Liverpool 8
Encyclopedia
Liverpool 8 is the 14th studio album
by Ringo Starr
. It was released worldwide on 14 January 2008 to mixed reviews and marks Starr's return to EMI
for the first time since leaving the label in 1975, following the end of The Beatles
' recording contract with the company. Although technically Starr did make a brief re-appearance on EMI in the mid-1990s, as when his 1981 album Stop and Smell the Roses
and his 1983 album Old Wave
(both originally released on Boardwalk Records
) were issued on CD
, they appeared on Capitol's The Right Stuff label. Liverpool 8 was released by EMI Music worldwide, Capitol Records
in the United States and Parlophone
in the United Kingdom.
, I Wanna Be Santa Claus
, VH1 Storytellers
, Ringo Rama
, and Choose Love
). However, the release date was pushed back to the beginning of 2008 when Hudson was replaced by Dave Stewart
after a falling out with Starr. The album's production credits read, "Produced by Ringo Starr and Mark Hudson; Re-Produced by Ringo Starr and David Stewart."
All of the songs but one were written with the Roundheads, although Stewart also has several co-writing credits. Starr's attorney Bruce Grakal told journalist Peter Palmiere that the partnership between Hudson and Starr was over and they would never work together again. This happened after Hudson dropped out of Starr's 2006 tour as musical director to do the TV show The One: Making A Music Star. According to Palmiere, Hudson claimed that the split was over Starr's insistence on using synthesized sounds, for which Stewart is known, whereas Hudson wanted real guitars, pianos, strings etc. However, concerning the parting of ways with Hudson, Starr commented, "The separation between Mark Hudson and myself was a question of trust and friendship and had nothing to do with synthesizers."
The album was released on CD, MP3
, and USB Wristband. It was available as a free audio stream at www.vh1classic.com before its release date. "Liverpool 8
" was released on CD and digital download
as the first single
from the album on 7 January 2008. Liverpool 8 entered the UK Album Chart at #91, and reached a peak of #94 on the Billboard 200
.
A few weeks later after the album release, readers of the New York Daily News
were offered a non-album track called "It's Love".
. Billboard
gave a positive review, calling it "full of nostalgia for the good ol' days". Allmusic stated that "it's nothing too flashy and it has not one tune that calls attention to itself". The Times
gave a particularly critical review, stating that "it’s hard not to boggle at Liverpool
’s susceptibility to flattery" and "Just because it was fun to make, it doesn’t follow that you might enjoy listening to it."
and Steve Dudas, except where noted.
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
by Ringo Starr
Ringo Starr
Richard Starkey, MBE better known by his stage name Ringo Starr, is an English musician and actor who gained worldwide fame as the drummer for The Beatles. When the band formed in 1960, Starr was a member of another Liverpool band, Rory Storm and the Hurricanes. He became The Beatles' drummer in...
. It was released worldwide on 14 January 2008 to mixed reviews and marks Starr's return to EMI
EMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
for the first time since leaving the label in 1975, following the end of The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
' recording contract with the company. Although technically Starr did make a brief re-appearance on EMI in the mid-1990s, as when his 1981 album Stop and Smell the Roses
Stop and Smell the Roses
Stop and Smell the Roses is the eighth studio album by Ringo Starr, released in 1981 following the twin commercial disasters of Ringo the 4th and Bad Boy .-History:...
and his 1983 album Old Wave
Old Wave
Old Wave is the ninth studio album by Ringo Starr, released in 1983 as the follow-up to 1981's Stop and Smell the Roses.In early 1982, Starr was eager to move on to his next project. Deciding that he needed more consistency this time around, he would work with only one producer, Joe Walsh, a former...
(both originally released on Boardwalk Records
Boardwalk Records
Boardwalk Records was a record label founded by Neil Bogart in 1980, after PolyGram acquired his Casablanca Records. The label had a huge hit act with Joan Jett before Neil Bogart died of cancer in 1982...
) were issued on CD
Compact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
, they appeared on Capitol's The Right Stuff label. Liverpool 8 was released by EMI Music worldwide, Capitol Records
Capitol Records
Capitol Records is a major United States based record label, formerly located in Los Angeles, but operating in New York City as part of Capitol Music Group. Its former headquarters building, the Capitol Tower, is a major landmark near the corner of Hollywood and Vine...
in the United States and Parlophone
Parlophone
Parlophone is a record label that was founded in Germany in 1896 by the Carl Lindström Company as Parlophon. The British branch was formed in 1923 as "Parlophone" which developed a reputation in the 1920s as a leading jazz label. It was acquired in 1927 by the Columbia Graphophone Company which...
in the United Kingdom.
