Written by: Vini Poncia, Richard Starkey
Recorded: 5 August; September 1974
Producer: Richard Perry
Released: 15 November 1974 (UK), 18 November 1974 (US)
Available on:
Goodnight Vienna
Personnel
Ringo Starr: vocals, drums
Dr John: piano
Dennis Coffey: guitar
Klaus Voormann: bass guitar
Jim Keltner: drums
Trevor Lawrence, Steve Madaio, Bobby Keys, Lou McCreery: horns
Vini Poncia, Clydie King, Billie Barnum, Venetta Fields, Carlena Williams: vocals
‘Oo-Wee’ is the third song on Ringo Starr’s 1974 album Goodnight Vienna.
It was one of two songwriting collaborations on the album by Starr and Vini Poncia, the other being ‘All By Myself’.
In the studio
‘Oo-Wee’ was recorded on 5 August 1974 at Sunset Sound Recorders in Los Angeles, with overdubs added the following month September.
The guitarist on the session was Dennis Coffey.
I was on an expedition in the high Sierras in Northern California on horseback. When I rode back to base camp I was surprised to hear there was a message waiting for me. The message was from a music contractor who wanted me to do a session for Ringo Starr…Once I got to the studio I was surprised that the only two people there were me and Ringo. Richard Perry hadn’t arrived yet so Ringo and I had about an hour to visit. Since I had just come down from the mountains, I decided to share my recent adventures with Ringo. Ringo is a great drummer and a member of The Beatles, one of the most successful groups of all time, but he was kind enough to listen to my stories. Richard finally showed up driving a Bentley and wearing bib overalls. We then got down to business and completed the session.
The release
‘Snookeroo’ was released as a UK single on 21 February, with ‘Oo-Wee’ on the b-side. It failed to chart.
The fourth and final single taken from the album was a medley of ‘(It’s All Down To) Goodnight Vienna’ and ‘Goodnight Vienna (Reprise)’. ‘Oo-Wee’ was on the flipside of the single, which was released only in the USA on 2 June. It peaked at 31 on the Billboard Hot 100.
