My Seventies Music

Tag: Ringo Starr

  • Ringo Starr – “Photograph”, “You’re Sixteen” And “Six O’Clock”

    "Ringo" by Ringo Starr (1973)

    In 1974 while visiting my older brother in Invercargill at the very bottom of New Zealand’s South Island, I bought the Ringo Starr album “Ringo”, featuring the single “Photograph”, which went to No. 1 in America.

    Another song from the album, also a Number 1 hit in the USA, was “You’re Sixteen”.

    I also rather like “Six O’Clock”, penned by Paul McCartney.

    Here is the album version of “Photograph”, which was co-written by another former member of The Beatles, George Harrison, and produced by Richard Perry:

    I’m not sure when this live version of “Photograph” was performed, it is Ringo Starr & His All-Star Band, featuring John Entwistle of The Who on bass, Billy Preston on keyboards and Ringo’s son Zak Starkey on drums (at least I think it is, I had to change the video, this one is 1995 apparently):

    As both John Entwistle and Billy Preston are no longer alive, it must have been a while ago.

    And here is “Six O’Clock”, not a hit, but I like it:

    I have found an interesting connection with Ringo Starr: a fellow (earlier) graduate of Massey University in Palmerston North, New Zealand, the late Dave Jordan, wrote one of the songs on his 1976 album “Rotogravure”.

    Paul

  • Harry Nilsson – “Without You”, “One”, “Everybody’s Talkin’” and “I Guess The Lord Must Be In New York City”

    Cover of 1971 Harry Nilsson album "Nilsson Schmilsson"

    The Harry Nilsson song that stands out in my mind is his version of the Badfinger song “Without You”, which went to Number 1 across the charts (U.S., Canada, UK, Australia, Ireland…) in 1971.

    “Without You”

    For a long time Harry Nilsson, who became close friends with the Beatles (in particular John Lennon, with whom he collaborated to produce the 1974 album Pussy Cats”, and Ringo Starr) was better known as a songwriter than a singer.

    Especially among other artists, and many of his songs are more familiar in other versions, such as the Three Dog Night hit “One”.

    Here is Harry Nilsson’s own version of his song “One”:

    Nilsson, who died in 1994, was not only successful at providing other musicians with songs, he is also known in theatre and as a provider of film music.

    Most well known here is perhaps his singing of “Everybody’s Talkin’” in the 1969 movie “Midnight Cowboy starring John Voight and Dustin Hoffman.

    “Everybody’s Talkin’”:

    Here are the opening scenes of “Midnight Cowboy” underscored by “Everybody’s Talkin’”:

    Nilsson had actually written his Top Ten hit “I Guess The Lord Must Be In New York City” as a contender for the movie:

    A few years ago (2006) there was a documentary “Who is Harry Nilsson? (And Why Is Everybody Talkin’ About Him)”.

    I guess there is a reason “everybody’s talkin’” about him.

    Paul

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