Nashville Jam

Written by: Jim Buchanan, Charlie Daniels, Pete Drake, DJ Fontana, Buddy Harman, Howard, Junior Huskey, Ben Keith, Jerry Kennedy, Dave Kirby, Grover Lavender, Charlie McCoy, Pickard, Jerry Reed, George Richey, Jerry Shook, Richard Starkey
Recorded: 27 June 1970
Producer: Pete Drake
Engineer: Scotty Moore

Released: 25 September 1970 (UK), 28 September 1970 (US)

Available on:
Beaucoups Of Blues (reissue)

Personnel

Ringo Starr: drums
Charlie Daniels, Chuck Howard, Jerry Kennedy, Dave Kirby, Sorrells Pickard, Jerry Shook: guitar
Jim Buchanan/George Richey/Grover Lavender: fiddle
Ben Keith, Pete Drake: pedal steel guitar
Charlie McCoy: harmonica
Roy Huskey Jr: upright bass
DJ Fontana: percussion
Unknown: piano

‘Nashville Jam’ was recorded during the sessions for Beaucoups Of Blues, Ringo Starr’s second solo album.

At the end of everything, after we had finished up the recording, Ringo went behind the drums and played and everybody jumped in. We just jumped in the groove. He played much better than I had the impression he played from just hearing The Beatles’ records.

It was taken from a lengthy studio jam recorded at the end of the three-day album recording, and featured Starr on drums.

Ringo did it all. I think one of [the jams] was 18 minutes. The other one was something like 20 minutes. What amazed me, he never varied from that tempo. He had the greatest conception of tempo I’ve ever heard in my life. I have never heard anybody play that steady in my life, and that’s a long time.

I played tambourine, claves, maracas. We were just picking up anything. When I tired of playing one, I’d pick up another. It went on and on as we went around the horn, everyone playing.

‘Nashville Jam’ remained unreleased until 1995, when it was included along with ‘Coochy Coochy’ on the compact disc reissue of Beaucoups Of Blues.

In the studio

Beaucoups Of Blues was recorded at Music City Recorders in Nashville, TN, with a number of local musicians, some of whom had appeared on Bob Dylan’s albums Nashville Skyline and Self Portrait. The album was produced by Pete Drake, with Elvis Presley’s guitarist Scotty Moore engineering.

The sessions took place from 6pm-9pm and 10pm-1am over three nights, from 25-27 June 1970. ‘Nashville Jam’ was recorded during the second session on the night of 27 June.