Radio: Ringo Starr on Open House

Ringo Starr made an appearance on the live BBC Radio 2 show Open House on this day.

He was there to promote his debut solo album Sentimental Journey. The interview took place in Studio B9 at the BBC’s Broadcasting House in London, and the 55-minute show was broadcast live.

Open House was a music request show, and in between songs Starr read out several readers’ letters and was interviewed by host Pete Murray.

Starr discussed each Beatle’s solo projects, suggesting that they might come together once again once they all had some free time. He said he had been working with George Harrison, had visited Paul McCartney at home, and saw John Lennon whenever they were both at Apple.

Following this exchange, Murray announced the next song as Rufus Thomas’ ‘Do The Funky Chicken’. Unfortunately, the wrong song was cued, and Mary Hopkin’s ‘Knock Knock Who’s There?’ was played instead. Following an apology from Murray, Starr read a request from a woman in Bolton and the Rufus Thomas song was played.

After reading a listener’s letter in which a woman sought to get in touch with her former fellow nursing students from 1964, Starr gleefully announced The Beatles’ ‘I Want To Hold Your Hand’. As it finished he urged listeners not to live in the past but to buy his new album.

Starr said hello to his sons Zak and Jason while introducing Boston Pops’ version of Ravel’s ‘Bolero’. The show closed with Joe Dolan’s ‘You’re Such A Good-Looking Woman’, and Murray wished Starr success for Sentimental Journey and for The Beatles’ forthcoming Let It Be.