Goodnight Vienna
Encyclopedia
Goodnight Vienna is the fourth album by Ringo Starr
. It was recorded in the summer of 1974 in Los Angeles, and released later that year. Goodnight Vienna followed the commercially successful predecessor Ringo
, and Starr used many of the same players, including Billy Preston
, Klaus Voormann
, Robbie Robertson
, Harry Nilsson
, and producer Richard Perry
. The title comes from an English slang phrase meaning roughly, "It's all over".
While all three other Beatles
had contributed to Ringo, only John Lennon
contributed to Goodnight Vienna. Like Ringo, this album also became a hit, though a slightly less successful one.
An advance single from the album, Starr's cover version
of The Platters
' "Only You (And You Alone)
", reached #6 on the American charts, before the album was released in November. Goodnight Vienna peaked at #8 in the United States, ultimately going gold, and its reviews were generally favourable. A second single, "No No Song
" reached #3 in the American charts. However, the album reached only #30 in the United Kingdom, and would be Starr's last chart album in his homeland until 1998.
The cover artwork for Goodnight Vienna was based on a still from the classic science fiction film
The Day the Earth Stood Still, with Starr's head replacing that of actor Michael Rennie
. Rennie's character was the alien Klaatu
, a name later adopted by a Canadian band falsely rumoured to be the Beatles under a pseudonym
. In the movie, Klaatu had come to Earth to deliver the message that the entire planet needed to adopt peaceful ways, a message that comports with Ringo's personal mantra "peace and love."
A television commercial, which featured a voiceover from Lennon, depicted the cover's flying saucer (with Ringo) over Los Angeles—landing on the roof of the Capitol Records building in Hollywood. Starr returned the favour and did the voiceover for the commercial for Lennon's Walls and Bridges
album.
Goodnight Vienna was remastered and reissued on CD in 1992 with three bonus tracks: 1972 hit single "Back Off Boogaloo", its B-Side "Blindman" and an extended version of the McCartney-penned "Six O'Clock", a shorter version of which had earlier appeared on LP
version of "Ringo"
(US 8-track cartridge and the original release cassette versions of the "Ringo" album featured the extended version). It was also originally released in quadrophonic.
Ringo Starr
Richard Starkey, MBE better known by his stage name Ringo Starr, is an English musician and actor who gained worldwide fame as the drummer for The Beatles. When the band formed in 1960, Starr was a member of another Liverpool band, Rory Storm and the Hurricanes. He became The Beatles' drummer in...
. It was recorded in the summer of 1974 in Los Angeles, and released later that year. Goodnight Vienna followed the commercially successful predecessor Ringo
Ringo (album)
Ringo is the third album by Ringo Starr, released in 1973 on Apple Records. It peaked at #7 on the UK Albums Chart and #2 on the Billboard 200, and has been certified platinum by the RIAA. In Canada, it reached #1 on the RPM national albums chart...
, and Starr used many of the same players, including Billy Preston
Billy Preston
William Everett "Billy" Preston was a musician who gained notoriety and fame, first as a session musician for the likes of Sam Cooke, Ray Charles and The Beatles, and later finding fame as a solo artist with hits such as "Space Race", "Will It Go Round in Circles" and "Nothing from...
, Klaus Voormann
Klaus Voormann
Klaus Voormann is a German Grammy Award-winning artist, noted musician, and record producer. He designed artwork for many bands including The Beatles, The Bee Gees, Wet Wet Wet and Turbonegro. His most notable work as a producer was his work with the band Trio, including their worldwide hit "Da Da...
, Robbie Robertson
Robbie Robertson
Robbie Robertson, OC; is a Canadian singer-songwriter, and guitarist. He is best known for his membership as the guitarist and primary songwriter within The Band. He was ranked 59th in Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time...
, Harry Nilsson
Harry Nilsson
Harry Edward Nilsson III was an American singer-songwriter who achieved the peak of his commercial success in the early 1970s. On all but his earliest recordings he is credited as Nilsson...
, and producer Richard Perry
Richard Perry
Richard Perry is an American music producer. Perry began as a performer in his adolescence, but shifted gears after graduating college and rose through the late 1960s and early 1970s to become a highly successful and popular record producer with over a dozen gold records to his credit by 1982...
. The title comes from an English slang phrase meaning roughly, "It's all over".
While all three other Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
had contributed to Ringo, only John Lennon
John Lennon
John Winston Lennon, MBE was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music...
contributed to Goodnight Vienna. Like Ringo, this album also became a hit, though a slightly less successful one.
An advance single from the album, Starr's cover version
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
of The Platters
The Platters
The Platters were a vocal group of the early rock and roll era. Their distinctive sound was a bridge between the pre-rock Tin Pan Alley tradition and the burgeoning new genre...
' "Only You (And You Alone)
Only You (And You Alone)
"Only You " is a pop song composed by Buck Ram. It was recorded most successfully by The Platters, with lead vocals by Tony Williams, in 1955....
