Best Starkey-penned Beatles song

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It's only fair

Poll Results

OptionVotes
Octopus's Garden39
Don't pass me by 22
What goes on 18


Mark G, Monday, 8 October 2007 09:15 (eighteen years ago)

"Octopus's Garden" is the only one of these three that doesn't plain suck. So that one it is. He had better solo songs later on though, although mostly not written by him.

Geir Hongro, Monday, 8 October 2007 09:36 (eighteen years ago)

"What Goes On" does NOT suck, and gets my vote besides.

JN$OT, Monday, 8 October 2007 09:41 (eighteen years ago)

Geir, you are ever the contrarian.

Mark G, Monday, 8 October 2007 09:54 (eighteen years ago)

The Harrison/Starkey writing team was much under-appreciated. Starkey words, Harrison music, I believe. "It don't come easy" and "Photograph" for sure.

Mark G, Monday, 8 October 2007 09:56 (eighteen years ago)

Then, Harrison wrote what was the most important thing. And, yes, "Photograph" is a great song.

Geir Hongro, Monday, 8 October 2007 11:53 (eighteen years ago)

Whither "Flying"?

Myonga Vön Bontee, Monday, 8 October 2007 16:06 (eighteen years ago)

4 way composition. The others were ringo's lyrics.

Mark G, Monday, 8 October 2007 23:11 (eighteen years ago)

what goes on is great! had no idea he wrote that

tremendoid, Monday, 8 October 2007 23:17 (eighteen years ago)

"What Goes On" is credited to Lennon/McCartney/Starkey. It is disputable how much he contributed, although the fact that it sounds more like a country song than a typical Beatles number indicates that Ringo (who is a big country fan) contributed quite a lot.

Geir Hongro, Monday, 8 October 2007 23:22 (eighteen years ago)

too bad 'photograph' and 'it don't come easy' didn't come along earlier, since they're better than anything here. but I kind of don't think he wrote those either (photograph is a co-write with harrison, but sounds like a full on harrison song to me)

akm, Monday, 8 October 2007 23:30 (eighteen years ago)

I am a huge Beatles fan and a huge Ringo fan and a huge Rubber Soul fan, and "What Goes On" completely sucks.

roxymuzak, Monday, 8 October 2007 23:32 (eighteen years ago)

Thought "Good Night" was Ringo?

Sundar, Tuesday, 9 October 2007 00:34 (eighteen years ago)

"Good Night", like "Yellow Submarine", "I Wanna Be Your Man" and "With a Little Help From My Friends", was Ringo singing without writing.

Geir Hongro, Tuesday, 9 October 2007 00:37 (eighteen years ago)

too bad 'photograph' and 'it don't come easy' didn't come along earlier, since they're better than anything here. but I kind of don't think he wrote those either (photograph is a co-write with harrison, but sounds like a full on harrison song to me)

I've read a couple of arguments arguing that Harrison gave Ringo credit on "It Don't Come Easy out of friendship; apparently a few demos exist that are basically all George.

In any case, what matters is that Harrison needed Ringo in mind to write such a perfect song. Can you imagine what a George-sung "It Don't Easy" would have sounded like? Another self-pitying dirge.

Alfred, Lord Sotosyn, Tuesday, 9 October 2007 01:10 (eighteen years ago)

Another self-pitying dirge like "Here Comes the Sun" and "Taxman".

roxymuzak, Tuesday, 9 October 2007 01:25 (eighteen years ago)

or self-pitying dirges like "Blue Jay Way," "Only A Northern Song," "Wah-Wah," and "Isn't It A Pity." Shall I continue?

Alfred, Lord Sotosyn, Tuesday, 9 October 2007 01:39 (eighteen years ago)

Sure.

roxymuzak, Tuesday, 9 October 2007 01:43 (eighteen years ago)

Blue Jay Way?! he's playing the role of a trickster god! best song ever. we need to have a thread listing various readings of beatles songs that's not 100% tedious and oops never mind

tremendoid, Tuesday, 9 October 2007 01:53 (eighteen years ago)

"It Don't Come Easy" became even more self-pitying in the Norwegian pressing, when a typo mean it was presented on the cover as "I Don't Come Easy".

Geir Hongro, Tuesday, 9 October 2007 07:32 (eighteen years ago)

It might have been a warning!

Mark G, Tuesday, 9 October 2007 13:35 (eighteen years ago)

"Taxman" is not a dirge but may well be the most self-pitying song ever written.

xxxpost

Venga, Tuesday, 9 October 2007 13:38 (eighteen years ago)

"You were in a car crash / and you lost your hair"

Don't Pass Me By.

DavidM, Tuesday, 9 October 2007 14:13 (eighteen years ago)

Living In Hope

James Redd and the Blecchs, Tuesday, 9 October 2007 14:48 (eighteen years ago)

George Harrison is for Alfred what Seth Rogan is for Morbius.

James Redd and the Blecchs, Tuesday, 9 October 2007 14:49 (eighteen years ago)

except I own Extra Texture and Thirty-Three and a Third!

Alfred, Lord Sotosyn, Tuesday, 9 October 2007 14:56 (eighteen years ago)

Living In Hope

Hahaha, +1!

roxymuzak, Tuesday, 9 October 2007 14:59 (eighteen years ago)

Thought "Good Night" was Ringo

According to 'Revolution in the head', 'Good Night' is a Lennon composition, though widely thought at the time to be McCartney.

