In April 1981, Starr left record label Portrait due to a disagreement with its distributor, CBS, who was due to release the Can’t Fight Lightning version of the album. On 13 February, final mixes of the tracks were made at Compass Point Studios and ten tracks were chosen for release on the album. During this time, the tracks “ Dead Giveaway“, “ Wake Up“, “ Brandy“, “ You Belong to Me” and “ Wrack My Brain” were finished. Starr, with Wood recorded for 3 days from the 14th, at Cherokee Studios, with further final batch of sessions taking place from 20 January until 12 February. Harrison took the “ All Those Years Ago” track, changed some of the lyrics and, with overdubs by Paul and Linda McCartney, it was released as a tribute to Lennon. After a period of mourning, Starr returned to the studio on 14 January 1981. On 8 December, Lennon was gunned down outside The Dakota by Mark David Chapman. The next day Starr flew to the Bahamas to be with Bach. On 4 December, Starr added vocals to a re-make of “ Back Off Boogaloo“. For the next two days, Starr and Jarvis mixed the album. On 1 December, Starr laid down vocals for “ You Can’t Fight Lightning“. Back in Hollywood two days later, Starr, Nilsson and engineer Paul Travis listened to playbacks of the July sessions at Compass Point Studios. Starr and Bach flew from New York to Los Angeles, on 28 November. With Lennon producing, they set a date, the one Starr had originally booked, for 14 January 1981 to record the song. On 26 November, in New York City, Lennon handed Starr the demos for “ Nobody Told Me“. Lennon was the last of the former-Beatles that Starr had yet to visit and – fresh from his musical re-awakening, having just released Double Fantasy – Lennon was eager to meet with Starr. Starr also recorded a version of “ All Those Years Ago“, but Starr told Harrison the vocal was too high for his range and he didn’t like the words. “ You Belong to Me“, another cover from the past, was recorded, with Harrison producing. When Starr arrived at Harrison’s Friar Park estate on 19 November, Harrison presented him with “ Wrack My Brain“, which he had composed for Starr. After working with McCartney, Starr also felt it appropriate to extend the invitation to his two other band mates in The Beatles Upon his return to his Tittenhurst Park residence on 10 November, Starr phoned George Harrison, inviting him to appear on the album. Before returning home to England, Starr planned for another session to be held at the studio on 14 January. Long-time friend Harry Nilsson was next on Starr’s checklist, presenting him with “ Drumming Is My Madness” as well as the album’s title track, both of which were recorded in early November, with early December sessions completing the work of the cork. On 6 November Starr and Wood demoed the song “ I Don’t Believe You“. Two days later on the 25th, the pair taped the track “ Brandy“. Ronnie Wood of The Rolling Stones was keen to help out and brought with him the song “ Dead Giveaway” on 23 September, which they co-produced. On 4 September the recording session moved again, this time to Cherokee Studios. Next Stephen Stills got involved, writing “ You’ve Got a Nice Way” for Starr and producing its recording that August. Recording moved to Devonshire Sound Studio in Hollywood on 11 August. Following on from a brief holiday, Starr and Bach flew to Los Angeles on 27 July. They also recorded the song “ You Can’t Fight Lightning“, which Starr wrote after he and Bach were nearly stuck by lightning. With Wings then in limbo and McCartney II just released, McCartney booked time with Starr to record three songs: “ Private Property” and “ Attention” (both McCartney originals) plus a cover of “ Sure to Fall“. Starr started sessions in France for a new album, at this point titled Can’t Fight Lightning, on 11 July, at Super Bear Studios, lasting until 21 July. Starr asked McCartney whether he would like to play on and possibly produce Starr’s next album, to which McCartney agreed. Soon after meeting soon-to-be second wife Barbara Bach on the film set of Caveman in early 1980, Ringo Starr met fellow former-Beatle Paul McCartney, and his wife, Linda, at a hotel while they had earlier visited the 33rd annual Cannes Film Festival, on 16 May. Lennon wrote the song specifically for Starr, and wanted him to record it for his next album. While visiting John Lennon at his Dakota apartment, Starr was given a demo of “ Life Begins at 40” by Lennon. It includes the hit single “ Wrack My Brain“, written and produced by George Harrison, in addition to contributions from Paul McCartney, Harry Nilsson, Ronnie Wood and Stephen Stills. Stop and Smell the Roses is the eighth studio album by Ringo Starr, released in 1981 following the twin commercial disasters of Ringo the 4th (1977) and Bad Boy (1978).
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