“Well why not”: The song Ringo Starr was uncomfortable covering
The Beatles might have parted ways back in 1970, but they were never going to disappear into the ether. Over the course of the 1960s, they had risen from teenage skiffle musicians in Liverpool to global superstars performing in the biggest pop band the world has ever seen. Following their split, each member of the band immersed themselves in their own distinctive solo careers, but the influence of the ‘Mop Tops’ was never truly out of sight, particularly for drummer Ringo Starr.
Starr was always in a pretty unique position when it came to The Beatles. He was the only band member not to have cut his teeth with The Quarrymen in the late 1950s, and, in fact, he was in a moderately successful group called The Hurricanes during the early 1960s. In 1962, after initially meeting the Fab Four in Hamburg, the drummer officially replaced Pete Best as The Beatles’ drummer and the rest, as they say, is history.
With his wonderfully distinctive playing style, Starr quickly became an essential part of the band’s power, even if his role within the group often went underrated. His songwriting efforts were never treated with the same reverence as the other members, which is perhaps reflected in the comparative underappreciation of his solo discography in comparison to the other band members.
Following the band’s split, the individual members were keen to move on from the reputation and expectations of The Beatles, each following their own distinct path. For Starr, however, The Beatles remained a consistent source of inspiration. Not only did the drummer regularly recruit his former band members for his solo records, with Paul McCartney being a recurring feature on many of his solo sessions, but he even went as far as to record a cover version of an old Beatles classic.
For his 1998 solo record Vertical Man, Starr called upon a litany of his musical comrades, including McCartney and George Harrison. These influences clearly made an impact on the final record, as the drummer chose to include a cover of The Beatles’ debut single, ‘Love Me Do’, which had initially been released back in 1962. Originally, the song had been penned by McCartney and John Lennon as teenagers, years before they finally came to record it for The Beatles.
Starr was a natural fan of the single. After all, it was the track that committed the band to the hearts and minds of millions across the world upon its release. During a 1972 interview, the drummer recalled the excitement of its release, saying, “For me, that was more important than anything else. That first piece of plastic. You can’t believe how great that was. It was so wonderful. We were on a record!”
Nevertheless, Starr was somewhat apprehensive about recording a cover of the song for his 1998 record. “To do ‘Love Me Do’ I had to get comfortable,” he later recalled. “And there’s a track on there called ‘Puppet’, about ‘putting the puppets to bed’, and they’re all those crazy things you have in your mind. And one of mine was, ‘Oh, I can’t do a Beatles track.’” However, he questioned, “Well, shit, why not? People have said that some stuff sounds Beatle-y. Well, it’s a compliment, really.”
Although the final cover did not end up having quite the same impact as the original release, Ringo Starr’s new interpretation of ‘Love Me Do’ was a kick for Beatles fans, harking back to the drummer’s legendary history and enduring love for the material he recorded all those years ago.
Never Miss A Beat
The Far Out Beatles Newsletter
All the latest stories about The Beatles from the independent voice of culture.
Straight to your inbox.