And I see a red box. Inside that red box, it says the word live. I’m consulting my host manual. That in fact

means we are live. Ringo, there’s no turning back. And uh thanks everyone for being here for this very special event.

He’s an actor, photographer, creative artist, songwriter, singer. He’s a performer. We celebrate his heart, his spirit, his insights, his humor, and his unrelenting message of peace and love.

And he’s the ultimate rock and roll drummer of all time. Don’t even get into that argument. It’s not even a is one of four legendary members of the greatest

group of all time. Of course, the Beatles, two-time rock and roll hall of fame inductee. Tonight, we’re celebrating a wonderful new album. This

man is on a roll. Uh and that album is entitled Long, Long Road. He is of course Ringo Star. I’m Steve Harkkins,

your host for the Rock and Roll Channel Show Talk Shop Live. Ringo, thank you so much for doing this and being here.

Oh, thanks for that incredibly long introduction.

Yeah, I know. We’ve only got two minutes left. I feel horrible. I gotta go now.

I hate when that happens, man. Let me Hey, come on, brother. Let’s have some fun. You like the record? The record is amazing, man. As I said,

you’re on a roll. And uh I love I love the fact that um you know you saw like you still had some unfinished business with T-Bone Bernett. It seems

like the two of you are just such a great fit.

Yeah. Well, you know, we we uh I I was mentioning this on look up when we were ming that that

um you know, we just b I bumped into him many times since the 70s, but we were at

the Sunset Marquee Hotel in LA and Elizabeth

Olivia Harris was reading a book uh to you know, poems to George,

right? and she had like 50 people there and T-Bone was once. So Oh, hey man. What’s happening? What are you doing?

And uh I said, ”Oh, I’m making EPs.” And he said, and I said, ”Well, you know, if you have a track you feel be good for me, why don’t you send it?” And he did.

And it was a country track. And I had not thought, you know, you feel like what I did, you know, I was waiting for like a poppy one. And uh but it was so

beautiful that he moved me to make a a country. Well, I thought a country EP at what I was thinking. Then he came into

town and we, you know, we were saying hello again and hanging out and having fun and he we were talking about songs

and I said, ”Well, how many songs have you got?” And he goes, ”Nine. That’s all for the look of record.” And uh that’s

what started this. And while we were doing my part here um with the Yeah. Okay.

um you know in the studio with Bruce Sugar and I were were doing it. He’s the engineer. He’s a producer in his own right but

amazing wanted a bit of a track. He had a bit of a song going and we sang the song and we sort of started to work. So,

we uh got a couple of songs and one of them went on and now we’ve got three on,

I think, but one of them is from, you know,

probably the early like 2005 or something like that, I’m guessing.

You know, you choose no matter what you choose, choose love.

And uh so track we got that back on. It just sort of worked and that was great. And you know

and the uh it’s I don’t know. I just feel it’s like a comfortable way for me to work. He you know puts the meat down so then I can get into it.

Yeah. It’s like you own these you own these songs.

Yeah. But a lot of guys you know they send me songs and it’s just them on a guitar or something.

Right. And it’s there. I need some I’ve come to realize that it’s better for me if there’s something on it, some weight on it, you know.

Yeah. So, you have a bit of a vibe. It Yeah. Ringo, could you ever have forecasted down that long long road, pun

intended, that today you’d still be discussing a brand new album and a great one at that and continuing to tour to legions of fans at soldout venues?

Yeah. Uh, no. I didn’t, you know,

it’s how it started even is weird, you know what I mean? I just wanted to be a drummer and then that happened and then

I I’ve brought the three bands I was in Eddie Clayton group and the Beatles I got on my shelf here and

you know just like it stepping stones and the third step was great. The second step was great. I loved it with Rory.

you know, we were like rock and roll. We all wore suits and uh and if you look at the Beatle early stuff, we all wore

suits. We all dressed the same. That was Brian’s idea. He thought that may help. I don’t know for the image or whatever.

Yeah.

And you know, things just go right some days, you know, and some years.

But I was looking at this footage uh yesterday about Admiral Grove where I’ve lived as a kid. We moved there when I was four,

right?

And uh it’s from like early 50s and that there’s just these kids running and I thought, ”Oh, how great.” You know, it’s

a long road from that which you, you know, when you’re a kid, you don’t know where it’s going. You’re just there,

of course. And it and then it got playing then I played with some really good people. Then got in, you know, the

house band was the factory band with Rory and my friend Rory Trafford and we were like this trio and we’d play for

the men who would swear out at lunchtime to get out.

I won’t use the language on the show.

I can only imagine. That’ll give you some backbone, right? Well, yeah. You got to stand up, brother. That’s right.

We did, you know, hey liy liy low. And so that’s how it started. And then we’d play clubs and we’d play weddings. We’d

play anywhere people would want us. And it’s what I keep telling my grandkids who most of them are players. Just play

wherever you get the gig and get into it and get used to being with other players and, you know, the people and uh log in the miles.

Yeah. You know, all I can tell them is what I went through. So that’s how I did it. And there was no manual, right? I mean,

yeah.

No manual. Well, no, but you know, even the me ended up in the Beatles.

Uh, that wasn’t planned, right?

They all had a conversation. I was at the holiday campaign for three months. I lost left the factory because of that.

Yeah. And uh and Wednesday, never forget that day, Brian said, phoned

and asked me would I join them. And you know, I played with them several times, right?

Brian had knocked on the door and drove me to the cabin and we had a session. Yeah. And uh so it was not like, you know,

first time ever. And so I said, I’d love to play with the bands. the front line.

Now, I can’t mention it enough. I love that front line. John, George, and Paul. Absolutely.

Even in Germany, I love that line. We were both in German in bands. Yeah. And uh and so when he said that, I said,

”Well, when do you want me?” And he said, ”Uh, oh, tonight.” I said, ”Wow, that’s advanced notice.” Yeah. I said, ”Well, I can’t do that.

You know, I can’t just walk out on the band. We’ve got a job here.”

Right. And uh so I said, ”I’ll see you Saturday.” So he gave me those two days.

What a what a career move that was. I’ll tell you what.

Hey man, man, I want to get into this album. Uh Returning Without Tears, man. Wonderful opening track. Terrific duet.

Throwback to Traditional Country, man. I really talking what’s great and you’re starting

to mention, you know, Molly and Billy and all the people who are on the record.

