Ringo Starr’s third solo album set a precedent for the legendary drummer to collaborate with a group of rock stars and respected musicians, effectively making this year his 50th anniversary of leading stellar musical lineups. The present roster of Ringo Starr and His All-Starr Band is touring the western U.S., performing a handful of hits from 1973’s Ringo as well as songs that put the spotlight on colleagues such as Toto’s Steve Lukather, Colin Hay from Men at Work and Edgar Winter.
Starr’s first two albums focused on prerock standards and country-western music, respectively. Ringo was aimed at the pop charts and included George Harrison, John Lennon and Paul McCartney on one record for the first time since Abbey Road. This created a buzz about a possible Beatles reunion as contributors such as Marc Bolan, Steve Cropper, Billy Preston and members of The Band came on board.
Instead, the musicians contributed to what would become a Top 10 album with songs that blared from Top 40 radio stations well into 1974. Lennon penned and played piano on opening track “I’m the Greatest,” which featured Harrison’s lead guitar work. Harrison co-wrote “Photograph,” which became a No. 1 hit, while Paul and Linda McCartney wrote and performed on Side 2’s “Six O’Clock.”
That side opens with “Oh My My,” which was part of His All-Starr Band sets last year, along with Starr’s 1971 hit single “It Don’t Come Easy” and Beatles tracks such as “Yellow Submarine” and “With a Little Help from My Friends.” Less well-known songs from the Beatles repertoire that Starr sang lead on, such as “Boys” and a cover of Carl Perkins’ “Matchbox,” also kept the focus on Starr as frontman.
He surrenders the stage to his All-Starrs often, though. Past sets have included Winter playing his monster instrumental hit “Frankenstein,” Hay having a go at “Down Under” and delivering passionate lead guitar playing, and Lukather leading the group through “Rosanna” and “Africa.” Drummer Gregg Bissonette and multi-instrumentalists Warren Ham and Hamish Stuart complete a lineup featured on Live at the Greek Theater 2019, an album that whets the appetite for catching the All-Starrs live.
The Venetian, 8:30 p.m. May 24 & 26-27, starting at $69 plus tax and fee. ticketmaster.com
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