Ringo marches to own beat on latest album

Ringo Starr produced his latest solo effort, Ringo 2012, with Bruce Sugar. Beatles fans will be hunting this rock band members' solo albums for interesting credits. Round the latest release, "Ringo 2012" (Stylish-O/UMe), they'll choose one they've never observed before: "Produced by Ringo Starr."Since recording his first solo album in 1970, Starr remains recorded by rock 'n' roll's top producers, including George Martin, Richard Perry, Arif Mardin, Don Was, Rob Lynne and Mark Hudson. But also for his last disc, "Y Not," he co-produced themselves with engineer Bruce Sugar. "I used to be just a little nervous, because I'd not attempted it before," Starr mentioned. "Nevertheless it worked out perfectly that we thought, Well, I'm gonna perform the next.InchStarr's recording process can be as unique as his drumming. For his albums along with his previous recording band, Starr and also the songwriting team would sit together and write tunes, full of music and lyrics. His writing process for "Ringo 2012" and "Y Not," however, was different, writing and recording without any live band inside the studio. "We essentially work backwards," he mentioned.Sugar added, "It's a strange process, nevertheless it works."Concentrating on a keyboard synthesizer, Starr will first create a fundamental rhythm pattern that may ultimately be considered a new song.After Starr has get the rhythm and chord pattern, he'll turn items to Sugar to formalize. "He'll create a groove and say, 'That's a awesome sound' or 'I such as this groove,' after which it he'll visit lunch and I'll put it in to a song format," Sugar mentioned. When Starr adds his drums, Sugar added, "That's because it relates alive, this is where the miracle happens. You instantly know it's a Ringo Starr track."Starr will most likely possess a single pass at his drum track, nailing it fairly quickly. "I'll make an effort to lead him to do more, but he's usually happy with the initial factor he's recorded," Sugar mentioned.While formerly, Starr's drums received an effective helping within the microphone cabinet, lucrative favors to keep things simple, creating a appear the the envelopes the listener in Ringo. "Bruce will mic the bass, the snare and hang up some overhead mics, which is sufficient,Inch he mentioned. "We've two incredible ambient mics, setup as not even close to me as you can, to find the area appear up, which means you receive a lot of depth."His drum appear will not do not impress even his nearest of pals. "He's added some additional percussion overdubs relating to this album to boost it, nevertheless the drums aren't overdone," mentioned friend Joe Walsh, who plays on several tracks. "His approach is actually a study in the way he layers his drums into each and every song. And also the timing is impeccable -- a correctly-known fact to all or any artists.InchUtilizing the essential rhythm in place, Starr will invite around the favorite songwriter to collaborate with -- Glen Ballard, Van Dyke Parks, Dork Stewart or Gary Nicholson. "I'll play them the track, and without fail, they'll go grab the guitars to produce a sound lesson. Which I inform them, 'No, no -- we're conntacting this track,'" that the pair can produce a tune and lyrics.He then is relevant the attempted-and-true Ringo formula of having in pals to see round the track, for instance Walsh, Stewart, Parks or blues guy Kenny Wayne Shepherd. "Kenny plays on 'Rock Island Line,' that people first heard once i was 15 just like a skiffle track by Lonnie Donegan. I carried out him that which you had with this, which he mentioned, 'It appears just like a pop song in my opinion.A It did less than increase the risk for blues," he mentioned, laughing.Once completed, Starr and Sugar will need the tracks to Starr's other studio at his home in England, where the pair will mix the album."The main one factor about Ringo is he doesn't overthink it," Sugar mentioned. "Most producers keep adding and adding stuff. For him, if something feels right, it's done". Contact the number newsroom at news@variety.com