A 1980 Paul McCartney demo for Ringo Starr is set for auction later this month, according to The Independent. The cassette features McCartney on a vocal and piano run-through of the song “Attention,” which the two former-Beatles recorded together that July in France for Ringo’s 1981 Stop And Smell The Roses album.
The Maxell C-60 audio cassette lists “Attention,” and two possible cover tunes pitched to Ringo for McCartney to produce — Chuck Berry‘s version of “Route 66” and Carl Perkins‘ “Sure To Fall” — which McCartney and Ringo went on to record.
The tape comes from the collection of Wings touring saxophonist and Liverpool and Hamburg intimate Howie Casey, who performed on the tracks. The cassette is expected to fetch over $13,000 when it goes under the hammer on April 26th via Omega Auctions.
Back in 2020, McCartney’s 1991 demo for a song Ringo rejected, titled, “Angel In Disguise,” sold below expectations, taking in less than $10,000.
FAST FACTS
- Ringo Starr‘s Stop And Smell The Roses was released on October 27th, 1981 and “peaked” at a dismal Number 98.
- The album featured tracks written and produced by Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Harry Nilsson, Ron Wood, and Stephen Stills.
- One of Harrison’s two contributions — “Wrack My Brain” — peaked at Number 38, marking Ringo’s final Top 40 hit to date.
- In November 1980, while visiting in New York City, Ringo secured John Lennon‘s commitment to join him in January 1981 in Los Angeles and for Lennon and Jack Douglas to co-produce two Lennon songs for the album — the unused “Life Begins At 40” and “Nobody Told Me,” which became Lennon’s final Top 10 hit when his 1980 version was released in 1984.
CHECK IT OUT: Ringo Starr & Paul McCartney’s 1981 teamup on “Attention”: