Ringo

History and music of Liverpool
Post Reply
User avatar
scotty
Senior Member
Posts: 7094
Joined: Thu Nov 22, 2007 11:27 am

Ringo

Post by scotty »

Ringo Starr performs his new single, "Liverpool 8" on "The Early Show," marking Liverpool's year in 2008 as the "European Capitol of Culture."
Check out "George Michael"On the Ric 330 HeHe

I posted this in the others also i wasnt to sure where to put Ringo so I put him in both
User avatar
hamilton_square
Member
Posts: 352
Joined: Wed Jan 31, 2007 8:26 am

Re: Ringo

Post by hamilton_square »

Unfortunately, Ringo’s rather under-whelming efforts at recently headlining the launch of Liverpool’s Capital of Culture year are coming in for a fair of ‘stick’ from within the ranks of Merseyside’s local media.

Below are links to just a few examples of the type criticism that is being locally heaped upon him.

http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/views/ou ... -20375041/

http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/views/li ... -20360739/

http://www.bbc.co.uk/liverpool/content/ ... ture.shtml

----------------------------------------------------

Cross posted on this forum at:

http://www.rickresource.com/phpBB3/view ... 7&t=379093
User avatar
admin
Site Admin
Posts: 15029
Joined: Wed Jul 05, 2000 5:00 am
Contact:

Re: Ringo

Post by admin »

Peter: I read with great interest the articles that you were so kind to link to your comments. That Ringo has disappointed the Liverpool audience is certainly apparent in the articles to which you refer.

It would seem that the flippant comments of his early days not longer sit well with Liverpudlians and from the reviews it is no wonder. With only Paul and Ringo left, the rather stark contrast between their relationship with Liverpool is readily apparent. It would seem that those reporting Ringo's comments did not consider that his glib comments were said tongue-in-cheek and with all three journalists in agreement this is surely no way to drum up business.

Over the years Ringo's wit and sarcasm have been embraced by those from away and I am wondering whether his recent comments are made with that in mind. To be fair, I can imagine many young adults who have moved away from home that would say they did not miss their home town. Such a point of view may not be meant to disregard others' feelings. Based on my reading of his history I can imagine that there are more than a few situations in Liverpool that he encountered in his formativer years that he wished could have been different.

Over the next while it will be of interest to me to see if Ringo makes a formal apology or changes his position in future interviews based on the adverse feedback that he has received in the press.

Your comments with regard to Ringo's statements are sought.
Life, as with music, often requires one to let go of the melody and listen to the rhythm

Please join the Official RickResource Forum Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/groups/379271585440277
User avatar
hamilton_square
Member
Posts: 352
Joined: Wed Jan 31, 2007 8:26 am

Re: Ringo

Post by hamilton_square »

Having myself been permanently removed from Merseyside for more than the past quarter-of-a-century, I feel that I have something of an inkling as to what emotions may have motivated Ringo’s general attitude and comments.

Brought about by a combination of location, ancestry, often-radical politics rooted in the labour movement, economic circumstances and let’s not forget those original speech patterns. Liverpool (as opposed to what is now the wider Merseyside area) as evolved a particular; some might say unique, sense of collective civic identity that was and is most definitely distinct from any other major English city. While not as strong as it once was it nevertheless still exists, albeit on a more superficial level, within certain sections of the community.

Over a long time and for a variety of historical reasons, rightly or wrongly there was a widely held local opinion that Liverpool was being discriminated against and very much at the back-of-the-queue when it came to the perceived inequalities of national economic distribution and development. The result being a marked tendency for the population of the city to turn inwards on itself (akin to something of an isolationist mentality) together with a noticeable trend towards greater social interdependency and cohesion. The coming of the Beatles and the ensuing exposure of Liverpool to a worldwide audience went someway to alleviating a sense of relative provincial isolation that then existed.

While people of Liverpool love to make jokes, especially about themselves and their city they can become very thin skinned when outsiders try doing it at their expense. To give a much-quoted example of how Liverpool perceived what the rest of England (as opposed to Britain in general) historically thought of the city. Winston Churchill was supposedly alleged to having jokingly said to Michael Collins during an intermission of the 1921 Anglo-Irish Treaty Negotiations. “You can have the six counties (what eventually became Northern Ireland) if you give us Liverpool back”.

