Saturday 22 July 1995 | Circus Maximus Theater, Caesars Atlantic City, Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA
On 22 July 1995, Ringo Starr and his All-Starr Band performed two shows at the Circus Maximus Theater at Caesars in Atlantic City, New Jersey — the 27th date of the third All-Starr Band’s 50-show tour across Japan and North America. It was the second of three consecutive nights at the same venue (21, 22, and 23 July), and one of the most musically distinguished lineups in the All-Starr Band’s history, featuring former Beatles associates, rock legends, and Ringo’s own son.
The Third All-Starr Band
The 1995 All-Starr Band was the third edition of Ringo’s rotating supergroup, and widely regarded as one of the strongest lineups he ever assembled. The musicians were:
- Ringo Starr — vocals, drums, percussion, piano
- Randy Bachman — vocals, guitar
- Mark Farner — vocals, guitar, harmonica
- Billy Preston — vocals, keyboards
- Felix Cavaliere — vocals, organ, keyboard, maracas
- John Entwistle — vocals, bass guitar
- Mark Rivera — vocals, saxophone, percussion, tambourine, cowbell, guitar
- Zak Starkey — drums
The lineup brought together an extraordinary range of rock royalty. Billy Preston — the ‘Fifth Beatle’ who had played keyboards on Let It Be and Abbey Road and co-written ‘Get Back’ — gave the band a direct connection to the Beatles’ final sessions. John Entwistle, the thunderous bass guitarist of The Who, brought one of rock’s most celebrated rhythm sections into the fold. Randy Bachman of Bachman-Turner Overdrive and The Guess Who, Mark Farner of Grand Funk Railroad, and Felix Cavaliere of The Rascals completed a lineup that spanned the full breadth of classic rock. Mark Rivera, a multi-instrumentalist who had worked with Billy Joel, served as the band’s musical anchor. Zak Starkey — Ringo’s son — again played second drums.
Two Shows: The Setlists
The two shows on 22 July 1995 shared most of their setlist, with one key difference in the Felix Cavaliere slot.
First Show
- Don’t Go Where the Road Don’t Go (Ringo Starr)
- I Wanna Be Your Man (The Beatles)
- It Don’t Come Easy (Ringo Starr)
- The Loco-Motion (Mark Farner / Grand Funk Railroad)
- Nothing from Nothing (Billy Preston)
- You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet (Randy Bachman / BTO)
- Groovin’ (Felix Cavaliere / The Rascals)
- My Girl (Felix Cavaliere / The Rascals)
- Boris the Spider (John Entwistle / The Who)
- Boys (The Beatles)
- You’re Sixteen (Ringo Starr)
- Yellow Submarine (The Beatles)
- My Wife (John Entwistle / The Who)
- Honey Don’t (The Beatles)
- Act Naturally (The Beatles / Ringo Starr)
- Will It Go Round in Circles (Billy Preston)
- Takin’ Care of Business (Randy Bachman / BTO)
- Some Kind of Wonderful (Mark Farner / Grand Funk Railroad)
- Good Lovin’ (Felix Cavaliere / The Rascals)
- Photograph (Ringo Starr)
- No No Song (Ringo Starr)
- With a Little Help from My Friends (The Beatles)
Second Show
- Don’t Go Where the Road Don’t Go (Ringo Starr)
- I Wanna Be Your Man (The Beatles)
- It Don’t Come Easy (Ringo Starr)
- The Loco-Motion (Mark Farner / Grand Funk Railroad)
- Nothing from Nothing (Billy Preston)
- You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet (Randy Bachman / BTO)
- Groovin’ (Felix Cavaliere / The Rascals)
- Apples, Peaches, Pumpkin Pie (Felix Cavaliere / The Rascals)
- Boris the Spider (John Entwistle / The Who)
- Boys (The Beatles)
- You’re Sixteen (Ringo Starr)
- Yellow Submarine (The Beatles)
- My Wife (John Entwistle / The Who)
- Honey Don’t (The Beatles)
- Act Naturally (The Beatles / Ringo Starr)
- Will It Go Round in Circles (Billy Preston)
- Takin’ Care of Business (Randy Bachman / BTO)
- Some Kind of Wonderful (Mark Farner / Grand Funk Railroad)
- Good Lovin’ (Felix Cavaliere / The Rascals)
- Photograph (Ringo Starr)
- No No Song (Ringo Starr)
- With a Little Help from My Friends (The Beatles)
The only difference between the two shows was in the Felix Cavaliere slot: the first show featured ‘My Girl’ (originally by The Temptations, covered by The Rascals), while the second substituted ‘Apples, Peaches, Pumpkin Pie’. Both shows opened with the same run of Ringo solo and Beatles material and closed with the same triumphant finale of Photograph, No No Song, and With a Little Help from My Friends.