Billy Dods, Tuesday, 9 October 2007 15:02 (eighteen years ago)

lennon wrote it as a lullabye for julian. tune-wise it's one of the most lovely things lennon ever wrote, I think; not crazy about the final recorded version though. I wish anthology had the piano/ringo vocal version complete w/out orchestra.

akm, Tuesday, 9 October 2007 16:14 (eighteen years ago)

I would definitely vote for "Living in Hope" if it counted. "Don't Pass Me By it is then.

grebtesthit, Tuesday, 9 October 2007 16:41 (eighteen years ago)

I read a statement of McCartney saying that overhearing Lennon sing "Good Night" to Ringo was one of the most beautiful things he'd ever heard. I kind of wish Lennon had kept that one for himself.

Darin, Tuesday, 9 October 2007 17:00 (eighteen years ago)

i kind of can't even imagine lennon singing that song though; it's hard to place his voice in it. I know he said that he got self-conscious about it, that it was too sappy, so he decided not to sing it, and later maybe regretted that.

akm, Tuesday, 9 October 2007 17:50 (eighteen years ago)

I don't know his more fragile "A Day in the Life" voice would fit beautifully in there.

Darin, Tuesday, 9 October 2007 18:03 (eighteen years ago)

If you imagine John Lennon sitting at his piano, singing "Good Night", it wouldn't have been out of place on the "Imagine" album actually.

Geir Hongro, Tuesday, 9 October 2007 21:01 (eighteen years ago)

THE BAND's fave song on the white album was DON'T PASS ME BY.

tru pop fax dept.

pisces, Tuesday, 9 October 2007 21:23 (eighteen years ago)

Interesting theories about what It Don't Come Easy would sound like with George on vocals. Check it out

everything, Tuesday, 9 October 2007 21:27 (eighteen years ago)

Here's a better version: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oqnBhYO02Hc

everything, Tuesday, 9 October 2007 21:29 (eighteen years ago)

I think Ringo was perfect for good night, he sounds so sonorous and detached in way. I always thought of the song being sung by the moon for some reason, i think john's take would have come off too personal/vulnerable and ruined the effect.

tremendoid, Tuesday, 9 October 2007 23:24 (eighteen years ago)

I always thought of the song being sung by the moon

so cute

roxymuzak, Wednesday, 10 October 2007 06:46 (eighteen years ago)

It would have been ever better if Harry Nilsson had covered it.

Billy Dods, Wednesday, 10 October 2007 06:50 (eighteen years ago)

All are winners and better than Harrison's!!

King Boy Pato, Wednesday, 10 October 2007 08:35 (eighteen years ago)

I always thought of the song being sung by the moon

I misread this and thought, yeah, Keith Moon would've sung this real sweetly!

Sara Sara Sara, Wednesday, 10 October 2007 13:22 (eighteen years ago)

I love "Don't Pass Me By"!

Naive Teen Idol, Wednesday, 10 October 2007 13:48 (eighteen years ago)

"don't pass me by" is the greatest song ever recorded by the Beatles.

The Real Dirty Vicar, Wednesday, 10 October 2007 14:33 (eighteen years ago)

.

Mark G, Wednesday, 17 October 2007 09:06 (eighteen years ago)

!

roxymuzak, Wednesday, 17 October 2007 13:50 (eighteen years ago)

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

ILX System, Wednesday, 17 October 2007 23:01 (eighteen years ago)

Drum roll for Starkey!

Mark G, Thursday, 18 October 2007 08:15 (eighteen years ago)

According to George Martin, Starkey cannot play one.....

Geir Hongro, Thursday, 18 October 2007 09:13 (eighteen years ago)

Best Starkey-penned song about the Beatles: "Early 1970."

If Timi Yuro would be still alive, most other singers could shut up, Thursday, 18 October 2007 11:43 (eighteen years ago)

"What Goes On", but I have a soft spot for "Octopus's Garden" too.

o. nate, Thursday, 18 October 2007 13:33 (eighteen years ago)

Wasn't "Early 1970" actually written by John?

JN$OT, Thursday, 18 October 2007 13:35 (eighteen years ago)

Well, someone wrote "he lives on a farm, got plenty of charm"

Everywhere has it as (Richard Starkey), and I doubt John would play whatever the opposite of Devils Advocate is to write that about Paul, especially then...

Mark G, Thursday, 18 October 2007 14:01 (eighteen years ago)

"What Goes On" was written primarily by Lennon.

The answer is "Don't Pass Me By."

Curt1s Stephens, Thursday, 18 October 2007 16:06 (eighteen years ago)

i really really like 'don't pass me by'. the lyric about losing hair is pretty clumsy, but overall it is excellent. i love just about the entire white album, but it's one of the first songs i listen to when i put the white album on. i love the fiddle.

elan, Thursday, 18 October 2007 18:40 (eighteen years ago)

Most of his songs are really clumsy country songs sounding way too American, but the vocal harmonies and funny synth effects by the others makes "Octopus' Garden" quite nice.

Geir Hongro, Thursday, 18 October 2007 21:07 (eighteen years ago)

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

ILX System, Thursday, 18 October 2007 23:01 (eighteen years ago)

OTM.

roxymuzak, Thursday, 18 October 2007 23:09 (eighteen years ago)

I'd reverse those results.

nate woolls, Friday, 19 October 2007 07:23 (eighteen years ago)

Don't Pass Me By Was Robbed.

Future_Perfect, Friday, 19 October 2007 07:25 (eighteen years ago)

Correct winner.

Geir Hongro, Friday, 19 October 2007 07:42 (eighteen years ago)

You contrarian.

Mark G, Friday, 19 October 2007 08:36 (eighteen years ago)


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