| "Ringo, I Love You" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single byBonnie Jo Mason | ||||
| B-side | "Beatle Blues" (Instrumental) | |||
| Released | March 4, 1964[citation needed] | |||
| Recorded | February 1964 | |||
| Genre | Pop rock | |||
| Length | 1:50 | |||
| Label | Annette Records | |||
| Songwriters | ||||
| Producer | Phil Spector | |||
| Bonnie Jo Mason singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
"Ringo, I Love You" is arock song performed by the American singer-actressCher released under the pseudonym Bonnie Jo Mason, the name she used at the start of her career when based inLos Angeles. The song was released as a single in 1964 during the height ofBeatlemania.[1][2][3] It was a tribute tothe Beatles.[4] The original vinyl is now a valuable rarity.[5] In 1999, the song was covered by German electronic duoStereo Total and released on their studio albumMy Melody.[6]
"Ringo, I Love You" is the first solo song recorded by Cher. The single was released under the name of Bonnie Jo Mason because producerPhil Spector[7] wanted American names for his singers, and Cherilyn La Piere was not a name he considered sufficiently American.[8]
The single failed to chart nationally, and did not pick up much local radio play, although it was a minor hit inBuffalo, New York.[9][10] It has been suggested that many radio stations would not consider playing the record because they thought Cher's extremely low vocals were a man's vocals and objected to playing what they believed to be a homosexual love song;[11][8] the artist's female moniker, however, and the fact that the singer explicitly identifies herself as a girl in the lyrics makes this story open to question. The track does not have Spector's usualWall of Sound production techniques, instead featuring more of a crudely arranged "beat group" sound. Spector, if he did indeed produce the track, took no producer credit, and the record did not appear onPhilles Records, Spector's usual label.
"Beatle Blues" is on the single's B-side, a typical tossed-off Spector instrumental made so that the A-side would get all the attention. "Ringo, I Love You" has been released on compact disc on small indie record label, although not on Cher releases; these albums are "Bravo! Beatles", "Phil Spector - Masterpiece (Volume 3)", "Flabby Road", "Before They Were Stars (Volume 2)", "Everything You Always Wanted To Know About Rock & Roll (Volume 1)" and "Girls in the Garage (Volume 4)".