The inclusion of ‘Boris the Spider’ and ‘My Wife’ — both John Entwistle compositions from The Who’s catalogue — was a highlight of the shows. Entwistle’s thunderous bass playing on his own songs was a reminder of why he was considered one of the greatest rock bassists of all time. Billy Preston’s ‘Nothing from Nothing’ and ‘Will It Go Round in Circles’ brought a gospel-tinged soul energy that connected directly to his work with The Beatles on the Let It Be sessions.
The Circus Maximus Theater
The Circus Maximus Theater was the showroom at Caesars Atlantic City, one of the landmark casino hotels on the Atlantic City Boardwalk. With a capacity of around 1,100–1,200, it was an intimate venue by the standards of the All-Starr Band’s usual touring circuit — making the three consecutive nights there (21–23 July 1995) a residency-style engagement rather than a single stadium show.
Ringo Starr returned to the Circus Maximus Theater on three subsequent occasions: 3 July 2010, 23 June 2012, and 21 June 2014 — testament to the venue’s enduring appeal as a setting for the All-Starr Band format.
The 1995 Tour: Japan and North America
The third All-Starr Band’s 1995 tour opened on 14 June 1995 in Morioka, Japan, and closed on 23 August 1995 at Pier 62/63 in Seattle — 50 dates across Japan and the United States. The Japanese leg (14–28 June) included shows at the Nippon Budokan in Tokyo and Osaka-jō Hall in Osaka before the band crossed to North America for the main run. Notable North American dates included Radio City Music Hall in New York City (13 July) and the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles (18–19 August).
Key Facts: 22 July 1995
| Date | Saturday 22 July 1995 |
| Venue | Circus Maximus Theater, Caesars Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA |
| Shows | Two performances |
| Tour date number | 27th of 50 |
| Tour span | 14 June – 23 August 1995 | 50 dates | Japan & North America |
| Band | Ringo Starr, Randy Bachman, Mark Farner, Billy Preston, Felix Cavaliere, John Entwistle, Mark Rivera, Zak Starkey |
| Songs per show | 22 |
| Later Circus Maximus dates | 3 July 2010 | 23 June 2012 | 21 June 2014 |
Caesars Atlantic City, New Jersey — home of the Circus Maximus Theater, where Ringo Starr and his All-Starr Band performed two shows on 22 July 1995.
Ringo Starr: Colour Peace
Peace and love from the man himself. Officially licensed Ringo Starr tee.
Ringo Starr: Peace Red Circle
The peace sign. The legend. Officially licensed Ringo Starr merch.
1995 All-Starr Band Tour: Full Itinerary
| 14 Jun 1995 | Iwate Kenmin Kaikan, Morioka, Japan |
| 15 Jun 1995 | Sendai Sun Plaza, Sendai, Japan |
| 16 Jun 1995 | Niigata Terusa, Niigata, Japan |
| 18 Jun 1995 | Osaka-jō Hall, Osaka, Japan |
| 19 Jun 1995 | Kurashiki Shimin Kaikan, Kurashiki, Japan |
| 20 Jun 1995 | Kōsei Nenkin Kaikan, Hiroshima, Japan |
| 22 Jun 1995 | Century Hall, Nagoya, Japan |
| 24 Jun 1995 | Tokyo Bay NK Hall, Urayasu, Japan |
| 26 Jun 1995 | Nippon Budokan Hall, Tokyo, Japan |
| 27 Jun 1995 | Nippon Budokan Hall, Tokyo, Japan |
| 28 Jun 1995 | Hamamatsu-shi Kyouiku Bunka Kaikan, Hamamatsu, Japan |
| 2 Jul 1995 | Jefferson National Expansion Memorial, St Louis, USA |
| 3 Jul 1995 | Summerfest, Milwaukee, USA |
| 4 Jul 1995 | Mall of America, Bloomington, USA |
| 5 Jul 1995 | Ravinia Festival, Highland Park, USA |
| 8 Jul 1995 | Star Plaza Theatre, Merrillville, USA |
| 9 Jul 1995 | Nautica Stage, Cleveland, USA |
| 10 Jul 1995 | Pine Knob Theatre, Clarkston, USA |
| 11 Jul 1995 | National Cherry Festival, Traverse City, USA |
| 13 Jul 1995 | Radio City Music Hall, New York City, USA |
| 14 Jul 1995 | Bud Light Amphitheatre, Harveys Lake, USA |