", reached #6 on the American charts, before the album was released in November. Goodnight Vienna peaked at #8 in the United States, ultimately going gold, and its reviews were generally favourable. A second single, "No No Song
No No Song
Ringo Starr's cover of Hoyt Axton and David Jackson's "The No No Song" was included on his 1974 album Goodnight Vienna. It was a number-one hit in Canada and a number-three hit in the US. The song describes progressive attempts to sell Colombian marijuana, Spanish cocaine and Tennessean moonshine...
" reached #3 in the American charts. However, the album reached only #30 in the United Kingdom, and would be Starr's last chart album in his homeland until 1998.
The cover artwork for Goodnight Vienna was based on a still from the classic science fiction film
Science fiction film
Science fiction film is a film genre that uses science fiction: speculative, science-based depictions of phenomena that are not necessarily accepted by mainstream science, such as extraterrestrial life forms, alien worlds, extrasensory perception, and time travel, often along with futuristic...
The Day the Earth Stood Still, with Starr's head replacing that of actor Michael Rennie
Michael Rennie
Michael Rennie was an English film, television, and stage actor, perhaps best known for his starring role as the space visitor Klaatu in the 1951 classic science fiction film The Day the Earth Stood Still. However, he appeared in over 50 other films since 1936, many with Jean Simmons and other...
. Rennie's character was the alien Klaatu
Klaatu (The Day the Earth Stood Still)
Klaatu is the humanoid alien protagonist in the 1951 science fiction film The Day the Earth Stood Still and its 2008 remake. Klaatu is famous in part because of the phrase "Klaatu barada nikto!" used in the classic film and its re-use in the Bruce Campbell cult comedy film Army of Darkness, as well...
, a name later adopted by a Canadian band falsely rumoured to be the Beatles under a pseudonym
Pseudonym
A pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...
. In the movie, Klaatu had come to Earth to deliver the message that the entire planet needed to adopt peaceful ways, a message that comports with Ringo's personal mantra "peace and love."
A television commercial, which featured a voiceover from Lennon, depicted the cover's flying saucer (with Ringo) over Los Angeles—landing on the roof of the Capitol Records building in Hollywood. Starr returned the favour and did the voiceover for the commercial for Lennon's Walls and Bridges
Walls and Bridges
Walls and Bridges is the fifth album by John Lennon; it was issued on 26 September 1974 in the United States and on 4 October in the United Kingdom. Written, recorded and released during his 18-month separation from Yoko Ono , the album captures Lennon in the midst of The Lost Weekend...
album.
Goodnight Vienna was remastered and reissued on CD in 1992 with three bonus tracks: 1972 hit single "Back Off Boogaloo", its B-Side "Blindman" and an extended version of the McCartney-penned "Six O'Clock", a shorter version of which had earlier appeared on LP
LP album
The LP, or long-playing microgroove record, is a format for phonograph records, an analog sound storage medium. Introduced by Columbia Records in 1948, it was soon adopted as a new standard by the entire record industry...
version of "Ringo"
Ringo (album)
Ringo is the third album by Ringo Starr, released in 1973 on Apple Records. It peaked at #7 on the UK Albums Chart and #2 on the Billboard 200, and has been certified platinum by the RIAA. In Canada, it reached #1 on the RPM national albums chart...
(US 8-track cartridge and the original release cassette versions of the "Ringo" album featured the extended version). It was also originally released in quadrophonic.
Track listing
- "It's All Down to Goodnight ViennaIt's All Down to Goodnight Vienna"It's All Down to Goodnight Vienna" is the title track to Ringo Starr's 1974 album Goodnight Vienna. This single contains a medley of " Goodnight Vienna" and "Goodnight Vienna "...
" (John LennonJohn LennonJohn Winston Lennon, MBE was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music...
) – 2:35- Featuring Lennon on opening count-in and piano and Billy PrestonBilly PrestonWilliam Everett "Billy" Preston was a musician who gained notoriety and fame, first as a session musician for the likes of Sam Cooke, Ray Charles and The Beatles, and later finding fame as a solo artist with hits such as "Space Race", "Will It Go Round in Circles" and "Nothing from...
on clavinet
- Featuring Lennon on opening count-in and piano and Billy Preston
- "Occapella" (Allen ToussaintAllen ToussaintAllen Toussaint is an American musician, composer, record producer, and influential figure in New Orleans R&B.Many of Toussaint's songs have become familiar through numerous cover versions, including "Working in the Coalmine", "Ride Your Pony", "Fortune Teller", "Play Something Sweet ", "Southern...
) – 2:55- Featuring Dr. JohnDr. JohnMalcolm John "Mac" Rebennack, Jr. , better known by the stage name Dr. John , is an American singer-songwriter, pianist and guitarist, whose music combines blues, pop, jazz as well as Zydeco, boogie woogie and rock and roll.Active as a session musician since the late 1950s, he came to wider...
on piano and backing vocals
- Featuring Dr. John
- "Oo-Wee" (Vini PonciaVini PonciaVini Poncia is an American musician, songwriter and record producer.In the 1960s, Poncia formed a songwriting team with Peter Anders. An album of songs co-written by these childhood friends The Anders & Poncia Album, was produced by Richard Perry and released in 1969...