Yeah. I was just my heart was beating so beautifully on the look up and now on this that the people you know a lot of

the people in Nashville came out and played on the record and like Molly and uh you know some other people came and

sang with me. Um so so it was I just thought it was really great and it was like in its way the old days hey okay we’re coming you know.

Yeah. Yeah. It was like session work and it’s multigenerational but but the chemistry is there. Yeah.

Yeah. You know, Baby Don’t Go. That’s a f that’s a the second track on there.

Great production vibe. I love the drumming.

You see, I love them all. So, I can’t I was just going to say, oh, Baby don’t go. I love Baby Don’t Go. I actually love them all. And I love I Don’t See Me in your eyes anymore.

Yeah. for all the reasons of Carl Perkins and uh and the long long road you know one I wrote co-wrote it’s

they’ve all got those things but you know right now it’s just the sound how I sound you know thank you to all the

people who played on it and join me in this uh you know this little album we’re making and T-Bone who holds it all together and has a great attitude.

He really does. He’s got just got a really unique feel, you know, and Baby Don’t Go. What I would love about it is that, you know, it’s kind that vintage

kind of 50s feel uh rockabilly feel, but it sounds it doesn’t sound dated. It sounds as fresh today, that vibe,

uh, you know, as the, you know, kind of the original spirit. Well, I think, you know, for me it had,

well, look up had like the original, it felt very country.

Yeah. and uh countryish, you know, or not. And then this one we’re still country and we’re a bit more lively.

Yeah, it’s true. You kind of took it to another level.

Country, you know, it’s just Anyway, you know, as I keep saying, I love it that right now every track is the number one

in my mind that and and the thank yous I can’t, you know, I had to thank him for the last record and I’m thanking them

again. Uh so great. So, we had a lot of uh, you know, really good spirited people come and join us on this on this long long road.

Yeah. I’m I’m going to go on a limb and say nobody turned you down. Um, yeah.

Yeah. No, I I I play drums on people’s records and I I they send me the

the the tape and then I play my drums and I always say, ”Use me or lose me.” what they wanted.

Yeah, I don’t I can’t see anybody saying, ”Yeah, I don’t think we’re gonna use the Ringo track.” But yeah,

I don’t see me in your eyes anymore. You you touched on that. I mean, what’s what’s great about that? It’s a Carl’s Perkins song, but this one was kind of,

you know, you were familiar with that song, right? Was it on Earth? Never heard it. Yeah. Okay.

Was far out, you know, that we uh he found it and he said, ”I think this would be great, but great. I’m just

trying to get background a little less busy. There we go. Yeah. Production values.

Yeah. Yeah. Well, you’ve got enough going on. I don’t need anything. I need that help. You don’t need it.

You’re You’re in a good place for sure. Are they all records behind you? Say again.

Are they old records? Looks like a They’re records. They’re CDs and records. Yeah. Yeah. Great. Absolutely. Yeah. It’s what fuels me.

and and most people these days, you know, I was going to ask um you know,

actually I want to share a track. Uh this is uh from Long Long Road and this is um entitled It’s Been Too Long, which is just an absolutely great track.

Well, it’s been too long since we’ve seen each other. Yeah, it’s

been too long since we listen to one another. It’s been too long since we

dream my dreams. It’s been too long since we floated downream together.

together. It’s been too long.

It’s been too long since we felt the burn on the S.

We didn’t do a thing. It’s been too long. Yeah.

It’s been too long since we were all one mind.

It’s been too long since we left it all behind.

It’s been too long since we held on tight.

It’s been too long since we ramble through the night together.

Heat. Heat.

Heat. Heat.

It’s been too long.

So, you know, this one stands out to me.

I felt Ringo like this one was just like the the perfect track, the perfect song.

It was written by T-Bone and I believe Daniel if I’m not mistaken. Yeah.

Uh Sarah Sarah JR and Molly again is on this one on the backgrounds as well. Yeah. Yeah.

Yep. And then and then we go to Billy Strings is everywhere and I mean he’s on at least two or three tracks. Why? Uh, right behind that, great hooks. Again,

really upbeat. Um, this song will put a a beautiful smile on everyone’s uh faces. This record sounds so good. You

know what I mean? It’s like it’s a great excuse to invest in good headphones, I think.

Yeah. Or is it okay to have bad ones because the tracks are so good.

Exa. Yeah. Right. Exactly. You know what I mean? Even good earbuds will work.

But, you know, whether or not you, you know, but some of these songs I feel,

you know, um it just has great atmospheric um you know, feel to it. You and I uh Wave of Love. This is a beautiful song. I think another standout favorite of mine.

Uh and that is so great. It is classic drum work for you.

Train.

Yeah. Yeah. And you co-wrote this with Bruce Sugar, right? Yeah.

And Molly’s on it uh as well. I think this one will stand the test of time. It feels like an instant classic to me. Oh, great.

Okay.

So, it shall be. Uh then we then we have My Baby Don’t Want Nothing. This is another standout song. This is one I was referring to.

Want nothing but love. You know, finish the line.

Yeah. Oh, yeah. Sorry. Yeah. about nothing but love. Sorry, that was the edited version I was referring to. No,

there is no edited version. But you know what? This one’s really catchy. And this is this is a great example when you’re listening to it in headphones. I think

it’s just again a great vibe. Just a kind of great atmosphere musically and it takes you to another place which is what great music should always do.

Yeah. Well, let’s hope it takes you to where you live.

Indeed. Yeah. And let’s check out another track from Ringo’s forthcoming new album, Long Road. Here’s Choose Love.

Three, two, one. Now, Ringo, you mentioned this. I think this is a re reimagined Ringo track from 2005

originally, but it’s a great Okay. I couldn’t remember.

Yeah, it was 2005. And what a great version, man. And I I love how just breathing new life into it. And it rocks

it. It feels a little mystical. And I love that you used uh St. Vincent to guest on the harmonies. Yeah. Well, that was like, you know,

last year on the show was it was just in incredible the, you know, amount of support that And they’re

all doing my songs and, you know, makes me laugh because Molly does Octopus’s Garden. Yeah, that was classic.

Yeah. Yeah. Been great. I just want to thank them all because I can because I’m on your show. There we go. It’s It’s your roles.