| 15 Jul 1995 | Concord Resort Hotel, Kiamesha Lake, USA |
| 17 Jul 1995 | Wolf Trap, Vienna, USA |
| 18 Jul 1995 | Garden State Arts Center, Holmdel, USA |
| 19 Jul 1995 | Harbor Lights Pavilion, Boston, USA |
| 21 Jul 1995 | Circus Maximus Theater, Atlantic City, USA |
| 22 Jul 1995 | Circus Maximus Theater, Atlantic City, USA ★ This show |
| 23 Jul 1995 | Circus Maximus Theater, Atlantic City, USA |
| 25 Jul 1995 | Warwick Musical Theatre, Warwick, USA |
| 27 Jul 1995 | Oakdale Theatre, Wallingford, USA |
| 28 Jul 1995 | Starlite Music Theatre, Latham, USA |
| 29 Jul 1995 | Melody Fair Music Theater, North Tonawanda, USA |
| 31 Jul 1995 | Riverbend Music Center, Cincinnati, USA |
| 1 Aug 1995 | IC Light Amphitheatre, Pittsburgh, USA |
| 3 Aug 1995 | Orlando Arena, Orlando, USA |
| 4 Aug 1995 | Sunrise Musical Theatre, Sunrise, USA |
| 5 Aug 1995 | Sunrise Musical Theatre, Sunrise, USA |
| 7 Aug 1995 | Chastain Park Amphitheater, Atlanta, USA |
| 8 Aug 1995 | Palace Theatre, Louisville, USA |
| 9 Aug 1995 | Von Braun Civic Center, Huntsville, USA |
| 11 Aug 1995 | Arena Theatre, Houston, USA |
| 12 Aug 1995 | Sunken Gardens, San Antonio, USA |
| 13 Aug 1995 | Starplex Amphitheatre, Dallas, USA |
| 15 Aug 1995 | Mesa Amphitheatre, Mesa, USA |
| 16 Aug 1995 | Humphreys Concerts By The Bay, San Diego, USA |
| 18 Aug 1995 | Greek Theatre, Los Angeles, USA |
| 19 Aug 1995 | Greek Theatre, Los Angeles, USA |
| 20 Aug 1995 | Concord Pavilion, Concord, USA |
| 22 Aug 1995 | Pier 62/63, Seattle, USA |
| 23 Aug 1995 | Pier 62/63, Seattle, USA |
Frequently Asked Questions
Did Ringo Starr play Atlantic City?
Yes. Ringo Starr and his All-Starr Band performed two shows at the Circus Maximus Theater at Caesars Atlantic City on 22 July 1995, as part of three consecutive nights at the venue (21–23 July). Ringo also returned to the Circus Maximus Theater on 3 July 2010, 23 June 2012, and 21 June 2014.
Who was in the 1995 All-Starr Band?
The 1995 All-Starr Band was Ringo Starr (vocals, drums), Randy Bachman (guitar), Mark Farner (guitar), Billy Preston (keyboards), Felix Cavaliere (organ), John Entwistle (bass), Mark Rivera (saxophone), and Zak Starkey (drums).
Who was Billy Preston?
Billy Preston was an American musician known as the ‘Fifth Beatle’ for his keyboard work on The Beatles’ Let It Be and Abbey Road sessions. He co-wrote Get Back with John Lennon and Paul McCartney and had major solo hits including Nothing from Nothing and Will It Go Round in Circles. He joined Ringo Starr’s 1995 All-Starr Band, performing both his own hits and backing Ringo on Beatles material.
Who was John Entwistle?
John Entwistle was the bass guitarist of The Who, widely regarded as one of the greatest rock bassists of all time. Known as ‘The Ox’, he wrote Boris the Spider and My Wife, both of which featured in the 1995 All-Starr Band setlist. He joined Ringo Starr’s 1995 tour, bringing The Who’s thunderous bass style to the All-Starr Band format.
What Beatles songs did Ringo Starr play at Atlantic City in 1995?
The Atlantic City setlists included I Wanna Be Your Man, Boys, You’re Sixteen, Yellow Submarine, Honey Don’t, Act Naturally, and With a Little Help from My Friends, alongside Ringo solo hits Photograph, No No Song, It Don’t Come Easy, and Don’t Go Where the Road Don’t Go.
→ 22 July in Beatles History
→ July in Beatles History
→ Ringo Starr: Beatles History, Solo Career, Songs & Legacy
→ Paul McCartney: Beatles History, Solo Career, Songs & Legacy
→ John Lennon: Beatles History, Solo Career, Songs & Legacy
→ George Harrison: Beatles History, Solo Career, Songs & Legacy
→ The Beatles Knowledge Hub
Shop: Beatles T-shirts | Beatles merch by era | Wall art & posters | Mugs & drinkware
0 comments