Ringo Starr revealed that a lot of luck went into assembling the group of stars who helped with co writing and playing songs on his new album “Y Not‘
“People just came out and supported me ’cause I was doing it,” Starr told Billboard.com. The star studded guest list included music’s heavy hitter Beatles friend Paul McCartney, brother-in-law Joe Walsh, Joss Stone, Ben Harper, Van Dyke Parks, Don Was and All Starr Band alumni Edgar Winter, Billy Squier, Gary Wright and Richard Marx. “A lot of it was just people hanging out and thinking, ‘Let’s try this.’ ”
“Y Not,” is the first of his solo albums where Starr is serving as the main producer. Work on the album actually started right after the release of 2008’s ‘Liverpool 8‘ shortly “sitting at home with nothing better to do in L.A.” Ringo adds that he used Pro Tools to lay down ideas and tracks. “I was just sort of building up these tracks…just having fun and seeing what happened,” he recalls. “When I finally got it where I felt, ‘There’s enough music now’…I started calling people in and played ’em two tracks and said, ‘I’d like to write a song with you on one of these. You can pick whichever track.’ That’s how we started writing.”
Sir Macca was originally only slated to be on board for just one song, “Peace Dream,” but after laying down a bass part for that he listened to some of the other songs he also contributed a vocal to “Walk With You.” Ringo explained. “He heard that one and said, ‘Gimme a pair of (headphones) and give me a track. I want to do something on that,’ ” Starr added. “And then he just did that follow (vocal). He comes in a beat after me…so that’s how that ended up.”
Although there has been no band lineup announce yet, Starr plans to go on tour with an All Star Band to promote ‘Y Not’. Wally Palmar of the Romantics is the only confirmed musician to join Ringo on tour so far,
while reports indicate that returnees Winter, Wright and musical director Mark Rivera will also be joined by Rick Derringer and Mr. Mister’s Richard Page. Stay tuned for an official announcement