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Beatles Rarity Of The Week – Everyone Wins (b-side)

Posted by on January 18, 2010 at 7:00 am.

Welcome to this week’s BROW.

Last Tuesday Ringo Starr’s new CD Y Not was released and after a few listens, I have to say it does not disappoint. Many people have a tendency to judge Ringo by his mediocre releases from the late 1970′s or, dare I say, to be a bit age-prejudiced towards the guy. But my take on this is that his recent output has been good and this CD is probably the best thing he’s put out since, at least, Time Takes Time from way back in 1992. Paul McCartney plays bass on one track (Peace Dream) and duets with Ringo on a tune called Walk With You, which I’ve featured here. Aside from Paul, there is a healthy host of other musicians I’m sure you’ve heard of too, including Edgar Winter, Benmont Tench (of Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers), Joe Walsh, Billy Squier, Dave Stewart (the Eurythmics guy), Gary Wright, Richard Marx and a few more. And for the first time ever, Ringo has had a hand in the production of the album. He co-produced it with his keyboardist Bruce Sugar.

One of the tracks on the CD is newly-recorded, but not new. Back in 1992, Ringo released a CD single in Germany that was not released in the UK or the US of the song Don’t Go Where The Road Don’t Go (lifted from his Time Takes Time album). There was a B-side on the single virtually unheard of outside of Germany called Everyone Wins. The song never saw release in the US or UK, and now the German release is also well out of print. A German friend of mine sent me a copy of the CD a few years back and the title is mistakenly listed there as Everybody Wins on the back cover. The new version of this b-side on Y Not features Benmont Tench, Gary Wright and Edgar Winter and is more keyboard-oriented, unlike the original version, which is more guitar-oriented and featured here on this week’s BROW. If you would like to compare with the newer version, pick up a copy of the new CD – Y Not?!

Ringo Starr - Everyone Wins
Don't Go Where The Road Don't Go German CD single released in August 1992

Don't Go Where The Road Don't Go German CD single released in August 1992

An aside: Benmont Tench may have also played on this original version of Everyone Wins too but that is not confirmed. It is known that he played on some of the other songs in the Time Takes Time sessions.

Want to make a suggestion for a future Beatles Rarity of the Week? Then let me hear from you. Read about more Beatles rarities and suggest one for me to post. You can begin by searching for different versions of specific tracks right here.

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Want to make a suggestion for a future Beatles Rarity of the Week? If so, I will do my best to deliver, so let me hear from you. To browse for ideas, check out this search-able listing of 9,074 Beatle-related recordings to choose from. Then let me hear from you here.
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I did not remember (or may have never known) that Wrack my Brain was written by George -By George! I do know Paul wrote Private Property. I'm listening to Wrack right now and I absolutely hear George - though the solo is uncharacteristic, it's not slide and it sounds like a Telecaster. Too me Stop and Smell the Roses and Sometime in England have always reminded me of each other. I think I bought them both as cut-outs and I know they both came out around the same time. I have always thought that they both outshine McCartney II.

I'll give Y Not more time. There is just too much sheen and irrelevant production (drum loops, samples, Pro Tooly effects and such.) I firmly believe artists should embrace whatever technology is current (if they want to)and continue making music up until the age they no longer wish to create art. In fact, I feel some artists get better and better as they age - how is it that Robert Plant released his first consistent solo album so late in his career? Sometimes however, (and it may be arbitrary)artists make creative moves that are commercially based (or youth targeted) and it seems, too me, misguided. I think there are ways to be commercially motivated and still maintain artistic integrity. For example working with T-Bone Burnett or Rick Rubin would create a lot of interest in the media. Working with those guys just smacks of integrity (for what that's worth.) While I feel both of those producers are great at what they do (particularly with veteran artists)hiring them is a fine way to garner attention (more so than using quasi-techno loops or whatnot.)

Ultimately, I wish that all of my musical heroes continue to put their trust in great, non-sycophantic producers. How good was Chaos and Creation? It was brilliant - because Nigel Godrich was not kowtowing to Paul.
I think Y Not loses the momentum that those Mark Hudson albums and Stewart's contribution to Liverpool 8 had started because the production and songwriting choices were not more closely monitored and edited.

Unfortunately, I think about this stuff far too much.

Lighten up Elliott, you don't sound like a Beatle fan. Don't you like anything?

It's all good , Elliott and please know...I love your input. Can't wait to see what you think about tomorrows BROW...stay tuned.

Thanks for that Elliot. You might need to give Y Not a few more listens. I think it's good. I just received my "keepsake" vinyl copy of it in the mail the other day. I always get the CDs but I can't break my attachment with having the vinyl.

Wrack My Brain is great too! He did that one with George, who is credited with not only writing it but also playing guitars on it (acoustic and electric I believe) and doing backing vocals. Quite catchy. I have an out-take version of it that I may post for BROW one of these days.

Boy, I much prefer the older German version. The Y Not version has icky pitch correction and pro tools overload all over it. The 1992 may sound dated with the chunky guitars but it sounds like a real band.

Guess I'm still a bit partial to the older one too on that one, but I still like the Y Not album just as good or better than anything Ringo's put out since. It's a pity the older version is lost to obscurity. I figured it was a good one to bring back in a post.

Ah, not lost to obscurity it has been rescued by you. You prove you're a fan and music lover/archivist by the good works you do here. You generously spend your time sharing your collection with lifelong fans and casual listeners. Thank you.
Now, I think Time takes Time and the early Mark Hudson produced albums were a great period for Ringo, if not a bit too self referential and Beatle-esque. Liverpool 8, contains perhaps my favorite Ringo song (after Stop and Smell the Roses and Wrack my Brain)Harry's Song - wow what a lovely, sentimental tune. Y Not just seems to fall flat.

I like this a lot. No surprise, since TIME TAKES TIME is one of my fave Ringo releases. Glad to see it's on Y NOT, and hope that version is as good as this. I'll find out when I buy Y NOT.