Watch the video for Wrack My Brain from Ringo Starr's Very Best Of for free, and see the artwork, lyrics and similar artists. Watch the video for Wrack My Brain from Ringo Starr's Very Best Of for free, and see the artwork, lyrics and similar artists. Playing via Spotify Playing via YouTube. The words 'rack' and 'wrack' are commonly used interchangeably in confusion. Discover the difference between them, examples of their use, plus more. She racked her brain.' 'The noun wrack means ruin or destruction, as in wrack and ruin and wracked with pain.
. 'Wrack My Brain'Released: 27 October 1981 (US); 13 November 1981 (UK).
'Private Property'Released: 13 January 1982Stop and Smell the Roses is the eighth studio album by English rock musician. Released in October 1981, it followed the twin commercial failures of (1977) and (1978). The album includes the hit single 'Wrack My Brain', written and produced by, but otherwise failed to find commercial success. It also includes contributions from, and.The album began life in mid 1980 as Can't Fight Lightning, while Starr was signed to. After the label withdrew its support, the project lay dormant until he signed with the subsidiary in 1981.
Had been due to participate in the recording, having offered Starr the songs ' and ', but he was murdered in New York a month before the sessions were to have taken place. Stop and Smell the Roses was reissued in 1994 with six bonus tracks. Contents.Background and recording While visiting at his, Starr was given a demo of ' by Lennon. Lennon wrote the song specifically for Starr, and wanted him to record it for his next album. Soon after meeting soon-to-be second wife on the film set of in early 1980, met fellow former-Beatle, and his wife, at a hotel while they had earlier visited the 33rd annual, on 16 May.
Starr asked McCartney whether he would like to play on and possibly produce Starr's next album, to which McCartney agreed. Starr started sessions in France for a new album, at this point titled Can't Fight Lightning, on 11 July, at Super Bear Studios, lasting until 21 July. With then in limbo and just released, McCartney booked time with Starr to record three songs: 'Private Property' and 'Attention' (both McCartney originals) plus a cover of '.
They also recorded the song 'You Can't Fight Lightning', which Starr wrote after he and Bach were nearly struck by lightning. Following on from a brief holiday, Starr and Bach flew to Los Angeles on 27 July. Recording moved to Devonshire Sound Studio in Hollywood on 11 August.Next got involved, writing 'You've Got a Nice Way' for Starr and producing its recording that August. On 4 September the recording session moved again, this time to. Of was keen to help out and brought with him the song 'Dead Giveaway' on 23 September, which they co-produced. Two days later on the 25th, the pair taped the track 'Brandy'. Starr recorded alone on 27 September.
On 6 November Starr and Wood demoed the song 'I Don't Believe You'. Long-time friend was next on Starr's checklist, presenting him with 'Drumming Is My Madness' as well as the album's title track, both of which were recorded in early November, with early December sessions completing the work of the cork. Before returning home to England, Starr planned for another session to be held at the studio on 14 January. After working with McCartney, Starr also felt it appropriate to extend the invitation to his two other band mates in; Upon his return to his residence on 10 November, Starr phoned, inviting him to appear on the album. When Starr arrived at Harrison's estate on 19 November, Harrison presented him with 'Wrack My Brain', which he had composed for Starr.' ', another cover from the past, was recorded, with Harrison producing.
Starr also recorded a version of ', but Starr told Harrison the vocal was too high for his range and he didn't like the words. Lennon was the last of the former-Beatles that Starr had yet to visit and – fresh from his musical re-awakening, having just released – Lennon was eager to meet with Starr. On 26 November, in New York City, Lennon handed Starr the demos for '.
With Lennon producing, they set a date, the one Starr had originally booked, for 14 January 1981 to record the song. Starr and Bach flew from New York to Los Angeles, on 28 November. Back in Hollywood two days later, Starr, Nilsson and Paul Travis listened to playbacks of the July sessions at. On 1 December, Starr laid down vocals for 'You Can't Fight Lightning'. For the next two days, Starr and Jarvis mixed the album.
