Written by: George Harrison, Mal Evans
Recorded: 8 March; 12 May; 29 June; 10 July 1973
Producer: Richard Perry
Released: 2 November 1973 (US), 23 November 1973 (UK)
Available on:
Ringo
Personnel
Ringo Starr: vocals, drums
George Harrison: electric guitar
Vini Poncia: acoustic guitar
Nicky Hopkins: electric piano
Milt Holland: marimba
‘You And Me (Babe)’ is the final song on Ringo Starr’s 1973 album Ringo.
It was, unusually, a co-write by George Harrison and The Beatles’ former roadie and assistant Mal Evans.
In the early 1970s Evans was managing Splinter, a British duo who began working with Harrison in early 1973. In March that year Harrison and Evans shared a house in Los Angeles, where they wrote ‘You And Me (Babe)’ for Starr. Evans started the song with some lyrics and asked Harrison for assistance with the melody.
Ringo was loosely conceived as a concept album, with the songs presented as a variety stage show. As the final song, Starr closed ‘You And Me (Babe)’ with some spoken-word credits.
Well, it’s the end of the night and I’d just like to say thank you to everyone involved in this piece of plastic we’re making. Good old Jim Keltner, Klaus Voormann, Nicky Hopkins, George Harrison, John Lennon, Paul Mccartney. Richard Perry for producing this masterpiece. Bill Schnee, ever smiling, ever lovely. Vini Poncideo [sic] and all his other friends, and everybody else who joined in and helped us on this wonderful record. So it’s a big good night from your friend and mine, Ringo Starr.
In the studio
The backing track of ‘You And Me (Babe)’ was recorded on 8 March 1973 at Sunset Sound Recorders in Los Angeles.
Overdubs were added on 12 May at Sunset Sound, 29 June at Warner Bros Studios, and 10 July at Producers Workshop.
The release
The Ringo album was released on compact disc in 1991 with three bonus tracks: ‘Down And Out’ (the b-side of ‘Photograph’), ‘It Don’t Come Easy’ (1971 single), and its b-side ‘Early 1970’. The CD also featured a crossfade from ‘Devil Woman’ to ‘You And Me (Babe)’.
