Ringo Starrhas announced his new album ‘LongLongRoad’ and shared the lead single ‘It’s Been Too Long’ –listenbelow.
It will be theBeatleslegend’s 22ndsolo album and will see him return to the country sound of his last record, last year’s ‘Look Up’.
Like that album, ‘LongLongRoad’ has been overseen by the acclaimed producer T Bone Burnett, and it will feature appearances fromSt. Vincent,SherylCrowand Billy Strings.It is released on April 24 viaUMeand you can pre-order ithere.
The first taste of the album is ‘It’s Been Too Long’, which was written by Burnett and Daniel Tashian, and features harmony vocals from Molly Tuttle and Sarah Jarosz. Ringo’s voice takes the lead on the wistful track, over twanging Americana guitars and warm production.
Watch thevisualiserhere:
Starr has said:“I’mblessed to have T Bone in my life right now and working with me on these records. After we did the last record, which I love listening to, this one justsortof happened. I like to say sometimes I make the right moves, like you can go left or right at any point, and one of the right moves was hooking up with T Bone for ‘Look Up’, and now for this one, which I’m calling ‘LongLongRoad’, because I’ve been on a longlongroad.”
Burnett added: “I’veloved Ringo’s playing and his singing for my whole life. And then one night we were at a poetry reading together and he said, why don’t you write a song for me?SoI wrote him a Gene Autry type song because I always heard Ringo as a Texas artist, the way he played felt just like Texas music to me. Ringo Starr is a recording artist of the highest caliber, and I wanted to surround him with these young masters, bringing in some of this extraordinary young energythat’shappening around Nashville forboth of theserecords.”
Ringo Starr – ‘LongLongRoad’tracklist:
- ‘Returning Without Tears’
- ‘BabyDon’tGo’
- ‘IDon’tSee MeInYour Eyes Anymore’
- ‘It’sBeen Too Long’
- ‘Why’
- ‘You And I (WaveOfLove)’
- ‘My BabyDon’tWant Nothing’
- ‘Choose Love’
- ‘She’s Gone’
- ‘LongLongRoad’
Ringo is also heading on the road in the US this summer, playing 12 dates in May and June. He kicks off in Temecula, California on May 28 and concludes at Los Angeles’ Greek Theatre on June 14.Seeall ofthe dateshereand find any remaining ticketshere.
The drummer will be played byBarry Keoghanin the upcoming quartet of Beatles biopics, whileHow To Have Sex’sMia McKenna-Bruce will play his wife Maureen Starkey.Paul Mescal is playing Paul McCartney, Harris Dickinson is John Lennon, while Joseph Quinn will be George Harrison.See the first images of theactorsincharacterhere.
Sam Mendes (1917,Skyfall,American Beauty)is directing the four separate films, with each one set to focus on a different member of the band.The Beatles – A Four-Film Cinematic Eventis currently slated for an April 2028 release.
Last May, Keoghan discussed meeting Ringo in preparation for the role: “When I was talking to him, Icouldn’tlook at him. I was nervous, like right now. Buthe’slike, ‘You can look at me. My job is toobserveandkindatake inmannerisms and study him. I want tohumanisehim and bring feelings to it and not justsort of imitate.”
Ringo’s son Zak Starkey, who until last year played inThe Whoand has also been a touring member ofOasis,toldNMElast yearwhat advice he would have for Keoghan.“Get a big rubber nose,” he joked. “Idon’tknow what else to say. Hedoesn’tlook anythinglike my dad, does he? You can fix anything, can’t you? You can certainly give someone a big rubber nose. The thing about my dad is his personality. He sold The Beatles to America,he’sthe one withthe charisma. Pulling that off will be hard.He’sjust himself.”