After the break-up of the Beatles in April 1970, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr enjoyed success as solo artists and collaborated with each other on numerous occasions, including on both studio and live recordings. However, only three of these collaborations included all four members: "Free as a Bird" (1995), "Real Love" (1996) and "Now and Then" (2023).
In the early 1970s, collaborations were common between Harrison and Starr, and between Lennon and either Harrison or Starr, but none of the three worked with McCartney over that time. The only album released during Lennon's lifetime that included compositions and performances by all four ex-Beatles, albeit on separate songs, was Starr's 1973 album Ringo. Starr's Ringo's Rotogravure (1976) also included compositions by all his bandmates (although Harrison did not play on the album), and the 1996 Carl Perkins album Go Cat Go! contained individual contributions by McCartney, Harrison and Starr, together with a Lennon recording from 1969. With Starr's participation, Harrison staged the Concert for Bangladesh in New York City in August 1971. Other than an unreleased jam session on March 28, 1974, later bootlegged as A Toot and a Snore in '74, Lennon and McCartney never recorded together again. Starr and McCartney have performed and recorded together on several occasions since Harrison's death in 2001.
Collaborations by the four ex-Beatles since the break-up are listed below. Collaborations that began before the break-up are included for historical interest. The start date of the collaboration, e.g., the recording start date, governs the initial display sequence. Other display sequences may be seen by clicking the buttons in the column headers.
Albums
Year ofrecordingFor detailed dates, see article or linkYear ofreleaseWhere release years differ by country, the earliest year. For detailed dates, see article or linkAlbumCredited toCollaborationby LennonCollaborationby McCartneyCollaborationby HarrisonCollaborationby Starr 1967−68 1968 Wonderwall Music George Harrison 1968−69 1969 Is This What You Want? Jackie Lomax 1969 1970 Leon Russell Leon Russell 1969–70 1970 Doris Troy Doris Troy 1969−70 1970 Sentimental Journey Ringo Starr 1969−70 1970 Encouraging Words Billy Preston 1969 1972 Some Time in New York City (Live Jam) John Lennon & Yoko Ono 1969–70 1970 All Things Must Pass George Harrison 1970 1970 John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band John Lennon 1970 1970 Yoko Ono/Plastic Ono Band Yoko Ono 1971 1971 Imagine John Lennon 1971 1971 Fly Yoko Ono 1971 1971 The Concert for Bangladesh George Harrison & Friends 1972 1972 Bobby Keys Bobby Keys 1971 1972 Brother Lon & Derrek Van Eaton 1972 1974 Son of Dracula Harry Nilsson 1972 1973 Living in the Material World George Harrison 1973 1973 Ringo Ringo Starr 1973 1974 Shankar Family & Friends Ravi Shankar 1973 1974 Dark Horse George Harrison 1974 1992 A Toot and a Snore in '74 (bootleg) Various artists 1974 1974 Pussy Cats Harry Nilsson 1974 1974 Goodnight Vienna Ringo Starr 1975−1996 1996 Go Cat Go! (Carl Perkins tribute)Various artists 1976 1976 Ringo's Rotogravure Ringo Starr 1980−81 1981 Somewhere in England George Harrison 1980−81 1981 Stop and Smell the Roses Ringo Starr 1981−82 1982 Tug of War Paul McCartney 1981−82 1983 Pipes of Peace Paul McCartney 1982−83 1984 Give My Regards to Broad Street Paul McCartney 1987 1987 Duane Eddy Duane Eddy 1987 1987 Cloud Nine George Harrison 1989–90 1990 Armchair Theatre Jeff Lynne 1990 1990 Nobody's Child: Romanian Angel Appeal Various Artists (compiled by George Harrison) 1992 2014 Extra Texture (Read All About It) (2014 remaster) George Harrison 1995−97 1997 Flaming Pie Paul McCartney 1997−98 1998 Vertical Man Ringo Starr 2000 2001 Zoom Electric Light Orchestra 2009 2009 A Sideman's Journey Klaus Voormann 2009 2010 Y Not Ringo Starr 2017 2017 Give More Love Ringo Starr 2019 2019 What's My Name Ringo Starr 2023 2023 Rockstar Dolly Parton 2021-25 2026 The Boys of Dungeon Lane Paul McCartney
Singles
