After the breakup of the Beatles, each member went on to a successful solo career. Ringo Starr was the voice behind hits such as "Yellow Submarine," "With A Little Help From My Friends," and "Act Naturally," and he soon demonstrated to the world that he could be a hitmaker on his own. Ringo scored his first big hit with "It Don't Come Easy," which reached #4 in 1971. The next year he was back in the Top 10 with "Back Off Boogaloo," which peaked at #9. Then he scored two back-to-back #1 hits with "Photograph" and "You're Sixteen." Ringo cracked the Top 10 three more times but the steam began to run out in 1975. By 1981, Ringo would have his final chart appearance when "Wrack My Brain" stalled at #38. Ringo has continued to make music through the decades, and released his latest album, "What's My Name," in 2019. I was surprised he didn't have a bigger career revival back in 1992 with the release of his comeback record, "Time Takes Time." It was his first LP since 1983 and featured many superstar guests and noted songwriters, including a cover of "Golden Blunders," done by The Posies. "Weight Of The World" seemed a perfect fit for radio at the time, sounding very much like a Traveling Wilburys tune.
The Posies, led by the duo Ken Stringfellow and Jon Auer, seemed poised to take over the charts in the 90s when they stormed onto the music scene with their major label debut album, "Dear 23." The album garnered plenty of critical acclaim and could serve as a textbook for anyone who wants to learn how to write melody and harmony. Alas, none of this helped the band obtain success on the charts. "Golden Blunders" is taken from this album, which also offers outstanding cuts like "Everyone Moves Away," "You Avoid Parties," and "Suddenly Mary." Their follow-up records deviated from their acoustic-driven sound in favor of more grunge like tones, but adopting that trend still didn't help round up more fans. In-between solo records and other projects, the pair has released 8 records. "Golden Blunders" was also covered by Ringo Starr on his 1992 album, "Time Takes Time."
How Will Owsley III, known better as simply Owsley, never became a chart success I'll never know. Owsley was an uber-talented singer and songwriter who specialized in pop rock melodies that are just a joy to listen to again and again. Owsley got his start in Judson Spence's band, but came into his own with the 90s power pop band called The Semantics, which also featured Ringo Starr's son. The band was terrific but their music did not fit with the times. Owsley then went solo, releasing his first self-titled effort in 1999 to critical acclaim but into a commercial abyss. "Sonny Boy" is just a taste of wonderful stuff from this record, which includes other highlights like "Coming Up Roses" and "Good Old Days." Starting in 1994, Owsley also became a longtime player with superstars Amy Grant and Shania Twain. He still found time to release a second solo record in 2004 called "The Hard Way" (be sure not to overlook "Undone" and his version of Paul McCartney's "Band On The Run"). Sadly, he died from an apparent suicide in 2010 at the age of 44.
Harry Nilsson was a singer and songwriter from New York who caught his first big break with the song "Everybody's Talkin'," which was featured in the movie Midnight Cowboy. It hit #6 in 1969 and earned Nilsson his first Grammy for Pop Male Vocal. He would win that Grammy again in 1971 when the stellar ballad, "Without You," stayed on top the chart for four weeks. Nilsson had one other top 10 hit, the novelty track "Coconut" (#8 in 1972). Of these three tracks, "Coconut" was the only one written by Nilsson. Nilsson was an accomplished songwriter, however. He penned the classic hit "One," which has been covered by many artists, most notably Three Dog Night. He also wrote several tunes that he took into the top 40 himself, including "I Guess The Lord Must Be In New York City" and "Me and My Arrow," both of which peaked at #34. "Jump Into the Fire" is one of my favorites by Nilsson, which reached #27 in 1972. Nilsson's final chart appearance came in 1974 when "Daybreak" hit #39. It was used in the film Son of Dracula, which starred Nilsson and Ringo Starr. Nilsson died of a heart attack 20 years later at the age of 52.
Out of the ashes of their band Pages, singer and bassist Richard Page and keyboardist Steve George regrouped to form a new pop rock band called Mr. Mister. Yes, the band referenced in the 2009 hit "Hey, Soul Sister," by Train. Mr. Mister was on a hot streak in the mid-80s. After warming up audiences in 1984 with "Hunters Of The Night," which reached #57, the band released their masterpiece record, "Welcome To The Real World." The album spawned two consecutive #1 hits with "Broken Wings" and "Kyrie," and the third single, "Is It Love" went to #8. With a big success like that, you'd think the band would have a pretty secure future, but they cooled off quickly. Their next release, 1987's "Go On," lacked the punch and radio-friendly melodies that earned them fans. After "Something Real (Inside Me/Inside You)" reached a disappointing #29, the band was ignored and broke up in 1990. Page would later release a solo record and write/play for many other artists. He was also a member of Ringo Starr's 12th All-Starr Band. "Uniform Of Youth" is another great cut from "Welcome To The Real World" that sees the band at its best, combining the synth rock with powerful guitars and an anthem-worthy chorus.
