Thursday 14 August 1980 | Ringo Starr, Studio
| Studio | Devonshire Sound Studios, Los Angeles |
| Producer | Stephen Stills |
| Engineers | Stanley Johnston, Steve Gursky |
| Album | Stop And Smell The Roses (1981) |
| Songs | ‘You’ve Got A Nice Way’ (album track); ‘Red And Black Blues’ (outtake) |
Ringo Starr completed recording ‘You’ve Got A Nice Way’ at Devonshire Sound Studios in Los Angeles on 14 August 1980. The session was produced by Stephen Stills and engineered by Stanley Johnston and Steve Gursky. Also worked on during the session was the album outtake ‘Red And Black Blues’, which did not make the final cut of the record.
The track was destined for Ringo’s eighth studio album, Stop And Smell The Roses, an unusually structured record on which different tracks were produced by different producers — a format that gave the album an eclectic, varied character but also presented logistical challenges for all involved.
Stephen Stills on producing Ringo
‘You’ve Got A Nice Way’ was co-written by Stephen Stills and guitarist Michael Stergis on 10 August 1980 — just four days before this session, and only two days before Stills’ first recording sessions with Ringo. In a 2022 interview with Classic Rock magazine, Stills recalled his friendship with Ringo and the experience of producing him:
“What a love. I mean, everybody in England knows Richie and I’m just happy I know him. I haven’t seen him in a while. We owe each other a catch-up. He was always willing to come and play. He had me come and produce [‘You’ve Got A Nice Way’]. He had one album where he had different producers. No pressure at all. You’re a producer – produce. Aaaargh! But Maureen, his first wife, was always good at setting everyone at ease.
When I first went over to visit he was living in Hampstead, and Mo [Maurice] Gibb was down the street, and Klaus [Voormann]. We had kind of a hootenanny. It qualified as a hootenanny, just hacking away. It was mostly friends. The first time he had any impact on me was when I went over to visit him in Hampstead, then I ended up buying the house that he bought from Peter Sellers [Brookfield House in Elstead, Surrey].”
— Stephen Stills, Classic Rock, 17 February 2022
Stills’ recollection paints a vivid picture of the informal, friendship-driven world that surrounded Ringo in the 1970s — with Maurice Gibb of The Bee Gees and Klaus Voormann (the German bassist and artist who had designed the Revolver album cover and played on numerous solo Beatles recordings) as near neighbours in Hampstead. The detail about Stills purchasing Brookfield House in Elstead, Surrey — the property Ringo had bought from actor Peter Sellers — adds a further layer of connection between the two men.
Ringo Starr — officially licensed merch
Ringo Starr: Colour Peace Unisex T-Shirt (Black).
Stop And Smell The Roses: the album
Stop And Smell The Roses was Ringo Starr’s eighth studio album, released on 20 November 1981 by Boardwalk Records. Its most distinctive feature was its multi-producer format: rather than working with a single producer across the entire album, Ringo invited a series of friends and collaborators to each produce one or more tracks. The producers involved included Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Harry Nilsson, Ronnie Wood and Stephen Stills.
The album was recorded during a turbulent period. Recording sessions had begun in 1980, and the project was overshadowed by the murder of John Lennon on 8 December 1980 — an event that profoundly affected all three surviving Beatles. Lennon had been scheduled to contribute to the album but was killed before he could do so. The album was eventually released in November 1981, more than a year after the sessions had begun.
Despite the strength of its contributors, Stop And Smell The Roses was a commercial disappointment, reaching only number 98 in the US and failing to chart in the UK. The single ‘Wrack My Brain’, produced by George Harrison, reached number 38 in the US and number 32 in the UK — a modest performance that reflected the declining commercial fortunes of Ringo’s solo career in the early 1980s.
Key Facts
| Date | Thursday 14 August 1980 |
| Studio | Devonshire Sound Studios, Los Angeles |
| Producer | Stephen Stills |
| Engineers | Stanley Johnston, Steve Gursky |
| ‘You’ve Got A Nice Way’ written | 10 August 1980 (Stills and Michael Stergis) |
| Album released | 20 November 1981, Boardwalk Records |
| Other producers on album | Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Harry Nilsson, Ronnie Wood |
Frequently Asked Questions
Who produced Stop And Smell The Roses?
Stop And Smell The Roses used a multi-producer format, with different tracks produced by different collaborators including Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Harry Nilsson, Ronnie Wood and Stephen Stills. Stephen Stills produced 'You've Got A Nice Way', recorded on 14 August 1980.
Why was John Lennon not on Stop And Smell The Roses?
John Lennon had been scheduled to contribute to the album but was murdered on 8 December 1980 before he could do so. The album was eventually released in November 1981, more than a year after the sessions had begun.
What is Brookfield House?
Brookfield House is a property in Elstead, Surrey. Ringo Starr purchased it from actor Peter Sellers, and Stephen Stills later bought it from Ringo — a connection Stills recalled in a 2022 Classic Rock interview about his friendship with Ringo.
→ US single release: Sgt Pepper’s/With A Little Help From My Friends – 14 August 1978
→ Recording: Husbands And Wives by Ringo Starr – 14 August 1974
→ August in Beatles History
→ The Beatles Knowledge Hub
→ On This Day in Beatles History
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