You’re allowed. Yeah. Um, She’s Gone,

man. It’s another another track that feels like an instant standard as well. Great lyrics, too. Such a great great country title, too. She’s gone.

Yeah.

I I I say this all the time, which you know, they say, ”Well, what is country?”

I said, ”Well, it’s usually about, you know, the wife’s left, the dog’s dead,

or I don’t have enough change for the jukebox.” Exactly. Yeah. I don’t even know anymore.

Well, she waited in the station while I waited in the train as I traveled down the tracks. Yeah. Yeah.

She was standing in the rain. And then then you close with another song that you uh wrote with Bruce. Um and that’s

Long Long Road, the title track. Uh and this one’s autobiographical, right? Kind of sums up your whole life that you kind of touched on earlier. Oh, you know,

it’s one of those moments when you you so you feel you’ve got a line and uh

you know, so I saw this bit of footage of kids in Liverpool where I came from and then you know, you went down to

London and we were playing then we had to go all around the world to promote ourselves and that was that. Then we

landed in New York and that was the start of something else. And then, you know, we played America. Then we ended

up back in the studio and we all did that just and we worked really hard. No doubt.

Was so great.

Yeah. It I mean it’s amazing to think of all that brilliant work was compressed in well the recorded work was like maybe

what six, seven years really. You were together longer than that. But I think it’s amazing and the evolution of the music and the artistry is unparalleled.

Nobody else can compete with that.

Well, I was only in the band eight years. Yeah. Yeah. That was So that was six. What? 62,

right?

62. And you know like the cut off point the cut off point for me is 70. Yeah.

It could be 69, but you know, it’s really like it’s really gone. I remember sitting in my garden for three weeks over a month

or wondering what to do. What you know what what and the big news was get off your ass and make

Yeah. And I called George Martin and uh he said, ”Yeah.” And it was a standard one. All the all the songs my family had

sang. We used to have parties and everybody had to sing and got me back on my feet again, you know. Yeah.

Something positive to deal with and and that’s how it’s worked several times my life like that. I’ve been like, ”Okay, what’s going on?

Got somewhere to go start it. Get it going. Get up for a reason.” Right. So far,

it’s worked out pretty well. You know what? Speaking of working out pretty well, you just won’t stop touring and we’re so thankful for that. But you got more dates this year.

Yeah, we’re out again. Uh, end of May and June. I’m only doing 12 gigs. 12 gigs. Wow.

And uh, so I don’t know. I feel I’ve got other stuff to do this year. So, I’ll just do the one tour.

Yeah. And, you know,

it started in ’ 89 and we do 30 or 40 gigs,

right? Then it ended up that we’d do or 20 22 was plenty. Yeah.

And you know because there’s nothing like playing live and the audience and the band and the band are together. The band and the audience are together.

We’re all there and it’s like a love fest.

Uh there’s nothing like it. It’s where I started playing you know anywhere I could and now we’re

you know playing great venues and you know and I’ve been lucky. I changed the band. Yeah.

But I used to change the band like every year and that got really hard. A lot of hard work to get that together.

So then I started just like changing too. And now I’ve had this band I think 10 years. It’s amazing. Yeah. I mean it’s Yeah.

And they boy the chemistry is just incredible. And and Ringo, anything you can share as far as maybe some of the projects that you’re thinking about this

year? Well, besides long long road uh and besides this

short tour 12 dates and uh Universal are putting out a stove. Yep.

Or they think is the best of. And I’m doing an EP with the Bruce Sugar and we’re going to do our own and I think that that will just keep me busy enough.

That’s great. That’s great. Um, any last words you want to share with the fans? I want to remind everybody, Ringo has just delivered again another brilliant piece of work. It’s entitled Long, Long Road,

and it comes out right on Q. Look at that, man. Handsome looking cover. I’ll tell you what,

that that that is great. It’s coming out Friday, April 24th, but you can purchase your copies in advance right here, right now. anything you’d like to leave with

the fans before we say, you know, thanks for all the support over all this year and uh you

know, we have quite a new bunch because of the country songs now, right?

And uh you know, still got the old, you know, still got people who used to the band and I only throw one song in from a new album.

Yeah. Uh because I used to throw in like four or five and they’re not there for that in my band. They’re there for

Yellow Submarine and Little Help and Octopus and you know Don’t Come Easy. Yeah.

And I got all these other guys alongside me with their hits to it. You know, it’s such a great show.

Yeah. It’s like let’s have fun music and there’s you know it’s like a great mixed bag on your record player. I’ll tell you

what, with this new record, Ringo, and again, congratulations. You delivered a great one. And those shows, man, we need Ringo Star now more than ever. These are

kind of somewhat challenging times, and we’re so thankful that you’re still doing it. Okay. Well, thanks for that. Thank you, sir.

Thanks, big guy.

I’ll tell you what, man. It’s always an honor and a privilege. Really appreciate you being generous with your time today.

Okay. Well, give my love to everyone out there. Yeah. Peace and love.

Yeah. Peace and love, brother. Thank you.

Great to see you. We’ll see you on the road.

Okay, good. Yeah, that’ll be good. Peace and love. I’m off. Okay.

Right on Q. Long, long road. April 24th.

This is like 60s doing your own promotion. Full circle.

I’m gonna leave you in the mist. Okay.

All right, great to see you. Thanks for your time, Ringo. Congrats again.

So, we now pivot to the man that is central to uh Ringo’s forthcoming release. He’s of course a producer. He

is a performer, a songwriter, and quite honestly a true visionary on so many fronts. Uh, you know, I guess you could reasonably call him a renaissance man.

Uh, he’s produced and worked with Los Slobos, one of my all-time favorite records. Will the wolf survive? Sam Phillips, John Melanchamp in a musical

with the latter and Stephen King, uh Sam Shepard, Roy Orbison, Greg Alman, the list goes on and on. He also worked with

previous guests on Talk Shop Live, uh those that have appeared here, uh including Elvis Costello, Brandy Carile,

Grace Potter, one of my all-time favorite uh relatively younger acts,

Lark and Poe, have just delivered a great record, a truly historic and important album project in my book.

Many’s and that was with Elton John and Leon Russell. Phenomenal movies, soundtracks, Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?

