More of the Music of Ringo Starr

Hot Stamper Pressings of Richard Perry Productions

This copy had the top and bottom that was missing from most of the pressings we played. It also had tremendous energy throughout, especially noticeable on a song like Photograph.

Like Nilsson Schmilsson, an amazing Richard Perry production with much the same amazing sound, the bad copies are really just awful — veiled, smeary, compressed, rolled off up top and leaned out down low. It’s a big studio pop production with a lot going on; when it doesn’t work it really doesn’t work. Thankfully, on some copies it does, and this is one of those.

If you’ve tried killer Hot Stamper pressings of any of our favorite Richard Perry productions — No Secrets, Nilsson Schmilsson, Son of Schmilsson and Breakaway come to mind — you know the sound of this album.

Bill Schnee did some of the engineering. You probably know his name from the famous Sheffield Direct to Disc recordings he made there. If you like your records will lots of bottom end, richness, Tubey Magic and powerful dynamics, he’s the guy that can get that sound on tape, and Doug Sax, the mastering engineer for the album, is the guy that can get that sound onto disc. They made a great team.

(I had a chance to tour Bill Schnee’s studio when he sold it to a friend of mine. The main room was huge with a vaulted high ceiling and lots of acoustically variable panels on the walls. It’s sure to be all digital by now; more’s the pity.)

There are two kinds of side ones: some are cut louder than others; this is one of those louder cut copies.

Pressing Variations

Two interesting facts about this record:

1. Track 2 is listed as “Hold On” on some early pressings. Some refer to it as “Have You Seen My Baby”.
2. Some copies of this record feature an extended version of “Six O’Clock,” though you can’t tell from the sleeve.

These copies are extremely rare and book for $400!

Side One

I’m The Greatest
Hold On
Photograph
Sunshine Life For Me (Sail Away Raymond)
You’re Sixteen

Side Two

Oh My My
Step Lightly
Six O’Clock
Devil Woman
You And Me (Babe)