What’s My Name is the 20th studio album by English musician Ringo Starr. It was released on 25 October 2019 through Roccabella and Universal Music Enterprises. The album was again recorded at Roccabella West, Starr’s home studio, and features collaborations with Joe Walsh, Benmont Tench, Edgar Winter, Steve Lukather, Richard Page and Warren Ham. It also includes a cover of John Lennon’s “Grow Old with Me”, which Starr invited Paul McCartney to sing and play bass guitar on, and a solo version by Starr of “Money (That’s What I Want)”, a Motown song previously recorded by the Beatles.
Several of the tracks were written with previous collaborators based around comments Starr has made. “What’s My Name”, the title track and first single, was composed by Colin Hay, and comes from a chant Starr has used in concert. Starr co-wrote “Gotta Get Up to Get Down” with his brother-in-law Joe Walsh after a comment Starr made at a dinner they had with Klaus Voormann, while Starr composed “Thank God for Music” with Sam Hollander, who then wrote “Better Days” on his own based on an interview Starr gave to Rolling Stone. The song “Magic” is a collaboration with Steve Lukather, whom Starr has worked with on his two previous studio albums.
The album was recorded in Los Angeles at Starr’s home studio, Roccabella West, with Starr saying that he did not “want to be in an old-fashioned recording studio anymore” and that he had “had enough of the big glass wall and the separation”, saying recording at his home has been good for himself “and the music”.
Tracks
1 Gotta Get Up To Get Down (Ringo Starr; Joe Walsh) 04:21
2 It’s Not Love That You Want (Ringo Starr; Dave Stewart) 03:35
3 Grow Old With Me (John Lennon) 03:22
4 Magic (Ringo Starr; Steve Lukather) 04:11
5 Money (Berry Gordy; Janie Bradford) 02:57
6 Better Days (Sam Hollander) 02:50
7 Life Is Good (Ringo Starr; Gary Burr) 03:12
8 Thank God For Music (Ringo Starr; Sam Hollander) 03:40
9 Send Love Spread Peace (Ringo Starr; Gary Nicholson) 02:59
10 What’s My Name (Colin Hay) 03:44
Musicians
1 Gotta Get Up To Get Down
Bass | Nathan East |
Drums | Ringo Starr |
Guitar | Joe Walsh |
Clavinet | Edgar Winter |
Synthesizer | Edgar Winter |
Synthesizer | Bruce Sugar |
Background Vocals | Richard Page |
Background Vocals | Warren Ham |
Background Vocals | Windy Wagner |
Background Vocals | Kari Kimmel |
Vocals | Joe Walsh |
Vocals | Edgar Winter |
Vocals | Ringo Starr |
2 It’s Not Love That You Want
Bass | Nathan East |
Drums | Ringo Starr |
Guitar | Dave Stewart |
Clavinet | Benmont Tench |
Piano | Jim Cox |
Synthesizer | Bruce Sugar |
Percussion | Ringo Starr |
Background Vocals | Windy Wagner |
Background Vocals | Amy Keys |
Vocals | Ringo Starr |
3 Grow Old With Me
Bass | Paul McCartney |
Drums | Ringo Starr |
Guitar | Joe Walsh |
Piano | Jim Cox |
Accordion | Allison Lovejoy |
Cello | Isaiah Gage |
Viola | Lauren Baba |
Violin | Rhea Fowler |
Violin | Bianca McClure |
Background Vocals | Paul McCartney |
Vocals | Ringo Starr |
4 Magic
Bass | John Pierce |
Drums | Ringo Starr |
Guitar | Steve Lukather |
Piano | Steve Lukather |
Synthesizer | Bruce Sugar |
Percussion | Ringo Starr |
Background Vocals | Richard Page |
Background Vocals | Warren Ham |
Background Vocals | Windy Wagner |
Background Vocals | Kari Kimmel |
Vocals | Ringo Starr |
5 Money
Bass | Nathan East |
Drums | Ringo Starr |
Guitar | Steve Lukather |
Organ | Bruce Sugar |
Piano | Bruce Sugar |
Synthesizer | Bruce Sugar |
Percussion | Ringo Starr |
Background Vocals | Maxine Willard Waters |
Background Vocals | Julia Tillman Waters |
Vocals | Ringo Starr |
6 Better Days
Bass | Kaveh Rastegar |
Drums | Ringo Starr |
Guitar | Pete Min |
Organ | Pete Levin |
Piano | Grant Michaels |
Horns | James King |
Percussion | Ringo Starr |
Background Vocals | Zelma Davis |
Background Vocals | Garen Gueyikian |
Vocals | Ringo Starr |
7 Life Is Good
Bass | Nathan East |
Drums | Ringo Starr |
Guitar | Steve Lukather |
Organ | Benmont Tench |
Synthesizer | Bruce Sugar |
Background Vocals | Richard Page |
Background Vocals | Warren Ham |
Background Vocals | Windy Wagner |
Background Vocals | Kari Kimmel |
Vocals | Ringo Starr |
8 Thank God For Music
Bass (synthesizer) | Jim Cox |
Drums | Ringo Starr |
Guitar | Steve Lukather |
Organ | Jim Cox |
Piano | Jim Cox |
Synthesizer | Bruce Sugar |
Percussion | Ringo Starr |
Background Vocals | Julia Tillman Waters |
Background Vocals | Maxine Willard Waters |
Vocals | Ringo Starr |
9 Send Love Spread Peace
Bass | Nathan East |
Drums | Ringo Starr |
Guitar | Steve Dudas |
Organ | Benmont Tench |
Piano | Benmont Tench |
Background Vocals | Windy Wagner |
Background Vocals | Amy Keys |
Vocals | Ringo Starr |
10 What’s My Name
Bass | Nathan East |
Drums | Ringo Starr |
Guitar | Colin Hay |
Guitar | Steve Lukather |
Harmonica | Warren Ham |
Percussion | Ringo Starr |
Background Vocals | Colin Hay |
Background Vocals | Maxine Willard Waters |
Background Vocals | Julia Tillman Waters |
Vocals | Ringo Starr |
Liner Notes
Producer – Ringo Starr
Producer – Sam Hollander (Track 6)
Arranged By (Strings) – Jack Douglas, Daniel Cole (Track 3)
Engineer (Additional) – Ned Douglas (Track 2)
Engineer (Assistant) – Wesley Seidman (Track 3)
Mixed By – Bruce Sugar
ProTools Editing – Bruce Sugar
Recorded By – Bruce Sugar
Art Direction – Vartan, Meire Murakami
Design, Layout – Josh Graham, Suspended In Light
Photography – Scott Ritchie
Recorded At Roccabella West
Mastered At Bernie Grundman Mastering
Phonograpnic Copyright Roccabella Inc
Copyright Roccabella Inc