Number one country record over 25 years ago. Hard to believe. Number one pop record, Walk the Line, Crazy Heart, uh I think a terrific film, great soundtrack,

and Inside, Luen Davis, Cold Mountain, The Big Labowski, and The Hunger Games,

just to name a few. Amazing television work. American Master Award from the Berkeley College of Music. He’s won an

Academy Award, a Golden Globe, and Critics’s Choice Award. I think they’ve got to make up some awards, so he can add to that list. Uh, in his spare time,

he was awarded an honorary doctorate in performing arts, uh, from a university not far from where I’m at in Charlotte,

the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. And again, that’s just a sampling of this man’s illustrious career and achievements. It’s my great

honor to welcome back an American treasure, the one and only T-Bone Bernett. T Bone, thank you so much for coming back

to visit us. How are you doing this fine evening? Really well, thank you. You know,

excuse me. If this uh rock and roll thing doesn’t work out by the time I’m 80, I’m going to look for another line of work. You know,

I think uh I think you’re doing okay,

sir. I’ll tell you what, man. There’s there’s many of us that would love to be able to cite onetenth of what you’ve accomplished as a career. So, uh, yeah.

I’m not sure how well it pays, but I’ll tell you what, it sure looks good in the papers.

That’s right. That’s right. Well, I’m happy to be here again.

Thank you so much. And you’ve been a busy man, needless to say, of late.

Well, yeah. You know, I just finished a Well, Ringo got me back into producing records. I thought I had stopped producing records 10 or 15 years ago.

And uh Yeah.

And Ringo asked me to produce one and then I did. And then we talked about producing another one which we did which

is coming out in a couple of weeks. And uh and now the young artists are I’m back doing it again in my retirement.

And uh a lot of the young artists are coming and I’m doing records with them.

I just finished a a record an album with a a band called the Fretliners from Colorado Mountain Music.

Nice.

Yeah. and they’re they’re singer’s got like a one in a million voice and and they’re a killer killer young band. And

then I’m you know I’m working with Molly and Molly Tuttle and Billy Strings and Sarah J. Rose. I I love this new this

new era of folk music that’s happening right now.

I I second that emotion, T-Bone. And you know, I think I left out uh as well that you have antenna. You’ve got a nose for

amazing talent. you know, uh, and welcome back to the the world of production. There’s no escape apparently for the for you.

I have to say there’s no no greater reward in than walking into a studio and there’s nothing and you come out a few

hours later and there’s something that didn’t Yeah, it’s magical. It is it is a kind of magic and it’s and the the process is

a beautiful process too of of helping helping artists es young and old get comfortable to overcome

self-consciousness to to you know Lenny Waricker who was my mentor used to say that production is about support and

encouragement and you know that’s all you needed to do if if a singer was good that’s all you had to do.

Yeah. Great music, man. Uh, Lenny, for sure. Yeah. Words of wisdom. And you know what? Um, it’s one thing to be

selected by Ringo to be involved with one project. It’s another thing to be asked back to uh to try to recreate the

magic which you two have done and and congratulations on on that front. But again, uh, man, that’s a testament to uh

to what you bring to the table. Not that there was ever any question, T-Bone, but let me let me first state and and I say

this with all sincerity, you know, in this day and age of somewhat contentious uh climate that we live in um that you

know what you do is extraordinarily important. You get, you know, I think compartmentalized uh as an entertainer, but um but it’s

far more important than that, man. You bring people together uh through your message and music and art. you delivered that great solo record, long time coming

and and did some wonderful u dates live and shared that music with people and and again uh all these encounters with

um with all of these artists, we we need T-Bone and Bernett and what you bring to the table. I would say now more than ever

so much, you know, I I do believe that that it’s up to artists. I mean, you

know, harmony builds and disharmony collapses.

And I we’re in an extreme age of disharmony, of dissonance. And but but harmony builds and it builds out all

through the universe. And and I feel like we’re we’re in a part of this discord that is starting to collapse.

And the the problem is once this collapses, what’s going to take its place? And I believe it’s up to the artist to fill that void with love and

music and peace. And so uh I’m I’m way into uh making as much music as we can and

encouraging the young musicians to step up and do that to to to imagine a better world and to create a better world

because certainly the world we’re in right now looks looks like it’s just you know I I I’m not as worried about humans

destroying the earth as I am about the earth destroying humans you know yeah like if if I were the earth I would shake shake us off right now you over.

Yeah. It’s like, yeah, okay. Yeah. I made a bad decision. Okay. Plan B. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Let’s try something else.

Yeah. But I’ll tell you what, you’re you’re you’re again what you bring to the table. And uh also um by embracing

and supporting these younger artists um does give us some hope for the future. That’s that’s for sure.

Well, there you know there right now I think a lot of people don’t feel there is a future. And I don’t I don’t mean this is not a political statement but

because I think there are people in every part of the country who are on the coasts and the plains that are uh

feeling that there’s no future but but it’s up to us to create a future and a better and a better future and and it it

can be done. And I want to say one thing, you know, excuse me. Yeah.

The technologists have taken over our culture and they’ve botched it. You know, they they started with m music.

They they stole all our music and made billions of dollars from it and shared none of it with us. Right.

But but we are the ground. All of us people are the ground that they are plowing to grow their data. And there’s

a concept that’s been is growing now and I’m spreading it at this moment called data unions like a data strike. So if

say for instance ta t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t for for instance,

Taylor Swift went to her 300 million followers and said uh we’re not going to go on Amazon until Amazon makes a deal

with us to uh to uh say 10% of their profits to uh combat the climate crisis

for instance. So, and also there are all these small activist groups all around the world that uh are trying like Jeff,

my friend Jeff Bridges does No Kid Hungry, right?

Childhood hunger is not going to be solved until the climate crisis is solved. And the climate crisis isn’t going to be solved until the the digital

internet uh problem oligarchy is solved.

Yeah. If all of the small organizations would come together like the AFL CIO, we could form a we could form data unions

and form a big powerful data union of hundreds of millions of people who could who could take down a company if they wanted to. Yeah,

you know, if if uh one of these if uh one of these companies uh lost lost uh

hundreds of millions of people, their stock would crater immediately. So there the people, you know, Patty Smith has that wonderful song, people have the power.

Absolutely.

We do have the power and we we must not feel powerless. We must not let them isolate us in our screens, you know.

