"Ringo" is the third studio album by English musician Ringo Starr, released in 1973 on Apple Records. It peaked at No. 7 on the UK Albums Chart and No. 2 on the Billboard 200, certified platinum by the RIAA, and reached No. 1 on Canada's RPM national albums chart. The album is notable for being the only solo project to feature contributions from all four former Beatles and for its many guest stars, a trend that continued in Starr's later work.
After releasing the standards tribute Sentimental Journey and the country album Beaucoups of Blues in 1970, Starr achieved success with the singles "It Don't Come Easy" and "Back Off Boogaloo" in 1971 and 1972. He chose to focus on acting rather than producing an album during this time. In early 1973, he decided to start his first rock solo album and brought in Richard Perry, who had previously arranged one of the tracks for Sentimental Journey, to produce the sessions.
Recording began on March 5, 1973, at Sunset Sound Recorders in Los Angeles. Starr invited musician friends to participate, including Marc Bolan, members of The Band, Billy Preston, Klaus Voormann, Nicky Hopkins, Harry Nilsson, and Jim Keltner. Notably, Lennon, McCartney, and Harrison all contributed to the album. "Photograph," co-written by Starr and Harrison, was first recorded in late 1972 and later remade for the album. The collaboration continued with "You and Me (Babe)," which emerged from Harrison's work with Mal Evans.
The album's sessions included memorable moments, such as the recording of "I'm the Greatest," featuring Starr, Lennon, and Harrison. The media noted the sessions as a Beatles reunion, generating significant buzz. Additional tracks included Randy Newman’s "Have You Seen My Baby?" and the collaboration with McCartney on "Six O'Clock." Recording continued until April 30, with further overdubs added in July.
Ringo was released on November 2, 1973, in the US and November 9 in the UK. The success of "Photograph" contributed to the album's high chart positions. It received positive reviews, with critics praising its amiable atmosphere compared to other solo Beatles projects. "You're Sixteen" followed as the album's second single, achieving gold status in the US. The album had various versions, with a longer edit of "Six O'Clock" appearing on some initial formats.
When reissued on CD, Ringo included three bonus tracks: "It Don't Come Easy," its B-side "Early 1970," and "Down and Out." The CD versions differed in track placement, and the longer version of "Six O'Clock" was not included as a bonus track, appearing instead on the reissue of Goodnight Vienna.
