Cher is one of the greatest icons of the 1960s. Thanks to his time with the Beatles and his solo work, Ringo Starr is an icon of a similar caliber. Both are known for taking on more roles in film than the most famous singers and for having a great sense of humor.
Despite this, people don’t associate Cher with Ringo. Maybe they should. One of Cher’s first songs was about Ringo, and it became very controversial.
Cher’s love song about Ringo Starr
Cher first became a superstar as a member of the Sonny & Cher duo. She also has an incredibly successful and long-lasting solo career. Rolling Stone reports that her solo career began when she released a song called “Ringo, I Love You” under the stage name Bonnie Jo Mason. Cher would later use the pseudonym Bonnie Jo Mason when she recorded the voice for the Wu-Tang Clan album Once upon a time in Shaolin.
Cher released “Ringo, I Love You” in 1964. According to AllMusic, Sonny & Cher released their debut album in 1965, which means Cher was trying to be a soloist before finding success as part of a duet. This is interesting, as some fans believe that he started his solo career only after Sonny and Cher disbanded.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ckjuH74v9jU
RELATED: John Lennon was sometimes “embarrassed” by an album Ringo Starr I loved doing
“Ringo, I love you” is not exactly considered a classic. It is not even very well remembered. However, he had tremendous talent behind. According to the book Cher: Strong Enough, Sonny Bono got legendary producer Phil Spector to produce the song. Cher was only 18 years old when she recorded the song. In keeping with the song’s Fab Four theme, it was released alongside “Beatles Blues” on the B side.
“Ringo, I love you” includes some obvious references to the Beatles. The letter “Ringo, I love you, yes, yes, yes” seems to be a reference to a similar letter in the chorus of “She Loves You”. In another line of the song, Cher sings “Please let me take your hand,” a line reminiscent of the Beatles’ previous hit “I want to hold your hand.” “Ringo, I love you” is undoubtedly a relic of Beatlemania.
Why the song was banned and then failed
RELATED: The John Lennon song that is ‘the adult version’ of a Beatles classic
The song is completely harmless. However, Cher’s voice in the song caused many people to assume that she was a man. Because of this, people interpreted “Ringo, I Love You” as a gay love song. Subsequently, “Ringo, I love you” was banned from most radio stations. The song was a commercial failure.
Very few copies of “Ringo, I love you” were produced. After all, there was not much demand. Subsequently, the book Fab Four FAQ: All there is to know about the Beatles … and more! He says copies of the track will sell for hundreds of dollars. “Ringo, I love you” is still a strange curiosity for fans of the Beatles and Cher.
RELATED: Why didn’t Cher want to record “If I could turn back time”?
