Ringo Starr has released a new EP, Rewind Forward, featuring four new songs crafted alongside a long list of notable collaborators including Paul McCartney, Joe Walsh, Steve Lukather, Bruce Sugar, Mike Campbell, and more.
The former Beatles drummer has released a string of EPs since his last full studio effort, 2019’s What’s My Name. The latest, Rewind Forward features four songs, “Shadows on the Wall”, “Feeling the Sunlight”, “Rewind Forward”, and “Miss Jean”.
The title track was written by Starr and his longtime engineer and co-writer, Bruce Sugar. “We’ve been writing a song now for every EP,” said Ringo of the track. “Rewind Forward was just one of those things I say and it made sense in the moment. Like a Hard Days Night – I thought, why don’t we just Rewind Forward? To make sense of it, sometimes it is good to go back and move forward from a place you left off, you don’t ever have to live in the past but it is good to check it occasionally.”
The other tracks find Starr collaborating with old and new friends. Opening track “Shadows on the Wall” was written by Ringo’s All Starr Band veteran Steve Lukakther and his Toto bandmate, Joe Williams. “I asked Luke for a song – him and Joe Williams – and they put meat on it – so I wasn’t just getting a basic track I have to add everything to – it has guitar and bass and all I have to do is add my vocals and drums. Of course I always do the drums and sing – it is my EP!” said Starr.
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Paul McCartney, Starr’s former Beatles bandmate, wrote “Feeling the Sunlight”. As Starr explained, “We were Facetiming as we sometimes do and I asked him if he had a song or would write one for this EP I am making. A week later he sent the track over and he’s all over it – which is great – playing EVERYthing, including the drums!!!!! So we had to take them off – I did the drums and the vocals.”
For the fourth and final track, “Miss Jean,” Ringo collaborated with Mike Campbell of the Heartbreakers. “We had played together on an Ian Hunter track (which was number 1 on the Heritage chart – whatever that chart is!) and I’d played on a Tom Petty track. But this was the first song Mike has ever written for me, which I loved. I put drums on it and sang it and he put everything else on it – that’s how it works.” That track also features also Campbell’s fellow Heartbreaker and one of Ringo’s dear friends, Benmont Tench. In addition, the EP features contributions from Joe Walsh, Steve Dudas, Lance Morrison, Matt Bissonnette, Torrance Klein, Weston Wilson, Kip Lennon, Marky Lennon, and more. Find the full list of credits for the EP below.
Ringo Starr just wrapped up a fall tour with his All Starr Band which featured a special stop in Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium during which Ringo was inducted into the Musicians Hall of Fame. Touring steadily since 1989, this current iteration continued the tradition of playing hits and delighting fans. For information on Ringo Starr and his All Starr Band’s upcoming tour plans, head here.
Click below to check out the full credits for each of the EP’s four tracks. Stream Rewind Forward by Ringo Starr on the platform of your choice here or listen to the EP via the Spotify player below.
Ringo Starr – Rewind Forward – Full EP