It’s a sorry fact of Liverpool life that for those seeking fame and fortune all roads lead elsewhere. In effect, for those who leave and don’t come back means, to some degree or other, that they’ve made a better life for themselves and don’t need the security blanket that is Liverpool anymore. They’ve deliberately divorced themselves from their roots and as in any separation public relationships can become somewhat tetchy if one partner visibly appears to be benefiting more than the other as a result.

The Beatles were by no means the first to ‘escape’ the constraints of what was and still is an extremely parochial environment. A past and present list of much lesser known entertainment and sporting celebrities who have severed all physical connections with Liverpool is indeed near endless. While, from a comfortable distance, many of them often do speak nostalgically about the city, I can near guarantee that if one put a gun to their heads and ask them to live there again – they’d say pull the trigger, for we’ve seen the colour of the grass on the other side of the hill and it is indeed greener. The only crime that Ringo committed was that nobody put a gun to his head. And anyway, from his rather lofty and insulated position, at the advanced age of now 67, I don’t think he really cares, one way or another, what people have to say about him. He’s been there, done it and got any number of proverbial tee shirts to show for it.

It is a very noticeable British characteristic and Liverpool people are no exception to the rule, that once up there on their pedestals we are forever looking for opportunities to bring our heroes back down to earth again should they, for any reason, fall below our inflated expectations of them.
User avatar
jingle_jangle
RRF Moderator
Posts: 22679
Joined: Wed Dec 22, 2004 6:00 am
Contact:

Re: Ringo

Post by jingle_jangle »

Excellent reading and a very insightful and well-considered analysis, Peter.

I find that I am looking forward to your next post, so keep 'em coming!
User avatar
admin
Site Admin
Posts: 15029
Joined: Wed Jul 05, 2000 5:00 am
Contact:

Re: Ringo

Post by admin »

Peter: Thanks for this look at Liverpool. I find the following comments that you made to be particularly helpful in better understanding the uniqueness of Liverpool.
Over a long time and for a variety of historical reasons, rightly or wrongly there was a widely held local opinion that Liverpool was being discriminated against and very much at the back-of-the-queue when it came to the perceived inequalities of national economic distribution and development. The result being a marked tendency for the population of the city to turn inwards on itself (akin to something of an isolationist mentality) together with a noticeable trend towards greater social interdependency and cohesion.
From the outside looking in, it is this "isolation" and "cohesion" that I have felt was responsible for the success of many Liverpool discoveries, music being only one example. The groups in Liverpool, including The Beatles, developed their own sound and took a fair number of previous recordings by other groups to a new level. Isolated from the influences of the cosmospolitan south and with their own sense of competence the Fab Four offered a new raw sound that was not influenced by previous arrangements or conventions. To my way of thinking, this gave them the fresh sound and also the confidence to write their own music which was in itself a very big step to their success.

While they may have been at the right place at the right time, the process by which their music rose to center stage was rooted in the isolation and cohesion of which you speak. The Beatles' belief in themselves was no accident. "To the toppermost of the poppermost."
Life, as with music, often requires one to let go of the melody and listen to the rhythm

Please join the Official RickResource Forum Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/groups/379271585440277
User avatar
kiramdear
RRF Moderator
Posts: 9045
Joined: Fri Jun 27, 2008 2:51 am
Contact:

Re: Ringo

Post by kiramdear »

I'm just wondering what Ringo has publicly/overtly given back to Liverpool lately, aside from his frank opinions and a lackluster (but charming) performance at 08. I'll look into it, but it seems that Paul has well earned his respect by his generosity in promoting the local arts, education, etc. in a benefactor role, even though he wouldn't move back home either. Does Ringo even care if he's honored there?
All I wanna do is rock!
User avatar
scotty
Senior Member
Posts: 7094
Joined: Thu Nov 22, 2007 11:27 am

Re: Ringo

Post by scotty »

Good point kira! I`ll be interested to see what you come up with!
User avatar
kiramdear
RRF Moderator
Posts: 9045
Joined: Fri Jun 27, 2008 2:51 am
Contact:

Re: Ringo

Post by kiramdear »

On a google search of "Ringo Starr", "Liverpool", and "honor", one finds this from the pages of "The Daily Mail":

Fallen Starr: Ringo`s dream of a comeback crumble after insulting Liverpool
Credit: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/showb
By PAUL SCOTT


After his recent exertions on his UK publicity junket, Ringo Starr has been allowing himself the luxury of extended sessions of transcendental meditation to the relaxing strains of his favourite wind chimes at his bougainvillaea-covered Beverly Hills hacienda.