On 4 December, Starr added vocals to a re-make of '. The next day Starr flew to the Bahamas to be with Bach. On 8 December, Lennon was. After a period of mourning, Starr returned to the studio on 14 January 1981. Harrison took the 'All Those Years Ago' track, changed some of the lyrics and, with overdubs by Paul and Linda McCartney, it was released as a tribute to Lennon.Starr, with Wood recorded for 3 days from the 14th, at Cherokee Studios, with further final batch of sessions taking place from 20 January until 12 February. During this time, the tracks 'Dead Giveaway', 'Wake Up', 'Brandy', 'You Belong to Me' and 'Wrack My Brain' were finished. On 13 February, final mixes of the tracks were made at Compass Point Studios and ten tracks were chosen for release on the album.
Release and aftermath Professional ratings Review scoresSourceRating5/102.5/5In April 1981, Starr left record label due to a disagreement with its distributor, who was due to release the Can't Fight Lightning version of the album. Starr would eventually sign to (and a subsidiary called in the US), for a multi-album deal. At the Egham Aerodrome in Surrey, on 16 and 17 September, Starr filmed for the tracks 'Wrack My Brain' and 'Stop and Take the Time to Smell the Roses', both of which were directed by Keef & Co. On 18 September interior filming in London took place for 'Wrack My Brain'. The next day the promo for was edited for airing on TV.
Over a month later, from 26 October until 12 December, Starr gave several interviews to help promote the album. Two days later, he appeared in a radio interview for, again, to promote the album.
Harrison's 'Wrack My Brain', backed with 'Drumming Is My Madness', was the first single, released on 27 October, the same day as the album in the US by Boardwalk. In the UK, the single was released on 13 November by RCA. While it missed the UK charts, it managed to give Starr his final US Top 40 hit, reaching number 38. In South Africa, 'Wrack My Brain' reached number 17. It also charted in Switzerland (#32) and did well in Belgium (#10).With a re-sequenced running order and design change, the album was rechristened Stop and Smell the Roses, after Nilsson's donated song.
The album was released in the UK on 20 November. Another radio interview to promote the album was held on 2 December, by Capitol Radio in Los Angeles.
Stop and Smell the Roses reached no further than number 98 in the US. On 31 December, the store in London announced that despite the busy Christmas period, only 30 copies of the album had been sold with the store. On 13 January 1982, McCartney's 'Private Property' was released as the second single, backed with 'Stop and Take the Time to Smell the Roses', in the US, but failed to chart anywhere.
Nonplussed, RCA dropped Starr in 1982. For the first time in his career, Starr was out of a recording contract with neither a UK nor US label willing to sign him. On 12 December 1982, the 'Wrack My Brain' promo aired on. Stop and Smell the Roses was reissued on CD, on the same day as, in the US by on 22 August 1994 with bonus tracks. 'Wrack My Brain' was re-released, this time on red vinyl, with 'Private Property' as the B-side, on The Right Stuff on 1 November.
A was released in 1994 by, featuring three songs from both (1983) and Stop and Smell the Roses.Starr released a re-recording of the bonus track 'You Can't Fight Lightning' as a bonus track on his 2017 album.Track listing Side one No.TitleWriter(s)ProducerLength1.' Private Property'McCartney2:442.' Wrack My Brain'Harrison2:213.' Drumming is My Madness'Nilsson3:294.' Stop and Take the Time to Smell the Roses', NilssonNilsson3:08Side two No.TitleWriter(s)ProducerLength1.' Dead Giveaway'Starkey, Wood4:282.' You've Got a Nice Way', Michael StergisStills3:335.'
'StarkeyNilsson3:16Bonus tracks No.TitleWriter(s)ProducerLength11.' Wake Up'StarkeyStills3:4512.'
Red and Black Blues'Stills3:2013.' Brandy'Joseph B.
Jefferson, Charles B. SimmonsStarr, Wood4:0814.' Stop and Take the Time to Smell the Roses' (Original vocal version)Starkey, NilssonNilsson3:0915.'
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