Year ofrecordingYear ofreleaseSingleCredited toCollaborationby LennonCollaborationby McCartneyCollaborationby HarrisonCollaborationby Starr 1967 1967"We Love You"The Rolling Stones 1968 1968"Sour Milk Sea"Jackie Lomax 1969 1969"New Day"Jackie Lomax 1969 1969"Carolina in My Mind"James Taylor 1969 1970"Que Sera, Sera (Whatever Will Be, Will Be)" Mary Hopkin 1969 1969"Cold Turkey" Plastic Ono Band 1969 1969"Don't Worry Kyoko (Mummy's Only Looking for Her Hand in the Snow)" Plastic Ono Band 1970 1970"Instant Karma!" Lennon, Ono and the Plastic Ono Band 1970 1971"It Don't Come Easy" Ringo Starr 1970 1970"My Sweet Lord" George Harrison 1970 1970"Isn't It a Pity" George Harrison 1970 1970"Mother" Lennon, Ono and the Plastic Ono Band 1970 1970"Why" Lennon, Ono and the Plastic Ono Band 1970 1971"Touch Me" Lennon, Ono and the Plastic Ono Band 1971 1971"Bangla Desh" George Harrison 1971 1972"Sweet Music" Lon & Derrek Van Eaton 1971−72 1972"Back Off Boogaloo" Ringo Starr 1972−73 1973"Photograph" Ringo Starr 1972 1974"Daybreak" Harry Nilsson 1973 1973"You're Sixteen" Ringo Starr 1974 1974"Only You" Ringo Starr 1974 1975"It's All Down to Goodnight Vienna" Ringo Starr 1974 1974"Ding Dong, Ding Dong" George Harrison 1977 / 1994 1995"Free as a Bird" The Beatles 1979 / 1995 1996"Real Love" The Beatles 1979 / 1995 / 2023 2023"Now and Then" The Beatles 1980−81 1981"All Those Years Ago" George Harrison 1980−81 1981"Wrack My Brain" Ringo Starr 1981 1982"Take It Away" Paul McCartney 1982 1983"So Bad" Paul McCartney 1987 1987"Devil's Radio" George Harrison 1987 1988"When We Was Fab" George Harrison 1996 1997"Beautiful Night" Paul McCartney 1997 1998"La De Da" Ringo Starr 2009 2010"Walk with You" Ringo Starr 2017 2017"Show Me the Way" Ringo Starr 2017 2017"We're on the Road Again" Ringo Starr 2019 2019"Grow Old with Me" Ringo Starr 2020 2020"Here's to the Nights" Ringo Starr 2023 2023"Let It Be" Dolly Parton featuring Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Peter Frampton and Mick Fleetwood 2023 2023"Feeling The Sunlight" Ringo Starr
Notes Promo single only Ono's B-side to Lennon's "Cold Turkey" Ono's B-side to Lennon's "Mother" Ono's B-side to Lennon's "Power to the People" in the US
Live performances
Live performances featuring collaboration between two or more ex-Beatles. Separate appearance at the same event does not count.
Year Event Location Collaborationby Lennon Collaborationby McCartney Collaborationby Harrison Collaborationby Starr 1969 UNICEF charity concert; Lennon performed "Cold Turkey" and "Don't Worry Kyoko" with Harrison. This performance was later released on the album Some Time in New York City. Lyceum Ballroom, London, England. 1971 The Concert for Bangladesh Madison Square Garden, New York 1979 Wedding of Eric Clapton and Pattie Boyd Ewhurst, Surrey, England 1981 Wedding of Ringo Starr and Barbara BachLondon, England 1985 Rockabilly Session for Carl PerkinsLimehouse Television Studios, London, England 1987 The Prince's Trust All-Star Rock Concert Wembley Arena, London 1988 Beatles Induction at Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, Los Angeles 1992 Natural Law Party Benefit Concert Royal Albert Hall, London 1993 Earth Day; Starr joined McCartney on stage for "Hey Jude" finale Hollywood Bowl, Los Angeles 2002 Concert for George Royal Albert Hall, London 2009 David Lynch Foundation "Change Begins Within" Benefit Concert Radio City Music Hall, New York 2010 Ringo's 70th birthday show with Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band (July 7); McCartney came onstage during the encore and played "Birthday" with Ringo and the band. Radio City Music Hall, New York 2014 56th Annual Grammy Awards (January 26); McCartney and Starr performed the former's "Queenie Eye". The Beatles also received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. Staples Center, Los Angeles 2014 The Night That Changed America: A Grammy Salute to The Beatles (filmed January 27, aired February 9); McCartney and Starr performed "With a Little Help from My Friends" and "Hey Jude." Los Angeles Convention Center, Los Angeles 2015Ringo Starr Induction Into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (McCartney inducted Starr into the rock and roll hall of fame and the pair performed "With a Little Help From My Friends" and "I Wanna Be Your Man", with a little help from members of Green Day.Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Cleveland, Ohio 2018At the performance in London on McCartney's 2018-2019 Freshen Up tour, the pair performed "Get Back", with Ronnie Wood.The O2 Arena, London, England 2019At the performance in Los Angeles and the last stop of McCartney's 2018-2019 Freshen Up tour, McCartney surprised the audience bringing Ringo Starr on stage and the pair performed "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise)" and “Helter Skelter”.Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles, California, USA 2024At the performance in London and the last stop of McCartney's 2022-2024 Got Back tour, McCartney surprised the audience bringing Ringo Starr on stage and the pair performed "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise)" and “Helter Skelter”.The O2 Arena, London, England
References
Sources