"Ringo, I Love You" is a

rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wale ...

song performed by American singer-actress

Cher Cher ( ; born Cheryl Sarkisian, May 20, 1946) is an American singer, actress and television personality. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Goddess of Pop", she is known for her Androgyny, androgynous contralto voice, Music an ...

released under the pseudonym Bonnie Jo Mason, the name she used at the start of her career when based in

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

. The song was released as a promotional single in 1964 during the height of

Beatlemania Beatlemania was the fanaticism surrounding the English rock band the Beatles from 1963 to 1966. The group's popularity grew in the United Kingdom in late 1963, propelled by the singles " Please Please Me", "From Me to You" and " She Loves Yo ...

. It was a tribute to

the Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The core lineup of the band comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are widely regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatle ...

. The original vinyl is now a valuable rarity. In 1999, the song was covered by German electronic duo Stereo Total and released on their studio album '' My Melody''.

Song information

"Ringo, I Love You" is the first solo song recorded by Cher. The single was released under the name of Bonnie Jo Mason because producer

Phil Spector Harvey Phillip Spector (December 26, 1939 – January 16, 2021) was an American record producer and songwriter who is best known for pioneering recording practices in the 1960s, followed by his trials and conviction for murder in the 2000s. S ...

wanted American names for his singers, and Cherilyn La Piere was not a name he considered sufficiently American. The single failed to chart nationally, and did not pick up much local radio play, although it was a minor hit in

Buffalo, New York Buffalo is a Administrative divisions of New York (state), city in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York and county seat of Erie County, New York, Erie County. It lies in Western New York at the eastern end of Lake Erie, at the head of ...

. It has been suggested that many radio stations would not consider playing the record because they thought Cher's extremely low vocals were a man's vocals and objected to playing what they believed to be a homosexual love song; the artist's female moniker, however, and the fact that the singer explicitly identifies herself as a girl in the lyrics makes this story open to question. The track does not have Spector's usual

Wall of Sound The Wall of Sound (also called the Spector Sound) is a music production formula developed by American record producer Phil Spector at Gold Star Studios, in the 1960s, with assistance from engineer Larry Levine and the conglomerate of session m ...

production techniques, instead featuring more of a crudely arranged "beat group" sound. Spector, if he did indeed produce the track, took no producer credit, and the record did not appear on

Philles Records Philles Records was an American record label formed in 1961 by Phil Spector and Lester Sill, the label taking its name from a hybrid of their first names. Initially, the label was distributed by Jamie/Guyden in Philadelphia. In 1962, Spector p ...

, Spector's usual label. "Beatle Blues" is on the single's B-side, a typical tossed-off Spector instrumental made so that the A-side would get all the attention. "Ringo, I Love You" has been released on compact disc on small indie record label, although not on Cher releases; these albums are "Bravo! Beatles", "Phil Spector - Masterpiece (Volume 3)", "Flabby Road", "Before They Were Stars (Volume 2)", "Everything You Always Wanted To Know About Rock & Roll (Volume 1)" and "Girls in the Garage (Volume 4)".

Notes

References

* * * * * * {{Cher songs part 1 1964 songs 1964 debut singles Cher songs Song recordings produced by Phil Spector Songs written by Vini Poncia Songs written by Phil Spector Songs about Ringo Starr Songs about fandom