To look at Ringo StarrĀ is to observe a legend who looks decades younger than his soon-to-be 84 years.
The regular workouts, jogs and healthy diet can be credited to an extent.
But Starr seems to thrive on work.
Since 2021Ā he has released four EPs,Ā and a fifth, āCrooked Boy,ā arrived in April. The four tracks written by musician/producer Linda Perry range from the reflective title track (which includes a Starr-specific line, āI speak of love, I speak of peaceā) and the jubilant āGonna Need Someone.ā
Starr also resumed touring with hisĀ All-Starr BandĀ in 2022 after pandemic-related closures halted momentum and will return May 22 for a few weeks of shows before another spate of dates in September.
Joining him for this excursion are Men At Work frontman Colin Hay,Ā Toto veteran Steve Lukather, keyboard stalwart Edgar Winter, saxophonist Warren Ham (Toto, Kansas), drummer Gregg Bissonette (David Lee Roth, Joe Satriani) and Hamish Stuart (Average White Band, Paul McCartney).
Chatting from his home studio in Los Angeles,Ā the affable drummerĀ leapfrogged topics from his upcoming country album to his feelings about The Beatlesā final recording to hanging out with McCartney.
Question: Youāve worked with Linda Perry on a couple of songs in the past, and now sheās written all of the songs on your new EP. What is it about her vibe that makes you two click?
Answer: Her songwriting is really great; she plays really great and she does all of her demos in a Liverpool accent (laughs). We just became friends and got on right away.Ā Sheās very straightforward, very bossy.
You look like youāre having so much funĀ in the video for āGonna Need Someone.āĀ How do you stay so upbeat?
I just always believe in keeping the energy up. Itās never a bad thing to be energized, but Iām quite lucky because I can be the other guy, too. Besides, āCrooked Boyā is out now, and Linda is great and Iām working on a real CD. I havenāt done one in so long.
What can you tell us about it?
Itās a country one. Iām working on it with someone very special āĀ T Bone Burnett.Ā Heās doing stuff in Nashville and he comes to LA and itās all working out. He came to me with nine songs. It wonāt be out until October, at least.
How often do you play your drums if you arenāt on the road?
I donāt even look at them. Iāve never liked just drumming by myself. I always want to be in a band with players. If you play whatever, Iāll play with you all night. (As a kid) I went upstairs the traditional way from all of those black and white movies where the drummer goes upstairs to his kit and hits them. Well in my neighborhood, I was this close to being stabbed! Everyone in the neighborhood was going, SHUT UP! (Laughs.) But Iāll play anywhere. My first band was the guy from next door, Eddie Miles, and my best friend Roy taught us bass and thatās what weāve done: just keep playing with other guys.
How do you feel about āNow and Thenā finally being out?
I did love āNow and Then,āĀ and we did hear it in 1995 and weād done (the other two vault songs) already, and then it came to a halt. And then I got a call from Paul (in 2022) and he asked, “Do you want to drum on it?” Itās great for me to have Johnās (Lennon) voice coming at me. Thanks to Peter Jackson with the machine that can pull out anything from anything. Paul went in with a string section; he worked really hard on it and I just sang on some of it.
Is it sad to think that is the last-ever true Beatles recording?
I think Iām past that, really. I miss them, but weāre getting on with our own things now. Paul and I will have dinner together; weāre still buddies. George (Harrison)Ā and John, I certainly miss them. Iām an only child, and suddenly I had three brothers and it was great.
It seems like you and Paul are spending more time together lately.
If he comes to LA we certainly do something, and when I get to England weāll do something there. Itās just what we do. We went to Paris together (in March)Ā for Stella McCartneyās clothing line. But really we went there for the lunch. (Laughs.) But no, really, we were hanging out. We went by train and were all sitting in the same carriage. We had a good time.
More:Ā James Taylor talks koalas, the ‘gravitational attraction’ of touring and Taylor Swift
Most of the guys in the All-Starr Band have been with you for years. What is it about this group that complements the show so well?
When I first started this, I was invited to put a band together and go on tour, and I said yes, and then I said: What do you mean, yes? Youāre the drummer in other peopleās bands! But I opened my phone book and called everyone I knew and they all said yes. So I had to close my book.
And there are frequently changes in the lineup.
Iāve had like five new bands. Just to change it up years ago, some people were asked to leave and others brought it. Like (Steve)Ā Lukather was brought inĀ (in 2012). This time ā¦Ā we have Colin (Hay), who is great and has hits, and Hamish (Stuart) I had in one of the other All-Starr Bands and he came back. But Luke (Lukather), Iāll never get rid of Luke. He has a lifelong ticket. Heās my last best friend. You need time to make best friends. Heās an incredibly good musician and an incredible human being.
How much longer do you see yourself going out for these tours?
Until the end of this year, at least. We have the May-June shows and then the fall. Thatās where I get my rocks off playing. I play to all of their songs, they play mine. This band is very close and very interested in the other person. No one is hanging out alone having a cigarette.