Following a leisurely morning of contemplation, he will submit himself to the rigours of a stroll in his lemon grove before firing up his barbecue to cook a virtuous lunch of seared broccoli, carrots and beetroot (like his fellow surviving Beatle, Sir Paul McCartney, Ringo is a long-time proponent of vegetarianism).

His friends, mainly a rag-tag collection of ageing hippies and fading rock stars, are permitted an audience only by prior appointment and he ventures out rarely for occasional dinners at his favourite Hollywood restaurant, Mr Chow, with his wife, Barbara Bach, and close friend, Eagles` guitarist Joe Walsh.

Perhaps as a legacy of his impoverished childhood in Liverpool, Ringo will not tolerate waste. Consequently, the multi-millionaire insists the leftovers from his table at the trendy Chinese eaterie are bagged up for him to reheat the next day.

Everyone who crosses his path - even complete strangers in the street - are habitually treated to his trademark two-fingered salute and his "Peace and Love" catchphrase.

In fact, his obsessive Peace sign flashing has increasingly become the source of much bemusement, not to mention ridicule, in Tinseltown.

One executive of Starr`s American record label Capitol/EMI told me last week that at a meeting in LA to discuss his latest album, one of those present tried to keep score of the number of times Ringo proclaimed his `Peace and Love` mantra - he lost count after 20.

But despite this almost Tourette style compulsion to fulfil his mission of harmony and goodwill, those in Ringo`s circle have noticed that the man once famed as the most happy-go-lucky of the Fab Four has recently undergone something of a personality change.

Witness his hissy-fit when producers of the top-rating U.S. daytime chat show Live With Regis And Kelly asked him to cut his performance of his new single, Liverpool 8, from its near five minutes to closer to twoanda-half.

Ringo walked out, refusing to do the show, although it should be pointed out that one can have sympathy with both sides of the argument.

For his part, because the song is an autobiographical account of his life from his job in the merchant navy, to working at Butlin`s then finding global stardom, Ringo would barely have got as far as The Beatles` early days in the clubs of Liverpool and Hamburg before the plug was pulled.

But from the point of view of the television station, who could blame them for wanting Ringo to curtail his live rendition? After all, the new song - which includes the line: "Liverpool I left you, but I never let you down" - is unutterably bad, with Starr tunelessly warbling in the style of a hastily ad-libbed nursery rhyme.

At the same time he got into trouble after he was filmed snarling at autograph hunters who were furious with him for snubbing them outside his New York hotel last month.

Little surprise, then, that the single and the album of the same name barely made the Top 100 on either side of the Atlantic before sinking without trace.

None of which has gone down at all well with the 67-year-old drummer who had been confidently predicting the record, named after the postal district in which he was brought up, would signal a somewhat unlikely comeback.

Particularly as he was banking on a huge publicity boost from his appearance in January as the star guest for the launch of Liverpool`s year as the European Capital of Culture - which happily just happened to coincide with the album`s release.

However, this, too, has turned out to be a monumental PR disaster. So much so that after he made unflattering remarks about his home town while appearing on the sofa of BBC chat show host Jonathan Ross six weeks ago, Ringo has almost overnight become persona non grata with many of his fellow Scousers.

Such is the level of antipathy that a three weeks ago a topiary statue, which was created at a Liverpool railway station in honour of The Beatles, was desecrated.

But while John, Paul and George were untouched, the figure of Ringo, seated at his drums, was decapitated by a secateurs-wielding ex-fan with a grudge.

At the same time a vandal sprayed the word "traitor" over a sign that commemorates Starr`s attendance at his one-time secondary school in the Dingle area of Liverpool.

Meanwhile, the airwaves of local radio and the letters pages of the city`s newspapers have hosted angry denunciations of their former hero. One fans` website is even calling for Ringo to be removed from all Beatles memorabilia.

Oh dear! And all because he pulled a comedy face and replied: `No` when Ross asked him if he missed Merseyside.

It also emerged later that when a local reporter asked him what was the best piece of advice he had been given by a fellow Liverpudlian, Ringo replied: "Run!"