Yeah. We need to we need to see each other and talk with each other and be with each other and encourage each other

and and come together and and in this this uh monopolist cap monopoly

capitalist uh uh you know push or takeover of the of the of the government of the

I’ll tell you what the gospel according to T-Bone Bernett. I appreciate you sharing that. And you know, I have a vision, although it might be blurred. I I may see out of the corner of my eye

that perhaps Jeff Bezos is writing a check right now as we speak. It could be I’m not sure who it’s made out to, but

you know, we can hope. And um and I I appreciate your passion and your insight for sure. And it’s a a good I think time

to to kind of morph into uh this terrific album that we’re uh we’re here to talk about. And that’s a long long

road. And congratulations. you guys are two for two and clearly you hit a musical nerve with Ringo uh you know who just recently stated he’s blessed to

have you in his life right now and and that’s pretty clear he’s he’s really passionate about these both of these albums uh and you could see that spark

in his eye so uh from your perspective I’m curious T-Bone how would you characterize Ringo as a performer both

as a drummer singer and such a prolific individual well he’s the mo he’s the most innovative native drummer in the history of rock and roll.

Yeah, I agree.

Start uh once he, you know, he was a killer drummer from the beginning play the Beatles were essentially a

rockabilly band or a cover band when they started.

They were playing Chuck Barry and and and Buddy Holly and stuff like that in R&B. They were like, you know,

rockabilly R&B band. But when they started when they started composing and and started branching out as they got

higher, you know, about rubber soul, but you know that uh Beatles for Sale would

was basically a rockabilly record and then I think Rubber Soul came after that and that was a very high cannabis record.

Yeah. And uh and then shortly after that, you know, then then Revolver happened and he started playing more and more different beats, just things that

would happen. And by the time uh what 66 or 67 when they were doing Sergeant Peppers, he invented an an entirely new form of drumming,

right?

You’re you’re right. Not many people mentioned that. It’s a really good call out.

Yeah. And and the thing is every drummer who who played who recorded who played after Ringo have tried to play like him.

Those big tomtoms that he would hit those tomtoms. Maybe they were calf skin. I mean we always use calfkin heads because they’re more human sounding than

plastic heads. I don’t like the sound of plastic. So, we use calf skinin heads and you hit them very lightly and you put one of those fair

child limiters on them and they go, you know, they they this amazing sound happens and Ringo

really invented that with it with the cats at EMI or wherever they were Abbey Road, wherever they were recording, right?

So, you know, everybody tried to do that. Everybody, everybody’s played the tomtoms differently after Ringo uh did

that and also played the high hat differently, played symbols differently.

He just he he revolutionized modern drumming.

Yeah. You know, it’s so funny too. I always say, you know, people um you know, because the band was so prolific, each of the four individuals

and Ringo often, you know, um came in fourth because of, you know, how prominent, you know, um the other three,

especially John and and Paul were as songwriters and frontmen, but you know, he if you isolate his drums, I mean,

there’s like these brilliant hooks in there and you know, and he he serves the song, but at the same token, and he’s

he’s putting his thumbrint on it, you know, to your point. I think you know, Rain, for instance, the song Rain,

he plays Phils all the way through that whole song. That’s right.

And and if you listen to the way they recorded it first, um it was it was it was twice as fast as the record that came out.

Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah. So, he was playing these lightning fast fills, the really little,

you know, with incredible velocity and incredible feeling and pocket. And then

they slowed it down to almost like half speed, I think, or or something like that. And it turned into this other

thing, this sort of mid-tempo thing with all these fills. But it was it was interesting that you could slow his

drums down and they were just as groovy as they were fast, you know.

Yeah. Yeah. I’ll tell you what, that’s my homework assignment for this weekend. Thank you.

You’re welcome. There’s a there’s an addition of uh of Revolver, I guess, that has uh you know, 20 extra tracks,

and that’s that’s a couple of them. Was it Revolver that that was on? I think so.

It was It was Revolver. Yeah. I think we’re waiting for rubber soul next on that extended version of it. Pretty Yeah. Amazing collection insight, you

know, to see, you know, the outtakes and and the separation.

But but you know, if you listen, think of all the things come together.

Even the drums he played on Anna or uh In My Life that are this broken down,

you know, he’s he’s just hitting things where where he hits them. It’s he’s not trying to keep everything together.

He’s an orchestral drummer. He’s almost playing drums and percussion and timony and, you know, tambourine and everything all at once.

That’s a beautiful way of describing it.

Yet, when you you you know, you count the kit, you know, in terms of how how many drums is very limited.

There’s nothing there. There’s a bass drum, a couple of tomtoms, and three symbols, you know.

Exactly. But if you close your eyes, you would never know it.

Yeah. But he’s, you know, he if you go through and listen to all the different listen to uh uh Here Comes the Sun,

which by the way, you know, George Harrison ends up, you know, he had Darkhorse Records. He was the dark horse of the Beatles. Yeah.

I think Here Comes the Sun is maybe the most streamed of all the Beatles songs. Yeah. Isn’t that something?

And some and something in the way she moves. Something is is probably second or first,

right? I mean, you’re right. the other guys were so prolific, you know, he was,

you know, probably, you know, fighting to get his one or two songs on per album. And yeah,

boy, you talk about a couple of songs on on that last officially recorded Beatles record, but boy, he man, he just really,

you know, was brilliant. No question about it.

It’s interesting in that in that wonderful Peter Jackson eight hour documentary.

Yeah. when he’s trying to work up uh all things must pass and it just sort of it goes by everybody you know

exactly nobody grocks it at the time but I mean every one of those guys you know the Beatles were the first rock and roll

band before them everything was a lead singer Elvis Presley and the Bill Black combo Buddy Holly and the Crickets you

know it was a lead a front man and side man and in Beatles, you had four frontmen, right?

Yeah. Every every one of those cats could hold a stage and and nobody was holding it together. The thing the thing

I love about music is you get four guys in a room and there’s something in the center,

some invisible thing in the center called the pocket or the groove, right? And everybody plays into that,

but it’s not there. So, so there’s nobody trying to say this is the groove.

Like a lot of a lot of drummers, a lot of young musicians, you know, the the high hat will be it’s like the teacher

hitting the the podium with a st with a stick, you know, here’s what you’re supposed to do,

right?

Ring goes high. I would go it would be sounded like the girl screaming his s his symbols, you know,

the crowd. That’s right. it would blend with the screaming girls and and was a lot of it. And I’ll say one other thing,

the Beatles weren’t the Beatles until he joined them. You know,

boy, you got that right. I think they they admittedly uh shared that insight as well, did they? Yeah. Yeah.

