You wouldn't want to be Ringo Starr at the moment.
OK, it goes without saying that you wouldn't really want to be Ringo Starr at any moment, unless you're into being recovering Scouse alcoholics who hit things for a living and sing songs about boning 16-year-olds.
But, seriously, you wouldn't want to be Ringo Starr right now. He's stropped off Live With Regis & Kelly right before he was supposed to appear, you see.
Ringo Starr hasn't had the best of years. He's watched Paul McCartney sign a clever new record deal and get lauded as a visionary. He's seen John Lennon get commemorated in a monolithic tower of light that will outlast us all. And he's seen George Harrison get crowned as the fourth-richest dead man alive. And what about Ringo?
Well, Ringo Starr was lucky enough to open Liverpool's tenure as European capital of culture last week, but that couldn't have backfired more spectacularly. Yes, Ringo Starr may have called his new album Liverpool8 and, yes, Ringo Starr may have told the thousands of fans watching him that he was going to move back to Liverpool.
But thanks to a subsequent TV appearance where he basically just went "Pffft – live in Liverpool? Fuck off, have you actually been there? It's shit, and I'm Ringo Starr. I'm Ringo fucking Starr!" he's just about the most hated man in Merseyside at the moment.
And things aren't going particularly well for Ringo in America at the moment. Yesterday Ringo was set to appear on Live With Kelly And Regis to perform his song Liverpool 8, but the song didn't fit with the show's strict 'two and a half minute performances only' policy. And then it all kicked off. The New York Daily News reports:
When he did a run-through yesterday morning, the song took nearly five minutes. "Live" producer Michael Gelman was willing to go 2 minutes and 45 seconds. Starr's camp said it couldn't be cut, and he was gone. "They refused to keep the performance and the interview commitment," said the spokeswoman. "We offered to cut back our chat time and asked them to fade or go to commercial," Starr's spokeswoman told The Associated Press. "They were not willing to do that and Ringo was not willing to cut it further, so without a compromise we were not able to stay. Ringo left saying, 'God bless and goodbye. We still love Regis.'"
It's clear that Ringo Starr obviously took the cutback request as a personal affront because if, say, Paul McCartney phoned up Regis tomorrow and asked to perform all of the Sgt Pepper album on the show, they'd agree immediately. But because it's boring old Ringo Starr he has to live by the same rules as everyone else.
Having said that, it was wrong of Live With Kelly And Regis to ask Ringo Starr to limit his performance to 150 seconds. They should have tried to limit it to zero seconds because – shitting Christ – the song's horrific.
It's like Ringo asked a sensory-deprived toddler to write down the history of The Beatles and then just wailed them in the first tune that popped into his head. Frankly we're wondering if Ringo Starr would be better protesting by never appearing in public ever again. Look…
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Gilbert Wham says
This was posted 3 hours ago and there is still not one crazed fanboi leaping to his defence? This proves beyond doubt that Ringo is, indeed, a bit shit and no-one likes him. Not even Beatles fans. Imagine the backlash from an article about any of the others, never mind the Beatles as a whole…
'Orrible 'Arry says
McCartney spits the dummy when EMI tells him the world doesn’t owe him a record contract and he’s “lauded as a visionary”???
Get yourself a decent publicist, Ringo.
a child of Jesus says
Why is that Eurythmics twat always involved in anything shite? “Yeah great Ringo! We’ll show those young ‘uns real music” – you can just hear them in the studio telling the emperor in his fine attire. This beggers belief and I was prepared to be open minded. Now I just want to die. Shame on you Heckler for not making it REALLY clear how bad it is.
Starkey's Arse says
Went to LA
and hung around
with Elton John
Fell on the ground
In the 70’s
with my friend Marc
I made a film
Then he crashed his car
In Old New York
Where John got shot
I was off my face
I drank a lot
Stuart Heritage says
Starkey’s Arse, that made me laugh out loud for a full minute. Well done.
Louis Abramson says
Actually not a bad song. Listen to American music these days. Rap, Rant, whatever you want to call it, but it’s not music. You idiots should be worshiping the ground Ringo walks on. Are you kidding me? If it wasent for him and his 3 friends, none of the music that you listen to today would be around, take that to the bank and deposit it!!! You can say there were and are better drummers, but it was all about the karma between them. If you cant grasp that, you will never get it.
Robin says
My dear misinformed Stuart Heritage (is that your real name…probably not since I’m sure you don’t want people to know who you really are after an article like this). You couldn’t shine Ringo’s shoes. He’s part of a band that changed the world and still rattles to this day. He has every right to demand respect and get it. He’s rock royalty and his legacy dictates who he is and who the hell are you to question that? Ringo is much more important than the subject of the size of Kelly Ripa’s ass or how much her youngest child pooped that day. I say kudos to Ringo for standing up to people who have no respect for greatness and people who haven’t accomplished a tenth of what he has in his life. As for Liverpool, they’d still be a little seaside town not on the map if it wasn’t for Ringo and the other 3 guys in that little band that shook the world.
Cathi Sandor says
I don’t go cruising the web looking for articles. Normally I don’t even respond to these type of ‘slamming’ articles because the authors are just looking for attention and this is their way of getting attention. This was brought to my attention in a beatles group. I’ve seen him sing this song. It’s a good song. I intend to buy his new CD. As for his comments on Liverpool, that’s his right to have his feelings. I’ve been to Liverpool and have seen the area’s he lived and grew up in. I don’t blame him! As for Regis & Kelly’s show and their stupid ‘rule’, it’s wrong! No artist should be made to compromise, period. Either take the artist in total or don’t take him/her on the show.
June L. says
BRAVO!!! Ringo It pleases me to still have you and Paul alive and well . Playing music,and trying something new as you always did.bless you ,you made me smile again,
Gilbert Wham says
Ah! There you all are! Jolly good. Carry on then…
Louis Abramson says
Robin, well said!!!!
PM says
A Fabulous fucking Drummer
A great and kind guy to the end
Life is very short, and there’s no time. For fussing and fighting, my friend.
Drumming Forever! says
Anyone who doesn’t recognise Ringo’s contribution to the Beatles, music, and the art of drumming itself is 1)not a musician, 2)not a drummer and 3)a bloody raging idiot!
Many a great drummers have mentioned Ringo as either their reason for getting into drumming, or at the very least a major influence, drummers such as Steve Smith, Phil Collins, Kenny Aronoff… just to mention a few. If Ringo’s drumming has been good enough to influence these greats, surely the opinion of those less informed and talented means little.
Lastly, never forget that it were John, Paul and George who desperately wanted Ringo, the most famous drummer in all of Liverpool at that time, to join them. They were the ones who offered him the position over and over again until he finally accepted.
The point’s been made.
C. says
Wow, do we really need a slamming news page about Ringo ‘hating’ Liverpool? That little quote that ‘he says’ that’s just made by this prick just wanting attention. Liverpool 8 is a great song, it’s about Ringo’s life and hell it’s great. Yet it has been rubbished by many of these ‘critics’ who don’t understand music. If it weren’t for John, Paul, George AND Ringo, Liverpool wouldn’t be as famous as today.
Pete Best…. Who is he?