“All day long”: George Harrison’s unique musical relationship with Ringo Starr
“You couldn’t make an ex-Beatle record without having Ringo, could you?” George Harrison said in 1992, and it rang true. Despite all the jokes and jabs about Starr not even being “the best drummer in The Beatles”, he was the person they all called on time and time again.
When the band split on less than amicable terms, they all went off into their own corners. Even before the divorce was signed and the separation was made public, from the moment the band members knew it was over, they were off in their own worlds working on their music, only with varying shades of enthusiasm and joy. For Paul McCartney, that was a depressing and isolated time. But for George Harrison, it felt like an immense rush of freedom.
Having felt ignored and under-appreciated in the band, Harrison quite clearly couldn’t wait to get to work on his solo record, All Things Must Pass. Yet despite his excitement at the division, a familiar name appeared on the credits: Ringo Starr.
In John Lennon’s world, too, despite also being clearly enthusiastic about the prospect of going it alone, his opening solo record, John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band, also had Starr’s name on it. He even appears on Yoko Ono’s companion piece, Yoko Ono/Plastic Ono Band.
Out of all of the Beatles, Starr was the one who stayed in everybody’s orbit. While tensions were high between McCartney and his ex-bandmates for a good while, by 1982, he too was calling the drummer in to play on Tug of War and then his next run of records, including Pipes of Peace and Give My Regards to Broad Street.
But between Starr and Harrison, that connection never ended. Starr played on a majority of Harrison’s records, and it seemed that whenever possible, any music made by either of them would shape up into a collaboration between the two.
It could be attributed to the bond between them built while the bond between Lennon and McCartney often caused them to feel left out. While the others clung to the spotlight, the guitarist and drummer grew even closer as friends behind them. But overwhelmingly, it comes down to the fact that history still doesn’t quite give credit to – Ringo Starr is simply really, really good.
“It’s like a built-in thing,” Harrison explained, “If I play a song to Ringo, I don’t need to say to him, you know, I want it to go like this.“
That came down to the powerful combination of the two musicians growing up together and gaining all their biggest and best musical educational experiences together in the band, but also can be credited to Starr’s background in jazz. He’s a master of improvisation and of finding a unique little groove that fits perfectly. Having proved that over their decade together in the group, it meant that, naturally, when Harrison needed a beat, he knew who to call.
“I just play it, and he joins in. He just gets his sticks, and he just does it, and it sounds just like Ringo. He can hold the rock steady all day long,” Harrison concluded, always coming back to his old-bandmate’s talent and signature sound.
