Sir Ringo Starr has signed an exclusive worldwide publishing deal with BMG. The agreement covers Starr’s extraordinary and timeless Beatles and solo catalog spanning nearly 50 years, as well as future compositions.
The deal encompasses over 150 titles including his featured songwriting contributions with The Beatles, ‘What Goes On’ from Rubber Soul, ‘Flying’ from Magical Mystery Tour, ‘Don’t Pass Me By’ from The Beatles (aka the “White Album”), ‘Octopus’s Garden’ from Abbey Road, ‘Dig It’ and ‘Maggie Mae’ from Let It Be, as well as Beatles rarities including ‘Suzy Parker’, ‘Christmas Time (Is Here Again)’, ’12 Bar Original,’ and ‘Los Paranoias’.
"I love making music and the songwriting process - and putting new music out there to play alongside the old. How great to be working with BMG who are excited to have my entire catalogue," said Starr.
Starr’s solo catalogue runs to an astonishing 19 studio albums and ranges from his debut solo single release ‘It Don’t Come Easy’ to ‘Photograph’ from the platinum-certified Ringo, to the title track and namesake album Beaucoups of Blues, ‘Back Off Boogaloo’ from Goodnight Vienna, to his latest studio album Give More Love.
The multi-platinum solo recording artist has been awarded nine GRAMMY Awards and has twice been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, first as a Beatle and again as a solo artist. A tireless philanthropist, Starr was recently honored with a knighthood by Queen Elizabeth II for services to music and his charity work.
BMG US President, Repertoire & Marketing, Zach Katz said, ”It is an understatement to say our entire team is overwhelmingly excited to welcome Ringo to the BMG family. From New York, Nashville, and Los Angeles to our offices around the world, we are all in, globally committed, and eager to show him what a multimedia music company can do, across the board, when you have the right creative tools to put your music to work.”
At a very young age, Ringo knew from early on what he wanted to do. “When I was 13, I only wanted to be a drummer,” he remembers, and at the age of 22 on August 18, 1962, Ringo Starr officially joined what would become one of the most important popular music acts of all time.
In 1970, Ringo released his first solo album, Sentimental Journey, a record of music he’d grown up with and which remained close to his heart. He followed up a year later with Beaucoups of Blues, a country and western album recorded in Nashville in just two days.
In 1971, he began his unprecedented run as the first solo Beatle to score seven consecutive Top 10 singles, starting with ‘It Don’t Come Easy’. His second hit single ‘Back Off Boogaloo’ followed in 1972, and was written with and inspired by T. Rex frontman Marc Bolan. Ringo released his eponymous smash hit album in 1973. It yielded three Top 10 singles, including the Number One hits ‘Photograph’ and ‘You’re Sixteen (You’re Beautiful And You’re Mine)’. The album Ringo also marked the first time since The Beatles breakup in 1970 that all four band members participated in the same project (though not at the same time).
Between 1974 and 1978, Ringo released such hits as the Top 10 singles ‘Only You (And You Alone)’, and ‘The No No Song’, and the albums Goodnight Vienna (1974), Blast From Your Past (1975), Rotogravure (1976), Ringo The 4th (1977), and Bad Boy (1978). In 1981, he recorded
Stop and Smell the Roses, his most critically acclaimed record since Ringo, followed two years later in 1983 by Old Wave, teaming up with producer Joe Walsh of The Eagles.
In 1989 Ringo assembled his first All Starr Band and he found consistent success as a live act with his revolving All Starrs. That initial tour yielded his first live album, Ringo and his All Starr Band, in 1990.
The 1990s saw some of the best records of Ringo’s career. In 1992, he released Time Takes Time, while continuing to tour and release live albums from the road.1998 brought the release of Vertical Man, recorded with Mark Hudson, and the first collaboration between Ringo and “the Roundheads.” It was one of his strongest records, due largely to his deep involvement as a drummer, singer, co-writer, and co-producer. In 1999, Ringo released the irrepressibly festive holiday album I Wanna Be Santa Claus, mixing classics like ‘The Little Drummer Boy’ with originals like the title track.
Ringo’s involvement in the production of his records continued and he released two more vibrant records with The Roundheads, Ringo Rama, in 2003 followed by Choose Love in 2005.
Ringo released Liverpool 8 in 2008. He co-wrote its 12 original tracks, recording them in the UK and California, and the title track became the first in a series of autobiographical songs.
Y NOT, the first album Ringo himself produced, came out in 2010, showcasing collaborations with new friends like Ben Harper, alongside old friends, Paul McCartney among them. Their duet and the album’s stunning first single, ‘Walk With You’, served as a moving tribute to the power of friendship. That same year, Ringo was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Ringo 2012, again produced by its namesake, featured nine tracks, including new versions of ‘Wings’ and ‘Step Lightly’.
In September 2013, Ringo was awarded the prestigious French Medal of Honor, being appointed Commander of Arts & Letters in recognition of his musical and artistic contributions. The following year, The David Lynch Foundation honored him with a “Lifetime of Peace & Love Award.”
In 2014, Ringo published ‘Octopus’s Garden’, a children’s book based on the songs’ lyrics, and in 2015, released Postcards From Paradise featuring 11 original tracks and his very first single written and recorded with his All Starr Band, ‘Island In The Sun’.
In April 2015 he was inducted by Paul McCartney into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a solo artist for Musical Excellence. In September 2017 Ringo released his 19th studio album, Give More Love, including 10 new tracks featuring collaborations with dozens of his friends including Paul McCartney, Joe Walsh former and current All Starr members and more.
BMG CEO Hartwig Masuch said, “Ringo Starr is a contemporary artist with an incredible history, and BMG is exceptionally proud that he has chosen us to represent his past and future songs.”
2018 will see Ringo back out on the road with a new iteration of his All Starr Band. More info on Ringo, including his discography and tour dates, can be found at RingoStarr.com.
