Written by: Johnny Adcock
Recorded: 26 June 1970
Producer: Pete Drake
Engineer: Scotty Moore
Unreleased
Personnel
Ringo Starr: vocals
Charlie Daniels, Chuck Howard, Jerry Kennedy, Dave Kirby, Sorrells Pickard, Jerry Shook: guitar
Ben Keith/Pete Drake: pedal steel guitar
Jim Buchanan/George Richey/Grover Lavender: fiddle
Roy Huskey Jr: upright bass
Buddy Harman/DJ Fontana: drums
Hoyt Hawkins, Neal Matthews Jr, Gordon Stoker, Ray Walker: vocals
‘The Wishing Book’ was recorded during the sessions for Beaucoups Of Blues, Ringo Starr’s second solo album.
The song is the only known unreleased recording from the album sessions. In the early 1980s it was compiled onto cassette by EMI engineer John Barrett, who had been tasked with listening to The Beatles’ archives and noting recordings of interest for potential release. Barrett’s work subsequently fell into the hands of bootleggers.
‘The Wishing Book’ was written by Johnny Adcock. The song was released by David Rogers on his 1971 album She Don’t Make Me Cry which, like Starr’s recording, was produced by Pete Drake.
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. ‘The Whispering Book’ was recorded at the end of the second session on the night of 27 June.
Lyrics
Now picture this, a little girl
Hasn’t seen much of the world
Hides herself behind the door
Knows that somewhere else there’s more
More than just the country life
She’ll never be a poor boy’s wife
Swears someday by hook or crook
She’ll have the dreams in the wishing book
The wishing book with pretty things
Big brass beds and diamond rings
Ladies’ gowns with the Paris look
It’s all there in the wishing book
Now picture this, a woman grown
Packs her bags with all she owns
That’s not much but she doesn’t care
The city waits and it’s all there
The goodbye scene with all the folks
Her mama cries, her daddy jokes
Then she’s gone on the train she took
To find her life in the wishing book
The wishing book with pretty things
Big brass beds and diamond rings
Ladies’ gowns with the Paris look
It’s all there in the wishing book
Now picture this, a lonely man
Finds his pleasure where he can
Works the fields beneath the sun
Not much time for having fun
He misses her most at night
He’ll wake up feeling not quite right
Then he’ll walk down by the brook
And take with him his wishing book
The wishing book with old snapshots
A boy and girl tied up in knots
So much in love with the country look
It’s all there in the wishing book
It’s all there in the wishing book
It’s all there in the wishing book
It’s all there in the wishing book