Ringo Starr – And His All Starr 70th Birthday Celebration (no label)

And His All Starr 70th Birthday Celebration (no label)

Radio City Music Hall, New York, NY – July 7th, 2010

Disc 1 (78:17):  Introduction, It Don’t Come Easy, Honey Don’t, Choose Love, Hang On Sloopy (Rick Derringer), Free Ride (Edgar Winter), Talking In Your Sleep (Wally Palmar), I Wanna Be Your Man, Dream Weaver (Gary Wright), Kyrie (Richard Page), The Other Side Of Liverpool, Yellow Submarine, Frankenstein (Edgar Winter), Peace Dream, Back Off Boogaloo, What I Like About You (Wally Palmar)

Disc 2 (44:45):  Rock And Roll Hoochie Koo (Rick Derringer), Boys, Love Is Alive, Broken  Wings (Richard Page), Photograph, Act Naturally, With A Little Help From My Friends, Give Peace A Chance, Birthday (Ringo Starr & Paul McCartney)

Unlike the other former Beatles, Ringo has never shied away from being a nostalgia act.  His early success as a solo performer was built upon interpretations of the old classics.  For more than twenty years (starting in 1989), he’s toured with Ringo Starr & His All-Starrs, recalling not only past Beatle hits, but great songs from the rock catalogue as well.

Ringo Starr And His All Star 70th Birthday Celebration documents most of the July 7th, 2010 show in Radio City Music Hall in New York.  Five songs,”Yellow Submarine” through to “What I Like About You,” are missing from the New York tape and are replaced by the July 5th show in New Brunswick, New Jersey.  Both shows are taped from very clear ALD sources, which give an accurate representation of the music.  The only negative is that the audience reactions are faint.

The tape begins with the pre-concert music over the PA, Bob Dylan’s “Beyond Here Lies Nothin’.'”  Starr begins the show with his most recognizable solo hit, “It Don’t Come Easy.”  His voice is shakey (not that it ever was strong), and Edgar Winter has a brief saxophone solo in the middle.

Afterwards Ringo reads a banner in front of the stage:  “‘Ringo.  Happy Birthday.  I love you.’  The banner is alright but where’s the gift?”  A cover of Carl Perkins’ “Honey Don’t” (with Winter playing boogie piano) and Starr’s own Beatle homage “Choose Love” follow.  The latter is especially fun with a riff from “Day Tripper” and multiple references to Beatle tunes in the words. 

Rick Derringer sings his old McCoy’s hit single “Hang On Sloopy.”  He tells the story of the song sitting at number one “and ‘Yesterday’ by the Beatles at number two.  That lasted only one week.”  He also points out that it’s the only rock song serving as an anthem for a US State (namely Ohio).  During the song he sings the second verse edited out of the original McCoys single, trying to “right an injustice.”

Derringer stays on to play “Free Ride” with his old mate Edgar Winter.  Gary Wright tells the story of reading the book Autobiography of a Yogi which George Harrison gave him.  His voice sounds a bit weak despite  Ringo’s statement that it is the best he’s ever performed the song, and “George Harrison never gave me no damn book.” 

Richard Page of Mr Mister performs “Kyrie,” their 1986 number one single.  Ringo follows with the new song “The Other Side Of Liverpool” from Y Not.  “Peace Dream” later in the show is the only other song from the new album played in the set.  

Edgar Winter gives a spirited version of “Frankenstein.”  He plays an interesting saxophone solo in the middle, eschewing the recorded jazz riff for a Mel Collins inspired a stab at the avant garde.

Wally Palmar (“What I Like About You”), Rick Derringer (“Rock And Roll Hootchie Koo”) and Richard Page (“Broken Wings”) offer their second numbers in the set before the grand finale, starting iwth “Photograph” from 1973’s Ringo.