The idea, back in 1980, was to resurrect
Ringo Starr
's recording career by the same method that it had been launched with the
Ringo
album in 1973 -- by having his fellow
Beatles
and other well-known friends help out.
John Lennon
was working on a song called
"Nobody Told Me,"
and
George Harrison
had one ready to go. Then
Lennon
was murdered in December. His
song languished (his own version would be released in 1984), while
Harrison
took his tune back and rewrote the lyrics for what became his own hit,
"All Those Years Ago."
Then
's label,
Portrait
, lacked enthusiasm for the album, and he moved on to
Boardwalk
. Finally released as
33246,
Stop and Smell the Roses
was
's strongest and most effervescent album since
Goodnight Vienna
, containing two good songs by
Paul McCartney
and one by
--
"Wrack My Brain,"
which became
's final Top 40 hit -- along with music by
Harry Nilsson
,
Ron Wood
, and
Stephen Stills
. Long out of print,
reappeared on
Capitol
's
The Right Stuff
reissue label on September 6, 1994, with six bonus tracks, reflecting the changes made in the album from its original, unreleased version, that increased the album's length by nearly 70 percent and demonstrated that the later song selection was better. ~ William Ruhlmann