24 February 1964: Ringo's Records

    On 24 February 1964, Ringo Starr took a Starways flight from London to Liverpool for a quick visit with his mother Elsie and stepfather Harry Graves before recording began for The Beatles' first film soundtrack the following day. The Beatles had only just returned to England from the United States two days before. Accompanying Ringo to Liverpool was German photographer Max Scheler, who took a series of photos of the Starkey/Graves sitting in the lounge of 10 Admiral Grove. Scheler and Astrid Kirchherr would also photograph The Beatles at work filming A Hard Day's Night at the start of the next month. For our intents and purposes, these photos reveal several records in Ringo's collection. Some of these records could very well have been purchased while Ringo was in the USA.

    In the first photo, Ringo is holding the eponymous 1962 James Ray album, released on Caprice Records. The Beatles had added Ray's 'If You've Got To Make A Fool Of Somebody' into their live set in early 1962 and George Harrison had already purchased this album on his September/October 1963 visit to America. Paul McCartney remembered how the track had stood out because it was 'the first time we ever heard waltz done in R&B!' The album also included the song 'I've Got My Mind Set On You' that Harrison would take to the number one spot in 1987.

    Also in the photos, leaning up against the radiogram, are records by James Brown and Chuck Jackson. James Brown's Live At The Apollo was recorded at the famous Harlem theatre in October 1962 and released the following year on King Records.

    Chuck Jackson's I Don't Want To Cry! was released in 1961 on Wand Records, a division of Sceptre Records. John and Paul both rated Chuck Jackson among their top four favourite singers when asked by New Musical Express in February 1963. This was definitely a record that Ringo acquired in New York on 10 February.

    There is also one other visible album cover that I have not been able to identify. The artwork consists of target-like concentric circles alternating dark and light colours, with the numbers 3 2 1 written from the centre out to the edge. Any ideas?

Addendum: Thank you to Riley Smith, who suggested the similarity between the mysterious album cover and a Ready, Steady, Go! intro card. Perhaps there was some sort of promotional record from the Associated-Rediffusion television show?