But then as Ringo should know, his fellow Liverpudlians are not best known for their thick skin. Nor should anyone be in the least bit surprised by his admission.

Indeed, before his arrival to kick off the Capital of Culture celebrations, Ringo had not set foot in the city since the funeral of his stepfather Harry Graves 14 years ago.

And he has hardly been glowing in his praise of his homeland either in recent times. Some months ago he declared his hatred of England, telling an American interviewer: "It`s damp and it`s cold and it`s dark. I love the sun and warmth and that`s how I choose to spend my life."

Friends say he is also irked by what he perceives as the lack of affection with which he is held in Britain. Three years ago he raised eyebrows here when he said: "You know I have this thing about England, they don`t really love me enough. That`s just how I feel."

To add insult to injury, his famously large nose has been most distinctly put out of joint by his home city choosing to rename its airport after John Lennon while Ringo`s first home at 9 Madryn Street - where he was born plain Richard Starkey - was described by heritage officials as being of `neutral` value and earmarked for demolition.

Ringo has also rubbished new plans to have the house taken apart brick-by-brick and rebuilt elsewhere.

And despite an online petition to have him made Sir Ringo, he has been consistently overlooked for a knighthood (which might have something to do with his criticisms of the Royal Family, whom he pronounced should personally pay for a hospital in honour of the Queen Mother).

He is said to visit his 17th-century, 200-acre estate near Cranleigh, Surrey, only once a year for a family Christmas with his three grown-up children - sons Zak and Jason and daughter Lee - from his first marriage to Maureen Cox. He is very rarely seen at his flat in Chelsea.

Instead he spends the year shuttling between his sprawling LA home, a palatial apartment in the tax-haven of Monte Carlo and his ski lodge in Colorado.

He shares the terracotta-walled compound in Beverly Hills with his 60-year-old wife Miss Bach, a former Bond-girl whom Starr met on the set of his much-derided 1980 movie Caveman. They married a year later.

He admits to feeling "more American than most Americans" and has cultivated a resolutely mid-Atlantic accent, characterised by his rather grating habit of pronouncing "and" as "ernd".

Although he is fast approaching his 68th birthday, the eldest of The Beatles remains driven to recreate the limited success he had as a solo artist in the years after the break-up of The Beatles.

He continues to tour regularly in the U.S. and will go on the road again in June with his group, Ringo Starr And His All Starr Band.

He is said by friends to feel snubbed that he has not as yet been invited by McCartney to appear onstage with him when Sir Paul marks Liverpool`s ongoing City of Culture celebrations by appearing at Anfield stadium in June.

Indeed, between the two, the once- strong quality of Mersey mateship is somewhat strained. He is said still to bear a grudge over McCartney`s cold-shouldering him when Paul appeared without him at the Live 8 concert in London three years ago.

At the time a very put-out Ringo said: "It`s too late now. It`s very disappointing."

And Starr further incurred the wrath of his ex- cohort when he described McCartney`s attempts to change the group`s famous song-writing credits from "Lennon and McCartney" to "McCartney and Lennon" as "underhanded".

Meanwhile Ringo is attempting - with precious little success it has to be said - to find backing for his plans to turn himself into a cartoon superhero with the help of Superman creator Stan Lee.

And associates say he is halfway through writing a musical about his life, called The Hole In The Fence, with the help of former Eurythmics star Dave Stewart.

Ringo`s relationship with eldest son Zak, 42, who went off the rails as a teenager and started drinking at 14, is said to be close. Zak has followed him into drumming and plays with the Who and Oasis.

Jason, 40, is a photographer and 37-year- old Lee, who lives in London, is a make-up artist and would-be fashion designer.

But his relationship with his stepdaughter Francesca, a wannabe singer from Miss Bach`s first marriage, has regularly been stormy.

He is said to have barred the lesbian Francesca, who once dated Hollywood actress Portia de Rossi, from appearing with him on tour after he discovered she was having an affair with a 16-year-old girl.

But his marriage to the beautiful Barbara is said to be as close as ever, which begs the question: Why given his pampered lifestyle, his lavish homes and all those millions is Ringo just so bad-tempered all of a sudden?