That you know, it’s it’s true that when he joined the electricity went up mi, you know, many watts.

Yeah. Yeah. I ran into Pete Best not that long ago. I think he’s still a little disappointed, you know, in the route they took, but uh it was the right decision.

Of course he is. Would be, you know, I mean to to miss out on that on what the Beatles are were and are is is crushing,

you know. I I wouldn’t have wanted to go through that.

No, but fortuitous for all of us that Ringo stepped in. You’re you’re exactly right, man. He Yeah, he was that added element that really uh created, you

know, the the chemistry. I’m just curious uh with this album uh knowing that you’re going a second round with

Ringo um how did you approach um constructing the songs because you you know uh you were involved in co-writing the vast majority of them but also

assembling you know the material and in the direction because you know Ringo kind of said you know I’m I’m not that complicated. I don’t overthink things.

It’s like sounded like you would present the idea and he’s like okay and then he jumps in and you guys knock it out. So,

how did you go about it? Uh, did you give it a lot of deep thought or was it just kind of organic?

Well, I it was both. I think I don’t know if it was deep thought, but I’ve certainly thought about uh that for my for my whole life really.

I’ve thought about what that pocket was, what that groove is,

and and what Ring and what Ringo’s spirit is. He’s got such a beautiful spirit. That’s right.

Uh, so you know, I’ve all of almost all of his songs that he did in the in the Beatles early on were rockabilly songs.

Even even boys uh was a played like a rockabilly song,

right? Uh what was the one on Meet the Beatles? Uh or with the Beatles it was it was called in England. Uh

well, it wasn’t Boys, it was um Hold Me Tight. Was it that one? No,

no, that wasn’t Ringo’s song. We’ll we’ll figure it out before we park company.

But, but you know Yeah, but you know there’s uh think of all the all of the Honey Don’t Honey Don’t. Yeah.

Uh I wish I had them all right here in front of me, but um what what was uh Don’t Pass Me By?

Yeah, he wrote that one.

Yeah. And what was the one on the White Album? Yeah. What was the one on Rubber Soul?

That was a country song on there. act naturally. But but there was what was the one in River Soul uh that John and Paul wrote that he’s and he wrote part

of it maybe. I can’t remember but Yellow Submarine.

No, but but yeah, even Beatles trivia for 500. I walk away empty-handed.

What kind of joint is this anyway? But you know, even even uh even Octopus’s Garden is a country song. I mean, George

Harrison is playing country licks over this. We don’t know what country it is, but it’s a country song, you know,

and uh you know, we’ll we’ll but you can go back through all the songs he did and almost all of them would be called

country or rockabilly. So that’s right. That’s exactly right. Yeah. Matchbox. Didn’t he do Matchbox?

He did Matchbox. Yes, he did. Yes. Another cover.

That’s a country blues song. A country song. It absolutely is. Yeah.

Absolutely. Um, yeah, the first album I think the first album I think the first the song he sang was uh was boy was in fact boys.

Yeah. And then you know it just it just continued in that vein. So I I always thought of him as a country artist or a

country blues artist. And so you know I I love country blues. I think that’s primarily what I do. I I sort of started

uh playing Chuck Barry and Buddy Ali too. That was we started from the same from the same soil.

Makes sense that you guys would have that connection.

Yes. So I I just when I would when I would start writing for him, I would write a Buddy Holly song for him or an Eddie Cochran song. Uh, and the other

the other thing I’ve I’ve uh I’ve tried to do with working with heritage artists, classic artists like BB King.

Yeah.

I loved I love the the records he made in the 60s with Maxwell Taylor. So rather than try to update BB King, I I

wanted to go back and do the followup to the Maxwell t did I say Taylor Maxwell Davis uh Davis recordings he did. Yeah.

So that’s what I did with with Ringo. I would go I would go back to, you know,

to make the followup to Beatles for Sale for instance, something like that.

Yeah. Very curious, too. Um he he indicated Ringo that um he was not aware of the Carl Perkins song that you

unearthed uh and and brought to the table to suggest which was a is a great uh is a great version of it. So what called that out to you out of curiosity?

Well, I wanted to do, you know, I wanted to go back to Carl Perkins. Yeah.

And actually, Dennis Crouch sent me that song. And as soon as I heard it, it sounded Dennis Crouch is our bass player. Yeah.

And as soon as I heard it, I thought, ”This sounds exactly like Ringo, right?”

And and and I think the cut on the record sounds like a Ringo classic to me. It does. It’s perfect.

So So, you know, it’s just that it’s just a touch. It’s a feeling you get, you know, it’s a it’s an aesthetic.

It’s an aesthetic choice.

I’ll tell you what. Yeah. And it’s a gift. And you have it, sir. Returning without fears, the opening track. Uh terrific duet. Uh you know, they sound

like they’re they’re both Yeah. Just this perfect synergy. Uh and this is a track you and Joe Henry uh wrote. I

can’t think of a better track to open up with, but Molly’s amazing on it. Uh yeah. Again, it sounds like they’ve been singing together for years. Well, I they love each other. I know that.

Yeah.

A real fondness between them and and Molly is is she’s a a classic American

artist. She’s going to be with us for decades.

No doubt. Yeah. Yeah. She’s a gift as well. You’re exactly right. Baby, don’t go. uh you know you mentioned uh you

know that uh you you have uh connection with Billy Strings and uh great another another great hope for the future you as

far as such an incredible talent and here he’s on harmony with Ringo as well as guitar.

Yeah. And that’s one that’s like a that’s like an Eddie Cochran song or a Buddy Holly song. It’s in that in that rockabilly kind of early early rock and roll world.

Yeah. vintage feel for sure.

Yeah. But it doesn’t but it doesn’t sound like, you know, we’re not trying to do throwbacks. We’re trying to do something that’s vital right now. So it does sound contemporary. It’s Yeah.

It’s just a nod to that particular style. I think I’ve always tried to make records that you can’t tell when they were made, you know, that were that are timeless.

What are the lines? Yeah. Barnett Newman. Barnett Newman said,

”Time passes over the tip of the pyramid.”

