Ringo Starr, 1992: Rock After Rehab

Now I Get His Sober Hints

Ringo Starr has been quiet in the Get Back movie, but hardly invisible. You see him smiling, flashing a peace sign, musing, bored, pensive, while his more verbose Beatles brothers parry and thrust. But he's always listening. In the frustrating first segment, when ideas and tempers are short, you can tell something is happening when Ringo begins tapping a rhythm, taking his sticks to the drum kit: A signal to the songwriters that they might have something worth developing.

When I met Ringo, who is now 81, for an interview in 1992, he was promoting two overlapping projects. He had a new album, Time Takes Time, his first studio album in nine years. It had four ace producers: Don Was, Phil Ramone, Peter Asher, and Jeff Lynne. Ringo's wit was sharp, but gentle. "I used to tease Jeff Lynne that ELO broke up because they ran out of Beatle licks. Only to tease him," he said.

There are also songs by the alt-rock bands of the day, the Posies "Golden Blunders" (how's that for irony), and Jellyfish (" Don't Believe You.") It had some songs that we now recognize as confessional, especially "Don't Go Where the Road Don't Go."

He was also advancing the second Ringo Starr and His All-Star Band tour, featuring Nils Lofgren, Dave Edmunds, Todd Rundgren, and many others, including his longtime friend and brother-in-law, Joe Walsh. (He is married to Ringo’s wife Barbara Bach's sister.) He was particularly proud that his son, Zak Starkey, was picking up the full-time drumming chores. "I gave him one lesson when he was 10. I went to give him a second lesson, and he said, 'I can do this.' I said, 'you're on your own.' When he was 16, he said, 'I'm leaving school to become a drummer. What could I say, that was my dream, too."

The first All-Starr tour, in 1989, restored his enthusiasm for music and performing after a a difficult decade. He played some sessions, released a bust album (Old Wave, 1983). He made some movies, did some TV commercials, including one for Oldsmobile in 1989 with his then 21-year-old, purple-haired daughter Lee. He became known as the narrator for children's show Thomas the Tank Engine, and "Mr. Engineer" on the spin-off Shining Time Station. When I asked about these projects, Ringo said: "I had to get back to the music business."

But mostly, he drank. And drank, and drank, and drank. As did his wife Barbara Bach. This was not news, but neither was the extent of his troubles with alcohol. At least I didn't know, because I did not want too much information, as problems from my own drinking were beginning to accumulate. In a few years, I would recognize the album title, Times Takes Time, as an AA slogan, only slightly less well-known than One Day at a Time, Easy Does It, First Things First, and Keep It Simple. These get you grounded, because at first, understanding a phrase such as "One Day at a Time"... Well, it don't come easy. Looking back, it's almost like Ringo, with some sober time, was 12-stepping me, who had not yet admitted powerlessness over alcohol, with the power of suggestion.

I did not have any questions about either his drinking or recovery, or about the Beatles except for a general "What's your best memory of the Beatles?" question to throw in at the end, if there was time. In a class I teach called the Craft of Interviewing, I tell my students there are three rules for the celebrity interview. They are:

1. Ask about the new project.

2. Ask about the new project.

3. Ask about the new project.

This way, the interview subject knows you've done your homework. You have fulfilled the social contract that says you are meeting because the subject has a new album, book, or movie to promote; you are there as an equal, because your job is to write an interesting story about someone of interest to your readers. You're not there to hype, but to explore the creative process of the new project as thoroughly as possible. Once you've done this, an interesting chemical reaction may occur: the subject may bring up some of the other things that may be of interest.

For example: I thought Ringo would be eager to talk about one new song "Don't Go Where the Road Don't Go" because it is one that he co-wrote. I asked if it was a message song.

Ringo: "I'm not big on message songs, but I am relating how I [used to] feel, and how I feel today. A few years ago, I ended up in a rehab, totally deranged. It means a lot to me, because people said, don't go there, but the only road I wanted to go was the one where I was running down as fast as I could. A little warning. I've changed. You don't have to put your head in the oven."

DO YOU UNDERSTAND WHY?

I was terrfied, terrified of the whole deal. I was insecure, lonely a lot of times, you find yourself just there (ital), you're on the train, it's not stopping anywhere, you can't find that cord, that [emergency brake] cord, and it's just not anywhere! You can't stop, and you hit the wall, and you end up in places. . . with God's help, you get better. It's okay, you're on the planet, it can be overwhelming, but if you take it a day at a time. . .

[If you listen to the tape, I sound wishful/wistful when I reply, "That's good to hear."]

WHAT WAS THE MOMENT YOU HIT BOTTOM?

I came out of a very long blackout. I was a very functional blackout artist, I wouldn't know what happened. I'd been there and done it, they thought I had killed my wife, I had trashed the place, I had no recollection. I'd gone vicious.

WHERE DID THIS HAPPEN?

In Ascot, outside of London. [The huge estate known as Tittenhurst Park, where John and Yoko once lived. Ringo owned it from 1973-1988] I'd woken up, and the nightmare was still in front of me. In a moment of clarity, I said, I have to get someplace, and within four days, I was in a rehab. I arrived drunk as a skunk, I thought it was too late, it was gonna be straitjackets from now on. And they put their arms around me and hugged me. And they helped me and they helped me enough to start . . . I'm three and a half years sober, one day at a time. I haven't had a drink, I haven't beaten anyone up."

Ringo also talked about other projects, such as a disastrous attempt at a country album with producer Chips Moman that ended up in court, with Ringo winning an injunction to prevent its release, and ending up with a "DAT" (digital audio tape) of the doomed sessions.

The Moman project foundered for the same reason Ringo went to rehab. "It all relates back to my habit of imbibing," Ringo said. "You think you have to take it to be creative, and then you take a bit more and a bit more, and you create nothing. That's what I did. I couldn't work. Impossible. My best friends wouldn't let me on a session.

"All those stories about the Beatles, yes, we'd have a little taste of this, or a taste of that, but usually, we played very straight. Or very little bent. We'd use the information of being totally bent, and brought that to the fore. Now I'm back to being straight and playing straight. There's no bent situation for me today."

Of course, Ringo has brought up the Beatles a few times, so I figure he has opened the door a little bit. I ask a question that Ringo knew was a bit of a con, commiserating with him over all those people who interview him who only want to talk about the Beatles.

Of course, he agrees. "I'm here to talk about [new songs like] 'The Weight of the World.' If it's how's Paul, what's George doing, you're right, I can get pissed off at that. Everyone will have their one or two questions, as long as we carry on with the living."

DO YOU MIND IF I ASK MY ONE OR TWO? AND BY THE WAY, DID YOU LIKE THAT SEGUE?

Ringo: (laughing) That's the most bullshit segue I've ever heard.

THANKS! WHAT'S THE THING YOU TAKE WITH YOU NOW FROM THOSE DAYS THAT MEANS THE MOST?

A lot of joy, a fabulous time, and I had three brothers. The records, I can go down the list of records we made that I still like to listen to.

YOU MUST BE PLEASED THAT SOME OF YOUR OWN SOLO WORK, "PHOTOGRAPH" AND "IT DON'T CAME EASY" STILL STANDS UP WELL.

When I started doing solo stuff, I was pleased as punch that they [the other Beatles] that they were doing it, and sounding good, too. I think the stuff right now [his new album] works too.

THERE'S DEFINITELY A RINGO SOUND ON THE NEW RECORD.

That's probably because I'm on it!

Feel free to share this post with others who may want to read and subscribe. All posts are free, but optional paid subscriptions, including discounted gifts through 2021, are welcome to help support the work.