Ringo Starr and Paul McCartney reunite to record John Lennon song

www.theguardian.com
Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr reunite to record John Lennon song
Grow Old With Me is latest collaboration between the surviving Beatles members
Mattha Busby
Sat 14 Sep 2019


Ringo Starr, left, and Paul McCartney have worked together on a number of records since the Beatles split in 1970. Photograph: Neil Hall/Reuters

Sir Paul McCartney and Sir Ringo Starr have reunited to record a cover version of a song written by John Lennon in the final year of his life.

The track marks the latest collaboration between the two surviving members of the Beatles and goes some way to reuniting the musical talents of the Fab Four, since part of a George Harrison song is also reprised on the recording.

Lennon wrote Grow Old With Me during the recording sessions for Double Fantasy, the final album he made before he was shot dead outside his apartment in Manhattan in December 1980.

Starr, 79, said he had not been aware that Lennon recorded a demo version of the song until he was played it by the record producer Jack Douglas, who produced Double Fantasy, which was co-written by Yoko Ono, Lennon’s widow.

“Jack asked if I ever heard the Bermuda Tapes, John’s demos from that time,” Starr said. “And I had never heard all this … I just loved this song. I sang it the best that I could. I do well up when I think of John this deeply. And I’ve done my best. We’ve done our best.

“The other good thing is that I really wanted Paul to play on it and he said yes. Paul came over and he played bass and sings a little bit on this with me.”

He added: “So, John’s on it in a way. I’m on it and Paul’s on it. It’s not a publicity stunt. This is just what I wanted. And the strings that Jack arranged for this track, if you really listen, they do one line from [Harrison’s]Here Comes the Sun. So in a way, it’s the four of us.”

Harrison died of lung cancer in 2001. McCartney and Starr have worked together on a number of records since the Beatles split up in 1970, including Starr’s last album, Give More Love.

The track, recorded in Starr’s home studio, features on What’s My Name, his 20th solo album, which also features a number of regular contributors and members of his touring All-Starr Band. It will be released in October.

This week, the Guardian was given access to a rare recording of the band’s discussions while they recorded Abbey Road.

“It’s a revelation,” the historian Mark Lewisohn said of the find. “The books have always told us that they knew Abbey Road was their last album and they wanted to go out on an artistic high. But no – they’re discussing the next album. And you think that John is the one who wanted to break them up but, when you hear this, he isn’t. Doesn’t that rewrite pretty much everything we thought we knew?”

www.telegraph.co.uk
Ringo Starr and Paul McCartney reunite to record John Lennon song discovered on lost demo tape
By  Telegraph Reporters
13 SEPTEMBER 2019


Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr perform during the taping of "The Night That Changed America: A GRAMMY Salute To The Beatles" in Los Angeles. CREDIT: MARIO ANZUONI/REUTERS

Sir Ringo Starr has teamed up with Sir Paul McCartney to record a version of a lost demo written by John Lennon less than a year before his death.

Lennon penned Grow Old With Me during the sessions for Double Fantasy, the final record he made before he was shot and killed outside his Manhattan apartment on December 8, 1980.

The former Beatles drummer, 79, was introduced to the song by record producer Jack Douglas, who produced the Grammy-winning album, which is also credited to Lennon's widow Yoko Ono.

Sir Ringo enlisted the help of Sir Paul, 77, to play bass on the track, which he admitted had brought him to tears when he first heard it.

He said: "Jack asked if I ever heard The Bermuda Tapes, John's demos from that time. And I had never heard all this.

"The idea that John was talking about me in that time before he died, well, I'm an emotional person.

"And I just loved this song. I sang it the best that I could. I do well up when I think of John this deeply. And I've done my best. We've done our best."

He added: "The other good thing is that I really wanted Paul to play on it, and he said yes. Paul came over and he played bass and sings a little bit on this with me. So, John's on it in a way. I'm on it and Paul's on it.

"It's not a publicity stunt. This is just what I wanted. And the strings that Jack arranged for this track, if you really listen, they do one line from Here Comes The Sun.

"So in a way, it's the four of us."

The track features on Sir Ringo's 20th solo album, What's My Name, out on October 25.

Sir Ringo recorded the album in his home studio, known as Roccabella West, enlisting a number of regular contributors and members of his touring All-Starr Band.

The record also features a cover of Barrett Strong's Motown hit Money (That's What I Want), famously covered by the Fab Four.

The two surviving Beatles have collaborated on Sir Ringo's last two albums - Give More Love in 2017 and Y Not in 2009.





metro.co.uk
The Beatles’ Ringo Starr and Paul McCartney reunite to cover John Lennon song
Jamie Tabberer
Friday 13 Sep 2019


The Beatles in their heyday (Picture: Getty Images)

Sir Ringo Starr and Sir Paul McCartney, the two surviving members of The Beatles, are joining forces to cover a John Lennon song. 

Now, this is what you call a collab for the ages.

Imagine singer John was assassinated by Mark David Chapman in New York City on 8 December 1980 while the fourth Beatle, George Harrison, passed away on 29 November 2001 of lung cancer.

However, John and George’s spirits will live on in the new track Ringo and Paul have made together.

The chosen song is an often-overlooked song from John’s back catalogue called Grow Old With Me, and the cover will feature on Ringo’s upcoming album What’s My Name.

It’s album number 20 for the Beatles drummer, who recorded the material at the home he shares with wife Barbara.


It’s album number 20 for the Beatles drummer,(Picture: AP)

Ringo said in a statement: ‘I sang it the best that I could.

‘I do well up when I think of John this deeply. And I’ve done my best. We’ve done our best.’

The album is out 25 October 2019.

The 79-year-old added: ‘The other good thing is that I really wanted Paul to play on it, and he said yes.

‘Paul came over and he played bass and sings a little bit on this with me. So John’s on it in a way. I’m on it and Paul’s on it.’




‘It’s not a publicity stunt,’ he added.

‘This is just what I wanted. And the strings that Jack arranged for this track, if you really listen, they do one line from “Here Comes the Sun” [written by George Harrison]. So in a way, it’s the four of us.’

Speaking about recording at home, Ringo added: ‘We are all together in here, whoever I invite over.

‘This is the smallest club in town.

‘And I love it, being at home, being able to say hi to Barb, it’s just been good for me and the music.’