Love that. And what he meant by that is that there are there are there’s a lot of room on the side of the pyramid to

put things, but as time presses down on it, it slides into the quickly into the sand. But if you put something right on the tip, it stays there.

Yeah.

That’s what I’ve always attempted to do is put things right on the tip of the pyramid.

I’ll tell you what, I’m tempted right now to have a t-shirt produced with that that saying. I love it. Yeah, it’s a good saying.

It sure is. Uh, I don’t see uh me in your eyes anymore. First of all, great great title. Uh, this again, you’re talking about timeless. My, you know,

when I listen to it, that’s exactly uh,

you know, my reaction. It had is a timeless feel, but you yet there’s a a nod to the past with some great doohing in there, for example.

And it was a song written in 1948 or something like that. Eddie Cochran covered it. I I didn’t find this out until we were doing the credits for the album cover.

love it.

But yeah, it’s uh it’s a it’s a beautiful old classic standard American song that then got reinterpreted into a

country vibe and then then it got Ringoized, you know. It It sure did. I’ll tell you what.

Yeah. His stamps all over it. Um and I just remind everyone we’re celebrating the fourthcoming release of Ringo’s Long Road with the great T-Bone Bernett. 10

brand new studio tracks. Ringo and T-Bone are absolutely on a roll.

Co-written most of these songs and produced by T-Bone. Uh 10 song album features Molly Tuttle. We mentioned uh also we just talked about Billy Strings,

but Cheryl Crow’s on it, St. Vincent uh is on it and uh Sarah JRose who’s uh equally uh talented amongst that group.

just to mention a few. And it’s available on both vinyl and CD and it officially is released on Friday, April 24th. But you fine fans can purchase

your copies here on Talk Shop Live right here, right now. And is Ringo’s way of saying peace and love and thank you to you fine fans. He’s offering a limited

exclusive two-sided 12 by 12 lithograph featuring Ringo uh from the album Photo Shoot. It’s really cool and uh it’s also

limited. So, uh, to order, all you have to do is hit the shop button on Talk Shop Live and on, uh, the Meta uh,

platforms. All you have to do is comment the word shop and we’ll DM you a link.

And if you’re, uh, watching this through YouTube, just, uh, click, uh, the in the description uh, the the the line that is

underscored and, uh, the rest is quick and easy. Um, another great song you co-wrote in my opinion, just a standout.

Uh, it’s been too long. This is another one in my estimation, T-Bone. It sounds like an instant Ringo classic. Perfect song, perfect track in my opinion.

Well, and it’s a song about, you know,

now. And I want to I want to say that Daniel I wrote that with Daniel Tashion.

He’s he we produced the record together and he is uh he is a a young genius. I mean, he’s

young. He’s probably 50 now. I produced his first record when he was 19.

Wow. and we’ve remained friends for all this time and and he uh he writes with and produces Casey Musgrave,

but he’s been a key he’s been the real key man for both of these Ringo records.

He’s a he’s an extraordinarily talented cat. Plays everything is a great singer and like a truly great singer. He’s

doing he’s doing though the doo stuff on I Don’t See Me in Your Eyes. He’s Yeah,

he’s doing the sort of Brian Wilson choruses that start a couple of songs.

He whip he whips this stuff out. He’s in incredibly imaginative and uh and a great collaborator.

That’s a great call out. Appreciate Yeah, you providing some color on on his contributions for sure. Uh enormously

talented uh as you as you said. Um, I also uh wanted to uh uh call out the the

recently uh released track uh Choose Love. And when I I listened to it, um I didn’t connect the fact that it had been

released by Ringo over 20 years ago, but completely re-imagined and you know, in my opinion, great version. Sounds sounds

so good and has this kind of mystical vibe and then you add St. Vincent to it on the harmonies. I’m just curious,

TBone, whose idea was it to uh revisit this track?

I Ringo came up with it. We were actually we started doing it for another project that we’re working on. Uhhuh.

And it ca it came out in such a everybody loved it, so we decided to put it on the record. And uh it’s uh you

know, it’s Patrick Warren is doing all of that psychedelia in there. The Yeah, it’s great. the tomorrow Never Knows kind of because Tomorrow Never

Knows is in the song, so it just triggered all of that.

Yeah. I also wanted to single out uh My Baby Don’t Want Nothing. Uh it’s another another standout in my opinion. And you

know, another observation, T-Bone, is this one I I feel like calls for a good pair of headphones. I don’t know if

earbuds would do it justice. There’s some good sets out there, but so catchy and uh this song just creates a wonderful

atmosphere, you know, sonically and you close your eyes and takes you to another place. Just a brilliantly produced and arranged.

Thank you. Yeah, that’s a that’s another one that’s of it’s rock and roll. It’s not rock. Yeah.

I don’t I don’t I don’t know how to I don’t know how to do rock.

I love rock and roll because it’s it’s swing music and rock tends to be more martial. Yeah.

You know, there only two kinds of music really. sex music and war music. Good to know.

I say, yeah,

and rock is more war music, I think, and rock and roll is sex music. It, you know, you feel the you feel the swing.

And Ringo is an extraordinary swing drummer. You know, his his stepfather had a big jazz collection and he loved Billy Xstein, right,

who had really the best band back then,

the best dance, right? And I I think that Billy Xstein music sort of sort of uh imprinted in his DNA because he

absolutely he’s the swingingest drummer from England ever of all times. You know, he’s as swinging as anybody.

You’re exactly right. Um She’s Gone.

Another one I want to call out. This is another track that feels like an instant standard. So familiar. I mean, that’s a mark of a great uh song and uh a

terrific uh lyric as well. Molly again in harmony. Yeah. And Daniel Tashion again, right? Daniel, right.

Yeah. Yeah. That’s a that’s a beautiful country song.

It really is. Absolutely. And again, I just want to remind everybody we’re celebrating the fourthcoming release of Ringo’s Long Road, uh, with his now

partner in Rhyme. I don’t want to say crime, uh, T-Bone Bernett. Uh, 10 brand new studio tracks. Uh, man, they just

they picked up where they left off, took it to another level. They’re both on a roll. uh co-written uh most of these tracks as well as co-produced by uh

T-Bone and uh some some wonderful collaborators and and guests on this one. Available on both vinyl and CD. Uh and it’s available Friday, April 24th,

but you can purchase your copies right here, right now along with the limited exclusive two-sided 12x 12 lithograph that uh is a must own for all of you uh Ringo fans. Uh for sure. And T-Bone,

you’ve been really gracious with your your time, man. I know you’ve got a lot going on, but um anything that you can share as far as uh what the uh shortterm

or long-term uh future holds for you? I know you got projects all over the place. I don’t want to get you in trouble and announce things you can’t.

