Remembering When Ringo Starr Released His First Album in a Decade in 1992

It’s difficult to imagine a former Beatle unable to get an album he recorded released in America. That’s the fate that befell Ringo Starr in the 80s. Personal problems also enveloped him during this time period.

Starr eventually came out of it in a much stronger artistic place with the 1992 album Time Takes Time. While it wasn’t the commercial smash he hoped, it helped put Ringo back on the musical map in a positive way.

A Starr Slump

People tend to forget that there was a stretch in the 70s when Ringo Starr was as successful, if not more, than his Beatle bandmates as a solo singles artist. Songs like “It Don’t Come Easy” and “Photograph” showed how effortlessly Starr made the transition to being the guy out in front.

But because he was limited as a songwriter, Starr had to rely on outside material to sustain his success. Even with his fellow Beatles pitching in some, his 1981 album Stop And Smell The Roses didn’t sell much at all. His record label dropped him.

He recorded an album titled Old Wave with Joe Walsh as producer as a follow-up. But Starr couldn’t secure a release for the album in either the UK or the US. As his musical fortunes faded, Starr’s substance abuse issues intensified. By the mid-80s, it was fair to wonder if he’d ever again release a winning LP.

Completing the Comeback

Starr started to build himself back up after a stint in rehab to clean up his drinking and drug use. He started to make copious public appearances. The creation of his All-Star Band in 1989 also proved successful. A return to the studio would be the final step in reclaiming his career.

But even that proved rocky. 1987 sessions in Memphis with legendary producer Chips Moman proved fruitless, even though Moman tried to release the music recorded during that time. Starr shook that off and moved forward again.

This time around, he rode the wave of all-star comeback albums that were all the rage in the late 80s and early 90s. Starr enjoyed the cream of the crop of producers, with Jeff Lynne, Peter Asher, Don Was, and Phil Ramone all helming tracks. The Who’s Who of musicians surrounding him included Benmont Tench, Brian Wilson, and Harry Nilsson.

Ringo ‘Time’

Starr introduced Time Takes Time to the world with “Weight Of The World”. The single, produced by Was, featured a sound that hearkened back to the psychedelic 60s, even as the lyrics warned about getting bogged down in the past.

Even with a huge promotional push and a promising lead single, Time Takes Time failed to do the business that Starr had hoped. Perhaps the timing was off. Released in 1992, Starr’s upbeat pop didn’t exactly jibe with the downcast grunge vibes dominating the rock airwaves.

Nonetheless, the album earned Starr some of the best reviews since his 70s heyday. And, befitting an album called Time Takes Time, the music on it has aged quite well. It certainly gave Starr momentum to continue a solo career that is still going strong to this day.

(Photo by Mark Hayward Archive/Redferns)