History
The album was originally slated for a June 2007 release, and began as another production by the collaborative team of Mark Hudson and Starr (the two had previously co-produced Vertical ManVertical Man
Vertical Man is Ringo Starr's 11th studio album, issued in 1998. The release represents Starr's attempt at a comeback following the enormous success of The Beatles Anthology project...
, I Wanna Be Santa Claus
I Wanna Be Santa Claus
I Wanna Be Santa Claus is a Christmas album by Ringo Starr, issued in 1999. Not only is it Starr's first long-play Christmas release, it is the first by an ex-Beatle, although John Lennon, Paul McCartney and George Harrison had each released a seasonal single in the 1970s.Recorded throughout 1999...
, VH1 Storytellers
VH1 Storytellers (Ringo Starr album)
VH1 Storytellers is a live album by Ringo Starr recorded and released for the popular music program in 1998. Unlike his previous live recordings, this release places Starr in an intimate environment where—as per the show's requirement—he tells the genesis of the songs being performed.Recorded a...
, Ringo Rama
Ringo Rama
Ringo Rama is Ringo Starr's 12th studio album and was released in 2003. As the follow-up to 1998's Vertical Man, it continues Starr's alliance with Mark Hudson as well as most of his collaborators from that last project...
, and Choose Love
Choose Love
Choose Love is the 13th studio album by Ringo Starr, released in 2005. Recorded throughout 2004 into 2005, the album received strong reviews upon its release and preceded another promotional tour with Starr and his studio band, called "The Roundheads"....
). However, the release date was pushed back to the beginning of 2008 when Hudson was replaced by Dave Stewart
David A. Stewart
David Allan Stewart , often known as Dave Stewart, is an English musician, songwriter and record producer, best known for his work with Eurythmics. He is usually credited as David A. Stewart, to avoid confusion with other musicians named "Dave Stewart".-Early life:Stewart was born in Sunderland,...
after a falling out with Starr. The album's production credits read, "Produced by Ringo Starr and Mark Hudson; Re-Produced by Ringo Starr and David Stewart."
All of the songs but one were written with the Roundheads, although Stewart also has several co-writing credits. Starr's attorney Bruce Grakal told journalist Peter Palmiere that the partnership between Hudson and Starr was over and they would never work together again. This happened after Hudson dropped out of Starr's 2006 tour as musical director to do the TV show The One: Making A Music Star. According to Palmiere, Hudson claimed that the split was over Starr's insistence on using synthesized sounds, for which Stewart is known, whereas Hudson wanted real guitars, pianos, strings etc. However, concerning the parting of ways with Hudson, Starr commented, "The separation between Mark Hudson and myself was a question of trust and friendship and had nothing to do with synthesizers."
The album was released on CD, MP3
MP3
MPEG-1 or MPEG-2 Audio Layer III, more commonly referred to as MP3, is a patented digital audio encoding format using a form of lossy data compression...
, and USB Wristband. It was available as a free audio stream at www.vh1classic.com before its release date. "Liverpool 8
Liverpool 8 (song)
"Liverpool 8" is a song by Ringo Starr and is the lead track on his 2008 album of the same name. The song was also released in early December 2007 as a download-single. It is an autobiography of Starr put to song, with emphasis on his time with The Beatles. The title refers to the postal district...
" was released on CD and digital download
Music download
A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment...
as the first single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
from the album on 7 January 2008. Liverpool 8 entered the UK Album Chart at #91, and reached a peak of #94 on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
.
A few weeks later after the album release, readers of the New York Daily News
New York Daily News
The Daily News of New York City is the fourth most widely circulated daily newspaper in the United States with a daily circulation of 605,677, as of November 1, 2011....
were offered a non-album track called "It's Love".
Response
The album has a 59 percent "mixed or average" rating from MetacriticMetacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
. Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
gave a positive review, calling it "full of nostalgia for the good ol' days". Allmusic stated that "it's nothing too flashy and it has not one tune that calls attention to itself". The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
gave a particularly critical review, stating that "it’s hard not to boggle at Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
’s susceptibility to flattery" and "Just because it was fun to make, it doesn’t follow that you might enjoy listening to it."