/Richard Starkey) – 3:45- Featuring Dr. John on piano
- "Husbands and WivesHusbands and Wives (song)Country music duo Brooks & Dunn covered the song on their 1998 album If You See Her. Featuring lead vocals from Ronnie Dunn, their version was the album's third single, reaching the top of the country singles charts in December 1998. It was also a Top 40 pop hit, peaking at #36 on the Billboard Hot...
" (Roger MillerRoger MillerRoger Dean Miller was an American singer, songwriter, musician and actor, best known for his honky tonk-influenced novelty songs...
) – 3:34- Featuring Carl Fortina on accordion
- "SnookerooSnookeroo"Snookeroo" was Elton John and Bernie Taupin's contribution to Ringo Starr's 1974 album Goodnight Vienna. The song, which concerns a happy-go-lucky lout from northern England, was written about Starr himself. The title refers to the billiards game snooker. Charting as a double A-side with "No No...
" (Elton JohnElton JohnSir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
/Bernie TaupinBernie TaupinBernard John "Bernie" Taupin is an English lyricist, poet, and singer, best known for his long-term collaboration with Elton John, writing the lyrics for the majority of the star's songs, making his lyrics some of the best known in pop-rock's history.In 1967, Taupin answered an advertisement in...
) – 3:27- Featuring Elton John on piano and Robbie RobertsonRobbie RobertsonRobbie Robertson, OC; is a Canadian singer-songwriter, and guitarist. He is best known for his membership as the guitarist and primary songwriter within The Band. He was ranked 59th in Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time...
on guitar
- Featuring Elton John on piano and Robbie Robertson
- "All By Myself" (Vini Poncia/Richard Starkey) – 3:21
- Featuring Lennon on guitar
- "Call Me" (Richard Starkey) – 4:07
- Featuring Klaus VoormannKlaus VoormannKlaus Voormann is a German Grammy Award-winning artist, noted musician, and record producer. He designed artwork for many bands including The Beatles, The Bee Gees, Wet Wet Wet and Turbonegro. His most notable work as a producer was his work with the band Trio, including their worldwide hit "Da Da...
on bass guitar, Steve CropperSteve CropperSteve Cropper , also known as Steve "The Colonel" Cropper, is an American guitarist, songwriter and record producer. He is best known as the guitarist of the Stax Records house band, Booker T...
on electric guitar, David FosterDavid FosterDavid Walter Foster, OC, OBC , is a Canadian musician, record producer, composer, singer, songwriter, and arranger, noted for discovering singers such as Michael Bublé, Josh Groban, and Charice Pempengco; and for producing some of the most successful artists in the world, such as Céline Dion, Toni...
on piano
- Featuring Klaus Voormann
- "No No SongNo No SongRingo Starr's cover of Hoyt Axton and David Jackson's "The No No Song" was included on his 1974 album Goodnight Vienna. It was a number-one hit in Canada and a number-three hit in the US. The song describes progressive attempts to sell Colombian marijuana, Spanish cocaine and Tennessean moonshine...
" (Hoyt AxtonHoyt AxtonHoyt Wayne Axton was an American country music singer-songwriter, and a film and television actor. He became prominent in the early 1960s, establishing himself on the West Coast as a folk singer with an earthy style and powerful voice. As he matured, some of his songwriting efforts became well...
/David Jackson) – 2:33- Featuring Nilsson on backing vocals and Nicky HopkinsNicky HopkinsNicholas Christian "Nicky" Hopkins was an English pianist and organist.He recorded and performed on noted British and American popular music recordings of the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s as a session musician....
on electric piano
- Featuring Nilsson on backing vocals and Nicky Hopkins
- "Only You (And You Alone)Only You (And You Alone)"Only You " is a pop song composed by Buck Ram. It was recorded most successfully by The Platters, with lead vocals by Tony Williams, in 1955....
" (Buck RamBuck RamBuck Ram was an American songwriter, and popular music producer and arranger.-Biography:...
/Ande Rand) – 3:26- Featuring Lennon on guitar, Cropper on guitar, Preston on electric piano, an Nilsson on backing vocals
- "Easy For Me" (Nilsson) – 2:20
- Featuring Lincoln MayorgaLincoln MayorgaLincoln Mayorga is an American pianist, arranger, conductor and composer who has worked in rock and roll, pop, jazz and classical music.-Pop music in the 1950s and 60s:...
on piano
- Featuring Lincoln Mayorga
- "Goodnight Vienna (Reprise)" (John Lennon) – 1:20
- Featuring Lennon's intro, 'OK, with gusto, boys, with gusto!
1992 Reissue bonus tracks
- "Back Off BoogalooBack Off Boogaloo"Back Off Boogaloo" is a 1972 single released by Ringo Starr. The song was a hit in the U.S. reaching #9 on the US Hot 100 and achieving Starr's best position in the UK Singles Chart, where it reached #2, blocked only by the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards' version of "Amazing Grace".This is one of the...
" (Starkey) - 3:22- Originally released as a single in 1972
- "Blindman" (Starkey) - 2:46
- Originally released as the b-side to "Back Off Boogaloo" in 1972
- "Six O'Clock (Extended Version)" (McCartney) - 5:23