the Grand Old Opry, which is the place and I'm standing on it. You know. That's incredible.

BBC Reporter Reagan Morris (15:15)

You're listening to the interview from the BBC World Service. Ringo Starr is charming. He seems surprised that I'm not a Brit, that the BBC has sent an American to interview a British national treasure, a global icon. I'm a little nervous about that as well. We're conducting the interview in a bungalow amid the gardens of the Sunset Marquee Hotel. This is where rock royalty comes to escape and to party. We're steps away from the Whiskey a Go Go and the Roxy, iconic rock and roll clubs on the Sunset Strip. When the Beatles came to LA in the 1960s, it was at the peak of Beatlemania and they were often mobbed by fans. There are photos of rock stars all over this hotel, including Ringo Starr, who I can hear laughing as I pace the lush green gardens ahead of our interview, Ringo, in his trademark dark sunglasses, black jacket and a white star on his black T shirt, goes out of his way to make me feel at ease. Peace and love, he says, the soothing catchphrase of an 85 year old music legendary who looks, moves and sings like a much younger man. He laughs easily, bursts into song often and flashes a peace sign for the cameras. And although he's still got that Liverpool accent, his vibes are pure peace and love. California,

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BBC Reporter Reagan Morris (17:45)

okay, let's return to my conversation with Ringo Starr.

Interviewer (American BBC Host) (17:50)

Country music now is very cool. Even Beyonce is making country music.

Ringo Starr (17:55)

It's made a great album.

BBC Reporter Reagan Morris (17:57)

Yeah.

Interviewer (American BBC Host) (17:58)

What was it back in the 1950s and 1960s though, in Liverpool? Like, how on earth did you get into country music?

Ringo Starr (18:04)

Well, Liverpool, as everybody who lives there knows, because it was a port. We started with, you know, in a lot of families. The. One of the sons was in the merchant navy and they were bringing the records over and. Because that's when it started to get big, you know, late 50s. And it's still known right now as Liverpool is the capital of country music in England because they had English bands coming over and just. I think Liverpool went for country. They love country. I know, I loved it. I can't speak for anyone else, but, you know, that's just how it was from Liverpool. And I used to love listening to country music because it always had an emotional side to it, you know, and. And so you'd feel that, you know, it was. I. I make fun of it by saying it was like, the wife's left, the dog's dead, and I don't have any change for the jukebox. I'm down. I don't have no money for the jukebox, you know. Yeah. So I don't. It's just a thing for me. But I love the blues, you know. I tried to immigrate to Texas to be by Lightning Hopkins. It was just egot to me with his voice in his plane. He was the bluest guy that got to me.

Interviewer (American BBC Host) (19:41)

You tried to immigrate there to Jews?

Ringo Starr (19:43)

We did, yeah. Yeah, you've heard the story. We went down to the American. Not embassy in Liverpool, whatever it was, and we wanted this guy and I to emigrate. And they gave us forms, they gave us a list of factories we could apply to because we came out of a factory, you know, and. And then we went back and they gave us. Well, okay. Yeah, that's good, that's good. Now fill in these forms. More forms. I'm 18, you know. You have your like, attitudes when you're 18. And I ripped them off and never went, wow, good.

Interviewer (American BBC Host) (20:27)

Good for the world.

Ringo Starr (20:28)

Yeah, yeah. Well, that's. You don't know. So out of that came this.

Interviewer (American BBC Host) (20:33)

Yeah.

Ringo Starr (20:33)

You know what I mean? We laugh at that on, you know, in the band. If I'd have got to Texas, things would have been great.

Interviewer (American BBC Host) (20:41)

Different, different.

BBC Reporter Reagan Morris (20:43)

And.

Interviewer (American BBC Host) (20:43)

And now you live in Los Angeles, most of you.

Ringo Starr (20:46)

I live in that. Well, I've been, you know, I've had a house in LA since the 70s, a couple of rented houses and apartments. And I've just. I've always loved the attitude of la. Besides, I love the heat and the light. It's just been a good place for me.

Interviewer (American BBC Host) (21:08)

It's a very peace and love kind of place.

Ringo Starr (21:10)

Well, yeah, very peace and love. And I remember when we came in the 60s, we played, you know, we couldn't. It was like hippie time and it was so great. The Sunset Strip was great. And it reminded me of Chelsea in England. You know, when everything was changed in England, all of these designers came out and clothes changed and, you know, and a lot of them were just living in apartments in Kings Road and they were making it at home. And I think that's. That shirt is one of them made at home. So there's a huge attitude, spiritual change going on in. In the world musically, and attitude, you know, was changing. Yeah.

Interviewer (American BBC Host) (21:59)

I was going to ask you some things, if they're true or not. Is it true you coined the phrase hard days night?

Ringo Starr (22:06)

Yeah.

Interviewer (American BBC Host) (22:07)

Is it true that you've never had pizza or a curry?

Ringo Starr (22:12)

This getting bigger than. Yeah, I've never had a pizza or a curry. I. I've never have.

Interviewer (American BBC Host) (22:19)

Because. Allergies. You have allergies to it?

Ringo Starr (22:22)

I have, yes. Things make me, yeah.

Interviewer (American BBC Host) (22:25)

Is it true you were really ill? Oh, I'm sorry. Is it true that you were the first beetle to try marijuana?

Ringo Starr (22:35)

Yeah, I took the first puff.

Interviewer (American BBC Host) (22:40)

And your life has been so well documented. There's a movie coming out about you very soon.

BBC Reporter Reagan Morris (22:47)

Another one.

Ringo Starr (22:48)

The one that's coming out about John.

Interviewer (American BBC Host) (22:50)

The. The very.

Ringo Starr (22:52)

And the one that's coming about George and Paul. Paul movies. The man is crazy. Yeah.

Interviewer (American BBC Host) (23:00)

Have you met Barry Keegan?

Ringo Starr (23:02)

I did, yeah. I met him here, actually. He came over to the house before he started, and we just hung out, said hi and, you know, be friendly, very nice guy.

Interviewer (American BBC Host) (23:15)

What did he want to know from you and what.

Ringo Starr (23:17)

Well, it wasn't like one of those. And how do you pick up your fork and, you know, which hand you used to pick your nose? You know, it was none of that. It was just hanging out, saying hi. And I think there's enough footage out there for him to get to know me. You know what I mean? You'll see the attitude. You know, I'm excited. I did, you know, go to the set. The set is incredible, you know, because they're doing those four movies and I had a. A bit of trouble because I was thinking documentary, and they're not documentaries, they are films. And I had to get used to that, you know, I said no, that didn't happen then. Or this did that. No, this is your story. And you know, so we'll see the four movies.

Interviewer (American BBC Host) (24:15)

Are you worried about the box office? Who? You, you always said you were the second favorite Beatle or something. Are you worried about who's gonna get more box office?

Ringo Starr (24:23)

No, that. I must have said that a long time ago. Hey, we're putting, you know, the four lives in those years in their own space. You know, I'd like it to be at one of those new theaters where they have like four to five actual cinemas in them. Let's put us all on, you know, all at once. Yeah, that would be great. Well, you could do it in the night then, you know, like 11 o' clock you see John, you know, three o' clock you see Paul, six, you see George. Midnight you'll see Ringo, whatever. You know, that would be cool to sit there, bring sandwiches.

BBC Reporter Reagan Morris (25:12)

Thank you for listening to the interview. If you enjoyed this conversation, you can find many more episodes of the interview wherever you get your BBC podcasts, including chats with other music icons such as Stevie Wonder, Patti Smith and Pete Townsend. Until the next time. Bye for now.

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