Track listing
All songs by Richard Starkey, Mark Hudson, Gary BurrGary Burr
Gary Burr, born in Meriden, Connecticut, is an American musician and songwriter and producer, mostly known for his stable of hits recorded by country music performers. Burr began his career as a member of the group Pure Prairie League from 1982 to 1985, taking over after Vince Gill departed the group...
and Steve Dudas, except where noted.
- "Liverpool 8Liverpool 8 (song)"Liverpool 8" is a song by Ringo Starr and is the lead track on his 2008 album of the same name. The song was also released in early December 2007 as a download-single. It is an autobiography of Starr put to song, with emphasis on his time with The Beatles. The title refers to the postal district...
" (Richard Starkey, Dave StewartDavid A. StewartDavid Allan Stewart , often known as Dave Stewart, is an English musician, songwriter and record producer, best known for his work with Eurythmics. He is usually credited as David A. Stewart, to avoid confusion with other musicians named "Dave Stewart".-Early life:Stewart was born in Sunderland,...
) - 4:49 - "Think About You" - 3:40
- "For Love" (Richard Starkey, Mark Hudson) - 3:49
- "Now That She's Gone Away" (Richard Starkey, Mark Hudson, Gary Burr) - 3:02
- "Gone Are the Days" (Richard Starkey, Mark Hudson, Dave Stewart) - 2:49
- "Give It a Try" (Richard Starkey, Mark Hudson, Steve Dudas) - 3:26
- "Tuff Love" - 4:33
- "Harry's Song" - 4:00
- "Pasodobles" (Richard Starkey, Mark Hudson, Gary Burr, Steve Dudas, Dean Grakal) - 4:17
- "If It's Love That You Want" - 3:06
- "Love Is" - 3:52
- "R U Ready?" - 3:59
Personnel
- Ringo StarrRingo StarrRichard Starkey, MBE better known by his stage name Ringo Starr, is an English musician and actor who gained worldwide fame as the drummer for The Beatles. When the band formed in 1960, Starr was a member of another Liverpool band, Rory Storm and the Hurricanes. He became The Beatles' drummer in...
– Lead Vocals, Drums, Percussion, Organ, Background Vocals - Keith Allison – Background Vocals
- Gary BurrGary BurrGary Burr, born in Meriden, Connecticut, is an American musician and songwriter and producer, mostly known for his stable of hits recorded by country music performers. Burr began his career as a member of the group Pure Prairie League from 1982 to 1985, taking over after Vince Gill departed the group...
– Electric and Acoustic Guitars, Keyboards, Mandolin, Background Vocals - Brent Carpenter – Background Vocals
- Jesse Davey – Electric Guitar
- Steve Dudas – Electric and Acoustic Guitars, Background Vocals
- Mark Hudson – Electric, Acoustic and Bass Guitars, Keyboards, Harmonica, Bongos, Background Vocals
- Sean Hurley – Bass Guitar
- Suzie Katayama – Orchestra Arrangement, Conduction
- Zac Rae – Keyboards
- David A. StewartDavid A. StewartDavid Allan Stewart , often known as Dave Stewart, is an English musician, songwriter and record producer, best known for his work with Eurythmics. He is usually credited as David A. Stewart, to avoid confusion with other musicians named "Dave Stewart".-Early life:Stewart was born in Sunderland,...
– Electric, Acoustic and Slide Guitars, Orchestra Arrangement - Bruce Sugar – Background Vocals
- Dave Way – Bass Guitar
- Sam Lionni Guss - Slide Whistle
Production
- Producer: Ringo Starr & Mark Hudson except Liverpool 8 produced by Ringo Starr & David A. Stewart & Mark Hudson
- Engineer: Bruce Sugar
- Additional Engineer: Steve Dudas, Gary Burr, Ned Douglas
- Recorded at: Roccabella, UK and Whatinthewhatatthe, LA
- Mixing: Bill Malina
- Mastering: Ted Jensen (Sterling Sound, NY)
- Art Director: Tom Recchion
- Design: Paul Moore
- Photography: Brian Griffin (Apple Corps Ltd.)
Release history
| Country | Date | Label | Format | Catalogue # |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
14 January 2008 | Capitol Capitol Records Capitol Records is a major United States based record label, formerly located in Los Angeles, but operating in New York City as part of Capitol Music Group. Its former headquarters building, the Capitol Tower, is a major landmark near the corner of Hollywood and Vine... |
CD Compact Disc The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,... |
509995 17388 22 |