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It Don't Come Easy

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"It Don't Come Easy"
Song
B-side"Early 1970"

"It Don't Come Easy" is a song by Ringo Starr released as an Apple Records single in April 1971, reaching number four in both the U.S. and UK singles charts. It was Starr's first solo single in the UK, but his second in the US (the first was "Beaucoups of Blues"), following the breakup of the Beatles. This song may also be considered Starr's signature song.

Background

The record said Starr composed the song in 1970, even though George Harrison cowrote the song[citation needed]. A demo version exists with Harrison providing a guide vocal for Starr.

The released version included Harrison on guitar, Klaus Voorman on bass guitar, Stephen Stills on piano, Ron Cattermole on saxophone and trumpet, Badfinger members Pete Ham and Tom Evans on background vocals, and Starr on drums and lead vocals. The B-side of the single, "Early 1970", featured Starr on acoustic guitar, piano, drums, and vocals, with Harrison playing guitar, bass, and backing vocals. The lyrics refer to the lives of the Beatles around the time of their breakup (hence the title). Both tracks were produced by Harrison and published by Startling Music.

Recording history

Recording of the new composition was begun on the evening of 18 February 1970 at Abbey Road's Studio 2, during the Sentimental Journey album sessions. Earlier in the day, Starr had re-recorded his vocals for "Have I Told You Lately That I Love You" and "Let the Rest of the World Go By", songs destined for Sentimental Journey. At this stage, the song was known as "You Gotta Pay Your Dues."

On this first session, George Martin was producing, with Harrison playing acoustic guitar and directing the other musicians, which comprised Starr (drums), Klaus Voormann (bass) and Stephen Stills (piano). 20 basic track takes were made between 7 p.m. and 12.30 a.m., with take 20 being labelled "best." Starr then added a lead vocal and George added two electric guitar parts, finishing at 4 a.m., with the song being mixed into stereo.

The following day, after overdubs onto "Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing", recording resumed on "You Gotta Pay Your Dues", with Starr overdubbing another lead vocal onto take 20 between 5 and 6 p.m. Harrison was not involved in recording on this day, although Eric Clapton may have been involved.[1] After an hour's break, it was decided to remake the song, with takes 21-30 being taped between 7 and 11 p.m. Take 30 was labeled "best" and onto this take, two bass parts were added before the session ended at 1:30 a.m.

This version however, was to remain unfinished, because on 8 March, Starr decided to again remake "It Don't Come Easy", as it was now known. Recording probably took place at Trident Studios (documentation is unavailable - all that is known is that it wasn't recorded at Abbey Road), with Harrison producing and playing guitar. Klaus Voormann (bass), Stephen Stills (piano), Mal Evans (tambourine) and Ron Cattermole (saxophone, trumpet) were also involved.

Recording of overdubs continued the next morning, again with Harrison producing. The song was then left until October 1970, when further overdubs were made (details unknown).

When news of the sessions reached the press in March 1970, Apple told the music press there were "absolutely no plans for the record to be released as a single at the present time", and the song wasn't issued until 9 April 1971 in the UK (and April 16 in the US). Starr's second solo single (with "Early 1970" as a B-side featuring Harrison on guitar and backing vocals) entered the NME charts on 21 April at number twelve and rose to number five for two weeks, staying on the chart for nine weeks.

An early mix from these sessions has appeared on bootlegs, which featured Harrison on lead vocal. While the instrumentation is almost identical to the released version (the horns have not been added yet), during the guitar break, the backing vocalists, Pete Ham and Tom Evans from Badfinger, add the line "Hare Krishna." This can be heard on the final Starr release, though buried in the mix. Following the guitar solo, rather than there being another verse, there is a repeat of the song's opening guitar phrase from Harrison, again with the backing vocalists singing 'it don't come, oh no, you know it don't come easy" twice, with Harrison adding a few shouted lines behind them before returning to the verse. Subsequently, there are some additional backing vocal lines.

Performances and release history

Starr performed this song at the Concert for Bangladesh (held 1 August 1971 at Madison Square Garden), and famously forgot some of the words. His goof was left in the album and concert film.

"It Don't Come Easy" was issued as a non-album single (Apple 1831) and debuted on the American Billboard chart on 1 May 1971. It peaked at number four and remained in the Top 40 for eleven weeks. The song didn't see inclusion on an album until the release of Starr's 1975 Apple greatest hits compilation, Blast from Your Past.

The song was also heard in the 1978 NBC-TV Ringo special. Although Starr recorded new versions of several songs for the special, the released recording of "It Don't Come Easy" was used.

On 12 March 1984, EMI released a single of "It Don't Come Easy" / "Back Off Boogaloo" in the UK.

When Starr recorded a new version of his 1972 hit "Back Off Boogaloo" for the Stop and Smell the Roses album, "It Don't Come Easy" was referred to, along with several Beatles songs, in the backing vocals (arranged and sung by Harry Nilsson).

In 1987, a cover version was used in a commercial for 7-Eleven using the slogan "Where the good things come easy".

Starr included the song on the set list for his July–September 1989 American tour, and a performance of this song opened the 1990 album Ringo Starr and His All-Starr Band. It was also included on a bonus 5" CD single released with the US limited edition deluxe CD version of Ringo Starr and His All-Starr Band.

In 1991, "It Don't Come Easy" was added as a bonus track to the CD version of Ringo, along with "Down and Out" and "Early 1970".

The song was covered by the American band The Smithereens on their album of rarities, Attack of the Smithereens.

Starr's song "Don't Go Where the Road Don't Go" from his 1992 album Time Takes Time features a homage to the song during the bridge with the line "Well I said It Don't Come Easy, well I sure know how it feels".

Starr's song "Eye to Eye" from his 2003 album Ringo Rama starts with the lines "Remember when I said it don't come easy, that seems so long ago".

Along with a guest appearance by Starr, the song was featured in The Simpsons episode "Brush with Greatness". The song is used as inspirational background music for a montage of Marge Simpson painting a portrait of Mr. Burns.

Notes

  1. ^ Stannard, Neville. Working Class Heroes. p. 154.

References

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