Yeah. Well, I can tell you I’ve got two records that I’m finishing on my own.

That’s Yeah, that’s great news. Thank you. And we’ve got my wife and I,

Cali Corey is my wife who she wrote Theman Louise. She’s a brilliant screenwriter. Yeah.

And uh and we’ve written a play with a a a series, an audio series for Audible

called One Lane Road about a country band. Uh I won’t I’m not going to pitch it to you here, but but it’s coming out

in the fall, I hope. And it’s it stars Oscar Isaac, Jeff Bridges, uh Carrie Mulligan, Sam Wat, Bruce Springsteen.

Wow.

You know, this is a little bit of a maybe I’m doing a breaking news. Everything’s breaking news these days.

That’s right. Yeah. We’re going to call this We’re going to call this bigger than breaking news at this moment.

But it’s a it’s seven episodes and it’s got probably 11 or 12 songs in it. And

it’s a black comedy about uh about what’s going on in the world today.

Well, I would love to have both of you come come on and uh and and discuss that. Oh, let’s do that for sure. I definitely want to do that.

That would be amazing. Yeah, looking looking forward to that. You Well, that was one project. There was another one that you mentioned you were working on. Well, your own solo stuff, right?

Yeah, I’m doing Yeah, I’m also working on a a movie with Jeff Bridges called Gindle. It’s which is the Bea Wolf myth

from the point of view of the of the monster. Jeff Bridges is playing the monster.

So glad to hear he’s still he’s still doing it, too. Yeah, he’s still at large. you know. Yeah.

And u I mean Jeff and I sort we’ve collaborated so many times and he’s a

he’s one of my old one of my very closest oldest friends and he’s an incredible collaborator and wonderful cat and Oscar Oscar Isaac and I you know

did uh Inside Lu and Davis together with the Cohen brothers. Love that one.

So he he’s he’s s he’s a great singer you know all that stuff in inside Lou and Davis he sang live. Amazing. Yeah,

he doesn’t get a lot of credit, I think,

for that because, you know, his his acting abilities are so overpowering. I think unfortunately he doesn’t get credit.

And he and a great You were talking about Ringo being such a great soul. He’s another example of a great soul. Yeah, he really is. He’s a beautiful,

lovely, deep man. Yeah. So, I don’t there’s a lot, you know,

there’s a lot of different there are a lot of different things going on this year. I’m also going to start, you know,

I’m gonna be producing records with Billy Strings and Molly Tuttle and and other, you know, so I’m gonna I’m gonna

work with the kids for a while and uh and uh uh help help uh save uh the earth from us people, right?

I’ll see what we can do. It’s it’s a dirty, thankless job, but somebody’s got to do it, you know.

No. No. Yeah. Well, they always say the pioneers, you know, uh take the bullet for the team, unfortunately. you know,

true and everybody reaps the rewards after it. Not not necessarily fair, but that’s somehow that’s how it works out. But T-Bone, before we let you go, and again,

thank you so much for being here. I want to thank all the fans that uh continue to support Ringo T-Bone and what we all

do. And uh also want to call out Elizabeth Fryin for um her support. And much appreciation to Larry Jenkins and

Kate Dudley as well for connecting us with T-Bone.

uh at um Vince Sidlowski, Sugatada Murthy, Tony Coulser, Jeff Boyd, and Brian Dohy for um um you know for

helping to bring the music out to the masses and uh uh T-Bone before we park company. Any last words uh that you’d like to have uh to your fans or to Ringo this evening?

Well, I would just say,

you know, the music of the United States is our most profound uh uh the most profound thing we’ve contributed to the culture of the world.

Yeah.

And and the technologists have have tried to take over our music,

but they’re not going to. The musicians aren’t going to let them. And we can have a we can use machines. We can use

all all the we can use AI, but we’re gonna play the machines. The machines aren’t going to play us. Amen.

And um uh I do uh I want to I want to say this too that the the scientists say

that all of the things we see everything we all the things we see are notes of the strings beating beneath them,

vibrating beneath them. That’s string theory. So if if string theory is correct, and I believe it is, this we’re

all this is all made of music. This is why music rearranges our molecules, you know, and and uh

music has been degraded by technology in the last 30 years. But but we’re going but you know vinyl just surpassed a

billion sales billion dollars in sales last year which it hasn’t done since the 1980s.

Talk about a resurrection from the dead because well it’s a better medium.

analog is a better sounding medium than digital. And we’re going to have we’re going to have to bring the digital media

to heal, you know, and and we can do that by coming together over me, man. I’m a member of this new club. I’m in.

Okay, good. You’re in. Great. Well, we’ll be we’ll stay in close touch.

Please, let’s do that, man. Again, the gospel according to T-Bone Bernett, but I feel so much better on so many fronts.

And again reminding everybody uh you’re going to love this uh you know this um part two if you will uh of this great

creative spurt between T-Bone and and Ringo. Ringo’s albums entitled uh Long Long Road again with this exclusive

two-sided lit though. Uh and again T-Bone can’t thank you enough. You you got such a enormously busy schedule but thank you for this record. Thank you for

the work with Ringo and for for all that you do. Well, the pleasure is mine, I assure you. And thank you for for being for listening.

Absolutely. And uh look forward to doing this again hopefully with your wife soon. Yeah, let’s do that soon.

All right, that sounds good. Well, uh everyone uh you know, also uh peace and love and thanks to uh Ringo uh for uh

his part on this show and everyone stay safe, enjoy life, rock on. So long, everybody. Thanks again, T-Bone.

See you soon.

Dark clouds in my head disappear.

The sky is turning blue. Now you’re here.

We’ve come a long way day after day. We still got a long way to go.

You got to pay your dues if you want to see the blues.

I know you love

the long and winding road is more than a song.

Tomorrow never knows what goes on.

you. If you want to sing the blue, no matter who you choose,

choose love.

You got to let the light go.

You got your juice. If you want to sing the blues,

but no matter who you choose, choose love.

Choose love.

Heat. Heat.

Heat.

Heat.