Searching for signs of charitable activity, I found this on a movie fan site:

Emma Watson Attends Monte Carlo for Liverpool’s Safe Place Appeal

HARRY Potter star Emma Watson took time off from filming the latest instalment of the blockbuster franchise to attend a star-studded event at Monte Carlo for Liverpool’s Safe Place Appeal.The black tie reception at the glamorous Hotel Hermitage raised more than £250,000 for the NSPCC’s Hargreaves Centre on Great Homer Street, Everton.
Sir Trevor McDonald gave the after dinner speech, while a charity auction saw guests bid for - among other prizes - a chance to be Simon Cowell’s personal guest at a live X Factor show, and a limited edition of Postcards from the Boys by Ringo Starr, including an opportunity to meet the former Beatle himself.
The fundraising dinner came about after the Monaco 08 Committee was formed by a group of women who were inspired by the work for abused children that takes place in the NSPCC’s flagship Merseyside building.
The committee created a food-themed event called Taittinger & Truffles 08, designed to attract new and existing supporters to come together in one of the most glamorous cities in the world and to raise funds for the new Hargreaves Centre.
The centre was named after its main benefactor, Liverpool-born Matalan founder John Hargreaves, who brought a table of international guests to the event.
He said: “It is brilliant to see so many others joining in to support two charities that are so close to my heart. As a result of our collective efforts tonight has raised over £250,000.”
The star lot at the charity auction was a suite of jewels by Chopard, which was flown in under special security arrangements for the event.


A stack of postcards and a lunch date, compared with LIPA?
Not to pass judgement too quickly, I'll be rooting around further on the net.
All I wanna do is rock!
User avatar
romo1950
New member
Posts: 88
Joined: Wed Mar 25, 2009 4:03 pm

Re: Ringo

Post by romo1950 »

I know I am a little late on this thread, but being a Newbie I recently read this thread and felt compelled to defend Ringo. Speak as you find I was always told and having the pleasure of being in Ringo( Richies) company on several occasions, We used to build the cases for his Allstar tour .
I always found him to be friendly , Courteous , accomodating and always with his Northern England sense of Humor.
I was invited into the closed rehearsal for the start of one of his Tours around 1997 and spent the whole afternoon in his company along with Peter Frampton, Jack Bruce , Dave Mason, Simon Kirk and Gary Brooker, sorry to name drop but it was one of those you had to be there occasions. We also had Dinner with the Band in 2001 in San diego prior to the show, He seemed to treat everyone the same and each time the All star band seemed to gell as a family including the crew.
So in my case (no pun intended) I have nothing but good to say about him
User avatar
seyesbass
Veteran RRF member
Posts: 557
Joined: Fri Nov 24, 2000 2:44 pm
Contact:

Re: Ringo

Post by seyesbass »

Hi Robert,
You luck devil!
Anyway, the strand that is going on here is that because Ringo has essentially been missing in action since the early 60s as far as the main body of scousers are concerned, it means that he has to rein in some of his off the cuff remarksn from their point of view.
As previously said the skin can get a bit thin depending on who is dishing it out.
I am a Mancunian some 25 miles east of the Pool and many of my friends come from Merseyside including the singer in my present band and emotions run high when criticism of Liverpool rears its head.
Ringo wasnt around to see the deprivation and misery inflicted on the city by the Thatcher years after all the fake promise of the boom 60s and as a Mancunian with all that goes with the territory I have to say that all the weight carried by Liverpool and its people from then until now is not just a regional attitude but a reality.In a back handed or cack handed way Ringo kind of voiced stuff that was undrlying the whole culture of Liverpool but his distance made it hard for some to take.
The City Of Culture celebrations went on while all the time the city of Liverpool was still stuggling from the aftermath of the 80s.
I love liverpool and I love Ringo and I dont think for a minute he wanted to upset anyone.
Its a long time since Ringo wanted to open a hairdressers in Liverpool with his earnings and I think he may be go back again one day for whatever reason...and they will still welcome him with open arms.
Hes family and thats how it goes.
User avatar
romo1950
New member
Posts: 88
Joined: Wed Mar 25, 2009 4:03 pm

Re: Ringo

Post by romo1950 »

Good comments, Pete, I do understand coming from the Newcastle area, I love living here in Southern California and never forget to put things into perspective, while not knocking my roots or home town.
Post Reply

Return to “Liverpool Project: by Admin”