Ringo Starr was stunned by what John Lennon had said on an old demo tape and took it as an indirect sign to bring the Beatles together again. Since the group’s breakup in 1970, it hasn’t been unusual for members to collaborate, though rarely with more than two at a time. Starr appeared on George Harrison’s 1970 album All Things Must Pass and, over the course of his 21 solo albums, often worked with Harrison, Paul McCartney, or Lennon individually. A notable exception came in 1981 with Harrison’s tribute single “All Those Years Ago,” which featured Starr on drums and McCartney on backing vocals.
That changed with Starr’s 2019 recording of “Grow Old With Me” for his album What’s My Name. The song originated from Lennon’s demo, recorded during his 1980 Bermuda sessions for Double Fantasy. Producer Jack Douglas unexpectedly sent the tape to Starr, who was moved when he heard Lennon say on the recording, “Oh, that would be good for Richard Starkey. This would be great for you, Ringo!” Although Lennon never completed the track, Starr decided to finish it and invited McCartney to contribute bass and backing vocals, believing his melodic style would enhance it.
The finished version brought together three surviving Beatles, with guitarist Joe Walsh adding a solo. As a final tribute, Douglas included a string arrangement quoting Harrison’s “Here Comes the Sun,” making it feel as if George was part of the song too.
In other music news, Derek Shulman revealed that his pre–Gentle Giant band secretly recorded an album using Beatles’ equipment, and remarks resurfaced from the late Ozzy Osbourne about how the Beatles saved his life likening meeting McCartney in 2001 to meeting Jesus.
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