Ringo Starr has announced the upcoming release of his EP3, featuring four new tracks. Due on September 16, the extended play was recorded, like its predecessors Change The World and Zoom In, at his Roccabella West studio in Los Angeles.
The new songs are “World Go Round,” “Everyone and Everything,” “Let’s Be Friends,” and “Free Your Soul,” the latter featuring Dave Koz and José Antonio Rodriguez. The EP also features other such longtime collaborators of Ringo’s as Steve Lukather, Linda Perry, and Bruce Sugar. The new songs display the former Beatle’s customary versatility in range of styles encompassing pop, country, reggae and rock’n’roll. The EP will be available digitally and on CD, and then on 10” vinyl and as a limited edition translucent royal blue cassette on November 18.
‘Recording every chance I get’
“I am in my studio writing and recording every chance I get,” says Starr. “It’s what I have always done and will continue to do, and releasing EPs more frequently allows me to continue to be creative and give each song a little more love.”
“World Go Round,“ written by Steve Lukather and Joseph Williams, is an upbeat rock track that further spreads Ringo’s trademark message of hope and togetherness. He features on vocals, drums, and percussion, with Lukather on guitar, Williams on keyboards, and background vocals by Joseph Williams, Billy Valentine, Zelma Davis and Maiya Sykes.
“Everyone and Everything,” written by Linda Perry, has the classic Ringo Starr sound and has Perry on guitar and percussion, Billy Mohler on bass and guitar, and Damon Fox on melotron, piano and wurly. Perry also sings background vocals with Valentine, Davis and Sykes.
“Let’s Be Friends,” written by Ringo’s longtime engineer Bruce Sugar along with Sam Hollander, has an infectious upbeat feel, with the celebrated Nathan East on bass, Lukather playing guitar, Sugar providing keyboards, percussion and thhorn arrangement, with handclaps and percussion by Sam Hollander, and Valentine, Davis and Sykes on backing vocals.
The soothing, rhythmic “Free Your Soul,” written by Starr and Sugar, conjures the mood of an island beach, with the much-respected Dave Koz on tenor sax, Rodriguez on nylon guitar, East on bass, Sugar on keyboards, percussion and horn arrangement, with Valentine, Davis and Sykes as additional voices. Meanwhile, Starr will resume his North American tour, with his All-Starr Band, on September 23, with dates until October 20.
Pre-order Ringo Starr’s EP3, which is released on September 16.