Ringo Starr inks publishing deal with BMG

11 April 2018

Sir Ringo Starr has inked a publishing deal with BMG.

Sir Ringo Starr

The Beatles star - who released his 19th solo record 'Give More Love' on September 15 - has agreed for the company to be the home for over 150 of his titles, including the Beatles' tracks 'Octopus's Garden' from the seminal LP 'Abbey Road' and 1968's 'Don't Pass Me By' from their self-titled ninth studio record, which he penned, and all future works.

Ringo - real name Richard Starkey - said: "I love making music and the songwriting process - and putting new music out there to play alongside the old.

"How great to be working with BMG who are excited to have my entire catalogue."

Zach Katz, of BMG US, added: "It is an understatement to say our entire team is overwhelmingly excited to welcome Ringo to the BMG family.

"From New York, Nashville, and Los Angeles to our offices around the world, we are all in, globally committed, and eager to show him what a multimedia music company can do, across the board, when you have the right creative tools to put your music to work."

The 77-year-old music legend previously gave an insight into how he writes new music.

He said last year: "What usually happens is with the writers I write with, one of us will have a line.

"I usually have a whole list of lines, and then we sort of just think what we're gonna do.

"The best [new track] to talk about is 'So Wrong for So Long.' Somebody said that to me in 2008, and I just thought, 'that's a great line,' and finally turned it into a record, into a track."

Most recently, Ringo worked with former Eurythmics guitarist Dave Stewart on his new music.

But he admitted that regardless of who he's collaborating with, he always tries to direct the tunes towards a feeling of "peace and love".

Reflecting on the collaboration process, he explained: "What usually happens is - it doesn't matter what people are doing. I direct it to the place I want it to be. Which is usually peace and love."

Ringo was honoured with a knighthood in March, 53 years after he and his Beatles bandmates - Sir Paul McCartney, the late John Lennon and George Harrison - were awarded MBEs by Queen Elizabeth.