The cover artwork
The vinyl edition of Ringo came in a gatefold sleeve with a 24-page 12″ booklet containing the lyrics and illustrations by Klaus Voormann.The album cover featured a painting by Tim Bruckner showing a cast of characters including the album musicians, friends and associates of Ringo Starr. Read an interview with the artist in which he discusses working with Starr on the album art and other projects.
The top of the cover bore the phrase “Duit on mon dei”, based on the English royal motto “Dieu et mon droit” (French for “God and my right”). Bruckner was asked to include the phrase, a favourite of Harry Nilsson’s which was used as the title for his 1975 album.
The album photography and art direction was by Barry Feinstein, and the package was coordinated by Alan Pariser.
The cover cast
In 2014 artist Tim Bruckner spent an afternoon with Beatles fan Dale Applebee identifying the characters on the Ringo cover. Sincere thanks to both for their help in compiling this key to the sleeve. Further information on the omissions will be welcome.
There was no concept at the time. I put together 10 concept sketches and they picked the one with him on stage with a balcony full of people. There are 26 portraits in the balcony. The rest are people I invented. There are 26 portraits in the balcony. The rest are people I invented.
Click the image above for a larger-sized version (opens in new browser tab/window).
- 1. Ringo Starr
- 2. Cherub
- 3. Hilary Gerrard (Ringo’s financial adviser)
- 4. Tim Bruckner (artist)
- 5. Popcorn Man (folk art figure)
- 6.
- 7.
- 8. Terry Southern (author)
- 9.
- 10.
- 11. Peter Sellers
- 12.
- 13.
- 14. Miranda Quarry (Peter Sellers’ wife)
- 15. Marc Bolan
- 16. Lightbulb Man (folk art figure)
- 17.
- 18.
- 19. Mal Evans
- 20. Judy Szekely
- 21.
- 22.
- 23.
- 24. David Bromberg
- 25.
- 26.
- 27.
- 28. Richard Manuel (The Band)
- 29.
- 30.
- 31.
- 32. Garth Hudson (The Band)
- 33.
- 34. Rick Danko (The Band)
- 35.
- 36. Klaus Voormann
- 37.
- 38.
- 39. Levon Helm (The Band)
- 40.
- 41. Yoko Ono
- 42. Barry Feinstein
- 43.
- 44. Robbie Robertson (The Band)
- 45.
- 46.
- 47.
- 48. John Lennon
- 49. Linda McCartney
- 50. Paul McCartney
- 51. Alan Pariser
- 52. Eggman
- 53.
- 54.
- 55. George Harrison
- 56.
- 57.
- 58. Martha
- 59.
- 60. Ringo Starr puppet
- 61. Richard Perry (producer)
- 62. Ringo Starr
- 63. Ringo Starr as Merlin the magician
- 64. Blue Nun (a popular drink during the sessions)
- 65.
- 66. Vini Poncia
- 67. Bill Schnee (audio engineer)
- 68.
- 69.
- 70.
- 71. Harry Nilsson
- 72. Robin Cruikshank
- 73.
- 74.
- 75.
- 76.
- 77. Jim Keltner
- 78.
- 79.
- 80.
- 81. Doug Sax
- 82.
- 83.
- 84.
- 85.
- 86.
- 87.
- 88. Bear reading newspaper headlined: “RINGO it’s a hit!”
- 89. Nicky Hopkins
- 90. Billy Preston
- 91. Leon Russell
The only solo Beatles album to feature all four Beatles.I’m the Greatest written by John gives us a sample of how the Beatles would have sounded in 1973
I doubt it sound beatles because if you listen to the bass part of the greatest its very basic in form. Paul’s melodic bass lines could have changed the sound from plain to something more.
Klaus Voorman was and is a fine bassist.
He is. But Paul is the greatest.
Indeed Robert and yet there are only two comments on this.
Lennon’s album featired Starr and Voorman as well so this is not the on;y album that sounds like a Beatles album.
Does anyone have an idea who sings high harmony with Ringo throughout Photograph? Could it be Nilsson?
I’m pretty sure it’s George. Not only did he co-write the song, he also sings like that on Sunshine Life For Me.
Harrison sang the high harmony
Wiki page on Andy Williams says he was on the cover of Ringo. True?
Williams is included in the montage of caricatures on the cover of Ringo Starr’s 1973 album, Ringo.
I think I see Andy Williams towards the left, in the front row. Red jacket open, and glasses. It would make sense as he was recording with Richard Perry, Jim Keltner, Klaus Voormann etc in 1973, so he was “on the scene”, if not on this particular album.
I think there’s a possible mistake – number 28 is identified as Richard Manuel of The Band, but he’s not on this album. He didn’t attend the session for Sail Away Raymond with the rest of The Band – I think he was ill or something. The drawing doesn’t look much like him either. He usually wore a bushy beard.
Songs from this record have haunted me since childhood as has the artwork. I want to know more about ‘Sunshine Life For Me (Sail Away Raymond).’ It was my mother’s favourite song sung by Ringo. It’s a favourite of mine as well. I realise the unreleased Ringo Starr song ‘I Should Like To Live Up A Tree’ is an early version of ‘Octopus’s Garden’ but the title shares a similar sentiment.
McCartney´s Six O´Clock is one of his more listenable post-Beatles compositions. Melodically and harmonically, all the basic parts make sense. Lennon would have made the song even better, though, by vetoing a couple of destructive and tiring musical mistakes which McCartney has repeatedly shown himself prone to after The Beatles´ break up. Lennon was both musically and lyrically much more gifted than his song writing partner, when it came to assessing in real-time and later the very quality of a song material.
In a way, Lennon was more of a pop guy than McCartney, who has since 1970 been much of a rock guy. Six O´Clock is basically a good pop song, though, but with a few unnecessary blemishes.
There are probably more ‘actual’ people here than the artist remembers…
#37 looks like Elton John
#43 looks like Wolfman Jack
#68 looks like Ron Mael from Sparks