Antonio G. Pereira © 2016 Antonio G. Pereira
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Photograph by Ringo Starr.
www.amazon.com/Photograph-Ringo-Starr/dp/1905662335
What immediately grabs your attention about 'Photograph', is it's exquisitely beautiful design. Ringo has put this book together as a photographic diary of his life. His prose throughout the pages, is very informative, poignant and funny.
Three things that are very obvious from the childhood pictures of Richard Starkey ('Richie', as his relations affectionately called him), that make up the beginning of the book; (1) he was really loved by his family, (2) there was something special about him, and (3) when you see Richie with his friends, you can feel the warmth.
The photographs of Rory Storm and The Hurricanes (the very popular Liverpool group Ringo was in before The Beatles) are quite extraordinary. They were an exciting band to see in concert! And we see every stage of The Beatles' career up until Rishikesh and the beginning of the white album (during the recording of which) Ringo felt he was unwanted in the band anymore (which of course was not true) and he came back to a warm welcome from John, Paul and George. This was also when he began to branch off into films, on his own; starting with 'Candy'. He talks about all of these things, and it makes fascinating reading.
Ringo Starr is quite a remarkable and exceptional photographer. (I first noticed Ringo's talent as a photographer, when I saw his photographic portraitures of John, George and himself with their wives and children, and Paul with Jane Asher, in Hunter Davies' 1968 biography, 'The Beatles'. There is also Ringo's post-Beatles furniture design business, 'Ringo Or Robin Limited', which also showcased another facet of his talent, crafting and building beautifully original housewares and furnishings; which was mentioned (along with pictures of some examples of the furniture) in the book, 'The Beatles Forever' by Nicholas Schaffner.) Most of the photo prints in 'Photograph' are really beautiful, as we see his eye for catching moments that make you smile. Besides The Beatles and their families, there are also pictures of Brian Epstein, George Martin, Murray The K, Alfred G. Aronowitz, Phil Spector, Richard Lester, Wilfred Brambell, Norman Rossington, John Junkin, Mal Evans, Neil Aspinall, Peter Sellers (and just people that Ringo came in contact with, whom he wanted to remember); as well as Marc Bolan, Keith Moon, Harry Nilsson, Billy Preston, Carl Perkins, Eric Clapton and many more.
This is a wonderful book, that you'll really enjoy reading, and treasure for a long, long time. Good Work Ringo! Most Highly Recommended.
Now, if I heard Ringo correctly in his enjoyable two part interview on Tavis Smiley, he's talking to the other Beatles' families about putting a book together containing photographs that were taken by each member of the group during their heyday (John, Paul, George and Ringo were all camera buffs, as you can see from some of the photographs in the book!); and I'm looking forward to THAT ONE!
